Sunday 30 December 2012

Goodbye 2012 tag.

What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Made my blog :)

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any for 2012 but in 2013 I really want to lose weight.. Not like half my body weight but a couple of stone at least.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my little sister Ocean gave birth in October to her beautiful daughter, Skye.

A picture I took last month.
What countries did you visit?
We had a week away in Wales, didn't go abroad this year.
Betws-y-Coed
What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Motivation to lose weight! And a job, that would be good too!

What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory?
26th August probably as that's when we signed the tenancy agreement on our house :)

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
My blog I guess! To be fair I haven't done a lot else haha..

What was your biggest failure?
Still not having a job.. Although it's not my fault there isn't enough jobs cause the government don't wanna do anything about all the people coming into the country!!!! I will stop there before I rant.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the usual cold and migraine.. Nothing exciting I'm afraid!

What was the best thing you bought?
My phone & phone case!
HTC phone, Rilakkuma bear case.
Where did most of your money go?
Towards things for the house.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our kitties :) We saved them from our neighbour who didn't look after them, the night before he was going to take them to be put down. They're the cutest, they've settled in so well and as I write this one is sleeping on my legs and the other next to me on the arm of the sofa, aw :)
Curled up together on the sofa.
What song will always remind you of 2012?
Ooh I'm not sure on that one, I really love my music so it's way too hard to choose one song.

Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder?
Way happier as we have our own place again!

Thinner or fatter?
Fatter :(

Richer or poorer?
Richer, Aaron is earning more on his own than we both earned where we worked together before.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
See friends.. It works both ways though..

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eating stuff that's baaaddddd!

Who were your best friends?
Aaron is my best friend and my other half, we get on so well.
Weekend in Milton Keynes.
What thing did you do that was meaningful to others?
Moved out from Aarons parents, again.. Made us all happy cause we'd had enough of each other!!

What were your favorite TV programs?
Home and Away, Big Brother, Jamie and Jimmys Food Fight.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Yeah, Aarons brothers other half. I never liked her but now I hate the bitch. She doesn't like us (no idea why but she is very stuck up and an ignorant twat, she never spoke to me from the start despite me always trying to make an effort) and we tried to sort it out so we could all get on but she flipped out and stopped us seeing Aarons nieces. We were never allowed to take them for a day out though (the eldest told us "daddy said yes but mummy said no") but now she won't even take them to Aarons mums if she knows we'll be there.

What was the best book you read in 2012?
 I didn't do a lot of reading this year to be honest.. Nothing is standing out.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Stooshe, I love them.

(image credit)
What did you want and get?
To move out again.. So we did. Yayy :)

What did you want but did NOT get?
A job!! :(

What was your favorite film of this year?
Nothing is sticking out.. I could have said Twilight but Aaron never took me to see it :(

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Aaron took me out for a nice meal.. I turned 24.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting a job, without a doubt.

What kept you sane?
Moving out from Aarons parents!!

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jimmy Doherty from Jimmys Farm.. Witwoo! (He tweeted me the other week, was so chuffed!)
(image credit)
What political issue stirred you the most?
Don't get me started..

Who did you miss?
My cousin, Stacy and her daughter, Mia. I can't get to her and she can't get to me in the week although I did invite them a few times on the weekend as they haven't even seen our new place yet but never saw her so..

Who was the best new person you met this year? 
My sisters little girl, Skye :) She is adorable. We looked after her yesterday for the day and it was brilliant!

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
I don't think I learned a life lesson this year..


Friday 21 December 2012

Tiffany + Aaron + 4 years = happy :)

Yesterday, 20th December, Aaron and I had been together 4 whole years! :O
I have no idea where the 4 years have gone but at the same time, I feel like I've always been with him.. Does that make any kind of sense to anyone?!

New years eve in London, 2008.
To celebrate, Aaron took me out for lunch to Beefeater as we love it there and I really wanted to go again :) Afterwards to went to Jimmys Farm and bought some yummy sausages... Which I tweeted about and Jimmy replied!!! (with a 'x'!!!!) Made my day that did :D

Soaked through at Thorpe Park, 2009.
4 and a half years ago, I was out clubbing on a Friday (like always) with my cousin and we drunkenly got talking to 2 blokes in the smoking area.. After that, every time we saw them when we were out, we'd end up spending the night chatting/having a laugh with them. I absolutely fancied the pants off Aaron straight away but for ages, although he flirted with me, he kept saying he didn't like me! After 6 months we started meeting up on our own (nothing like that!!) and after getting to know each other more, we booked a weekend away together and that's when he asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. Er, YES!!! I can remember I text EVERYONE cause I was soo happy!!

