Yaaaay! Tis (almost) the season to be jolly!

I can barely contain myself; the holiday season is quickly approaching. It’s time to shop for gifts, decorate the tree, and plan for holiday parties! If it is your turn to host, you’ll benefit from these Christmas dinner party ideas. Take some time to look through the following tips. Then send out the invitations and get ready for some holiday cheer!

Have a Dessert Party
Avoid preparing a six-course dinner by throwing a dessert party. Bake Christmas cookies and treats in advance and freeze them. When it’s time for the party, pull out the desserts. Make cider and eggnog to go with the goodies. You can also ask guests to bring desserts for more variety.

Candy Cane Match
A friend gave me this idea. Buy a collection of assorted candy canes. Break each one of them in half. Hand out the various halves, giving one to every guest. Then ask them to find the missing half of their candy cane. This game also works with frosted Christmas cookies.

Eat and Run
There’s no rule that Christmas dinner parties have to be held inside your home. Suggest going to a holiday movie or Christmas event in the area. The group can eat out at a restaurant before or after the event.

For a variation of this Christmas dinner party idea, hold a quick meal in your home before the outing. Ask each guest to bring a dish or dessert. Enjoy the holiday food, and then head out to the movie or to view Christmas lights. This is a good way to spend time together without having to prepare huge meals and host a party all night long.

Deck the Halls
Ask each guest to bring a small Christmas wreath. When they arrive, have them place the wreath on a board or string them on a hanging cord outside. You can also buy materials for wreaths and have guests create their own during the party. Display the artwork and vote on the best wreaths. Hand out prizes to the winners.

Christmas Open House
For this party idea, send out invitations with the times of the open house listed. This way guests can drop in when they have a chance and leave when they need to. Set out a simple buffet, such as cheese and crackers, sausage, sandwiches and hot soup. You may want to have a “build your own eggnog sundae” area for fun. A table with frosting to decorate sugar cookies will keep the children busy. If you are feeling ambitious, have someone dressed up as Santa Claus ready to listen to guest’s wish lists.

Gift Exchanges
Consider having a gift exchange. We did this last year as we had a mixed group of friends over for a sit down dinner and not everyone knew each other. Ask each guest to bring a wrapped present. When all have arrived, have them sit in a circle. The first person chooses a gift and unwraps it. The next person does the same. This person then has the option of keeping the gift or exchanging it for one that is already opened. Besides gift exchanges, you can ask guests to bring cookies or ornaments to exchange.

Tips for Planning
To get ready for the Christmas dinner party, be sure to start planning early on. Start by making a guest list. Choose a theme and send out invitations. When thinking of Christmas dinner party ideas, remember to stick with foods and recipes that you have successfully made in the past. Make as many desserts and dinner dishes as possible ahead of time. Clean the house a week before the event. Set the table or buffet the day before the party.

You may want to ask others to help you with Christmas dinner party ideas. They can provide advice and extra hands to pitch in with the work. Plan ahead this holiday season; then sit back and enjoy the company of family and friends.

Sophie

My little girl

Just some new photos...

This is my husband and niece.












Sophie and I.

Feni

First, to answer a question from a previous post - Oct 2007 issue of Women's Weekly Magazine. Your friendly neighbourhood hair salon will probably have it. On another note, the February 2008 issue of Her World will have my unphotogenic mug in it somewhere, so do keep a look out. Heh.

If you're wondering what I'm having for dinner tonight, I'll tell you. I'm having a bit of rice with some ayam-kentang thingamajiggy my NEW maid came up with. It's quite tasty. I think it's ayam masak kicap but it's a rather exotic version of the one I'm used to. No veg, as I couldn't be bothered - my husband is a tad wee bit late tonight and I never eat well when he's not around. I actually amaze myself at how much of an effort I put into dinner when I know it's not just me eating. Left to my own devices, I'd have a yogurt (or McDelivery!!!) and call it a night!

