Just like the ones I used to know. This weekend, Rick and I are heading over to the UK to spend Christmas with my family. Rick’s niece, Ashley, is flying in today from Oklahoma – she has graciously agreed to look after our house and babies while we are gone.

As I’ve mentioned before, Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  There are a few English Christmas traditions that I miss when we celebrate in the USA, so it will be a treat to experience them again. 

Christmas crackers.  We put these on the dining table, along with party poppers and little chocolate treats (and the usual table setting fare).  After dinner, you pull the crackers with your neighbor – they go off with a large pop!  Whomever gets the larger end gets to keep the contents.  This usually includes a party hat, a really terrible joke or riddle, and some kind of small gift.  The quality (and usefulness) of the gift is directly proportionate to the cost of the crackers.  Read: more expensive crackers = better toys. One year, I tried to bring crackers in my carry-on luggage from the UK to the USA, but they were almost confiscated because they contain gunpowder.  Mmmmm yeah, not the best idea to bring explosives onto a plane, Amy.

Christmas Cake.  Ahh sweet, moist fruit cake covered in marzipan and icing, I adore thee.  There is nothing better than having a slice of Christmas cake on a cold Winter’s morn with a steaming cup of tea.

Christmas Pudding. Another version of the Christmas cake, except rather than being baked in the oven, it is steamed.  It comes without the icing, and is usually served with cream.  It is also heavily laden with brandy.

The pudding is traditionally served after Christmas dinner (not that anyone has left enough room for this dense dessert after all the turkey). To serve, you are meant to pour a *small* amount of brandy over the top and light it.  A little dinner table fireworks show, you see – the piece de resistance of the holiday meal. 

I always remember one year my mum got a little heavy handed with the brandy.  The resultant fire managed to sear the dining room ceiling.  Fun times.  I wonder what shenanigans we’ll get up to this year?  Stay tuned for my next blog post winging its way from England…

There’s all sorts of regular candy floating around at this time of the year.  So how about some eye candy – at least its fat- and sugar- free!

I took this picture of Arriba when she was sitting in the sun on our couch in the front room.   I was trying out my new  F1.8 50mm lens (which is a Christmas present from my family – ssshhh, don’ t tell them I’ve opened it already). Isn’t she adorable? The innocence in her eyes totally belies her devilish nature!

Craigslist gave to me … a free lighted Christmas tree.  Score!

Seeing as we will be in the UK for Christmas this year, we weren’t really planning on putting up Christmas decorations (except for these inexpensive DIY light-trees at our front door).  But when I saw this 7.5 foot pre-lit Christmas tree advertized on Craigslist for free, I jumped right on it.  Well, not literally.  You get the idea.

When we got the tree home, we plugged it on to make sure all the light were working. Given that it was a freebie, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the whole thing was kaput. But much to our surprise, everything worked just fine.

I love how the tree makes our sparsely decorated  front room (read renovation zone) feel so festive.  Just imagine how great it will look next year with the fireplace going, stockings on the mantel, and some gorgeous tree decorations I nabbed on clearance during this year’s post-Christmas sale!

What Christmas bargains have you scored this year? Any amazing deals on clearance or fabulous tales of freebies?  Do tell.  It is the season for sharing, after all.

Although it’s a week past Thanksgiving, I wanted to share with you our table setting for our very first holiday (and dining party) in our new house.  Plus, you get a sneak peak at the new paint in the dining room.

The table was dressed with cheap $1 mini-poinsettias from Wally World, interspersed with these cute little sparkly tree cones.  Red table placemats, silver chargers, red napkins with hammered silver napkins rings finished off the table.  Me likey. 

And what would Thanksgiving be without a dessert. Or two. How delicious does this “death-by-chocolate” trifle look? 

Our guests *coughAlyssacough* definitely seemed to like it!