Holiday Goodies Just For You!

I’m sending holiday good cheer around the world to you this morning! (My family’s sleeping in from our late night Monopoly marathon; I’m up with my early morning coffee, admiring our tree.)

Anticipation brings joy, and I truly believe that you can have maximum fun with minimum effort, so for you — my list of holiday goodies to enjoy.

1. For families — Christmas Camp Out

   We started Christmas Camp Out when the boys were little and budgets were tight. We’re still going, 15 years later. On December 23, the kids open their Christmas pjs, then they drag sleeping bags under the tree and have an indoor camp out. Late night stories, lots of laughs. It was THRILLING for 3 year olds to sleep under the tree, and honestly — teenagers still love it.

2. Take a walk — alone or together

   For us, it’s a big bush walk. Walking is the perfect way to de-stress, to think about what you love, and to get your body moving. My teens chose a bush walk that was 3 kilometres down a cliff and 3 kilometres back up. Not kidding you. I’m sore this morning! Wherever you are today, take a walk and appreciate how beautiful the world is.

3. Enjoy your holiday treats

We all have a few holiday treats we love. For us, it’s old-fashioned Coconut Ice and Rum Balls at Christmas.

I use this recipe for Coconut Ice, and I always make Vancouver chef Diane Clement’s rum balls.

4. Always this: gratitude.

Because no matter what we’re facing this holiday — and I know, we rarely share the absolute hard stuff but we ALL have it happening — we need to take a little time to appreciate our lives. The old cliche is true:

5. Friends and family: reach out!

A one minute text message, a photo sent, a call, a hug, a minute to really listen. Give the gift of your attention. We can all do more of this. My big sister, Cookie, always says: “Is there a piano tied to your keister??” which makes me laugh every time. So unless there’s a piano tied to you, you can easily reach out to someone. We all can.

From me and my (tall) family, Happy Holidays. It’s an absolute privilege to say hello every week. Thank you for reading!

Thank you for being lovely.

Love, Catherine x

(We need to work out using the timer! But here we are…love from my family to you!)

Sweet & Bright

Hearts are full this time of year.

Yours. Mine.

I'm thinking it will be lovely to slide into a quiet Christmas. 

Here's my wish for every one of you, in Europe, the UK, Japan, India, the Netherlands, Canada, America, South Africa and more...

May the last few days of December -- that pause between all you did in 2017 and all your dreams for the new year -- be sweet. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Everything.

Love Catherine x

PS. Just keeping it real...Luther opened the front door in the middle of my 'photoshoot' with my 13 year old photographer-son and said, "HEY, TRYING TO WATER THE LAWN AROUND HERE!!!" Friends, meet Luther (& Holly). They say MERRY CHRISTMAS. 

And if you're curious, here's my Christmas in Australia last year. (White beaches and a pretty DIY tree!)

Almond Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

Hi, friends!

A shout-out to two of my fabulous sisters today: Dar and Cookie (yep, it's a nickname!).

Dar smuggled several jars of homemade raspberry jam into Australia. It's probably illegal but she is a superior jam-maker. Think luscious Canadian raspberries, very little sugar, packed to the brim in a mason jar. And Cookie (of course!) gave me this recipe. 

We use Almond Raspberry White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies for one of our favourite Christmas traditions.

I made it up. And it's hilarious.

CHRISTMAS NINJAS.

On Christmas Eve, the four of us dress up in embarrassing matching outfits. The first year was Onesies. One year was Aussie flag boxer shorts, t-shirts and Christmas hats. And this year....well, this year is a surprise, in this package.

The boys open the ninja gift on Christmas Eve, then out we go in matching outfits to "ninja deliver" cookies.

The mission? Drop off cookies, ring the bell and run like...crazy. And never, ever get caught. 

We've had to scale walls, deal with dogs, commando-crawl across front gardens. And best of all, our Christmas Ninja tradition gave us the most hilarious dinner party story EVER. (But it's got lots of swear words in it, so I can't tell you unless you come over.)

You can see why kids love it. Right?

Feel free to steal the idea, moms-with-little-kids. I think it's the best holiday tradition I've ever created.

Almond Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons plain flour
• raspberry jam
• white chocolate 

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in almond extract and flour. Roll into (1 inch / 2 cm) balls and place on cookie sheet. Make an indentation and fill with jam. Bake at 170 C fan-forced for 14 mins (Australia) or 350F for 12-16 mins (North America). Cool. Drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Then package up and be Ninjas. But only if you want to!

Sending you big hugs this Christmas.

Love, Catherine x

PS. We celebrated a major milestone this week...Ls to Ps. I love teenagers. I truly do. Can you see that big grin on Luke's face that spells FREEDOM? Ha! (And just for you, more fun recipes... best chocolate cake and best salad ever ...or take a peek at what I've been up to on Instagram.)

The Perfect (do nothing) Homemade Gift

Joy! Presents! Parties!

Sometimes during the holidays we need help, people.

