Aloha! Last year I took part in a blogger secret santa run by the lovely Char at T-rexes & Tiaras and it was great fun. So of course, when I saw on twitter that she was running one again this year, I just had to sign up!

My secret santa was from Jenna Louise who blogs over at Floral-etiquette! Here is what she picked for me!

Cat Apron!! If you read my baking wishlist post before Christmas you'll know I was really wanting this! Baking has been so much more fun with this in my life!

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites. I hadn't tried these American chocolates before! They are really tasty! Peanut butter chocolates are my favourites!

I do enjoy a secret santa! It's a fun challenge to find an amazing gift for someone, especially when it's someone you don't know. You also get to stalk their twitter and blog for ideas! Ha ha! 

Thanks so much to Jemma Louise for my lovely gift, and also to Char for organising again this year!

xxx

Blogmas Day 24 | Things I'm looking forward to this Christmas

Aloha! Happy Christmas Eve!! It's officially only 1 more sleep til Santa!

I am super excited now and I can't wait for work to finish at lunchtime so I can go home and get my Christmas on!

Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that I have managed to blog every single day since the 1st December! Who would have thought I'd manage it. I am so proud of myself!

Today I thought I would post about what I am looking forward to this Christmas.

1. Seeing all the family together. Something which doesn't happen very often. It makes me happy to have everyone together in one place.

2. Celebrating my Niece's first Christmas. It's so nice to have a baby around at Christmas!

3. Food. I love food. Especially pigs in blankets. Yum!

4. Downton Abbey Christmas Special. The last ever episode. I am going to be bawling my eyes out. 

5. Gift giving. I love seeing my family and friend's faces as they open their gifts. Hopefully they will all like what I've got them!

6. Sleeping. I have been working really long hours lately and Christmas brings an extra long holiday which I can't wait to enjoy!

7. The Boxing Day Sales. I love me a bargain.

Most of all though, I am thankful for the health and happiness of all my family and I can't wait to just relax and enjoy the festive period.

Merry Christmas to all my lovely readers from around the world!

xxxx

Blogmas Day 23 | Easy Gingerbread Recipe

Aloha! Are you still looking for a last minute gift for someone? Why not bake some gingerbread cookies and wrap them up nicely? Today I've got the perfect recipe for you to do just that.

Ingredients:

350g plain flour, plus extra for rolling out

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

125g butter

175g light soft brown sugar

1 free-range egg

4tbsp golden syrup

If you wish to decorate the cookies you will also need writing icing and cake decorations (gum drop buttons!!)

Method: 

1. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs then stir in the sugar.

2. Lightly beat the egg and syrup together, add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together. Tip the dough our and knead until smooth. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes. 

3. Whilst the dough is chilling in the fridge, preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius/gas mark 4, and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper. 

4. Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using cookie cutters, cut out the shapes (any shape you want but gingerbread man is the traditional one). Place the shapes on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them. 

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. When cooled, you can decorate as you please with writing icing and cake decorations. 

Blogmas Day 22 | Christmas Throwback

Aloha! Recently I was looking through some old photos and found some old Christmas photos which I thought would make a good throwback post!

Christmas 1994

Interesting choice of outfit here. No idea why I'm wearing a beret.

Incase you hadn't guessed, I got a toy car for Christmas that year. 

Christmas 2004.

I know, there's a 10 year gap between photos but I really love this one. This is my Gaga with all her Grandchildren! This was when boys all had long hair too, clearly!

Christmas 2010. 

This was the year that we had freak snow! It was so deep it came up over my knees!

Christmas 2012.

Haha, this photo makes me laugh so much! I decided to get Smudge a Christmas coat. He wasn't very impressed!

I've got a big gap in photos since 2012! I'll have to change that this year!

xxx

Blogmas Day 21 | Christmas Eve Box

Aloha! This year I decided to make up a little bag of gifts for opening on Christmas Eve so Mikey and I can have a relaxing evening in! I know quite a few people do this on Christmas Eve so I jumped on the bandwagon this year. Here is what I'm putting in Mikey's Christmas Eve box! 

New Pj's. Mikey loves tartan pyjamas. I saw these in Tesco and had to buy them!

