Where Do You Hide The Presents?

When it comes to hiding Christmas presents it's probably easier to list where they aren't hidden rather than where they are. They are EVERYWHERE!! They arrive in dribs and drabs from around October and I tend to pop them away in one place, until it's filled, before moving on to the next location. This is the reason why I always find little extra gifts I had forgotten about when storing birthday presents away come March.... Ooops.

They are stacked top to bottom in my wardrobe so some of my clothes end up discreetly piled in the corner of my bedroom until January...

in my drawers...

on top of cupboards...

under the bed...

...and in the spider filled area under the stairs where the children definitely won't look - it's far too scary to even take a photo! 

When the Mini Mes were younger I even remember hiding boxes under their beds, somewhere they would never look as that would involve tidying their rooms! They are far to inquisitive for that these days though. Larger items go in the shed or attic and some boxes even remain in the open wrapped in layers of tape to keep prying eyes at bay. If things aren't hidden the kids are generally not even that bothered by them!

As yet nothing has been discovered... not that I know of anyway.

Where do you hide gifts?

This post is my entry into the Hudl Christmas cheer competition

Elf on the Shelf Daily #3

Our elf decided to clamber up onto the cupboards today for some felt tip and tissue action above the Christmas tree!

The Mini Mes have been counting down the days since some time back in November but the days seem to be zooming by now with only 22 sleeps to go.

I'm feeling festive.

I'll be posting daily updates during our elf's visit and if you have an elf for December feel free to link up your posts below. It might help to give others some ideas.
If you want to comment on a few others that would be great.

#ElfOnTheShelfDaily

Chocolate. It's All Mine.

What's yours is mine and what's mine is... mine. When it comes to chocolate at least. 

I'm so used to sharing with the Mini Mes a little of everything I have whether it's food, drinks, blankets and of course money (or even toilet breaks), having the odd moment of selfishness is OK. I think. 

I've picked up a few pointers over the years when it comes to those tiny, yet significant, moments of indulgence which were really useful when a delivery of scrumptious treats arrived from Tesco. Their Milk Chocolate Gingerbread Stars and Chokablok Christmas Pudding tree are created by the same chocolatiers as those behind Harrods and Hotel Chocolat products and I wanted them in my tummy, just this once, without sharing. 

Top Tips for Scoffing All of the Chocolate 

• Only buy your chocolate when alone unless it arrives at your door, then you need to keep the packaging completely sealed until everyone is asleep. Patience really is a virtue. Even if it means staying up for hours to hide your goodies from your gingerbread and raisin-loving boyfriend. That's normal behaviour. Honest.

• Hide it. Hide it well. They will look for it like sniffer dogs on a drugs raid and they will find it and they will eat it. Be sneaky and use your height to your advantage, children can't reach on top of cupboards or smell it as easily up there! If you are short you can grab a chair and pretend to be dusting or you can learn how to juggle it into a safe position.

• If anyone asks, there is no chocolate and there never was any chocolate. In fact you don't even know what chocolate is! Alternatively if they have found evidence in the form of crumbs or wrappers (your family could actually be members of the CIA at this point with their detective skills) try saying 'It fell into my mouth' as that removes any possible feelings of guilt. That or reminding the kids and your partner what you are like without 'my precious' caffeine supply (think Gollum with that ring) should do the trick. 

• Be wise when making your selection. They don't like dark chocolate? Unlucky! Less to share, more for me! *Evil cackle*

I finally got my hands on it and it felt good. 

The box of stars was beautifully presented with tissue paper inside and the 8 chunky, and nicely decorated chocolates, were lovely in taste. They had swirls of white chocolate on top and the biscuit and ginger crumble added some texture and even more flavour. I really enjoyed these and I would certainly pick up a few as stocking fillers for family at just £4.

The Chokablok tree was next to be devoured. The chocolate was thick and it took some force to snap off a branch (although most was just rammed into my face) and it was packed with plump raisins. The golden wafer on top gave a festive feel and it really did taste of Christmas pudding! Thumbs up.

What will you be scoffing this December?

