Home is where my He{Art} is

Hot chocolate cards.. and something for a good cause!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:30:00 +0000

I love these glittery outline stickers from Anita's, they're just perfect for making shaped matts if you don't have a die cutter and I love to use the small circles for bling on crowns!

I can't even talk about the sugared Doodlebug letters without fainting! ;)

I'm trying to build up a stockpile of cards to send for Alicia and hope they will sell well to help her cause:

http://cardsforalicia.blogspot.com/

Next year, i've decided that I really need to make some christmas cards every month so that i'm not left panicking in December! All the cards I made earlier in the year I strongly dislike now.. the colouring is not as good as I can achieve with a years extra experience. Next year.. simple and elegant!

I really am in love with this image and next card:

I don't even have a scalloped circle punch yet but using my deckle scissors and some camoflage doodling.. I can hide how imperfect the circle is ;) But.. What's inside?

looking a bit scary but absolutely packed with extremely clean hands by an OCD freak! ;) I've made one for all of my friends so I hope they enjoy it! Spreading the christmas love!!

The kids are at a birthday party right now so i'm going to try my hand at getting this jumble sale organised into the form of Christmas gifts and ready rooms for father christmas!

How did an organisation freak end up with a kid on 22nd December? I don't know but he is so worth it!

Merry Christmas!!

Give me an 'M'... How egotistical?!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:24:00 +0000

OK.. i'm just going to straight out admit it..

I bought this M to make a beautiful piece of art for our living room that would represent the 'Marshall' family.

Then Lee said 'M was for mommy' and I should decorate it for myself...

.. and then I downloaded this goth girl a month ago and coloured her the BEST i've ever coloured ANYTHING.. and everyone (EVERY. FREAKING. PERSON) who see's it immediately remarks 'OMG is that you?!' which is highly flattering but this image would have to be in widescreen to even start to look like me..

And the image was floating about... I was scared it would be creased or lost forever.. i've even mounted it on foam so her belly was fat.. Keepin' it real y'all!

SO I USED IT!!!

I feel so dirty now! It's all out in the open..

I made a GIANT 'M'...

Anyway moving swiftly on (of course!)

Have you seen the amazing projects over at http://www.docrafts.co.uk/? We're currently running an advent calendar with a different festive project each day for you lucky lovely people!

Today is a project by someone you might recognise.. niftily (if I say so myself) using a snowflake punch to create a Christmas Tree.. OOooo!

So pop on over and say 'Hi'!!

(whilst you're there, there's also an interview on me.. incase you want to see my gurning face!)

Bloomin heck.. I crafted AND updated my blog..

I've come over all faint ;)

Christmas fun, decorations.. and Thanksgiving!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:12:00 +0000

Before:

Good morning!

Gosh it's frosty today, just perfect for waking a girl up and kicking her into action, wouldn't you say?

With everything that happened the end of this year, I didn't even know if I would be here right now.. Just taking every day as it comes and making the most of it... being incredibly thankful to see my kids grow up into beautiful people and share my life with Lee.. so.. why the heck not celebrate Thanksgiving day?

Oh ok ok .. so I wanted an excuse to cook a turkey too!!

Well, we woke up on Thanksgiving eve to find the Christmas elves had FINALLY come to decorate our house! They had left the tree bare and a box of decorations next to it for us...

After:

Ah! That feels better.. twinkly lights and our special baubles collected over the years always get me in the mood for mince pies and wrapping!

We had to pop out and buy some more decorations.. Every square inch wasn't basked in sparkly beauty so I wasn't satisfied!

Ahh that's better isn't it!

Go on... say it.. say what they all say..

'That's a massive star ain't it?!' (or 'dats a massiv star ay it' if you live by me)

Thankgiving was a HUGE success!! We didn't set the oven on fire this year (HURRAH) so that's always a bonus!

After consuming copious amounts of turkey for the past week.. this picture still makes me salivate! Holy goodness it was so tasty and not dry at all. On the last day we passed an amazing Mexican eatery but I was low on cash so we decided to use our last turkey on making our own version. A tin of gorgeous organic tomatoes, shredded turkey and fajita seasoning left to simmer down was absolutely amazing.. like.. SOOooo good!! Not exactly authentic or cheffy but i'd been to see santa so I was too tired for cooking!

My camera is rather tempremental indoors so when the kids were grabbing a love I just needed to take shot of it.. in all it's blurred glory! You just can't miss a moment like that.. in focus or not (definitely not!!)

