I’ve grown to really enjoy this little tradition I have created for myself. I like to reflect and see how much I have learnt… so just like the last couple of years, before my birthday tomorrow, I have taken just a minute to write a little list of the things that I have learnt and the ways I have grown. A list of 32 things to be thankful for, to acknowledge or just remember before I turn 33.
I hope tomorrow will be the weirdest birthday experience I experience in my life time
I am much happier with who I am as a person now then I have been in years
I am learning to be comfortable in my physical skin… and learning to trust my body again
I am learning to be comfortable with being both mentally tough and mentally fragile at the same time
I am learning to slow down and think about what I want and why rather than just pushing to have it all
I am learning to enjoy the perfectly imperfect both in me and the world… Facebook live is hard for everyone… even the wiggles
I need sleep… and I am better when I go to be early… even though I am also most creative and fun late at night… it’s a hard line to walk
I love being Isaac’s mum… but it’s a different hard to what I imagined
Consistent baby steps will still move you forward
I have a high tolerance for children’s music and I am not ashamed of it
Taking time to do indulgent things for myself isn’t a waste… but it does need moderation
I am very lucky to be in a partnership marriage… I am heard and respected and valued…
my faith doesn’t have to fit the same box everyone else’s does… God is big enough to handle me, my questions and my opinions and his grace is sufficient for my mistakes
I can use less and enjoy more… my choices have an impact even if I can’t fix everything
Flossing is tedious but surprisingly satisfying
I choose not to live without the orthodontic bar holding my bottom teeth in place
I am very thankful to once again be living in the same hemisphere as my bestie
Life is short… phone calls are easy… just call those you love
Don’t over react to you toddler… they are more sensitive than you anticipate
When Isaac asks for a cuddle… always… always say yes… even when his hands are covered in spaghetti
It’s ok to have all of the feelings… even if you can’t hold them in
It’s also ok to say no and stop listening, watching, reading things that you can’t handle… you don’t have to know, see, feel everything just because everyone else is
Just cook the meals… your body and your wallet will thank you
Remember that little eyes and ears are watching you… try to behave accordingly
You have to let the toddler take risks… he did not come with bubble wrap…
Be flexible in your travel plans… it will lead to far less disappointment… I will see you one day NZ South Island west coast!
Enjoy the world with the two-year-old… they way he sees it is way more exciting than how my tired eyes do
Life is too short for boring earrings
Wear more colour… it always looks better than you think it will
I am thankful to the lockdown for giving me more family time… for long days with Isaac and Dave
I am the office distraction… it turns out I am significantly more productive when I work from home
Just keep reading, walking and singing… they are all making you a better version of you
Here we go 33… it’s going to be a good year even if we don’t leave the house again for a while.
Ok, I know this blog might seem a little strange given that I write a list of 100 goals each year and I have already posted about them, but over the last couple of weeks… maybe even months I have been thinking a lot more about the bigger picture. I guess these are the things that have shaped the items that I put on my list… but because they have been turning over and over and over again in my mind, I thought it might be helpful for me to write it out…
I feel like there is a lot of pressure from life to have things sorted, to get your life mapped out and run the race. Ideally, the path is clear and direct and you run towards it with minimal distractions and obstacles… but that is not how life works. People always tell you that the world used to be a simpler place, but I am not sure that is true either. Life is challenging… that is the real ‘simple’ truth… things don’t always go to plan, things aren’t always what you deem to be fair and people (including myself) fall short of my expectations constantly. But as I get older, and hopefully wiser, I am starting to understand the wisdom of life lessons told to me in years gone by. Things which at the time I received hopefully graciously, but decided that for whatever reason didn’t apply to me.