Chocolate. I decided to go for Chocolate coins, something which we both used to love getting at Christmas as a child!

Hot Chocolate & Marshmallows. Having a hot chocolate on Christmas Eve is a tradition which we have had since we have lived together. This year will be no different of course! 

Other ideas for things you could include:

Christmas DVD

Beer

Book

Cookies

Cosy Socks

Are you going to be doing a Christmas Eve box for someone this year?

xxx

Blogmas Day 19 | The perfect hot chocolate

Aloha! I don't know about you, but I love nothing more than a hot chocolate at Christmas time, especially on Christmas Eve! Here is what I think makes the perfect hot chocolate!

I like to heat the milk on the hob, stirring occassionaly to make sure it doesn't burn/form a skin!

I then add the cocoa powder to the milk whilst stirring to blend it in. My favourite cocoa powder has always been Cadburys. I'd like to try some really posh cocoa powder one day though!

I then stuff the bottom of a mug with marshmallows. I like to use the big ones but you can use the mini ones. Tesco do 2 packets of large marshmallows for £1.50 and these are the ones I buy!

Then pour the hot chocolate milk over the marshmallows. They will spring out the bottom of the mug as you pour. 

Finally, top your drink off with some squishy cream! 

And voila, you have the perfect hot chocolate!

Enjoy!

xxx

Blogmas Day 17 | The Christmas Tag 2015

Aloha! Last year I did a Christmas tag which I really enjoyed doing so I thought I would do another one for 2015! Here it is!

What is your favourite Christmas film?
The Holiday. Still my favourite although I watched the Polar Express a few weeks ago and that was very good!
Have you ever had a white Christmas?
Yes, living in Scotland it was bound to happen. It was many years ago now though. I'd quite like one this year as my work is closed over the festive period so I wouldn't have to drive in it!Where do you usually spend Christmas?
We spend half of the day with my parents and half of the day with Mikey's parents. Which half of the day depends on whose turn it is to cook dinner!
What is your favourite Christmas song?
Fairytale of New York. I don't think anything will ever beat this song for me.
Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?
We haven't done in the past, but this year I've made a little box up with new pyjamas, hot chocolates, marshmallows and chocolates which I plan to be opened on Christmas Eve so we can have a cosy evening in!
What Christmas traditions are you most looking forward to this year?
Apart from the obvious spending time with family and eating a huge dinner then rolling away from the table onto the sofa, I'm looking forward to the Downton Abbey Christmas Special. I'm a little bit too excited for it if I'm honest. Many tears will be shed!
Is your Christmas tree real or fake?
Fake unfortunately. I'd love a real tree but it's too much hassle to dispose of after Christmas and it would end up dropping it's needles all over my cream carpet!
What is your all-time favourite Christmas food/sweet treat?
Probably the smoked salmon roulade that my mother produces every year. It's delicious and we never get it at any other time of year so it makes it extra special.
Be honest: Do you like giving gifts or receiving gifts better?
I think the older I get, the more I enjoy giving gifts. I see it as a great challenge each year to find something for everyone that I know they will love. I like to think I'm a good gift buyer!
What is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
This one changes every year. I can never decide. I think last year's present from Mikey of a Husky sled ride was pretty awesome. I'm actually meant to be going on that this weekend! The weather keeps ruining it for us though and it keeps getting cancelled. Typical Scotland!
What would be your dream place to visit for Christmas?
New York? Or Lapland! 
Are you a pro present wrapper, or do you fail miserably?
It is entirely dependant on whether I am in the mood for wrapping, and if your present is one of the last I wrap! The presents I have wrapped so far this year look pretty. The ones I will be wrapping next week, probably not so much!Most memorable Christmas moment?
Last year's Downton Abbey? Nah in all seriousness, probably the year I decided to open a 13 year old bottle of Moet & Chandon Champagne & drink 95% of it. Soz Mum & Dad!Do you make New Years resolutions? Do you stick to them?
I do usually. And I usually fail at them...What makes the holidays special for you?
Seeing family I don't see very often, having time off work to spend with Mikey and just relaxing! (& Downton Abbey. Sorry).What is something new happening this Christmas that you’re excited about?
This is the first year that we have had a baby around at Christmas! Not ours of course, but our Niece Elsbeth! She was born in March so just missed last year's festivities. She's at a nice age now where she's much more aware of what's going on. It will be nice to see her enjoying herself on Christmas day!