We had a really great day.. with Logan resounding ' What's this many thanks day about??' I'm not too sure where he made that up but he's brilliant sometimes!

We had a drive around last night to see the amazing row of three houses that go crazy decorating for charity! They're still not finished and there was a MAHOOSIVE car in my way.. but I think you get the idea:

ThomasLand was as fantastic as ever this year, but made even better because I got to share it with my family.. all 9 of us! I won't tell you how much the tickets came up to but let's just say the savings jar covered it.. so I will definitely be saving in it again this year!

Money is unimportant when you share moments like this!

So that's everything!

I guess I get to leave you with a grade A cheesy photograph now.. MWAHAHA!!

Updates!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Christmas is approaching faster than anticipated.. I'm sure the clocks are bugged, the world is spinning faster! How can you prepare since January and still find Christmas comes from nowhere!?

I'm crafting and creating more then ever, spending amazing time with the kids (who are coming out with some daft things lately!) and yet I hardly get time to blog it all!

So.. Mrs Claus Blogs, I (am in love with) love the background and the title I made, I love updating and recording my frivolities.. but really.. I need all the spare time I can get to make the real thing happen! So my darling sister blog has now descended into darkness as I put my priorities right and balance work/family time without other dedications chipping in!

I'm scared to death... 47 more days?! WOW!!

Looks like i'd best crack on then!

P.S - Super fast lunch - Pizza toasts!

We use a nice heart wholegrain bread and spread a thin layer of tomato puree on. Pile high with mushrooms, sweetcorn and onions (I even used chorizo here) and grill with a sprinking of cheese for 5 minutes! Voila! The kids love it and we have fun making it together. they believe they have got a giant mound of cheese instead of vegetables.. everyones happy!!

And the winner is...

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:55:00 +0000

It has been a long and exciting journey to the end of DoCrafts Scrapbook Apprentice. Just the very start of it was enough to bring me into a panic induced heart attack.

From creating with ONLY Coredinations and some bare essentials:

To the brightest, daring colours I have ever used before, completely taking me out of my comfort zone:

But as I said at the beginning of this post.. it was a journey to the END.

Back in August I was chosen by the judges to be the DoCrafts Scrapbook Apprentice.. I WON!! Something I just never thought I could achieve, I never had the confidence in myself.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued support throughout the competition. I can't tell you how many messages and emails I have had, telling me I was your chosen Apprentice and you love my work. Self confidence of a frumpy mum is steadily increasing! :) Thank you, it meant a lot to me.

Most of all, a huge thank you to the DoCrafts team. They have been consistently amazing throughout and sure do know how to set a good challenge. I have been working as a paid designer there now for a few months and it already feels like a second family. A special Thank you to Katy Godbeer who is just the most freakin' coolest 'boss' you will ever get to work for..

.. She once got through to the boot camp on X Factor you know!

Thank you for your support and guidance.. Geekchat rules!

SO as this is turning into a speech.. *ahem* I just wanted to say thank you to my best friend Sunshine who has been a rock to me. My girls on MSE who have been like team Mel! and lastly, my husband - my inspiration who believed in me from the start... who told me:

'It doesn't matter who wins, what matters is you was in it.. and to me you will always be the best damn scrapbooker in the world.. and you got a great bum'.

So thank you everyone, I am working hard and I hope to live up to your expectations.

Now I need to just go do a screaming dance again... I WON!!!!!

Cards for Alicia - Please help!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:06:00 +0000

http://cardsforalicia.blogspot.com/

One thing that always strikes a huge chord with me, is the suffering and pain of others. It paticularly hurts me to see a child go through such a hard time as Alicia will be. Alicia has a low grade glioma in her brain which is potentially life-threatening in children. The glioma is inoperable but she can and needs to have some treatment to reduce the size. Unfortunately this involves a trip to the states which the Health care will partially fund, leaving her parents with a 50,000 bill. I'm sure they have enough worries right now.

If you can help by creating something that could be sold, anything at all.. Please contact them through the blog and donate.

Myself and all the Docrafts girls I can muster are going to be putting forth our efforts soon :)

Holidays are coming, Ikea agrees!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:46:00 +0000

That has just festived me to the maximum (is that even a phrase?)

Oh and if that wasn't good enough, Ikea just mailed to tell me the whole Christmas shebang is ready instores! Oh sweet mother!!

If you click >Here<

You can view Ikeas Christmas chaos and click on different sections such as:
+ Bags Boxes and Wrappings
+ Advent Calendar Stockings
+ Bakeware

Etc! Oh my goodness I am so there!! Looks more like heaven than chaos to me.

