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Seriously, there's no need to panic, you still have 5 weeks to sort everything out. That's an age (kind of)! But, you do only have eight days to get yourself an advent calendar to make the counting down fun instead of stressful. Yeah. You should be panicking (kidding).

Now, the cheerful chocolate filled ones are all good. We ladies of  MFP love stuffing our faces with chocolate, even if some of us can't really eat it. However, this year we've got our hands on a very cool, very stylish, very creative little advent calendar and obviously we think you should all get your hands on one too, hence why they're instore and online. Let me visually introduce to you these little pyramids of metallic foiled beauty, and then I'll give you a serious list of all the cool things you can do with them. Panic over!

Yes. Those pretty paper pyramids are advent calendars. And you can choose between gold and silver. I know! So cool! 

So, the basic idea is that there are 24 pyramids that are numbered 1 to 24 that you can open carefully from the bottom to put little goodies inside and then hang them up. Um, awesome.

But where to hang them and what to put in them? Well friends, of course you should be getting your creative juices flowing and thinking up ideas yourself, but if you need a little inspiration because life is just too crazy at this time of year, see below. 

What to put inside?

A mini photo for each day - draw up little pictures -  make up your own fortunes for next year and print on pretty paper (on that theme try your favourite quotes/song lyrics/a christmas song to play for the day) - CONFETTI- delicious herbal tea for a day you think you might really need it - on that note nice chocolates - make your own vouchers for hugs/kisses/massages/your turn to do the dishes or just buy some vouchers -  girly? lipbalms/hair bows/nail polishes/jewellery - not girly? little toy soldiers/dinosaurs/wind-up toys - Christmas decorations!...

Oh man. I could really go on forever, but I'll let you think of some ideas!

Where to hang them? 

On your tree - hide them around the house for an adventurous advent calendar - string them up across your main window - place them on the mantelpiece - hang them on lights - hang them on hooks on a board (DIY times) - basically, anywhere your heart desires!!

Have I convinced you to try something new yet? They're also reusable, win. 

I had a lady grab one because she has a bunch of people coming to stay, and she thought she could give everyone a number and then fill each one with a small gift for each person. Cute!

Get counting down to Christmas, it's exciting.

Anneke xox

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We are very excited to introduce this beautiful recipe journal to you all; say hello to Petite Kitchen! This stunning little journal, crammed with recipes and packed full of the most drool-worthy photography, will be a welcome addition to any home. Be sure to get one into your kitchen quick to start cooking delicious, simple and good for you food!  

Petite Kitchen is written by Eleanor Ozich, author of the food blog of the same name. Eleanor started developing simple, natural recipes to help nourish her young daughter who had developed seemingly incurable eczema. After a visit to a Naturopath who suggested a radical change in diet, Eleanor started a new approach to cooking which has since magicked away her daughter's eczema and improved her whole family's health! You can read more about Eleanor's inspiring story on her blog; which, like the journal, is full of wonderful recipes and is definitely a must read.

The recipes from Petite Kitchen aren't just healthy and nourishing, they taste wonderful and look amazing too. Here's a sneak peak from this season's issue:

Um, yuuuuum! I want to eat them all. Thanks Petite Kitchen for the drool-worth images!

Hope ya'll are keeping warm and dry and the snow isn't impacting too much on those of you down South. Be sure to find a snuggle buddy, a hot water bottle and a big quilt! For those of you in Welly, banish those Winter chills with a big dance at tonight's Beyonce Tribute Show at Mighty. We'll see you there!

Happy Friday!!!

xoxo Anneke xoxo

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Winter is (kinda) here! Let’s celebrate the glories of this crisp, chilly weather with a blog post all about the best bits of Winter; clothes, food and wintery things to do.

Winter clothes! We have a wonderful range of winter clothes here at Madame Fancy Pants. Highnoontea, Miss Sparrow, Arielle Mermin and Book of Deer are currently gracing our racks. Such stunning collections, you have to check them out! Plus we have COATS. I think coats are the best part of winter, but finding The One can be a bit of a chore. You need a coat that you can throw over your snuggly jumpers, one that will go with everything and one that isn’t black. Lucky we have two perfect coats and one little rain cape to make finding The One a lot easier. Have a peek at this classic navy coat and little red rain cape from Highnoontea.

And how about this stunning wool cape from Miss Sparrow?

Winter food and drinks; the comfort, the cuddling up in bed with a mug of homemade hot chocolate, the “using baking as a way to keep warm” trick.

Hot Chocolate is my guilty pleasure in winter, especially with a massive dollop of cloud like cream. Everyone likes hot chocolate, so why not keep things interesting and try out some creative flavours like Red Velvet and Salted Caramel? I created a wonderful, easy hot chocolate recipe for a midnight feast after dancing my night away to the sweet tunes of John The Baptist one chilly Friday night (JTB are a great wintery band, plenty of foot stomping dancing to be had), here it is; take one cup of milk and heat on the stove with about two to four rows of milk chocolate (I used Dairy Milk, but Whittaker’s Creamy Milk would make for a richer, smoother drink; I’d probably use less chocolate, more to nibble on!) add a drop or two of vanilla essence and a sprinkling of cinnamon, remember to keep stirring! Pour into your favourite mug and snuggle up in bed with your favourite book.

