I am exhausted. IlovechristmasIlovechristmasIlovechristmas...π±π± I'm up to two naps a day because my fuck is there a lot of work to do. And yes, I am a mom with a potty mouth, so please excuse the profanities if you do not know me already.
Let's start with the shopping, shall we?
Well, my first visit to Table Bay Mall was a disaster. I spent ages walking the center flat looking for the same shop where I bought the same gift 4 years ago, but alas, no one could help me. I also did some other shopping for the kids and thought I could actually tick everything off my Christmas list by one final giant shop at Clicks ( they sell everything from pharmaceuticals to hygiene products to hair stuff, some appliances - mostly self-grooming stuff, and deodorants, bubble baths and gift sets of bath stuff and/ or and chocolates as well!). They normally have a three for two special every year, but they've bumped up the prices so much and shrunk the chocolate boxes ridiculously. So already tired and pissed off, I was looking for stocking fillers and came across these gorgeous reindeer chocolates, of which, there was only one packet. I have three kids! I considered splitting the bag between the three of them, but it was not a very big bag, so I asked for help to see if they had more at the back/ could check if another branch had stock. Now bear in mind that this was only the 10th of December - so the manager finally came out and was so freaking rude saying I started my Christmas shopping too late - I mean, fucking hell. What about people who only get paid on the 23rd or the 24th? She refused to help me any further. I abandoned my trolley of about R1000 in gifts and stomped out of the store.
By this time I was dying in pain. I knew I'd fucked up and I was going to pay dearly for the amount of time I spent on my feet. Despite wearing double braces, one on each knee, and stopping at every rest stop, I completely overdid it. Thank God I started so early because I was flat on my back, chomping hectic painkillers and ibuprofen suppositories, while poor @zakludick had to nurse me, rubbing ibuprofen cream on my back. The pain of which had extended from its usual area at the sciatic nerve to right up my back and down into my hip and upper leg. I was in agony and confined to bedrest for the rest of the week. Thank heavens there is a loo upstairs...
Me, squeezing the last of my ibuprophen cream out as I waited for Zak to get back from the pharmacy. You'd be surprised how much is left in the tube if you do this, btw. I have totally stolen Zak's plyers for this purpous and I wont give them back ππππππ
So skip forward to this past Monday, which was the 16th - and I expected way more chaos, but this time I chose Bayside Mall, which is a bigger mall, especially now that they have undergone a facelift and added on a new section, and it's much closer to our house, but it's absolute chaos at this time of year. And I asked for a bloody wheelchair.
The last time I did this was when I first dislocated my left knee 3 years ago (also Christmas shopping) but without Zak to push me through the tricky bits like ramps and tight corners, it was very hard work!
This time, I decided not to risk my knees and back and requested a wheelchair at the start of my adventure.. I must say I was extremely surprised by the helpfulness of basically everyone in the center, from center management to general good Samaritans (who helped push me up ramps and held my shopping baskets as they could see I was being poked in the nose by wrapping paper, to the staff at the Bay Side Clicks branch, Jet and the other shops I needed to visit who paid extra special attention to me, clearing tills for me and being very accommodating..
I'm not sure if it was the reindeer horns and the cute dress or the wheelchair that did the trick ππβ€οΈβ€οΈππ
I have both new and renewed respect for people who are unable to get out of the chair and push... to those permanently confined. By the end of it, my arms felt like jelly and I had blisters on my hands and fingers. Despite that, it was a far better experience, and because of my early start in the day and extended shopping hours - and having nowhere else I needed to be, I just took my sweet time. No rushing at all. Just the freedom of being able to do that made a huge difference.
In between all these shopping escapades and marathons of wrapping presents
My secret weapon is having a production line of sticky tape ready at all times!
AAAAH my favourite part of wrapping presents! Loosing the end of the sticky tape πππππ€¦ββοΈπ€¦ββοΈπ€¦ββοΈπ€¦ββοΈ
I still insisted on family activities, specifically, making Christmas cookies! I was dead tired of the ordinary royal icing ones I normally do (which are almost always a colossal failure and are so crunchy you'll break your teeth), so I switched it up and made gingerbread cookies and decided to dip them in chocolate! I have never tried this before, but it turned out absolutely brilliantly! I too, did this in two rounds, which saved my sanity and my back (lol) but also gave the biscuits a chance to settle before we did the decorating a few days later.
And yes, this is the pretty side. Mostly it was a lovely family experience, but kids will be kids and there was some arguing over petty nonsense that turned me into a scary Christmas Grinch (but with teddy bear antlers, so no one really took me seriously) πππ
Here's the link to part 1 of the gingerbread story and recipe (although, next time I think I'll use fresh ginger because although they were delicious and perfect in texture, they weren't gingery enough for me):
Part two of the recipe is coming soon!
πβπβοΈβοΈππ―βͺοΈπ«πͺβοΈMerry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays, however you decide to celebrate :)πβπβοΈβοΈππ―βͺοΈπ«πͺβοΈ
I'm sooooo stealing that life-hack with the pliers π Awesome idea - thank you !
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that stuff is expensive hey! I need every last drop! π
That's great when strangers give you and your team a helping hand or three throughout what could have been a totally energy draining expedition in the wilds of Christmas shopping. Your arms must have been numb and achy after that.
β€οΈ
And it's not over! Tonight, the cooking begins! I have to prepare my trifle and "crack" which I use for seasoning not a debilitating drug habit ππ
Claire's Crazy Cakes, Bakes and Kitchen Hacks: Chapter 10 - Homecooking with Crack
ππ¨ππ«π¦Claire's Crazy Cakes, Bakes and Kitchen Hacks: Chapter 32 - Don't Trifle with my Trifle!!ππ¨ππ«π¦
Pace yourself gal, there's more than one way to bake a cake.
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Oh absolutely! And things have a way of unexpectedly falling into place, despite hiccups along the way. Christmas is looking good <3
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@alonicus likes your content! so I just sent 1 BBH(4/20)@clairemobey! to your account on behalf of @alonicus.
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