Christmas came, Christmas went

Our first Christmas tree in our new home
Our first Christmas tree in our new home

Every year it’s the same, weeks of preparation and anticipation, for two days of entertaining, eating and drinking (although no drinking for me this Christmas). The time goes by so quickly that sometimes it doesn’t even feel like Christmas but than you look at your protruding belly from having too many roskie pierogi (dumplings with cheese & potato) or dumplings with sauerkraut and mushroom along with a few bowls of borscht. My mouth is watering again, I have to stop thinking about food.

Almost traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper, they usually have twelve different dishes but it's way too hot for that in Australia
Almost traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper, they usually have twelve different dishes but it’s way too hot for that in Australia

We did walk yesterday though. It was too hot too do anything else. And since it was Boxing Day sales and we live within reasonable walking distance to one of the major shopping centres (this is not a good thing), we left the car in the garage and walked there instead. Good choice. The place was packed even before the shops opened and it would have taken us longer to drive there, find a car par and get our shopping done, and then to get out again. Last year we spent almost two hours trying to get out of the car park, not fun.

Walking is much healthier, less stressful plus it eliminates some of the excess calories from the previous days and nights festivities.

Then it was visiting friends for a Boxing Day lunch followed by dinner at my parents for my mum’s birthday. These two days are pretty much a given, we’ve been doing the same thing each year for over a decade or more now. The only difference this year is that my parents and my brother came over to our place for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch. I made some of the food and they bought some of the more traditional Polish food that we have at Christmas each year.

By the end of it all, I was exhausted. All in all though I think this Christmas was a success thought next year we’re going back to having Secret Santa instead of buying gifts for everyone (we’re all very good at going overboard with gift giving), making less desserts and focusing more on salads, Christmas in Australia is usually hot, hot, hot.

While there were good intentions to fit in a workout here and there, it didn’t happen except for yesterday’s walk. I did spend a lot of time on my feet over the past two days though, does that count? 🙂

How was your Christmas?

Christmas Wreath cake, thought it would look pretty at the table, didn't taste too bad either
Christmas Wreath cake, thought it would look pretty at the table, didn’t taste too bad either