If you’re new here, Blogmas At Home is my annual festive series here on the blog, where I share daily posts full of festive fun & creativity throughout Advent! Christmas is my all-time favourite holiday, so I’m always practically overflowing with seasonal ideas to share with you guys. This is the third year of Blogmas At Home (big wow!) and I’m so excited to celebrate the season with you!

A little note before we get into today’s post: if you want to make sure you don’t miss a single DAY of Blogmas At Home this year, you can sign up to my newsletter! You’ll receive an email notification every time I release a new post, so you won’t miss a thing. The sign up link is in the side bar, right over there (—->)!

It’s become a bit of a tradition that my first Blogmas post of the year is my December bullet journal setup and this year is no different! Today’s post is all about my final, monthly bullet journal setup of 2025 (can you BELIEVE it’s the end of the year already?!).

Naturally, when deciding on a theme for my December setup, I headed straight to Pinterest (you can find my account here!). I saw this pin, which depicted a bunch of festive border design ideas and the one with the red berries really caught my eyes: it just feels so fun and Christmassy, but still very elegant and pretty! I decided to base my setup this month on that border, so I’ve used it copiously throughout, along with lots of torn kraft paper (my FAVE) and my beloved alphabet stamps.

Because it’s the festive season, I’ve included a few special spreads this month: the basic setup follows the same format as my typical monthly setups, there’s just a little extra, Christmas whimsy!

Table of Contents

• Equipment
• Cover + Quote Page
• Monthly Calendar
• Advent(ish) Calendar
• Weekly Spreads
• Christmas Day + New Year’s Eve
• December Review
• Final Thoughts

Equipment

To make this setup, I used the following equipment:

• Sakura Pigma Micron: 05 Black.
• Tombow ABT Dual Brush Pen: 990 Light Sand.
• Crayola SuperTips: Dark Red.
• Alphabet stamps and black ink pad.
• Glue stick.
• Scissors.
• Corner rounder.
• Ruler.

Cover + Quote Page

Recently, I’ve been moving away from quote pages in favour of slightly more ‘useful’ spreads (specifically, my ‘Things to Look Forward to‘ pages!). However, as I’m sure you know by now (or at least, can tell!), Christmas is my favourite time of year, so, honestly, I don’t really need reminders of how exciting life can be: it’s just a universal truth that once the Christmas lights go up, fun is to be had! Because of this, I did opt to include a Quote Page this time around: nothing fancy, just a little ‘Sleigh bells ring’ moment!

Honestly, this first spread was super easy to create (as was most of the setup, really)! I drew the borders with my Sakura pen, added the berries with the red Crayola and the leaves with the beige Tombow, then stuck in some torn up brown paper. I stamped in the lettering and that was it!

Monthly Calendar

I had a lot of fun making this Monthly Calendar, even though stamping in all of the dates was… a little labour-intensive (and the dates actually take up most of the calendar boxes)! Also, if you’ve noticed where I messed them up… no you haven’t.

To get the torn edges on the calendar section itself, I folded along the lines I wanted to tear, smoothed the creases down really well, then repeated that process, folding the paper back the other way and smoothing it again, so the crease was really well-defined. This meant that when I gently tore the paper, the the paper naturally tore along the crease I had made, which kept the section really uniform (which is useful, for this style of calendar!).

Advent(ish) Calendar

I completely forgot to add a heading to this spread, but it is my Advent(ish) Calendar spread! I’m calling it an Advent(ish) calendar because it includes the days after Christmas too. I plan to use this in pretty much the same way as my beloved Daily Sunshine page from my previous setups: each day, I’ll write one fun, (likely festive) thing that happened. This time around, though, there’s the added fun (read: effort) of having to locate the right date first!

Weekly Spreads

Into the Weekly Spreads now and I’ve kept the layout the same as the previous months— it’s just been working so well for me! I’ve trimmed down the central pages in this section so that, no matter which week you’re on, you can always see the task lists on the far left and right.

I used my corner rounder to soften up the edges of the cut pages: they can be pretty sharp, so I am hoping to minimise the risk of injury as much as possible!

Each internal spread is dedicated to a single week. I’ve split each one into 8 sections (2 down, 4 across) and used the spare section for the weekly subheading (which helps me to navigate through the setup and know which week I’m actually on).

To separate out the other 7 sections, I used that same berry border I’ve been using throughout the setup. It’s a bit more full on here, but I just love how pretty it is!

At the top of each daily box, I stamped in the first letter of the day of the week and the date itself.

Christmas Day + New Year’s Eve

This Christmas Day & New Year’s Eve spread is fairly minimal: just that same, berry border all the way around and a piece of kraft paper stuck in for the heading (or here, I guess, the footing!). I want this spread to have a scrapbook-y feel: I’ll fill it in after the respective days with photos and notes and little mementos, so that I can look back on all of the festive fun!

December Review

Finally, we have my December Review page! This includes all the same content as usual, but with the same berry border and torn kraft paper vibe as the rest of the setup. I’m particularly fond of how the ‘December Playlist’ subheading follows the shape of the torn edge in that top left-hand corner!

As always, I have spaces to note down my favourite songs from the month gone by (here’s betting they’re all Christmas songs), the year-end ATP & WTA (tennis!) rankings and my favourite memory from the month (here, indicated by a smiley face, because how on earth was I supposed to fit all of those stamped letters in that tiny space!). The blank space on the right-hand side is left blank, so that I can stick in a fun polaroid from December later on.

Final Thoughts

I’m so thrilled with how this setup turned out: it feels super festive, but also really soft and elegant (plus, it uses torn kraft paper, which is one of my favourite things to include in my journal!). It was surprisingly quick to set up: I didn’t worry too much about being perfect but it still looks really neat and precise, which is magical!

I do wish my number stamps were slightly smaller, because they do rather take over the monthly calendar boxes, but I can’t quite justify buying more stamps: guess I’ll just have to make do!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my December bullet journal setup for this year and that you’ve enjoyed the first day of Blogmas at Home 2025! I can’t wait to celebrate this festive season with you. See you back here tomorrow?

Gemma

xxx

Today’s post is a little round-up of this year’s festive posts, to celebrate the end of another crafty & Christmassy period on the blog! I’ve had such a lovely time sharing all of my festive ideas with you over these past few weeks— I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the posts too!

So, without further ado, here’s what’s been happening over the past 24 days on the blog!

Table of Contents

• Blogmas At Home: The Stats
• The Posts
  • Bullet Journal
  • Crochet
  • Knitting
  • Recipes
  • Other
• A Final Wrapping-Up

Blogmas At Home: The Stats

I may have intensely disliked statistics during my maths A Level, but I am a fan of a fun, numerical summary, so here’s the Blogmas At Home 2024 edition:

• Posts shared: 24
• Words written: 39,938 (I’m not known for my brevity…)
• Bullet journal pages set up: 127
• Crochet patterns shared: 1
• New cookbooks: 3
• Gingerbread Defenders made: 1
• Hours said Gingerbread Defender stood upright for before collapsing: 36
• Kulkuls rolled: 75

Anddddd, here’s the Blogmas At Home 2024 distribution of posts by category:

• Bullet Journal: 5
• Crochet: 3
• Knitting: 3
• Recipes: 8
• Other: 5 (including this one!)

And, because I love a pie chart…

As expected, Recipes turned out to be my biggest category this time around!

The Posts

Here, you can find links to all of the Blogmas At Home 2024 posts, grouped by category (for easy navigation):

Bullet Journal

Crochet

Knitting

Recipes

Other

A Final Wrapping-Up

So that was Blogmas At Home 2024! I hope you’ve enjoyed the daily dose of festive fun and crafty chaos over the past 24 days. I’ll be back in January with some more posts and general, sugar-filled joy. I hope to see you then!

Wishing you & your families the holliest, jolliest Christmas and the sparkliest, happiest New Year,

Gemma

xxx

It’s been a while since I’ve released a crochet pattern but, in today’s post, that’s exactly what’s happening! This pattern is for a super quick & easy, festive project that can be whipped up using scraps of cotton yarn (that you probably already have!). These are my…

❄️☕️ SNOWFLAKE COASTERS ☕️❄️

You can find this pattern on Ravelry here, if you want to save it for later!

Table of Contents

• Materials & Tools
• Pattern Notes
• Abbreviations
• Written Pattern
• Photo Tutorial
• Blocking the Coasters
• Final Thoughts

Materials & Tools

To make these coasters, you will need the following:

• Stylecraft Naturals Organic Cotton, in the shade Gypsum (7168), (50g = 104 m [114 yds]) (or other, DK weight yarn). You will need about 5g of yarn per coaster.
• 3.00mm crochet hook.
• Darning needle.
• Scissors.

Pattern Notes

• This pattern uses UK crochet terminology (please check the Abbreviations section below for stitch explanations if you’re unsure!)
• Gauge is not important for this project. I would recommend using a size down from whatever hook size you would usually use for a DK weight yarn- for me, this is a 4.00mm hook, so I’ve used a 3.00mm hook for this project.

