Month: December 2022

What books did I get for Christmas?

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

I hope you all had a lovely, book filled, reading relaxation filled Christmas.

I thought I would do a blog post on my new books, that I received for Christmas. There’s quite a variety of genres so I have some cool new additions to my bookcase.

Let’s take a look!

The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain.

‘He jumped to his death in front of witnesses. Now his wife is charged with murder.

Five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York following a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. When Erin answers the door to Danny’s police colleagues one morning, it’s the start of an ordinary day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death.

Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband’s murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect.

But it was all built on the perfect lie.‘

Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack by Helen Rolfe

‘Heritage Cove is in full swing for the festive season and as the temperature dips, who will be lucky in love this Christmas?

It’s December in Heritage Cove and along with the village Christmas tree, frosty mornings and the promise of the most wonderful time of the year, the new waffle shack is about to open. And its owner isn’t a stranger to the Cove, because after all this time, Daniel is back to make amends with his brother Harvey – as well as a few other locals he might have offended along the way.

Fairly new to the village, local blacksmith Lucy has kept up the pretence of being with her ex for the sake of his gran but she’s fed up with all the lies. Determined to come clean and live the life she wants to live, she’s devastated to find that her attraction to Daniel is tainted by the fact he’s hiding a few things of his own. And his secrets are ones she isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to get past.

Heritage Cove is full of friendship and community; it’s a welcoming place people visit and never want to leave. But will it work its magic for Daniel and Lucy?‘

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton.

This is Tom Feltons Autobiography. He played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. I am really looking forward to reading this.

Fantastic Beasts and where to find them by JK Rowling.

This is the Original Screenplay of ‘Fantastic Beasts and where to find them’. This is the script of the film. A great addition to my collection.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling.

‘As the Order of the Phoenix keeps watch over Harry Potter, troubled times have come to Hogwarts in a year filled with secrets, subterfuge and suspicion. The deliciously dark fifth instalment of Jim Kay’s inspired reimagining of J.K. Rowling’s classic series is an epic artistic achievement, featuring over 160 illustrations in an astonishing range of visual styles.‘

A lovely haul.

I also got a voucher that I can use to buy more books! 😁

What books did you get this year, for Christmas?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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Harry Potter Christmas Presents πŸŽβš‘️

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

Being the self professed Harry Potter fan that I am, I thought I would share with you guys the Harry Potter inspired gifts that I got for Christmas.

So, lets take a look!

BOOKS!

I got three books this year. I got the illustrated version of the fifth Harry Potter book ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’. I have the others so this is a great (and a very beautiful) addition to the collection.

I also got a copy of ‘Fantastic Beasts and where to find them’ the original screenplay and the Autobiography of Tom Felton who played Draco Malfoy in the series, its called ‘Beyond the wand.’ I’m really looking forward to reading it.

I got a Harry Potter Lego set – this one is from the Chamber of Secrets film. This scene is when they are brewing the polyjuice potion and Hermione turns into a cat. This has some cool features like the changing characters and the limited edition 20th Anniversary gold Harry Potter minifigure.

I also got this ‘DIY Knight Bus Doorstop Kit’ I have no idea how I am going to make this haha but I will give it a go. I have a friend who is really good at knitting things so I may have to ask her for help.

I got this cute soup bowl from my Mum and Dad. It’s a lovely dark, midnight blue colour and is in the shape of a cauldron!

One of my friends got me this Harry Potter puzzle. The design is really nice and it incorporates all of the films, which is really cool.

I also got this really cool sock & mug set πŸ˜ƒ

The final thing I got was this cosy Harry Potter throw. I can’t wait to snuggle up with this.

Great gifts, I’m very lucky!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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Blogmas Day Twenty Five: IT’S CHRISTMASSSSS πŸŽ

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

So it’s finally here – Christmas Day!!

I hope you have a lovely day whatever you do.