My favourite pic of him :) Ibiza, 2009.
I was worried at first about what my parents would say, they knew I fancied him cause I didn't shut up about him but he's 12 years older than me - I was 20 and he was 32 - they were really happy for me though and said if I'm happy, they're happy :) To be fair, I don't think Aaron looks his age and he certainly doesn't act it! Do you think we look like we have a 12 year age gap?

After a night out, 2010.
We're still going strong, we laugh every single day and tell each other we love each other every single day. I love how we can have a good laugh together but also talk for hours. I love how lucky I am to have him. He's pretty lucky too ;) hahaha..

We got engaged 2 years ago but we're in no real hurry to get married just yet, it's not a race is it! When we do tie the knot (probably in the next 2-3 years) it will be the happiest day of my life. Aaron asked my dads permission before he asked me and apparently mum walked in and then got super excited and found it hard to keep it secret! They love Aaron to bits and get on so well with him and his parents too which is such a bonus :)

A very sad day but I love this picture.. 2010.
Aaron took me away for a night in a very expensive hotel on Canary Warf, London for my 22nd Birthday and when I opened my card, it said "To my fiancee" and I was like OMGGGGGG!!!! I had absolutely no idea at all. It was perfect :) The ring he got me was very traditional, which he knew I'd wanted, it's beautiful.

Family meal, 2011.
I have no doubt at all that Aaron is "the one" and that we'll be together til we're old and wrinkley! We just get on so well. We have the same sense of humour and seem to know each other better than we know ourselves. We have the same morals and both want the same things in life, we just clicked, right from that first night.
I never take for granted the fact that the first man I fell in love with turned out to be the one I know I'll spend the rest of my life with or the fact that not many people are lucky enough to have found "the one" yet or that my family love him and his love me - because I know that not everyone has that and some people never will.

Weekend away, 2012.

4 years down, many, many more to go! :) If you ever read this, I love you chops :) xxxx
And my word this is a soppy post!!!

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Soap & Glory - Fab Pore

I bought Soap & Glorys Fab Pore around 3 months ago now and have been using it on a regular basis since. I hadn't seen any reviews of this product in particular so took a bit of a gamble on a 3 for 2 offer in Boots. This and the other 2 products (can't remember which now!) were my first Soap & Glory purchases after hearing good things. I've nearly run out of it now so I thought I'd do a review for you.


When I first opened this product I thought it seemed quite small with not a great deal of product in it (compared to other brands and considering the price tag of 8.00) however when I used it, I soon realised that a little goes a long way and it lasts much longer than you'd expect.
Another thing I didn't realise until after I purchased it was that it doesn't peel off, despite having "facial peel" written on it. Maybe it's just me (?) but I bought it assuming it was a peel off face mask as that's what I usually prefer (cause I'm lazy) but suprisingly, that hasn't put me off.


This may sound weird but I really like the texture of the product! I just wanna keep poking about in it cause it feels unusual.. Yeah, weird! It is a thick clay with small blue beads which burst when you rub it on your face. It says to leave 5 minutes for a quick freshen or 15 minutes for a deeper clean.. Going back to what I said about being lazy, mine usually gets left on for around an hour! I like that it doesn't crack like most clay face masks, meaning I can talk (does anyone else not talk when they have a face mask on?!) and laugh (Aaron always makes me laugh so it cracks!) without flakey bits going everywhere.


I found this product relatively easy to wash off (I use quite warm water to wash it off then splash my face with cold water afterwards) and it left my skin noticeably cleaner and clearer even after the first use. Most importantly, it actually did make my pores look smaller (temporarily of course, it's not magic)! I have pretty large pores which drives me mad and I'm always looking for products that will minimise them and make them look as small as possible. I have naturally quite oily skin too (grrr) and after washing this product off, my face feels completely oil free but not to the point where it drys it out. If you're not jealous of my skin by now then I should also add that my skin can be sensitive sometimes too, however I've never had a problem with this product at all, unlike Peaches and Clean which I shall be reviewing sooooon.

