Autumn '17 Roundup

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

I can not believe it's nearly Christmas, I really don't know where the time has gone. Some of the things on this list seem like I did them eons ago, and yet I ran out of time to do them all. Still, it's been a lovely season in many ways. Winter maybe upon us but that means spring isn't far away and soon we'll have a whole brand new year in which to marvel at how quickly it is passing.

Here's how I got on with my autumn things-to-do list

Make fat balls for the birds and keep them coming throughout autumn and winter
Making these was messy and rather satisfying. I found a super simple recipe (some seemed necessarily complicated) and got stuck in. I made enough to fill my feeders twice over and have enough ingredients to continue making them well into the new year.

Watch a scary movie on Halloween
I didn't watch a movie but I did start to watch series 6 of The Walking Dead. I don't find this scary as such, however I can't watch it when it's dark outside.

Watch under 16s football from the sidelines (so much better than watching the overpaid 'professionals')
One of my nephews plays, and my brother is team manager. I enjoy watching a game or two and can be found shouting things like 'Go on Wanderers!' or 'Ref, are you blind?!!!!' whenever I grace the sidelines. This is rather uncharacteristic as I detest professional football.

Knit!
I got my sticks out and decided to make some toys, I knitted a lion (Leo) and a monkey (Moo). The monkey has been made several times before. He's really easy to knit, and so is perfect for my limited skills.

Spend Black Friday making handmade gifts
Rolling two goals into one, I was knitting on Black Friday. Leo and Moo are going to a good home in March when a friend's brother's baby boy arrives.

Make your own chai latte
I've long wanted to make my own, but all the different ingredients meant I was always missing one ingredient or another. I found a really simple cheat recipe and ordered myself some teapigs chai tea temples and a milk whisk and I was all set. Accompanied by a mince pie, it was pretty perfect. If you make it, please just remember to put the whisk in the milk and then turn it on. I didn't do that and splatter myself with milk, oh no (I did).

Paint pottery
I daubed a large bauble and a cute Father Christmas face at Crafty Coffee in Felixstowe - a lovely little place if you're ever in the area. And if you don't fancy painting anything, and they're not busy, they don't mind you just having a coffee and munching on a (delicious) cheese scone.

Go on a charity shop search for warm woollens
I did go on a good romp around the charity shops but found only one jumper, a lovely emerald green fine knit, originally from Zara. I'd say it's more of a summer knit but I'm not afraid of a bit of layering. I also found a lovely scarf - super soft and super huge!

Eat a Cadbury's Ghoost Egg, or a box of Mr Kipling's Fiendish Fancies, or both
Both, and some Mr Kipling Toffee Terror Whirls that had been reduced the day after Halloween :)

Get cosy and read
Over Autumn I read much less than I intended. I only read three books and given that I've read 45 books this year, it doesn't seem like much. My favourite of these books was A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart. I read a review over on t*rexes and tiaras in October last year, it came highly recommended so I put it on my to-read list. As luck would have it I found it in a charity shop in the summer and it didn't disappoint!

And the goals that life got in the way of  - prepare a crumble using foraged fruits and serve with piping hot custard, enjoy a homemade soup for lunch with fresh crusty granary rolls, needle felt some acorns, light a bonfire and roast marshmallows, plant spring flowering bulbs, turn off the TV and do a jigsaw puzzle (we got waaaaay to into watching box sets for this).

Maybe I'll get to do all of these things next year instead?

And so on to winter, what are your favourite winter pursuits?

You Might Also Like

12 comments

  1. What is a Ghoost egg if you don't mind me asking (I'm presuming it's Halloween!)??

    https://lizziedailyblog.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's for Halloween, it's a Cadbury cream egg but without the yellow bit, it's all white. Previously they've had the Scream Egg
      x

      Delete
  2. I think you rather did well and, as you say, there's always next year. I'm rather impressed by making fat balls for the birds: it must be very satisfying seeing the little fellas enjoy them! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's lovely to see the birds on the feeders. I need to get another batch made xx

      Delete
  3. Thanks for the link to the fat balls - I'm always having to dash down to Wilkos, our feathered friends are eating us out of house and home.
    Nothing beats the chai you get in India, especially the stuff they serve on the trains at 5p a cup! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's the simplest recipe I could find. I had to cool the mixture a little bit before I could mould it into balls but it was really easy and quick.
      I hope to try a proper chai one day:)
      xx

      Delete
  4. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and all good things ahead for 2018 you have been a fun blogger and I have really enjoyed reading your posts and the challenges you set yourself, not least the wardrobe challenge! Betty x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Betty, that's really kind of you to say :)
      xx

      Delete
  5. I think you have done so many things very well! Thanks for the Felixstowe tip- I like the sound of that!x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crafty Coffee is near Argos, but at the other end of the high street is a lovely wool and coffee shop called the Wool Baa which is worth a visit too xx

      Delete
  6. I like the idea of making fat balls, might try this next year! You achieved so much Hazel xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're so easy Sophie, and much cheaper than buying them ready made :)
      xx

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to comment x

Copyright

All content © Hazel's World of Joy except where noted

Disclaimer

All products that are featured on Hazel’s World of Joy have been purchased by me unless otherwise stated. Any PR samples, items that have been sent to me for review or similar will be declared as such at the end of the post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.