I have spent a lot of my life trying to be everything to everyone, and in the process forgotten who I actually am and by default what is important to me. Over the last couple of years, I have experienced what my counsellors have labelled ‘trauma’, physical and psychological… and while that sounds awful and it was… it’s made me stronger, more resilient and thankfully more aware of what I actually want in my life and on the flip side, what I don’t. It has provided me with time and experiences that have made me question everything and helped me work out who I am… which I guess has led me to this…
I am long term thinker, which can be, and has been both a blessing and a curse. I am a planner, I like to know what is going to happen and when, but I also like the option of being spontaneous even if I never take it. I feel things deeper than I ever have before and because I also like to fix things, I feel like it is my responsibility to do that… fix it all… I want my life to matter, and I want to make a difference, but I think this looks different in 2020 than it did even 2 years ago. I want to be part of the solution of big problems, but I am learning I can’t take on more than I am capable of. I need to push myself and stretch myself, but I also need to be kind to myself… so in light of all that, I have decided that this year I want to focus on just 3 things intentionally… I am sure there will be other things that come up across the year, but as I sit here today these are the big issues on my heart that I want to make deliberate steps to improve across the year…
Authentic Community
I want to build on the friendships I have and make sure that my relationships are intentional and honest. That if I choose to withhold parts of my life… I want to know why and reassess… I am a pretty open book at the best of times, but that doesn’t mean I am always a good friend. I want to break bread with people, share my life with people, raise my son in community and in turn support and strengthen those around me. I want to be reliable… which let me be clear isn’t always available, but intentional and deliberate. I don’t want to be afraid of my weaknesses in a social setting, because I want to be part of a community that takes me as I am… growing and changing, but flawed… just like everyone else.
Reducing my footprint
This is something that has been on my heart for a long long time… I want to be less of a consumer and more of a partner. I want to learn to appreciate what I have and not constantly be sucked into the ‘more more more’ pull of the world. I want to do right by the earth and leave it in a better place than I found it, not continue to mindlessly contribute to its demise. But I want to do this right… in baby steps… one change at a time. I also want to reduce my footprint in my social and work settings… and while it might sound it this isn’t in direct opposition to my first goal of authentic community… rather it’s about how I approach things, people, groups and task. I often go into to things all guns blazing… full or preconceived ideas, expectations and demands… and to be honest, while most of it comes from a good place, because I am passionate, it’s not a helpful approach… I want to tread softly, to listen first… light steps mean smaller footprints… and perhaps more effective communication.
Slowing Down
Life is short and fast… and unless I chose to pull out of the busy lane, it will stay this way. I want to enjoy my life, not just continue to push to the next task… I like to have things to do, but I want to also be able to stop and enjoy those things… not just cross it off my list. This last one should work really well with other two tasks above, I hope… because community and reducing my footprint takes time, they force me to stop and try new things… I want to simplify my world so that I can contribute to it better and in a more meaningful way. I want to be able to take in the moment… not just spend my life trying to capture a few manufactured perfect ones all ready for social media.
So that’s my three things… not small, and probably hard to measure, but I am hopeful about what my life might look like if I get this right. or even if I just improve a little. I am also choosing these three because they are positive… and they look at big problems and give me a way to help with what I have… I want to be hopefully in 2020, not stressed and tired and sad that the world is falling apart and I am missing all the good bits. I know it’s a lot… but I think it is achievable… and even though I hadn’t really articulated these ideas in my mind when I wrote my 2020 list, there are already a lot of things on the list that will help me work through my big things… for example last month I used my shampoo bar for the first time which I am not only very excited about because it’s one less plastic bottle… but it was no. 93 on my list… simple, sweet and helpful… once I have used it for a while I will let you know what it’s like… but even if it doesn’t work, or I forget to write… it’s a little step in the direction I want to be moving.
Ok… so I started writing this last year… and then Christmas, holidays, summer… you know the drill… but I didn’t want to not post it so here is the last bit of the 2019 list… it’s the last hoorah of November and December, and the bits that just didn’t happen… it’s probably going to be a long one… so lets get stuck in…
November
November was another great listing month… we crossed 7 things off the list. We started with a fun little family adventure on the long weekend… we went camping (no. 16, completed: 03/11)… but because it was our first time trying this as a family of three we just started small, opting to camp in the backyard… but it was complete with all the best things about George family camping… the tent, our adventure gear, and peachy keeny custard… and while Isaac wasn’t sure why we were all in the tent, he eventually fell asleep and we woke up with the sun… and despite Melbourne’s best efforts it didn’t pour and wash us away.
