At each meal you are greeted with singers and cocktails to get you into the party mood.  The food and drinks flowed with willful abandon at this event and one cant help but feel that this is perfect for the spirit of Christmas.  There was a feeling of being at a really great party hosted by friends, rather than the staff of a hotel.
The venue is warm and friendly and you walk around in constant awe of its surroundings.   The hotel staff were friendly and attentive at all times and I loved how they worked with each presenter to ensure that the classes ran smoothly.
 The presenters were varied and interesting. Every class I attended was different and I picked up some great hints and tips to take home. There is a great selection of skills on show at Christmas in November but I aimed mainly for the food and drink side rather than the craft and decoration side.


I spoke to quite a few people over the weekend and was interested to learn that the demographic of Christmas in November has changed a little and more and more men are now attending.  It would be great to see the line-up of classes change to suit this in the future.
I honestly didn't know what to expect from Christmas In November.  Christmas holds so many special and important memories for people that creating an event that brings out what makes Christmas special for everyone is a daunting task I am sure.  The Fairmont nailed it for me.  Christmas is a feeling rather than a season and what I enjoyed most about it was how it made me feel.  I felt warm, well fed, a little tipsy, relaxed, pampered and like I was among good friends.  It felt like Christmas.  It felt really, really good.
I would attend this event again in a heartbeat.

It was magical, it was Christmas.

This little blog post may confuse you.  If you do not originate from the UK, like me, this little innocent looking baked item may be confused with a "biscuit" often drowned in a sausage gravy- well you would be wrong, it's a scone!  The big debate comes from how you pronounce the name;

Anyway, regardless of how you say it there is little debate about how you should eat it.  Split down the middle it needs a good spread of butter and a generous dollop of jam and if you are feeling fancy an even more generous helping of thick, pillowy cream (clotted cream ideally!)

This recipe is simple and elegant; the perfect afternoon treat.

Humble beginnings: butter, sugar and eggs- always the start of good things to come. 

WHAT YOU DO
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F

1. Put the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 
2. Stir in the sugar.
3. Beat the egg in a measuring jug. Make up to 100 ml with the milk, then set aside a tablespoon for glazing the scones later.
4. Gradually add the egg and milk to the dry ingredients, stirring it until you have a soft slightly sticky dough
5. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and pat out until it is about 2 cm thick. Use a 4 cm fluted cutter to stamp out the scones. Make sure you don’t twist the cutter or the scones will not rise evenly.
6. Gently gather the trimmings together and pat out again to cut more scones
7. Arrange the scones on the greased baking trays and brush the tops with the remaining milk.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until well risen and golden-brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
9. To serve, cut each scone in half and top with butter, strawberry jam and clotted or whipped cream.

GLAD® is teaming up with Goodwill to motivate people to clear their clutter and give back to their community. To help encourage people to donate their gently used goods to the DONATE4GOOD program GLAD® will be donating $10,000 + 10,000 black plastic bags to help collect your donate-able items.

I suggest you take up the challenge and take a good look at the back of the closet!  Do you have items lurking in the dist that are just begging to be given a new home?  

Here are the top 10 items that Goodwill are looking for right now;

2. Accessories (belts, purses and scarves) 

3. Kitchen items (small countertop appliances, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans) 

4. Shoes and boots 

5. Linens (blankets, sheets and pillowcases) 

6. Outerwear for all ages 

7. Household décor (figurines and other decorative objects) 

8. Kids games, puzzles and toys 

9. Wall art, mirrors and picture frames 

10. Towels

So what are you waiting for?  

#DONATE4GOOD 

I was sent some samples for this post but photos, donated items, terrible grammar and opinions are as always my very own. 

 Alfie loves this ride: The Hollywood Tower of Terror! 

 Just chilling with Walt & Mickey

 Make sure if you visit you grab a Dole Whip Float- rather yummy and it has its very own umbrella!