Christmas Is Coming!!!

Yes, Christmas Is Around The Corner...


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Is it panic time???  No, it doesn't have to be!



After all Christmas is about, Love, Kindness, Enjoyment and of course EXCITEMENT. For our children anyway.


I am going to cover a lot to do with Christmas in the run up to this magical festive time of year.


I'll be covering the following;

  • Christmas Gift Ideas
  • Christmas Decorations
  • Christmas / Festive Food
  • And more.... Please keep checking this page, as I will be updating regularly.

So, it's coming up to the festive season. So much to organise, many invitations to dinners / get together's and of course our bank balances taking a beating.....   Well, fear not. I have some ideas, that will hopefully help us out with some important decision making, the bank balance and of course Christmas decorations with our beautiful children.

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Christmas should be fun. It's a great excuse to tuck into our arts & craft boxes and run wild with our imaginations!

Below is a few ideas to get your imagination going, but remember that arts & crafts doesn't have to be a masterpiece from Vincent Van Gogh  NO, it's all about fun and spending quality time with our children.

From decorations for the Christmas tree, to fun / easy decorations, for around the house. Hey we might as well cover Christmas cards while we are at it!

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But firstly I would just like to point out that My wife and I are looking forward to getting everything in order nice and early so we can chill together Christmas eve after putting our kiddies up to bed and watch a cosy Christmas film, a glass of wine and plenty of snacks to accompany our freshly cooked boiled ham!!!  






Oh I can picture it now. That's what Christmas is all about.

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So, lets have a look at some festive food.

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What is festive food?

Well let's be honest with ourselves. Christmas has and always will be, the time of year where people fill their bellies with junk and basically over eat! Be honest with yourself!

Then come January, when we all make our new year resolutions, we all decide to diet, eat healthy and maybe join a gym or participate in some kind of exercise.

This statement alone is a Christmas tradition we all hold, year after year.

Come Christmas, there is no doubt the following foods will be bought more this time a year than any other.

  • Mince Pies
  • Pickled Onions
  • Cheese Boards (selection of cheeses)
  • Turkey
  • Sprouts
  • Parsnips
  • Chocolate
  • Cakes
  • Stuffing
  • Nuts (peanuts, walnuts etc)
  • Beetroot
  • Crisps
  • Sweets


Obviously the above list doesn't cover all food that's consumed more over the festive period, but they are of a good example I think.
And, yes all of the above food is bought and consumed all year round, but we tend to make a concious effort to get the above foods into our homes over the Christmas season.

My plan of action;


  • I plan to get the frozen food in at the beginning of December. - Reason;
  1.  Frozen food keeps for a long time in the freezer
  2. Bargains are to be had at the beginning of December
  3. Shops are not as busy at the beginning of December as opposed to mid December

  • I also plan to get the cupboards filled as much as I can at the beginning of December - Reason;

  1. Mainly jars/tins, as they keep for a good amount of time
  2. Again as above bargains at the beginning of December
  3. And again as above, shops are not as busy at the beginning of December
  4. Buying certain things this time of the month, helps with budgeting as well

Above, I have the frozen food sorted and also most of the Jars / Tins for the cupboard and it is only the beginning of December. When I say beginning of December I actually mean the 1st to the 5th of December. (no later)



  • I plan to get all the fridge / fresh food in at a later date. - Reason;

  1. Quite simple, the fresh food doesn't keep as good as frozen or tinned / Jar foods
  2. Offers are only available on fresh food / fridge food when they are near the best before date - so no good buying discounted food just for it to last a day or two.
  3. However, contrary to point 2, I will keep a look out for discounted fresh food for the leading up to Christmas, but I will not be going to the supermarket to do my fresh shop until around the 20th December.

  • I plan to get all the snacks / junk food in, at the same time as the frozen / cupboard shop. - Reason;

  1. Again, great bargains at the beginning of December
  2. I have time to shop around, without the panic of not being able to get what I want
  3. It also keeps well and will definitely last over the Christmas period
  4. If some of the treats get eaten early, they normally come in great decorative boxes / tins which in turn, are great for arts & crafts - keeping the kiddies occupied during term time.

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My Top Tip;


  • Do not leave all your grocery shopping until the last minute. Yes it may be a cliché, but we have all done it and this can be devastating for your budget, time and of course your sanity!

Beat the cues, don't let the cues beat you!





As for some great arts & crafts, check out the 'Arts & Crafts' tab above.

Also, for some great bargains, check out 'Bargain Buys' tab above.


Note; All pages are updated regularly, so feel free to keep checking my blog for some great ideas and bargains.


Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, I know my family and I did. 

Many laughs, much joy and a bucket load of love, and of course 'Plenty Of Pressies',

Anyway, as we have entered the new year, I know it's a little sad but we should now move on from the festive season and look forward to it coming around again later in the year.

So for the last time 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'.

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