Angel picture - again, inspired by Usbourne and for "Adelola's (Mati's pronunciation) project".



I use the same template to make cards – but unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of these this time.


Similar pattern – but changing hair colour and style, dresses, whether they carry flowers or wands, the direction they are flying in.

These are good for Christmas and other cards.

We've been making Christmas cards for a couple of years now, helped by Usbourne for some great ideas - which we either follow or adapt.

You just need some fingers for these for the bodies and heads, and a paint brush or black pen for the rest.

Snowmen, penguins, angels are often featured – I think penguins are my fave, Mati prefers decorating the snowmen though. She used some glitter glue this time, which worked well.


We both do the finger painting – boredom can set it with Mati before me…but she loves drawing in the detail - arms, eyes, hats, scarves, etc, - and is way better than me at this.


So we use these for cards, present tags, etc,

I try and use brown paper as much as possible - and recycled – this year I was using card from packets of tights, for example.

We have to do ‘thank you-for-the-amazing-Christmas-gifts’ cards. This task is proving to be more difficult than it needs to be. Attempting to get both boys in the ‘right’ mood to take a photo is almost impossible. Where did they get that moodiness from?!


Okay, so photos taken, printed onto card and it looks okay. Now all that’s left to do is to have Logaan write them up and post them off before, well as soon as possible really. Happy New Year!

Snowflakes…

Mati got started all on her own, but her use of tissue paper and paper got me started on a Merry Christmas sign for the mirror.

Covering the letters in different coloured tissue paper, with different effects, etc. Using bubble wrap on some. Unfortunately, my part of the project will have to carry on next year, as didn't quite finish. Mati was too interested in the snowflakes to get involved. She helped with the Happy Birthday letters before though...

Mince pies...

Done way back in November on Christmas-inspired Sat afternoon

Earliest have ever done them - thank goodness for freezers

 

This was probably the first time that Mati had actually helped making cakes, etc from beginning to end, without wondering off half way through.

She helped with the pastry making, rolling, cutting, and decorating

We had some slight disagreements in the artistic realm, she preferred the lids to be full lids with an angel/holly/snowman on top, I preferred it without a lid...we did about half/half...

It was Christmas Eve and Noa helped me to prepare Finnish Christmas dinner, which involved swede and carrot dishes baked in the oven. Noa was a great help in adding the ingredients in and mixing them up. We made an enjoyable meal and had some glogi (like mulled wine) and home-made joulupipareita (like gingerbread) and joulutorttuja (plum tarts) afterwards... and of course some nice chocolate.

This Christmas seemed to be an important one in establishing our family’s Christmas tradition, finding a way of integrating Finnish and British customs. Food with different flavours and smells is what I remember very well from my own childhood and is what I want to pass on to Noa. Noa’s absolute favourite baking turned out to be joulupiparit (similar to gingerbread, but slightly less gingery). Noa and I found it hard not to eat the dough before it was baked.