I saw this idea online, so here is my ‘ideal Christmas day’

My ideal Christmas Day ❀️

6.00am – Open Stocking

8am Onwards – Get ready, prepare the breakfast pastrys

9am – Open Presents together at our home

10am onwards – Go and visit my Mum and Dad

11.30 onwards – Christmas Lunch at my father in laws

1pm – Christmas Dinner

2pm Onwards – Presents and relaxing

3pm – Kings Speech

4/5pm onwards – Games/Snacks/Cheeseboard

6pm – Seeing more of my Family in the evening, more present opening.

7pm – Buffet Tea

8pm – More Games and Christmas TV.

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas Day.

That’s it for Blogmas 2022! Thanks for all the support, likes and shares of my posts.

And to those who find it difficult at this time of year – I am thinking of you too and hoping that 2024 brings you health and happiness.

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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Blogmas Day Twenty Four: Christmas Traditions βœ¨οΈ

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

Traditions are one of my favourite parts of Christmas and so I thought for my penultimate Blogmas post I would share some of ours.

December

  • Christmas Rock N Roll Panto, this is on every Christmas at our local Theatre. Me and Tim go every December.
  • Mince Pie taste testing, because how else will we know which ones are best?!? It’s a public service really.
  • Put up the Christmas decs, and LOTS of them. Nothing makes you feel more Christmassy!!

Christmas Eve

  • Christmas Eve boxes, for my Nephews and Niece. I make these throughout December and deliver them on Christmas eve for them to enjoy.
  • Making festive treats, usually for our Christmas day dessert. This uwat I made a Lindt Chocolate Cheesecake for Christmas Day and the Platinum Jubilee Lemon and Amaretto trifle for Boxing day (it was a hit in the summer!)
  • A Christmas Byron. Me, my twin sister and our friend Demi go out for lunch or dinner together at Byron. No idea how this started but we’ve done it for at least 5/6 years now.
  • Watching ‘The Snowman’. I always watched this on Christmas eve as a kid so I carry it on now! I usually watch it before I go to bed.
  • Going to look at the Christmas lights. We drive around our local town and have a look at all of the awesome lights people have put up on their houses. This is one of my favourite traditions.

Christmas Day

  • Opening up our stockings first thing. I still have the same sack that I had as a child and I love having that to open first thing, good old Santa πŸŽ…πŸ»
  • Going to Mum and Dads in the morning. It would be so weird not to!! I’ve only ever either woken up there (literally the same house) or gone there first thing on Christmas morning, my whole life
  • Christmas lunch. THE. BEST. MEAL. OF. THE YEAR. My father in law makes an amazing roast each year too do I can’t wait.
  • Christmas games, one of my absolute favourite parts of Christmas. Having fun together- it doesn’t get better than that. I very luckily married into a family that probably loves games even more than my family do – winner!
Photos from Christmas 2021

Other:

  • A Christmas walk. When we do our Christmas with Tim’s Mum we always go for a lovely wintery walk somewhere. It’s so nice and we always discover so many hidden gems near us that we would probably never visit.

What are your Christmas traditions?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY TOMORROW!!

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Blogmas Day Twenty Three: My favourite Christmas Books πŸ“šπŸŽ„βœ¨οΈ

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

It’s always a good Christmas when you have a new Heidi Swain to read. They are the most festive, cosy, comforting Christmas fiction and perfect for this time of year.

Whether it be trip to Wynbridge, a stay at Wynthorpe Hall or a visit to Wynters one thing is guaranteed, you’ll have a fun, festive, friendly (sometimes fraught) time with lots of Christmas cheer and brilliant characters.

Reading a Heidi Swain Christmas book is like visiting old friends for Christmas, but from the comfort of your own home!

My favourite one is ‘Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market’ because it is the first Heidi Swain book I ever read.

Let’s take a look at them all…

This is the most recent release, this November, based at Wynthorpe Hall.

‘A Christmas Celebration.’

‘When Paige turns up unannounced at Wynthorpe Hall, she discovers the place she knew when she was growing up has changed beyond all recognition. She’s only planning to stay for a short time, but is quickly pulled into local life.‘

‘Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market.’

