Happy New Year

Well I have had a lovely Christmas holiday. Perfect.

Or more correctly imperfectly perfect!!!!

(I'll spare you the vomit, snot, nut allergy and christmas pudding no show stories!!)

We have had a fabulous Christmas, spent with family. As my mum is now living locally, my brother stayed with her, so we had no house guests...I think this made ours a stress free Christmas. I love having a house full of guests, but somehow the fact that we said goodnight (late some nights) kept it a pleasure....maybe its the fact we had our own space, who knows?? Christmas 2009 was the best one we have had in our 10 year relationship. We are really fortunate that both sets of parents get along..maybe this is normal in the real world, but my ex's mother wouldn't be in the same room as my family so this time round both mum and I appreciate the relationship between the families a lot.

So we shared meals and card games, competed against each other at the local bowling alley (I was rubbish as per!!), drank too much and ate waaa-yy too much.

The one thing we are all agreed on, well I say all, the inlaws were a bit quiet about it, next year we will not be having a turkey Christmas dinner. It is so time consuming. We can have a roast any day of the year. Mum and I really didn't want to eat much after 2 days preparing 8 billion different veg etc, so Christmas 2010 will be celebrated with a pot luck curry dinner!! And if the boys want pizza - they can have it.

The important part is everyone around the table...so you heard it here first!!

Father Christmas really spoiled us all.

We all got some fabulous gifts...

from my wonderful teenage son who says he enjoyed the Cath shop!!

From my friend - its a jug cover, but I don't have a skinny enough jug at the minute!!

(she got it from notmassproduced.com I believe)

The tracked down market stall was very well received.

My mum always does me a stocking of 'bits', this year she did me a trug of bits.

I got tons of goodies off my wish list too. I take back all I said to my sis in law about lovely husband being rubbish at gift buying lol!! I got a lovely new watch, perfectly me that he bought with no guidance!!

I didn't intend to stay away from blogland for so long , but I barely switched on the laptop. So all my internet 'committments' have been neglected!! I have to admit I did have to think twice about returning, I have read several books over the holidays, including 2 new books to inspire me for Christmas 2010, sat and leisurely chatted with my husband and boys, started a new sewing project.

I know I haven't been the only one having a virtual crisis...I read in the Daily Mail that Lily Allen has given up Twitter, FB etc (The only thing me and the lovely Lily have in common..although if I was 2 dress sizes smaller and had a flat stomach I would share her love of quirky fashion too!!)

I don't actually agree with the end bit. Surely giving up totally is not the only way to get 'real life' back. And isn't the internet part of real life anyway?? I agree my online life can occasionally get a bit too much, not an addiction per se but definately an annoying regular habit!! (Just one more check on Facebook before I log out..one more look at blogs... I know I'm not alone!!!)

Anyway, as I can't imagine not blogging at all I have decided to make it a New Years Resolution to get the balance right...so less tedious long posts and more quick update type's are planned, less facebook too (it annoys me anyway, but find myself drawn!!!). And a promise to myself - for housework's sake - that I'll have 2 or 3 laptop free days too!!

I also plan to keep my Christmas relaxed attitude about things, if it doesn't get done, it doesn't matter.

I do still plan on making a list of things I want to achieve this year. Crafty things mainly. But a no pressure kind of list. With no time limits. Although it would be nice to get a Christmas table runner completed before December 25th this year!! The list is in progress - getting longer through reading one of my Christmas gifts!!

So New Year, Fresh Start. Today is the last day I will have 2 preschoolers at home. The big boys went back today and C starts fulltime school tomorrow. He is ready but I'm not. And I am not relishing having to be up dressed and out of the house for 8.20 each day. I have had a very relaxed life since W started a new school that he takes himnself to last September!!

The tree is at the recycling centre, very sad about that...the house looks desperate for a good clean, but I have my priorities right and have put up the new bunting that Beki made me lol!!!

Still undecided if it will stay in the bay...I pass a house on the way to my friends, that has bunting up in the bay window and I have gone from, hmm I wouldn't put it there, to, hmm actually I quite like it!!! So naff or not??