Retro Cards, Lantern-Painting & Sugar-Rush Shortbread

This weekend, the girls and I did some Christmas crafts together. While we were driving home this evening, I noticed that a lot of the houses have their Christmas lights up, so it feels like we aren’t the only people in Belfast pretending it’s already Christmas time 🙂

We got a retro Christmas card pack from Lina at https://www.amistykindofblue.com/ I love her craft packs and the cute packaging they arrive in 🙂 It was an easy craft to complete – I just had to supply the girls with glue and let them design their own cards. I like the way they never hesitate when I hand them craft supplies 🙂 I always doubt everything I do, so it’s nice to know they haven’t inherited that 🙂 I made a couple of cards too and then my daughter pinched them so she could finish them 🙂 We didn’t have extra card, so we improvised with folded paper and the girls spent a full hour sitting making cards. They even made one for my parents’ cat 🙂 It was the most peaceful craft we’ve ever done together . I might stock up on some more card-making materials and make it a regular practice 🙂

My friend had sent us a pack of little wooden lanterns to build and paint together. I assembled them and we painted one each. I think I need to make a conscious effort to carve out more time for crafting on my own too 🙂 The lanterns came with little battery tealights to put inside so we can use them as Christmas decorations too 🙂

We made some shortbread and the girls iced them and decorated them with sprinkles. I got some edible glitter and we added it too. I think one cookie contained the recommended weekly amount of sugar. I love how this shortbread recipe tastes but it’s hard work getting it to hold together 🙂

The girls got out their build a garden kit and worked together to make flowers. It’s still my favourite of all their toys 🙂 You can find it by clicking this link:

In the late afternoon, we went to see the new version of The Jungle Book at the drive-in cinema. I wasn’t keen on the film and paid more attention to the stripey sunset behind the screen. It was like a night-time rainbow 🙂 The Christmas lights had been put up and Christmas music was played on-screen before the film started. It felt really festive 🙂 Afterwards, I took the girls for dinner in Burger King and they had Christmas morning faces when I revealed we were going there too 🙂 I like that my daughter has developed a style of her own that I wouldn’t have thought to choose for her 🙂