The baby is asleep so it's blanket and Broken Dream time.

I started off a battle jacket for the baby. It's so big, it should fit her for the next 5 years. By then I hope she'll be sewing the patches on herself. Meanwhile, she's going to look like an extra from The Breakfast Club for quite a while.

Remember when supermarkets just had a pen at the front for all their empty boxes - and it became a de facto creche for all us children who didn't want to go round Asda. That was fun. Anyway, merry Christmas.

Bloody hell, nearly forgot one!

Everything is ready, bar Santa's arrival. Looking forward to tomorrow in the way that only the believing parent of a True Believer can.

Since Santa's been well catered for, time for Mama to have a beer. Had this one knocking around for too long. Xmas is time to clear the cupboard(s).

Preparations are complete, stocking has been laid out with care and Twas The Night Before Christmas has been read. Most satisfactory. Time for a beer I reckon.

Some more positive news from here in Shropshire today.

Am quite excited that tomorrow I can stalk #DuvetKnowItsChristmas from my own bed, and not watched over by the judgemental exercise bike at my mother in law's. Sweet relief.

Packed pub and free chip butties. Marvellous fun at the Malt Shovel Christmas quiz tonight.

Come on people. I’d look after it myself but I’m not sure it’ll fit into my one bedroom flat.

I hope the set can be saved, as i know how hard Gareth worked to get it. Ben and I at Thornbridge would be more than happy to provide advice and help to any prospective owner 🤞

🥈🥈🥈

Right, that's it. All the stuff I haven't finished now will have to wait for Friday and beyond. I'm having a sit down and reading the Hogfather for 20 minutes before the baby comes home.

Taking @morrighani.bsky.social's suggestion of visiting The Coach & Horses in Shrewsbury. www.myshrewsbury.co.uk/blog/coach-h...

I've finished wrapping the presents! This is a joyous moment.

The Glasgow union is in the last chance saloon. This is not a drill. Please share far and wide.

Carols down the pub. Starting to think Santa is very much on Team Bam Bam as this is about the 5th time she's seen him this month.

When you get an email from Tommie Sjef two days after you filed the article you wanted to speak with him for.

Great, so thanks to an Internet outage, my 4 hours of children time to get work done is now down to three hours and I still can't access anything. Either going to throw the computer or myself out the window in a minute.

The Boy and I attempting to blow each other up with tanks on MicroMachines for Megadrive last night was quite endearing. We haven't changed that much in 25 years.

Last present finished. Yes, he looks a bit mad, but when I got him, he was naked apart from his fingerless gloves, so this is an improvement.

Not sure what the rest of you are up to, but we're teaching Bam Bam the ways of the Sega Megadrive.

Another last-minute Christmas gift passed over to its new owner.

I think it's done! 3400 words on the union sets. Past, present and future. It's taken me a year, but I think it's done! I will be pleased to tick that one off the list.

Nant Fawr Brews now on BlueSky! Beer-based podcast from South Wales. Episodes out every month or so. Latest out today, talking to @morrighani.bsky.social all about the 'Union Sets' (and their mythical abilities) - now only 2 usable sets remain. Click link below to listen ⬇️ bit.ly/NFB_Union_Sets

Andy Taylor and I chatted about union sets and now you can listen in on the latest Nant Fawr Brews podcast episode. bit.ly/NFB_Union_Sets

Our first proper girls night out! They grow up so fast. The festive edition of the Boot Beer Ladies, with pizza and good friends.

Another new and exciting AI-adjacent error. Every time I write out a Belgian brewery's name, my spell check assumes that I'd quite like to launch into writing in Dutch immediately afterwards. I do not.

With doctors appointments, swimming lesson arrangements and grocery shopping, I feel like family life is conspiring to stop me getting my work cleared so that I can have family time when Bammers finishes school tomorrow... 🫠

Sending distant friends random Christmas presents via their local delivery food outlets is rather fun.

Got a challenge on a quiz answer tonight - someone flashed me a Google AI summary and the next search result was a death metal album (which was not at all relevant). I made a split second decision and said no. Just checked and I was right to assume AI was talking nonsense.

I love interviewing someone where you hang on their every word. Just got off the phone with Yvan De Baets at Brasserie de la Senne and the entire 25 minutes is just pure gold. Awe inspiring. Well, apart for the 90 seconds where something went bing in the brewery and he had to go check on it.

Visiting the newly relaunched Coach & Horses in Shrewsbury for My Shrewsbury mag.

Last call for Christmas orders - prints, signed books etc. I'll do a Post Office run tomorrow to get the last ones sent off in time for Christmas.

First night out with The Boy since August. Our time together is special.

Fitting this has been published today. Thoughts on my sister for What's Brewing.

Still failing miserably to process my sister's death. Feels like there's a fog over everything. It is making the everyday feel so onerous right now. I hate this for Christmas, need to get my game face on for the Small.

She only went and won the Mayor's Christmas card competition!

The annual Christmas pilgrimage is complete.

It has taken me an embarrassingly long time to write, but here are my thoughts on the Greggs pub, The Golden Flake Tavern, in Fenwick Newcastle. With beers from Full Circle Brew Co. #ad #invite

Arghh! It's day 9 and I forgot to start the Hogfather! Stupid Stephen King distracting me.

Dipping into the nondescript Hallmark Christmas films for the for the first time this year and channelling my inner @thornbridgedom.bsky.social

I feel like going for a swim whilst not 100% recovered from my cold at lunchtime was not optimal. I have been really labouring to get stuff done this afternoon. Nevermind, another free day until 3.30pm tomorrow to get shizzle done. And, in fact free days all week. December rules.

A few Christmas tipple suggestions for your delectation. Beer and beyond.

Nailed the butternut squash and chickpea curry tonight, according to Bam Bam.

Quick trip to the local fun day on the oark, then on to the pub, since we're supporting the local community.

It's Die Hard time in my house.

Alright, guess I'll put the Big Light on then.

Just been sent to #Whamhalla at the kids' puppet show. That's an early exit for me this year. #whamageddon