Simplified Mum Life

Nina 2nd December 2017 Celebrations

15 Christmas Traditions

At the weekend myself my friend and our big kids went to the cinema to see the new Disney Shorts film Olafs Frozen Adventure.

Its a lovely little film centred around Christmas traditions. While I was watching it got me to thinking about different Christmas traditions.

We all have different traditions at Christmas.

Whether we live in the UK or overseas, Christmas is a great time to adopt a family tradition. They are what our kids will remember when they grow up. Sometimes it may be for good reasons sometimes It may be a tradition they can’t wait to finish when they have their own family!

Here are a few of the Spencer family traditions

One tradition in our house is the Elf on the Shelf. We currently have 2 One for each of the big twins. They come each December the first and leave on Christmas Eve leaving a Christmas Eve box for the family.
When I was a child we had an amazing garden centre with fabulous Christmas displays, unfortunately, its closed down now. However we now still go on a trip to a garden centre or two before Christmas.
We have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. I love the fact that on Christmas day I don’t have to rush about in the kitchen making dinner I can just spend time with the kids opening their gifts!
As we have dinner on Xmas eve Chris (hubby) usually takes the kids to soft play for a couple of hours so that I can get on preparing dinner and setting the table.
After Christmas we normally jet off to Lanzarote, However this year we are staying put at home. When we do go we like to celebrate the Spanish Christmas on the 5th & 6th. This year is we will still be celebrating but we will be celebrating in the UK by having a party with family & friends.

Here are some traditions from fellow bloggers

‘We always have trifle for breakfast on Boxing Day. Mum could never finish making it in time for Xmas so it became our tradition’ Sinead – Sinaed Latham

A buffet in my nans on Boxing Day – since she had a stroke we all bring a plate and get together. We have a big family so it’s always hard to get us all together. Jenna – Then there were threeWe have a loads.

We buy a new decoration every year and always have a big buffet on Christmas Eve. Louise – Pink Pear Bear

We go to our local church’s Christingle service on Christmas Eve. It’s really family friendly and absolutely magical – the candles, the carols, the anticipation. One of the best moments of Christmas for me. – Naomi – The Organsed Life Project

We have a walk along the beach, as soon as we’ve finished breakfast we head down to the beach for a family stroll. Pip – Pip Milburn

It sounds silly, but Christmas Eve, we put brand new pyjamas on, before eating a Chinese take away and watching a Christmas film of our (alternate years) choosing. Just before bed, we choose a present each to open. Our Christmas day is always about running round after everybody else (multiple parent households) so it’s our little slice of just ours. ❤️ Emmy – Misadventures Mummy We ice biscuits on Christmas eve to leave for Santa. Jamie – The Oliver’s Madhouse.

We have my parents come over for Christmas lunch, which we cook. Then, in the evening, we go to theirs for tea. It helps share the load. Pete – Household money Saving

My parents come over for dinner, the boys have an early bath & open their Christmas Eve boxes. They then get in their new PJs (from the box), & we all watch a Christmas movie or read a Christmas story with them. Then when they’re in bed, we adults watch It’s “A Wonderful Life” (our fave movie!), have some treats &, when we’re sure the boys are fast asleep, we set up all the presents ???? x Nina – Bird From An Egg

1st December box – including An Elf on the Shelf (to begin his antics) , xmas story book, advent calendars , 1 cans decoration for the tree ???????? ……OR Xmas eve box which has hot choccy, pjs, reindeer food, DVD.Also spotting NASA’s space station in the sky that looks like Father Christmas and his sleigh flying over on Xmas eve x The Mad Madden’s

Leave a comment below let me know what your traditions are.

Do you share some of the above traditions?

Have you got an odd Christmas tradition that’s unique to your family?

Nina x

Nina 1st December 2017 Friends

Friday Morning Cuppa & A Chat. – Sometimes it takes a stranger …….

To realise how lucky you really are!!

(This post has been sat in my drafts. I thought it had been published. I wrote it back in September. )

Your family, & friends and people you know to say hello to down the street can tell you how well you are doing, how they can’t believe how well you look after all you’ve been through and how lucky you are to have two sets of twins.

However sometimes it takes a stranger to tell you how well you look and how lucky you are.

Last week we went to register the new babes. Then we sneaked for a cheeky coffee before heading back for hubby to do some work from his home office.

