Around here - Christmas 2025

Christmas is over for another year, and this one felt especially memorable as it was our very first Christmas in the townhouse. I had envisioned turning the dining table the opposite way and adding a camping table on the end so we could all sit together, as we’ve done in previous years. However, with a much smaller dining space, it quickly became clear that it just wasn’t going to work.

The plan was to set up the camping table just before lunch was served, but the kids (aka my very grown-up adult children) decided they were quite happy to sit on the rug around the coffee table instead. In the end, we had 12 people for lunch, so we squeezed in one extra chair around the dining table and made it work — cosy, relaxed, and very much in the spirit of the day.

My favourite part of hosting Christmas is always setting the table. This year, I swapped my usual white tablecloth for a green linen one, layered with paper placemats and matching serviettes. On Christmas Eve morning, I made a last-minute trip to the local flower market and picked up some Christmas bush and evergreens to decorate the table. I absolutely loved how it all came together and was thrilled with the final result.

We’ve kept the same set Christmas menu for years now because it simply works — and more importantly, we all love it. I host Christmas at my place and take care of the pasta salad, an Asian noodle salad, and bake at home bread rolls.

My sister makes individual plum puddings filled with chocolate and serves them with brandy custard, which are always a highlight. This year, my other sister had a bit of luck and won a ham in a raffle the week before Christmas, so we enjoyed that along with fresh prawns.

When everyone first arrives, we always start with Christmas slices. I made my Belgian Chocolate Slice, a tradition I’ve kept up for at least the past 25 years. It’s always such a treat and has become one of those special little rituals that holds so many memories for our family.

As it was a very hot day we had the air-conditioning going all day and stayed inside.  Another Christmas is over and forever grateful I get to enjoy this special day with my family.

Here's some Christmas photos for 2025.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and lots of family time.