the me and mine project {december}

Rich is loving

* Christmas morning with the kiddos. 

* new slippers. 

* Liverpool winning the Merseyside derby.

* getting Sky Q installed.

* getting two and half weeks off work.

Lucy is loving

* a magical Christmas with her little tribe.

* doing vlogmas over on YouTube, so proud to have daily vlogged our Christmas build up.

* new Cath Kidston mugs. 

* two fab nights out for Christmas parties. 

* Baileys and a Ferrero Rocher in her jimjams in the evenings.

Dylan is loving

* singing Christmas songs at school. 

* kissing girls at birthday parties.

* playing Super Mario Run. 

* going to the cinema and eating (not sharing) his popcorn.

* looking at maps and talking about capital cities. 

Everly is loving

* being the Innkeepers Wife in the nativity. 

* her new lego.

* her Rapunzel doll.

* watching the Cinderella movie. 

* seeing Moana.

Ashlyn is loving

* her advent calendar.

* trying to pull decorations off the tree. 

* playing with her stacking rings. 

* eating grapes and treeslets with every meal.

* chasing her big brother and sister in and out of the new teepee. 

23

tea with father christmas

That moment when you get to speak to Father Christmas, to tell him you've been good, and let him know some things that you might like on Christmas Day... it's such an iconic moment in the run up to Christmas, isn't it? And if you've been following our YouTube channel, you'll have already seen, that we had a very special meeting with the man in red, when we went to tea with him a couple of weeks back.

We were invited to Wyevale Garden Centres to test out their Tea with Father Christmas experience, and it impressed us no end. From being met by an elf and shown to a specially decorated table complete with place names and crackers, to sitting on the rug and using jingle bells to call on Father Christmas, then decorating gingerbread men before meeting the man himself. We booked our food when the booking was made, so everything was practically ready on our arrival. With hot dinners for the kids, and a lighter festive afternoon tea for Rich and I (with the yummiest Christmas scones I've ever had!); it definitely made the whole thing more like an event than it would have been if we'd simply queued up somewhere to meet him in a grotto.

The whole thing was just the kind of magical, sparkly experience you'd want it to be. The children loved their chat with the big guy, and it was lovely to feel in no way rushed. It felt like Father Christmas had lots of time to chat, he asked them lots of questions and had little jokes with them which the children loved.

I feel like video always tells the story of an experience like this, far better than photos alone, so you can see for yourself in this video what a lovely time we had... I definitely think we'll be back next year. And in case you've missed it, we've been daily vlogging our way through December, so do pop over to our YouTube channel to see what we've been up to.

0

the siblings project {december}

Something has really clicked with these three over the past month. That's not to say that they didn't click together before, but something subtle has changed and they seem so much of a team now. I think the developments in Quinny's communication are a major factor; she still hardly says anything, but my goodness does that girl know how to make her feelings known. She giggles so freely, she leans in spontaneously for kisses and cuddles, she will join in with chase games, and enjoys mimicking. All those things which are the beginnings of play, and the beginnings of friendship.

22

a wonderful weekend in norfolk

We love a mini break. There is something about the simplicity of a short break, something which doesn't require a ton of planning, but which gets you away from the grind of being at home. We really enjoy weekends away as a family somewhere lovely, where we can be just as happy relaxing together as going out to explore. Somewhere that holds all the creature comforts of home, without all the chores that home holds.

1

festive frugi {and a little competition}

We've fallen pretty hard for Frugi since we became part of the Frugi Family this year. I just love their bright colours, bold designs, organic ethics, and the fact that they make clothes that children love, and that feel really fun and playful. They kindly sent us this little outfit for Ashlyn as an early Christmas gift, and she looks so cute in it. My children may well have more Frugi lurking under the tree on Christmas morning... I really do Frugi that much. 

5