My Poinsettia has been growing great this year so she needs a beautiful new pot.. Oh and look at that for a co-incidence:

Oh and whilst I am there I might accidentally purchase these to create a layout or four on ;)

SO excited now! MUST take my traditional trip to Ikea for a taste of traditional Swedish Christmas :)

With Love

Mrs Claus xx

Free Christmas Papers to Download and Organized Countdown!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Papercraft inspirations have come up trumps this christmas, with a fabulous paper & topper set to download and use! Find the full lot of links here:
http://www.papercraftinspirationsmagazine.co.uk/page/papercraft/20091019

Don't forget that tomorrow dawns the start of OrganizedChristmas.coms Christmas Countdown! Head on over and make the pledge to be organised this year by printing out some sheets and spreading the stress over 6 weeks! The plans a dream.. oh and soo much fun ;)

My grand plan went down the spout this year due to ill health but the Christmas Countdown has scared the life out of me into joining.. is it really THAT close to Christmas?

Let me know how you get on!

With Love

Mrs Claus xx

Warning: Sister blog gets all the action!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:14:00 +0000

I haven't crafted much lately other then the commitments I have.. so there hasn't been much to say on my poor neglected blog.

Truth is, I've had a rollercoaster of a year and the past 5 months were the hardest of all. I just need test results now and then hopefully I can get on with living my life and move on to the future. So, bear with me!

I crafted today for the first time in AGES! Bed rest was killing me, I can't stand not being busy and I must have clicked on every blog in the world 32 times over the weekend! SO.. Last resort.. crafting!

** REMOVED FOR PUBLICATION - BACK LATER! **
Journalling reads:
'We were in and out of hospital, tired and desperate for a Christmas. Eventually we were home, I remember eating bacon from the turkey at 2am - our first meal together in 5 days. You were worth every second x'

I was looking through old photographs and laughed as I remembered us savagely eating the bacon that had roasted beautifully on the turkey.. no bread or anything.. at 2am! There was no such thing as a sensible dinner time after 26 hours full labour and our first baby. I thought times were hard back then but gosh I would love to go back and experience that world again. That baby is so big now. *sigh*

Oh and GOSH I remember having that Christmas hat waiting for him and crossing my fingers he wouldn't wait till AFTER Christmas ;)

** REMOVED FOR PUBLICATION - BACK LATER! **

Speaking of babies, here's my boy Kiwi who was 2 in September. Oh how I love my nephew, he is classed as the naughtiest boy on earth by his mum but to me he is the most perfect little angel :)

I'm going to do a bit of stamping tonight and see where that takes me!

Guys... I think i'm back!!

xx

Nintendo DSi - Can you spot any bargains?

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:06:00 +0000

I have been asked today if there are any bargains for the Nintendo DSi. I know Christmas is all about love and family, religion and birth but also when you have children.. it's about magic and the ability to grant their special wishes just once a year. So, needless to say I got cracking on the DSi hunt!

WINNERS:

Amazon.co.uk have an amazing deal on right now:

Buy a DSi for a 13% saving of 129.99 and choose a selected game for just 5 pounds PLUS an accesory kit for free! The games are pretty decent too, Star Wars and My Sims Agents are surely winners this christmas!

Obviously as the race hots up towards Christmas you could find yourself faced with sell out news or hold out and there could be some fanastic bargains heading your way. It's a tough decision to make!

Either way, I can see Mr Claus having a sneaky go on these before they are wrapped up ;)

With love

Mrs Claus xx

Perfect Christmas Music - Just 3.99 at Play

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:16:00 +0000

There is nothing that gets me in the mood for Christmas like a good CD. As soon as I hear the sounds of 'Last Christmas' or the faint hum of 'Holidays are coming' I am instantly transported into nostalgia land surrounded with snowflakes!

If you're like me and love the older classics (such as Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt, It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Perry Como) then this is the CD for you and currentely available at a bargain 3.99 from Play.com

Or perhaps you fancy a blast back to the pop charts combined with a mix of modern retakes? For 6.99 you can't go wrong with this modern mix! WARNING: Contains Cheeky Girls and Rick Astley... The best feature on this CD has to be the karaoke DVD.. which will surely only be unveiled after one too many egg nogs :)

What are your Christmas CD recommendations? I need to get a new one after my favourite CD got scratched to death last year and now refuses to play!