Abbreviations

• ch = chain: yarn over and pull through.
• ss = slip stitch: insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull through stitch and loop on hook.
• dc = UK double crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull through. You will now have two loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through both loops.
• tr = UK treble crochet: Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over again and pull through. You will now have three loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through two of the loops, then yarn over again and pull through the remaining two loops.

Written Pattern

Round 1: 11 dc in a magic ring. Ss to join.

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as first tr), then tr in the same stitch (at the base of the ch 3). *Ch 4, skip 1 stitch, 2 tr in next stitch* until there is 1 stitch remaining. Ch 4, then ss to top of the ch 3 to finish round.

Round 3: **Start by working a ‘long arm’: (*Ch 5, skip first ch, then ss in next 2 ch* twice. Ch 4, skip first ch then ss in next 3 ch. *Ch 3, skip first ch, then ss in next 2 ch AND first 2 ch from second ch 5* twice. Ss to the 2nd tr from Round 2). 2 dc over the ch 4 from Round 2, then work a ‘short arm’: (Ch 6, skip first ch, then ss into next 2 ch. Ch 4, skip first ch, then ss in next 3 ch. Ch 3, skip first ch, then ss into next 2 ch AND first 3 ch from previous ch 6). 2 dc over the same ch 4 from Round 2, then ss to top of the next tr from Round 2.*** Repeat from ** to *** around.

Cut yarn and fasten off. Darn in the ends, then block before using (see instructions at end of post).

Photo Tutorial

I’ve also created a photo tutorial for this pattern, just to help make everything super clear and easy to follow! If you find the above pattern a little hard to follow (I’m looking at your Round 3…), hopefully this will help you.

Start by working 11 dc in a magic ring.

After you’ve worked the stitches, pull the tail to tighten the loop.

Then, to finish off Round 1, slip stitch to the top of the first double crochet stitch. Andddd there you have it! 11 dc in a magic ring.

To begin Round 2, work 3 chains. This ch 3 counts as the first treble crochet of the round.

Next, you need to work a treble crochet in the same space (i.e. where you worked the slip stitch to finish off Round 1). I’ve used a needle here to indicate the stitch you need to work into.

Like this! As I mentioned, the ch 3 from the start of the round counts as one treble crochet, so you now have a cluster of 2 treble crochets.

Work 4 chains.

Then skip the next dc and work 2 treble crochets into the dc after that (again, indicated here by a needle).

Like so!

Keep repeating this process (ch 4, skip one dc, then work 2 tr into the next dc), until there is one dc remaining on the round below (you will have just worked 2 tr into the previous dc, as pictured).

Work 4 more chains.

Then, to finish off Round 2, slip stitch to the top of the ch 3 from the beginning of the round (indicated by the needle again).

Like so! Now you’ve finished Round 2.

Round 3 is where things get a little more complicated, but it’s also the final round of the coaster, so you’re nearly there! Start by working 5 chains.

Now you’re going to start by working into the 2nd chain from the hook (indicated by the needle). You’ll be doing this throughout the rest of this process (after any chaining), so try to remember that rule of thumb— it will make things a lot easier!

Slip stitch into the 2nd chain from the hook.

Then slip stitch into the next chain as well, so you have a little row of two slip stitches at the top of your chain. This forms the first ‘branch’ on the arm of the snowflake.

Next, you need to make another branch, so chain 5 again.

And, again, you’ll be working into the 2nd chain from the hook (indicated by the needle).

Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work a slip stitch into each of the next two stitches to make the 2nd ‘branch’.

Now, it’s time to make the top of the snowflake arm. Start by chaining 4.

Then, starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next 3 stitches.

Now you’re going to come back down the other side of the arm, to make the branch symmetrical. Chain 3.

Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next two stitches to make the next branch.

Now you need to anchor this branch to the other side of the arm. To do this, you want to slip stitch into the two remaining, intact chains from the 2nd chain 5 (the first of which is indicated by the needle here). These two chains are the first 2 chains of that chain 5, that you didn’t make into a branch.

Slip stitch into those two stitches, and you’ll see that the branch you just made has lined itself up alongside the 2nd branch. Success!

Now, it’s time to make the final branch on this arm, in exactly the same way as the previous branch. Chain 3.

Starting with the 2nd chain from the hook, work 1 slip stitch in each of the next two chains, then work 1 slip stitch into each of the two remaining chains from the first ch 5 of the arm (the first of which is indicated by the needle).

Like so!

To finish off this first arm, you need to anchor it back onto the top of the 2 tr cluster from Round 2. To do this, slip stitch into the top of the 2nd tr, indicated here with the needle.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll have finished your first arm! I call this one a ‘long arm’, because it is the larger of the two arm styles used in this pattern. You’ll work a ‘long arm’ over every 2 tr cluster, and a ‘short arm’ in every ch 4 gap. Next up, then, it’s time to work a ‘short arm’.

To set up the short arm, you need to work 2 dc under the next ch 4 from Round 2. To do this, insert your crochet hook from front to back through the gap made by the ch 4, as pictured.

Pick up a loop of your working yarn with the hook and bring it back through to the front.

Then, pick up another loop of the working yarn (over the top of the ch 4, this time) and draw it through both of the loops on your hook to make a double crochet.

Work another double crochet in the same way, so that you have 2 dc around the ch 4.

Now it’s time to make the ‘short branch’. Start by working 6 chains. This slightly longer chain length helps to offset the ‘short arm’ with the ‘long arms’ on either side of it, so your snowflake coaster will lie flat more easily and look nice and even.

Just like with the ‘long arm’, you’ll always start by working into the 2nd chain from the hook.

Starting with the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next two chains to make the first ‘branch’.

Then, chain 4 to begin the top of the ‘short arm’.

Starting with the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next 3 chains. This makes the top of the ‘short arm’.

To make the final branch, chain 3.

Starting with the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next two chains. This makes the final branch, which will sit opposite the first branch on this arm. To anchor it to the other side of the arm, just like with the ‘long arm’, you need to slip stitch into the remaining chains from the initial ch 6 (i.e. the first 3 chains from that ch 6). The first of these stitches is indicated here by the needle.

Slip stitch into the three remaining chains from the initial chain 6 to finish off the ‘short arm’.

To finish off this section, work 2 more dc over the ch 4, so that your ‘short arm’ sits in the middle of 4 dc in total, which, in turn, sit over the ch 4 from Round 2.

Then, slip stitch into the top of the next treble crochet.

This sets you up for the next ‘long arm’, which you can work in exactly the same way as the first.

Like so!

After the 2nd ‘long arm’, work a second ‘short arm’, making sure to work 2 dc over the ch 4 from Round 2 before and after working the arm.

Like so!

Keep repeating that process, alternating between ‘long arms’ (on top of the 2 tr clusters) and ‘short arms’ (on top of the ch 4s), until you’ve worked right around the snowflake and come back to your first ‘long arm’.

Finish off by slip stitching to the top of the ch 3 from Round 2 (i.e. where you started that first ‘long arm’, indicated here by the needle), then cut the yarn and fasten off.

And that’s it! Your snowflake coaster is done. All you need to do now is weave in both ends and block the coasters to help them lie flat (the instructions for that are below).

Blocking the Coasters

Blocking the coasters helps them to lie flat and look more even. You can block them in whatever way you usually block projects made with cotton yarn, but I’ve used steam to block these ones!

To steam block your coasters, do the following:

Using a steam iron/clothes steamer, briefly steam the coaster.

Pin the steamed coaster onto a blocking mat. Place one pin at the top of each ‘long arm’, making sure they are nice and straight.

Give the pinned coaster another brief blast of steam, then leave in the pinned position overnight to set.

After that, you can unpin the coaster and start using it! The finished, blocked coasters are about 10cm in diameter.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Snowflake Coaster pattern: it’s such a quick, easy project to whip up, especially once you get the hang of the repeating pattern. I’ve actually made 7 of these coasters for our Christmas table this year, which I just know is going to look so lovely and festive!

As I mentioned earlier, you can find this pattern on Ravelry, so you can easily add it to your festive queue/favourites for next year, if you don’t have time to whip some up this year!

Gemma

xxx

Last year, just before Christmas, I saw this amazing crochet garland on Instagram by @deliacreates. It was designed to look like a string of popcorn and cranberries, which is a festive tradition in the US that I have always been fascinated by! I could never bring myself to sacrifice so much delicious popcorn in the pursuit of pretty, Christmassy decor (I love popcorn), so a crocheted version felt like the perfect, fun alternative. As an added bonus, the (free!) pattern looked super simple and straightforward, so I knew this would be a quick and easy project for the festive season. Unfortunately, I saw the post a little too late to make a garland in time for Christmas last year, so I carried it over and made it this year, instead!

Table of Contents

• Materials
  • Cygnet Seriously Chunky: Mini Review
• Making the Garland
• Final Thoughts

Materials

To make this garland, I used the following materials:

• 1 skein of Cygnet Seriously Chunky yarn, in the shade Cream (0288).
• 87 x 12mm dark red wooden beads (I bought this pack of 100 on Etsy).*
• 6.50mm crochet hook.
• 3.00mm crochet hook.**

That’s it! Because I already had the crochet hooks, I only had to buy the yarn and the beads (which worked out at just under £6), so this was a super budget-friendly project!

