Christmas is just around the corner! How exciting! I’m still a complete retard when it comes to Christmas, and I am one with the spirit of the season. I only wish Auckland wasn’t playing along and being cold and rainy and windy and disgusting. Sure, Christmas is a winter thing in all the movies, but it’s NOT HERE DAMMIT.

The first year I moved to Auckland I was saddened to realise I was still bundling up in my winter coat in late November. Back in Hamilton I used to be studying (and tanning) in the sun on the deck from October onwards. It’s only an hour and a half away for goodness sake! As it was, the other day I went home from work with cold wet feet, shivering and miserable. Stoopid city of stoopid sails.

The point of this all is that we finally spent Dad’s Christmas money from last year. I figured as long as we got in there before he gave us more this Christmas, it wouldn’t upset the delicate gifting balance. And of course, it’s important to spend it on something for us, and not on bills, or groceries or (god forbid) less important people. Or, say, Dad’s Christmas present – poetic but kinda wrong.

So we bought a blender and an icecream maker. I love me my gadgets.

I’ve been on something of a milkshakey kick lately; I had an awesome iced coffee with breakfast this morning, and I even went and got a strawberry shake from the place near work on Friday. I never order strawberry shakes! Last summer we made our smoothies in the food processor, but that’s an ass to get down and set up, so now we have a cool blenderer ($50 off, bonus). We celebrated by making a banana- strawberry- raspberry- kiwifruit- pineapple- rockmelon- yoghurt concoction as soon as we got home. Mmm… healthy… and filling in a ‘that was great, now give me CARBS’ kinda way.

The icecream maker was like $30 off, so I chalked it up to fate. Of course we have no cream in the house so the chances of me making any immediately are thankfully slim to none. There are a couple of intriguing sorbet recipes included though, so I might experiment on Sam yet! He’s a good sport and rarely complains when it comes to eating my food.

Now I just have to find a use for my birthday money. >.>