Brr It's freezing - I love it!

Mrs Claus xx

Shopping Fever - Christmas Bargains and Go Go Hamsters!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:03:00 +0000

This week, retail giants Amazon announced there was now no minimum order amount for free delivery! I already hold this company in good stead after receiving unbeatable customer service and they just get better and better.

On a recent trip to Toys R Us (one of many) Emily finally took a liking to something.. A little furry hamster that squeaked when you press its nose. Not wanting to show an interest or a hint of a purchase I make a mental note to look online at a later date and watched in amazement as it seemed every person in the store had some of these critters in their shopping trolleys!

Oh and the horror of it all..

.. When my aging brain remembered to look online I realised that this hamster is this years predicted NUMBER ONE selling toy for Christmas! Oh NO! They are going for crazy prices on Ebay already.

Cheapest prices:
Of course, price is irrelevant.. stock is more the issue! Some people get lucky in their area though:

For a hamster and the funhouse get yourself onto http://www.argos.com/
They currently offer a deal where you can get the hamster (9.99) for half price when purchased with the fun house (19.99)

All hamsters are 9.99 and 3 for 2 in Boots stores and on http://www.boots.com/ but currentely out of stock.

The manufacturers http://www.character-online.com/ sell the complete range on their website with free delivery over 25.00 I was lucky enough to grab a few sets and accessories on here earlier this week. Be sure to sign up for the stock notification email.

Be wary of over inflated prices and make sure that if these items are on your childs list, you begin to shop now to avoid disappointment!

Is it just me or are the toy shops packed and sold-out already?!

Hugs and Cocoa

Mrs Claus xx

Classic Christmas kids film - Home Alone Bargain Boxset!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:26:00 +0000

Grab a BARGAIN to add to your Christmas DVD Stash (if you criminally don't already own it!)

Home Alone 1/2/3/4

The COMPLETE DVD Box Set

Only 8.99 at HMV!

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=572020&WT.mc_id=101780

(Don't forget Quidco)

Ok so hands up if you had a crush on Macaulay Culkin when you was younger? Or in fact if you are old enough to have seen this at the cinema on release!

Home Alone is an absolute classic film featuring an endearing tale of a boy who is left behind by his stressed out mother and has to fend for himself. I believe the focus is to show the importance of family but I was always left awake at night wishing my mum would accidentally leave me at home and planning what i'd do!

The later films all faced harsh reviews from critics but I enjoyed each one of them and think the stories still hold up well for todays modern age kids!

Oh go on.. just buy it for yourself ;)

Mrs Claus x

Boots Christmas Catalogue!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:35:00 +0000

Every year I religiously await the release date of the Boots Christmas catalogue so that I can feast my eyes upon toys for the children whilst curling up on the sofa with a hot chocolate!

The stores have been adorned in gifts for a month now (I nearly had a panic attack the first time I saw it..) and I have to say this year Boots have certainly chose some winners! Roll on the sales ;)

Don't forget to pick up your slice of Christmas.. The Boots Christmas Catalogue.. Available in all stores and an online version.. TODAY! (7/10/09)

Let the countdown begin ;)

Mrs Claus xx

Add Christmas Cheer to your life!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:14:00 +0000

How FABULOUS are these bin bags?!

I can just imagine the look on neighbours faces when you put the rubbish out, the smirk it would bring to the bin men! Tis the season!

Available at Play for a princely 8.99 for 12 delivered.

Go on.. you know you want to ;)

11 weeks and 2 days to go.. my word! I must get cracking on!

Mrs Claus xxx

The SHo Ho Ho Must go on!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:56:00 +0000

I had a wonderful holiday last week (thanks for asking) and now I return full of vigor to share the Christmas Spirit - 100 days to go tomorrow - How exciting!

How simple and delicate are these little holly earrings:

These would look fabulous on a card bearing a Christmas Poem to sell or use as gifts in velvet pouches! :)

How about these hair bows!:

Anyone who knows me will agree I have a homemade hair bow obsession.. they are just soo cute! I will have to add some Christmas ones to my handmade list.. perhaps a little Jack Skellington on mine though ;)

Tonight.. I am going to attempt some Fimo modelling! Wish me luck!

How's your grand plan cleaning coming along? I need to actually start mine ;) Ahh well! Tis the season!