* The original pattern used bright red beads, but I wanted a more realistic-looking, muted garland, so I opted to use these dark red beads, which I felt had more of a cranberry vibe!

** The original pattern calls for a 3.25mm hook, but I found a 3.00mm hook was easier to insert through the beads and worked just as well.

Cygnet Seriously Chunky: Mini Review

Cygnet Seriously Chunky is a 100% acrylic, super chunky weight yarn that is sold in 100g skeins. Each 100g skein contains about 48 metres of yarn and (at time of posting), costs £2.99 on Wool Warehouse (my go-to for yarn-y purchases!). The yarn comes in a variety of colours (though it’s not the most extensive shade range I’ve seen), and I chose the shade Cream (0288) for this project, which was a nice, neutral, popcorn-esque colour.

I have to say, I truly forgot that this was an acrylic yarn as I was working with it- it has a real, wooly ‘fuzz’ to it that really tricked me into thinking it was made of natural fibres. While the ‘fuzzy’ look probably wasn’t quite the right vibe for making popcorn kernels, I do think this would be a great, budget alternative to a natural fibre yarn for other projects. Even though my kernels are a little on the fuzzy side, I still really love the way this yarn worked up for this project- I think it gives the garland a really homespun, felted look that feels very festive.

Making the Garland

When making this project, I followed the original pattern to the letter. It’s such a simple process, but it’s so effective (and so quick to work up- I made this whole garland in a single sitting!). The popcorn kernels are made from a simple puff stitch, worked in the super chunky yarn, and the cranberries are just wooden beads, added in between each kernel. I kept going until I ran out of yarn, then fastened off, and before I knew it, I had the perfect popcorn & cranberry garland, ready for Christmas. My finished garland, using a full skein of yarn and 87 cranberries, ended up being about 375cm long.

I did pick up a few little tricks and techniques when making this project, so I thought I’d share those with you here:

• Keep the beads at the front of the work.

When I first started working up my garland, I didn’t pay much attention to how I reinserted the 6.50mm hook into the working loop of yarn after I added each bead. After a little while, I found that this did have an effect on the garland- in some places, the beads were fully visible, while in others they were obscured by the yarn that runs along them. After a little bit of trial and error, I found that making sure the working loop wasn’t twisted when you reinsert the hook and making a conscious effort to keep the beads to the front of the work helped to minimise this problem. While the garland still twists a little, it’s much less noticeable than before!

• When adding the beads, keep the working loop of yarn as taut as possible.

Adding the beads is the fiddliest part of this project, because you have to pull a doubled piece of super chunky yarn through a pretty small hole! Honestly, this was easier than I expected- it took a couple of attempts sometimes, but, as the pattern says, if you split the yarn, you can just remove the hook, bring the yarn back together and try again! One thing that I found that really helped here was to hold the yarn as tightly as I could around the hook as I pulled it through the bead.

• Keep the beads in a bowl beside you.

This is such a small thing, it barely even warrants a bullet point of its own, but it made a big difference to my speed and efficiency! My beads came in a little, grip seal bag, which is great for storage, but not so great for quickly picking one up every time you need to add a ‘cranberry’ to the garland. I transferred my beads to a bowl and put the bowl on a flat surface beside me (a flat surface is important, if you would like to avoid beads rolling all over the place). This meant that I could just grab a bead super easily whenever I needed one, which really sped up the whole process for me.

Final Thoughts

I am so thrilled with how this garland turned out- it gives me such festive, homespun, felty vibes and I just love it! I particularly like how quickly it came together, how easy it was to work up and how effective the pattern was- I do really think it looks like a popcorn and cranberry garland!

I’m really glad that I opted to use the darker red beads- I think it not only makes this garland look more realistic, but it also looks a little more understated and classic. While the yarn I chose is a bit on the ‘fuzzy’ side, and so makes for slightly fuzzy popcorn kernels, I actually also really like that effect- this is, after all, a crocheted garland, and I don’t mind that being evident!

Overall, I loved working on this project almost as much as I love the finished product! It was the perfect, quick and easy festive project and I know I’ll be using it in my Christmas decorating for many years to come. Plus, no popcorn was harmed in the making of this garland, so that’s an extra little win.

If you're interested...

You can find the "Popcorn & Cranberry" Crochet Garland pattern here.

You can check out the Delia Creates website here.

You can find my Popcorn & Cranberry Garland project page on Ravelry here.

Gemma

xxx

Anddddd we’re back with another instalment of my Baking Around the World series, where I (attempt to) bake delicious, sweet treats from around the globe, in an attempt to broaden my foodie horizons! This time, we’re off to Iceland, with these Marens-Kornflexkökur.

A quick Baking Around the World disclaimer before we get into the recipe:

While I have done/will do extensive research for each of the recipes in this series, the recipes are unlikely to be 100% authentic because of differences in ingredient availability, variations within families/regions and multiple other reasons. I'm so sorry if I absolutely butcher your favourite childhood treat (and please let me know in the comments if I have made any unforgiveable errors), but please do give me the benefit of the doubt here- I am just a baker with a serious sweet tooth, trying to broaden her baking (and cultural) horizons through tasty snacks :)

Table of Contents

• Marens-Kornflexkökur: Explained
• Ingredients
• Making Marens-Kornflexkökur
• Final Thoughts
• Recipe
• Sources Used

Marens-Kornflexkökur: Explained

These Icelandic treats are really super simple— they’re just regular meringues, flavoured with a little vanilla extract and studded with chopped dark chocolate and cornflakes. I realise that sounds a bit wacky, but they actually taste really good! You don’t bake them in quite the same way as you would a normal meringue, so they don’t fully dry out and stay nice and chewy on the inside, but crisp on the outside, so you can eat them on their own, like a cookie!

I’ve had meringues containing chopped dark chocolate in in the past, so I wasn’t too fazed by that part, but I have to admit, the cornflakes were a little bit of a curveball (and the thing that drew me to this recipe in the first place)! They go quite chewy in the meringue and add a nutty (corn-y?) taste. They’re not for everyone (not all of my family members were on board with this particular bake), but I really like them!

Strangely, it’s quite hard to find information about these cookies (from authentic, Icelandic sources) online. I wonder if, because they’re so simple (only 6 ingredients!) they’re more of a passed-down-through-families kind of recipe, kind of like how we have chocolate cornflake cakes in the UK? I’m not sure, but I do know that I ended up in the deepest depths of the Icelandic baking forums in my attempt to confirm that these were, in fact, a classic, Icelandic cookie (and they are! Though, like most traditional cookies, they seem to come in various different forms).

Traditionally, Marens-Kornflexkökur are made using the French meringue method, which is the simplest of the meringue-making styles. In this method, you add the sugar to the egg whites gradually, whisking all the time, until fully incorporated and the sugar has dissolved. I, however, seem to have a curse that prevents me from being able to make French meringue successfully, so I have adapted the process ever so slightly, taking inspiration from the meringue-making method created by the Meringue Girls. The only difference is that you warm the sugar slightly before adding it to the egg whites, which helps it to dissolve more quickly and create a stable meringue. It is a little extra step, but it’s really changed the meringue game for me!

As you can see, the Marens-Kornflexkökur do still bake up with some pretty dramatic cracks, but I think that’s inevitable with so many extra ingredients mixed in (or at least, I’ll tell myself that to avoid yet another French meringue-induced breakdown…)! Anyway, I think it kind of adds to their charm, so I’m not mad about it.

Ingredients

Marens-Kornflexkökur only require 6 ingredients, which is part of what makes them so simple and easy to make! You will need:

• Caster sugar

It’s important to use caster/superfine sugar, so that it dissolves quickly and evenly into the meringues.

• Egg whites

Make sure that you don’t get any yolk in your egg whites when you separate them, or you’ll have to start over. As always, I use large eggs.

• Salt

A small amount of fine sea salt is added to the egg whites as they whip, to help give them structure. I also like to sprinkle a small amount of coarse sea salt onto the meringues, once they’re baked (and drizzled with chocolate). However, if you plan to store the meringues for a while, I would skip this step, as the salt crystals do have a tendency to leave weird, salty, water-y droplets on top of your cookies over time!

• Cornflakes

Just regular old cornflakes! Use your favourite brand (or whatever’s on offer…).

• Dark chocolate

Use a good quality dark chocolate for the best results. I use this in two ways: firstly (and more traditionally) chopped into chunks and mixed into the macarons, then secondly (less traditionally, but very deliciously) melted and drizzled on top of the finished cookies. I took inspiration from Kate from veggiedesserts.com for this step!

• Vanilla extract

As with the dark chocolate, good quality vanilla extract will give the best flavour. You only need a small amount.

You will also need a small amount of vinegar (I use white wine vinegar) to wipe down the bowl/whisk attachment of your stand mixer. This is an important step, because it removes any little traces of fat in your machine, which might otherwise prevent the egg whites from whipping up properly!

Making Marens-Kornflexkökur

To make the Marens-Kornflexkökur, start by preheating the oven to 135°C. Line a tray with baking paper and set aside.