You may have noticed that I got my hands on a tea advent calendar… but if you somehow managed to miss this though and wanted to read my reviews on all the teas… you can click here (no. 83, completed: 06/11). What you may not have noticed is that I got a massage (no. 78, completed: 20/11)… and for at least a couple of hours afterwards, I was feeling more relaxed… man I love getting massages I am glad I popped this back on the list
Way back in September… yes a whole two months ago… I re-did a Rubik’s cube… but despite having the instructions right in front of me I couldn’t repeat it… now in November… I still need the instructions, but I can do it over and over and over again… I am not sure I will every just memorize the patterns, but just solving it feels like an accomplishment… plus according to the ‘Stuff You Should Know’ podcast, using the instructions is in no way a cop-out! (no. 02, completed: 21/11)
This month Dave and I also started the process of investigating our options (no. 48, completed: 24/11) for future family expansions… I honestly thought this would never be something that we would have to really really plan for… that it would just be more of a conversation of yes or no… not how or if… but I guess after two micro preemies that’s just what you have to think about before you rush into another child… and while I am still not sure I am ready we have started to ask questions and work out what it would look like, if and when we are ready.
Even though it was only November we also had our annual Christmas Movie Marathon Day for 2019 on the 30th of November… and also in tradition, I made a gingerbread house… and as outlined by the list this year (no. 32, completed: 29/11) I did it from scratch using a good old Donna Hay recipe and despite some early claims that this house was going together, the quickest yet… it was not, and the roof required some strong encouragement to stay where it was supposed to be. But as always it was delicious and a great way to kick off the Christmas eating.
Oh and wouldn’t you know it this blog is number 41… which means no. 31 is off the list (completed: 23/11)… but the great news is that even before I started out on my tea reviews I had written and published 15 blogs… No 15 was ‘List update… A little bit of Spring’. I have enjoyed have this as a push to blog regularly but also that is hasn’t felt forced… 15 feels like a good number to aim for… 1 a month and a bit…
December
This year December, as always, was a mad rush to cross things off… and it also contained my year-long endeavours, so there were lots of tasks completed, 21 to be precise. But let’s start with the regular list items. Dave and I spoilt ourselves with High Tea at the Langham for the last of our 6 date days (no. 77 & no. 3 both completed 03/12)… I know this sounds ridiculous but we have really struggled to actually do six dates… I think this is going to need to stay on the list just to make sure we remember to hang out with each other.
This month I also crossed off some of the nagging tasks I had from last year… I updated and completed Isaac’s Baby Book (no. 49, completed: 07/12), I made a decision about what to do with all the logs I kept while Isaac was in hospital (no. 57, completed 04/12) and I made some more progress on scanning our family photos in (no. 64, completed 02/12). There are still a lot of photos still to be scanned, I also have a five year booklet that I have for Isaac to keep up with and I have to actually format the logs and print them out somehow… but as annoying as I find it to make time to do these types of things I know that future me will really appreciate that I actually made the effort now…
Just before we snuck off to New Zealand for Christmas (no. 5, completed 16/12), Facebook of all things provided me with an opportunity to cross of no. 45, (completed 14/12) by giving me a friend quiz to complete on my friend Annie… thanks Facebook. My list wasn’t loaded up with holiday activities like I have in previous years as I wasn’t actually sure we would get there… but we did, for 16 days. Our little family of three explored some of the South Island for a week before meeting up with Dave’s extended family for a wonderful and relaxing Christmas in Whanganui. Despite not having specific NZ tasks on my list we still managed to cross a few things off. Isaac and I finished our barefoot texture experiment (no. 36, completed 29/12), making the most of the soft and green grass in Lower Hutt and some black sand. On Boxing Day we picked some strawberries (no. 71, completed: 26/12) and on the very last day of the year… I boiled some eggs (no. 93, completed 31/12).
Ok, so that’s all the stand-alone list items… here comes the end of year wrap up of all the year-long self and family improvement tasks… There were 20 list items that were year-long challenges of the 20… these are the ones I think I can safely cross off:
No. 19. Cook dinner regularly – completed: 31/12… The hello fresh boxes from way back in April (no. 94 on the list too) really helped with this, I don’t mind cooking as long as I know ahead of time what I am cooking and that I have everything I need… I think it’s all about setting expectations for myself and then just getting on with it… I am hoping this will continue because I also like contributing to our family meals and Dave has been head chef for a long time… it’s time he had some help.
