Tinkerblue

Advent Calendar Day #7 - Wrap Some Christmas Presents

The presents under my tree look pathetic this year. Shazz and Kath already took a bunch of gifts home to Australia for me. And with no family to gift to in Canada this year, the pile has shrunk quite a bit. I love Christmas shopping, choosing gifts for each person, wrapping the gifts, the anticipation, watching the receiver open the gifts on Christmas morning, and the mountain of paper and ribbon that cover the floor.

I do like the wrapping paper. Red, silver and white stripes on one side, and snowflakes on the reverse. It's a Costco role, so I have a lifetime supply. I'm also still using my Disney gift tags, I had hundreds. I'll be using them for the next decade.

Advent Calendar Day #4 - Make a Donation

In the spirit of giving make a donation. Food, toys, clothes, cash... Whatever you can spare.

I've had a rough couple of months emotionally, but I am very lucky to have my health, my family, my friends, a comfy bed to sleep in every night, a home cooked meal or a hot drink to warm my belly. There are those way less fortunate than me.

So my plan....

I have lightly worn winter costs that are now too big, new hats, mitts and scarves that have never been worn.

I have a cupboard full of canned foods, bags of pasta, soup, tuna, and more.

I even have brand new unopened toys and books. I'm guessing at some point they were bought specifically for someone, but never made it to the recipient.

So I've gone thought the garage, the kitchen and all number of nooks and crannies in this house. Everything has been cleaned (coats) and bagged up. This week I will drop them off at The Food Bank, a toy drive and Covenant House (who also asked for $5.00 gift cards to Timmies, Subway, Maccas, etc).

Feliz Navidad

Advent Calendar Day #3 - Treat Yourself to Some Holiday Goodies

I'm a little out of order in posting. Originally I planned to bake some shortbread but working 10 to 12 hour days 7 days a week kind of put the kybosh on that.

So instead I treated myself to a Bratapfel from Das Apfelhaus at the Christmas Market after work.

Mmmm. I had the Black Forest version with the dark chocolate, crumbled biscuits and cherries and the hot vanilla sauce.

Yep, that was dinner. Don't judge.

Advent Calendar Day #6 - Buy a New Decoration

I hate glass birds! I did not know that until recently. They scare me.

One of my tasks during set up of the store was to display all the birds. Hundreds of them. They have clips, and feathers, and coils, and lots of glitter and they're made of glass. They were a nightmare to attach to the display rack. Did I mention there are hundreds of them? It took me a good few hours.

Since then, I've had to restock them many, many, many times. The boxes ate under the display. When there's customers milling about it's almost impossible to get to the boxes. I can't reach the top display pegs, I always have to ask a taller colleague for help, and I end up covered in glitter and tail feathers.

I hate these birds with a passion. Any day I am not working in the bird display is a good day.

So today when my advent calendar activity was "Buy a new Christmas decoration," the birds were not the first things I thought of.

I considered buying a train (if you have to ask why, you have not being paying attention to my summer. I may still buy a train, or maybe there'll be one in my stocking.)

After trimming the tree last night and noticing that I don't own any Christmas balls, that was an option. We have some really pretty red ones in the store.

An angel? I seem to have quite the collection of angels. I think most of them were courtesy of Patti's angel Christmas parties. I miss Patti's party.

But... This morning I had to restock the birds again. My colleagues were all laughing at how much I hate the birds. Did I mention they creep me out?

So, yep, two birds came home with me this evening. I'm not sure if I'll keep both or give one to Jo (are you reading this?). She hates Christmas almost as much as I love it. I usually send her something Christmasy each year (some things she's even liked, say the Christmas tree, which she thinks is a weapon). At the very least she will like that they are made in the Czech Republic. We spent a very fun week in Prague back in the 90's. (Jo, do you remember we both bought Bohemian glass vases, or other such impractical stuff to buy when you're back packing around Europe and one of you is on crutches?)

Anyway I am now the proud(?) owner of a Christmas decoration that is a glass bird!

Merry Christmas to you.

Advent Calendar Day #5 - O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Joanna and Deka came over this evening to help me decorate my Christmas tree.

The little corner of my living room looks quite festive now.

My decorations so do not have a cohesive theme or a colour scheme. Nor do I own any Christmas balls. Joanna and I noticed this fact, as we were hanging the decorations. I have tin, wood, glass, felt, ceramic, pewter, pipe cleaner, flat, shaped, hand made, home made, and made in China by the millions.... But no standard round glass balls.

Oh well. I love my decorations. Each and every one has a memory of a person, a place, an event or a year attached to it.

There are ornaments from Mum and Dad, Jane, Barb, Jen and Taylor, Andrea, Sean, Noah and Logan, Narelle, Justin, Dale and Liam, Susan, Patti and Shaun and Kelly. They come from all over the world - Australia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Disney World, Disneyland, Alaska, Lake Louise, New Mexico, Spain, Germany, Norway.....

I want to leave my tree up all year round.

Yep, it's missing a tree topper. I don't have one. Carlea and Andreas are going to see if they can find me one in Germany when they go at Christmas. Keep your fingers crossed.

Advent Calendar Day #2 - Decorate

I couldn't bring myself to put the tree up and hang all the ornaments. It just seemed wrong (and lonely) to do the tree alone. So if anyone's around on Monday evening and wants to help me decorate my (fake) Christmas tree, I'll provide the bubbly and maybe some cookies.

I did however get out some of my other decorations. Mainly in the dining room and mainly all involving candles. I love to sit on the sofa and watch the candles flickering light and the dancing shadows.

Most of these decorations are handmade, given to me my friends or family or purchased on my travels. I like the memories they invoke, of the places I've been, of the people I've met, of the friends I hold dear, and the family I love.

Advent Calendar Day #1 - Listen to Christmas Music

Start The Christmas Season By Listening To Some Holiday Cheer.

I have a shit load of Christmas music on CD's already, but for various reasons can't get said music onto my iPhone. I do have a very small selection of Christmas tunes already on my phone. It's an odd selection:

Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley
Merry Christmas Baby by Bruce Springsteen
My Only Wish This Year by Britney Spears
Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Jack Black and Jason Segel
Santa's Going South by Toby Keith and Sammy Hagar
We Need a Little Christmas (from Mame) by Angela Lansbury

Told you it's an odd selection. I decided I needed more, so downloaded Michael Buble's Christmas. And that's what I listened to while running this morning. Normally I listen to something a little more up tempo, so maybe that explains my slow run this morning. That or the cough and the fever.

 

I had errands to run today... Doctor, pharmacy, new wiper for car, candy cane donut from Timmies, exciting day. Anyways I loaded some Christmas CDs into the car and off I went.

 

 

 

Advent Calendar Day 1 - accomplished