LOL ;)
Overall, I'm super duper impressed with this and have since been buying lots more Soap & Glory products to try. It does what it says it will do, unlike many other brands/products I've tried in the past so it gets a massive thumbs up from me. If you have large pores/oily skin or if you're lucky like me and have both then I urge you to go and buy this, now! :)
You can purchase it from the Boots website, here or pop into your local store.

What is your favourite Soap & Glory product?

Sunday 16 December 2012

Our Christmas decs..

In my Winter/Christmas tag post I said I'd do another post showing you our Christmas decorations so this is that post.. All of the pics have been taken on my phone and edited with Instagram as my camera is broken :(
I'm completely obsessed with the jelly window stickers this year and have LOTS! However the cats have got hold of some of them so I'll have to get more next year! - We tend to add to our collect each year anyway :) Here goes - be warned, there are lots of pics..

Kitchen window (one of these on each window)
Kitchen wall.
Dining room window.


Close up of stars, they're glittery! :D
Hallway window sill.
Through room, before living room.
Living room wall (one either side of double doors)
Living room/conservatory doors.
Living room/conservatory door.
Living room/conservatory door.


Are window stickers meant to be put on so YOU can read them or so that anybody who passes them outside can read them?! I always make them so that people outside can read them.. If you get these, which do you do?
Oh and our tree has tinsel all the way round cause it's a crappy pop up one (we got it for where we lived before as it was a tiny house!) and it's mega gappy. We're getting a nice new one next year though, thankfully!

Our layout may look a little strange from these pics but it's cause we live in a 3 storey town house so we have 2 bedrooms and the bathroom at the top, the kitchen, dining room and a toilet on the middle floor then a through room, living room, utility room and toilet downstairs. The whole through room and one wall in the living room have wood covered walls which we really do not like (it feels like a log cabin!) but they were here when we moved in and we have a long list of things to do before we get rid of it so yeah.. Why would anyone do that?! It's horrible haha..

Once I have my new camera (Christmas) I'll hopefully be starting to make YouTube videos - I say hopefully because if I record one and absolutely cringe at it then I'll probably put it off a bit longer but I really am itching to start! Once I do, I plan on doing a house tour as I have been asked a couple of times and now we're getting the place sorted and looking how we want then I'll enjoy doing it :)

Tiffany xxx

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Janina whitening toothpaste

I was contacted by James Todd, the marketing executive at One Dental Clinic in Birmingham about reviewing a tube of Janina Ultra White, whitening toothpaste for sensitive teeth and naturally, I jumped at the chance. Since giving up smoking (naughty naughty for even starting!) 3 years ago, I've tried numerous whitening toothpastes but none of them have amazed me enough to purchase them again.

The older I've become, the more important I've realised it is to look after your teeth and so far have been pretty lucky with them. I have quite straight/even teeth but because of smoking they can look a little yellow which I'm conscious of. I have, however bought a brilliant toothbrush recently (the new Oral B Trizone) so this teamed with a good toothpaste should lead to white teeth that 'ping!' when I smile, like in the movies right?! ;)


"Janina is a uniquely developed formula that contains the necessary natural ingredients to properly maintain your daily oral hygiene. Janina promotes faster non abrasive whitening through the patented Bromain Complex™ natural fruit enzymes, resulting in a more effective whitening result without any harm to the tooth’s enamel."

I have used the toothpaste for a little over a week now and I've got to say, I am impressed by it. I like that it is for sensitive teeth as mine can be sensitive sometimes and also that it can be used every day because I don't like ones where you're advised to use them 2-4 times a week as I just end up forgetting about them!


As you can see, the toothpaste looks white like most other toothpastes but one thing I did notice during the first use is that it has a kind of clinical taste to it (you know how your mouth tastes/feels after going to the dentist) and that it is very fresh. I actually really liked this about it because it seemed different to other whitening toothpastes I've used in the past so it actually felt cleaner and it leaves your breath fresher for longer too which is always a plus.

The tube tells you to use it twice daily and preferably for more than 3 minutes each time. It says that once brushing is complete, you spit out the excess and not to rinse your mouth with water as it allows the formulation to work for longer. I followed this to make sure I could give my honest opinion.

You only need to do a Google search to find all the other positive reviews on this product and I'm pleased to say that they were in fact spot on because I haven't been left disappointed, instead I have teeth that are visibly a couple of shades whiter than before I started using it and the toothpaste has done what it claims to do. I'm hoping with continuous use, they can look even better and should this be the case, I would definitely purchase this.