No. 23. Keep my useless phone time under control – completed: 31/12… this is pretty subjective, but I have certainly been more mindful of it this year so I am crossing it off…
No. 37. Read a book to Isaac every day – completed: 31/12… It may not have been EVERY day… but it would have been pretty darn close… and it wasn’t always me, there were grandparents, aunties, uncles, friends, childcare teachers and of course Dad.
No. 54. Take a picture every day – completed: 31/12… Yep… you can see them on the blog already, above is November and December… January and Feb are in the first list update of the year, March, April and May are in the Autumn Edition, June, July and August are in the winter update and September and October are together in the Spring update.
No. 58. Wear a non-black t-shirt outfit at least once a week – completed 31/12… again, it may not have been EVERY week… but I tried my darnedest to bring some colour into my wardrobe, and I think I am making good progress
No. 60. Keep getting closer – completed: 31/12… my weight is something that I will probably have to work on for my whole life, but I am trying to change my mindset around this, it’s less about the numbers and more about my everyday choices and being a healthier version of me… and so far this seems to be paying off.. or it could be running after a toddler…
No. 74. Use my gratitude diary and Isaac’s highlight book – completed: 31/12… this is another it wasn’t EVERY day… but I tried my best, I really like having this to reflect on… so it’s worth the struggle
No. 87. Try meatless Monday – completed: 31/12… we were much better at this at the beginning of the year and less so the busier life became… but a meat-free meal is a pretty easy way to make less of an impact on the planet… I just need to get a little more creative with my vegetarian dishes.
No. 97. Make the most of our weekends – completed: 31/12… I think we did a pretty good job of this, we did a lot of fun things and a lot of making the most of our time at home… we could certainly improve, but I was good to be intentional about how we spend our family time together.
No. 98. Read for 10 mins a day – completed: 31/12… you guessed it… not every day, but more than in 2018… I love reading, I wish I read faster… and for longer before I fell asleep… but I will get better the more I make time for it…
Ok… so that’s the list… well almost… I forgot to blog about one from Feb… (no. 69. completed: 01/02)… I did actually attempt to find out what I was allergic to after my random hives in New Zealand on our 2018 trip… but it was a bit of a dead-end… It’s not mushrooms like I thought… it was probably just the stress of almost not getting on our flight… but even so, I think I will continue to give shiitake mushrooms a wide berth.
And these are the things that remain undone… some of them I am sad that I haven’t crossed of… like. No. 91… calling my grandparents… I have seen them more this past year and spoken to them more… but I haven’t made it a habit… so it stays un crossed… which is disappointing… mostly because I want to be better than that… but this is just how it is at the end of 2019… maybe I will be able to cross it off in 2020? Anyway, it wasn’t the only one… and for the rest you get no explanation just the rest of the list…
14. Don’t snooze – just get up 15. Plan at night 17. Walk Dex regularly 18. Plan our grocery shopping and meals at the same time – preferably weekly 20. Moisturise regularly 21. Finish the scrap books 35. Eat 5 new foods 40. Memorize a chapter of the bible 41. Take Isaac & Dexter to the dog beach. 43. 5 new cafes with 5 new people 56. Lights out by midnight 59. Update our budget 61. Wash my car at least 3 times 62. Sort out the photo storage and keep it up to date 63. Keep my desk at home clean 72. Get my step average up to 10000 76. Make an iTunes playlist for each season 85. Add a quick 10 minute clean to your night routine 89. Have a no spend day once a month 91. Call my grandparents regularly 99. Do my devotions 5 times a week
So that’s it… 2019’s list, the full review 79/100… a pretty good pass by me. Alright back to focusing on 2020’s list
This New Years has felt a little bitter sweet, it is always such a nice feeling to start fresh and to reset, and this time we not only get to start a fresh year but a brand new decade… the possibilities are endless… but at the very same time there are some pretty terrifying things happening in Australia, we have been traveling around New Zealand for the last couple of weeks and all the news from home seems to be it’s hot and it’s on fire and right now that seem to be impossible to stop and so it feels hard to celebrate when others are sheltering on the beach and don’t know what they will have to return to as they start 2020. It’s hard to imagine what they must be going through. As we flew home last night the plane flew through some smoke from the fires and the cabin began to smell of smoke, it was a pretty sobering reminder of what we were returning to. Dave, Isaac and I are lucky to live in an area that is pretty safe from these types of fires, but my heart feels heavy and powerless to help those who aren’t. So I guess my hope is that the fires will cease and that there will be some Happy New Years even if they are a little delayed. That there would be good soaking rain and that our land would start to heal… that would be a Happy New Year.
