Christmas Post

The last dates for posting this Christmas are:

I'm somewhat organized this year.  I posed Bones for our Christmas card in late October and got the cards printed and delivered in November.

I got a batch of my cards posted today.  I'm thankful I got all of the ones that are going outside of Ireland in the mail.

I bought my stamps in the Ranelagh Post Office.  There was no queue whatsoever.  This was surprising as the queue has been out the door in Blanchardstown.

On the way to the post office I stopped and looked at the rather old fashioned Christmas display of goods in the window of Leeches Pharmacy or Chemist Shop.

After I got back from the post office I had two visitors from a department store in Ireland.  They were viewing my house to see if it was suitable for shooting an ad for their Spring Marketing campaign.  They loved my house (I could hear the guy repeating "I am so jealous, I want this house") but they are also considering two other houses.  I think my kitchen may be "too black" so my house may not be suitable for their requirements.

Yesterday I had the most amazing Bikram Yoga class.  I always have a better class when I am a little hungry and also when I bring coconut water for during the class.  Yesterday there was not too many people in the class and it was the perfect temperature.  I am back in the hot room today at 6.30pm - I hope I have another great class!

I bought a frozen lobster in the shop this morning (I went in for fresh flowers for the viewing and came out with a lobster, lol!) along with dates and bacon.  Tomorrow I may make some tasty small dishes like mac & cheese lobster and Devils on horse back to be enjoyed with a nice bottle of wine.

We are trying to make plans for over the Christmas Break.  We are going to Tenerife on the 20th for seven days over Christmas - fingers crossed the weather will be good!  For lunch on the 19th, I booked in to Cleaver East.  I was feeling happy about this place until I saw some online reviews which are quite mixed.  For New Year's Eve we are booked in for a late dinner in Dillinger's in Ranelagh.  I'm looking forward to the Christmas season!

Modjeskas

So we received fantastic present of amazing pressies in the mail the other day.  It was sent to us by our fantastic friends from the US (you know who you are!).  

There was a selection of candies which included "Pretzel Pleasures", "Peanut Butter Meltaways" (kind of like a handmade Reeces cupcake), Non-Pareils and also "Modjeskas".

The Modjeskas had me stumped!!!  I had to google them.

So it seems that they are a caramel covered marshmallow candy that was first created  in 1889.  The Modjeska's that were sent to us are covered in chocolate and were made on an Amish farm in Pennsylvania - how cool is that!

They are delicious!

 

Have you ever tasted one of these sweets?

Bones looks on enviously!

 

The Non-Pareils are very good too!

 

From our family to yours!  How quaint!

Ireland - the best country in the world to do business

After looking at over 140 countries and considering a matrix of factors, Forbes magazine has named Ireland as the best country in the world to do business.  Having located their European centers in Ireland, I'm sure EBay,Google and LinkedIn all agree!

Santa is coming

Here in Ireland it is traditional to leave out a snack for Santa for when he comes down the chimney.  When I was growing up, the snack for Santa was the very last thing we did before bedtime. 

In our house the tradition was that we always left a carrot for Rudolph  along with a glass of milk for Santa with a slice of pudding or Christmas cake.  In the morning the cake and carrot would be gone and the milk would be half drank.

I know that in other houses there are lots of tasty treats for Santy.  In my friends house it was always a glass of Baileys that was left.

Do you do this in your house? What do you leave to refresh Santa on his travels around the world?! What are the Christmas Eve traditions in your country? 

Christmas is coming!

I got the first 20 of my Christmas cards written.  I'll try and get them in to the mail tomorrow - in particular the cards that are going abroad.

This year, as always Bones posed for our Christmas card, but the change I did make is that I got them professionally printed by Vistaprint.  I'm very happy how they turned out!

I bought my wrapping paper and matching present tags in M&S.  They had quite a good selection and it was all 3 for the price of 2.

Wreathes are appearing in my neighbors doors.  I thought this door was particularly attractive with the plant pots either side of the door.

Starbucks have started their 12 Days of Gifting.

I do like their reindeer mugs!

And I will probably buy some of their bags of coffee when it is on offer. I generally give a bag for my parents to have on Christmas morning in Hotel Bebbington!

I'd love to put our tree up this week but I unfortunately need to hold off.  I have representatives from a Department Store calling this week to look at my house.  They are considering whether it is suitable to use for shooting their Spring catalogue in.  If it is chosen as the location for the shoot I won't be able to put up my tree and decorations until after the shoot has taken place.

New openings!

In the spot where Eatery 120 used to be, a new restaurant has opened in Ranelagh. It's called "An Bhialann" which in the Irish Language means "The Restaurant".

We may try and make a reservation for after Christmas in this new place.

I don't think the seats outside will appeal to anyone in December!  ;-)

 

In other Ranelagh happenings, the Christmas Tree lights are being switched on next Saturday.

Hotel Bebbington

A few years ago there was very bad snow over Christmas and New Year in Ireland.  I was in Key West, Florida so I never experienced it.  My twin sister needed to stay with my parents during this time as the snow was quite bad out where she lived and my parents house was closer to the city where she worked.

She stayed with them for about a week and she had quite a time.  After she went back home she talked fondly of the week she spent on holidays in Hotel Bebbington

As you can see she set up a facebook page for our parents house and since then "Hotel Bebbington" has been a running joke.  When we go for dinner in our parents house we say we are going for dinner in Hotel Bebbington. 

The other running joke is that my mother looks like Darina Allen the Irish celebrity chef from Ballymaloe House.  If you go to the facebook page you can see that my sister has put a profile picture up of Darina Allen.  The food is always described as "Simply Delicious" in Hotel Bebbington ;-)

Perhaps my sister should put a profile for Hotel Bebbington up on Tripadvisor so we can review it!!

Here's the table set in Hotel Bebbington for Christmas 2012

Please do click like on Hotel Bebbington's Facebook page if you would like to keep up with the goings on of my family!