Oobi doobi do.

Baby G is a very lucky girl. We went out to lunch this week with friends and she received this divine Holly ruffle pocket Oobi dress in Cherry Baby from our friends who were visiting from Singapore. It's so lovely - I was thrilled when I unwrapped it (on her behalf of course). I can't wait for her to be big enough to wear it, and at the rate she is growing that won't be long!

It also comes in Apple Pop which is a fabulous colour combination. I love it so much I'm considering buying it as well... And it also comes in blue and pink... Decisions decisions!

Kitty

Sweet treats.

First they dress me up like a candy cane....


Then they dress me up as a pudding....


Thankfully they didn't dress me up as a pavlova!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We had a fab time - lots of food (if anyone has any tips for what to do with about 6kg of leftover ham, please let me know), laughter and relaxed good times with family and friends. I think Baby G enjoyed her Christmas - she certainly got loads of presents and cuddles from everyone!

I was very blessed this year. Irrespective of the giftage, I got to spend the holiday with my parents, Mr K and Baby G: all of my favourite people! I have to say that this Christmas topped off a very good year for the Kitties. I am so thankful for all our blessings and the fact we were able to share them with our loved ones.

I hope you all had a fabulous time over the holidays. I wonder what 2012 has in store for all of us!

Kitty xx

PS: I am not joking about the ham... It's seriously huge. And we ordered a small one! It was so large we didn't even bother cooking the turkey...

Precious.

Baby G - how precious you are to us.

Merry Christmas Eve, our baby girl.

Mummy xxxx

Miss Kitty goes shopping.

One of the great advantages of modern technology is that you are always online. I often find myself during the long hours of breastfeeding (Baby G really likes taking her time) browsing the internets looking for pretty things on my iphone. It's so convenient. And dangerous.

For example, last night I was sitting there, well after Mr K had gone to bed while our little dumpling finished her supper (very slowly). I'd Facebooked, I had forumed, I had answered all my emails (one handed, no mean feat)... So I drifted towards the sites I sometimes frequent - my favourite online stores.

As readers of this blog will well know, I have a very soft spot for Leona Edmiston dresses. I haven't bought many recently but this one caught my fancy - and at $95 I think it's a bit of a bargain.

Luckily I know my credit card number off by heart and within moments it was mine. The jury is still out as to whether it will look a bit too Gold Coast Granny for me, but if all else fails it will be useful for our trip to Palm Springs and Las Vegas next year.

Kitty

Baby G's first Christmas tree

Baby G is most excited about Christmas. Well, okay, I am excited about Baby G's first Christmas. There's nothing like Christmas with children, if only because it allows me to exercise my Olympic class shopping skills.

When it comes to Christmas trees, I have to admit I am a traditionalist. For me, it's the real deal. The smell just makes Christmas for me. So fresh. However, real trees take less ornaments than fake ones - their branches are floopier which means you can't overload the tree. A definite disadvantage.

We support our local scout troop with the purchase of our tree and the visit to select the tree is a family affair now, taking Baby G to make the crucial purchase with us. You can see she was most excited about the prospect:


But by the time we made it to the scout hall, she had abandoned her responsibilities in favour of a nap. Oh well - luckily I am a pro at picking trees and wasn't relying on her expertise.


This year I have gone minimalist - partially because out tree is a little smaller than usual (I went for shape over height) and partially because the cats have a tendency to remove ornaments from the tree so I avoided putting anything breakable on it, and fewer ornaments on the lower branches (practice for next year and a crawling baby). I started with the silver ornaments and some of our favourites and when I was done, it just looked... Well, finished. Mr K said it needed a bit of colour so I added what red baubles we had and filled the gaps with red bows. And Voila. Done.

I admit I have an awful lot of Christmas decorations going spare this year - all packed back into their boxes. But the tree is somewhat reflective of our Christmas: low fuss, minimal, focused on the important stuff. And I honestly can't think of anything better.

We purchased these fun wooden ornaments from a wonderful store in Quebec City. I wish I would have bought more - maybe a trip back there is in order?

Faux Fuchsia luffs a fat bid and so do I. These beauties came from Country Road last year. A very good investment.

Mr K and I in felt - we need to get a Baby G to complete the set!

Do you prefer a real or fake tree at your house? What smell says Christmas to you?

Kitty

Snakey.

For the first time in a very long time (since before Baby G was born) I have started thinking about wearing proper shoes again. By proper shoes I mean shoes with heels. Not flats, not flip flops, not slippers. Real shoes.

I'd buy these in a heartbeat but I have nowhere whatsoever that I could wear $1000 shoes. Really. Not even I can justify that at the moment. Even if they had my size on sale at Saks I still couldn't justify buying them. Also, I do believe my feet have expanded ever so slightly during my pregnancy so it's a purchase that would definitely need to be tried on before parting with the cash...

But they are ridiculously pretty. Ahhh - so nice to look!

Kitty

A moment to myself with a nice cup of tea.

Being a mum is hard work. Harder work that I ever thought, despite my many Mummy friends warning me about how challenging life is in those first precious weeks. Despite the many difficulties I have encountered breastfeeding (too numerous and tedious to discuss here, including but not limited to two bouts of mastitis, recurrent nipple thrush, ongoing pain, low supply, intense guilt and a windy baby which requires me to remove vast numbers of things from my diet), the one thing I try to do every day is have my afternoon cup of tea. Despite the challenges of the day, I find it soothes and relaxes me, recharging the batteries for the witching hour and the evening ahead.

My tipple of choice at the moment is T2's French Early Grey. Intently floral and perfumed, it is a medium-bodied black tea with pretty petals and slivers of fruit that play with classic bergamot in a refined infusion. With hints of peaches, apricots and zesty citrus, it is complemented by a field of sunflowers, rose, cornflower and hibiscus.

It's a light and uplifting way to break the afternoon. For me, it's a treat in a cup and a few precious moments to myself in an otherwise chaotic and busy life. Moments I savour and revel in and I love I can share them with such a delicious brew.

Kitty