We sat in Costa and a lady behind me told me how she was admiring my twins. I told her the story that we had two more at home. She said wow you are amazing.

She asked how old both the sets are and I told her 5 and a half and just 5 weeks old. She said wow how are you even upright let alone out and about. She told me how lucky I was to have not just one set but two sets of twins. Many people have said this through my pregnancy and after their birth, however this time it felt different.

Her words really sunk in and I looked at our new set of twins and thought yeh you know what.

We are really blessed.

It took us 5 years to get our first set. 5 heartbreaking years of 2 week waits, negative pregnancy tests, medical professionals telling us our only hope was IVF.

Now we are blessed with 2 sets of twins. Yes, I’ve been to hell and back over the past couple of months, however, I’m alive and we have a family that’s going to make loads of memories.

We now have 5 children between us. And it feels amazing. Hard work but amazing.

So never underestimate the power your words have even to a stranger!

Thank you, stranger, for making me feel as lucky as everyone keeps telling me I am!!

Nina x

Nina 27th November 2017 Adventures

10 Reasons – Why standing in the queue to have your photo took in front of the Coca-Cola Lorry will break you!

You will worry about the huge crowd
The Huge crowd could mean possible terror incident.
There will be people around you
There will be people around you who are smoking and blowing it in your face.
You will be told approx 100 times by your kids that it’s cold.
The kids will demand a ballon about as many times as they have told you it’s cold.
You will have to break up fights between your children.
You will get to near the end of the queue and one child or yourself will decide they really need a wee and they will need it right now.
The truck will not be as overwhelming as you thought it would be.
It’s cold in November. And the trucks will be outside

Two Extra bonus reasons!

Weep again when you realise you need a truck the size of the Coca-Cola lorry to transport your huge family.
When you leave the queue and start to find somewhere to feed the babies. You realise that the very helpful Nanny Sue has taken the bottles out of the bag to clean them!

Though when you see the photos that the Coca-Cola Elves take you will shed a tear.
Especially as it’s the first photo with all 7 of you in it!
And when you hear the music you will shed another tear as that’s what you and your new husband walked back down the aisle to after you have said your vows.

Nina 26th November 2017 Grateful Sunday

Grateful Sunday #5

Welcome to week 4 of my weekly list of things I am grateful for or that are making me happy this week!

I’ve decided to start a daily gratitude list.

I have done it before both on my own and as a family – We would send our list to each other (Myself Hubby & Stepson) via our family messenger group! It really helped especially when hubby worked away and with stepson only being here at weekends anyway!

Gratitude lists or journals can really benefit your mental health. They help you focus on the good things of the day, give you 5 – 10 minutes of calm, and when you’re having a bad day you can look back and see all the good things you have written in the past!

To keep me accountable for writing out my list I will post a few of the top things I’ve been grateful for each week!

My List for Sunday 26th November 2017

An uplifting post that one of my friends tagged me in
10% discount night at the local Coffee Shop/Gift Shop – Ideal for Xmas gifts!
My Mum looking after the Baby Twins while I went to Lincoln Xmas shopping.
A bra fitting at M&S & new Bras!
Made a big dent in my Xmas gift list!
The chance to have a nice Whirlpool bath at the inlaws for the first time – I’ve been wanting to try out this new bath since they had it fitted in June last. Being pregnant though I couldn’t use the jets. It really soothed my back!
I’m actually feeling more and more normal as the days go on!
The babies this week have started sleeping that bit longer at night.
Cinema Date with big kids and My friend & her son.
A cuppa brought to me while I edit blogs in bed!
Micheal McIntyre Back on the TV. I know it started last week but I missed it due to sleep being more important.

Don’t forget to leave a comment below with what your grateful for this week.

See you all next week.

Nina x

Nina 19th November 2017 Grateful Sunday

Grateful Sunday #4

I’ve decided to start a daily gratitude list.

I have done it before both on my own and as a family – We would send our list to each other (Myself Hubby & Stepson) via our family messenger group! It really helped especially when hubby worked away and with stepson only being here at weekends anyway!

Gratitude lists or journals can really benefit your mental health. They help you focus on the good things of the day, give you 5 – 10 minutes of calm, and when you’re having a bad day you can look back and see all the good things you have written in the past!

To keep me accountable for writing out my list I will post a few of the top things I’ve been grateful for each week!

My List for Sunday 19th November 2017