‘Ruby has finished with university and is heading home for the holidays to save up for her trip around the world in January. Against her father’s wishes, she takes on a stall at the local market, and sets about making it the best Christmas market stall ever. There’ll be bunting and mistletoe and maybe even a bit of mulled wine.‘

‘Underneath the Christmas Tree’

‘Wynter’s Trees is the home of Christmas. For the people of Wynmouth it’s where they get their family Christmas tree, and where Christmas truly comes to life. But for Liza Wynter, it’s a millstone around her neck. It was her father’s pride and joy but now he’s gone, she can’t have anything to do with it. Until her father’s business partner decides to retire and she must go back to handle the transition to his son Ned.‘

‘The Winter Garden’

‘Freya Fuller is living her dream, working as a live-in gardener on a beautiful Suffolk estate. But when the owner dies, Freya finds herself forced out of her job and her home with nowhere to go. However, with luck on her side, she’s soon moving to Nightingale Square and helping to create a beautiful winter garden that will be open to the public in time for Christmas.’

‘Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland.’

‘After calling off her engagement, Hayley, the Wynthorpe Hall housekeeper, wants nothing more than to return to her no-strings fun-loving self, avoiding any chance of future heartbreak. Little does she know, Wynbridge’s latest arrival is about to throw her plan entirely off course . . .‘

‘Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair.’

‘When Anna takes on the role of companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, she has no idea that her life is set to change beyond all recognition.
A confirmed β€˜bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona.‘

‘The Christmas Wish List’

‘After being let go from her job in a swanky hotel just weeks before Christmas, Hattie is feeling lost. Even more so when her high-flying boyfriend announces he’s landed his dream job in Abu Dhabi and asks her to move with him. Luckily, Hattie’s long-time friend Dolly is on hand to help and invites Hattie to spend one last holiday in the small, festive town of Wynbridge, determined to give her a Christmas to remember . . .’

So many brilliant and different festive stories to choose from!There’s something for everyone.

These are great if you need a cosy Christmas read, a gift for someone (or yourself!!) Or a stocking filler, look no further.

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

2 days to go!

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Blogmas Day Twenty Two: More Christmas decorating…❄️

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

So, I obviously did a post at the beginning of Blogmas showcasing some of our decorations, our tree and some of our tree decorations…well…

… I may have bought some more when I went into town this week!

I thought I would share them with you as they are a different theme to our other more traditional decorations.

In our hallway/entrance room we usually have a sort of winter vibe, but this year I could only find a few bits amongst our decs ( I have no idea what’s happened to the other stuff) so I thought I would add some more stuff to make it a bit better.

One of the things I took inspo from is the escape room we did a few weeks ago… random I know, but they had baubles on the ceiling… and they looked so cool, so I took the idea and fitted it into the winter theme…

I went into Wilko this week and they had a big pack of giant baubles in whites, silvers and light blue… perfect for a winter theme… and half price!

I added white lights which go along the wall. We have had these up before but they go really well with the theme in this room as all the other lights we have are warm lights.

And of course tinsel! Light blue, silver and white.

Also from Wilko I got some hanging snowflake garlands…. these are white and silver and look very nice hanging in the doorway to the lounge.

I also grabbed a little fake Mistletoe hanging decoration as it looked cute πŸ˜— and went well with everything else (white berries & glitter!!)

And my little winter friends to top it all off. They always go perfectly in here, but even more so this year.

❄️ What do you think? ❄️

What is your favourite colour scheme for Christmas?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

Only 3 days to go!!! Ahhh so close now.

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Blogmas Day Twenty One: Christmas Hampers πŸŽ

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

So another nice little DIY Christmas gift I like to out together are Christmas hampers.

Now of course you can theme them however you like, depending on who they are for, but the ones that I usually do are foodie hampers.

Lets have a look!

I like to go for a good mix of different things:

  • Typical seasonal items such as Pannetone, Christmas pudding, mince pies etc
  • New Christmas/festive themed bits that are out that particular year, such as new flavours of crisps, nuts, different cakes.
  • Specific things that you know they like eg a chocolate orange, certain chocolate, fave sweets etc

And I usually do a mixture of both sweet and savoury.