I won't tag anyone in particular but feel free to copy and paste these questions onto your blog if you want to do a Christmas tag too!

xxx

Blogmas Day 16 | Stocking Fillers for Him

Aloha! It's getting to that stage of December where you've bought all your main presents but now you have to think about stocking fillers, and you don't know what to buy!

Men are definitely the hardest to buy for. I thought it might be helpful to do a little list of ideas for stocking fillers if you, like me, are currently trying to find stocking fillers for your other half! 

1. Socks. Men put socks in the wash basket never to be seen again. A couple of pairs of socks in their Christmas stocking and you can't go wrong.

2. Boxers. Christmas theme optional. Like socks, these seem to disappear in the washing machine!

3. Chocolates. Because who doesn't like chocolates. All the supermarkets have deals on stocking sized chocolates and sweeties just now too.

4. Beer. Something you wouldn't really think about putting in a stocking but I did it last year and it worked. Craft beers are a big thing in Scotland just now and if your other half likes them too, then pop a can/bottle or two in their stocking!

5. Hat/Gloves/Scarf. Another few things which men always lose!

6. A Belt. Something which every man needs.

7. Ties. If your man has an office job, then why not consider a nice new tie. Again, festive theme is optional.

8. Deodorants/Body Wash. Not hinting that boys stink, but they do have a thing about scented body products (or at least the ones I know do).

Hopefully this will help those of you who are struggling for ideas for your other half's stocking this Christmas!

xxxx

Blogmas Day 15 | Christmas Wrapping

Aloha! This year I have tried to be a little more creative with my wrapping and have gone for a red and silver theme! Hopefully this will give you a little inspiration if you are looking to make your parcels look a bit jazzy this year!

I've made a few little hamper boxes this year which I'm pretty proud of. Haha! This one is for my mum. I picked up a few of these glittery little boxes in Tiger for just £2! They also come in gold and blue if you have a different theme to mine. They would be great for storing things in after Christmas as well. The red pull bows I have had for quite a few years when I went mad and bulk bought them! I've never seen the same ones since (they are super silky), but you can buy similar ones on Amazon and Ebay! 

The silver wrapping paper was from the Card Factory. I got 3 rolls for only £2. It's good quality, thick paper too, which is a bonus. There's nothing worse than wrapping paper that tears as soon as you try to cut it. Or when the edge of a cardboard box that you are trying to wrap pops straight through the paper! Grrr!

xxxx

Blogmas Day 14 | Winter Evening Routine

Aloha! Winter evenings are my favourite, especially in the month of December!

When I get in from work, I get straight into my PJ's, cook and eat my dinner, then settle down for an evening of relaxing!

Recently my favourite after dinner treat has been hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream! I really enjoy an evening with my christmas tree lights twinkling away and a hot cup of cocoa!

Another part of my routine is picking a nice candle or wax melt to burn. Just now I'm loving the Christmas scents of course! It wouldn't be a winter evening without a nice candle burning!

Getting cosy on the sofa with blankets is another one of my favourite things to do on an evening. Even better on a weekend when I can have a little beer too! Once I'm comfy on the sofa, I stick a bit of netflix on and nibble away on a little snack or two until it's time to go to sleep!

It probably seems like I have a bit of a boring life, but I love nothing more than a cosy evening in!

What do you love to do on a winter evening?

xxxx

Blogmas Day 13 | TheSundayPost - 13th December

Aloha! Another week has passed and it's now less than 2 weeks until Christmas!!

Here is what I have been up to this week!

1 - Last Sunday I headed into town with Mikey to try and finish the last of our Christmas shopping! We managed to get 99% of it done so we rewarded ourselves with a hot toddy in one of the pop up Christmas bars overlooking the ice rink.

