Thursday 12 December 2013

The Perfect Aussie Christmas - Aldi Style

I feel like the luckiest this morning as I wake up to a full belly and soul.  Last night we got the opportunity to have our very own "Perfect Aussie Christmas" AND it's not even Christmas yet.

As most of you probably know I am Aldi Mum and I love and talk all things Aldi (most of the time ;)

Aldi thought it only fitting to allow us to TEST DRIVE the amazing Aldi Christmas goodies available in-store  in the lead up to "The Big Day" to see what we thought and share our experiences. 

So armed with some amazing food and great friends (16 of us in total) here is how our night unfolded last night!


The table was set for our feasting!!!  Simple yet homely I do love a Christmas table!!


Our feature table decorations were the build your own Gingerbread House from Aldi for $5.99 and the Marzipan Stollen $5.99.  The Gingerbread House was a favourite of the kids at the table but by the end of the evening had been mostly demolished!


We even had our very own Aldi Christmas tree I bought 3 years ago that we think is just perfect to make it a truly Aldi Christmas experince.


We were spoiled with some Aldi Liquor Champagne.  My hubby likes his wine and gave this one the thumbs up and thought it was good value for money.  


We feasted on a half leg of ham from Aldi ($6.99 kg).  Last night was my first ham off the bone tasting for the year and I was not disappointed.  There is something about ham off the bone that really makes it feel like Christmas for me.  I LOVE IT.   It was not too salty which was great and was easy to carve.  One of our lovely friends mentioned they are not normally a ham off the bone fan but really enjoyed this one.  So thumbs up for the Aldi Ham from our feasting table.


Our kids can be a bit fussy at times with meat however all the kids were happy to eat the ham so that was a win!!


Now we move on to the 3 Bird Roast with Lingonberry Sauce YUMMMM!!  We tried the frozen one which weighted 1.5kg ($29.99). I had heard mixed reviews on the 3 Bird Roast so was keen to try it.  I was told to be careful to not overcook as it would dry out and lose its flavour.  So we watched it carefully and ended up needing to cook it for an extra 20 mins longer than stated on the pack.  It was everyone at the table's first time eating a 3 Bird Roast and all I can say is that plates were empty and there was NONE left at the end of the evening.  The Lingonberry Sauce ($1.99) was a lovely add on and I quite enjoyed it with the ham also. 


Empty plates and happy tummies was on the menu for the night!! 


The Moscato Rosa available from Aldi Liquor was a little bit too tasty haha!  Sweet and delicious and a perfect accompaniment to the 3 Bird Roast it was a favourite beverage for the evening. 


With bellies and hearts full it was time to move onto the final treat!!  THE CHRISTMAS PUDDING!!  For a total of $4.49 this pudding was a great price and hit the spot.  Drizzled in Aldi custard and topped with vanilla ice cream there were smiles all round.  


You can't have Christmas without a pavlova!!  I am drooling so much thinking about this right now I am off to have some of the leftovers lol!!  This Aldi pre-made pav was very tasty with fresh whipped cream, passionfruit, mango and blueberries all from our local store.  This did not disappoint!! 

Our night carried on into the evening and I felt so lucky to be able to share a meal with some of our great friends.  The whole family slept in this morning as last night was a late one for the kids.  They are finished school now and we didn't have anywhere to be this morning.  The funny thing was it felt just like boxing day but it wasn't lol. Hubby was keen to watch some cricket and I just wanted to snooze on the couch.  

Aldi Christmas selection gets a thumbs up from this Aldi loving household.  The products were quality, the taste was amazing and the price was affordable.  I don't say I love Aldi because I have to.  I say I love Aldi because I think they are a fair and ethical company that genuinely tries to bring quality food to households at an affordable price and giving a fair deal to our farmers.  

I have only ever heard good things about how they source their food and I know they try hard to be sustainable so two thumbs up from us Aldi we will be going back for more of your delicious Christmas treats.

A truly PERFECT AUSSIE CHRISTMAS!! 

