This Christmas has been such a total emotional roller coaster, I’m exhausted.
On Christmas Eve the cooking and cleaning started and I felt so bad for our kids, but we just had to focus and get on with it. We did a ‘spoil’ supper of pizza, dressed them in their pj’s and took them for a drive (BoneyM blaring) to Bothasig, a suburb where many of the houses go completely OTT with lights. We decided to spend Christmas Eve together as a family, despite both sets of Grandparents asking us to come around repeatedly.
On the drive it hit me that this is MY family. We are creating our own traditions and memories. We are responsible for making this special for them. Christmas isn’t about me anymore, it’s ALL about the children.
We went BIG. We did the whole flour-footprints-cookies-for-santa-thing. He even pressed his hands against Daniel’s window to check if he was sleeping:
The kids’ faces in the morning when they saw the presents and the stockings were priceless. SO worth making the effort!
Christmas day was packed with preparations as I, stupidly, did all the side dishes (with help form hubby) and decorated the table.
The menu was:
Leg of lamb and gammon (brought by in-laws)
Tongue (brought by my folks)
Chicken (Weber, hubby)
Roast potatoes (hubby)
Rice and sauce (hubby)
Marinated Mushrooms (me)
Quinoa Salad (me)
Sweet and Sour Onions (hubby and me)
Green salad (me)
Dessert was trifle (MIL) and Pavlova (me)
All of this would have been fine had I not decided to attempt Martha Stewarts’ cookies. Never ever ever ever again. Took me friggin ages. Trust me. Don’t do it.
Here are the Christmas tree cookies and the name ‘cards’, done also on cookies and iced by hand. (Very wonky, please don’t mock!)
This was the table:
Here are the kids, waiting to open their presents:
Next year we are going away. I am not doing the whole bang shoot for 15 people again anytime soon. And if we do I will be delegating a lot more!
Hope everyone had a lovely, lovely time!!
Your table looks lovely. Sjoe, you really went all out with your spread and everything!
Gorgeous pics! Your table looks stunning 🙂
We almost didn’t do the home Christmas this year, but I’m so glad we decided against a restaurant. We all pitched in, and it was great 🙂
Wow cookies are amazing.
Well done the table looks great.
Christmas is about your own family,realised this a while back when in-laws kept forcing us to do Xmas eve,when I like to celebrate on Xmas day
Tania, it looks super organised and gorgeous, love the Christmas name tags!
wow, well done!
Thank you LL 🙂
There was a lot of ‘family politics’ so I decided to just get on with it. Next year it’s delegate or die.
Thank you deblet, and I agree, Christmas is about my own family from now on.
Thank you so much!
Thank you!
Excellent!
Please invite us for dinner, I want a cookie name card! Please, please, please. With cherries and all that 🙂
Wow and how awesome are you biscuits?!
So glad you like them!
No. I’m done with Martha. No cookies with names. Ever again.
Ok, for at least another 11 months or so 😛
LOL! Sounds a bit like me! Next year, camping on our own in our little tent having a braai.
LOL! Sounds a bit like me! Next year, camping on our own in our little tent having a braai.
Ditto.