3pickles: christmas

Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

What we did on our Christmas holidays

13 January 2013

Well, what DIDN'T we do over the Christmas holidays??

I feel like the song "I've been everywhere" by Lucky Starr was our theme song this summer.

You see, when Mr3P plans a road trip...well he doesn't like to leave anything out.

This road trip was no exception.

Killing the serenity in Bonnie Doon's Lake Eildon.

The destination for Christmas was the Gold Coast, where my family live. I haven't seen any of them in over a year, so I was itchin' to get there.

It's a long, long way in a car with 3 little ones, so Mr3P likes to do lots of short trips to kill the boredom and to stay awake and fresh....(he did all of the driving up & back, while I do all of the driving on the Gold Coast).

So, before we went away, he spent days researching on the Internet for interesting things to do along the way. He even made a bit of an itinerary. He's so cute like that.

The sign says it all.

This was an interesting stop. I've never seen a submarine, inland rural NSW and in the middle of a park. It's the HMAS Otway's final resting spot. We were too early to go into the museum, but the kids had fun playing on the sub.

Holbrook Submarine Museum, Holbrook

Now Mr3P thinks I'm a stresser....and he's right. Especially when we drove the circuit at Mt Panorama in Bathurst. He was like a big kid (like every other man who has driven the circuit, I imagine).
I don't know how the pros do it...it was scary at 60km/hr and they go a heck of a lot faster than that.
By the way, I don't think I've seen a prettier or tidier town than Bathurst. Just lovely.

Now, if you've driven along the Hume Highway, you've probably stopped here at The Dog on the Tuckerbox.

Well, now we have too.

Of course, a stop over in Tamworth wouldn't be right without a picture taken in front of The Big Golden Guitar. And some Hungry Jack's....thanks for the free Wi-Fi, HJs!! Thank you Great Architect of the Universe for somehow not letting me put on any weight these holidays (in fact, when I got home, I'd realised that I had lost 500g....woo hooo)

We did what we usually do when it comes to somewhere to lay our heads for the night. That is, we start looking for suitable accommodation before it gets dark...we shop around the town rather than book anything in advance. It doesn't have to be the Hilton for us (plus the fact that there IS no Hilton on the Hume), as long as it's clean and not creepy. We only stay for sleep and a shower...then off we go.
We're just wild and crazy like that.

Sometimes Mr3P took us 2 hours off the beaten track.

Just so I could photograph a waterfall.

and stress at my pickles being too close to the edge.

I have a fear of heights by proxy.

Can anyone say "control freak"?

Do you have those type of fears for your kids? Even though the heights don't bother me too much, I can't stand my kids being near the edge...even though my logic tells me it's safe.

The loo paper went where we went.....you just never know.

It's the little things................

We helped save Thundebolt's Hideout in Tenterfield
Thank goodness another family came to take over our shift......................

It took us almost 4 days to get to the Gold Coast, but it was a lot of fun and the kids will have some great memories of our trip...isn't that what a family holiday is all about?

If you want to see some pics and tid bits about the rest of our trip, then please drop back later in the week. I have my blogging hat on again.
Hope to see you soon.

Christmas Decorating

14 December 2012

It's never too late to do some decorating for Christmas.

We always put up our tree on December 1st and take it down (my job...always) on New Years Day. Is that what you do?

Anyway, one of the things we love to do, since having the pickles, is hang stockings on the mantle, above the fireplace. We're pretty lucky to have found a home with a fireplace since they're not all that common in Australia. When we found this home, the fireplace was boarded up and had been tiled over (weird) the mantle was intact so we could hang our stockings, it's one of the things that sold me on this house.

I knew there'd be a job for Mr3P to do down the track.

So, "we" got rid of those ugly tiles and ripped off the boarding....

to reveal a dusty old fireplace, sans fire.

I cleaned it up and the rest was history........

until the extension and renovations began and the fireplace is out of bounds for the time being.

The pickles were very disappointed that they wouldn't be able to hang stockings this year, but there wasn't much we could do.

Until I had a little light bulb moment...which happily coincided with the 3M via Digital Parents Collective campaign.

Why not create our own, temporary, much "bling-i-er" fireplace, just for them???

So, Mr3P, my trusty assistant/sidekick (it's my blog, so I can make the titles up if I like) and I got to work.

I pointed... & he did the physical stuff.

The 3M Command Clear Hooks are great for showing off your decorations, unobtrusively. You wouldn't even know they're there (that's why it made them hard to photograph...but that's good, right?)

