Christmas!

I thought I'd do a quick round-up of what I got up to over Christmas, before it's too late! 

I went down to Cambridge to spend it with my parents. Corey headed off to his family. In all our 7 years together we haven't spent a Christmas day together. I can't wait for the time that we do, but right now it makes sense to go our separate ways for the day. 

Getting up on Christmas day my youngest brother had a ridiculous amount of presents to open up. I forgot to get him a present for his birthday, so I went a little overboard. After we exchanged gifts and had a lazy morning, my aunt came around with my cousins and we exchanged gifts with them. Instead of cooking a Christmas meal for a group that includes some (very) fussy eaters, we headed to Milton Keynes to go to Red Hot World. It's an all you can eat. A little weird for Christmas, yes, but their meals aren't the usual dry, badly cooked, tasteless all you can eat food. Plus, did I mention we have some very fussy eaters? Everyone was happy, everyone could have what they want, including turkey with the trimmings if they want.

Boxing day was spent finishing one of the DVD box sets I'd got, knitting my jumper and heading off to Hobbycraft with my mother to spend my voucher she got me. I headed up to Leicester on the 27th where Corey and I opened out gifts, even though it was 10 pm and we were pretty tired. 

New Years eve was a quiet one, as Corey had to work the next day. We were unable to spend it with friends, as they live too far away for him to get back up, and we have nowhere for them to stay. But it was a lovely evening. We watched Zoolander and tried out the game I got Corey for Christmas. We still haven't managed to figure out all the rules of the game...it's rather complicated. 

In case you're wondering what I got, here's a collage (thank you Anna for suggesting PicMonkey to Elsie!)

Top left hand corner: presents from my family. I watched Jane Eyre late into the night on Christmas Eve. North and South is lurking in the corner next to it. I absolutely love the book Jane Eyre and found the series on Netflix. I fell for the story all over again. As for North and South, another Netflix find. I love the book, and I love the series. I've watched it twice in two months...I may have to make it three in three...As for the socks, the foot cream and body butter: they were recycled presents! I told my mother how much I'd been wanting a pair of socks like that. She laughed and told me she got them and the foot cream as gifts, so wrapped them up for me as she doesn't like creams etc. I love that!

Top right: presents from Corey. That's not all of them. He also gave me a mug, chocolates, a facemask and a snowman tree ornament for me to sew. Why are there two bears, I hear you ask? Well, Corey's birthday was while we were on holiday this year. We went into a supermarket and I saw those bears. I remarked how cute they were and asked if he wanted one. He said no. As he had nothing to open on his birthday, I bought him one. Not knowing he'd gone back to the shop and bought me one, too...

Middle right: presents from Corey's family. They also got me a box of buttons, a Thornton's Snowman and a tshirt. The game (street cleaner simulator) was Corey's suggestion. He made a Christmas list on behalf of me, and told his Dad to get that on the cheap if he could, as a joke. I've not yet opened the packaging. I'm very worried that I may enjoy the game, and am uncertain about what that would say about me...

In the bottom left hand corner, I got a sewing kit from Kaylie, one of my best friends girlfriends. It's awesome, particularly since there's a separate pin cushion I can use on the sofa. I currently stick pins into the sofa/cushions and Corey often sits on them. There's also colours of thread in there that I don't own, and that would be incredibly useful. The card was from Joe, Kaylie's boyfriend. 

The bottom middle is what I got from Joe. Three months worth of stationary! I can't wait to see what arrives!

In the bottom corner is the picture I made from something my mother gave me for Christmas. As part of my Christmas presents, she gave me a Christmas Activity to do. She also gave me a scratch picture to do when it rained on holiday "So that you don't get bored". I love her. 

The gifts I got other people will be talked about in posts of their own. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of Joe's present, but I have another version of that to write about anyway. 

Oh, and in case you were wondering about the Alice in Wonderland stuff above, here's why I got it

Two years ago I got two cups and a teapot. I joked I'll need the rest of the set someday. And so I got the tray and milk jar this year. I just need the sugar bowl and a antique style tea trolly to keep it all on and I'm sorted!

All of this shows me that a) I'm never going to grow up and b) a very lucky girl to have people who know me this well, and who spoil me. I'm happy enough just being able to spend time with them all over the festive season. The presents are a bonus!

Thank you. I love you all. I only hope the gifts I gave them made them half as happy as these have made me.

P.S. Anyone want to come around for a cup of tea? I have spare cup!