To be totally honest it feels a little selfish to sit here and write this blog about all the things that I am going to/hoping to do this year when there is so much going on, but the reality is there is always things like this going on… I am only feeling it more because it is in my backyard… and I will be mad at myself if I don’t do it… and despite all that is going on, 2020 feels hopeful… I feel good about what’s to come, I am optimistic about the future, 2019 was full of adjusting to a new stage in life, new jobs, new routines and new expectations… this year there should be less of that, which hopefully leaves more space for well used time, growth and learning… and because I am still a sucker for a list here are our 2020 lists… Emma’s List no. 12 and Isaac’s List no. 3…
You probably know the drill by now… but just in case… you can get up to speed on all the previous lists here: 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019), and just like all the previous lists there is much of the same in 2020’s offerings. Some tasks to help me work on myself, physically, spiritually and mentally, some things just because they are fun, some challenges, and some good old family time. Isaac’s list is much the same… although his is more fun and developmental milestones so that I remember to document them. I feel like I am finally starting to find some balance in documenting and just enjoying and also making space to write about other things as they happen, but hopefully I will continue to improve with that this year too… although really (and again probably selfishly) this is just here for me, but if you like it great. And if you see anything on the lists below we can do together let me know.
Alright, enough rambling… here are the lists:
My List
Make a family plan
Find a better work life balance
Get my steps average up to 10000 per day.
Have a child free night
Find another way to reduce my impact on the planet
Do two fun runs
Read 9 books
Go to a Finders Keepers Market
Find and try 3 new parks
Go camping
Get my VIT locked down
Go to bed earlier Sunday – Thursday
Blog 15 times at least
At least 6 date days
Volunteer at Parkrun
Call / Update our grandparents regularly
Walk Dex regularly
Bake some meringues
Take a picture everyday
Meet 3 new babies
Fish and chips on the beach at the beginning and at the end of the year
Go through and sort Isaac’s clothes
Get a massage
Sort out Kinder for Isaac
Exercise as least twice a week
Go on a family bike ride
Take some family photos
Swim at the beach
Meet the newest member of our family
Be a Parkrun tourist
Winter beach getaway
Play a board or card game
Make a banoffee pie
Do a puzzle
Make photo book
Do some colouring
Cross 2 things of the list every month
Use Isaac’s highlight book and my gratitude diary
See some fireworks
Read to Isaac everyday
Drink at least 1 glass of plain water everyday
Play some badminton
Brunch date alone
Brunch date with Dave
Brunch date with Isaac
Floss more often
Get a housework timing guide… print it out and stick to it
Use the hiking backpack at least 3 times
No games on my phone for 3months
No Facebook or Instagram after 10:30pm on weeknights
Make some cookies with Isaac
Go to at least one of Dave’s school concerts
Do the 10min clean most days
Remember the bags
Complete that 30 day exercise challenge
Swim some laps
Have a perfect month with my activity rings
Do a weekly plan
Get some better coffee tables
Entertain more guests
Finish the scrapbooks
Keep scanning in photos
Reduce the amount of take-out meals we have
Go to a carols by candlelight in the park
Have a no spend day once a month
Earn at least 6 of the monthly activity challenge awards on my watch
Do my devotions at least 3 times a week
Have dinner with our siblings
Make a dip
Make a pav
Make some ice cream
Use some herbs from our garden
Go some place I’ve never been to in Victoria
Go to the NGV
Use my sewing machine
FaceTime our NZ family
Use my bees wax wraps
Buy an item of clothing I wouldn’t usually buy and wear it
Do Parkrun with 5 different people
Paint a picture
Listen to a new artist
Picnic in the park
Stand barefoot on grass and sand
Keep the house tidy
Meat free meal at least once a week
Keep my car free of rubbish
Do an exercise class
Do a trail walk/hike
Make banana bread from scratch
Have a meal with the parentals… all of them… separately
Toast some marshmallows
Edit and finalise Isaac’s logs and maybe publish them
Try one of those shampoo bars
See a new Disney Movie
Keep my phone time under control
Spend more time outside
Keep an indoor plant alive
Use my standing desk more often
Keep my phone clean of excess apps that just waste my time.
