Tag: Christmas

Christmas 2024 Bucket List

December is nearly here (how the hell has that happened?) and I’m getting my December and Christmas planner set up and organised. This year I thought I might create a Christmas Bucket List to do through the month.

I searched for Christmas bucket list templates in Canva (check out the whole list if you want to make your own),picked one I liked, created my list and I’ll print it out then add in to the planner.

So what is on my bucket list for Christmas 2024?

I got some of my ideas from this list, but it is very winter focused (not great for ideas when it’s Summer here in Australia LOL). Anyway onto my list.

  • Decorate a Christmas Tree.  Bit self-explanatory. Our tree goes up on Dec 1. This year we’ll have a 11 month old kitty (whose birthday is Christmas Day) and we’re trying to work out a) where we’ll put the tree and b) how to stop her climbing/attacking it.
  • Bake Gingerbread biscuits. I love baking at Christmas time. I’ll do gingerbread, shortbread, Scottish tablet, mini meringues and a few more things.
  • Host a Festive Movie Night. Need to introduce the kids to some good Christmas movies. What would you recommend?
  • Send Handmade Christmas Cards. I need to get these made, especially the ones to send overseas
  • Visit a Christmas Market. I’ve got a few listed in our calendar already
  • Make Homemade Hot Chocolate. Kids are looking forward to this one. Trying this recipe.
  • Learn a new Christmas tradition. Going to get the eldest to research Christmas traditions from around the world in her last weeks of homeschooling and see if she finds something she wants us to try.
  • Start a new tradition. See above. I’d really like to start a new yearly tradition that we do as a family.
  • Read Christmas Stories. We have a box full of Christmas books. Lots of stories for little kids that I think we need to have one more read of then decide if they are generational books (like the ones I have from my childhood) or ones we would be happy to donate to our local Little Library
  • Create DIY Ornaments. Another one for the kiddos to pick something to make.
  • Have a Pyjama Day. Might mix this with our movie day.
  • Reindeer Food. Even though the kids are 14 & 10, they still love the Christmas Eve reindeer food tradition. How to make magic Reindeer Food.
  • Santa plate on Christmas Eve. I’m going to make something like this.
  • Make Christmas houses. These from Sweet Red Poppy.
  • Beach-side picnic. We live near a beach and do this lots over summer. Nothing beats a chippie picnic at the beach – hot chips from the local take away, then drive to the beach for a picnic.
  • Go to the Christmas parade. Doing that next week.
  • Camp out. The tent will most likely get set up in the backyard either the day after school finishes for the year or on Boxing Day
  • Get a festive door wreath.
  • Bujo Bootcamp over at the JashiiCorrin discord
  • Finish Christmas shopping. Nearly done. Only my father-in-law,a nd my youngest niece and nephew to go. Everything else is bought or ordered and on it’s way.
  • End of School year events.
  • Make Christmas Crafts.
  • Go on a Christmas Light Tour. These are getting less and less each year sadly. People are getting sick of their lights being stolen or damaged. It’s also getting more expensive.
  • Journal Your Christmas.
  • Try a new holiday recipe. Going to give a family friend’s Raspberry cheesecake a go.
  • Plan a Family Game Night. Not sure yet, most likely Game of Life. The kids are loving that one.
  • Write a Letter to Santa. Not sure if the eldest will do this anymore.
  • Reflect and Set Goals

Do you have a Christmas bucket list? I’d love to know what’s on yours.

In the Den Kitchen – series 2 #1

I’ve decided instead of naming each post from In the Den Kitchen from this post onwards I’ll be giving them a number – hence Series 2 #1.
I’ll also be going back through and making a page to list all my In the Den Kitchen posts.

Anywho.. on to today’s post

Christmas food!
You may have noticed the recent listing of a bunch of new recipes. Since we’re close to Christmas I thought I’d share a bunch of my favourite recipes to cook at Christmas time. Some are links and some are my own (or family) recipes.

Finger food & Pre-meal nibbles

Mains & sides

Desserts

Biscuits/Slices/Cakes/Sweets

YIAHPairingwk05_recipe

(for more yummy YIAH recipes, check out my YIAH Facebook page)

Chocolate truffles

A family favourite and often requested at Christmas time.

Chocolate Rum Balls

  • 250 g Milk Arrowroot Biscuits
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 15 g cocoa powder
  • 80 g desiccated coconut (plus extra)
  • 30 g rum (optional)

  1. Crush biscuits in a blender or by hand and pour into a bowl.

  2. Add in remaining ingredients, mix until combined.

  3. Take teaspoonfuls of mixture, roll into balls then roll in extra coconut.

  4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Sweet Treats

Christmas 2013 pt 6

Can you believe it is nearly Christmas? Are you excited yet? Or are you like hubby and can’t wait for it to be over? I’m still pottering along with the Organised Christmas challenges. Hope I’m not boring you too much 😉

Day 26
Christmas task: Picking Christmas outfits. Will depend on the weather Christmas day. I haven’t even started my handmade gifts, namely cause they are all food gifts so will get done the weekend before Christmas. I trialled a new gingerbread recipe in the Thermomix over the weekend so this will be our gingerbread recipe for this year. You can check it out on the recipe community.
Household task: I cleaned the laundry. Well I caught up on the washing that was sitting on the floor :/

Day 27
Christmas task: Sat down and wrote up what food I need to buy for the food gifts and Christmas day.
Household task: My laptop desk is my office at the moment so gave it a good clean. Also cleaned around it. Even gave my keyboard and mouse a clean *yuck*

Day 28
Christmas task: Made sure all the bits to go to Scotland where finished. Mum is posting them soon.
Household task: Cleaned the lounge room, again. Looked like a bomb had hit it – all be it a glitter/tinsel bomb. Within 5 minutes there was toys everywhere again 🙁

Day 29
Christmas task: Spent the day with Mum working on some Christmas presents 🙂
Household task: Gave the bathroom a good clean.

Day 30
Christmas task: We’re going to friends for an early Xmas tea next week and will go for a drive on the way home to check out the lights.
Household task: Spent the afternoon cleaning up the sunroom as Miss had stuff everywhere. Little does she know her table will be going out into her cubby house she’s getting from Santa and mum gets her sunroom back again 😉 It’s an awesome room for reading/napping during summer and winter. When it’s clean it’s one of my favourite rooms.