O.k. this is the last Christmas post this season…I swear. I had hoped to do one big Christmas post but in the end there were far too many pictures for that. Poppy was surrounded with more doting grandparents, great-grandparents and aunts and uncles than one little girl could possibly know what to do with, not that she was complaining. These are just a few of the beautiful moments I managed to capture this holiday with the Winters.

We have had such a wonderful holiday season this year. The pace was a little slower giving us a chance to really appreciate the time spent with the ones we love, not just rush rush rush like most Christmases in the past. I am so thankful for the love we are surrounded with. Poppy has made my family stronger and closer than I ever could have imagined. Thank you Poppy.

A couple special gifts this year-

1. The goose. This goose was given to me and Danie when we were about Poppy’s age. We loved it so. Since then it has been passed around the Wilson family being loved and welcomed by all. This Christmas the goose came home! Poppy was thrilled. She loves him to bits and has named him Gidion or Giddy for short.
2. The doll. The only thing I REALLY wanted to give Poppy this year was her Poppy doll. I do not sew but decided quite a while ago that I was going to make my daughter this doll for Christmas. I dreamed her up and then made her a reality. It may not be the biggest accomplishment for someone that sews but coming from a mama that has been terrible at sewing since she was a little girl and has gone out of her way to avoid sewing like it was the plague, I’d say yay for me! Poppy knew I was working on making her the doll for Christmas and constantly would ask if she could see her. My response was always the same – not until Christmas. I can’t begin to describe how much joy I felt watching her unwrap and hold her Poppy doll for the first time.

Poppy and I just got home from another wonderful week at Gamp and Grams. Kegan and Danie came up for the weekend to celebrate our beloved tradition of “fake” Christmas. Poppy got the Pony she so badly wanted. She hugged him and kissed him and told him she loved him. I know most parents cringe at the thought of gifts this size but honestly watching her as she saw him was like watching old friends being reunited after far too long. She loves that thing and so Poppy now shares her room with a Pony. Thank you Gampy and Gramy you made Poppy one happy little girl. Merry Fake Christmas!

The Gooderham & Worts Christmas market is a tradition I look forward to every year. We have been coming  since Poppy was born. Watching her appreciation of the market change as she grows is pure magic. I think the biggest change this year was that she is finally old enough to understand Christmas and she knows all about Santa and his elves…I even got her to sit on Santa’s lap all by herself! Her expressions were amazing. I’m pretty sure she was hoping that as long as she didn’t look at him he would disappear. Oh and when he asked what she wanted for Christmas she decided to throw a curve ball and tell him she no longer needs/wants an Ariel doll because she already has a pink mermaid at home. Too bad Poppy. You are getting Ariel whether you like it or not. Happy Holidays.

Last week while doing a little Christmas shopping I came across a fun Christmas garland. I tossed it in my basket and continued walking around the shop. As I walked, my head was fighting the decision to “buy” this garland. It was saying “you can totally make this…why not save a little money?” So I removed it from my basket and that was that, I was going to make a Christmas garland. On Monday my Mom came and took Poppy for the day so I could set up the house for Christmas. I had the whole day planned out. Work on the garland. De-clutter all the residual crap that had accumulated in piles all around the house from the week before. Then bring up the Christmas boxes from the basement, dust them off and deck the house! That morning I sat down at the table for breakfast and began making this garland with no thought as to how long it would take…..many hours later this is what I ended up with. I’m thrilled with the final result but not too happy about the fact that my home remains Christmas decoration free (other than this awesome garland) due to the fact that I totally underestimated how long it would take to cut out every letter by hand and then paint them all. For those of you who are thinking about getting crafty and attempting this, I suggest you make it over the course of a few days. Trace and cut the letters one day, maybe while watching your fave Christmas movie? And then the next day you could paint them and on the third day do the hole punching and stringing. Had I done it this way I’m sure I would have been able to enjoy my garland without that trace of time sucking resentment that I inevitably will feel every time I look at it.