Break the next barrier
Isaac’s List
Go 10 pin bowling
Swim at the beach
Visit all 3 Zoos
Check out the traffic park in Bayswater
Go to the movies
Ride my balance bike
Pat a new animal
Ride my scooter
See some fireworks
Swim in Pa’s pool
Go on a train
Draw a picture
Jump… with both feet leaving the ground
Try a new instrument
Dress myself… almost all by myself
Learn to use the toilet
Do a puzzle all by myself
Go on an adventure with Dad
Go on an adventure with Mum
Try one of those cool parks that have water play
Kick a footy
Learn to take a photo
Swap to a big bed
BBQ with Dad
Say goodbye to my ‘num nums’ (dummies)
And there they are… two brand new lists of goodness… here we come 2020
Firstly… Happy Christmas! Today is Christmas Day… and I hope that where ever you are that you know that you are loved and that today what we celebrate is for you… it’s Good News, Great Joy and it’s for All People!
It has been a number of years since I have written a blog about Christmas… in fact, if my quick dig through the blog is correct, I have only written about it once on this blog… I did a whole series way back in 2011… but since, there has only been a few references to Christmas time and the occasional picture, but this week as we have been traveling through New Zealand, I have been thinking a lot about Christmas and all that we do to celebrate.
Before leaving Melbourne Christmas was obvious and everywhere, there were songs, and gifts, food, lights and events and it all seemed to be everywhere all the time… It was quite overwhelming to be honest. Since arriving in New Zealand I have discovered that over here, this appears to not be the case. Christmas is much less obvious… perhaps this is because we have been doing touristy things and driving and not really frequenting shopping centres, but it seems to be much less constant here… and not just in one part… everywhere… Sure there are TV ads about Christmas and sales and the occasional Santa… but there is much less caroling, less lights, and generally less Christmas. And while at first I found this wonderful and much less stressful, as Christmas Day has come closer and closer I have found myself longing for it… for the tinsel and lights, for the carols and community events, for a church to have something on for us to go to…
Perhaps in New Zealand Christmas is just much more relaxed and they actually have it right, much less about the show and much more about the important stuff, taking a minute to stop and spend time with family? Or maybe being the end of December we’ve just missed it? I am not really sure… but I have found myself longing for the strangest things… homesick in a weird way for my ‘normal’ Christmas… which, in reality, is just as hectic and overwhelming as the weeks I described before we left.
I have been trying to work out what exactly I am missing… and to be honest, I think it’s a few things… the familiarity of my Christmas Tree and decorations… the twinkle of the lights… and the communal carol singing… because Christmas is a story of good news and great joy… and the songs that we sing declare this over and over again, in beautiful harmonies with the occasional outrageous descant.
A number of years ago our church’s Christmas series was on the theme ‘Good News, Great Joy, All People’ and it’s a phrase that has been stuck in my head ever since… but I think is mostly because it is true… and it’s adaptable to lots of mundane tasks you might like to declare at home.. for example… Good News, Great Joy, All People… Dinner is ready… or Good News, Great Joy, All People… I’ve finished the washing… see works for everything. Anyway, at Christmas there is an opportunity to have shared joy with all people over the gift of Christ, the hope of the world, the comfort in his birth and the miracle it was (in fact the older I get and the further into Motherhood I journey, the more of a miracle I think it is).
