Simply having a wonderful Christmas time ...

That's what I'll be doing!

If I do this holiday thing right then this will be my last blog of the year.

Wishing my gazillions of readers a wonderful Christmas to them and their loved ones.

Looking forward to meeting you 2010!

xxxooo

And so this is Christmas ...

Forget the first present (It was a haircut ... the sort that makes the hairdresser go "you're so brave" and the same sort that just days later seems like it's been that way forever.)

Those other presents are just wee things that I won't be able to list in a few months.

But yesterday my Christmas really did come early. Well, technically 'it' is coming in 10 months (ha! That's got you wondering) and I can't remember when I was last this excited.

THE PATSKIS ARE COMING TO VISIT!!!!!

I was going to drag it out longer, but frankly it's just way too exciting.

Sure, I can't wait to see Ern & Ads, but c'mon ... it's all about those gorgeous girls!

Hannah will be 3 (I might even get to make birthday cupcakes and cookies!) and Sophie will be starting to toddle. I'm going to make up for every second of their lives I've missed so far.

There'll be EuroDisney and Legoland and Hamleys and every other childhood treat that England, nay Europe has to offer. Every place I've ever wanted an excuse to go to will be visited. Every little treat that that they want will be theirs. If it's one of those things that I'd never ever buy for my children - then onto the credit card it goes! (I'm not their parent - I can spoil them rotten and get away with it!).

I'll be in my element and loving every minute.

Oh yeah, they're coming over because that when Nick & Cat are getting married. Did I forget to mention they got engaged this weekend?

Can. Not. Wait.

"I've got to admit it's getting better"

Oysters you say? (Just the word makes me squirm a little) Ha! You're no match for a Christmas Curry!

I went sensible. I went mild. I went sober.

I may have tried a bit of spicy, but sense overruled and despite a tumultuous bus ride home I'm not ready to face the world of FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!!!!

Tonight I'm heading to Christmas at No. 42 which should be great fun. I'm look forward to it SO much that I'm going to be really sensible about what I eat for the rest of the day!

P.S. My second seasonal Secret Santa gift also contained cookie cutters ... I'm getting the hint kids ... but I'm still blatently ignoring you all!!

Christmas:1, Lizzie:0

It's got me.

I have fallen victim to the season and it wasn't the copious amounts of alcohol, or the constant nights out, or the pre-holiday stress. No, this time it was a sweet little innocent oyster (or nine).

Food poisoning sucks. Especially when you get it while you're away for an awesome weekend with some of your best friends and you're about to tuck into a gloriously indulgent Christmas dinner. It's even worse when immediately after the heavenly weekend away you're playing hostess to your friend who is about to take an exam and then you're supposed to join her on a hedonistic night out to celebrate (in preparation for which you've already taken the following morning off work).

No sleep and no food makes for a grumpy Lizzie.

Ah well, Christmas Curry tonight. Nothing cures a bout of food poisoning like a curry!

Marshmallow Marschmallow

Came across a link to this video today and could not stop giggling. I'm the sort of person that hates shows like 'Kids do the funniest things' and yet I could not take my eyes away from this one.

It's made me think about what I was like as a kid ... I shall have to ask my parents if they think I would have passed or not!

December!!

It's my favourite time of year!!

The weather starts getting freezing and I pull out my lovely coat. If we're lucky it doesn't rain day after day after day after day ... unlike this year!

All the Christmas lights go up and the world sparkles all around me ...

There are presents to buy for everyone ... and excuses to buy all those stupid gifts in the stores!! Today I bought a cola powered clock, a rubiks cube and an alarm clock that sounds like a rooster.

The presents aren't for everyone else! Apart from my first Christmas present which has yet to be revealed here in photographic form there's:
- My gift from Mum & Dad. I emailed ' I think I'd like this.' They replied, 'Buy it for yourself then.' So I bought it and wrapped it and put it in my suitcase to take with me to put under the tree.
- My new moo-ing alarm clock. No longer shall I be vulnerable to my temperamental phone alarm and my freak-ish ability to walk across a room to turn it off without waking.
- The Rubik's cube I bought myself last year. THIS Christmas I'm going to be brave enough to give it a go!
- A ridiculous amount of edible glitter. Who knew I needed edible glitter?! Not me ... until I was sent a link to the webpage and offered free delivery! I sense a number of 'Kelly Green', 'Disco Red', 'White Diamond' and 'Peacock' sparkly cupcakes in my future!
- A box of wine (It was on special. It was a great deal. I'm going to drink it anyway whether I buy it by the case or not!)

Hmm ... now instead of feeling festive I'm feeling slightly selfish and materialistic ...and I sense I have a talent for using the silly season as an excuse to buy lots of things I normally wouldn't ... that's what credit cards are for, right?!

It's a little hard to worry about that as I look around at my decorations (yes, of course I have Christmas decorations in my room!) and think of the real, live Christmas Tree I bought today.

As the lamplight reflects of the Christmas Tree cookie cutters hanging on the wall (ok, so 'decorations' is a very broad term) I know there's only 15 sleeps until I freak out at the size of my pseudo-godson and get a good-and-proper hug from one of my best friends (before she wrenches my head out of the clouds and points my life in the right direction). There's only 18 sleeps until my beloved parentals come to collect me and take me back to where I left my heart - Highway 1. In 21 sleeps I'll be back with my family in Rancho Santa Fe, all gathered in the kitchen preparing food for the masses. And the 23rd sleep from now will be a restful and heavy one as I dream of snow and sleighbells.

And that's it - it's Christmas Day and there's mess and madness and over-indulgence and too much noise and too many people and it's wonderful.

Happy December everyone - I hope it makes you as happy as it makes me!