Actually, I've been really depressed lately. You see, I've been let down. Feni broke my heart. My ex maid. The one I favoured. The one I had so much trust, respect and reliance on. I put her on a freekin' pedestal and she jumped on my head and danced on it.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I truly am. While I didn't 'spoil' her, she had fiscal bonuses, perks and a heck of a lot of respect and genuine affection from us. What amazes me is that she didn't seem to appreciate all or any of it. She could still steal from me and lie to my face. My dissapointment, well, if it ever happened to you, then you'll know lah. Who I feel for are my children, because they miss her and ask for her every day.

You know, what with her bonuses and such we gave her for taking great care of Milo and Sophie, she could have gone home even now with a fair bit in her pocket. Now, because of the various deductions, she's only going home with her basic pay. She insisted that she wanted to go back to the agent - probably thinking she would somehow work out a way to become a 'freelance' maid, but they will definitely send her back and they won't give her anything beyond what she officially earned. Even if I insisted, the money won't get to her. They'd take it. I'm sad for her because I feel despite the stealing and duplicity, she earned it by caring so well for my children, but now I'll have no way of 'rewarding' her for that service.

My friends ask me why I even bother agonising over it. She made her bed and is lying in it. Padan dengan muka dia. But it bothers me. Just like it bother me when I'm changing my son's nappy and he asks me in a sad, quiet little voice where his Kak Feni is and why she left. It bothers me when Sophie refuses to eat the food she normally relishes.

It fucking bothers me why she threw it all away.

Shazmin the weight loss guru

Ok, so everyone wants to know how I lost 10 kg, but no one seems to realise that it took me almost a year to slowly and quietly do it, and the one person (cough!) I really have to thank, isn't actually a person, but the mutt, Bugly.

Bugly made me walk him twice a day, EVERY DAY. Considering I've been sedentary on the point of catatonia, the result of our daily endeavours were quick to be seen. Once I started seeing a looser waistband, I felt increasingly motivated to watch what I ate, and consciously stayed away from the evil Big Apple Donuts!!! (evilevilevil!!!)

I stopped licking my kids' plates clean. I've stopped buying junk food. I drink more water. I eat more salad and meat. As much as it kills Daniel and I, we've stopped going to Devi's Corner and Raju's every Saturday morning.

I've stopped adding sugar to things; I might add the occasional Equal, but only if it's handy and I'm up for it.

Do I consider this a diet? Not really - I wanted to heal my chronic foot pain. Losing the weight did that. Do I consider it a sacrifice? No, because I have other vices I will not give up that I enjoy more than food. Have I stopped eating carbs? No, I'll have the odd cake, croissant, toast and nasi kandar, but not in the heaping mounds of yore. Do I lapse? All the time, but I've stopped beating myself up over it. Tomorrow is another day. Do I feel good? YES.

I feel good because I have more energy. I can buy clothes off the rack again (yaaayayayaaaay!). I feel good cause I'm looking good! Damn! Peeeeweeeet! LOL

If you've been trying to desperately lose some weight, take this advice: be mentally positive. Be strong. Visualise the healthy, trim You. Eat better. Get off your arse. Be mentally strong. Have a sense of humour and good luck!

Xox, Shaz- who went from sz 20 to 14 in less than a year. Slowly does it lah!

It's been a fun, hectic week!

My God, last week was a NIGHTMARE - my favourite maid proved to be a 'talam dua muka' so we had to sack her (trust me, it's a looooong story and I just don't want to go there), and I was just embarking on a new career at RedFM, so yes, last week was FRANTIC. This week, however, was a breeze and lots of fun in the mornings on the Red Breakfast with fellow host, Will Quah, who's been absolutely lovely and welcoming, as has the rest of the team at RedFM. Thank you, guys.

I haven't updated this blog for ages, sorry about that. Not much happened when I was at home raising the kids (for 2 months - haha); it was just the usual tedious everyday stuff you all probably know and love, so there's no need to bore you with the gory details of attempted potty training, toddler tantrums, nocturnal wanderings around the house and refusals to eat. In a way, I'm kind of glad to be back at work, but I'll miss the chaos as well as the leisurely strolls down the supermarket aisles (sp?) in the morning and my solitary coffee mornings at Starbucks where I can actually READ the paper in peace.

I've GOT to tell you about my mad scramble getting to work et al, but as you know, at the mo, I've got a pair of rowdy kids tearing up the sofa to make a fort! I'll see you all later!

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