Week 48 of #Project365. 27th Nov - 3rd Dec. A photo every day for a year!

 What a week. The storm, snow, advent calendars, wrapping presents, more snow and shopping from Amazon. I am starting to get more excited about Christmas. Now we're into December it doesn't seem that long away and two weeks yesterday the kids break up from school. I am feeling pretty organised and I don't think I have that much to do apart from write out some Christmas cards. We received our first one yesterday. 

Now for a photo every day! 

331/365 - 27th November

Our new fence didn't do too well in the storm, two of the panels came down and blew into next doors garden. Thankfully there was no damage done and during the week Stu put them back up making sure they were super secure. It really was a good test.

332/365 - 28th November

We put the tree and decorations up on Sunday. Another year where our tree still looks wonky no matter what we do with it. lol With all of the lights on it looks so cosy in here.

333/365 - 29th November

We have some leftover pizza dough leftover from the weekend which needed using up so I made a chocolate pizza. Chocolate spread, bananas, marshmallows and chocolate buttons. It was amazing.

334/365 - 30th November

Mini Haribo which is so cute! It came out of my advent calendar.

335/365 - 1st December

I had Avengers: Infinity War on the TV to help me along while wrapping Becky's presents. When I do Ellie's I will watch End Game. They are just the right length of films to get all the wrapping done.

336/365 - 2nd December

I woke up to this! I had looked at the weather forecast the night before and there was no mention of snow but there it was. I did settle but didn't actually last for long. It was gone by mid afternoon in the front street and lasted a little longer in the back garden.

337/365 - 3rd December

Someone of Twitter mentioned to me how the Fortnite Funko advent calendar was on sale on Amazon for nearly half price so I bought us one to share which I am regretting already as the girls are already arguing over it.

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This week my Word of the Week is: Safe! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is: 

This week has all been about feeling safe and staying safe.

What a storm we had over the weekend. Our new fence was tested and it failed the strong wind test and 2 panels came down. They didn't cause any damage and it gave Stu chance to strengthen them during the week and put them back up. I think it's safe to say they won't be going anywhere anytime soon no matter how much wind we get. 

As the weather wasn't great last Friday we didn't bother going for a look around the local auction and I am so glad we didn't. The auction went ahead as normal on Saturday morning and within a couple of hours it was closed due to someone who works there getting a positive Covid test. The person was at home, isolating but as it's a family run business they had to shut down to try and keep everyone safe. 5 from the auction now have positive tests. My dad has been testing himself all week as he had been in contact with them but I think he is safe, he is feeling fine and all of his results are negative.

So we're back to wearing masks, I don't think that rule should have been scrapped in the first place and a lot of people I know think the same. If we can do something to keep us safe we should. We won't be going anywhere before Christmas, well apart from parents evening next week if that goes ahead. I did get a message from school yesterday saying it's still happening, masks have to be worn and lateral flow tests have to be done before we go which is fair enough. We've never had a proper parents evening for Ellie since we moved here. Year 8's was supposed to happen just as we went into lockdown, year 9 was a write off and here we are in year 10. I am dying to meet her teachers as I have heard them on Zoom when Ellie was doing online lessons and that's it.

I have told Becky she needs to rein it in a bit with all the socialising that she is doing. It's great that she's getting out and seeing people but at the moment it doesn't feel safe especially since this week she has had a cold. She gave her self a scare when she started with it on Monday after a weekend of being out and about. It hasn't been a bad one, just a snotty nose and sneezing and she has tested plenty with negative results and is just about over it now. Phew!

I have had an afternoon wrapping Christmas presents and Becky's are all done and are back in the wardrobe safe from prying eyes, she is the worst for trying to take a look. I still have Ellie's to do and a couple more presents waiting to be delivered so I am not finished yet but I am getting there.

I hope you are all staying safe and have had a good week!

How to have an eco-friendly Christmas.

Christmas is such a magical time but it can create so much waste. Mounds of discarded present packaging, masses of uneaten food and waiting in traffic to do your Christmas shop mean it can be a struggle to be green and do our bit for our planet.

There are several ways to make the holidays more sustainable and it might be easier than you think.