As I mentioned, I used a slightly adapted version of the French meringue method for this bake, so stay with me on this one! The first thing you want to do is to put the caster sugar into a frying pan. Shake it out into an even layer, then set over a low heat to warm gently.

You don’t want the sugar to melt, you just want to warm it slightly so that it dissolves into the egg whites more easily. Let it warm while you get everything else ready and it will be perfect. If you give it a shake, you might notice it sticking to the pan ever so slightly, like in the photo above.

With the sugar warming, you can get on with preparing the chocolate and the cornflakes. Finely chop the chocolate. Aim for small chunks— you want pockets of chocolate-y goodness, but you don’t want the chunks to be so big that they sink in the meringues.

Then, lightly crush the cornflakes. I just used my hands, but you could also do this with the back of a spoon, the end of a rolling pin, or even in a mortar and pestle! You just want to break them up a little bit, so that they can be distributed more evenly throughout the meringues and don’t get too chewy (you want them to be chewy, but not unswallowable).

With those ingredients prepared, it’s time to get on with the meringue.

Start by wiping out the metal bowl and the whisk attachment of a stand mixer with a little vinegar (I use white wine vinegar). This helps to clean the utensils by removing any traces of fat, which will prevent the egg whites from whipping up properly. It’s important to use a metal bowl, because that helps the egg whites whip up too!

Place the egg whites, along with a pinch of salt, into the mixer bowl and fit the whisk attachment.

Whisk on high speed until the egg whites reach soft peaks.

At this point, remove the frying pan from the heat and begin adding the warm sugar to the mixer bowl, a little at a time, while whisking on high speed.

Once all of the sugar has been added, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, so that all of the sugar crystals are in the meringue mixture.

At this point, the meringue will be very shiny and glossy, but not overly stiff, so keep whisking on high speed until the meringue holds stiff peaks.

Once the meringue has reached stiff peaks, it’s ready! If you rub a small amount of the mixture between your fingers, you shouldn’t be able to feel any sugar crystals.

Now, you can mix in the other ingredients. Start by folding in the vanilla.

Then, add the crushed cornflakes and the chopped chocolate.

Fold through again, and the mixture is ready!

Drop tablespoon-sized dollops of the mixture onto the lined baking tray. Don’t worry about getting them perfect— they’re supposed to look rustic, like snowy mountains!

Once you’ve used all of the mixture, place the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the surface of the meringues is crisp and the cookies are holding their shape.

Allow the Marens-Kornflexkökur to cool completely on the trays, then serve as they are, or decorate them by drizzling with a little melted dark chocolate and sprinkling with coarse sea salt. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature before serving.

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will keep for about 2 weeks. If you plan to make these in advance, I would recommend not sprinkling them with the coarse sea salt, as it can cause little droplets of water to form on the chocolate if left for too long!

Final Thoughts

These Marens-Kornflexkökur are made with a combination of ingredients that I would never have thought to combine, but I actually really like the results! The cookies are chewy, crispy and super tasty. They also taste super festive, despite not containing any of the classic Christmas spices I associate with ‘tasting festive’.

They’re super easy to make, but it did take me a few tries to nail this recipe (mainly as a result of my French meringue curse)! You want to bake them for a short enough time that they stay nice and chewy, but it is also easy to underbake them, which can lead to squidgy cookies that don’t hold their shape. I’m glad I stuck with them though, because I think I’m finally making a breakthrough with meringue!

As I mentioned, these probably aren’t for everyone. The texture of the cornflakes is quite unusual and, overall, they are a pretty sweet cookie (even with the dark chocolate!), which makes them perfect for me, but not so perfect for those who don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I liked them, but, much like the Indian Kulkuls, I’m not sure they live up to the dreamy, almond cookies of last year’s festive, Baking Around the World instalments!

Have you ever had eeMarens-Kornflexkökur before? Or have you ever tried meringues with cornflakes mixed in? Let me know!

Gemma

xxx

Recipe

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Marens-Kornflexkökur

These Icelandic, festive meringue cookies are flavoured with vanilla and studded with chopped dark chocolate and crushed cornflakes. They're crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and super easy to bake, making them a perfect sweet treat.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Icelandic

Keyword Cornflakes, Dark Chocolate, Meringue, Vanilla

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12 cookies

Ingredients

• White wine vinegar, for wiping down the bowl/whisk.
• 150 g caster sugar
• 2 egg whites (I used large eggs).
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 1 splash vanilla extract
• 60 g dark chocolate
• 30 g cornflakes

To decorate (optional):

• 15 g dark chocolate, melted
• Coarse sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 135°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
• Place the sugar into a frying pan, shaking it out into an even layer. Place over low heat and leave to warm while you prepare the other ingredients. You don't want the sugar to melt, just to warm up slightly so that it dissolves into the egg whites more easily.
• Finely chop the dark chocolate and lightly crush the cornflakes.
• Wipe down the metal bowl and whisk attachment of a stand mixer with white wine vinegar to remove any traces of fat. Place the egg whites in the bowl, along the fine sea salt.
• Whisk the egg whites on high speed, until they reach soft peaks.
• Once all of the sugar has been added, turn off the mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then turn the mixer back on to high speed and whisk the meringue until stiff peaks form. When it's ready, you should be able to rub a small amount of the meringue between your fingers without feeling any sugar crystals.
• Fold the vanilla extract into the meringue, then add the chopped dark chocolate and crushed cornflakes and fold again, until evenly distributed.
• Place tablespoon-sized dollops of the meringue mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Once you have used up all of the mixture, place the tray into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the surface of the meringues feels crisp and the cookies hold their shape.
• Allow the meringues to cool completely on the tray before serving/decorating. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

To decorate (optional):

• Drizzle the cooled meringue cookies with the melted dark chocolate, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt (see Note 1). Allow to sit at room temperature until the chocolate has set, then serve.

Notes

1. If you are decorating the cookies in advance, I would recommend skipping the coarse sea salt. The salt crystals can cause little droplets of water to form on the surface of the chocolate if left for too long, which, while they don’t affect the taste, don’t look super pretty!

Sources Used

Saveur: Christmas in Iceland

Saveur: Icelandic Chocolate Cornflake Cookies

Guide to Iceland: Icelandic Sweets and Confectionery

Artic Adventures: Traditional Icelandic Christmas Food

Bland: Marengs Kökur

Gulur Raudur Grænn & Salt: Kornflex smákökur

Veggie Desserts: Icelandic Christmas Meringue Cookies

Baking with Nessa: Icelandic Christmas Cookies “Marens-Kornflexkökur”

Arctic Adventures: Icelandic Christmas

Roaming Taste: Marens-Kornflexkökur

Eggnog is traditional festive drink in many countries across the world, though it varies a little between regions and families. At its heart, it is a lightly spiced custard, often spiked with some sort of alcohol (rum, brandy and bourbon are popular choices), that can be served either hot or, more commonly, cold. It’s not a super common drink here in the UK, but I’ve always been interested in it (drinkable custard? Yes please!).

The process for making eggnog is incredibly similar to the process for making ice cream (you just don’t freeze/churn eggnog!) Naturally, then, I decided to make an Eggnog Ice Cream. This ice cream is infused with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, just like a classic eggnog. It also contains a dash of alcohol, but that can be omitted, if you prefer.

This ice cream is delicious on its own, but it’s also great served alongside all manner of warm puddings this time of year: sticky toffee, apple pie— whatever you fancy! It is spiced (and spiked), but none of the flavours are overwhelming— it’s still a neutral enough ice cream flavour that it can be served as an accompaniment.

Table of Contents

• Ingredients
• How to Make Eggnog Ice Cream
  • Infusing the Milk & Cream
  • Making the Ice Cream Base
  • Churning the Ice Cream
• Recipe

Ingredients

To make this eggnog ice cream, you will need:

• Double cream

Like all of my ice cream recipes, the base starts with a 50:50 combo of double cream and milk, which gives the perfect smooth and creamy texture.

• Milk

Ideally, you should use whole milk for this recipe. However, if you’re like me and never seem to have whole milk in the house, skimmed/semi-skimmed milk also work.

• Caster sugar

I use golden caster sugar, because I think it has more depth of flavour, but white caster sugar will also work. You will need to separate the sugar into two equal portions (60g each). One portion will be heated with the infused milk/cream, while the other will be whisked together with the egg yolks.

• Vanilla pod

The first of the 3 spices in this recipe, the vanilla pod gives a sweet, classic custard flavour to the ice cream.

• Cinnamon stick

The second flavouring in the recipe, cinnamon brings a festive spiciness to the ice cream. I’ve opted to infuse the dairy products with a whole cinnamon stick, rather than use ready-ground cinnamon, to keep the ice cream super smooth and silky, and prevent it from turning beige.

• Whole nutmeg

The final spice: freshly grated nutmeg has much more flavour than ready-ground nutmeg, so that’s what I’m using here. Make sure you use a fine grater for this, so the nutmeg is evenly distributed throughout the ice cream and doesn’t affect the texture too much.

• Egg yolks

You don’t need the whites for this recipe, so you can either use them straightaway for another bake (such as some macarons or meringues!), or freeze them for another time.

