Christmas Has Begun!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! For us it is anyway. We love Christmas in our house and I usually spend most of November prepping and shopping so come December the stress is off and I can enjoy Christmas activities and days out with the kids.

Before you ask, no, we don't have the tree up, haven't even bought it yet to be honest, but we went to our first couple of Christmas Fairs this week and the Christmas CD is now playing in the car. I always decorate at the beginning of December (by that I mean the 1st) and we try to go to fairs, markets, Santa's grotto and Christmas parties to soak up the good will and jolliness that comes with this time of year.

The first fair was the Country Living Christmas Fair in Harrogate on Thursday. Always a strong Christmas vibe and a great way to kick of the festive season. Luckily Noah was at school so my sister came with me and Isla for a girly trip out. As we were in Harrogate a bit early after dropping the kids at school we decided to treat ourselves to a Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate and Isla got her very own little version. She just loves the chocolate cream on top! The hot chocolates were incredible and warmed our bellies for the walk and wait in the cold. Isla decided she was walking instead of going in the sling, she really is becoming a stubborn madam.

The Fair itself was very similar to previous years. One thing I did notice was it didn't seem as crowed which made it so much more enjoyable. We had a lovely saunter round, looking at the stalls, tasting yummy nibbles and soaking up the festive feelings. There was a great shall of pouches that were originally designed for baby food but have been modified to include caps for storing toiletries and some with brushes on for easy painting with minimal cleanup. They may have been added to my Christmas list. Another stall we loved was a printing stall selling wooden stamps to print of fabric, paper or anything really. I bought a reindeer, penguin and a Merry Christmas stamp to make my own wrapping paper this year. My sister adored a light stall that used LED lights on a string to make wreaths, reindeers and robins along with other strings of lights. Isla, being the penguin mad baby she is, spotted a felt penguin tree topper so out of toys, chocolate, cakes and clothes, she clung to her felt penguin like it was the greatest treasure in the world and proudly showed anyone who talked to her.

After we were done we headed to Yo Sushi for lunch. I have missed Yo Sushi!! First time have have been in 2 1/2 years! I thought I'd get Isla some rice and vegetable maki but she had other ideas, she stole my edamame beans and ate the lot! Then proceeded to steal a good chunk of my chicken rice and 2 of my crunchy prawn mini rolls. She was even using chopsticks like a little boss. So my daughter definitely takes after me in my love of sushi.

The next fair was the Ripon Cathedral Christmas Market. It's set the the stunning Cathedral itself and make a stunning backdrop for the wonderful stalls. Me, Noah and Isla all walked up together and Noah was more fascinated with the building than the stalls. There were glass artisans, cake stalls, jewelry makers, painters, so many stunning stalls with amazing gifts and treats. I bought Noah and Isla a Christmas cupcake each which made them both happy. It was a lovely little trip out as a family. Noah realised it meant Christmas was getting closer and has asked a few times a day since when we are getting our tree. He really loves Christmas.

I'm so looking forward to celebrating this year with my Children and will be trying to make it as magical and fun as I can for them. It's also the first year our elf is coming to keep an eye on them, I'll let you know how that goes!