Softly Falling White Stuff

Last night I went to bed early with a sore throat and blocked sinuses. Yay. And today I have that taste in my mouth which is a sure sign a cold is on it's way. Double yay. Luckily, it is cold. Actually that lovely white stuff is falling at the moment, who knows if it will still be there in the morning. That will depend upon how long it falls for, it's certainly not going to melt in these temperatures. It's currently hovering around 0 degrees at the moment.
Why did I say "luckily"? Because I'm one of those mental people who loves winter. Loves! And this weather, combined with feeling a bit crappy, is just perfect for staying inside and sewing.
Other non-dampeners to my day included keeping my girl home from school to have a mental health break from all of the girls-are-mean nonsense (we had a great slow day), seeing a family member from Vancouver for a quick cuppa, my girl doing some great artwork (photos later), reading (and watching) "James and the Giant Peach" and getting started on my Christmas wrapping.
Shall I terrify you with the words "26 days until Christmas"?
I have one present left to buy, but that is actually for Poppet's birthday in January. Otherwise I am done.
Thoughts turn now to gingerbread houses, Christmas trees and trying to figure out if I really don't like eggnog. Jury's out, shall try some other recipes. I mean, it has alcohol in it, what's not to love?!
Our Pin-Ups group has a couple of great boards going at the moment for the Christmas lead up.
This one focuses on wrapping your pressies in a lovely creative fashion. I'm afraid I never quite manage this, though I do love to gaze at other people's efforts.
For example...

This picture was pinned by Jessica from Whoa Mama over here.

And this board has some lovely handmade decorating ideas for Christmas. Lots of lovely things to do with your kids over the coming weeks, whether you live in a hot or cold climate.
I am particularly partial to this one...

This advent calendar was created and pinned by Maryanne at Sammy and Lola over here.

And you can check out our boards here and here.
For me, the cold climate has always been an essential part of Christmas. But I've probably only seen a handful of Christmases in my life which haven't included a swimming pool.
Yay for Christmas in Toronto. Let's hope it's a white one!