Ollie’s 4th Birthday – Photo Round Up

I always feel for Ollie, being that his birthday is 6 days before Christmas. It is always a stressful time because people have so much going on – I hope he doesn’t feel this too – I’m sure he doesn’t as the steady stream of presents is just amazing for him. We are really lucky that none of our family and friends have ever tried to pass off one present for both occasions and everyone makes a real fuss of him. Ollie turned 4 on the 19th December. He was really lucky to have a joint birthday party at our…

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Left Over (Christmas) Pie….

This is my go to recipe over Christmas for left overs – usually left over turkey and ham. I always buy a very big turkey with the intention of getting a few meals and sandwiches out of it. The photos below feature chicken breast as I didn’t have any left overs, but it tastes amazing with left over Christmas Ham and Turkey chucked in instead. This feeds five of us (2 adults and three kids under 6) and I serve it with mashed potato (cheesy if the kids are lucky) and peas/any other veg. You will need: *leftover Turkey Ham,…

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Christmas with The Brushneens – The Christmas Tag

What’s your favourite Christmas movie? I love Home Alone – I didn’t watch it as a kid, and started watching it when me and Ell got together, and we’ve watched it every year since – the kids love it – and Ollie esecpially loves to quote it. ‘Keep the change ya filthy animal’ – how can you beat that? I think its already been watched four times this year, thats how much we love it. Its always a tradition for me and Ell to watch National Lampoon Christmas Vacation too – I must’ve watched it more than 20 times and I still laugh my head off at it. I also love the cheesy movies…

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The Brushneen Christmas Meal Plan 2016

I am a planner – I’ve mentioned several times how many lists I write. Christmas is no exception. It may seem totally over the top but I keep a copy of the previous years shopping list and meals plan son the computer. I like to meal plan from the day before Christmas day for the week ahead, and then I know I can do one big shop and know I have enough food and essentials so we don’t have to go out to shops. I also make a few dishes from leftovers and so like to make sure my shopping…

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Happy Birthday Ollie | Ollie’s Birth Story

  Dear Ollie I sit here writing this on the eve of your 4th birthday. Tomorrow at 8.45pm you will be four whole years old. I wanted to celebrate your birthday this year by writing down your birth story. Although four years have passed I can blink and be back in the delivery room in an instant – as I can with your brother and sisters, but yours seems that much more prominent. Ollie, you are my rainbow baby. You were born on 19th December 2012, 8 months and 18 days after your sister Sophie was born sleeping. My pregnancy…

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The Siblings Project – December 2016

I can’t believe it is halfway through December – it seems like I only just wrote November’s Sibling post. If I thought the last few months were hectic, I really had no idea. December has brought utter madness to our already chaotic house. We’ve had two nativities – Izzie was a Shepherd, and Ollie was a king. Izzie unfortunately missed her second performance, as she came down with a high temperature and sore throat, which Ollie had had a few days before. Mason then seemed to get it, and was feeling really sorry for himself, and then he came out…

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