Blogmas day 23 - a bit photo heavy.

Morning, lovely people.  Only two days now.

Yesterday was just a lovely, happy day.

After a few days of feeling lethargic and lazy, my get-up-and-go came back again.

I attacked my bedroom and the bathroom, cleaned, dusted, swept and changed my sheets for the ones I always use for Christmas - lovely, soft, brushed cotton tartan duvet cover and pillowcases that are so cosy and snuggly.

I did quite a lot of tidying up downstairs but I decided to leave the cleaning for today because if I had done it yesterday, that chances are it would have needed a going over tomorrow but doing it today means I can forget about it totally until afterwards!

I iced the cake while listening to my Christmas playlist and it was both happy and sad, remembering how Mum always did this in past days.

I wasn't sure how to decorate it so I took two photos of ideas and ran them past Beth and Alex.

They chose this option so that's that sorted.
By the way, I went round to Beth's, took some presents and came back with others which are now . . .

. . . under the tree and that's pretty much how it will stay until Christmas afternoon really.  It looks so festive and exciting (and keeps most of the clutter in one place).

During the morning, there was a knock at the door and when I opened it, a parcel had been left on the doorstep - a box of posh goodies from Bertie (Chris' grandson) and his mum and dad.  Totally unexpected and so very kind.

It was

some fruit cake

a lemon drizzle almond cake

(both now sliced and out of harm's way in the freezer)

tiffin (to enjoy on Christmas day)

some fudge (ditto)

some fancy tea bags which I'm going to start enjoying this afternoon.

I got another parcel a bit later, some flowers from my brother, John.  I'll take a photo later as they hadn't opened properly yesterday.

And I had a lovely exchange of emails with him too.

I got three loads of washing done (including the bedding) and, as the sun was shining, I threw caution to the winds and dried quite a lot of it in the tumble dryer.   Most of the remaining ironing is now done and there's just a bit more to do today.

And there was still time to sit, chill and catch up on Christmas recordings.  

Such a lovely day, despite the gusty winds and the rattling fence during the evening.

The penultimate bit of the Advent puzzle.

Not quite penultimate for the M&S advent box as it is a twenty five day one which is quite nice.  I'm starting to think what I can use the container for.  I could put some of the special baubles in it but that would mean shutting it away all year.  Perhaps I will use it for a crochet project; it isn't big enough to hold knitting needles really.

I'll think of something or, maybe, you have some ideas?

Edit because I forgot to say what today's thing is - it's a small tube of 'sleep and replenish' and is basically a night cream.  Again - I will use it but I won't be getting more - Aldi's night cream is fine.

The Advent of Change today is a brilliant one.  It is Project Harar which provides cleft lip and palate treatment to children across Ethiopia. 

Today you have offered vital treatment and support to a child born with a left condition in some of the most rural areas of Ethiopia.

Fantastic!

https://www.projectharar.org/

Beth and I were talking about this calendar yesterday - I bought her one as she had never come across it before.  We both agreed that it's something we want to do every year from now on.

I was also pondering on the Reverse Advent idea - that every day through Advent you donate something to your local food bank.  I want to get on board with that too although in a different way, not just Advent.  I will think it through a bit more.

In my Christmas Survival Book (nothing special, just a note book with a nice cover) it tells me that today I will:

go to circuits at Lindsey's

finish the washing and ironing

clean downstairs

do my usual pre Christmas kitchen clear-out - just the surfaces, etc, to give me a clear run)

Make the cooking plan for Wednesday - although that's not so crucial for a slow roast leg of lamb but it will remind me of things I need to get out of the freezer, etc.

I also had 'make Mediterranean bread' but I am out of wholemeal and sundried tomatoes so it will have to wait until I have done the last bits of shopping early tomorrow morning.

That's really not so bad, is it.  Plenty of time to chill and watch Christmas telly recordings.

Have a good day, everyone, and make sure you have enough time for chilling and being kind to yourself, OK?  

A couple of carols for our advent music today.

Away in a Manger, sung by Libera,

and O Little Town, from the King's Singers.