Friday Favourites – Unexpected Downtime & Funny Christmas Videos

Happy Friday! Between trying to get better from catching the flu last weekend, juggling the busiest time the of year at both my jobs and finishing up the last few Christmas projects…I’m just spent. I went to look at my camera to see what photos I’d taken to help with today’s post…and I hadn’t taken any since last week. That’s how sick I’ve been. I had a long list of things I wanted to get done this week and maybe about 20% of it actually got done. I’ve just had to accept that some things aren’t going to work out and that’s okay. The apartment is a mess, there is laundry and dishes to be done, I can’t even find the dining room table – but we’re all fed, safe and healthy so I’m just letting it go for right now. The next five days until Christmas are full of great family dinners and get togethers and I want to enjoy those and stop worrying about what I didn’t do. Being sick and losing time are two of my biggest pet peeves, but sometimes your body forces you to stay still for a reason!

There were some good things that came out of this week though, so I’m still sharing my Friday Favourites! We also started getting Christmas cards in the mail this week and they definitely put a smile on my face when I was feeling low. I’m sure my quick recovery was due to all the festive spirit :  )

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Before I got sick, I was thankfully able to go to my great aunt’s apartment to make our beloved Family Christmas Carrot Pudding. Somehow over the last five or so years, it’s become a tradition for us to make the pudding together and I look forward to it every year.

It’s crazy to think that in five days we’ll be having it on Christmas Eve!

While we waited for the pudding to steam (it takes 3 hours!), we went through some of her old cookbooks for recipes she recommended I try. There was another steamed pudding recipe that she says my great grandmother used to make all the time for unexpected company and I can’t wait to make it myself.

Once I got sick, I was out. Plans were cancelled. All Christmas baking/shopping/wrapping was put to a halt. I spent pretty much Saturday straight through to Monday afternoon alternating from restless sleeping in bed to restless sleeping on the couch. I had the best nurses though. Whiskey cuddled up near my head and Cola at my feet, and they stayed that way for three days. Garrett was working long days but was able to bring home soup and crackers to make sure I ate something and made me lots of hot tea. Somehow he managed not to get sick too, which is a miracle because it seems to be going around like wildfire right now.

Over those few days at home, I had just enough energy to watch movies and sip ginger ale. I found the America’s Funniest Home Videos youtube channel and watched some of the Christmas videos. This one reminded me of the time the Christmas tree fell over at a sleepover with some friends a few years ago.

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I hope you all have a lovely weekend full of good health and Christmas cheer!