Every week I try to give you something to make your world a little better. Today it's this: the Perfect Do Nothing 12 Minute Homemade Gift.

Easy! Healthy! Lovingly made! Delicious!

1. Buy natural almonds.

2. Preheat oven to 180 C fan-forced (Australia) or 350 F (Canada & America).

3. Roast for 8 - 12 minutes. Sprinkle with Himalayan pink salt (or any salt). Cool.

Serve at a party. Wrap up as a pretty gift. Perfect with bubbly and appetisers, or with fruit and coffee and dark chocolate as dessert. Amazing in every salad you make. These are ridiculously better than store-bought Roasted Almonds.

Happy holidays. You're soooo welcome!

Have fun this weekend (and be fun to live with!)

Love Catherine x

PS. Some weekend favourites for you:

• The most amazing pipe organ in Sydney Town Hall!

• Cathedral bells at St Mary's are here.

• My favourite Christmas animation with GORGEOUS music (3 mins), watch "Walking on Air" from The Snowman here.

How to love December

Does he look a little menacing to you? 

22 days, my friends. That's it. And let's face it, though we all love the holidays (I love Christmas!), the mental load of joy-making usually falls on women. 

What's mental load, you ask? Emma, the brilliant French cartoonist, explains it here. It's truly something to think about; click that link and take time to have a look. (I'm currently loving all things French, like my fabulous collaborator and friend, Helene Magisson!)

The solution?

A bit of this:

Sit down, lovely person. Sit down and take it all in.

Do what you can -- and rest as often as possible. 

Between the gingerbread houses and the school plays, end-of-school-year in Australia and the gift buying and wrapping, in between the dips and appetisers and toasting with bubbly, tree trimming and catch-ups, work life and friend life and family joy...

rest.

Inhale the beauty all around you this season.

Look in the eyes of the people you love. Absorb what they're saying. Be present for your crazy-wonderful friends. For your family.

Hold each sparkly moment in your fingers.

And rest.

Enjoy your first weekend in December. We are all so lucky to be here.

Love, Catherine

PS. Last year's gingerbread house photos are here -- let me know if you want my sister's incredible recipe! This weekend, I'm in the middle of these ones...

I'm Dreaming of a White (Sandy Beach) Christmas

Our white Christmas is sandy. Yours might be snowy. Whatever the weather, I imagine you right now...sipping bubbly in Australia on Christmas morning or sitting in your party dress or pjs by your tree on Canadian Christmas Eve. 

<Our Canadian Tree...and my little girl. Notice the cockatoo feather?>

Whatever you celebrate -- Christmas or otherwise -- happy holidays!

<And my Aussie beach tree...the only DIY craft project I've ever done. I *might* have crazy glued that wooden piece to my kitchen table. Just a teeny bit.>

Thanks for being here with me :) Every week in my blog, I've tried to give you something you can use. Maybe not pretty or perfect, but useful. I think the world needs a lot more sharing of our wrinkles, freckles, grey hair, and big hearts (cue my beach photo!). And maybe a little less of our picture-perfect lives.

We're all in this together. Growing older and wiser together. And aren't we lucky?

In Grade One, when I was six, my teacher taught us this poem. I've never forgotten it.

“He drew a circle that shut me out.
Heretic! Rebel! A thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win.
We drew a circle that took him in.”

— Edwin Markham, American poet, (1852-1940)

All your life you'll be drawing circles, she told us. Draw yours to bring other people in. For me, that's what my blog is. A way to spread some happiness and draw my circle around you. 

Thanks for seeing the world through my eyes. May you have the good health and happiness to draw your own circles of love in 2017...and help everyone win.

Be blessed. You deserve it.

Catherine xx

Easy Gingerbread

Sixteen years ago when Luke was born, my sister Rena came to Sydney. She taught me a lot about babies, and she also gave me her recipe for gingerbread houses. 

Every year without fail, I've made my sister's gingerbread. And every year I think of her as my kitchen fills with the scent of ginger and cinnamon.

If all you've known are those gingerbread house kits from a box, my sister's recipe makes moist, fragrant, spicy gingerbread that begs you to make a fresh cup of coffee and enjoy.

And it's easy. I promise.

If you or a friend/daughter/sister want Rena's gingerbread recipe (plus house instructions), email me, leave a message in the Comments or Forward to a Friend (link is below - so they can request it from me if they want it). The recipe is ideal for making gingerbread people, too. I know Rena wouldn't mind sharing with you. We come from a long line of women who love to share with others...it's our best quality as a family.

Your kitchen will smell like Christmas.

And because I can't resist, here's a funny story for you: when Luke started school I thought it was a GREAT IDEA to make 25 little houses for his classmates for Christmas -- so tiny, how hard could it be?? Well, it was I'M STILL UP AT 3AM hard. Forever after, I've made big gingerbread houses for each class to share.

Wishing you a happy start to the holiday season from 'snowy' Sydney...here's hoping you can make time for all the traditions you enjoy.