ADVENT ready!

Pinch and a punch.... hello December!

We are Advent ready - anyone else? 

Christmas is allowed to officially start on December the 1st, the first Christmas tunes ring out, the wreath is up on the door, although to be fair other than my Advent display, there is little else on display, it kinda 'drips' in now throughout the next two weeks.

I must say as a result of social media, I am quite surprised at how early people decorate their trees, some were being shown off mid November. We won't put our tree up until mid December, usually around two weeks before Christmas, any time from the 10th onwards really. I've been given permission to put the tree up, lights on but no decorating until the 15th, when Sophie comes home from Uni.

So she doesn't miss out on the build up to Christmas, I've made Sophie her very own Advent 'Countdown to Christmas'. Nothing expensive, just things that represent our Christmas at home. 

So Number One was her very own Chocolate Tin. The Chocolate Tin comes out on December the first, something of everything. All the favourites get split between two tins - Celebrations, Quality Street, Roses, Hero's, Toblerone Mini's, Terry's Chocolate Orange Miniatures, KitKat Senses..... The second tin comes out on Christmas Eve, so there is a fresh selection to enjoy. So she has her own tin, with one of every chocolate.

I went to see her yesterday, so persuaded her to open Number Two too, just so I could see her reaction. I found this mini tree in Next, decorated it with some of our decorations from home, so she could have her own tree. At home Sophie and Sam have their own tree's that they can put up in their rooms from December the 1st, her one at home would be too big for her Uni room, so this was perfect.

So yes, yesterday I went to see Sophie, the excuse being a little Christmas Shopping. Originally she and a friend were going to get the train to Bath to see the Christmas Markets and I was going to meet them for lunch, but the cost of the train was just too expensive, so I went to Reading instead. First time I've done the journey on my own, was up at 6am, got their just before 8:30! It's not a bad trip and it was so lovely to see her.

She's not come home at all. We saw her 5 weeks in, just for a quick visit, then we had our birthday day out in London two weeks ago and then yesterday was a bonus. She has another 2 weeks to go, lots of assignments to get in, tests, project deadlines ahead of her, plus a busy social life, she'll probably sleep the first few days she's home. But she is happy, eating well, settled, getting good grades, made good friends, so I have no concerns.

I just miss her x

I am trying to get everything done before she gets home. The cards were written last week, the house will be cleaned, hopefully wrapping done, so any free time when I'm not working, we can spend together doing nice things.

Here's to a busy, fun filled December x