The RRP for this toothpaste is £9.69 which may seem expensive at first but if you add up the cost of all the ones I've tried and had no luck with then in my opinion it is well worth the money.

You can read about Janina whitening toothpaste via the One Dental Clinic website, here.
You can visit the Janina Ultrawhite website, here which also tell you where you can purchase it.

Have you tried this toothpaste before? - Will you now? Or have you found a different one that works for you? - Let me know! :)



*Please note: this product was sent to me for reviewing purposes.

And apologies again for the quality of pictures in this post, as I said a couple of posts back, my camera is broken so I cannot change any settings on it but I get my new one in 2 weeks so please bare with me!!

Friday 7 December 2012

A mug cake.. A must have!

If you stalk follow me on Twitter you may know I made mug cake last night and it was oh so very yummy indeed! I can tell you now that I will be making it again and again because it's so quick and easy to do and most importantly it's bloody lovely!
I didn't come up with this myself (I'm not that clever I'm afraid!) - I saw it on Miss Budget Beauty's food blog.
You can read the blog post or watch the YT video for the recipe :)

With cream.
I actually halved the recipe for me and Aaron and found that this was more than enough for us as a nice, warm evening treat. As she says in the video, it is advisable to mix the ingredients in something separate (I used a plastic measuring jug) then put it into the mug/s. Just 2 minutes in the microwave and it's a moist spongey cake, lovely and chocolately and sweet. I did put cream on mine but think it would be just as good without.

Without cream.
I will definitely be making this again (and again) during these colder months and highly suggest you all go and do the same! :)

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Winter/Christmas tag

I've seen some winter tags and some Christmas tags floating around and instead of doing 2 posts (as some of the questions are the same/very similar) I thought I'd just combine them :) So here goes!


What is your favourite thing about winter/Christmas?
My favourite thing about winter/Christmas is snow! I'm such a big kid when it comes to snow and I definitely think we don't get enough of it here in East Anglia!! More please!

What is your favourite make up look for the festive season?
As you probably know by now, I'm not a big make up wearer, I just can't be arsed and don't care too much about it plus its effort taking it off! When I do wear make up I always go for a natural look unless it's a night out then it's usually a smokey eye.. I do this all year round though, sorry!
 
Real or fake tree?
For the last 3 years Aaron and I have had a fake tree, one of those crappy pop up ones (they don't actually pop up but you do pop them up quite quickly..!) But we don't really like it just bought it cause it doesn't take up much room. Next year I'd like to get either a real tree or a good quality fake one :)

Giving presents or receiving presents?
I'd be lying if I said I don't love to receive presents because naturally, I do! But more than that, I enjoy Christmas present shopping, wrapping presents then seeing their face when they open it - providing they like it (I'm pretty good though and always get something I know they will like) it gives you such a warm feeling inside :)


Do you open your Christmas Presents morning or evening?
We always open our presents together Christmas morning after we've had a bite to eat and got washed and dressed.

Handmade Christmas cards or bought?
I don't think I've ever received a handmade Christmas card but I wouldn't mind either, it's the thought that counts.

What is your favourite Christmas film?
Without a doubt, my favourite Christmas film is Elf! It's just hilarious! "Buddy the elf, what's your favourite colour?" :D

What is your favourite winter/Christmas food?
My favourite winter food is roast dinners. We always have more gravy dinners when it's cold out and I love a good roast potato! But my favourite Christmas food is pigs in blankets (small sausages with bacon wrapped round it) because we only seem to have them Christmas day/boxing day.

Winter weather must-have?
A chunky knit scarf if I'm going out or some thick fleecey PJ bottoms for round the house.

Favourite winter coat?

I only have 2 coats anyway, an every day one and a smart one! The every day one is a black duffle coat and the smart one is one with double breasted with a tie round the middle.

Favourite Winter Candle?

I don't tend to buy wintery scented candles, I'm not really sure why. Aaron and I both love vanilla candles and tend to burn them all year round! Not the sickly ones though.

Favourite Christmas decoration?

I love all Christmas decorations but the last couple of years I've really loved the jelly window stickers!

Favourite Christmas colour combo?

I guess this means for decorations? We're quite traditional so usually stick to red, green, gold and white.

Favourite winter perfume?

I don't tend to change my perfume through the seasons, If I've got it then I use it! I don't have loads on the go at once either. At the moment I'm changing between 2-3 depending on where I'm going/what I'm doing.

