Family Christmas Traditions

Well, the question is...will I or won't I put up my Christmas decorations this year? My little granddaughters won't be coming down from The Outback so there won't be any littlies around to enjoy the glittery baubles and tinsel and Christmas just isn't the same without children around is it?

Rain for Christmas!

We have been hearing the weather forecasters say that SE Queensland would have a wet Christmas this year but I have heard forecasts about rain before and often it just bypasses us. However we have had a couple of storms move through tonight and we got a little rain. I see on the radar that heavier rain is moving east at the moment so hopefully some of our farmers will get good falls. It certainly will be an answer to prayer.

Christmas Gift Ideas

Are you preparing for Christmas? To be honest, I have been away so much in the past few weeks that I have hardly given it a thought apart from wondering what to make for my grandchildren who will be driving down from the Outback (with their parents of course) the week before Christmas. 

Merry Christmas!

I know that most of you who read my blog are very busy at the moment with preparing for Christmas. You may be fortunate enough to have family visiting you at this time or you may be travelling elsewhere for Christmas to spend time with family or friends. Others, like myself, will be having a quiet Christmas.

 

My Christmas decoration swap has arrived!

On the Down to Earth forum we are having a Christmas decoration swap at the moment. My swap partner lives in Western Australia and I was very excited to find a parcel sitting on the verandah table yesterday. I was amazed that it had only taken five days to get to Queensland. Mine was sent on the same day and is still in transit so hopefully it arrives safely. When I opened the parcel I found two beautifully crafted Christmas decorations.

 

STOP! Don't throw out those Christmas cards!

I know that most of you are such organised little vegemites that you have already taken down your Christmas cards and are getting ready to put them in the recycle bin if you have that facility where you live. Before you do that though, take a good look at them and pick out some that you can use to make new Christmas cards, gift tags or decorations for Christmas 2016.

Origami Spring Wreath

Last year I made an Origami Christmas Wreath following the Origami Modular Braided Wreath

instructions. It is very small and basically a Christmas tree decoration. However, recently I spotted some lovely paper at the Kaisercraft store here in town and thought I would experiment with making a spring wreath, not that I normally decorate at the change of the season, but I know this is a popular occupation in the Northern Hemisphere and readers from there might be interested. 

An Outback Christmas

While I was in Mt.Isa I took a few photos on Christmas Day to show my friends in the Northern Hemisphere how some families spend the hot and often muggy day in Australia. I believe it is extremely cold in some countries at the moment so the photos might cheer some of my readers up as they look ahead to the brighter days of summer.

Preparing for Christmas

It is time to prepare for Christmas. 'What???' I can hear you say. Well, if you plan to make your own personalised Christmas gifts then it is time to make a list and get cracking as it does take a little longer than a quick visit to Big W to pick up something ready-made. I thought I would collate a few of the projects I have made which might give you a few ideas, especially if you have some little girls on your Christmas List.

Easy felt star ~ Christmas tree decoration

As I mentioned in my last post, Goodbye to Simple Living Toowoomba for 2015, one of the three demonstrations held during the morning was about how to make a really easy felt Christmas decoration which would look really good on a Christmas tree. As I haven't put up our Christmas tree as yet, I took a photo of my felt star on the pecan nut tree instead :-) This would be an easy project for children to do I would imagine.

Quick and Easy Fabric Folded Christmas Decorations

Over on the Down to Earth Simple Living Forums we are currently preparing for our annual Christmas swap and I have been having a look-see online to try and find some quick and easy Christmas related tutorials and came across a YouTube video by Crouton Crackerjacks for Fabric Folded Ornaments which are based on a tutorial from Katrina's Tutorials.

Storms, a cooked modem and belated Christmas greetings.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with your families. We had a lightning storm the night before Christmas Eve and our internet modem and back up battery were cooked when lightning hit close to the house so I didn't get a chance to wish everyone a Happy Christmas.

Frugal DIY Christmas Gift Ideas Workshop

Well it is that time of the year when things start winding down and 2014 is no exception. On the 15th November we will hold our last Simple Living Toowoomba workshop for the year and it will be a 'Frugal DIY Christmas Gift Ideas Workshop'.

Have a wonderful Christmas

It is not long till Christmas Day now and I imagine there are quite a few excited little children around the country at the moment. There will be no pitter patter of little feet in this household but my daughter and her family aren't into the materialism of Christmas thankfully so even if they were here there would be no expectations of having the 'perfect Christmas' whatever that may be.

A Cute Christmas Angel

Years ago when I used to visit the Stitches and Craft Show in Brisbane I saw these really cute Christmas Angels which were made with beads and safety pins. I bought a kit as I wanted the instructions on how to make my own and eventually put it together and displayed it on the Christmas tree. Then it was packed away with the Christmas decorations and would make its annual appearance in December. Over the years I have lost the instructions and had even forgotten I had made it with safety pins.

Christmas Calico Angels

Many years ago, when I did a lot of craft work and sold it at craft parties, I made Christmas Calico Angels which were very popular. I did a tutorial on how to make them on the Down to Earth Forum last year but since the change over to a new server, all the photos have been lost so I thought I would do a new tutorial for anyone who is interested in making one. They are very easy to make and you can either glue them or add a few stitches to keep them together.

Australian wildlife books giveaway!

You may have read that I recently attended a school reunion when my class celebrated 50 years since most of us left school after completing Junior (the current Yr.10) . Only a handful of my classmates went on to do Senior (Yr.12) as jobs were plentiful and for most of us, there was no reason to stay at school unless we wanted to be a teacher. At the reunion it was interesting to learn what had happened to everyone in the years between 1963 and 2013. One of those classmates had become an author and now has three Australian wildlife books published.

Happy Christmas

 Well, another Christmas is upon us so I just wanted to wish you all much happiness and joy on this special day. It will be a quiet one here as normally we have my elderly sister here to join us for lunch but she is unwell this year so won't be here. I have happy memories of Christmas in the past from when I was growing up and when our children were little to give me comfort. 

Would you like to win a Watersaver Garden?

If you have been reading here for a little while you may have read a couple of posts about the Watersaver Garden we installed recently. Well, Alan Singleton,  the maker of these gardens is having a competition Australia-wide and is giving away two of them before Christmas.

A very Happy Christmas

Just a quick post to wish all my lovely readers a very Happy Christmas and I pray that 2019 will bring you much happiness and good health.