I start picking up bits for these in late November, early December so that when I visit different shops you get a good variety and choice, and you often find different bits depending on where you go.

Most of the stuff that I pick up for these hampers is the sort of thing that has a long life but I am always sure to check as sometimes I get carried away and then remember I need to be careful or the things will be out of date before they’ve received it πŸ˜…

I think these hampers make such a nice little gift, with lots of little suprised and interesting bits to look through and taste.

They are one of my favourite bits to out together! I often find it hard to stop once I start buying the bits for them as there are alot of delicious treats out there.

Have you made Hampers before? What sort of hampers do you like?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

4 days to go!

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Blogmas Day Twenty: Christmas Eve Boxes πŸ“¦ β™₯️

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

Every year I make Christmas eve boxes for my two nephews (who are brothers) and my niece. They arrived aged between 5 – 8 so still nice and easy to cater for this year.

So, I thought I would share with you the sorts of things that I have got to put into their boxes this year.

Let’s take a look!

We started off with Colouring/Colour by number/puzzle books…

Followed by some fun Christmas craft activities…

This year I go Christmas Scratch art, Christmas characters and a paint your own Santa ornament.

These ranged from Β£1 – Β£2 in Wilko so super affordable.

I also added in some funny little novelty ‘Elf Racers’ for them to play with, as well as some tasty treats including chocolate coins (Classic!) and a hot chocolate bomb.

Finally, I added a Christmassy book to each box…

The Works do 3 books for Β£5 which is awesome when there are three little ones to buy for haha!

Lots of fun and treats to keep them occupied during Christmas eve and the following days.

And a great way to get into the festive spirit and make Christmas eve special.

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

5 days until Christmas!

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Blogmas Day Nineteen: Winter Photography πŸ“Έ β„️

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

Winter is one of my favourite seasons and at its frostiest it is the most beautiful.

Here are some photos that my family and friends have allowed me to share, that they have taken, over the course of December.

❄️❄️❄️

πŸ“Έ Carol Rumsey
πŸ“Έ Carol Rumsey
πŸ“Έ Carol Rumsey
πŸ“Έ Carol Rumsey
πŸ“Έ Carol Rumsey
πŸ“Έ Carol Rumsey
πŸ“Έ Sarah Parker
πŸ“Έ Sarah Parker
πŸ“Έ Sarah Parker
πŸ“Έ Sarah Parker
πŸ“Έ Steph Wiley
πŸ“Έ Steph Wiey
πŸ“Έ Wes Stankiewicz
πŸ“Έ Demi Abbott
πŸ“Έ Neil Gillingham
πŸ“Έ Neil Gillingham
πŸ“Έ Roseanne Byford
πŸ“Έ Roseanne Byford
πŸ“Έ Roseanne Byford
πŸ“Έ Roseanne Byford
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Blogmas Day Eighteen: Our final book club meeting of 2022 πŸ“š

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

So on Thursday (15th Dec) we had our final book club meeting of 2022.

It was a smaller affair than usual as lots of the usual group were ill πŸ€’

The four of us carried on and I chaired the meeting on Sarah’s behalf.

Keepin’ it festive πŸŽ„

We enjoyed discussing Novembers book… ‘The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas’

I thoroughly enjoyed this boom and it is up there with one of my favourites from the year.

It’s a Thriller about Olivia Rutherford and her friends who are involved in a car accident and when she wakes up they have disappeared and are still missing 20 years later.

I really enjoyed the twists, turns and audible gasps that escaped me as the story started to unfold. It was a very enjoyable and easy read and with lovely short chapters it took me just under two days to read.

I would give it β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜† out of 5!

‘The Christmas Murder Game’ by Alexandra Benedict has been chosen as our December Christmas read.

It’s not your usual festive fair but I am looking forward to this as its different to all of the ‘domestic fiction’ easy reader, festive books that I have to read over the next few weeks and January.

What festive books are you currently reading ?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

ONE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

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