Mrs. Claus xxx

Our Seaside Adventure

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:47:00 +0000

We decided last minute to go away on thursday to Barmouth. A few people have asked about the pictures so I thought I would make a blog entry instead of a ton of emails ;)

On the way to Barmouth I was keeping my eye open for a little narrow gauge railway where the original trains come from in 'Thomas the Tank engine.' As luck would have it, we went right by it and I had to stay there for Logey the anorak!

(oops forgot to turn it haha!)

We had a wonderful time seeing real old fashioned steam engines in action and the weather was completely glorious. Next stop - Snowdonia National Park for some sandwiches and to meet up with mum and dad - then ON to Barmouth!

Logan was absolutely in his element building giant sand castles and jumping down the sandy banks. Emily on the other hand was escaping live-burial from daddy and stamping on sandcastles!

It felt really amazing to watch them have such a wonderful time because I had promised and been unable to afford or find the energy to get the beach for two years now.

So we was watching them having a wonderful time, Splashing in rock pools and smiling so bright. We was feeling amazing getting away from the never ending decorating and catching fish in rock pools was a million miles away from home! SO.. Well.. We have been talking about going back to our special place, Blackpool ever since we left there 3 years ago. We love it so much.. and just haven't been able to afford a return trip even though we say we will every year..

and the washing machine and drier just broke..

.. and..

Well.. we decided to do the stupid thing and just drive to Blackpool! No money and 4 hours later we realised we was going the wrong way so we stopped at the Premier Inn which was amazingly comfortable and the kids were so excited.. they thought it was a beach house and they got their own room to share.

Feeling fresh and with an olden days Sat Nav in hand (Map!) we got to Blackpool pretty quickly and once there the kids were so excited (and so was we to be honest lol)

First stop will always be.. CORAL ISLAND! It felt amazing having a drink with two grown kids chatting about how they felt and sharing our excitement. The first thing I did was take Emily on this ride she used to love on her first visit three years ago and I think she still loves it now:

With the power of technology let's travel back three years:

Isn't that so cute?!

One thing that has grown a lot in 3 years is my boy Logan.. and wow he IS a boy now. He loved riding on every single vehicle imaginable, cars/trucks/rockets/bike - Everything!

(I am just listening to these two now and Emily is saying she wants to live in a castle when she is bigger with a merry-go-round inside it.. Logan has chose a beach house with a ping pong ball table..?)

(Oh yeah this one is to the right as well haha)

We took the kids to Sea Life and for the first time in about 7 visits they was actually enthralled and excited. I have never been to a Sea Life as amazing as Blackpool.. the sharks and sheer amount of exotic and beautiful sea life is just breathtaking.

After a big long walk round Sea Life we decided to go on some rides. Emily exhausted all of the little fun fairs so we left Logan and daddy to the boys rides and had a little flitter on the 2p machine! One pound later and we had a little stash.. Emily was so happy when I won her a token badge that she exchanged for this:

She called it Sunshine!! Can you believe that :) I was thinking of loads of names but nothing was coming to mind (2p sounds more like a rapper than a doll) and she chose Sunshine.. that's a wonderful name for a best friend dont you think?

We went down to the beach and it was looking great, they are really making such an amazing change there and Blackpool was clean and looking good.

We needed to get warm after an hour down on the windy beach so it was back into another arcade where Lee decided he wanted to try his hand at the 2p machine after Logan took a shine to a lovely 'Writchwatch'. 3 pounds and loads of fun later..

(The photo quality is getting worse and worse.. the will to try was just lacking lol) It was the world fireworks championships that night and we was so lucky to witness the most amazing fireworks i'd ever seen. Some were angled like UFO's in the sky. Incredible. This is my favourite sort or firework:

We decided to embark on a journey home through the illuminations... and when we finally got to the best ones...

Ahh well never mind eh! So.. on the way home, they close the M6 down from 4 lanes to 1. Oh my word. It took about 4 hours to do 15 miles. At around 3am we finally got home and it felt so good to be home.

So.. now i'm tired out and poor.. but I still got those pictures forever and I think they show we have some pretty priceless and special memories. Right now I am really living by the motto of making the most of every second, you never know how long you have got left in life.

I'm hoping to craft tonight (talk about living life on the edge) that's if i'm not asleep hehe!!

if you got this far.. well done ;)

Big hello and waves to my best friend Sunshine x

see you soon!

OrganizedChristmas.com is looming!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 07:53:00 +0000

Thundering rum balls! How cute are these gingerbread men and when will I become talented enough to make them?!

Back on topic..