2 - The week was long and stressful as I try to get as much work done as possible before the Christmas break! Friday night was my work's Christmas night out. It was a great night! Here is me looking grumpy before going out!

3 - Saturday was spent mostly nursing a hangover. We spent the evening on the sofa watching the X Factor final, eating chocolate and drinking beers. It was nice to sit in the cosy house, with the Christmas tree lit up, and just relax for a bit! 

4 - Today it is very cold outside so I'm staying inside in the warmth writing up some more blog posts and baking banana bread! I love a lazy Sunday!

If you've missed any of my Blogmas posts this week, you can go and have a read of them now by following the links below!

Day 7: My favourite Christmas Songs

Day 8: Tanya's December Tarte Train

Day 9: Best of the Boots 3 for 2

Day 10: Festive Fivers

Day 11: Christmas Party Outfit

Day 12: Christmas Jumper 2015

Have a great week!

xxx

Blogmas Day 12 | Christmas Jumper 2015

Aloha! I can't remember why or when the Christmas jumper thing became fashionable again, but I have to say I like it! I decided I wanted a red jumper this year (no idea why), so I've been keeping an eye out for one I liked for a while.

I spied this little number in Primark the other day for only £9. It was actually in the Mens department but it fits so I'm not bothered. Rudolph has a red bobble stuck to his nose which I think is super cute.

I'm hoping I will win the Christmas Jumper competition at my work with this one!

There are so many jumpers to choose from this year, it was such a difficult decision to make. I've still got my eye on a couple of other ones that I might end up buying as well...

Well at least I won't be cold throughout December ever again!

Blogmas Day 11 | Christmas Party Outfit

Aloha! Tonight it is my work's Christmas party! We are having a theme night in a casino so I thought I better dress to impress! Here is what I'm going to be wearing.

I bought this sparkly Lipsy dress about 3 years ago now but I love it so much, it always gets to make an appearance over the festive period. I decided not to buy a new dress this year as I always buy something that I only ever wear once or twice afterwards!

These shoes were a steal at only £5 from Primark! I desperately needed a new pair of black heels as I wear the ones I have every day at work so they are all a bit wrecked now! I wanted to buy a pair that I will be able to wear to work after the night out and these were perfect. I'm loving the caged shoes that are around at the moment!

I'm going to team this outfit with a black blazer and some thick black tights!

I'll pop some photos of the night out in my SundayPost this week!

xxx

Blogmas Day 10 | Festive Fivers

Aloha! Christmas is a very expensive time of year so today I thought I'd share a couple of my favourite 'festive fivers' - gifts for £5 or less!

1 - Make your own bath bombs! Mix 1 kilo of sodium bicarbonate with 500 grams of citric acid. Add a few drops of food colouring and flavouring e.g vanilla extract then gradually add a few drops of water whilst stirring the mixture until it looks like wet sand. Mould using cookie cutters, cake cases or paper cups and leave to dry for 48 hours. You can then wrap in cellophane to make them look pretty.

2 - Student Cookbook. I could have done with one of these when I was a student. Buy a cheap ring binder or wirebound notebook and then you can write in your favourite cheap meals (you can google them if you don't know any). Or you could just fill the book with local takeaway menus...

3 - Homemade Jam. Recycle your old jam jars and decorate the lid with some pretty material. Get 500g of fruit, jam sugar and a lemon and use a simple recipe from good old google. Easy peasy and looks good too!

4 - Teacup Candle. Shops are selling these for a pretty penny these days but you can make your own for about £5. Just buy a vintage teacup from a charity shop/ebay/car boot sale, grab a candle wick in any craft store and if like me you have many old wax melts lying around, you can melt them down and pour them into the tea cup, adding a new fragrance if you wish. Wait for the wax to harden overnight and you have a pretty candle. Wrap it in cellophane and tie with a bow if you want it to look extra pretty. 

5 - Hot Chocolate Cones. Buy some cellophane cones on Ebay, get some nice hot chocolate (check bargain stores or supermarket offers for the best prices) and fill half the cellophane cone. Twist & tape the top closed and slip this into another cone of the same size. Sprinkle mini marshmallows on the top and twist and tie a ribbon around the top of the 2nd cone. Stick a candy cane on the front with a little label on how to make the hot chocolate & voila!

