Monthly Musings

This link up actually happened last week, but I still wanted to answer the prompts.

1. Favourite holiday traditions?

Our annual Christmas party for neighbours and friends, lobster, oysters for Christmas Eve, seeing Santa at the mall and then getting McDonalds.

2. What holidays do you celebrate?

Christmas

3. How early do you shop?

I try to get started mid-November.  This week I realized I'd better get moving so I have done a good chunk of it now.

4. When do you decorate?

About a month before Christmas.  We get a real tree so we can't put it up too early.  This is the weekend we will get our tree.

5. Do you host any holiday festivities?

Yes, the second Saturday of the month we invite our neighbours, friends, and family for a drop in party.  It has been great fun since we moved into this house in 2014.  Then our parents alternate spending Christmas with us, this year it is Dave's family's turn to be here.  

6. Favourite holiday meals or recipes to share?

We do turkey dinner for Christmas with the normal fixings.  I also make shrimp butter and oat cakes (recipe here), turkey risotto (recipe), and Dave makes the best roasted potatoes (recipe) to go with our lobster.

7. Best holiday organization tips?

I keep the same list on a Google Doc.  We basically do the same things each year so aside from a few tweaks to party treats and menu, I don't have to rethink it, just call up the previous year's list.  

8.  Gift wrapping? Love it or hate it?

I don't mind it unless it's happening on Christmas Eve.  I really try to get everything done before then.  I like to close myself in the guest room and put a movie on the iPad and get it all done.  

9. Holiday coffee drink? Yes please or hard pass?

Yes please.  I like to put some Irish Whisky and Baileys in my coffee when I'm at home.  And I will get at least one peppermint mocha from Starbucks or something seasonal from Balzac's.

10. Are you a holiday baker? Recipes to share?

Yes. I bake cookies for our party and will make something for Christmas Day dessert.  I also love Jamie Oliver's panettone bread pudding.  I have his Christmas cookbook, but you can also find the recipe here. 

 

Preparing for Advent

As we get ready for the Advent season, I like to take some time to reflect on what the impending arrival of Jesus and what it means to me.  It can be really easy to get swept away with to do lists, spending money, and running from place to place.  

I do not practice regular meditation, but the times that I do, I find it useful and meaningful, perhaps this will be a resolution for 2023!  One of my favourite mediations is one that guides you through the five senses and singling out and focusing on each one.  I thought I would put together a guide for myself (and maybe you) to engage in your own holiday mediation.  It may be that you actually set yourself up to sense each one, or just spend some time of stillness and imagine each of these things that have a bit of a theme.  Now I'm preparing for Christmas, but I think this practice could be used by anyone regardless of your faith.

So when you're feeling a little overwhelmed, take a few minutes and run though your five senses: 

Touch - Cozy blanket, flannel sheets, fur of a pet

Smell - Pine needles, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, oranges

Taste - Gingerbread, cardamom cookies, chocolate, apple cider

Hear - Peaceful piano carols and hymns

See - Twinkle lights, snow falling, pink skies

Weekend Recap

On Friday night Dave and I went out, all the way to the East side of Toronto.  First we had dinner at Danforth Sidebar, and then we went next door to the Danforth Music Hall to see Noah Reid, who some of you may know from his role in Schitt's Creek, he was Patrick.

Loved hearing him sing live!

On Saturday we cancelled all of our plans as the boys had coughs and were tired.  I did walk up the street to get a few things, and then took down the fall decorations.  

We had a charcuterie board for dinner. And after Q went to bed, we watched The Wonder. I had read the book and the movie was really good, dare I say as good as the book?! Plus Florence Pugh is in it and she is fabulous.

I went to church in the morning.  The boys stayed home and Dave cut their hair.  It was so nice outside that I made everyone go outside for a walk and we went with another family too.

Cold but look at the blue sky.

We had a roast chicken for supper and it was delicious.

Christmas Songs

I was going to make this post about Winter Songs, but right now I could only think of Christmas songs as ones I want to listen to right now, so catch back up with me in January and I'll put together a non-Christmas winter list for you then.  

For now, here are the Christmas albums and songs that I am already enjoying:

Matt Andersen is good Canadian content for your Christmas.  His voice is something else, and we were lucky enough to hear him perform O Holy Night live one year. I'll never forget it.

