Getting into the spirit of things!

Tesco had a good price on the lovely scrummy YUMMY JD honey infused bottles recently and one found its way into my trolley for no.2.brother and .. for ME! .. fast becoming my new fave drink and just in time for the festive period!
dh and I have both been weight-watching some weeks now and while HE is thrilled at losing just a lb shy of one stone - I on the other hand have scraped a 9lb total this week.  Its SO UNFAIR! it takes SO long to lose!  I had hoped to have lost about a stone or thereabouts by Christmas but at this rate its going to be next Christmas!
In the spirit of things I have rather bravely I feel, put aside my "presents" for this year under our tree unopened and still sealed!
For two reasons: mainly because I dare not become sidetracked by the loveliness within and MUST MUST MUST do some FINISHING but starting yet another project .. I have some lovely plans for shawls in my queue but, again, am resisting casting on but its hard!  I don't know if I'm a slow knitter or whether its because I'm so easily distracted but lately it seems like I have bags of the stuff!
To that end, I enlisted the help of no.2.son and we did a big tidy up and I have banished many of my projects upstairs to sewing room and only letting remain those that I can commit to spending time knitting - its a risk - not least because its so much easier to get tempted into juicy new fresh projects while the older ones sit wrapped upstairs out of sight out of mind ..

This weekend we collect no.1.son and bring him home for the holiday! 
This week we took our cats to the Vets for their annual check and injections, worming tablets etc and disappointingly we are told "officially" that Bertie is no longer just a "big muscular healthy" cat - he is officially a FAT CAT!  the Vet confirmed he has put on weight and what we thought was thick cat-fur is in fact FAT!
Poor Bertie has to go on a cat-diet - well both dh and I are fully engaged in Weight Watching so he won't be alone - the Vet has ordered him some "low carb" cat biscuits and we are encouraged to get him playing/exercising more but it won't be easy - Bertie does lay about the house sleeping for most of the day .. (and night! which is, I suppose part of his predicament).
Lilly, on the other hand, little scrap of Lilliness is slightly under weight from last year, but classed as "normal" - we're told that she can eat the biscuits too and that they settle the cat's systems better as they are more nutritionally suited to a cats natural diet being "mouse based" .. the Vet was quick to point out that there is no actual "mouse" in the food .. I think dh found that comforting ..

It has been a funny week of getting things ready for the festive period - our shopping is now complete - the tree is up! and our gift shopping done too ..
Inspired by the theme of knitting Christmas bits and bobs I was thrilled to see that a lovely snowman pattern was included in the current editiion of Yarnwise!  I went a bit mad and knitted up a few!
dh requested a "NUFC" supporting snowman with black and while scarf and hat and has taken it to sit on his desk at work!

Elsewhere in knitting news, my two gifts for myself arrived last Saturday! and they are still sat wrapped in their packaging under the tree and waiting for the Day!  I treated myself to the new Kate Davies book - Colours of Shetland! and also the lovely series three Killing grey chevron kit from the super people at Knit'n'Caboodle who are kind enough to oblige by sourcing pattern and yarn for at least two of the Killing inspired "Sarah" jumpers.
I dare not open them!  I will become inspired to CO anew! and I must FINISH! first!

My festive treats!

the lovely snowmen!