Eaten and Written by Aldi Mum :) 

WIN WIN WIN your very own ALDI CHRISTMAS: 


 Aldi Mum (ME) in conjunction with ALDI Australia is giving away an Aldi Christmas to one lucky Aldi Family .... you will get to select 5 products from a specific list AND get a $50 voucher to spend in store ..... all you need to do is comment on this blog post with your answer to this question:

 "How do you make Christmas special for your family each year?" ....... we will select the best answer below .... remember to leave your name and / or e-mail so we can contact you and announce you as the winner on the Aldi Mum facebook page: 

Terms and Conditions
Entrant must reside in AUSTRALIA and have access to an Aldi Store. 
Entrant must be 18years or older
Entrant can only enter once
Winner will be sent an e-mail 
Competition closes Friday the 20th December at 8pm
Competition is skill based and most creative entry will win
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook


113 comments:

  1. Christmas lights and ham off the bone are our special Christmas treats!!

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  2. better than what i do- just try and put on a special lunch, on time, btut get no help form anyone.

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  3. By spending LOTS of time together and sharing the Christmas spirit.

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  4. We have presents under the tree, beautifully decorated table, food we all like and Christmas music playing, we have a lovely meal and then walk it off at the beach perfect,back home for chocolates in front of the Christmas films!
    Ann annandtony@gmail.com

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  5. I make christmas special for my family: By cooking a full traditional dinner which includes 4 different meats along with all the trimmings. We also have homemade pav with my own home grown duck eggs and cherry sauce on top with home grown cherries. We drink apple cider with dinner and enjoy all the family being in the same room which only happens at christmas. Its a lot of work for me with weeks of prep work and 2 days of cooking but worth the effort.

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  6. We've started with a Christmas Eve box with a new Christmas book, a movie, new PJ's and hot chocolate. Then on Christmas morning, we open the stockings, then have pancakes for breakfast. After breakfast, one person will play Santa, wearing a hat and handing out the presents.

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  7. Each year we celebrate with my Husbands side of the family on Christmas Eve. We rotate each year as to who hosts it, and everyone brings something to help out. We usually dine on Aussie seafood and salads and yummy desserts and bubbles and beer of course too.We also do A Kris Kringle which is a massive HOOT as there is usually some very funny presents, and my son, who is the only child in Family at the moment has a ball and gets spoiled! :-)

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  9. Making my special Chocolate Ripple cake with sherry & lots of fresh fruit on the side!

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  10. I make Christmas each year special for my Family by having great quality dishes made with love, I do my best to give thoughtful presents. Everyday Christmas I bring my best self with cleaning up I help and do my part of contributing to a great day with heart. Of course I spoil my children crazy too !!! The Aldi Stollen with Marzipan is so delicious we have finished two and it's not even Christmas.
    livjuls@outlook.com

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  11. with a big feed all the trimmings and lots of love

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  12. We make a special nee ornament every year. We have been doing this my whole life and now my children join in. Some of my ornaments as are ad old as me.

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  13. Lots of food, lots of fun and most of all lots of love! Krusty85@yahoo.com.au

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  14. Christmas is special for us because we get to spend the entire day with family, catching up, playing games and watching the young kids open presents. It will be more special this year as my 2 year old is getting in to the spirit of the season, and it makes me excited!

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  15. charmaine stewart16 December 2013 at 23:36

    I make Christmas special for my family by keeping the spirit alive it's all about the children and their happiness and the magic of it all. we make reindeer food and have magic elf seeds and our teens enjoy keeping it alive for their younger siblings and cousins too. As long as family is together and have food on the table and the children are smiling our Christmas is always special thankyou aldi for making that achievable every year :)

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  16. We always enjoy our home made Christmas Ice Cream Bombe to finish a fun family day.

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  17. Love everything about christmas.the lights the love the presents and the food. but most of all i love the smile.on my child's face in the morning :)

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  18. The day is started with a whole loungeroom of presents to be opened (we have a large family) and we make sure we are surrounded by plenty of them, then we eat and drink and be merry all day long.
    We watch the kids under the hose, having fun on the slip and slide or by the pool (Depending on who's house we are at) and some of those kids are big kids or the adult variety!
    We have also been known to have Nerf war fights between adults and kids. Basically a day of fun with and laughter and good food with everything from ham off the bone to Grog Log.
    We spend the day enjoying being together and making happy memories for our children!

