So December has been and gone and what a crazy month that was! I did 4 Skype interviews for my book with stylists from all over the world, Meadow got her 3rd tooth and started weaning onto foods other than purees and of course what else happens at the end of the year – Christmas!  Meadow’s first christmas made everything even more exciting. She was very bewildered at finding the Christmas tree up one morning and proceeded to eat a fabric Santa hanging from it! I made her a special silver themed Cinderella tree and the twinkle lights mesmerised her every time she lay on her changing table!

One sacrifice we have made this year is a smaller fake tree in the living room… Meadow and pine needles would be a complete health and safety disaster and although I missed the smell I didn’t miss the clearing up. Although she is a little small we got Meadow a lovely Next Wooden Advent calendar to come out year after year and I filled each day with a charm to make a bracelet to show her when she’s older. I bought myself a chocolate filled calendar and she enjoyed ripping the doors open! …surprisingly, the chocolate stayed in the tray – it was vile!

The next job was the wrapping. As we internet shopped from good old Next this year, it cancelled out the mad shopping dashes and provided amazing presents for everyone! If you didn’t do it this year do it next year – so easy! I still wrapped it all myself though – cue much merriment! Meadow liked the rolls of paper very much – rolling around on the rug with them. Opened tubes were not a good idea as she ended up scrunching the paper and wrapping herself up in it! She did her best Rolf Harris impression with the sealed tubes, playing her festive didgeridoo! Ribbons also provided much enjoyment but not as much as Christmas cards! First the envelope to study for at least 30 minutes, then she’d give the actual card at least a good hour’s attention – sometimes more if it involved glitter or 3D effect. One card, a Rudolph with ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ on it had a pompom nose… hours of fun!

I make my own mince pies and cranberry sauce every year – last year I made Christmas cake but this year the time evaded me. I made Robins Grandad a hamper filled with handmade xmas goodies and Meadow loved watching me make mulled wine and mince pies from the comfort of her seat- clutching a gift tag of course! Christmas Eve saw us begin a new tradition for our little family and continue an old one of mine – Christingle at the church. The service was beautiful and Meadow had her orange with candle, ribbon and fruits along with the other children. The church looked gorgeous decorated for Christmas! It was filled with children and candles and the Reverend was thrilled to see the Christingle wasn’t gong to be our only church venture last year. Hot footing home I peeled the veg, hung up the stockings and left a note for Rudolph with a huge fat carrot and a homemade mince pie for Saint Nic!

The day itself was hilarious- we simply couldn’t get Meadow to the actual presents! She was having too much fun with the tags, ribbon and wrapping paper! We had to open hers in 3 sittings on the day as it was just taking so long – the paper was a huge hit! Lunch was also great – I made her plain vegetables and gave her a little pureed turkey – she ate the lot! The sprouts even went down well – much to her dads disgust! We had so much food we didn’t even make dessert and I very much enjoyed my afternoon nap.

Meadow spent Boxing day with one Nana, Aunt and Uncle then it was ‘pack as much in the poor car as you can’ (it was fit to bursting) and head up North for Fake Christmas! We do it every year and my Grandad, brothers, girlfriends and of course, Mam and Dad joined Robin and I as Meadow held court under my Mams huge tree in her new baby pod …again, playing with wrapping paper. She eventually got the hang of ripping things open!

New Year’s Eve involved a family party to welcome in 2012. Meadow even made it to midnight with all the merriment and people to see – she found the chorus of Auld Lang Syne very amusing and then proceeded to enjoy all the Happy New Year kisses! The fairies then appear over night and leave a pressie in your slippers – another family tradition – often a new tooth brush and sweets! But this year a family planner was a welcomed gift as Meadow has more appointments and play dates than Robin and I put together.

We then had to head down the M6, exhausted, for more work to complete my book! It’s now gone – hurray – so much work but I’m sure it will be worth it when it’s released in September. The last few days of the festive period were spent putting the presents away – it took days! I had made space before Christmas but was left thinking we desperately need a bigger house!!!

I hope 2012 is a good year for us and indeed for you…