• Bourbon

This is my alcohol of choice for this eggnog ice cream, but you can use rum, brandy, or any other liqueur that you think would be tasty! The alcohol can also be omitted completely, if you would prefer to make a non-alcoholic ice cream.

How to Make Eggnog Ice Cream

It doesn’t take much to turn a regular old ice cream into an eggnog ice cream— you just add a bit of spice (and booze, if that’s your vibe).

The day before you plan to churn your ice cream, put the bowl of your ice cream maker into the freezer. The bowl needs to be really cold before you churn the custard, so you do (unfortunately) need to plan ahead!

Infusing the Milk & Cream

The first step is to infuse the milk and cream with the spices. Doing this, rather than just adding ground spices, helps to preserve the smooth, silky texture and neutral colour of the ice cream. It also means the flavours are stronger, so you get the best out of all of your ingredients!

Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half. Scrape out the seeds and add them to a medium-sized saucepan, along with the milk, cream, caster sugar, cinnamon stick and halved vanilla bean.

Grate in some nutmeg— I used about 1/8 tsp of nutmeg here, but you can adjust this to suit your tastes.

Place the saucepan over a low heat and, stirring every now and then to prevent the mixture from catching, bring it to just below the boil. When it’s ready, you’ll see little bubbles forming around the edge of the pan and there will be some steam rising from the mixture.

Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid. Set aside and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove and discard the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Now, you can get on with making the custard!

Making the Ice Cream Base

Take about 125ml of the milk mixture out of the saucepan and set aside. Gently reheat the rest of the mixture over low heat until it comes back to just below the boil.

While this is happening, put the egg yolks into a large bowl with the rest of the sugar.

Using an electric whisk, beat the mixture until it is thick, pale and fluffy. This is called the ‘ribbon stage’, because the mixture should fall off the beaters in ribbons. To see if the ‘ribbon stage’ has been reached, draw a figure of eight just above the surface of the mixture with the beaters. If you can complete the figure before the ribbon settles back into the rest of the mixture, it’s ready!

Add the reserved 125ml of the cool milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to incorporate. This will slacken the egg mixture and make it easier to incorporate the hot milk mixture without cooking the eggs.

Once the milk mixture has come back up to just below a boil, you can start to add it to the eggs. While stirring the egg mixture,, pour in the hot milk mixture in a slow, steady stream, until it has all been added and everything is incorporated. It’s important to do this slowly, stirring all the time, so you do not cook the eggs and end up with lumps!

Pour the whole lot through a heatproof, fine mesh sieve (just in case there are any little pieces of cooked egg!) back into the saucepan and place it over a medium-low heat. If you use too high a heat, the custard might curdle, so be careful.

Cook the custard, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula, until it has thickened slightly. When it’s ready, it should coat the back of a spoon— this will take about 8-10 minutes. Do not let the custard boil, or it will curdle. If you see any bubbles rising to the surface in the centre of the pan, remove the custard from the heat immediately (it should be thick enough at that point).

Pour the thickened custard into a heatproof jug and cover with clingfilm, making sure to press the clingfilm directly onto the surface of the custard, to prevent it from forming a skin. Allow the custard to cool slightly at room temperature before putting it into the fridge to chill for at least 3-4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Once the ice cream base is completely cold, before you churn the mixture, add the bourbon/other alcohol (if using) and stir well to incorporate. Adding the alcohol once the custard is cold will preserve the flavour (and kick!).

Churning the Ice Cream

I use the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment to churn my ice creams, but any ice cream maker will do. This is not a no-churn recipe, unfortunately, so you will need some sort of ice cream maker!

Start by setting up the ice cream maker, as per your machine’s instructions. For the KitchenAid version, this just involves locking in the frozen bowl and attaching the churning paddles.

With the machine running, pour in the cold custard. It’s important to do this while the machine is running, so that the custard doesn’t immediately harden onto the sides of the machine, which will make it impossible to churn (and might break your machine)(I speak from experience).

Churn the ice cream for 10-30 minutes (or following your machine’s instructions), until it is thick and creamy.

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover with a lid, then freezer for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight) before enjoying.

The ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, so you can enjoy it throughout the entire festive season!

Recipe

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Eggnog Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream, infused with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, with an (optional) hit of bourbon— the perfect, festive treat on its own, but extra delicious served alongside a warm dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Bourbon, Cinnamon, Eggnog, Ice cream, Nutmeg, Vanilla

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Freeze + Chill Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 7 hours hours

Servings 8 big scoops

Equipment

• 1 ice cream maker (I use the KitchenAid attachment).

Ingredients

• 300 ml double cream
• 300 ml milk
• 120 g caster sugar, split into 2x60g portions (I use golden caster sugar).
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/8 tsp finely grated fresh nutmeg
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp Bourbon (or your liqueur of choice, optional)(see Note 1).

Instructions

• The day before you plan to churn the ice cream, place the bowl of your ice cream maker into the freezer.

Infuse the milk/cream:

• Place the cream, milk and half of the sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds, vanilla bean halves, cinnamon stick and grated nutmeg to the saucepan, then place over low heat.
• Stir every now and then while the sugar melts and the milk mixture heats up. Allow the mixture to come to just below the boil, then remove from the heat, cover with a lid and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove and discard the two vanilla bean halves and the cinnamon stick.

Make the custard base:

• Remove 125ml of the infused milk mixture and set aside. Place the rest of the milk mixture back over the heat and stir every now and then while it comes back up to just below the boil.
• While this is happening, use an electric whisk to beat the egg yolks and the remaining sugar together, until the mixture is pale, thick and fluffy (the 'ribbon stage').
• Add the reserved 125ml of the milk mixture and whisk again to incorporate. This will slacken the eggs and make it easier to mix in the hot milk mixture.
• When the milk mixture has come up to temperature, add the milk to the eggs in a slow, steady stream, stirring all the time, until it has all been incorporated.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan through a heatproof, fine mesh sieve (to ensure the custard is smooth).
• Place the saucepan over a medium-low heat and stir frequently with a heatproof spatula as the custard thickens. Once thick (it should coat the back of a spoon, this will take about 8-10 minutes), remove from the heat.
• Pour the thickened custard into a heatproof jug and cover the surface directly with cling film, to prevent it from forming a skin. Allow to cool slightly at room temperature, then place into the fridge to chill for at least 3-4 hours (preferably overnight).
• Once the custard base is completely cold, add the bourbon/other alcohol (if using) and stir through well.

Churn the ice cream:

• Once the custard is cold and the alcohol (if using) has been added, set up your ice cream maker, as per your machine's instructions.
• With the machine running, pour the custard into the machine and allow to churn for 10-30 minutes, until thick and creamy.
• Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight) before serving. The ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

1. Rum and brandy are both often found in eggnog, so would make a good substitute. The amount of alcohol listed in the recipe gives a subtle, alcoholic flavour to the ice cream. If you want a stronger hit of flavour, increase the amount to 2 tbsp.

Setting up the initial pages of my bullet journal can feel like such an overwhelming task, because a) I’m not known for my moderation, so there’s always SO MANY pages to create and b) it has to be done alongside a monthly setup. I wanted to keep the design for this setup really simple and easy to create, both to make the task feel a little less overwhelming and to allow me to focus on the function of the spreads themselves, to ensure that these pages are super helpful and useless to me.

I opted to use my pastel Kuretake dot pens to decorate all of the spreads in this setup, using them to create boxes, borders and even headings. I went for a simple, block capital font and used only one, black fineliner for all of the writing. I tried to keep the setups looking clean and minimal, but also colourful and happy, which I think will be just what I need going into the new year.

Table of Contents

• Journal
• Equipment
• Nameplate
• Cover + Quote Page
• 2025 Goals
• Future Log
• Tennis Schedule + Results
• Year in Dots
• Appointments + Prescriptions
• Blog Planning
• Ideas
• Bullet Journal Planning + Wishlist
• Finance + Knit & Crochet
• TV + Reading Trackers
• Final Thoughts

Journal

For the next 6 months, I’ll be using the Snowflake Polaroid A5 Dot Grid Journal from Coral and Ink (I purchased a B Grade version, for a discounted price).

This journal is a lovely blue colour— almost a cross between a cloud blue and a periwinkle. The pages have gilded edges and the front cover features a gold foil design of a polaroid and some snowflakes. The journal also has an elastic closure, pen loop, two ribbon bookmarks and a back pocket, for storing any journalling essentials.

Equipment

To create this setup, I used the following equipment:

• Sakura Pigma Micron fineliner, black 01 (0.25mm).
• Kuretake clean colour dot pens, mild colours.
• Tombow ABT dual brush pen, N89 (I got mine in this multipack).
• Scissors.
• Corner rounder.

Nameplate

I wanted to keep my nameplate for this journal in line with the theme of the other spreads, so I used my Kuretake pens to add 5 little dots of colour, before writing my name over the top (one letter per dot).

Cover + Quote Page

Like every spread in this setup, I wanted to keep the Cover Page super simple. I used a repeating sequence of the Kuretake pen colours to make a border around the page, then applied slightly more pressure to make 4 bigger dots in the centre of the page, on top of which I wrote ‘2025’.