So we made the mantle with silver tinsel, the hearth with red beads and the "fire" with a red/yellow tinsel mix.

We used a mixture of 3M Command Clear Hooks...they're available in a range of sizes suitable for different weights – including

the Mini, Small and Medium hooks as well as the Utensil and

Decorating Clips priced from $6.99 (RRP) .

They're damage-free hanging and you can decorate without a single nail hole , they go on easily, hold on strongly and come off cleanly while working on a range of surfaces, including dark, wooden and the unusual.

All you need to do is apply them in the outline that creates your shape (the sky's, the limit)...maybe do a little sketch first to plan where you'll need to stick them and then run your tinsel along, using the hooks as support.

Then we hung the stockings, bow and 2 faux candles on the bigger 3M Command Clear Hooks.

Quick, easy & effective.

Pickle #3 was impressed.

And the best bit was when the 2 big pickles came home from school. I got them to close their eyes and led them into the room.

I will never forget the delight on their faces when they saw the "faux place" we created for them. It was like we gave them a million dollars.

It's funny how the little things can mean so much and create so many wonderful, happy memories.

And it only took 15 minutes to create.

You can purchase the 3M Command Clear Hooks at all leading supermarkets and retail outlets

across Australia.

If you want to see other decorating ideas using the hooks, you can go here for a cool video demo.

Have a lovely Christmas.

I am participating in the #3M Christmas campaign. I received a VISA gift card for this post courtesy of 3M via Digital Parents Collective. I am also in the running to win an iPad3. As always, all opinions are purely my own.

Christmas Gift Ideas & a $50 JB Hi-Fi Gift Card Giveaway!!

13 December 2012

Here's some gift ideas for the ladies. Some of the items on this list are things I already have (and recommend) and some are things on MY wish list....in the hope that Mr3P will read this. Of course, I'll be sending it to his phone & email....just to be sure.

Stay tuned to the end of the post, as I have a giveaway that will be one by a lucky reader THIS SUNDAY!!

First on my list is this bit of classy bling...I can see myself wearing this on NYE.....
Alana Bracelet $39 from Glamorous Life by Joanne Rahn
if you order by the weekend (I've been assured you'll get it in your hot little hands by Christmas)

A CD...I have all of the Nicelback ones...but I don't have this Mr3P.
Get it from here JB Hi Fi

This cute Metal Plate Hair Tie from Forever New...only $9.99

Kim Kardashian Gold perfume. I had the pink one, I think it was her first fragrance and I was a big fan, so this is next on my list. I saw the 100ml at Priceline for $39...not bad at all...

If I'm going to have a champers...it's going to be this.
Had this for the first time, many, many years ago at the Sea World Nara resort at a special brunch with my friend Dee. We were only having "one glass" each...... um, well, we had to leave our cars and get a cab by the end of brunch!! You cannot stop at one...trust. Worth every calorie.
Pommery Champange around $60 from Dan Murphy's.

For the lover of beautiful skincare, this is the Ultimate Skin & Body Collection from Jurlique. I was lucky to receive this pack from Jurlique a few weeks ago and I feel very spoilt.
If you want to impress...get her this!!
Get it (and other beautiful Christmas packs) from Jurlique's online store (here)
or go here to find a Jurlique store/stockist near you.

So, that's my list for 2012. Hope you like.

Now, onto the giveaway and one more gift suggestion.

Thanks to the lovely people at Rentsmart.

$50 JB Hi-Fi Gift Card Giveaway

The silly season is here, and that means it’s time to find some games or movies to entertain the family over the Christmas break. In the spirit of the holidays, Rentsmart is giving away a $50 JB Hi-Fi gift card for one reader to spend in store.

Buy the latest superhero movie or purchase a game for the little ones to play, then kick back with a coffee and enjoy a peaceful and

relaxing holiday season…that’s a gift that’s priceless.

How to win (Aussies only).

1. Tell me what would be your ultimate Christmas party...they sky's the limit (include your guest list if you like....living or not)!!

2. Leave your answers on the 3pickles Facebook page (here) On 3pickles wall is fine. It would be nice to share the competition link from 3pickles facebook page ('tis the season for sharing).

OR if you're not on FB, you can leave your answers in the comments here on the blog.

I'll choose the most creative answer.....

Competition closes THIS SUNDAY at 10am Melbourne time and the winner will be announced on Facebook and on the blog THIS
SUNDAY around lunch time, so be sure to check back!!

Good luck.

x Marnie