Christmas, Africa style - when do you take down your tree... and what is your cleaning thing?

I usually wait til the 6th Jan or the day of the kids' half year party. But this year I can't wait.

I've been taking a few things down every night - this was mostly an effort so that Nanny M could clean properly.

Speaking of which, have we spoken about the nanny yet?

She is very sweet, but probably too submissive for me. She means well, but we don't click and she doesn't get my style. So I have to tell her things over and over... and I've even typed up a manual for her... because she's forgetful...

She is obsessive about mopping floors so the floors are pristine but the dust bunnies are hopping up a storm.

We had a once-a-week nanny about 12 years ago called Bea. In fact, she helped us move down to this house too. Bea was amazing - fierce, bossy (great for the twice-a-month gardener) and super fussy (which is really good when the person is cleaning your house). Bea's thing was wooden floors. Oh my, she loved it when our floors were sparkling and shiny.

Do you have a thing?

I have a clean bathrooms thing. And a no clutter on surfaces thing (actually that's my main thing). And an everything in its place thing. I have a lot of things, it seems :) 

What is your thing?

In more current news, I received a New Year's Day SMS at about 6:30 pm from Nanny M resigning (yes, she was due at work the next morning). If you're counting, we've had 2 nannies in two months, not counting Nanny S....

Scramble, scramble, scramble (this stuff is annoying for me - I won't bore you with reading about it too)


PS I'm counting down the days til Nanny S comes back (56 if you're counting)

Merry Christmas from my home to yours

Merry, Merry Christmas to all of you.

We're off to church in the morning and then it will be a flurry once we're home of cooking, packing up our food and presents and making it over to MIL's house.

Normally, my biggest aim is to keep my expectations of the day low so I'm not disappointed. Here is another take on the crazy of life from Momastery. It will encourage you if you've not had the marketing department's version of Christmas thus far.

Otherwise, my wish for you is a day spent exactly as you need it to - slow and quiet if that's your thing, noisy and full of family if that's your thing, a bit of both. Whatever.

Or else you could just breathe deeply and wait to relax after 8 pm :)

See you tomorrow :)

Where are you having Christmas lunch today?

PS some scenes around my home and the last one is from the second photoshoot in Newtown. Yesterday's photos are from shoot 1.