Every year I love to complete the 'Grand Plan' at Organized Christmas:

http://organizedchristmas.com/holiday-grand-plan

and make some difference to our home in the run up to Christmas. Usually my plans are scuppered with illness and fatigue (it's pretty hardcore) but it has become a little Christmas tradition that I countdown to every year...

.. Oh and of course, it allows me to start celebrating in August ;)

We are currently in the midst of a major overhaul at the North Pole with paint and furniture everywhere and then I have a minor hospital procedure on friday (4th) to look forward to! Despite this, I am completely printed out and geared up READY to go.

Make a date in your diary..

Sunday August 30th - GRAND PLAN STARTS!

Go print out your sheets now at: http://www.organizedchristmas.com/

My little red folder is crying out to be Christmas make-overed so watch this space!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

.. Oh STOP it already! I usually don't use that line until I post my Christmas decoration pictures ;)

Happy Organising my festive fiends!

Mrs. Claus xxx

Dave Barker's Poultry Cooking Guidelines

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:08:00 +0000

All the information you should need to be able to defrost your xmas bird and cook it safely... and well!

DEFROSTING YOUR TURKEY...

If your turkey is frozen, make sure it's properly defrosted before you cook it. If it's still partially frozen, recommended cooking times won't be long enough to cook it thoroughly. This means bacteria that cause food poisoning could survive the cooking process.

So, before you start cooking, make sure there aren't any ice crystals in the cavity. You could also test the thicker parts of the turkey with a fork, to tell whether the meat feels frozen.

It's very important to work out defrosting time in advance, so you know how much time to allow – it can take at least a couple of days for a large turkey to thaw (see the estimated times below or use our handy guide).

WHAT TO DO...

When you start defrosting, take the turkey out of its packaging, put it on a large dish and cover. The large dish is to hold the liquid that comes out as the turkey thaws. Remove the giblets and the neck as soon as possible, because this speeds up thawing.

Put the dish in a cool, clean place (ideally the fridge) where the turkey won't touch other foods. If it isn't possible to defrost your turkey in the fridge, you could use a cool room, or a garage. Remember that the temperature of the place where the turkey is kept will affect thawing times.

If you're defrosting your turkey somewhere cold, such as the garage or garden shed, watch out for sudden extremes in temperature, if it gets very cold (or very warm), this could mean the turkey won't defrost properly or won't be kept cold enough. Keep the turkey covered and make sure that pets and young children are kept away.

You could also defrost it at room temperature, but make sure it doesn't touch or drip onto other foods.

Pour away the liquid that comes out of the defrosting turkey regularly, to stop it overflowing and spreading bacteria. But be careful not to splash the liquid onto worktops, dishes, cloths or other food. And remember to wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw turkey, giblets or any other raw meat.

HOW LONG TO DEFROST...

To work out the defrosting time for your turkey, check the packaging. If there aren't any defrosting instructions, use the following times (or our Turkey defrosting guide) to work out roughly how long it will take to thaw your turkey, but remember to check that it's fully thawed before cooking.

In a fridge at 4ºC (39ºF), allow about 10 to 12 hours per kg, but remember not all fridges will be this temperature.In a cool room (below 17.5ºC, 64ºF) allow approximately 3 to 4 hours per kg, longer if the room is particularly cold.At room temperature (about 20ºC, 68ºF) allow approximately 2 hours per kg.When your turkey is fully defrosted, put it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. If this isn't possible make sure you cook it immediately.

PREPARING POULTRY...

It's very important to keep raw poultry away from food that is ready to eat. This is because if raw poultry, or other raw meat, touches (or drips onto) these foods, bacteria will spread.

Remember, bacteria can also spread from raw meat and poultry to worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils. So, to keep your Christmas food safe, remember to do the following things:

Always wash your hands with warm water and soap, and dry them thoroughly, after touching raw poultry.
Don't wash your turkey (or other poultry) – this is because bacteria can splash onto worktops, dishes and other foods. Proper cooking will kill any bacteria, so you don't need to wash poultry.
Always clean worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils thoroughly after they have touched raw poultry.
Never use the same chopping board for raw poultry and ready-to-eat food without washing it thoroughly in warm soapy water. (If possible, use a separate chopping board just for raw meat and poultry).
When you are storing raw meat, to help stop bugs spreading you should remember to:Always keep raw poultry away from other foods.Store raw poultry at the bottom of the fridge so it can't drip onto other foods.

This advice applies to poultry such as turkey, chicken, duck and goose, and game such as partridge and pheasant.

COOKING POULTRY...