Use recyclable wrapping paper.

You can check if your wrapping paper is recyclable by doing ‘the scrunch test’. Simply scrunch a piece of the paper in the palm of your hand and if the paper remains scrunched it is paper based and widely recycled in the UK. If the wrapping paper unfolds or springs back it cannot be recycled.

Turn last year’s Christmas cards into this year’s present labels.

It might not be possible to use last years cards as they are already in the bin but this year save them and use them next year! 

Think about your Christmas card list.

Avoiding sending physical Christmas cards is another simple option for reducing waste. Consider opting for an e-card, writing an email or giving someone a call if getting in touch with friends and family is important to you over the Christmas period. Desperate to write cards? Opt for a design on recycled paper.

Give second hand presents.

A book you really loved reading or a charity shop toy. There is no shame in 2nd hand.

Reuse cardboard delivery boxes to wrap larger presents.

Add some wrapping paper and along with some ribbon for a festive touch you can recycle the cardboard boxes.

Choose natural Christmas candles.

Candles are certainly a big part of Christmas and whether you enjoy them as part of advent or simply to make a room feel cosy in the colder months, it's worth thinking about their impact on pollution levels, as well as your health. 

Decorate your space with natural foliage.

Ditch the plastic wreaths in exchange for the real thing as they're cheaper and much better for the environment. Picking up fallen sprigs of winter greenery from your garden or local park. Holly, pine and eucalyptus are great examples. They don't cost a penny and makes for a fun (and festive) afternoon. It is possible to make a wreath that you can compost at the end of the festive season. Any materials that can't be composted can be reused next year.

Reuse Christmas decorations year after year.

Get a collection of Christmas decorations going. You can even buy new one's each year to add to your collection of buy a new ones to replace any that are broken. Decorations made from recycled wood, fabric and glass make great alternatives to plastic or PVC options that are non-recyclable

Search second hand shops for your Christmas party outfit.

Do you really need to buy new for something you might wear once. 

Choose eco friendly crackers.

An eco-friendly way to embellish your Christmas dinner table is reusable Christmas crackers can be used year after year and filled with small but useful zero waste items.

Reduce food waste by finding creative ways of using up your Christmas Turkey.

It tastes great as a curry, in a pie or even as part of a stir-fry.

Take a reusable bag, tote or even cardboard box with you Christmas shopping to cut down on single use carriers.

Set your Christmas lights up through a timer switch.

Set them so they only come on as it gets dark outside and don’t run throughout the night. This will not only cut down on energy usage but also help save £s off your energy bill!

How would you have an eco-friendly Christmas?

Gingerbread Traybake Cake - Recipe!

Happy December! This month is probably my favourite of the year although this December seems to have came around so quickly, where has this year gone?

It is the season of yummy food and treats and today I have a recipe to share with you that I was sent and will be making soon as my family is crazy about anything gingerbread.

Gingerbread Traybake Cake - Recipe!

Makes one 20cm x 30cm traybake

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients.

200g unsalted butter and 40g for icing.

150g of light brown sugar.

4 tablespoons of black treacle.

2 eggs.

300g of self raising flour.

1 tablespoon of ground ginger.

150ml of milk.

75g of cream cheese.

200g of icing sugar.

Crushed gingerbread men to decorate.

Equipment.

A large mixing bowl.

An electric hand mixer.

A 20cm x 30cm traybake tin, lined with parchment.

A palette knife or spoon.

Method.

Preheat the oven to 160°c.

In the mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the treacle and eggs followed by the flour, ginger and milk making sure to mix well after each addition until a thick smooth batter is formed.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until risen and springy to the touch then allow it to cool completely.

Make the icing by combining the 40g of butter, cream cheese and icing sugar until no lumps remain. Using a palette knife or the back of a spoon spread the icing evenly on top of the ginger sponge and sprinkle with crushed gingerbread men.

How tasty does this sound?!

Recipe from the Easy Peasy Baking campaign, launched by UK Flour Millers, making baking simple. You can find more Easy Peasy Baking recipes and information on the campaign over on the Fab Flour website.