Christmas Stress & Measuring Expectations...

I am sure I am not alone in my childhood Christmas memories being littered with such Mummy catch-phrases as...

"I get NO thanks from NO ONE!"

"I'M JUST TRYING TO GET ORGANISED!"

"I suppose you all think the Christmas fairy organised all this?!"

And other such theme tunes from the festively pressurised.

Now I get this is my first Christmas as a Mum and all I have to worry about is one little baby and a husband. But mix in half a dozen December birthdays, the fact we're hosting Christmas and some of THE most disorganised family members known to man and I'm about ready to bust out a shrill "I get NO thanks from NO ONE!"

I have a glimmer of it now. I don't like it. I don't want to go there. I want to be a source of fun for my children. I don't want to set myself up for being the bad guy but I also don't want to feel unappreciated.

There's a balance to be struck somewhere. It involves asking the following...

Who am I doing this for?

What is my goal?

Are my expectations realistic?

Am I so busy building "perfect" memories that I am missing the real stories being written?

I need to measure all this. Slow down. Absorb. 

A few snaps from our trip to Jimmy's Farm... The PERFECT spend of a sunny winters day...

 Lesson

This will be the most wonderful Christmas. The only variable is if I am really there to see it.

Winter

A baby's first winter. It's all snowsuits and snot remedies. I love the feel good factor that comes with wrapping her up in far too many layers, zipping her into her foot muff and venturing out. I love how much more satisfying it is to bring her home and smuggle her into the warm whilst it's so cold out. I am loving winter 2012.

I am not loving (what seems like) the eternal cycle of affliction of coughs, colds, virus', bugs and bad tummies. And I am not loving the relentless onslaught of germs being set to the theme of every man and his dog telling me "she's building her immune system"! I understand this, it's just everyone telling me it like this may be news to me that's irritating.

For now, however, the snot has subsided and she's on brilliant form. Christmas is officially here, the weather is suitably chilly and it's lovely.

Some winter snaps...

Photography Tricks... Starbursts!

Thanks to the wonderful free tutorials at i heart faces I had a little go at creating Christmas tree starbursts, so I thought I would share my attempt at recreating them. Unfortunately I don't have a remote trigger so there is some movement but overall it's a pretty neat "trick"...

 Love this...

 Salt dough decs...

Love this too...

Anticipating Date Night...

Tomorrow night is date night.

I have had a dress waiting this night for WEEKS. I'm excited. Food, wine, small bag.

We need this. Without drifting too far into the realms of things that are too personal to share; we need this. I'm noticing little holes in what we know each other's lives the last month or two.

A "did I not tell you?" here and a "when did you talk to him?" there. A thought will pop into my head and I'll realise I didn't say, tell, ask this or that.

Why? We're busy. He walks in and it's brief exchanges of "Good day?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Yeah! Now can you...?" And we dive into domestic divisions of jobs and favours, Christmas calendar negotiations, dinner, tv, bed.

Most surprising is that ME the worlds biggest over sharer finds herself here. I LOVE to talk. I love to share. I understand how normal people find themselves in a position where they have a new baby and busy family life have left less time for conversation. But not me. I (and probably everyone who knows me) always assumed my motivation to overshare BOUNDLESS.

Apparently not. Cue date night. Talking. Fill in the holes. (Must not make inappropriate pun here.)

Weekend pics...

 Weekend Instas... (I OFFICIALLY have the Insta bug!)

Lesson:
Date night's good. Talk, talk, talk.

Ellie & William

Here's a couple of my shots of Ellie and William from another little practice shoot last week.

Wiggly William is a teenie 11 weeks old. He made Euna look like a monster and made me crave those early newborn days. 

Sigh...

Homemade Christmas Card Handprint Tutorial...

Seeing as my initial vision of a Christmas Card photo didn't exactly go according to plan... Here is plan B which I actually kind of love.

My first crafting session with my baby girl... Relatives, loved ones, friends... Await your masterpieces... 

Lesson

Blank cards £2 for 12 + stamp ink (£5 each colour) left over from baby blessing handprint masterpieces = WAAAAAAAAAY cheaper than bought Christmas cards!