December: Reasons to be Merry and Bright

Is anybody still out there? I know that my blogging frequency has become progressively worse this year, all for good reasons, I hope.

I can't believe it's only 2 more days until Christmas, where has this year gone?! This time last year I was in Argentina with the lovely Rosario and Antonio in their beautiful house in Buenos Aires and we had the chance to experience Christmas the Argentinian way, but this year I only have the traditional things in mind!

Here are a few reasons why December has given me reasons to be merry:

I finally finished my post graduate course, which I did enjoy at the time, and you can read the reasons why I'd recommend anyone to do further study in this post, but it did start to become my life for a little while. There were wobblies and late night library sessions, but everything was handed in, with time to spare may I add (purely because the deadline date was the day I was going away!), so I am now just waiting for the results.

My whole reasoning for studying this module was to better prepare myself for a course I want to do next year, I'm a strong believer in tempting fate, and don't want to say too much, but it would seem that by working so hard on this course, it has more than made up for some gaps in my education/work life that may have worked as a hurdle. Phew!

I turned 28, and I think it's the first birthday where it didn't really feel like a birthday because I had so much to do from the three months of studying that I wasn't as prepared for Christmas as I usually am at that time, and it's the first time that I'm not really bothered about getting old, I feel happy about the things I've done over the past few years and content with the direction things are going at the moment.

Finally, my mum turned 60 on Friday, so we went on a mini holiday together to Belgium where I finally soaked up some Christmas spirit. Brussels and Bruges are so beautiful, I will share more pictures with you soon.

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone has a lovely day! Eat, drink and be merry!

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Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal

Well this Christmas has certainly been very different! Just like my birthday, it was my second one in a row away from home. Last year in South Korea it was really chilly and we were surrounded by friends and with everyone's efforts we managed to throw an amazing traditional English Christmas with the food and games and crackers.

This year, however, we learnt that the Argentinians celebrate it very differently. Their big event is on Christmas Eve. The family all get together and eat, and do a toast at midnight, then the younger people go out to party. Our lovely hosts, Antonio and Roxy invited us to join their celebrations with their family so we could get a taste for it.

Antonio's family were so lovely and welcoming and could all speak amazing English. This was handy as I'm still not feeling 100% confident with my Spanish and it meant that Nick could have some good conversations with the other boys. We ate a picnic style meal of sandwiches and salad, which was perfect for the hot sticky weeather.

Afterwards, Antonio's mum had bought us all a tub of ice cream with three different flavours. They were all labelled, but as she didn't know our names, she had called us 'She' and 'He', which we got referred to affectionately a couple of times throughout the night! I had a delicious mix of vanilla, chocolate and raspberry sorbet. Yum!

By that time, the clock was almost striking midnight, so we said salud and then opened some presents. Roxy and Antonio had kindly bought us each a gift, and Antonio's mum had two little packages for 'She'' and 'He' too! It was really thoughtful.

After the fireworks outside had died down, it was time to say good night to Antonio's little nephew, Pedrito, who had the biggest eyes and wasn't sure what to make of Nick, and Antonio's parents left too.

We sat out in the garden and relaxed and chatted into the early hours. Around 4 the buses started up again, so we walked through the streets, passing all the people partying in the parks and on the streets and got home for about 5:30.

Needless to say, we slept incredibly late today, so when we woke up we made lots of Skype calls and Nick went on the hunt for food! Pitta bread and cheese was our lunch! We researched a few bits, then went out for a wander. It was really weird to see the streets of Buenos Aires so spookily quiet. We could wander in the middle of the usually busy avenues without a car passing us!

We eventually found a restaurant that was open, I won't say too much but it was possibly the worst meal that we've had together. We ate to the sounds of 80s power ballards on VH1. It was so bad that we had to laugh!

So, looking for some Christmas Spirit, we bought some chocolate on the way home and watched Home Alone, which is what I fell asleep to last Christmas too.

So, that's another Christmas done and dusted! I hope that you all had a great one!!




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Fake Festivities: Part 2 Mum's Birthday

December is a really big month on my calendar at home. Not only is it my birthday, it's my mum's birthday the day after, and then Christmas the following week! Phew! But with so much to celebrate, it does always make December feel like a special month for me.

So, this December, as I won't be at home for any of these celebrations, we decided to throw some fake parties. We don't want to miss out on all of the festive spirit! Especially as I'll probably be spending Christmas day in flip flops! Last week, I shared our Fake Christmas.

Next up on the party calendar was a little surprise birthday party that I decided to throw for my mum. As I'll be in South America instead, I decided to go for a spanish themed fiesta! Well, it was more based on Mexico. Lots of planning went into this, although I didn't get as much time as I would have liked. You can see my Mexican party pinboard here.

As I had been so busy, I ended up with 3 hours to prepare EVERYTHING!

I made a 3 layered cake, which I dabbled with food colouring to try and make the layers different colours. It kind of worked! I covered this in a cream cheese icing and topped it off with a sugar skull picture with icing pens. As is sadly always the case, I went a bit OTT with the icing pens, but never mind! It was still delicious!



