Wednesday 23 December 2015

DIY gift tags

Hi Guys!

So I know it's a bit late as Christmas Eve is tomorrow, but I thought would show you how to do these simple DIY gift tags anyway.


The tags I will tell you how to make are;


  • The letter tag
  • The reindeer tag
  • The stamp tag

I feel like these are so easy I don't really need to tell you how to do them, they are just ideas on the whole.

The Letter Tag

What you will need;

  • An old book 
  • Letter stencils 
  • scissors 
  • Pencil
  • Double sided tape 
  • Brown tag

If you don't have letter stencils you can just use a ruler and draw the letter.

So depending on who the gif is for that will obviously be the letter you will use.

So I used a 'b' even though I don't know someone who has a name beginning with b haha! 

What you need to do first is rip a page out of the book. Then get the letter stencil. You need and draw around it backwards. Then cut it out and use the double sided tape to stick it on the tag. That is it!

Your tag should look something like this;



The Reindeer Tag 


This is my personal favourite. It is sooo cute!!!! And so clever!
What you will need; 

  • Sharpies/permanent markers 
  • A monkey nut 
  • Sticky foam pads
  • A brown tag 


All you need to do is use you sticky foam pads to stick the monkey nut down. Next draw black eyes and mouth on the nut and a red nose. Lastly draw ears and antlers on the tag in brown or black. And you're done!!!

Here is a photo of what it looks like finished;










             The Christmas Stamp Tag 


What you will need;

  • Ink pads
  •  Rubber Christmas stamps
  • Brown tag

This is probably the easiest because all you have to do is put the stamp of your choice in an ink pad and stamp it on the tag!

I forgot to take a picture of the stamps which I am quite annoyed about, but oh well. 

Here is what they look like done;



Mince Pies

Hi Guys!

In this post I will be telling you how to make mince pies. They were really fun to make and taste AMAZING.

This is the end result:











For utensils/equipment, you will need:

  • A knife
  • A cup
  • A large bowl
  • A rolling pin 
  • A small bowl
  • A pastry brush 
  • A fork
  • Your hands 
  • A glass or large, round cookie cutter (I used a large jar lid)
  • A teaspoon
  • Weighing scales

Ingredients:

  • 8oz/200g plain flour 
  • 2oz/50g butter 
  • 2oz/50g lard 
  • water to mix
  • mince meat (no particular amount)
  • 1 egg 
Method; Firstly set your oven to around 200 degrees celsius.




With your fingers rub in the lard, butter and flour.

I think this is the fun thing about baking. Getting your hands dirty!!!

I was so excited to make these as they are so festive and delicious!

I am not a big fan of shop bought mince pies and much prefer homemade ones.


Your mixture should now look something like this;

Then get your water and knife to mix your pastry.


When you are done it should form large lumps so you can roll it into a ball.
Next, sprinkle some flour on your surface and on your rolling pin. 

Then roll out your pastry to around 3mm. 


Next get your tins and cookie cutters ready.


 Although I have got a round cookie cutter here, I changed my mind after and went for the mince meat jar lid because the cutter didn't make a deep enough pie.

I used a star for the top because I think it looks really festive but I did do a couple with ordinary lids and a little pastry holly on top.


Get your mince meat ready!!!


Put about a teaspoon of mincemeat into each pie.




You can probably tell I was enjoying taking these pictures, 
judging by the amount I have taken!



Beat your egg in a small bowl with your fork, (sorry I did not take a picture)
then using your pastry brush brush around the edges so the star sticks. 


Using the beaten egg again, glaze the top of the mince pies.


Bye, Bye mince pies! 


See you in 15 - 20 mins
Or until you are golden brown. 




When they are out of the oven, leave to cool on a cooling rack.


Then sprinkle them with icing sugar. 


AND ENJOY!!!





I think I enjoyed taking these photos as much as I did the baking!


Thank you for reading! 
Have fun Baking!

Bye everyone! 

M xxx










The True Meaning of Christmas

Hi Guys!

Don't you just love Christmas? It's my favourite time of the year! Christmas Is just around the corner literally. 2 days to go! Which means Christmas Eve is tomorrow! How exciting is that?!?! So this year you need to make sure you remember the reason for the season.

My favourite part about Christmas is giving others gifts. I love shopping for them, making them, wrapping them, but most of all, watching people open the gift you have got them. Especially when you know they will love it.

It is very exciting getting gifts under the tree on Christmas morning but what is the most important gift of all?

