Happy New Year and 2015 Resolutions

I'm sitting typing this out on my tablet, hoping it comes out okay, as I haven't done it before.

Would just like to say Happy New Year to you, and hope you all have a great evening and day tomorrow. I've put Ben to bed, although he is still awake as I type, so am just relaxing and finishing off my cider and also going to have some left over chocolate tort that my mum gave us.

Now on to my resolutions.

1. Be more organised, I've ordered my diary from amazon, just waiting for it to arrive, it's  an A5 day per page so I can write a nice long list of everything to do that day.

2. Keep up with my blog, as I think I've been quite good this year, but want to grow more, and branch my posts out a bit.

3. Bake more, I've loved the baking I've done in the lead up to Christmas, and want to do more throughout the year.

4. Eat healthier and cook more, I ordered a slowcooker today, and also a recipe book to use with it.

5. Work out, I think this is going to be in the form of youtube videos, I may also buy some DVDs. I really want to tone up, and lose a little bit of weight as well.

6. Be a good mum, I had this last year as well, but Ben is basically my life, and I love seeing him becoming a little boy, and teaching him new things. Although I in visage that this will be a tough year with the terrible twos, potty training and transferring to a bed.

7. Sort out the spare room and keep it tidy. It is a mess and basically has a load of junk in it. I get it tidy and then it all piles up again.

I'm off to watch James Bond Golden Eye now, the next posts will be our Christmas presents we recieved, sale shopping and a baking post.

Happy Christmas

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas spent with family and friends.

I've included a few photos of Ben from Christmas Eve morning.

Christmas Decor 2014

I love decorating for Christmas, I try to do it as close to 1st December as possible. I try to buy a couple more decorations each year. This tree I've has since I lived at home with my parents, and wanted my own tree in my bedroom.

It doesn't look the best this year, because Ben keeps taking off baubles, and touching the tree, I also couldn't spread out the decorations as much for the reason that I knew Ben would be fascinated by it.

The soft Rudolf and this Father Christmas were the new decor items this year, they were £4 each from John Lewis.

I have to put lights up around the lounge too, it's so nice to sit there in the evenings just by the light of the fairy lights!

Ben's Stocking Presents 2014

I thought I'd show you what I've got Ben for his stocking this year. He'll be 20 months at Christmas.

Bath toys, great stocking filler. Ben loves filling things up in the bath (he currently has a couple of old baby bath bottles), and I really wanted him to have some boats. Picked these up from The Works, think they are around £3-£4.

This is the book I chose for Ben's stocking, Playtown. I actually got this in Sainsbury's months ago, looks great, and Ben will love the lift up flaps.

Stickers! As Ben has stopped putting things that he shouldn't in his mouth I thought these would be good when we do some drawing.

I had to have something Christmas related, haha! Bought these from ELC when they had their 20% off a little while back.

Soft Touch Dinosaurs, Ben's been loving a little dinosaur that he got in a party bag, and his soft toy Jellycat dinosaur too, so thought these would be a good present.

Also picked this up from Sainsbury's months ago, they have good presents. I actually bought this because it was on offer, and wanted to get him something like this for Christmas any way.

Lastly and Gruffalo chocolate, we got this in Morrison's and it was £5.

Recipe - Cheese Scones

I thought I would write a different kind of post for today. A baking post. I actually really enjoy it (and cooking isn't as bad as I first thought, haha!). I'd fancied making some cheese scones for a while, and I found a really simple recipe here, although I did adjust it a little.

I used:
225g self raising flour
A pinch of salt
55g butter
50g mature cheddar cheese
140ml whole milk

After tasting these I will probably go for 75g cheese next time, as we love cheese around here.

Preheat your oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7/425F. And also grease or line a baking tray,

Firstly you mix the flour and salt together, then add in the butter and rub it in with your hands.

Then mix in the cheese.

And the milk.

Put some flour down on the surface, and need the dough a little bit, press it flat until it's around 2cm thick, then cut out the scones. Keep going till all the dough is used up.

Place on your baking tray and brush with mik. Put in the oven for 12-15 minutes. I took mine out after about 13 minutes.

This is how mine turned out, lovely and brown. But not quite cheesey enough for me, and Ben didn't seem too impressed when I gave him one for lunch either. Will try him on another one tomorrow.

Ben's Christmas Eve Box 2014

This year I've decided to introduce a Christmas Eve box to Ben. I saw got the idea from Pinterest, and also saw lots of photos on Instagram of similar things. I thought what a lovely tradition to start doing, keeps the children entertained for Christmas Eve, when they're all excited to see what presents they're going to receive from Father Christmas.

This year as Ben is still pretty young (will be 20 months at Christmas), and doesn't understand Christmas yet I kept it simple. Starting with snacks, as Ben loves to snack. So I chose some from the baby/toddler section at Boots, and also picked up a small Milkybar selection box, as it's the only one available suitable for his age.

I really wanted to include a book and DVD. I chose Dear Father Christmas, as the book. It's probably a bit too old for him, but he loves to read and look at books, and it's got little letters to get out and read, as he loves more interactive books with flaps and things. I thought it would be good to read a little bit at times throughout the day. The DVD I got is Yogi's First Christmas, I loved this as a child, my sisters and I would watch it together every year. So hoping Ben likes it too, although he probably won't sit still and watch it, haha! I also picked up some stickers, so Ben could do some drawing and stick the stickers on the page as a little activity we can do.

I also thought I have to have a pair of pyjama's. You may remember these from a haul I did, they were in a 2 pack from Matalan. And as I go Ben a Father Christmas soft toy last year, I felt this year he needed a reindeer (well Rudolf). This is by Jellycat (I love their range), although this version is retired, I managed to pick it up in John Lewis, he was on one of the display tables. and seemed to be the only one they had, maybe you'll be lucky like I was, other wise there's the bashful reindeer.

Ben's Christmas and Winter books

On the 1st December I gave Ben's pile of bedtime books a change over, they are now all Christmas and Winter themed. Last year we only had a couple, and since then he's got some as gifts, for last Christmas or his birthday. I also purchased one a couple of months ago. And I've also got another one to add to his collection, but that one's in his Christmas Eve box (which you'll see in a separate post).

Usborne Touchy-Feely The Nativity
Guess How Much I Love You in the Winter
The Night Before Christmas
The Dinosaur That Pooped Christmas
The Gruffalo's Child
Harry and the Dinosaurs make a Christmas Wish
Stick Man
Muddypaws First Christmas