Christmas Eve…7 ways to Love

Just back from a lovely midnight mass service on Christmas night to find the house is quiet, no one is stirring not even a mouse...but I missed my own performance on Top of the Pops 2 and apparantly Wrighty made some comment or other !

If I were technical I'd know how to run the iplayer thingy but hey ho...if you did see it (I'm talking about my number 8 hit from 1991 with Cola boy) you'll have noticed that I was barely moving, let alone shaking my booty, that will be because my retro silver mini dress was so short and tight it would have been indecent. Seems so wierd now remembering those days, we were famous for exactly five minutes and it flew by, at the time I felt quite indignant that I'd got my 'dream' to be a pop star and yet only sang 4 words but its gotta be said the record still sounds great after all these years and its still played at clubs - depressingly I didn't write it, but the boys from St Ettiene still get fat PRS cheques I'm thinking, good on ya Pete and Bob.

Monday 22nd Dec…lapland revisited..

Well its a skating rink of sorts..the 5 year old is still re-enacting our wonderful trip to lapland UK, first all visitors are asked if they'd like to visit Father Christmas, then having laid out all my greenery (gathered from the garden to decorate the house) peppered with bits of paper shreddings across the floor, he leads us 'through the enchanted forest' (once round the dining room table) and back to the porch where Father Christmas greets us. Now when it was my turn it was the three year olds to be FC and boy did she look the part with a long red dressing gown, a red hat and a huge fluffy white cushion for a beard - it reached nicely down to her knees kinda ZZ top styley

After our visit the 5 yr old guides us to his next installation, a shoe rack where hes neatly laid out some shoes, hes asks us our size shops our shoes for some others (no concern for style that boy, I got handed hubbys tennis shoes) then we're led out by a skaing elf (he quickly stops to change hats ) onto the ice rink - a thin white piece of fabric. We all had a turn of course including Grandma and then he decided to tout for business for passers by, a freind popped in and had a quick 'tour' and we just stopped short of accosting the post lady.

Beware Terry from Riverford Organics, if you're delivering in the morning, allow extra time, oh and wrap up warm for skating.

Fri 19th Dec…’sustainable’ wrapping..

xmas madness round here, the 5 year old is wrapping up everything in sight and giving it to us in leui of Santas arrival, I'm proud of him acually, clearly hes seen my feature on the site front page talking eco Christmas cos hes wrapping everything in tea towels or scraps of fabric and tying with reclaimed string...thats my boy...shame I don't have any tea towels left.

I've been frantically trying to get my Imperfectly Natural Starter packs sorted, I've had a rush of sales before Christmas and I'm also selling them via my mates new website - take a look if you get chance, she is queen of eco building and sustainable stuff but the website has a few carefuly chosen products, lots that I recommend here on the site
www.ecohut.biz

Finally off to get some christmas shopping, yes - last minute dash, ho ho ho I do hate the absurd notion that xmas is only good depending on how much you spend but the charity shops don't quite cut it for the older boys....still we'll go easy.

a gorgeous candlelit carol service..

I'm so glad I got off my butt and made the effort to go the the carols by candlelight service at my church...well not only mine but the one I love to go...only prob is its a 50 min drive and beleive me thats nigh on impossible with 4 kids to get dressed and sorted by 10am Anyway tonight I went with a freind and it was magical. The choir were fab, the church looked beautiful and we had mulled wine and mince pies after.....As always Dave tomlinson the vic was on form and gave a great talk which I won't try to prassie - (ooh how the hell do you spell that word ?) but save to say you go away thinking slightly more meaningful thoughts than when you went in.

Occasionally in all the stress and madness I forget that I love Christmas and certianly not for the absurd idea that if you spend money on it you'll be happy...more a sense of 'wonder' that I get if I stop and reflect which of course is something I rarely do all year..

best go to bed before I get all poetic or maudlin on you..

tues 9th Dec..return from Lapland

...don't worry I'm not flying half way round the world I've been to Lapland Uk - no not the naff ones that have ahd all the shocking publicity this was is in kent and I can't tell you how fab it is, I'm not on commission and it wouldn't matter anyway cos its fully booked I think up to xmas but it was totally MAGICAL....all the kids are exhausted but elated after making toys with the elves, making gingerbread men, reak reindeers, see-ing Father Christmas and skating on the fab real ice rink. I ache all over from trying to skate whilst supporting 2 smalls who were a-slipping and sliding but having fantastic fun.

The 'fake' snow was gorgeous, all the staff incredibly kind and helpful and all in all it was an amazing memmorable trip, pics to follow once downloaded and a full review

Isn't it nice to hear some good reports occasionally ?

...off to help the 5 yr old compose his letter to Santa to say thanks for his special gift...

Sun 7th

Day 7 on the 70 per cent cocoa choccy advent calendar and the kids are demanding milk choccy.

Its the most amazing crispy cold day, just been for walk and felt as though I'd stepped into a christmas card, back home and Lulu is ful of cold and bleary eyed and wants to breastfeed all the time for comfort, its tricky enough trying to fit in everything that I have to do today without a small velcro-ed to me ! Hey ho it doesn't last long this phase.

I had hoped to get a xmas tree and do the green thing (holly and ivy up) around tbe house but it will have wait now.

Did I mention the yestolife event ? They held a little drinks do to says for raising the cash for the hyperthermia sauna but it was very much a collaborative affair and if I haven't already said it, thanks to ya'll for donating, we're now raising cash for a chi machine, I'm sure I've said all of this before - crikey I'm having senior moments I'm sure of it....just too many details for any one brain to contain.

Wed 3rd Dec…the new site is here

For once not being able to blog isn't my fault ! with any new buikding comes teething problems and we've sure had our fair share but we're up and running - hurah !
We had a fab time in rye, well aside from the stress of wondering if the site would ever appear again, I met the lovely Nicola from Organ-nics, its a little shop selling natural skincare, baby kit, fairtrade stuff, well everything I recommend in Imperfectly Natural Woman which is also displayed proudly of course.

We stayed at the fab Organic sustainable and eco ba and b in Rye called Haydens, mire on that later and a full review to follow save to say it was fab.

Bear with us while the new site kicks in and thanks for the many wishes of support, honestly I think its worth than the release of a new book at least you know where you are with print !