It's very important to plan your cooking time in advance, to make sure you get the bird in the oven early enough to cook it thoroughly. A large turkey can take several hours to cook properly.

How to check your bird is cooked
These cooking guidelines are only estimates; always check that the bird is properly cooked before serving, because eating undercooked turkey (or other poultry) could cause food poisoning.

These are the three main ways to tell if poultry is cooked:

the meat should be piping hot all the way through
when you cut into the thickest part of the meat, none of the meat should be pink
if juices run out when you pierce the turkey, or when you press the thigh, they should be clear

HOW LONG TO COOK...

These cooking times are based on an unstuffed bird. It's better to cook your stuffing in a separate roasting tin, rather than inside the bird, so it will cook more easily and cooking guidelines will be more accurate. (If you cook your bird with the stuffing inside, you will need to allow extra time for the amount of stuffing and allow for the fact that it cooks more slowly.)

Remember some ovens, such as fan-assisted ovens, might cook the bird more quickly – check the manufacturer's handbook for your oven if you can. Always check that the meat is cooked thorougly before serving.

As a general guide, in an oven preheated to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mark 4):

for a turkey under 4.5kg, allow 45 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes
for a turkey weighing between 4.5kg and 6.5kg, allow 40 minutes per kg
for a turkey over 6.5kg, allow 35 minutes per kg

Tip: Cover your turkey with foil during cooking and uncover for the last 30 minutes to brown the skin. To stop the meat drying out, baste it every hour during cooking.

COOKING TIMES FOR OTHER BIRDS...

Other birds, such as goose and duck, need different cooking times and temperatures. The oven should always be hotter for duck and goose to melt the fat under the skin.

GOOSE...
should be cooked in a preheated oven at 220ºC/425ºF/Gas Mark 7 for 35 minutes per kg. Tip: Pierce the skin before cooking to help drain the fat and pour away any excess fat halfway through cooking.
DUCK... should be cooked in a preheated oven for 45 minutes per kg at 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6.
Tip: Pierce the skin before cooking and drain off the excess fat halfway through cooking. CHICKEN...should be cooked in a preheated oven at 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4 for 45 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes. Tip: Cover your chicken with foil during cooking and uncover for the last 30 minutes to brown the skin. To stop the meat drying out, baste it every 30 minutes during cooking.

LEFTOVERS...

It's very important to keep cooked meat and poultry in the fridge. If they are left out at room temperature, food poisoning bacteria can grow and multiply. So, after you have carved your turkey (or other bird), cool any leftovers as quickly as possible (within one to two hours), cover them and put them in the fridge.

When you're serving cold turkey, try to take out only as much as you're going to use and leave the rest in the fridge. Don't leave a plate of turkey or cold meats out all day, on a buffet for example. Put it back in the fridge as soon as you can, ideally within an hour.

If you're reheating leftover turkey, or other food, always make sure it's piping hot all the way through before you eat it. And don't reheat more than once. Ideally, try to use leftovers within 48 hours.

* guide made using information from the Food Standards Agency.

Christmas Plans and Jamie Oliver

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:32:00 +0000

Christmas time is all about family for me, so I always ensure that we complete a 'family values' worksheet from: http://organizedchristmas.com/printable/christmas-countdown/values-worksheet which enables me to ask Mr. Claus how he truly felt last year went in hindsight.

Results show that we are always very rushed on Christmas Day, so this year I have accepted my mothers invitation to dinner (after last years fire) and planned that we will have a relaxed and enjoyable faux Christmas dinner on Thanksgiving day (26th November) because I really have a lot to be thankful for and would love to dedicate a day to celebrate love and family.

So.. what to cook?

For me, it has to be turkey every single time. I hear so many complaints and frustrations over the dryness of meat and endless leftovers but I really can't get enough!

When it comes to cooking.. This man is my hero:

This DVD is absolutely fantastic and can be purchased from Home Bargains for 49p! I purchased my copy when it was first released and have used it every year to get me in the festive baking mood.

Jamie's methods give you crispy roast potatos and succulent turkey every time. I especially love the flavoured butters you can prepare in advance and freeze to use on veg throughout the season and on the big day. He walks you through what you can prepare in advance, the timeplan and advice on selecting meat.

But what about starters and desserts? I have just started to trawl this thread on his forum:http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=21500&p=1
which is absolutely jam packed with amazing ideas. I will definitely attempt my own 'Italian sausage and chestnut stuffing' this year - Sounds incredible!