I hope these tips come in handy if you are looking for some cheap, thoughtful presents!

Let me know if you try any of them!

xxx

Blogmas Day 8 | Tanya's Tarte Train - December

Aloha! A few months ago I signed up for the Tanya's Tarte train, a subscription box which delivers 9 wonderfully fragranced wax melts to your door every month. You can see my original blog about it here!

Here is what I got in this month's tarte train!

Eggnog - Rum, Advocat, Cinammon & Nutmeg. A very boozy and festive smelling one!

Vanilla Milk Bottles - Just like the chewy sweeties you had as a little kid!

Honey - Well this one is pretty self explanatory. Smells a little bit like the honey and lemon throat sweets! 

White Freesia - Again pretty self explanatory. Just like the little white flower!

Honey Moon - Another Honey scented one, with a hint of musk!

Stonewashed - This smells just like freshly washed denim & fabric softener!

Chocolate Lime - Another one which smells exactly like the sweeties! Yum!

Pink Bubblegum - I actually have this one melting right now as I type this. Smells like those bubblegums in the pink and blue wrapper (I can't remember the name!)

Fig Cherry Almond - A lovely rich scent, I can really smell marzipan and the cherry scent.

25th - This was a free extra in this months box. The scent is a secret but it smells like toasted marshmallow to me!

If you want to sign up to Tanya's Tarte Train, you can do so here. 

There are so many lovely sounding tartes that I have on my to-buy list! 

xxxx

Blogmas Day 7 | My Favourite Christmas Songs

Aloha! It's now officially acceptable to play Christmas music! Woohoo!

Today I thought I'd tell you what my top 5 Christmas songs are. I think I love all the stereotypical ones haha!

1. Fairytale of New York by The Pogues : This was recently voted the nations favourite Christmas song and I have to agree!

2. All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey : Cheesy as it is, it's still a brilliant song. I love to have a sing song to this in the car on my way to work. I'm sure the other drivers think I'm mental.

3. Jingle Bells by Frank Sinatra : "I love those j.i.n.g.l.e bells." A great classic. Gotta love Frank Sinatra's Christmas album!

4. Let it Snow! by Dean Martin : Oh the weather outside is frightful! If you live in Scotland, you will agree. I can always be caught humming away to this one when I see the slightest flake of snow, even though I'm not a massive fan of snow (when I have to drive in it)!

5. Walking in the air by Aled Jones : Not one of the obvious choices but this song reminds me of the film The Snowman which I used to watch on Christmas Eve every single year as a little girl. It also reminds me of the Irn Bru advert but that's another matter! Haha! 

What are your favourite christmas songs?

xxx

Blogmas Day 6 | TheSundayPost - 6th December

Aloha! I've made it to day 6 of Blogmas! Woohoo!

Here is my usual round-up of what I've been up to this week!

1 - My Christmas tree is up! I bought some new red berry lights which I love! They are now reduced to clear in Tesco for just £7 so go get some if you love them too!

2 - We've had a fair bit of Snow this week! I much prefer the snow to the horrible wind and rain storms we've also had this week! Today it looks like we might get some sun so I'm going to head out into town to finish my Christmas shopping!

3 - On Thursday we went to watch the Street of Light show which is currently on as part of Edinburgh's Christmas celebrations. Unfortunately the weather caused a technical fault with the lights and it was cancelled. This was the best "Street of Light" picture I could take in it's absence! I was so upset, but they've said they will honour our tickets for a different night so hopefully I'll still get to see it!

4 - Yesterday the weather was just awful as Storm Desmond hit the country. I had my flu jab booked for the morning then I was meeting my mum and auntie to go christmas shopping. Thankfully we picked an indoor shopping centre to go to! The weather was perfect for wearing my new Ralph Lauren jumper that my dad brought me back from Florida, as well as my new velvet leopard print leggings which I grabbed in Tesco's Black Friday sale!

As I mention, I've been taking part in Blogmas this week. If you've missed any of my posts, you can find the links below:

Day 1 : A Blogmas Giveaway!

