Chateau Diaries Advent 2020

Firstly, disclaimer I watch all the regular Vlogs and I find a lot of the topics fascinating. Stephanie is the Chatelaine from Chateau Lalande (a women who as a young girlwanted to live in a Princess castle!)

For Vlogmas/Blogmas is something that Vloggers and Bloggers have been doing for ages now. I have done Blogmas previously and loved it and I have planned to do it again this year, I am working on a blog currently and it’s going to take a lot of visiting different locations and photos to complete it, so that’s definitely going to be one for Blogmas.

Stephanie has made her series in The Christmas Diaries-Advent series. Firstly I love her intro of the snowy chateau, she had me there! It’s stunning in the snow (I miss snow down on the English coast!)

On the first day of Advent,

They showed the different Advent Calendar they were given or bought! They had 4, a beauty calendar, a knitted calendar and two for under the tree in Christmas corner! I also have 4 Advent Calendars, two handmade felt advent calendars, a wooden door calendar and a Liberty calendar which is refillable! (Stephanie bought herself a Liberty calendar last year!)

Advent Day 2

Christmas invitations for a Christmas party! Philippe drew a lovely peacock for the invitation in watercolour! What a nice idea! Very personalised!

They also did wax seals for their invites using different seals and colours.

I also have wanted to get these for ages, I’ve found some Christmasy ones, which I will get but also I will look into ones for Phoebe’s birthday invites (I mean my friends know I’m a bit extra so you know I’ve got to live up to the expectations. Really I just want to try out wax seals!) Who doesn’t want to get a letter that looks like it’s just been dropped off from Hogwarts by an owl!

The invites has given me an idea too, instead of buying invites I think I could do Phoebe’s birthday party invites instead! I mean I’m already making homemade party bags, I might as well go the full hog!

They got some Christmas plates as a gift, which I immediately went and searched for my own Christmas plates on charity websites but then I remember I have painted my own so does that count? This is my version of Spode! Haha!

Advent Day 3

They were preparing for Sinterklaas, a Dutch celebration. They leave shoes by the fire with a carrot in. They also write little poems for each person in the house with their presents given by Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas comes from Spain with his helpers on a steam boat, with his horse to spread the packets for all the children. The big presents are brought on the 5th December. (This is totally separate to Santa Claus or Father Christmas!)

They then wrapped the presents and put their shoes by the fire!

They then sing a song in Dutch!

Advent Day 4

They read the story out written by a viewer, which is raising money for a children‘s charity. It is based on LaLande. It was based on some true events with a lot of embellishment. They did run around after the ram one vlog!

It’s very funny, and yet another prompt for me to finish writing my book(s)! I’ve decided to write my daughter her own version of Elf on the Shelf book! (Slightly different!

Advent Day 5

Creating Christmas florals is something I’ve not attempted to do with real flowers. I think I will add lots of bay leaves to a Garland this year but with a toddler grabbing everything I might have to give this a miss and just use faux flowers. it’s nice to show the process though, it did take a long time to create!

Advent Day 6

They had their cocktail party, they made colour changing Gin and also decorated their Christmas tree for cocktail corner. It was peacock themed, purple and turquoise!

I definitely love the theme and as Phoebe’s favourite animal is a peacock I think this is her tree this year! Minus the alcohol obviousl!y!

The party was 1920s themed (an era I love) and in fact my theme of my hen do!

The party I will be attending will be P‘s and I will be dressed as a Disney Princess so not quite the same style! But an excuse to dress up!

Advent Day 7

Sinterklaas has arrived on the 5th December. He was a Greek Bishop hence the religious symbols.

He has delivered the packets and the poems. They are very funny poems often slightly teasing, I bet my late father would have loved this tradition! I may try and include this for either clues for my Advent or in people’s presents!

They were very funny and they teased each person a little but all in good humour, some mentioning about cooking skills etc!

Advent Day 8

The wreath for the Chateau’s gate was hung and it’s beautiful. a willow base and then fresh foliage is added each year from the grounds! Dried orange was added but Marie the Floral designer drew the line with a big red bow!

They sung Christmas carols, I’ve got to say my wreath on my front door didn’t get its own ceremony, however my log cabin, I may gather the family to sing a bit in the garden (not sure if this will happen or what the neighbours will think!)