Next was my handmade piñata. I'd spotted one of these in telco for £8, and in hindsight, I probably should have bought this! I used this how to and made my own using a cereal box and tissue paper.

Following that were the paper garlands and banner which I had to explain to my mum means 'Happy Birthday' in Spanish.

In a last ditch attempt to make the place feel a little more Mexican, I decorated my mum's African Wooden mask with a sombrero and popped some Mexican music on!


To say how little time I had, I was pretty impressed with how it looked, and so was my mum! It made me realise how fun a Mexican theme would be if you did it properly! Definitely an excuse for more parties when we get back!




Now, enough partying and back to the preparations. I'm flying today! Weee!

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Fake Festivities: Part 1 Christmas!

December is a really big month on my calendar at home. Not only is it my birthday, it's my mum's birthday the day after, and then Christmas the following week! Phew! But with so much to celebrate, it does always make December feel like a special month for me.

So, this December, as I won't be at home for any of these celebrations, we decided to throw some fake parties. We don't want to miss out on all of the festive spirit! Especially as I'll probably be spending Christmas day in flip flops!

Fake Christmas is serious business at my mum's house. This was the second one that we had this year. As much as I miss home when I'm gone through the festive period, it's always nice to have an excuse to celebrate a second Christmas!

This year we woke up and opened our presents in our pajamas with a nice cup of tea. I'd told everyone not to buy me presents this year, as I won't be able to return them and I won't be able to take them with me. The only present I had to open was one from Gogo. What I lacked in presents, she made up in awesome little gifts!


Next it was time to get spruced up for the day, so I had a bath with my Lush Bath Wand. I love this product, it turns the water a candyfloss pink, smells great and is lots of fun to swirl the wand around. Although, I was slightly disappointed by the lack of fizz!

Then it was time to put my Christmas dress on and to get in the kitchen. I had volunteered to make the dessert for our Christmas dinner. I'd spent a long time in the supermarket looking through recipe books for something tasty to make. I settled for a mango and meringue cake in Lorraine Pascale's book.




After being industrious in the kitchen, it was dinner time! We had an equally lazy afternoon, eating, drinking and NOT laughing very much at the rubbish jokes inside the crackers.





Next was dessert. Although it was fine, it wasn't anything to write home about. I definitely won't be making the meringues again. Sorry Lorraine!


After food induced naps it was time to get to work with some uncharactaristically Christmassy Spanish homework.The day was topped off by watching a Christmassy episode of Don't Tell The Bride. I love that program, but always think, is the £12,000 really worth it when some of these girls have obviously been dreaming about this since they were small?


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Weekend: Friends and Fake Christmas

This weekend was my last weekend in Sheffield. This time next week I'll be on a plane on the way to Argentina. Scary.

I managed to fit lots of people in these last couple of days. On Friday I caught up with an old work friend over a Chai Tea Latte in Starbucks. Afterwards I went to meet Louise and we got ready before going into Sheffield for some drinks. We met my other friend, Gemma and later Caroline, Kat and Fred met us too and we danced the night away in The Gatsby.

Can you see in the photo that I have cat ears? It was a bit of an impulse buy on the way out of Korea. All of the students (And even Tasha!) have them and I had admired them from afar. And just as I left, I decided they would be a good souvenir to remind of of my teaching days, so decided to brave them out on Friday!





The next morning I headed to the shops to pick a few last bits that I need for my travels. Just one or two things left to get now! Afterwards, my mum and I went for lunch at Arrow Farm before picking out the meat for our Fake Christmas today.

Later it was back to Sheffield to the Coppards' house, where I got to see Pauline, or Gogo, for the first time since she moved back to Guildford. It was so nice to see her and doesn't quite feel the same without her living in Sheffield!! Some of my favourite roller derby girls came to join us for dinner and drinks and we chatted late into the night.

Then Sunday morning my mum and I went shopping ready for today's festivities. We stopped for coffee and croissants at Bragazzi's on Abbeydale Road. We came back and did lots of Christmassy activities like wrap presents and put up the Christmas tree while listening to some Christmassy songs. I feel well and truly in the spirit now!



I hope that you all had a great weekend!!

Merry Late Christmas

I've never celebrated Christmas in February before, but as I was away for Christmas this year we decided to celebrate it while I was home.

Christmas in Busan was great, I was surrounded by new friends and we managed to nearly get our hands on everything that makes a traditional English festive dinner. But, it was made even better knowing that I had the excuse to celebrate it again when I got home.

I walked in the day before my mum and I had planned to celebrate it and the Christmas tree was there sparkling away. The next day we both had a stocking to open. I'd bought my mum a few bits from Korea, and she'd bought me some of the essentials that I miss while I'm there (these have a whole other post dedicated to it though).

Afterwards, we got cracking with the roast and I made a start on the dessert. I decided to do the banoffee pie that Grace cooked for us in Busan on Christmas day. I was pleased to find out that it doesn't need any cooking so I'll definitely be making that again once i'm back to being oven less.






Fake Christmas was great, and what's better is that it's only 10 more months until next Christmas rolls around, not that I'm counting or anything.