12 Days of Christmas - Day 7 {Gift of Kindness}

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Before we get too caught up in the frenzy of the silly season, I would like to ask you to spare a thought for those less fortunate than us.
While we are shopping for frivolous gifts and wasting money on extravagances such as chocolate - there are people (& animals) out there who are wondering where their next meal will come from.

Ever noticed the man on the street with the hopeless look in his eyes.
The children that sit on the curb net to their mom holding up a sign.
The dog who hesitantly wags his tail as you pass him by. Afraid to trust, but hopeful.
The cat that's digging or a scrap of food in the garbage bin.

Shave R20-R30 off each gift you buy this season (this could be as simple as not buying a card & handwriting or printing a notecard instead)
Before you know it, you could have R100 - R300 that could be used to buy a food hamper, or a toy or some bags of animal food for your local SPCA or animal shelter.

Finances are tight? Donate any clothing or toys - this will cost you nothing & help you clear the clutter!

To make it even easier, you can do an EFT into the bank account.
Here are some links for animal homes:

Vereeniging SPCA

Sandton SPCA

East London SPCA

Cape Town SPCA

Four Paws

Salvation Army

Don't like the options I have listed here? Visit Charity SA to find a charity of your choice


It's something small, but if 1 person made the effort, it would positively impact someone's (or animal's) life.

Knowing you made that difference, is a better feeling than any gift received will ever make you feel.

Think about it....

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6 {Table Decor}

If you are entertaining this season, you will want a table that not only looks elegant, but also did not take you hours to decorate. Let's be honest- we are not Bree from Desperate Housewives with endless hours at home making everything perfect.

The secret lies in choosing tasteful decoration that is simple & classic. Good taste is not cluttered. 

Good taste need not be expensive either. 

If entertaining indoors, try this clever upcycling idea for vases:

Source

Cover 3 aluminium tins of varying sizes in matching wallpaper and fill with bunches of flowers.

Try something different:

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Tip a wineglass upside down, fill with foil covered chocolate balls or tiny ball Christmas decorations & rest a candle on top - voila!

Our Christmas in the southern hemisphere is hot, enabling us to entertain outdoors- in the garden or next to the pool, it's all about keeping cool while having fun.

For a summertime table, lay down a gingham or bright coloured tablecloth. Collect a variety of empty glass bottles and remove all labels. (Mason Jars also work really nicely)

Keep bottles unadorned, but arrange a few together in a group and fill with a variety of flowers- think Daisies, Tulips, wildflowers or Gerberas - for a simple, but pretty effect.

Wrap your cutlery in a napkin,  keeping it together with a long trailing ribbon or twine for an informal feel. I used to add a sprig on rosemary or lavender from the garden for a wonderful scent.

For a personalised touch, add a name tag on the cutlery, around the stem of the glass or tied to the stalk of an apple, the possibilities are endless! Play around and have fun creating a table that your guests will enjoy.

Never under-estimate the power of your mind teamed with a printer. Alot of my decor on tables is printed:

Printed Monogrammed banner on bowl & printed sign to enhance the theme

What have you done for your Christmas/special event table decor? Share your ideas with us!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 5 {Nails}

Don't let your nails detract from all the effort you have put into making yourself fabulous this season.

The hands are often neglected yet they are one of the first things that people (men especially) notice when talking to us.

Change it up a bit! Steer away from the nude nails or classic French manicure & add some festive sparkle.

You could dress up your French manicure simply by adding a snowflake and a gem. 

Have a look at my Pinterest board over here for a tutorial on snowflake painting.

Add a ombré glitter effect to your solid base using this simple technique:

Pinterest Link

My favourite is the candy stripes. Not as difficult as you may think.

Pinterest Link

Cut some strips of varying thicknesses out of Sellotape and stick on your nail (already painted with a base colour, for example white)

Paint over in red. Peel tape off and finish with a topcoat when dry.

Something very important to consider when choosing 2 colours: polish must be a solid colour that completely masks the colour underneath, or else you end up with a terrible effect when completed.

See my nails Christmas 2013:

The green was not dark enough to mask the red underneath. Not a nice result at all!

If you're pressed for time/not creative/hate doing your nails- then go with something simple:

Paint your nails in your favourite colour (for a dramatic evening look, opt for something bold like red or purple) & paint an accent nail using a contrasting colour or texture. Glitter gives you instant "glam".

Glitter Glam

Zoya Pixie Dust in Solange (gold glitter) is a nice polish to try this season.

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Liquid Sand by OPI gives an edgier finish if you are against the girlie sparkle as it dries to a Matte finish.

OPI Liquid Sand

No matter what effect you decide upon, just be sure to finish with a (quick dry) top coat to ensure the polish remains chip-free for the duration of the party & wave your hands with pride!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 4 {Drinks}

Eat, Drink & Be Merry!

A delicious drink can go a long way in helping you remain merry.

Bubbly Claudz shares her favourite Christmas drink recipe with us (it has one of my favourite ingredients in it, so I will definitely be making this one!)

Bottoms Up!

It's the silly season and one of the things I love most is the excuse to indulge....a lot! I love a good cocktail and I love custard. That's why this Iced Eggnog suits me perfectly. The creamy booziness just sets the holiday tone. And because we live in sunny South Africa, having it cold is even better. 

Make a batch before your Christmas party (it can stand happily for 24 hours) or whip it up last minute - the choice is yours. I've added Amarula to give it that uniquely South African flavour but this is optional. 

