USA or Chocolate Kimberly?

Which bickies do you like best at Christmas?

Today's journal entry is a Food Shopping List.

I've already made one for Mam for her house (as that's where we'll be for a while over the hols) and we got all our shopping done on MOnday night. Our kind neighbours minded E for an hour while we nipped off to Dunnes. The place wasn't too manic busy but I still managed to spend 250 yoyos.....having said that there was a fair few important items like jumbo size toilet roll, washing powder, and our drinks cabinet will now be sociably full.....for all the visitors we are not going to get!

It made me think back to the kind of foods we always associated with Christmas.....TK Red Lemonade & orange, USA biscuits, Jumbo boxes of Tayto Cheese and Onion, Seasons Greetings sweets from Lemonfield, or Cadbury's Roses if you were lucky. Now there's such a wealth of choice....sweet and savoury.

Did a little bit more shopping last night. Had to get some corporate gifts...well a couple of meal vouchers! We only have 4 major clients that we like to send something to, and last year was a bit of a race around town on the last day, so this year, we were a little more organised, made a list and I said I'd nip into town to get a few bits yesterday evening. No joy, I dawdled too long and it ended up that the Town Hall Theatre was closed at 7.30 (obviously no show on last night?) and the only other V. important shop I wanted to get to also doesn't do late night and was closed at 6. Looks like I'll have to make the trip again at lunch today.

We're doing secret santa in the office tomorrow, which should be fun, and our Christmas party is tomorrow night. We'll have a gang of about 20, partners and all, so I'm looking forward to it. We always try to do it at the very end, so people don't have to come back into work again and it also gets people into the spirit more I think. This year we've opted for dinner in one of the nicest restaurants in town (not the most expensive, just lovely italian food) and have hopefully managed to set aside a table in a pub for ourselves too....

Am feeling a little run down today to be honest. Had a sore throat all of the beginning of the week, but now it's progressing into a cough and stuffy nose. I really would love it to be gone for the weekend as it's not much fun being sick at Christmas. I'm not sick enough to stay at home, but feel kinda cr*ppy all the same. E has a really tickly cough and was coughing for a good hour last night which also kept us awake, so will most likely be a moody oul B today! Think Christmas thoughts, think christmas thoughts....

Last night I changed tack on Elaine's (my sister) Christmas present. She told me she wanted a book and I had great plans to make a mini book with gatefolds etc etc that would have loadsa bits. It's killing me to be honest and I feel I'm not going to get it done, so yesterday I went into a second hand book shop and bought a board book which I'm going to alter for her. I've done one of these already as a present!! and got through it in no time as you had something to work with and a limited number of pages. Maybe I need a little restriction in my life!

Also bought the newest eddition of Scrapbook Inspirations in Easons yesterday so had a nice read yesterday....some fabby ideas as usual. Also picked up a copy of Creating Keepsakes....also fabby ideas. I love Ali....she rocks!