For my Quote Page, I chose a quote from a poem I saw recently on Instagram, that really struck a cord with me. The poem was written by Josie Balka, and you can find it here.

2025 Goals

I have an on-off relationship with ‘goals’, because I’m not particularly good at following through with them and I always end up being either too ambitious or not ambitious enough with them. However, this time of year, as New Year’s Eve draws closer, I always find myself craving a little life reset and enjoying the prospect of making small, manageable changes that help me to feel happier and more aligned, so I’ve opted to include a Goals Page in this setup.

I have space in this setup for 6 separate goals and I made sure to give each one plenty of space, so that I can write down some actionable steps for each one, in the hopes that, for once, I might actually work towards them!

Future Log

Onto one of the most important spreads in my biannual setups now: my Future Log. This is essentially a yearly calendar, where I can see all of my appointments (of which there are usually very many), events (of which there are usually very few) and just a general outline of the year ahead. I set up two Future Log spreads in this journal: one for the months this journal covers (January to June) and one for the remaining 6 months of the year, so that I don’t feel completely overwhelmed and unprepared when June comes to an end.

I like to have a really clear, visual representation of the year ahead, so I use multiple calendar layouts within my Future Log spreads: there’s a mini calendar at the top of each month, so I can see the structure of each one easily, then I have a vertical calendar beneath to write in any important dates. On that vertical calendar, I like to highlight the weekend dates, just to help me visualise each week. In this particular edition of my Future Log, I used a different colour for each month, to help separate them out.

Tennis Schedule + Results

Now, onto my beloved Tennis Schedule/Results spread, for which I use 3 whole double-page spreads in my journal (worth it). I trimmed down the centre pages and rounded out the corners using a corner rounder (much easier than trying to use scissors!). I then wrote the heading for the whole spread across those two trimmed down pages, as pictured above.

I used the same layout for my tennis spread as always: ATP tournaments are on the left-hand side, while WTA tournaments are on the right. The numbers down the middle represent the weeks of the schedule, then I write the specific start dates of the respective tournaments in the columns on either side. I write the location/name of the tournament in the next column out, then the final column on each side is left empty for the surname of the respective winners.

Because there are so many tournaments in a year, I spread this table out over both remaining pages of the spread: so January-March is on the left-hand spread, while April-June is on the right-hand spread.

I also added in my code for what level of tournament each one is (plus a little added colour, to match in with the rest of the spread): 1/4 circle = a 250 tournament, 1/2 circle = a 500 tournament, 3/4 circle = a Masters 100 and a full circle = a Grand Slam. A star represents a different format of tournament, such as the United, Davis or Billie Jean King cups.

Year in Dots

I didn’t set up a Year in Pixels spread in my last journal, because I just wasn’t keeping up with it, but it is something I enjoy doing and I like having it there for reference, particularly in terms of my physical/mental health, so I’ve decided to give it another go this time around.

I’ve changed up the layout slightly by using these mini calendars, rather than one big grid— a bit like a habit tracker. I feel like I’ll be able to fill in the spread more efficiently this way, but we’ll see how it works out. Because I’ll be using my Kuretake pens to fill this out, each ‘pixel’ will be more of a ‘dot’, so I’ve opted to call this spread my ‘Year in Dots‘ instead.

One of the problems I found with the Year in Pixels spread was that when I’d have longer periods of ill health, I’d have to keep the context surrounding that period in my head, as I had nowhere to note it down. For example, I might have had 7 ‘ill’ days in a row, but it would be because I had a virus or because I had had a particularly busy day the week before. I decided to use the right-hand page of this spread to write down any of this information, so I can keep everything in perspective.

Appointments + Prescriptions

Next up, we have a page for keeping track of my Appointments. In this table, I can write down the date of the appointment, the type of appointment and any notes on what was discussed, management plans and the like.

Next to that, I have my standard Prescriptions page. It can be hard to keep track of prescription medications: when you’ll run out of them and when you need to reorder them from the pharmacy, so this spread helps me do that. On the coloured dots on the far left, I’ll write in the date that I am filling out the table. After that, each medicine is assigned to a column, in which I fill out the number of tablets I have left, the number of days that corresponds to and the date that I will run out of my supply.

This takes a little while to setup, and a little while every now and then to fill out, but I just do it whenever I get a new set of prescriptions, so I can always feel confident that I’m not about to run out without realising! It really does make a huge difference.

Blog Planning

Next, we have my Blog Planning spreads. On the left-hand page, I keep track of some general, blog-related info. I like to keep a note of my Instagram growth every month, so there’s a section for that on the left, and the HEX codes of my blog colours, so they’re always accessible if I need to make any graphics (the section for that is on the right). Beneath that, I have a space for any general notes.

On the right-hand page, I have my master list of blog posts. In the first column, I’ll write in the post date, then, in the second column, I’ll write in the title of the post.

Ideas

I don’t like too much structure when it comes to my Ideas spread, so I’ve kept this one super simple: just a simple border, with the title written on it. I use this as a kind of ‘brain dump’ style spread, so I can just jot down any ideas I may have, at any point, without worrying about making it looking neat or orderly.

Bullet Journal Planning + Wishlist

Now we come to my Bullet Journal Planning page, where I can note down any potential theme ideas for the year ahead. I sometimes find it hard to pick a theme, so having a list that I can create/add to throughout the year makes it much easier. A lot of my theme ideas are month-specific, so I laid this spread out as a table, with one box for each month of the year. However, I also have a space for ‘miscellaneous’ spread ideas at the top, in case I have any ideas that don’t necessarily have to be used for a particular month.

Next to that page is my Wishlist spread. Unlike my Ideas spread, I do like to separate my Wishlist out into categories, so I’ve separated this spread into 6 boxes: one each for stationery items, entertainment products, hair/skin products, clothing, homeware and other, miscellaneous products.

Finance + Knit & Crochet

I like to keep a general record of my Finances, so, on this next page, I have one table to keep track of my savings and one to keep track of my income streams. In the savings table (top), each row corresponds to a month, then there are columns for income, expenses, the amount I have saved that month and the total sum of my savings since January. In the income stream table (bottom), I just have 6 spaces (one for each month of the year), to note down where my money came from each month.

Alongside my Finance page, I have a space to keep track of my Knit & Crochet Projects. While I do use Ravelry to keep detailed notes of each project, I do also like to keep a general record in my bullet journal as well, so that I can easily look back over all of the projects I have completed/started in each 6-month period.

TV + Reading Trackers

Finally, I have my Entertainment trackers. On the left-hand page, I have my TV Tracker, where I keep track of the TV series that I’m watching and how far along in them I am. For each series, I’ll write down the title of the show, then use my Kuretake pens to add a corresponding number of dots to the number of seasons it has. As I watch each season, I tick it off.

Then, I have my Reading Tracker. I mainly use Storygraph to keep track of my reading habits, but I do like to have a record in my planner too. I’ve set this one out in a table format, so the first column is for the number of the book (I record this starting in January, so the first book I read in the new year will be #1, the second #2 and so on), the second column is for the title, the third for the date I started reading it and the fourth for the date I finished it.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m so, incredibly happy with how this setup turned out. It feels like the perfect balance of colourful and minimal, fun and useful, so I’m really excited to see how it works for me over the next 6 months. While it did take a little while to stamp all the little dots, I actually found the process quite therapeutic— I just put the TV on and stamped away in a little repeating sequence of the colours and, once I’d done that, each spread was super quick and easy to finish off.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my 2025 setup! Let me know if it gave you any ideas for spreads in your own bullet journal!

Gemma

xxx

This no-bake, Small Batch Festive Chocolate Biscut Cake is basically a Christmassy, slightly more grown-up version of Rocky Road. Made with a combination of milk and dark chocolate for the perfect combination of bitter and sweet, it also includes crumbled amaretti biscuits, roasted, salted almonds and dried cranberries. The whole thing is finished off with a drizzle of white chocolate to make the bars look super pretty on your festive table this year!

Because there’s always so much chocolate and so many sweet treats around this time of year, I developed this as a small batch recipe: it only makes 12 small pieces (though it’s pretty rich, so that’s perfect!), so you can don’t feel overwhelmed by yet another chocolate-y treat! If you’d like to make a bigger batch, feel free to scale up the recipe and use a bigger tin.

Table of Contents

• Ingredients
• Method

Ingredients

To make this festive chocolate biscuit cake, you will need the following ingredients:

• Dark, milk & white chocolate

This biscuit cake uses a combination of dark and milk chocolate, for the perfect, sweet, but not-too-sweet combination. If you prefer, you can use all dark, or all milk. You will also need a small amount of white chocolate to drizzle over the top of the bars, but this is an optional step (it just makes the bars look SO pretty!).

• Golden syrup

Golden syrup is melted with the chocolate to make the bars slightly soft and fudgy (and easier to slice!).

• Unsalted butter

Like the golden syrup, this is combined with the chocolate to keep the bars nicely fudgy and sliceable, but it also makes them extra rich. I would recommend using unsalted butter, because there are already other salty elements in the recipe— it’s still a sweet treat, after all!