You will need:

• Thin cardboard, I tore the back end off of a few of Poppy’s colouring pads and that was perfect.
• string, rope, yarn of choice
• paint, as many colours as you like. I used acrylic and am happy with the results.
• large paintbrush
• glitter
• white craft glue
• hole punch
• scissors
• large needle for threading, I used a plastic children’s beginner needle and that worked great. You could also just tape the end so that it’s strong enough to easily poke through the holes.

To make:

1. outline the letters and stars, I used 5 stars; 2 large, 3 medium
2. cut them out
3. paint, set aside to dry
4. choose as many letters and stars as you want to glitter and paint with a thin layer of glue.
5. cover with sparkles. Set aside to dry. I suggest laying the letters and stars on a sheet of paper to catch the excess glitter, then when you are done you can fold the paper and funnel it back into the glitter jar.
6. Using the single hole punch, punch holes in each letter and stars making sure to place them all at the same level.
7. thread, starting with the large star then small and follow with the letters. I also placed a star between words. Make sure to leave a generous amount of thread at either end for stringing up.
8. to hang I used wash tape because it comes in so many fun colours and patterns and won’t rip the paint off your walls when removing.

That’s it. So go on and make yourself a beautiful homemade garland! Remember, be creative and have fun with it. Happy crafting!

Caitlin is my oldest friend. We grew up on the same street and were pretty much inseparable for much of our childhood. We lost touch after high school but reunited by chance years later. Since then we have remained close.

Last year Caitlin moved to the UK with her partner Owen. This past Christmas to my delight they came home for a visit. I decided to take advantage of the little time we had and asked Caitlin if she would come cook with me.

Caitlin is a life long vegetarian and a wonderful cook; I was more than eager to learn one of her regular dishes. The night Caitlin was supposed to come cook with me just so happened to be one of the coldest days this winter has offered us here in Toronto – so of course our pipes decided it was as good a time as any to freeze. Thankfully Danie lives next door and graciously offered her home for us to cook. In the end it worked out to my advantage – I got my cooking lesson and enjoyed an amazing meal along with great company, minus the clean up and dishes! Thank you Caitlin (and Danie) for such a wonderful night.

6 large portions 

1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee

2 medium onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tbsp curry paste, hot or mild depending on how much heat you like.

1 tbsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1 tsp garam masala

1 can of diced tomato, with juice

2/3 cup water or veg broth

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Heat the coconut oil or ghee in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the curry paste, coriander, cumin, cumin seeds and garam masala. Cook the onion mixture with the spices for a few minutes then add the tomatoes with the juices making sure to scrape up any bits that may be sticking to the skillet. Now add the water or veg broth and chickpeas. Simmer for 30-45 min, the longer the better.You may need to add a little more water or broth, depending on simmer time ( don't let it dry out )

Rice, cook according to package

Topping:

2 ripe tomato, chopped

1 red onion, diced

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 lemon, juice of

salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl mix together the tomato, onion, cilantro, lemon, salt and pepper.

To serve, On a plate add some rice, dish up the channa and top with a heaping spoonful of tomato, onion and cilantro. Finish it off with a dollop of organic plain yogurt. Oh and don't forget the super easy to make and delisious naan bread! Enjoy.

Ever since I moved away from home my family has always done a “fake” christmas. These days we try and do it the weekend before Christmas. Basically we pack up and head to my Dads for a weekend filled with laughter, food, sleigh rides ( for Poppy ) and presents! I love fake Christmas and am so happy this tradition is going strong!

This was the second time Poppy and I have been to the Christmas Night market. My Grandmother (known as Grandma the Great to Poppy) even came along for the ride. Last year Poppy wasn’t quite old enough to appreciate how magical it was but this year was perfect. The wonder and excitement she experienced was felt by all. Oh and Poppy was big enough to ride one of the horses on the carousel…with a little help from mommy.