*We I received chocolate from Tesco for the purpose of this review, the opinions given are honest and my own. Nobody else got to try them so they have no opinions to give!*

An Elf Update

Peppy Tum-Tums, our Elf on the Shelf, has settled in well and the Mini Mes are thoroughly enjoying hunting around the house each morning to see what mischief he has caused during the night. 

(You can read more about what the Elf on the Shelf is here and about his arrival to our home here)

He has been caught asleep on the light shade with the beginning of a paper chain for the Mini Mes to continue making and covered the tree in tissues!

He has also left some rather nice treats too...

One morning he was hiding in the tree with a poem and some tiny snowflakes. The poem asked the Mini Mes to sprinkle the snowflakes under the tree before bed and the following morning there were snowflake decorations all over the windows in the house!

What has your elf been up to this week?

We received this lovely blue eyed Elf from PureBaby. You can pick up your set which includes a hardback book, a keepsake box and an elf or some lovely alternatives too here: Elf on the Shelf

Do you have a family tradition at Christmas? 

Do you take part with Elf on the Shelf?

You can link up your posts here:

Saturday Caption #Satcap

Having a look back at pictures from last Christmas I came across this scary picture of myself about to enjoy Christmas dinner...

Was the turkey really that huge?

Have you got a funny or witty caption for this photo? I would love to hear it!

You can link up your own picture or view more over with the marvelous Mammasaurus.

Reindeer Pops

These are so cute and delicious as a mini treat for the kids, big or small. They are great stood in a pot on the centre of the table for everyone to dive in to and enjoy this festive season.

Ingredients

Large marshmallows

Pretzels

100s and 1000s sprinkles

Chocolate

Smarties

(You can edit the quantity to suit the amount you require)

Method

Push the marshmallows onto the lolly sticks until they almost push out through the top.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for about a minute, carefully not to burn it. 

Cut the pretzels down the centre.

Dunk the marshmallow into the chocolate, covering it completely. 

Tap off any excess and place on top of two pretzel halves positioned as antlers on a plate.

Quickly add a Smartie for a nose and 2 sprinkles for eyes.

Once you have completed all of the reindeers, allow them to chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes until the chocolate has set.

You can add ribbon to the stick to present them if you wish.

Scoff!

Christmas colours

The dark green trees, bright red stockings hung on fireplaces and the many different colours of twinkling lights in windows definitely show the arrival of December and the preparation for Christmas.

Despite the miserable weather and the dark days of winter, the festive season brings so much sparkle and light.

We have three trees in our home, one decorated by everyone in the lounge and the Mini Mes have their own in their rooms too. It's lovely in the evening when the bright colours illuminate the darkness.

The theme this week is the colour.

Silent Sunday

Apple and Blackberry Pie

The smell of warm apple is mouth-wateringly good and combined with juicy blackberries and cinnamon it's a delicious treat all the family will enjoy. I really like to snuggle up in a blanket on the sofa with a festive movie and a slice of warm pudding and this is a nice alternative to a traditional crumble.

Ingredients

Short crust pastry

225g flour

100 butter

1-2 tbsp water

Filling and topping

50g butter (and a tiny bit for greasing)

100g golden caster sugar (and a tiny bit for on top)

3 large Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 12 wedges

150g blackberries

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C
• Make the pastry by combining the flour with the butter and water in a bowl to form a soft dough. Chill the pastry in the fridge in cling film until it's required.
• Melt the butter and sugar together in a pan on a low heat.

• Add the apples and simmer for around 10 minutes until softened.
• Add the blackberries and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Split the dough into two equal pieces and roll out each half to around 1cm thickness. 
• Using the pie plate, cut out two rounds (It's better if they are too big than two small as they can be trimmed down later).

• Grease the pie plate with butter and insert one round into the base.
• Add the apple and blackberry filling and place the second round on top. 
• Using a fork crimp the edges of the two rounds together to form a seal, brush over the egg lightly, slice a few holes in the top and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon.
• Cook for around 40 minutes until golden brown and hot throughout.

Scoff!

We used a Great British Bakeware Pie Plate to create this pudding. It's Glide-X coating helps to transfer the pie to a plate with ease ready to serve - it literally slides right off and makes cleaning up afterwards quick.

You can find out more about this range of products here: http://www.george-wilkinson.com/bakeware/great-british-bakeware

*We received a pie plate for the purpose of this recipe*