• Amaretti biscuits

These are crisp, Italian almond biscuits that are often served alongside coffee. They’re readily available in supermarkets across the UK these days and they add great crunch and flavour to these bars.

• Roasted, salted almonds

To echo the almond flavour of the amaretti, I’ve used almonds in this biscuit cake (though you could substitute them with another nut (or even just more biscuits), if you prefer). Using roasted almonds helps to ensure the bars have a really nutty flavour, while the saltiness really help to balance out the sweetness of the bars.

If you only have plain almonds, you can turn them into roasted & salted almonds super easily! Dissolve a generous pinch of sea salt in 1 tsp of hot water, then toss with the almonds, until they are completely coated. Bake the almonds at 180°C for about 5 minutes (or throw them in the airfryer at the same temperature, for the same amount of time), until golden and nutty-smelling. Allow them to cool before chopping and using in the bars.

• Dried cranberries

What could be more festive than cranberries? Traditionally, biscuit cake contains raisins, but cranberries add the same chew with extra festive-ness, plus, they’re more tart than raisins, so they help to make sure these bars aren’t too sweet. I recommend using unsweetened dried cranberries, if you can find them.

• Coarse sea salt

This is optional, but I like to sprinkle a small amount of coarse sea salt over the top of the bars before they go into the fridge to set. This echoes the saltiness of the almonds and makes these bars feel extra grown-up and delicious!

Method

To make the bars, start by preparing your tin. Like with my small batch pecan bars, I’m using a 900g (2lb) loaf tin (21cm x 11cm x 7cm), but you can use any shape tin, as long as it’s a similar size. Line the tin with baking paper, so that the chocolate mixture doesn’t stick to the sides of the tin and you can remove it easily.

Next, prepare your mix-ins. First, crumble up the amaretti cookies. Aim for small chunks— too big and your bars won’t be even, too small and you won’t get that nice, crunchy texture! Amaretti cookies are quite fragile, so it shouldn’t require too much force to break them.

Chop the almonds roughly. Again, you don’t want them too big or too small (though honestly, it doesn’t really matter— the bars will still taste great, so do whatever you feel like!)

For the cranberries, just leave them whole.

Next, prepare the chocolate mixture. Place both the milk and dark chocolate, along with the butter and golden syrup into a small saucepan and set over a low heat.

Stir frequently as the chocolate and butter melts.

Once you have a smooth mixture, remove the pan from the heat. It’s important that you don’t overheat the chocolate, because it might seize (at which point you’d have to start all over again!).

Pour out about 50g of the chocolate mixture into a separate bowl. Set this aside for later, when you’ll use it to level out the top of the bars, to make them extra pretty!

To the rest of the chocolate mixture in the pan, add the crumbled amaretti cookies, the chopped almonds and the dried cranberries.

Mix everything together thoroughly, until all of the mix-ins are completely coated in the chocolate mixture.

Tip the mixture into the lined tin and spread out into an even layer. It will seem like there’s not a lot of mixture, but just spread it out evenly— because these bars are small, they don’t need to be too deep to look proportional.

Pour the reserved 50g of the chocolate mixture all over the top of the bars, and gently spread it over the surface to fill in any gaps and level everything out a little.

Now, it’s time to decorate. Drizzle some melted white chocolate all over the surface of the bars— the messier the better!

Sprinkle over some coarse sea salt while the chocolate is still wet, so that is sticks.

Put the whole tin into the fridge to firm up for at least 3 hours, or until firm enough to slice. Once it’s chilled, remove it from the tin and transfer it to a chopping board.

Once chilled, cut the biscuit cake into 12 small bars and dig in!

The bars will keep in an airtight container at a (cool) room temperature for 4-5 days, but, if your house is particularly warm, I’d recommend storing them in the fridge to prevent the chocolate from melting!

Print

Small Batch Festive Chocolate Biscuit Cake

This rich, grown-up version of Rocky Road contains a 50/50 blend of milk and dark chocolate, alongside crumbled amaretti cookies, salted almonds and dried cranberries. The perfect, quick and easy, no-bake recipe for Christmas!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine British, Italian

Keyword almond, Amaretti, Cranberry, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Chill Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 small pieces

Equipment

• 1 900g (2lb) loaf tin (21cm x 11cm x 7cm)

Ingredients

• 90 g milk chocolate, roughly chopped.
• 90 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped.
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 50 g golden syrup
• 70 g amaretti biscuits, broken up.
• 40 g roasted, salted almonds, roughly chopped.
• 30 g dried cranberries

To decorate:

• 15 g white chocolate, melted.
• Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling.

Instructions

• Line the tin with greaseproof paper and set aside.
• Place the milk and dark chocolate, unsalted butter and golden syrup into a small saucepan and set over low heat. Stir gently while the mixture melts together.
• Once the mixture is smooth and completely melted, remove from the heat immediately. Pour about 50g of the mixture into a small bowl for later.
• To the remaining chocolate mixture in the pan, add the crumbled amaretti cookies, the chopped almonds and the dried cranberries. Mix well to coat everything in the chocolate mixture.
• Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth out into an even layer. Pour over the reserved chocolate mixture and smooth over to level out the surface.
• Drizzle the melted white chocolate all over the surface of the bars, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
• Place the bars into the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours, or until firm enough to slice. Remove from the tin and slice into 12 small pieces to serve. The bars will keep at room temperature, in an airtight container, for 4-5 days (though, if the weather is warm, I would recommend storing them in the fridge).

The Stjärna pattern by Karolina Eckerdal is such a popular design, and is one I’ve had my eye on for a good few years, but, up until now, I was always too intimidated by it to give it a go. I’ve spoken before about my fear of DPNs and this pattern feels like the epitome of DPN-knitting, which made me very reluctant to try it out. However, this year, having embarked upon a DPN-fear-conquering journey, I finally decided to be brave and give it a go!

I ended up making 4 Stjärna ornaments, so I thought I’d share a bit about my experience making them!

Table of Contents

• The Pattern
• The Yarn
  • Drops Merino Extra Fine: Mini Review
• The Knitting Process
  • Barber Cord Cast-On Method
• Star A vs Star B
• Final Thoughts

The Pattern

The Stjärna pattern is a FREE pattern by Karolina Eckerdal. It uses DK weight yarn and 3.00mm needles (6 DPNs + a pair of circular needles). You work one side of the ornament at a time, working from the edge of the ornament inwards, decreasing as you go to give it the star shape. You then pick up the stitches around the perimeter and knit the other side of the ornament in the exact same way. The ornament is stuffed and a loop of yarn is attached to the top to hang it from.

The pattern offers two variations for the Stjärna ornaments: Star A uses slightly fewer stitches and makes for a slightly softer-edged, puffier star. Star B uses more stitches and introduces a series of purl stitches to help define the star shape and make the points, well… pointier. I made two ornaments following the pattern for Star A and two following the pattern for Star B, just to get the full experience.

The Yarn

For once, I actually used the yarn that the pattern calls for: Drops Merino Extra Fine. I used the shade Off White 01, to make neutral-coloured stars like the ones in the pattern. I’ve also seen some projects on Ravelry where people have used multiple colours to make a rainbow of Stjärna ornaments, which I think would be so fun!

Drops Merino Extra Fine: Mini Review

I’ve actually used this particular yarn before (albeit in the shade Amethyst 36), for my Daphne Top (the very first knit in my Project Knitwear series!). I didn’t remember much about my experience using it, so it felt a little like trying out a new yarn for the first time. It is quite a soft, smooth yarn, but I did struggle a little bit with how split-y it was— particularly when picking up the stitches for the second side.

From 1 x 50g ball of the yarn, I was able to make 4 Stjärna ornaments, with some yarn left over (each ornament took about 10-12g of yarn). Each ball is £3.50, which works out at under 90p per ornament, which I think is pretty good value!

The Knitting Process

These Stjärna ornaments are… fiddly, to say the least. They definitely got easier to make as I got used to the process and made more of them, though. The fiddliest part for me was picking up the stitches before knitting the second side— I just couldn’t seem to get this right, so I actually ended up finding a bit of a workaround for this, which I will share in a second.

The pattern contains full instructions for a Two-Way Cast On, which apparently helps to eliminate the half-stitch jog between the front and back of the ornament. Sadly, I could not for the life of me get the hang of this technique, so I ended up using a regular old provisional cast on instead, and just had to make my peace with the jog (which, honestly, isn’t even that noticeable). I think my problem might have been that I was casting on too tightly, but it was all such a faff that I don’t think I can face trying it again…

Once the first few rows on each side are complete (and before you get to the fiddly bit at the centre of each side where you’re juggling lots of DPNs with very few stitches…) the knitting process is actually super straightforward— it’s simple and repetitive, so, strangely enough, I actually enjoyed the majority of the knitting process.

Barber Cord Cast-On Method

Back to the less than enjoyable part then… the picking up of the stitches. Whether you’re using a provisional cast on or the special, Two-Way Cast On from the pattern, you have to pick up the stitches around the perimeter of the star at some point, so that you can knit the other side. Picking up the stitches was the worst part of this pattern for me— even with the provisional cast on, which should have made it super easy, I really struggled to pick up the right number of stitches around the decrease columns (where the centred double decreases are worked). Picking up the stitches is also quite fiddly, because of the star shape, so I began trying to think of a way to avoid the whole picking-up part.

