Happy Christmas everyone! We have had a really lovely time here in our new home, feeling very stuffed and very grateful. I cooked dinner for my kids and mum and eldest brother, which was a little nerve wracking because my mum is an amazing cook and also because I'm a vegetarian and they are not. Fear not because they already had pre-xmas meaty dinner the week before.

Me and the kids did quite a lot in the preperation regarding decorations and food, but I still managed to find cooking a bit of a learning curve.

I made gravy the week before (and froze it). Pehr and I made shortbread biscuits to go with the pudding too.

Leify decorated some biscuits too.

I ordered a dining table which arrived just in time, My living room is quite big so I can arrange the furniture around a big table (it folds down half size too). Really handy!

I decorated it with some dried grasses we found at Newtown Creek, and a gold moon and stars I made very quickly.

The stars are just gold stickers stuck on florists wire.

We made very buttery mince pies with added fresh fruit in them. In fact I have consumed a bit too many already, I am refuelled until about mid-june 2022.

I made mushroom and cheese pies for dinner (like always) and poached pears with ice cream and shortbread biscuits for puddling.

It has been a monumental year for me (and us) this year. Mainly the most significant thing has been to establish a new career and income to support us financially. The most scary thing in the world. Amazingly it has been going very well and we have not had to change our life very much and have had all the same things we are used to. I could give my children a lovely xmas which is wonderful.

Earlier in the year we also bought a new home after much lengthy anticipation and worry, at the very last moment it all came good and the house move went through just two days before my mortgage offer expired, phew!

We have had lockdown and home schooling and covid and redecoration thrown in too, as well as running a business. I. am. tired. but in a good way.

I'm so thankful and proud of this year and what I have achieved for us, I just need to maintain myself mentally and keep going, as it has been tough and draining and scary, and I have found myself spending days on end cocooned in my duvet when the kids are away, even afraid to poke my nose out of it.

I have lost a dear friend and family member, Marie, so suddenly in May. Her loss has rocked us all to the core, but most importantly her partner - my brother who has been through so much.

What a year, I cannot believe it has been just one. But, all on my list this time last year has been ticked off at least.

I will make a new list for the coming year, and it will be more about keeping us happy and safe. I am saving up for a holiday and transforming our little patch of garden in the spring, and taking life easy for a bit.

Check in with me this time next year and see if I have kept to my word!

Wishing you all a very safe, peaceful and healthy New Year, I think we all deserve it! xxx

It really meant a lot to see them so happy decorating their little tree in their room considering we were homeless this time last year.

Our flat smells like marmalade.

We made lots of things using fresh greenery but has since shrivelled up, so you'll have to take my word for it that it did look nice.

I bought enough fairy lights to wrap around the earth.

I am so happy that I got all that decorating done in good time for xmas! Very satisfying.

Even the bathroom got xmassed.

I'm sure there will be some more xmas posts to come because we are really making it last this year. Hopefully it will be a peaceful and healthy xmas for everyone.