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  19. I make if fuss free as I buy all my food, presents and trimmings from Aldi. It makes for a fuss free Christmas for all of the family. jodi.paul@hotmail.com

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  20. I make christmas each year special by ensuring we have our family togethwe great food presents and lots of laughter :) our starts christmas eve with our tradition of attending local resturant for dinner then home to watch the carola christmaa morning we apwnd at my familes opening pressies and juat enjoying ourselves then a big family lunch witj extended family and aftwe all that a aftwenoon spent playinv with new toys watching christmas morning and indulging in left overs :) simonnunns@bigpond.com

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  21. We make Christmas special by having the family work together to create a gourmet feast for lunch, with plenty left over for seconds, we have lots of laughs sharing memories and stories and really have a ball opening the well thought out gifts we give to each other. But most of all, just having the family all together is what makes it so very special!
    brookeorchard@outlook.com

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  22. Christmas and special for us as this is the only time of year that my family is together to celebrate!!! We make the most of it ;-)

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  23. Michelle Crawford16 December 2013 at 23:39

    We all bake together before Christmas to make our special gifts for the family which the kids love to do. Then Christmas day is spent with family enjoying a traditional Christmas dinner and dessert. Christmas music playing, then at night it's time to open the special gift Santa gave them that contains PJ's, a Christmas movie, hot chocolate and christmas chocolates. The kids love it, and I cherish every moment.

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  24. I have just started making xmas eve boxes for the 3 of us (mum, dad and 2yo), which include jammies, movie, hot choccy, munchies and storybook. I even make one up for our two dogs and our cat, with toys and treats. Most items come from Aldi!!! :) shellong01@yahoo.com.au

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  25. I make christmas special by creating the magic of christmas. by putting the lights up like the griswalds and sitting out on the lawn every night with my beautiful boys enjoying the beauty and the love. Its all about the children so, as like as their is a sparkle in their eye and happiness all over their faces the magic is still alive in all of us. Oh and dont forget the christmas carols playing in the background

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  26. Christmas with our family is all about the kids, and teaching them that the real meaning of Christmas isn't presents or food, but its spending time with your loved ones

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  27. This year I have three wishes, to have a hassle free day, something under the tree for myself & for my children to have a christmas they will remember for years to come.
    2013 has been amount making memories for our children.
    We will continue this over the christmas period, light watching, christmas movies, carols, presents under the tree & most importantly I will be by their side the entire time xo Merry christmas to all xo

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  28. Spending Christmas with family
    dani2511@me.com

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  29. Kelly Kirkpatrick. kellykirkpatrick99@gmail.com
    It's special every year for us because its about family. not the presents or the food, but they do make it a great day, it's about spending time with family we dont' see most of the year and making memories.

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  30. i make it special my doing it twice :) My hubby's family are coming this weekend, and mine for christmas day. We are spread out all over the state, and my husband works Christmas day (he is a policeman), so this is the only way to see everyone. I'm cooking everything- my choice- and to make sure it's quality AND quantity, I'm shopping at ALDI.

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  31. we start with a gift for the kmart giving tree, then our Christmas eve box, which has new pjs for the wjhole family, with favourite treat, reindeer food to put out, Christmas craft/game, popcorn, night before Christmas book, a Christmas dvd and hot chocolate. we have a picnic in lounge and enjoy the night. in the morning we usually are awake early with kids to open gifts, then get ready to visit my family for a "full trimmings lunch" (gran usually cooks way to much) and spend time with family which is the most important thing of all.

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  32. my girls are only 2 1/2 and 4 months. every year I let my 2 1/2 yo chose a gift for under the kmart gift tree. a home made advent calander every day with a new christmas theamed activity. a christmas eve gift of christmas pjs movie pop corn and hot chocolate. she also choses the theam for the christmas tree (this year is purple). Christmas is so much more fun with kids

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  33. We celebrate Christmas by spending it with family, Christmas Eve my 2 yr old gets a Christmas Eve box which has Christmas pjs, Christmas movie, Christmas book and some popcorn, myself her daddy and her watch the movie Christmas Day the 3 of us get up together and have breakfast and daddy then aye Santa and gives out presents we then go to my parents for Christmas dinner with my sister and brother and my nieces and nephews, it's all about Christmas spirit and being together as a family. Email sieber.angela@gmail.com

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  34. I make christmas special for my family every year by giving them the best present any one could ever receive and that is the pressence of myself and the rest of the family all getting together for some well earned quality time

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  35. Almost every year starts out with one set of my children's grandparents spending the night (either them at our place or us all at theirs) so they can watch my boys, 8 & 5, open their Santa sacks and all their gifts from myself and whichever set of grandparents are here. Then we head to another family members house whose turn it is to host the big family lunch. It is a wonderful day all about the kids and spending time with the whole family.