Jesus Christ Our Savior and Redeemer was the most important gift to ever come to this earth.
We all know that when he was born shepherds and wise men came to worship him. Shepherds bought lambs as a gift for the baby Jesus, yet the wise men came bearing three gifts; Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. It didn't matter about the gifts. Christmas isn't all about the gifts. It's about the love and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to find out more about the reason for the season by visiting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' website click here

Thank you for reading as always!
I won't say Merry Christmas yet because it's not my last post but,

Bye Everyone! Ho, Ho, Ho!!!!!!

M xxx





Tuesday 22 December 2015

Christmas Spotify Playlist

Hi Guys!

Today I will be doing a post on my Christmas Spotify playlist.
Later I will be posting a gingerbread recipe and the photos of the gingerbread I made.

So my Christmas playlist is called CHRISTMAS with 1 christmas tree emoji either side of it.
At the end of the post I will leave a link.


These are a few of the songs:

Deck the Halls and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
by Christmas Hits & Christmas Songs.

These are two seperate songs on the playlist.
these are very popular christmas songs but have a little twist.
They are acapella and have a more modern pop style to them.
I think they are awesome!!!

All I Want for Christmas is You 
By Mariah Carey

I am sure all of you know this song! I am just one of the many who love it!

Do They Know it's Christmas? 
By Band Aid 

Christmas Classic

I Wish it could be Christmas EveryDay 
By Wizzard

Another Classic. Although Christmas everyday might get a bit boring right?

Merry Christmas Everyone 
By Shakin' Stevens 
And 
Merry Christmas Everybody 
By Slade 

More Classics, I especially love Merry Christmas Everyone. It's one of my favourites

A few Cliff Richards:

Winter Wonderland 
Mistletoe and Wine
Let It Snow 
A favourite of mine. As are the others.

I really love the album Cliff at Christmas as much as I love....

Michael Buble Christmas! 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 
One of my favourites!
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Another fave of mine!

Last Christmas 
By Wham!

I absolutely love this christmas song! Reminds me of build-a-bear. Don't ask.

Other songs are: 

  • Here Comes Santa Claus 
  • I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus 
  • Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
  • Jingle Bell Rock
  • Fairytale of New York
  • Baby, it's Cold Outside
  • All Alone on Christmas 
  • Christmas the Whole Year Round 
  • Santa Tell Me
  • Happy Xmas (War is Over)
  • Wonderful Christmastime 
  • Step into Christmas 
  • Lonely this Christmas 
  • Walking in the Air 
  • Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
  • Love Me Like You - Christmas Mix


If you want to go and check out and follow my Christmas Spotify Playlist Click here

Thank You for Reading!

Bye Everyone!

M xxx





Monday 21 December 2015

Christmas Tag

Hi Guys!

So I thought i'd do a Christmas Tag since it's only 4 days till Christmas!!!
I looked on the internet and I didn't really like any of the tags so I mixed them up a bit and added a few of my own.

Question 1:  What's your favourite Christmas movie?
 
 Elf. Without a doubt. But I also absolutely love the nativity films!

Question 2: Have you ever built a gingerbread house?

Yes I have! It was great fun! I would insert a picture but I don't have one on this laptop :(

Question 3: What is your favourite Christmassy smell?

This is such a hard question for me. If someone said to me, describe christmas in one scent I would not be able to do it. I could say something but hen I would what about that smell and what about this smell?
So I will put a little list her of my favourite chritmas smell;


  • Christmas tree (fir)
  • A newly opened box of chocolates 
  • spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg etc..)
  • candy cane 
  • cold air 
  • fire/candle burning 
  • The smell of a pulled cracker 
  • christmas dinner

Question 4: Do you have any Christmas Traditions?

Yes, I do. Every year on Christmas Eve, we each have a pair of pj's to open. Also as we always have, we will spend christmas eve and day at our house. But then on boxing day we will go to my mum's parents house for a few days and then we go to my dad's parents with my Auntie and Uncle for New Years Eve, Day and the day after. On New Years Eve we always have a jigsaw to do. we take it in turns to buy and choose it. We start at about 8PM and our challenge is to finish by midnight. It is such a fun tradition! Sometimes we finish and sometimes we don't. But we still have a load of fun!

Question 5:  What were you in your primary school Nativities and Christmas plays?

I was always very unfortunate with roles in the school play. I never played a lead role and I was never really something exciting. Also I never had more than 1 line :( Here is a list of roles I can remember playing with the line I said in brackets;

  • A donkey ( Nothing)
  • A mouse ( squeak, squeak)
  • Mrs. claus ( Santa! Are those GoGo pets ready yet?!)
  • An Angel (Glory to God!) 


Question 6: Real or Fake tree?