Day 2 : Chocolate Chip Cheesecake & My 200th Post

Day 3 : Christmas Tree 2015

Day 4 : My favourite festive fragrances

Day 5 : Gaga's Angel

I'm away to attempt to finish my Christmas shopping now! Wish me luck!

xxxx

Blogmas Day 5 | Gaga's Angel

Aloha! Today I thought I'd do a little post about my most treasured Christmas decoration. I know it sounds silly to say I have a treasured Christmas decoration but it's very important to me.

And here she is...

This angel to sit on top of the tree was bought for me by my Gaga (It's my word for granny).

What makes it even more special is that she bought it for my first Christmas, 23 years ago.

The angel has topped the tree every single year since 1992, and this year will be no different.

When I moved out, my mum let me take the angel with me so she will be on top of the tree in Mikey and I's home.

She's had to have a few repairs over the years but she's still going strong!

I plan on keeping this angel safe, and passing it down to my children eventually. Hopefully they will love it as much as I do!

xxxx

Blogmas Day 3 | Christmas Tree 2015

Aloha! I put my Christmas tree up very early this year (29th November to be precise). This year I've gone for a red and gold theme, to match my bright red sofas, of course! 

I picked up these cute little tree decorations in Tesco the other day. They were on 3 for 2 as well, so I got all 3 for just £3!

They had loads of different ones too so it's definitely worth a look if you looking for new decorations!

And here is my tree in all it's glory!

The red berry lights were also from Tesco and were half price! (£7.50)

A lot of my decorations were given to me by my mum when I moved out a few years ago. 

Most of the baubles on the tree came from Tie Rack when I worked there 2 years ago. On the day the shop closed down for good we took all the Christmas decor home! Well an empty shop has no use for them!

Then there's the angel on the top. She has her own special story which I'm going to blog about on Saturday!

The red glitter star is currently hanging from the curtain rail above the tree. Last year I pinned it to our front door, but as we are in a different house this year, we can't do that so I've had to find it a new home!

I've got a couple of other bits and pieces I want to put up around the house but as yet I haven't found the time!

Have you put your tree up yet?

xxxx

Blogmas Day 2 | Chocolate Chip Cheesecake & 200th Post!

Aloha! It's day 2 of Blogmas! This post is also my 200th Blog Post! I never thought I'd see myself coming up with enough content to write 200 posts, but here we are! 3 cheers for me!
Today I have a recipe for my favourite Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, which I'm hoping you will love as much as I do!

Ingredients for the base: 

- 25g butter

- 150g shortbread biscuits, finely crushed

Ingredients for the topping:

- 300g dark chocolate (with no more than 40% cocoa solids)

- 2 eggs, beaten

- 400g full-fat cream cheese

- 150ml full-fat soured cream

- 50g dark chocolate chips or drops

Ingredients for serving:

- 100g dark chocolate

- 300ml whipping cream, softly whipped

Method: 

1. Preheat the over to 160 degree celcius. Grease the base of a 20cm spring-form cake tin with butter and line with baking paper.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the crushed biscuits, then tip into the cake tin, pressing evenly over the base of the tin. Place in the fridge to chill whilst you prepare the topping.

3. Break the chocolate into a bowl and melt over a pan of hot water, stirring occasionally with a spoon until runny and smooth.

4. Put the eggs, cream cheese and soured cream into a separate bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour in the melted chocolate and whisk for a minute. Stir in the chocolate chips or drops.

5. Spoon into the tin and spread evenly over the biscuit base. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until firm around the edges and slightly wobbly in the middle. 

6. Remove from the oven and run a small palette knife around the edge of the tin to release the cheesecake. Allow to cool in the tin before transferring to the fridge to chill. 

7. Once chilled, remove the outside ring of the tin and lift the base on to a serving plate, removing the paper lining. 

8. Spread about half of the whipped cream in a thin layer on the top of the cake. Finely grate the chocolate and sprinkle over the top. 

9. Pipe or spoon the remaining cream around the edge of the cake. 

10. Add some decoration if you wish. I used Malteaser reindeers for a festive look!

In bake off style - Ready, Steady, BAKE! 

xxx