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  36. We all live in different states or countries, its often hard to get together for Christmas, so we all make a time on Christmas day to do a video chat, so that we can somehow still connect in our own way! Its usually during lunch time just to show off what a feast we've all cooked up =)

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  37. Food fight! Happened quite by accident one year and now it happens 'accidentally' every Christmas. Shows our kids we can be silly and fun and not worry about mess. It really is the simple crazy moments at Christmas time. Corsnkirst77@gmail.com

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  38. The kids love baking all the gingerbread men, santa cupcakes etc as well we all have our own special ornament to put near top of tree that no one else is allowed to touch. After that, putting the star on top is a ceremony for good wishes for the following year and we all say something we are grateful for.

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  39. By making plum pudding from a recipe passed down from my granma and remembering all our loved ones here and passed on ajma40@bigpond.com

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  40. We do the traditional Christmas with family. However, to make our Christmas truly special, and to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, we bake a birthday cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus. A little cheesy, I know, but I really want my children to grow up remembering the real reason we celebrate Christmas. :)
    Leesa Tsang, email: leesatsang@hotmail.com

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  41. We have a bbq and eat outside. Decorations, family & friends come and help us make the day special. Desserts of turkish delight pav, trifle and christmas pudding. The kids get to enjoy their presents and we.partake in a game of backyard footy or soccer. Just being with family & friends is what makes it special.

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  42. We will be spending our Christmas this year with my new born niece who is yet to arrive :-) solo excited to met her finally<3

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  43. I spend the whole Month of December excitedly wearing my 39 pairs of Christmas Earrings, as I'm disabled I can't do much so am happy to bring a smile to friends, family and even strangers just by wearing my earrings, we spend the day at my sister's and we all swap prezzies mid morning and spend our time together as a family enjoying the bad "Dad" Christmas Bon Bon jokes. Christmas is my favourite time of year. Merry Christmas everyone. Email: km1972@hotmail.com

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  44. My eldest was born 8 years ago Christmas Eve. Adds a really special to Christmas, with an added reason to celebrate the year

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  45. Family, great food and simply relax, take a chill pill and start the holidays :-)

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  46. This year we are enjoying homegrown ham and a very special gingerbread house (Don't tell anyone I bought the DIY kit from Aldi) along with trifle and cheesecake made from scratch as they are family favourites.....:)

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  47. Making sure we are together no matter where we are is what makes our Christmas special. We don't stress over the food or the venue.

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  48. We put up our tree on December 2nd (not the first as that is my birthday), while doing this we listen to John Lennon, and the first song is So this is Christmas, war is over. The next night/week we go looking at Christmas lights. Our family is only young so Christmas is becoming more and more special as the kidlets get a little older and understand more.

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  49. I Make My Pavlova & Trifles For Everyone. I Use Lots of Fresh Fruit, Custard & Cream. The Custard & Cream I Add A "Special Ingredient" :)

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  50. How do I make Christmas special?
    By surrounding ourselves with friends and family. By following our little rituals. From advent calendars, to baking, to cherries, mangos, and champagne (or apple cider for the junoprs - they love toasting everyone too) on Christmas Eve.
    New pyjamas and a movie for the little ones round off their night, before a bit of an assembly line for stocking filling while they sleep - these days the teenage kids help out with this, but there will always be a surprise or two for them there by morning too...I do think they still wonder. Last thing before we go to sleep is make sure there are traces of Santa's visit...including boot footprints near the tree.
    After all of that, Christmas Day starts early, but it's full of family and love and food and fun...and every year, we all say it was the best one ever.

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  51. We make Christmas special for everyone by spending time together and listening to each other and doing activities that everyone enjoys. I also ensure that I have prepared various dishes that each child thinks is their special dish.