Advent Day 9

Christmas traditions for Philippe who is Dutch are waffles, Stephanie’s was a Boxing Day BBQ and Natti also had a BBQ too but in Argentina! We didn’t have a Boxing Day BBQ but we used to have a Boxing Day box (a box full of presents we used to dive into and Boxing Day was always a buffet!)

Ours this year with just the 3 of us was definitely a new one Bubble and squeak on Boxing Day! I’m building up our little family traditions too! It’s lovely to hear other traditions. My friend has a BBQ on the beach (she’s in Australia, I made her child a surfing Santa) I have to say Stephanie really does include and respect others traditions which is nice to see!

Advent Day 10

This was a really interesting they remade the crib and then they also bought new nativity figures from Naples, a whole street in Naples is dedicated to just making these nativity figure! I would love to visit and see all the figures!

This actually inspired me to make my own nativity scene! I made the 3 Kings, a camel, the Holy family, Angel Gabrielle and the shepherd and his sheep!

I have to say the Crib and nativity figures look lovely lit up in her chapel! They sung more carols around the Crib and it was lovely. I definitely want to go to a carol service this year (Covid cancelled church services last year. but I did watch Carols at Kings!)

Advent Day 11

It‘s Fondue night at the Chateau, they go through the Fon-do’s and Fon-don’ts (yes they made that joke and I thought that was funny!) They are using a book from the 70’s and some of the instructions and forfeits are quite outdated so they decided to reinvent new ones! Apparently it’s going to be a “Fun-do”! Apparently in the book the instructions were to find the “gayest table cloth” (meaning jolly) they found an original 1970s table cloth and went all out! I think I would do more a Nordic style myself, Apres ski style! I‘m definitely going to do a fondue night maybe for my 5th Transplant!

Advent Day 12

A Christmas Q and A

Q1 Do you have any weird family Christmas Traditions?

Mandy-Santa Claus wore a scary mask and Mandy cried every time he knocked on the door.

Cat-Sings in the choir at church but it starts at midnight mass which the choir then goes to one of the members house and then they come back to church for the Christmas Day Service.

Selmar- We go to a nice hotel for a brunch and then they then dance.

Q2 What is your earliest memory?

Cat- My Mother asked would it be ok do you think if you had a baby brother? Yeh! they were very worried that i would hate him so they read me lots of books about having a baby brother.

Selmar- I remember being in my play pen away from older brothers so they couldn't get my toys, I could play all day in there. I'm still like that now with my camper van.

Stephanie- I remember being in my push chair, I was about 2, I hated walking (Nati says just like now) it had a clear plastic top that came down when it was raining, thats what I loved most because it was like a little pod, like a little house on the move but the most annoying thing about it was that the plastic didn't go over my feet, my feet stuck out.

Philip- I remember being able to recite my grandparents telephone number.

Q3 What is everyones favourite Christmas Tradition?

Cat- Wassailing, my dads favourite pub which is known to us as the knicker shop. The Owner had a lingerie shop that went online so turned his shop into a tiny pub and we go in and sing, the locals don't know whats going on and the owner doesn't like anything like that in his pub and each year more and more join in. My mum takes it very seriously and it normally ends with a Curry at our house and merriment and then the same at our house, singing and drinking in equal measure.

Nati- Having all the family around and going to a BBQ

Mandy- (Cat says your German you invented Christmas! Many replays not my family no!) The whole family gather together and opening presents.

Stephanie- My parents worked in a nursing home so they spent the day giving the residents a lovely Christmas. I did have my parents in the morning and owning my stocking and playing with Barbies. Having a big meal now is my favourite things now.

Q4 What is your favourite Christmas Food?

Nati- My mum filled eggs with tuna and egg yolk. I miss it. (Stephanie says lets bring in some of Nati's traditions too)

Selmar- Kerstol bread with raisins and nuts and Marzipan and powered sugar and fig butter.

I loved the Christmas Dairies Advent Vlog series! So many ideas I’m going to try or include (obviously with a toddler and as someone who doesn’t drink some I probably won’t be including but definitely some very festive ideas!)

This was a long blog so Im going to leave it here!

Byeeee Festive FriendsXx