Can’t wait to try out some warm, snuggly cocktails from A Beautiful Mess! Love me a mug of mulled wine, but warm spiked cider sounds perfect for warding off the chills too.

We just got a new fridge here at MFP so we ladies can bring in some lovely soup to warm us up on those bitter, cold days. Soup is such a fantastic winter lunch, easy to take to work and usually healthy too! Check out 101Cookbooks post ‘Soups Worth Making’ for an eclectic and delicious mix of soup recipes. Really want the Pumpkin and Rice Soup in my belly right now!

If soup isn’t your jam, and you really want to delve into a bowl of cheesy, classic comfort food with a twist check out '30 Mac and Cheese Recipes' from The Food In My Beard. I know. My jaw dropped too.

What to do in Winter? Don't feel as if all there is to do is curl up in bed and watch movies from your laptop (although that isn't such a bad idea!). Wellington is full of lovely things to do, and you can always get a little creative when you're stuck indoors for the day! 

+ With the end of the water ban we can finally get our skates on and try out the ice rink on the waterfront! Outdoors + exercise= good vibes. So excited for this one! See here for the daily sessions they run. 

+ Need something to keep little ones occupied and you inspired? Be sure to check out the Wellington Makertorium on April 27^th at Te Papa if you’re a crafter/creator/inventor/tinkerer/thinker. A one of a kind massive exhibition featuring all kinds of brilliantly creative and inventive bits and bobs, as well as workshops for those mini-makers! 

+ Like music? Go to a gig. Dancing is sure to keep the spirits high, check out Brockaflowersaurus-rex at Bodega on May 11^th. Their eclectic mix of hip hop, funk and soul will have you tapping your feet for sure. Preview their music and get warmed up before you go by listening to their EP online. 

+ Don’t want to venture outdoors? If you’re a crafty type an Embroidery Transfer and some Floss from Sublime Stitching will keep your fingers occupied and the boredom at bay as you sew by the fire, or whip up a cute little animal from Sarah Young to decorate your sofa this Winter; the fox and the hare are particularly well suited to the chilly months.

So there it is! A whole bunch of wintery goodness to keep you entertained, stylish and full this winter! Stay tuned for gift ideas for Mum this Mother’s Day and a Winter Style Special.

Thanks for reading!

Anneke xoxo

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Hello there! Welcome to another weekly Madame Fancy Pants blog post!

First of all, an invitation. We would love to see you here next Thursday evening for a little tipple and a look through High Noon Tea’s collection, plus enjoy 30% off all purchases of High Noon Tea on the night! This is all to celebrate High Noon Tea’s debut at Wellington Fashion Week as part of the SS’14 Group Showcase next Friday; purchase your tickets here for an evening of exciting fashion.

Easter is coming up this weekend and with that comes chocolate, family time, craft and chocolate. Yeah, I said chocolate twice.. I’m seriously looking forward to guiltlessly eating my way through an entire Easter egg trail! Maybe I’ll have a lazy Sunday walk afterwards, maybe. With that in mind here are some cool ideas for crafts and chocolate.

First up are these seriously cool classic blown egg decorations (Eggs with moustaches. So. Cool.)! You’ll know how to create these lovelies from your childhood, if you can’t remember you can learn how to here. Then just decorate them how you please, these have been stenciled, but try dying, dipping or painting. An easy craft idea that you can make with kids. 

Mmmm.. chocolate! These cute Easter themed chocolate bars are easy to make, just melt some chocolate and stud with your favourite toppings. All thanks to one of our favourite blogs, A Beautiful Mess.

Another DIY chocolate idea: if you want to learn how to make your own Easter chocolates this weekend, check out Agnes Almeida’s awesome video all about easy chocolate making and you’ll be making your own chocolates in no time. Check it out here.  

Oh, I didn’t forget about all you vegans out there, and non-dairy kids can enjoy this trio of recipes too! Thanks to Laura at Hungry and Frozen, my favourite Wellington food blog, here are some delicious vegan friendly chocolate recipes (just sub out honey for agave nectar if need be):  No-bake Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles, Water Chocolate Mousse and Cocoa Sorbet. 

With all the delicious chocolate out there, it pays to make an informed choice in regards to your Easter goodies. Palm oil is in a lot of chocolate treats, and as it’s important to protect our environment and the habitat of some pretty special wildlife, it’s best that we avoid purchasing products that use palm oil. Auckland Zoo has come out with this handy guide to choosing palm oil free goodies, so check it out  before you go buy your treats!

The newest issue of Extra Curricular has just arrived here at MFP. This issue is all about new beginnings, very fitting for Easter! There are tons of interviews with crafty people, pretty pictures and some delicious recipes to try out. For a full run down check out their blog. Isn’t the cover amazing? A lovely read and a lovely gift for the crafty gal/guy in your life who doesn’t like chocolate. (I can’t actually imagine a creative type who doesn’t love chocolate, but there will be a few out there I’m sure!)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend spent with family, friends and chocolate!

Thanks for reading,

Anneke xox

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