It only seems right on the 1st January to post a list of all the firsts that are expected to happen or I hope will happen this year. I'm really looking forward to checking back to this post on the 31st December to see how many came true! Although some are sure things!

My List of Firsts for 2013

1. My sister will have baby.
2. I will be an Auntie. (I actually have 3 beautiful nieces and a nephew on my husband's side but this will be the first time I will be called Auntie Lucy). Auntie Lu in fact.
3. We will leave both boys for the first time and fly to America.
4. The boys will see the old Pier at Clevedon and walk along the rocks on New Years Day.
5. My brother will own a house with a swimming pool. Jammie dodger!
6. An Easter egg hunt on a beach.
7. Our big boy Sammy will start Primary School.
8. Ollie will play in snow.
9. A family holiday in a hot sunny child friendly resort.
10. Ollie will speak.
11. Host a Doctors and Nurses party. (Children's I might add!) I've never seen this theme for children before!
12. Sammy will learn to ride a bike.
13. We keep our cars all year.
14. We make it down to Penzance to visit family and friends.
15. Host a dinner party in our new dining room.
16. I will bake a cake.
17. Sammy will start swimming lessons.
18. My Mum and I will host a baby shower.
19. One whole side of my family will be travelling on the other side of the world. (It makes me nervous.)
20. I shoot and print my first lomography film.
21. I get paid to photograph a wedding.
22. I will meet some incredible bloggers at my first blog conference.
23. I host a link party on my blog (and that someone joins in).

Happy New Year everyone. Our New Year's Eve didn't quite go to plan and at midnight I whispered Old Lang Syne, holding Sammy's hand as he dozed off between us. I will post some photos tomorrow, it's like a what could have been!

Is there anything you expect to do for the first time this year? I love ticking things off a list and hope I get to tick all 23 off for 2013!

I love printables. I also love words. I say to big boy "use your words" a hundred times a day and even though our small boy still only has a vocabulary with a grand total of 2 words (at least one of them is Mama), I hope that both of them follow our family tradition at this time of year and say proudly "Compliments of the Season"!

It might take a couple of years for small boy!

Download your favourite colour scheme and print. Frame and place on a table or mantelpiece or use it as a background for Christmas bunting like me. I used some old string, Christmas tree decorations and some buttons I bought from a charity shop for 10p!

Compliments of the Season to all you lovely readers! Now where is that mistletoe?! xx

ps there are 7 colour ways for you to choose from.

Christmas Printable

I love a good sprout. Unfortunately for everyone else I like them soft, almost mushy!

Searching for a new way to satisfy all over the Christmas table and I found these recipes after being inspired by a blog I follow. Clearly I am behind in sprout terms!

Peel the outer leaves (this is trickier than you might think but persevere) and cut the remainder in 3 length ways to keep the sprouts relatively thin. Heat your oven to 180 degrees or Gas Mark 4 and sprinkle/drizzle over your seasonings. Cook for 10 minutes but check regularly to not let the crispy ones become charcoal! I tried mine 3 ways.

1. Cinnamon, sugar, salt and olive oil. Salty but sweet - scrumptious!
2. Balsamic glaze and olive oil - sharp and sticky - best eaten with fingers.
3. Soy sauce, salt and olive oil - surprisingly complementary flavours.

If you love sprouts you will love my Pinterest board! Follow it here.