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  52. Even when times are tough with money as i am sure everyone has experienced, just having everyone in the family together is all we need. Dad is always the last to bed so we have to wake him up before anyone can open presents. We always have Ham of the bone and eggs for breakfast. Then we kick back and enjoy our time together.....

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  53. Now our kids are older we make.sure to all be together on Christmas eve we have a cold dinner of ham smoked chicken prawns and salad and something yummy for desert. We all sit around in our hammies and watch carols by candle light and maybe a christmas movie. on Christmas morning we all open our pressies together and have brekkie together then the boys go off to their girlfriends houses for lunch and tea time back home with girls for dinner. I love it lots of cooking lots of food but heaps of fun. Looking forward to grandies now.

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  54. Putting up the tree and lights every year with my son on the 1st and then lots of eating, playing with presents etc on Christmas Day.

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  55. We have family traditions that make it feel special. The tree is done together, we listen to carols and we bake cookies through out the month. We also like to look at Christmas lights and go shopping in Melbourne mainly to look at the Myer windows. My girls are teenagers now but still love these traditions.

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  56. As long as I have my husband and two little children happy and healthy and get to wake up to them every xmas morning for the rest of my life to me that is the best xmas :)

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  57. Children come first
    Hands working together for lots of fun
    Relaxing with a fully belly
    Ice cold drinks with a dash of magic for the adults
    Soo soo much food enjoyed by all
    Time to share
    Memories built with lots of love and laughter
    Always a special gift for everyone
    Surprises as presents are opened

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  58. I do the usual decorate, good food "Aldi because I love the European style goods" good memories and i take time to get the right gift not the most expensive. But because my family is a stepfamily I provide a sanctuary away from the dramas and lots of love and understanding, hopefully to make good memories for them and there children .

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  59. It's not xmas unless there is ham off the bone on toast for breakfast, poppy dressed in a Santa hat handing out the presents, plenty of seafood on the BBQ whilst relaxing in the pool with a glass of wine or beer in hand. Xmas is about family and friends and the joy of giving and the priceless look on your kids faces when they see the presents under the tree in the morning!

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  60. A few years ago we had our very first Christmas together as a family without travelling around the countryside to visit relatives. It made Christmas most stressful and not enjoyable. We knew, to make it special for us we had to start our own family tradition. Every year we wake up and see what Santa has bought us, have some breakfast, put the Aldi roast in the oven and hit the beach for a couple of hours. On our return, we open presents that are under the tree and have a delicious lunch with all the trimmings. We make sure all our friends have someone to have Christmas with. This year we have friends from the U.K. spending Christmas with us. We can't wait to show them an Aussie Christmas.

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  61. We start Christmas off by letting the kids decorate the trees, they love putting all the decorations they have made on and tell each other where they came from and how they made them, Christmas eve they will make cookies for santa and leave carrots for the reindeer. Christmas day is full with love, laughter and best of all memories with family.

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  62. Each year our family tradition is time together... to make our own Christmas tree, this year it is made bamboo branches! I find the Aldi Advent calendar is great, this year using the choclate tray to make great shaped sweet nibblies! Love the Luxury Bons Bons at Aldi with the little wooden decorations on them, the toys (photo frame, pack of mini cards etc are just great! Love to buys the 25th Avenue paper plates so no one has to do the washing up (more time together) after big family and friends gatherings. I will definately have to check out the Aldi Moscato Rosa, I only recently discovered this delightful sweet wine. Christmas with Aldi is definately a more budget concious option. Thanks!

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  63. Our christmas starts on the 1st of December with the decorating of the real pine tree. My 3 boys get a kick out of going through the ornaments that they have made over the years at school. The house is decorated inside and out with plenty of glowing lights that make the power bill jump. My youngest son, who is 8 has an advent calendar that is opened every night so he can count down the sleeps. We write a letter to Santa just to make sure that he knows what is wanted. The antisapation is built up every day with different events happening. Christmas Eve we have a seafood spread with good friends and then we watch the carols on TV with our very own candles and depending on how many wines have been consumed to how loud the singing gets. A snack for Santa and his reign deer is organised and the magic key is left on the front door so Santa can get in. Christmas morning is usually an early one with children raiding Santa sacks and unwrapping presents. A mini cyclone is what it looks like afterwards. Christmas lunch is always the roasts with all the trimmings with family. This year we have fifteen in total.
    Now I have finished my essay on christmas I think the most important thing I do to make it special is to love the day and the build up to it. The joy it brings to my family is enough gift for me every year.