Real all the way! I love the smell and the look. I just feel it's not Christmas unless you have a real tree. Fake ones just aren't the same. Also we have a double height ceiling in our living room so we have like 9ft. tree!

Question 7: Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts? 

I actually really love giving gifts. Christmas is time of giving and I absolutely love buying or making gifts. I love wrapping them, but most of all I love watching people open the gifts I have got them especially when you know they are going to love it. I just love seeing the look on people's faces! The problem is a lot of people hate opening gifts in front of the person who got it for them!

Question 8: Roses, Celebrations or Quality Street?

Definitely quality street. I do like the other two but nothing beats good ol' Quality Street.

Question 9: What tops your tree?

A star. Always has always will. I just much prefer stars to angels. I have never seen an angel tree topper that I actually like in a shop.

Question 10: As a kid, was there anything you asked for but never received?

Yes. But to be fair it was fairly harsh to ask of my parents. A sister. I was only young and innocent at the time and I have always wanted a sister haha!

Thank you for reading this post, I have really enjoyed writing it.

Bye Everyone!

M xxx


Saturday 19 December 2015

Winter/Christmas essentials pt. 3

Hi guys! 

Welcome back! 

Yes it has been a while since I last posted but I have broken up from school now, YAY!!! so I will be free much more often to post than I was before! This post is going to  be the last Winter/christmas essentials post and then we can on to other things Also I just wanted to say, 6 days till Christmas!!!!! I am extremely excited!!! As I said before, this post will be on nail polishes.

Before we start I just want to say that I missed something out. it is another lipstick. It is by MUA and it is in the shade 1. It is a deep red as apposed to the bright red one I showed you in my last post. Sadly I don't have a picture to show you but you can probably imagine it! I think MUA have changed their formula for lippy because it is very smooth and mousturising, whereas a previous MUA lipstick I have have bought left my lips dry and chapped for about a week. i think it is a really great quality lipstick for just £1! I wore it to decorate our house and I will definitely be wearing it on Christmas eve.

Anyway I will begin with the nail varnish. This first one is a BarryM nail polish in the shade 'Jingle Bells' I don't know if you can see but it is essentially a sparkles, stars and confetti red and gold polish. So christmassy!!!! It is possibly one of my favorite nail polishes ever. I am rubbish at painting my nails so this is amazing because it is so easy to apply. Even I don't get much on my fingers with this! If you do get some on your finger, it's not some sort of big, sloppy, mess. it's just a bit of glitter. I have been using this non- stop since I got it.


this next one is a BarryM textured effect polish in the shade 'Majesty' It is a beautiful gold glitter. 
I have got this on my nails right now as an accent nail on my ring fingers with a bright red on my other nails. I think it is a beautiful colour to wear this season especially for parties.


This last one is simply just RED. Perfect for the festive season. It is by Lipsy and is in the shade 'Paparazzi' These few polishes I have chosen for this post all have really cool names! This is the perfect red for Christmas as it is just an outright bright red. It's what i am wearing right now with the accent nail. It gets me in a really christmassy mood!


As always guys, Thank You for reading. I am very excited for christmas and I hope you are too. 
My next post will either be on making gingerbread or a Christmas room tour. It will probably be tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know that obviously I won't be posting on christmas Day, however there may be a post coming your way on Christmas Eve and on Boxing day.


Bye everyone! 

M xxx

Sunday 6 December 2015

winter/christmas essentials pt. 2

Hey guys!

Welcome back!

I haven't blogged in soooo loooong. I have just been really busy so sorry about that.

Anyway here is my winter/christmas essentials pt. 2! I am going to be doing two in one.

I bought this lipstick when I went to Italy in the summer on my school orchestra tour. I got it from a shop called 'Piazza Italia' Desperate to get a red lipstick I quickly grabbed it and ran in the queue before it got too long. I'm really glad I got it because I really like it and it is perfect for the festive season. I think this cost around the 2 euro mark but I my opinion it's really good quality for something so cheap. I will definitely be wearing this on Christmas day especially.




This next one is a little different but I am absolutely in love! It is a christmas room spray! as soon as in saw this in the shop I knew i had to get it! again, i was very cheap (at I think either £1.99 or 99p) but very good. I got it from pound stretcher if any of you were wondering. It is the scent ' Festive spice' and if I could sum up christmas in scent it would probably be that with maybe a christmas tree scent and quality street smell added to it. But apart from that it is christmas in a spray bottle.

This isn't a great quality picture but you get the general idea 

Thank you for reading!

My next  post will be part 3 but focused on christmassy nail polishes that I will be loving and wearing throughout the festive season.

Bye everyone!

M xxx