In the end, I decided to try a slightly different cast on method. I just used a regular, cable cast on, but I set it up over both the circular needle AND a barber cord. To do that, I just attached one end of the barber cord to the tip of the needle I was casting on onto, and held it down alongside the needle. I then cast on over both the needle and the cord, making sure to keep it nice and loose. Once I was finished, I disconnected the barber cord from the tip of the needle, then knit the first round of the pattern onto the DPNs, only working off the needle (NOT the barber cord), so that the cast on stitches remained anchored on that. I knit the whole first side of the star, then, when it was time to pick up the stitches for the second side, I just slipped them from the barber cord to my DPNs and went on my way.

There are pros and cons to this method— it is by no means a perfect solution! While it is easier to work up, it does leave a slight ‘seam’ (it looks a little like a series of whip stitches?) and it does make the stars a little chunkier (though this could also be because I was getting more relaxed with my knitting, so my tension might have been looser?). Honestly, though, I’m willing to forgive all that for the EASE.

Also, a couple of notes on this method: firstly, you might need to sew the two sides of the star together with a couple of little stitches, just at the start of the round— I found I tended to get a little hole in the seam around here, but it was easily fixed with a darning needle and the yarn end that’s already there.

Secondly, if you’re making Star B, remember that the pattern is not symmetrical on each DPN, so it does matter which way you ‘pick up’ the stitches. I forgot this, and ended up having to reverse the pattern on the second side (i.e. purling the stitches at the end of each needle, rather than the start), which wasn’t the end of the world, but did take me a minute to realise!

Star A vs Star B

Before I made my own Stjärna ornaments, I was fully expecting Star B to be my favourite, because I liked the extra definition of the star shape. However, after making them, I think I actually prefer the softer, more seamless look of Star A! I think, because they’re knitted and stuffed, the pointier look is almost at odds with the object itself, while the puffy look just feels right.

As much as I love the neat, seamless look of the Star A that I knit as instructed, it was definitely a struggle to pick up those stitches (and I did have to do a bit of fudging to get the right stitch count…). It worked out for me here, but I know that picking up stitches in the wrong place could make the half-stitch jog even worse, so it’s a bit of a risky technique (for me, at least)! The Star A that I made using my Barber Cord Cast-On Method isn’t quite as neat, and does have a noticeable half-stitch jog, but it was just so much quicker and easier to make, I still think I’d use that method again if I were to make another Stjärna!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m really happy with my Stjärna ornaments. They were fiddly to make, but no more fiddly than I expected (though I didn’t have high expectations). As I mentioned, I do prefer the style of Star A— I just think the softer, plushier look works better with the whole knitted, stuffed ornament vibe. Once I got the hang of them (and worked out a way to avoid picking up the stitches), these were actually super quick little knits (and they felt even faster than they were, because you’re always working from the outside in and decreasing, so the rows get shorter every time!).

Long story short, I’d definitely make more of these in the future, but, after four in a row (and a lot of DPN knitting in general), I think I’m due a little break. I continue to dream about making a rainbow of Stjärna ornaments (perhaps for a fun, festive garland?!), but I think I’ll store that idea away for another day…

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! Have you ever made a Stjärna ornament? Let me know!

If you're interested...

You can find the FREE Stjärna pattern by Karolina Eckerdal on Ravelry here.

You can find my Stjärna Ornaments project page on Ravelry here.

Gemma

xxx

If you’ve been here for a while, you might know that every year I like to drag my parents (or at least one of them) to a Christmas light trail in late November, to get us into the festive mood. This has been a tradition that has emerged over the last couple of years, so it only felt right to continue with it this and where better to go than the home of Mr Darcy himself (in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, anyway): Chatsworth House. I’ve actually been to Chatsworth once before, a good few years ago now, but I’ve never been at Christmas, so I was really excited to go and see it in all its festive glory!

In the past, we’ve had great luck with our festive trips: the weather’s been good, things haven’t been overly busy— you know, all the important things. Unfortunately, 2024 decided to humble us, because our trip this year was very soggy and very busy. Welcome to a Great British Christmas, ladies and gentlemen! Also, it turns out Christmas at Chatsworth isn’t really a light trail— there are some lights and there is a projection display on the facade of the house itself, but, really, the main attractions are the Christmas Market and the decorated interiors of the house.

Anyway, despite the rain, the crowds and my ever-fading willingness to take my hands out of my pockets to brave getting my phone out, I did take a few pictures of the experience, so I thought I’d share them with you, to bring a little bit of festive opulence to your screens! Here, then, are my Postcards from Christmas at Chatsworth 2024…

There were displays cases inside the house that were filled with antique baking equipment, used at Chatsworth over the years. Of course, this was very exciting to me.

I particularly liked the copper jelly moulds and mussel shaped chocolate moulds!

There was also this absolutely massive (truly— it was the height of a small child) geode. Not overly festive, but very shiny!

Again, not particularly festive, but the classicist in me was very excited by this bronze copy of Schwanthaler’s Shield of Hercules.

This was the big tree in the main hallway (which is actually not as big as it looks in Pride and Prejudice— they must do some sort of perspective magic in the film, because the shots taken in this exact hallway always make it look so huge and airy!).

I was very excited by the gummy bear ornaments on this particular tree— there was a whole rainbow of them (though I only managed to snap a photo of the orange one), and they had this perfect, sugared look. I also very much enjoyed the carrot ornaments, but that I think that might just be the Jannik Sinner fan in me.

I loved the little copper ball string lights on this tree— they remind me of little lanterns and bring such warmth to an otherwise pretty cool-toned colour scheme!

Ah, now we come to one of my favourite parts: the tale of a wreath mouse and his mince pies, told along one of the corridors of the house. First, we have the festive mouse, happy, but hungry.

Then, the mouse has found a mince pie and is even happier.

Then, the mouse has hit the mince pie jackpot and is making a break for it.

Okay, okay. I realise these are probably supposed to be three separate mice (based on the fact they’re all wearing different outfits), but I think it’s much more entertaining to imagine it as one mouse on a quest for festive snacks, disguising himself each time to go back to the buffet for extra helpings (very relatable behaviour from the mouse).

This was my mum’s favourite tree, when we showed her the photos. I like to think that’s a touch of lingering nostalgia from the time I became obsessed with having a copper colour scheme at Christmas and convinced her to buy a whole new set of baubles (which I promise, we still use!). Ah, good times.

This long study was roped off, so you couldn’t enter it, but the doors were left open so you could see it all festively decorated. This was my dad’s favourite room in the house, and I like the way it seems to stretch out for miles. I figure even working at Christmastime would be quite nice, if this was your office!

Then, we came to the iconic Veiled Vestal statue by Raffaelle Monti. This statue features in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film, and is a particular favourite of my mum, so I made sure to take a photo to show her! This had moved from the last time I was at Chatsworth— it now stands (kneels?) in an alcove all of its own! This statue is so famous that the gift shop actually sells miniature busts of it, but they’ll set you back £130 🙁 …

“Gemma, why have you taken a photo of a ceiling?”

I know, I know, but a) this ceiling is a beautiful ceiling and b) it reminds me SO much of the African flower crochet blankets! I’m thinking this ceiling could be a great form of inspiration for a new crochet blanket, so I’m stashing this one away under Potential Future Projects…

This room was, admittedly, a little odd, because it was filled with lots of very obviously fake food… Not that I’d expect them to leave real food out for two months, but… the fake turkey does kind of freak me out. I am, however, a BIG fan of the mince pie tower: I think this would be a great idea for a Christmas party/event. It reminds me a little of a Scandinavian kransekake, only made up of mince pies, instead.

There was also a ‘gingerbread’ version of the house itself, which I felt very inspired by (but also, I felt they could have gone a little further with it! Give me some opulence! Some drama! Some… actual gingerbread?).

Next up was the iconic Sculpture Gallery (as seen in Pride and Prejudice, too!). I thought the monochrome, paper decorations in here really suited the room, while still feeling festive.

Finally, we came to the gift shop, where I found the iconic Mr Darcy/Matthew MacFadyen statue from Pride and Prejudice. The sign below reads ‘Please do not kiss!’, which is equal parts funny and concerning…

Had to give you all the angles— how bewitching.

And those are the postcards from inside the house! I don’t have a ton of photos from outside, because the Christmas market was absolutely HEAVING and the rain made it difficult to take photos in the gardens (which are lovely), but I did snap a couple, if you’ll forgive the grey skies…

The facade of the house (though I think it’s really the back, even though it looks like it should be the front, so I guess that means it’s not a facade…?). Can you spot the balcony where Elizabeth and Darcy had that really awkward chat when he caught her hanging around his house? What an iconic (super cringey) moment.

This is the same side of the building, later on in the day during the projection display.

So that was our very soggy, very busy, but very Pride and Prejudice-inspired, festive trip to Chatsworth. A month later, I think I’ve finally dried out again.

Gemma

xxx