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  64. I love Christmas and try to infect the rest of the family with my festive enthusiasm. I decorate almost every room of the house and out the front too. It doesn't need to cost a lot of money, I hang old baubles on the front veranda with fishing line. The kids love to get outside with their cousins in the backyard, so I try to include presents they can use straight away and have fun with. For the adults, some nice wine, and a chat while the kids run around is all we really need. Then we all enjoy a meal at my decked out table that I spend weeks planning the decorations for. Of course there's the mandatory carols playing in the background and a good time is had by all!
    My email is ckcampbell@optusnet.com.au

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  65. Cookies for the Man in Red,
    stockings at the end of the bed.
    A day full of Aldi treats,
    fresh ham, pudding and yummy sweets!

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  66. This year we will be celebrating lily-fay's first Christmas. She was born at 24 weeks and is now home with her parents and siblings. We will bring the potato salad and trifle to them. .. cant wait for our Christmas hug from our 3 grandchildren. adnilnna1@hotmail.com

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  67. As we travel alot on Christmas Day, I make sure we have our own Hot Xmas dinner a couple of days prior, so that we can relax and enjoy our meal, without the need to rush off anywhere! That way the madness that is Christmas Day doesn't seem to make us feel we have missed out, and we can take the time to enjoy our extended family, and also celebrate my Nan's birthday with all her grandkids and great grandkids around!

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  68. Jacqueline powers17 December 2013 at 01:02

    I love to wake the kids up really early on Christmas morning to check if Santa has been. That magical feeling as the sun starts to rise on a perfect family day is a feeling I treasure and hope that my children experience each year.

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  69. Up early and open presents. Stop for a delicious breakfast of salmon & cream cheese on fresh bread. Finish opening presents. Phone loved ones not sharing Christmas with us. Decedent Christmas late lunch of turkey, ham, prawns and pudding (aldi's puddings are the best by far!). Snooze and pickings for tea.

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  70. A-always together around the table
    L-love and laughter in the air
    D-deserts, dvds, driving to places near and far to be with loved ones
    I-ice-cream, imagination at guessing presents before opening, including all ages young and old


    ang_tennent@hotmail.com

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  71. We have all the family together with ham off the bone,turkey,roast pork and roast beef, salads,garlic potatoes,lots of different yummy deserts and nice cold drinks along with swimming,talking an catching up and watching the little ones catch up and play with the other little ones and not to forget lots of presents and treats for the little ones they all go home full and ready to sleep

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  72. A dvent calendars for the kids
    L ights on the house and tree
    D ecorations on the door
    I deal time spent together

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  73. Having my entire family with me Christmas morning to open pressies and have a big breakfast! Big traditional late lunch then afterwards we all relax and the kids play with their new toys while i snooze on the lounge! :)

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  74. Our whole extended family are getting together at the beach to recreate the big family Christmases we had growing up. can't wait!

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  75. By making sure it is all family members and we share gifts and all bring food

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  76. Back when I was a young child my parents kept a tradition each year that my siblings and I loved each and every year. Which was french toast, mushrooms, bacon and orange juice, you see dad never made this meal throughout the whole year as we were a low income family and my father liked to make special affordable memories for us where he could. So now as an adult I keep that tradition alive with my family, I did however add a few extras at breakfast but I want my children to remember this tradition as a happy Christmas tradition that they follow when they grow up and have their own families.

    Have a Merry Christmas everyone and a very happy New year.

    Tiffany Firrell - tiffany_firrell@hotmail.com

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  77. Growing up my father worked all but two of my first 15 Christmases - so Christmas for us was never about being 'home, but we would always take food to him to share in the work cafeteria. It was always about sharing within the family, and inviting others into the celebration, than about presents and being 'home'

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  78. I make our christmas special for my Family. We go to my sisters for breakfast and have a full breakfast with the lot that my sister and i cook . All of our kids her 4 and my 2 think this is the best part of Christmas day .Being with family and sometimes a naughty treat with breakfast this year it is chocolate ripple cake as requested by my daughter. CHRISTMAS DAY COMES ONLY ONCE A YEAR SO ENJOY.