Carrie Underwood's album is solid.  She sings everything so well.  I've always liked her since I actually watched her season of American Idol (plus she married Mike Fisher, Canadian!).

Dolly Parton put this album out last year and it was a great addition to our playlist.

I've mentioned this CD a few times and it is always well-played around here, starting now, it was the first one I selected.  Jamie is from the UK, and when you hear some of the music, it makes me want to find a dark pub to duck into out of the cold for a pint and a shepherd's pie or something. 

And a few other Christmas songs I particuarly like: 

Auld Lang Syne - Celtic Woman

A Christmas Jig - Yo Yo Ma, Natalie MacMaster

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - James Taylor

When a Child is Born - Boney M.

Friday Favourites

 

Happy Friday!

Toronto had it's first snowfall this week.  I thought it was just going be a light dusting so I was excited to see the snow from my office window.  Then it kept snowing and actually accumulated to something.  

We drive through this little grove of trees/bushes on our way to the school and it is always so pretty when the snow falls.  I actually stopped my car in the street so I could snap this on the way through. It's also really pretty in the fall and spring.

We are up to date with our vaccines - the kids got their third COVID shot and we got our fourth.  And we all got our flu shots. It was great to get it done all at once.  

It was Beaujolais Nouveau Day yesterday, which is the day this season's Beaujolais Nouveau wines are released.  I celebrate because my intro to this wine was my uncle who has since died so I raise a glass each year in memory of him and say thank you for showing me this tasty holiday refreshment.  I'm eagerly awaiting their arrival at the LCBO.

Cheers!

I don't have much else to tell you about this week and it was a busy one for Dave and me at work, while trying to stay healthy, and rested. I shared my Christmas wish list on Wednesday, our weekend recap on Tuesday, and things I was influenced into buying on Monday.

  

Linking up with Andrea and Erika.

Christmas Wish List

It's that time of year again!  I've only got a few ideas for the people on my own gift list, but I also thought I'd think of a few ideas for myself :)  Like each year, I've broken it into the rhyming prompt of 'Want, Need, Wear, Read".

Want

Vuori Joggers.  I have these in grey, but I love them so much it would be good to have them in black too.

Need

Tula Vitamin C Serum. I bought a bottle of this in the summer and used it quite diligently but as I've gotten down to the bottom, I've been sort of saving it.

Wear

Knitted Gloves.  I have leather gloves and nice knitted mitts, but I need something in between so they are warm but also a bit classier than mittens.  I don't have a photo as I'm not sure what is out there for a selection. Next time I'm at the mall I've have to look around, I'm sure Nordstrom, the Bay, or lululemon has something. 

Read

Fatty Fatty Boom Boom by Rabia Chaudry.  Rabia is a podcaster and is most often known for her link to the Adnan Syed case.  I'm a big fan of Rabia's and her book has been getting rave reviews, so I know I need to read it!  I'm hoping her book tour will bring her through Toronto.

What's on your list?  Seriously, people in my family, send me your lists!! I need to get shopping. 

Weekend Recap

 Our weather turned cooler this weekend but we still got to enjoy some outdoor time. 

On Remembrance Day the boys proudly wore their poppy stickers to school.  

Dave and I went out for lunch to Bello Pizza.  I love a good pepperoni pizza and this one was perfect, along with a salad and warm olives. 

On Saturday morning we got dressed up to take our Christmas card photo.  About 10 second after Q got out of the car he fell in the mud.

The ducks kept the boys entertained while Dave set up the camera.

When we got home we raked the rest of the leaves.  Q was on the leaf blower.

Q had swimming in the afternoon and then he went to a friend's house.  I went to the grocery store and then came home to see E and Dave working on a science project.  

After supper on Saturday we went over to the neighbours' for a little visit.  They are going to Disney this week so we were giving them some tips.

We went to church on Sunday morning.  After lunch took the boys up to the school to play. I wanted to try out a new cookie recipe so I joined them after I did that.  

These are meringue cookies with cornflakes and chocolate chips. I thought they would be food for our Christmas party since they would be a gluten free and dairy free option.  I think I made them too big and didn't bake them long enough, but I will try again as they taste good.

Playing some soccer base (or kickball as I guess the Ontario kids call it)...

...and basketball.

We watched the F1 race when we got back and then got ready for the rest of the week.