This year more than any other I have felt the weight of the world as it groans under poor human stewardship and been prompted over and over and over again to care for the land I live in and the people I live among… That in this difficult world full of pain, suffering, and problems that so often seem too big and difficult to comprehend… Where people seem to shun and judge first and listen second… Where my homeland burns and the land I am in has more rain and cold weather than a summer should or would normally contain… I know of a hope and light and joy that is for all people without a catch… and I have missed declaring this for weeks on end. I suppose the challenge for me has been how do I celebrate and bring this hope to others without my pre-provided platform… or prompts? And once again I think I have found my answer within the lyrics of a Christmas Carol… one I have blogged about before here way back in 2011… O Holy Night, but this time it has been the third verse that has caught me each time… it says…
Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His Gospel is Peace Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother And in His name, all oppression shall cease Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we Let all within us Praise His Holy name Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever! His power and glory evermore proclaim His power and glory evermore proclaim
So that’s what I will try to do today (and every day) to share this light… When Isaac wakes up to his makeshift paper Christmas tree, when we sing with Dave’s Grandparents’ at church, when we break bread with our family on a rare Christmas where we only have one destination to be… I will love, I will be a bringer of peace, and with my actions, I will be a bringer of Good News, Great Joy for all people.
Well here we are everyone… Day 24… the last day of the Advent Calendar… it’s Christmas Eve… and I am almost out of tea… If you are have endured this review process and are still reading these blogs… congratulations… I will try to make the blog a little more exciting after Christmas… there will be no more tea reviewing for the foreseeable future… I also promise not to do this again… because it turns out that while I have enjoyed the novelty of the tea Advent Calendar when it comes to the teas I like I am actually pretty boring… I just like black tea… nothing fancy… just black tea.
Through this process though I have tried new things, I have confirmed that I am not a fruit tea person and found a couple of teas that I could be tempted by again… and that some of these new teas I can have without my usual one sugar, so that’s a plus… but mostly I have just confirmed that I am most likely to stick to the plain stuff… Thanks for sticking around… I hope it wasn’t too tedious.
Tomorrow for Christmas day my gift to you will be no more tea reviews and my gift to myself will be a regular ceylon tea…
Day 24:
Tea: Christmas Breakfast Initial Reaction: I thought you might be hiding here Christmas breakfast… and what a good idea to pop you last… Brew Time: 4 mins Enjoyed with: a dash of milk Flavour: Good… There is a lot going on in this tea… and I was hoping for a relaxing finish to a hectic season… but the tea is also hectic… it tastes like Christmas spice… and look it’s probably me not the teas… but I do enjoy a less is more with spice… but it was a fun way to finish… Score: 6/10
Bonus review from Dave: Not as festive as I hoped… I was looking for some real excitement… 7/10
Tea: Pumping Pomegranate Initial Reaction: Wow… where do they come up with these names? Brew Time: 4 mins Enjoyed with: boiling water Flavour: Good… again, not as sweet as I thought it would be which is a nice surprise… it’s tangy though Score: 6/10
Tea: Melbourne Breakfast Initial Reaction: Hello my old friend! Brew Time: 4 mins Enjoyed with: Milk Flavour: I am a fan of Melbourne breakfast… which is good because I am also a fan of Melbourne, Breakfast, and breakfasts in Melbourne, it’s sweet and smooth and just delish Score: 9/10
Tea: Eggnog Initial Reaction: In tea? Wonderful… and I love the pink… well done T2… I know it doesn’t look pink in the picture… but just trust me on this one. Brew Time: 3 mins Enjoyed with: Milk Flavour: I am yet to have any actual egg nog this season… so I’m not sure if this is what it’s supposed to taste like… but there is a LOT of vanilla… but it does taste festive Score: 6/10
Bonus review from Dave: much like the real thing if you drink too much of it you’re going to be sick… 2 cup maximum… 5/10
Tea: Sleep Tight Initial Reaction: Well this is awkward… where having this first thing in the morning because that’s the only time we have today Brew Time: 4 mins Enjoyed with: Nothing, just good water Flavour: It’s good… I would enjoy this at the correct time of day Score: 7/10
The Most Curious George 