And on that note.. I shall leave you whilst I salivate over gingerbread trifles and beef wellington..

Best Wishes

Mrs Claus xx

COMPETITION CLOSED

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:22:00 +0000

Thanks to my method I have now received two winners who have been notified. Their parcels should be with them!

I would like to thank everyone for taking part in the giveaway and look out because I am sure there will be another one soon ;)

Thank you to all of my lovely friends for your wonderful comments, I wish I could have let everyone be a winner!

Christmas crackers!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:21:00 +0000

Just to let you all know that I am not AWOL again, I have just been very festive lately and spent a lot more time on my other blog:
http://mrsclausblogs.blogspot.com

I know a lot of people will recoil in horror because it is far too early for Christmas, so for your viewing pleasure I have kept my festive ramblings to another blog ;)

Will be back soon

x

A little competition for my friends :)

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:56:00 +0000

I have felt like running a giveaway for ages now, so tonight I got together two little card kits so that there can be two winners :)

Winter Wonderland

An assortment of ice white, gorgeous snowy blues and sparkling pinks to get your modern creativity juices flowing!

Tis The Season

A more classic colour selection of red and green with great design and textures.

If you would like to be in with a change to win one of these kits, here's what you need to do:

1) For 'Tis The Season' just leave a comment to this post, that's it!

2) For Winter Wonderland, leave a comment guessing the Christmas word I am secretly thinking of. Be fair.. no stupid amounts of guesses! I will update every night to let you know if someone has correctly guessed the word or not!

Once someone has guessed the word, both giveaways will end and both winners will be announced. You can enter both in just one comment :)

Good luck!

Beary Christmas - Creative Card Crew Christmas Challenge

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:42:00 +0000

What better way to add to my pile of cards for Christmas then to take up a challenge! Thanks to Polly and everyone over at http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.com/ I may have just stopped procrastinating and produced something!

This card uses some Anita's snowflake stamps embossed with Heat It Up! Silver tinsel (so sparkly!) and finished with Papermania red jewels.

The main card itself was a stunning embossed card blank from the new Papermania Christmas range which looks brilliant lightly rubbed over with a silver ink pad:

There are some great prizes up for grabs and at the very least, you will be one card down towards your Christmas organisation ;)

Snowflakes and Cocoa
Mrs Claus xx

Martha Stewart is a Christmas saviour!

melfeederfan83@hotmail.com (PinkLadyMel) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:33:00 +0000

I have just been browsing across the website of an extremely talented Martha Stewart (Please reincarnate me with her talent in the next life) and realised I hadn't yet search out the Christmas crafts! Slap my wrists!

Here is some absolute eye candy and I shall definitely be attempting a majority of these ideas over the next few months:

Absolutely genius, making a stocking from a fringed scarf:

Sweetie heaven and oh so festive, I would definitely love to attempt these olde sweet shoppe style jars:

Gift card holder ideas:

'Spread cheer with batches of homemade cocktail mixers for Bloody Marys, cranberry cocktails, and apricot-ginger fizzes':

Bottle Wraps, customised and personal, much better than shop bought holographic monstosities:

Bath Salts, perfect for a pamper hamper and definitely cost effective:

Candles wrapped in cinnamon sticks, very couture:

Antique and charity shop finds, adorable little tea cups filled with wax and essences to make beautiful little unique candles:

They have some fabulous quality frames in the Poundshop but the designs let them down. Cover them with your favourite papers or fabric to rennovate and create a stylish gift:

A matchbox, a paper piercer and some tiny beads.. and you have a home made little maze game, a classic from my childhood!:

(These would be perfect put into childrens stockings and customised with their favourite characters.. obviously.. Be careful as they pose a choking hazard)

Hand customised tea towels:

'Use a set of hand towels and a letter stencil. Lay towel over a sheet of paper. Center stencil on towel and, holding it firmly, apply two coats of washable fabric paint with a medium-size brush. Remove stencil, and let dry, about three hours.'

Sweet mother.. someone make these for me!:

Macadamia Butter-Crunch Popcorn and Chocolate-Almond Popcorn, in one popcorn tin.

An indulgent and wonderful gift for my nan:

Handmade flavoured coffee.. Just add cinnamon or nutmeg to medium bodied ground coffee:

Little loaves of love, I think these are so cute and would be perfect for a neighbour with a bag of speciality coffee:

As would these:

You can find all instructions and ideas here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/handmade-gifts

Enjoy your creative side and give someone a special personal gift this year :)

Mrs Claus xx