...I have had that one line swirling around and around my head the past week or two. I can not remember if it was a friend singing those words, or a well placed TV commercial that has had me humming these lines over and over again. It would actually be useful if I knew the rest of the song. However, it has just helped me put in perspective how wonderful this time of year is. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year...

Here are my thoughts as to why:

1. Presents
I love giving presents (and yes, I love receiving them as well!) I love planning and thinking through what a person may love and designing something perfectly to suit them. We mull every year about whether we go to doing a family secret santa and just purchase for one person...However, if we were to I would miss this opportunity to devise something tangible for those I love.
I have been so thankful for the extra time I have had this year to create/plan and shop (online) for the gifts for those around me. It broke my heart the past couple of years to need to resort to gift vouchers! 
A few of my favourites this year were...

Subjective Personalised Guess Who (The Eastman Edition) which appears went down pretty well with my Big Little Bro...

Big Little Bro

Fabric Alphabet for my nephew (such a teacher present!)

Fabric Alphabet

And for friends...Hot Chocolate Spoons...

Hot Chocolate Spoons in brown paper packages tied up with string...

Blog Posts to come on each of those shortly!

2. Atmosphere
I love decorations, a Christmas tree, a beautiful table setting, festive decorations adorning the house, fairy lights. It just makes you appreciate beauty in the little things...

A dead branch that is now a Christmas Tree

My Christmas Tree

Fresh flowers from the garden (and the shop!)

Fresh Flowers on our Christmas Table

Plates arranged in a certain way

Eclectic Dinnerware

3. Food
I love Christmas food...simple spreads of cold meats and seafood, antipasto plates, tasty summer desserts, a BBQ with friends, a glass of sparkly or a wine.

Lunch Spread

4. Friends and Family
I love the casual gatherings over this period between Christmas and new year. BBQs with friends, Christmas Eve drop in, annual Christmas Day McDonalds breakfast with many of my church family, family Christmas lunch, casual swims after church...everyone excited that the year has wound down and there is a forced work closure! Life slows down. I do find these gatherings a challenge...energy wise...but I am thankful for friends and family that make these as pain free as possible for me. And who spend the time to love on me!

5. Christ
I love that despite the focus on diversity and tolerance (both important) that Christ is still the centre of CHRISTmas. Christ. The one who we celebrate and who we find our hope. We stop and celebrate the birth of the one who gives us true hope, true joy, and who we can trust in. Christ. The one who makes this the most wonderful time of the year.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas 2015, and that no matter the challenges, the pain, or the hardships, that you have been able to enjoy in your own ways this time of year.

xx Kate

Chocolate Bark

Dark chocolate Oreo with a white chocolate drizzle

Clockwise: Peppermint Bark, Freeze Dried strawberry, Freckle

Clinker- as the name describes chopped up Clinkers in milk chocolate

Jelly snake...yum!

Pretzels and cream.... milk chocolate base, pretzels, plus a dark and white chocolate drizzle. The favourite at work!

Some slightly late Christmas joy...
Truth be told....I love giving presents! (And yes, I love receiving them too!)

I love to think about what the best thing that the person will love.
I love thinking weeks or months ahead of what I could get people.
Sadly, this Christmas there was no planning ahead, I was out if ideas, I had no energy, no enthusiasm and had recently been told to cut out shopping from my weekly schedule to conserve energy... My Christmas present prospects were looking dismal!

Brown paper packages tied up with wire and sealed with a 'K'. Stamped purchased in NY from Williams Sonoma.

Christmas is in the air....and here in Australia this means wrapping up of school for the year. It is a time when saying Merry Christmas and thank you to colleagues is inevitable. It is also the time when things are crazy busy...organising Christmas concerts, farewells, parties, and cleaning. I always leave my gift making to the last minute...this year I thought I would be vaguely organised! That is when I stumbled on chocolate bark.
Quick, easy and can be made ahead of time. Cheap too...

Make a few trays of different varieties and package nicely in some cupcake boxes. Add ribbon. Write a nice card and you have a simple, cheap and easy, but oh so effective, gift.
This week, my aim is to share with you some of the simple "chocolate bark" recipes.