Favourite winter polish?

Depends what mood I'm in! In December I like to keep it Christmassy.. At the moment I have a plain white Barry M on with Sally Hansens 'Hidden Treasure' over the top. I love Hidden Treasure, It's awesome! I done a NOTD with it here.

I also done a Christmas traditions post too, that's here if you fancy a peek. Let me know if you also do or have done this tag, I'd love to have a read :)

Sunday 2 December 2012

Big Haul

I went shopping last weekend with mother and spent too much money.. A couple of things were impulse buys but I'm happy with the rest. Some things I will review in detail separately :)

Please note: I'm so sorry about the quality (or lack of) in the pictures, my camera is broken so I cant change any of the settings, it does "auto" without a flash and that it unfortunately! I'm getting a new one for Christmas though so don't fear! ;)


Oh my goodness, how flipping gorgeous are these shoes!! Mum bought these for me (everything else I bought myself) from New Look. They were £27.99 but they had 25% off. I had to have them, they're so nice! They're really comfy to walk in too which is a bonus. Love, love, love.


This is one of the impulse buys.. From New Look, £24.99. Don't get me wrong, I do really like it BUT it's actually a cabin bag so I'd look a bit of a donkey walking around with it on a normal day but I do intend to use it for days out when I know I need to take more things with me or for shopping/over night stays. I bought it wanting a hand bag but I was carrying loads of bags and think I just got it cause I knew I could stuff most of it all into one! Ah well!


I don't think I've ever been into Primark and not bought earrings.. But then saying that, I don't live right near one so I could probably count the amount of times I've ever been on 2 hands! As you can see, they were £2.50 for 12 pairs. I don't like them all but for the price it doesn't really matter does it! I like pairs: 1, 2, 4, 8, 10 and 12. The rest I chucked in the bin.


You can never have too many socks, can you? They're from Primark but I can't remember the price (maybe £5? I binned the receipt, oopsy) but you get 5 pairs and they're all animal print so I was happy :) They're quite thin but I don't like thick normal socks, if you know what I mean? If they're meant to be thick, yeah but not on normal socks!


PJ bottoms (I actually call them jammies or jarmer bottoms) These were £5 from Primark which is bargainous, right?! They're quite soft thinnish ones with pockets and a silky tie on them. I bought these cause they reminded me of Christmas and I intend on wearing these Christmas morning/afternoon.. maybe just all day and night!


These are my new favourite jarmies! Aren't they pretty! £5 from Primark, can't go wrong can ya! They're a really soft, thick, fleecey material with cuffed bottoms to keep the warm in and a pretty pink tie. What's not to love? These are for real cold days/nights as you get too hot otherwise! I love them a lot. I would wear them out the house if I could ;)


Every man and his dog has one of these studded bags, don't they. I did want the baby pink one but the one we went to only had this one so I just got it.. It was £6 from Primark. I'm not using it as a clutch bag though, I'm using it to put make up, tissues, ibuprofen etc in, in my handbag so it's all together, how handy :)


Lastly I went to Boots with my £5 off a £20 spend voucher and knew before we even went shopping that I would be buying Soap & Glory products with it!
I originally went to the till with 2 of the new Sugar Crush body washes (£6.50 each) and the Mist You Madly travel sized body spray (£3.50 I think?).. Then realised I had the voucher so ran to pick up Peaches and Clean (£7). A different girl served me and she scanned it all through and it come to a lower price (no idea why) so I got my mum to quickly grab another body spray.. But then I realised it was 3 for 2 so when she got back, I sent her off again to get a travel sized Scrub Of Your Life (£2.50).. Needless to say, mum was a bit annoyed, I was getting hot and bothered.. and embarrassed! Plus everyone else queuing was getting annoyed but I got there in the end!!

I absolutely LOVE all of the Soap & Glory products I got (from last week and everything else previous) apart from Peaches & Clean which I had quite a nasty reaction to but I shall review each of these in more detail in the next couple of weeks, including pictures of my face after using Peaches & Clean, bet you can hardly contain yourself! ;)


What have you been buying lately?


Thursday 29 November 2012

My sister made a blog!