This recipe services 4-6 people but I recommend doubling up if you're expecting a crowd. It is rich so don't make too much (is there such a thing?)

Iced Eggnog with Amarula

200ml sugar
200ml water
3 cinnamon quills (or 2 tsps. of ground cinnamon
3 eggs
250ml pouring cream
250ml milk
150ml brandy
150ml rum
150ml Amarula
cinnamon for dusting (you can also use nutmeg)
ice cubes

Make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar, water and cinnamon quills in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar melt then allow to simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Allow to cool and remove the cinnamon quills (if you used ground cinnamon make sure you give it a good stir).
Using a hand blender (or your muscle power), whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, brandy, rum, Amarula and the sugar syrup.
Add ice to your preferred cocktail glasses and pour the eggnog mix.
Serve with a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg.
If you're not going to serve immediately, refrigerate the eggnog until required.

Happy holidays!

(PS - this Eggnog is only for those over 18 and it's not recommended that you drive if you're planning on having a few!)
Tell us what you like to drink over the Festive season & if you do make this eggnog, take a photo and tag us on Twitter or Instagram.

Please show Claudz some Social Media Love:

Food: Tables & Thyme | Personal: Purple Lips & Perfect Smiles

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12 Days of Christmas - Day 3 {Food}

Something we all like to do over Christmas time is eat.

The lovely Mel is always posting delicious recipes on her blog & I just can't wait to see what she has in store for us as she shares her Christmas favourite with us.

Ingredients

Pecan "I just love it because I'm an absolute nut fan" Nut Pie 

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°.

1: In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, oil and milk to form dough.

Step 1

2: Press the dough over the base of a pie and the sides of the dish and put in the freezer.

Step 2

3: In a small pot over a medium heat, melt the syrup, butter and brown sugar. 

    Stir in the vanilla and then take off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes.

Step 3

4: Take the pastry out of the freezer, and sprinkle the nuts over it.

Step 4

5: Whisk the eggs into the slightly cooled sugar syrup mixture.

Step 5

6: Then pour it over the nuts.

Step 6

7: Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the filling has set and the pastry is golden.

Delicious Pecan Nut Pie

Happy Eating Christmas

This pie looks absolutely delicious - and sounds so simple thanks to Melanie's easy step - by step guide. 

Thank you very much for being a guest Mel, it was great having you!

Please show Mel some Social Media Love:

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12 Days of Christmas - Day 2 {Gift Wrap}

From Here

Now that you have bought your gifts - you need to wrap them and make them pretty for under the tree.
Once again this year, I am opting for the budget-friendly brown paper with pretty tags and ribbon.

These days the internet has many websites with free printables.

As you can see in the image above, the gifts are simply wrapped with a patterned strip of paper and cute round tags.

I found a really cute tag sheet, similar to the photo above:

From Here

For a more vintage Christmas - keep the brown paper, add a beautiful champagne or gold bow and add these vintage tags in clusters:

From Here

For some added festive cheer, add a little bell tied to your organza ribbon & you are done. Mr Price Home sells organza ribbon & these cute bells -which are actually tree ornaments - the perfect finish for your gift! 

R9.99 for 2m

24 Mini Bells - R99.99

To see how my gifts from last year ended up - have a look at the post over here

What are your gift wrap ideas this season?

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1 {Gifts}

Gifts

Christmas - My favourite holiday of the year.

Why? Because the family all get together & spend some quality time with each other. Everyone is relaxed because most of them are on holiday.
The gifts are an added bonus & with the economy being what it is - each gift bought is very much appreciated.

If you are a regular reader, you will know our family system of buying 1 big gift for a family member & R50 gifts for everybody else. If not, read all about it over here

There is no need for the Christmas season to bankrupt us all now is there?

If you have been anywhere near a shop since September, you would have seen the gifts & decorations temptingly laid out in pretty displays.
Once again this year, I have promised myself I will go shopping early to to avoid the last minute rush. I say it every year & somehow time flies by quicker than you could say Jingle Bells.

I am being proactive & have already placed a few online orders for gifts - Yay Me!

Online shopping has been my friend this season & I am impressed at the speed with which my parcels have been delivered.
@Home & Takealot.com have been super-efficient.

Still at a loss for gift ideas? Here are some suggestions:

1. Mixed Diamante Bobby Pins R39.95 (Woolworths)
2. Design your own tent calendar filled with happy memories & special occasions - personalised gifts like this always mean so much more. R99.00 (Photo2Print) 
3. Coasters in White or Back with Sparkle (Pack of 4) R40.00 (@Home)
4. Moroccan Basics Spice Set R99.95 (Woolworths)
5. Geometric African Map Christmas Decoration R9.99 (Mr Price Home)
6. Mini Heart Pegs R29.99 (Mr Price Home)

1. Cozy Remote Tidy R190.00 (Big Blue)
2. Vanilla Brulee Shimmer Lotion R110.00 (The Body Shop)  Check out their Buy 2, get 1 Free deal
3. Beautiful hand-crafted bracelets From R170.00 & up (Trinket Trove) You can purchase them from Sherbet Angel in 4th Avenue Parkhurst or any Crafters Market stores
4. Ceramic Reindeer Cookie Jar R199.95 (Woolworths)
5. The Owl Dippy Bamboo Board R190.00 (The Block Shop) excludes custom engraving
6. Faceblocks R180 for 3 blocks (Printwild) 

What is on your wishlist this year?