It feels like such a treat to spend money on flowers.

When I go and pick a few stems from a florist, I act like Sammy and Ollie on a Friday after school, when I say they can choose 10 penny sweets at the Post Office.

I come over a little giddy and take time to choose the prettiest blooms.

I feel greatly inspired with things I love around me.

I snapped some photos quickly the other afternoon and suddenly realised when I loaded them on the computer, I had some mini works of art in the making.

Simply add a lovely quote and print as postcards or frame for a quick and inexpensive decoration for your home.

I held the flowers in place upright with some blue tack on the dining room table!

And these were on our coffee table, in front of the lounge window. 

I am going to print them for above my desk.

Feel free to download them here if you fancy some blooming beautiful artwork too :) These will print well as greetings cards, if you have someone who loves botanical photographs as much as I do.

Happy Sunday everyone. We are off to Sammy's sweetheart's birthday party this afternoon. As her birthday is so close to Christmas and she has her whole class coming, as well as other friends, we are giving her an experience, instead of a wrapped gift. A sleepover and first time for all of them bowling followed by lunch out! I have put a garden plastic skittle in a gift bag as a clue! I know she will love it. 

Only 2 sleeps to go! 

Are you having a relaxing 48 hours or are you madly dashing around doing last minute shopping?!

We are moving a few more bits into the rental house today and then packing up for our Christmas on the go! We head up to Surrey tonight, ready to greet my brother and sister in law at Heathrow tomorrow at 7am!

We are meeting my sister and her family in Church for the crib service and then it will be back to Mums for our traditional Christmas Eve routine. Carrots, reindeer food, stocking by the fireplace and we will read Twas the Night Before Christmas. 

Christmas morning will be magical with Patrick and Carlotta home for the first time in 4 years, then we are off for Christmas lunch and a sleepover with my little niece at my sister's house. We have already downloaded the old song "Baby's First Christmas!"

Boxing Day will be in Poole at my in laws then we have a couple of days in Southbourne, a pantomime and then a trip to Oxford to be with all my family. I can't believe that this was only last year, our Safari Christmas! In one year this side of my family has been through the most horrendous ordeal and we all just have to hope and pray that the new year brings good news.

We are heading back to Poole for New Year and our best friends will be joining us as my in laws are away! Midnight in the hot tub - marvellous!

I had a few other new festive posts to share which I will just have to save for next year now, but here are a few from last year, if you fancy a last minute activity!

Why not make some Reindeer Food?! 

Looking for something more subtle? Why not print your own festive words page and use it for bunting? Click here for the downloadable file.

Guaranteed to get everyone giggling - DIY Window Stickers from fabric paint! 

Easy to make and delicious to eat crispy cake trees! 

What about making a lens scrunchie to help get everyone looking at the camera?!

What about making up a Christmas scavenger hunt? 

Perfect for grandparents - print your own photo cubes and get the kids to decorate them!

No time to bake - no problem! These Rudolph biscuits are so simple the kids can make them!

Cocktails can be for the whole family! Try this Cranberry idea!

These candy floss snowball pops were my favourite thing I made last year! 

Buy a cheap canvas and make your own light picture! 

These Santa Pops are just too cute! 

I am signing off now for a little while to enjoy this precious time with my brother and spoil the boys with attention. They have been so dreadfully ignored over the last couple of weeks with all the house moving stress! 

Don't forget to check out my festive ideas from this year too! Make cute fruit ice cubes, party nibbles and these pigs in blankets in sleeping bags are too easy not to try.

Fruit Ice Cubes

Stollen Croutons

Extra Special Pigs

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. Enjoy every minute with your family and friends.

I know it's easier to buy a chocolate advent calendar from the supermarket, but I also know that my boys will get so much more pleasure from a simple DIY Advent Calendar idea, which apart from a little effort and time, didn't cost a lot at all.

You will need:

• clear plastic bags (I bought a pack of 25 in The Range for just over £1)
• permanent pen or if you want to follow my design use chalkboard labels which you can buy in packets from a pound shop.
• paper bags (optional)
• play ideas and a few little sweets if you want to.
• sticky tape

I had some paper bags left over from Sammy's Circus Party which I used to hide some of the treats, but the reason I love using clear bags is my boys respond to praise and reward. So if they can see there is something lovely on offer, their behaviour improves!

I filled my bags with ideas for play from around the house. 

So each little toys is a prompt to do something together. 

Glasses for a dressing up session, binoculars for a walk on a high hill, a plastic lion as we have tickets to Longleat Safari (which is a surprise), a cowboy postcard for a play in the wigwam tent, left over party bag bubbles, a toy that comes from a favourite film which signals a family movie afternoon and a knitted egg which means a cooked breakfast!

I used an old frame to stick the bags to the wall in the lounge. And as the days go on, I will move the ones that didn't fit into the frame space! Patterned tape is great because it doesn't mark your walls and looks pretty. Although if you put slightly heavier things in like bubbles you may need a couple of layers of tape to keep them on the wall!

Last year I made the boys a Book Advent Calendar from a stack of story books I collected from charity shops. 

Are you making an advent calendar this year? I'd love to see your ideas!