My sister, Ocean and her little one, Skye come over today and I was talking to her about my blog and how much I love doing it.. Which made her want to start one! Her blog will mostly be updates on Skye as she'd like to look back when she's a bit older, which is a lovely idea :) She said it will be a baby and lifestyle blog.
Please please check it out and maybe give her a follow? :) 

skyesthelimitx.blogspot.co.uk

Ooh, this evening I got some good news, Ocean and her other half, Karl have put in for a house just down the road from us. How freaking exciting is that!! It will be great to see her and Skye lots :)

Speaking of good news, as I'm getting a good camera for Crimbo, I'm planning on starting to make YouTube videos. I've wanted to for a while but after Christmas I'm going to take the plunge, yay! Because I'll be seeing Ocean a lot more, you can expect to see her in a lot of them too, super duper excitemento!!!

Hope you're liking the Christmassy feel on the blog too ;)


Monday 26 November 2012

Christmas traditions..



When it comes to Christmas day (or even Christmas eve - Boxing day) most of us have traditions or a certain way we usually do things and our family is no exception although since leaving home, I haven't yet settled into my own way of doing things, which makes me sad :(

Whilst living with my parents and for as long as I can remember this was how we done things..

Christmas eve we'd stay in together in the evening and have a Chinese take away for dinner then just before we went to bed we were allowed to open one small present each.

Christmas morning we'd get up around 6/7am and we would rummage through our stockings (we both got stockings til we were 18/19!) then go into mum and dads room. When we were little we'd show them what Santa had left us but as we got older we went in to wake them up/thank them/snout through each others stockings!

Me, Mum & Ocean messing about with xmas lights last year.
 We would then all go downstairs and dad would cook a small fry up and we'd always have it with orange juice. After we'd eaten we'd all get washed and dressed and wait for each other in the living room. Once we were all there we would start opening presents (with Christmas music on) taking it in turns, one present at a time. Mum and Dad always made us read out who it was from so we could thank them afterwards - I'm really glad they done this and hate hearing of others who just wake up early hours and rip open all their presents.. I like that we shared it all together and could actually appreciate what people had bought for us - and who had bought it.
After we'd all opened our presents we would all go back and look through what we got properly, as kids we'd sit and play then when we got older we'd sort everything out/take it upstairs or try out whatever we'd got while Mum and Dad cooked lunch. We have always had a turkey for lunch and always had crackers.. and always worn the silly hats! - It's law! After lunch we'd ring round and thank everybody then carry on playing or as we got older we'd sit together as a family and play some games and have a giggle.
Boxing day was usually about seeing other family members and having a cold turkey dinner with pickles and bits like that.

Mum & Dad in the costumes Oce got them as a joke!

Last year, my sister, Ocean and I (plus our other halves - Karl and Aaron) spent Christmas at Mum and Dads. Christmas eve was exactly the same as usual - Chinese and a present before bed.
Christmas morning we had a small fry up (with orange juice!) then once we were all ready, we opened presents one at a time, appreciating every one. We sat together for a turkey dinner (with our silly hats) and a bottle of bubbles then later on in the afternoon we were playing games like Who's In The Bag? and Mr and Mrs (me and Aaron won, oohyeah!) and had many drinks. Me and Aaron left Boxing day and went to Aaron's parents where we had a cold turkey dinner and sat watching TV most of afternoon/evening (they are older remember..)

The year before mum and dad went away for Christmas and my sister went with them. We spent Christmas alone and didn't really do much to be honest! We did do most of what we usually would apart from playing games!

This year we have Christmas eve and Christmas day on our own. Aaron's parents are going away and my parents are spending Christmas day with my sister, her other half and my sisters little one, Skye.
We'll probably have a Chinese Christmas eve but I'm not sure if we'll open a present before bed.. When you get older you get way less presents!! Well, you do in our family anyway! Christmas day we'll cook a small turkey and have a bottle of bubbles but I bet we don't wear the silly hats. We'll take it in turns with presents and listen to Christmas music but it just won't feel the same, I know it.
Boxing day we have my parents round late afternoon and over night so I'm sure there will be lots of drinking and games played.. plus a cold turkey dinner. Aaron's parents will come round when they get back from their holiday and I haven't spoken to my sister about seeing them yet but we will.

Skye last week, isn't she the cutest!

I wish it still felt really special as you got older but I know for us at least, the sparkle has most definitely faded. Maybe if we have children one day, it will be for them how it was for me when I was younger.. I still get excited about decorating the house though! :)

What are your traditions and have they changed now you've left home (if you have)??

P.S.. Do you like my background? ;) - I can't wait for it to snow!