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  79. Lots of love , family , kids getting to play with all their new presents and lots of yummy Aldi food for everyone .
    emba8081@yahoo.com.au

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  80. Reindeer footprints and half chewed carrots... What could be more special for the little ones to discover?!

    And then there's the special family Christmas breakfast of Candy Canes and chocolate Santas for us all to share!


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  81. I love to read "The Night Before Christmas" with my boys in the evenings leadiing up to Christmas, and especially on Christmas Eve. This is a magical story and I hope to create some wonder and good memories surrounding Christmas for my kids. This is how I make Christmas special for my family.

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  82. Its all about Family, the day is enjoyed by us all as we come together to celebrate as one. We leave fulfilled both emotionally and in our tummies!

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  83. Usually we celebrate with feasting on Christmas eve then we have spent most recent years out on a boat gathering berries , and having a pic-nic , in the afternoon I make berry jam ( no , berries are not to be found out on the water ) which I put into small bottles and use as gifts for all those people you need a small something for . This year there is no boat so we have to reinvent !

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  84. This is my very first Christmas as a mum (I have an adorable 9 month old named Tilly) so I'm looking forward to starting our own family Christmas traditions, which will be fun, relaxed and revolve around family & food!
    karliejmiles@gmail.com

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  85. My best Christmas was my Mum's last Christmas. Where everyone brought a plate to share. We sat around the table and enjoyed our meal and celebrated being a "complete" family. This year we will try to do it all again, minus one.

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  86. Christmas was always enjoyable but it become so much more meaningful and magical after having our daughters. From spending hours making special decorations for all the family (bringing back wonderful memories of making paper chains with my family), baking Christmas cookies for friends and organising party food for our playgroup Christmas party, to spending time picking that perfect present, then finally spending the day celebrating with our family, I try and make every moment more exciting than the last!

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  87. Its all about family here its so good to have hubby home for a few days as he works away we cherish every moment
    saekae@bigpond.net.au

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  88. With our extended family in tasmania an us in brissie my partner, the four little bums an l have made it a tradition to cook all foods the kids like, (usually a chook) nothing worse than wasted food, but l would love to try an cook my first turkey this year, even been googling, just makes me hungry,lol.:-)

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  89. I keep the Christmas spirit alive all year by always being on the lookout for that perfect gift for each person in the family. The delight in their eyes as presents, carefully and lovingly chosen, are unwrapped makes each Christmas more special than the last!

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  90. We start off the morning with the kids coming in to wake us up to tell us it's Christmas as they found Christmas presents on their bed from Santa. We then go and have breakfast. Then it's time to go sit around the tree and open presents from us, some will be from Aldi this year. I shop at Aldi every week so we will be eating lots of yummy Aldi goodness. The day will be spent playing with the kids, maybe doing some visiting or having visitors as well. Oh and the kids love Christmas lights we have some on the tree and some on the window they love to watch.

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  91. I love the build up to Christmas day. My children, age 6, 4 and 20 months love counting down the days. It all begins with us putting up the tree as a family to xmas carols. We have a shelf dedicated to xmas knick knacks and crafts that the kids arrange. This year we bought some aldi candy cane lights and made a special xmas garden down our driveway. We too, made the aldi gingerbread house and have made some other special xmas treats together. They each wrap a present for each other to put under the tree and Xmas day they love having fun with their cousins.

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  92. Having the kids waiting patiently for xmas morning to open their pressies are the best moment.

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  93. Ham off the bone on french bread while the kids open their gifts and empty the stockings. Accompanied by a glass of Champagne - never to early for just one. Followed by an Aldi Coffee of course...

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  94. This electricity conscious wifey leaves the Chrissie lights on all day and night, and we do WHATEVER we want! Nap, play with toys, watch sports, play boardgames, absolutely anything goes on Christmas day as long as we are together!

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  95. How do I make Christmas special for my family? Every year no matter what other members of our family and their respective partner have planned I work around them, one year we didn't get together to celebrate till the 27th and that's ok xxx

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  96. We make our Christmas special by starting with the Advent season. We have our Aldi Advent calendars and our advent wreath with candles. We take the four weeks up to Christmas as a time to prepare for the Special Guest who was born on Christmas Day. We moved to Australia four years ago so we have had to adjust many of our American traditions to Australia. Instead of having a fresh Christmas tree - we now put our Aldi Christmas tree up and enjoy a hot chocolate with my Aldi coffee maker and special Aldi hot chocolates. We play Christmas music and put up all the decorations. On Christmas Eve we go to church and then come home for a quiet dinner. Christmas morning after the kids have opened their presents, we always do an egg, sausage and sweet bread breakfast. Then we put our Turkey (from Aldi of course) on the grill to roast. After the Turkey is cooked, we pack our other foods and head to the beach for an Aussie picnic. Things in Australia are not the same as back home in the US but with Aldi's help we have adjusted to the changes and made new ones here in Australia!

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  97. I make sure each person has a present I know they will love, their fevourite lolly (Aldi has some awesome ones!), and one of their favourite foods for lunch.

    galwayst@hotmail.com

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  98. My gorgeous kids 2 and 5, think daddy being away at work is a dive, up to mummy to pep them up, tinsel and pressies all the fun stuff! We make sure we include daddy in all, making sure we record the pressie opening and the kids delight at the haul, boxing day he will arrive all tired, weary and worn, we will show him the amazing tree we all helped to adorn :-) I try to make my kids feel lucky they miss out, as we get to have two christmasses so much fun without a doubt!! (cassandralawler@hotmail.com)

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  100. Christmas is always special to me when I'm with my husband and two sons. Our families live overseas, so being together with our Aldi roast turkey dinner with all our traditional trimmings, makes it feel special to us xxx

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  101. For me it starts before december 1st, planning our month of craft, movie, book and various other christmas activities. So starting 1st december we put the tree up, watch a christmas movie, while doing a christmas craft, and reading christmas books at bed time. Its about bringing the family together. My husband sometimes gets involved depending on what were doing.

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  102. We were tired of the same thing every Christmas, getting up opening gifts, then racing to get ready and rush out the door to visit everyone for Christmas, it was exhausting and the kids didn't get to enjoy their gifts. So we decided that as Christmas is about family that we would spend Christmas day at home with just our immediate family and do things we loved to do and eat things we loved to eat and then spend Boxing day with the extended family. It has worked so well our extended family now does the same thing.
    I make sure I have everyone's favourite foods, we get up and open our gifts and the kids get to spend time actually playing with them all day. We swim, eat when we want to, it is now a fun relaxing day for all of us and we love that we have found our Christmas spirit again instead of dreading a day full of running around and eating too much food. Merry Christmas everyone.

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  103. To make Christmas special we like to select something each year to make by hand. It might be a gift of home made chocolates or an oven baked clay angel ornament to hand on the tree. But I want every guest at my christmas table (and the kids teachers and carers) to receive something made with love and made with that person in mind. I don't think any store bought trinket or treat can beat a hand made one. So that's how we like to make Christmas special.

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  104. Amelia Law - a_holden_86@hotmail.com

    We make our Christmas special with family - an open invitation by phone so no one is alone!
    Everyone contributes something to eat and we finish with a special ALDI treat.
    As long as everyone is together, it doesn't matter about the weather!

    It is our baby girl's second Christmas and as excited as I am about her face when she sees her presents we want her to understand that the most important part is spending quality time with our family (& yummy ALDI lunch!)

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  105. "How do you make Christmas special for your family each year?"

    By making each and every one of our friends and family that are there on the day, and those that we celebrate with from a distance feel special, loved and included. Great people, great food and a great atmosphere = GREAT CHRISTMAS! :)

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  106. Hi Aldi Mum! I'm Hana (https://www.facebook.com/hana.hemopo) and I run a charity on the northside of Brisbane called Lighthouse Care Caboolture https://www.facebook.com/lighthousecarecaboolture?fref=ts.

    I organise food hampers to be delivered each fortnight to my little corner of the world. Today we had our special xmas delivery day and just over 150 families rocked up. Ironically, I could not afford one of my own hampers - hubby and I live modestly on one income and I do not use my charity group to 'feather my own nest'.
    However, I am luckier than most peeps I know - I have food in my kitchen, a roof over my head and I married a phenomenal man who loves me.

    So how do I make Christmas special each year?
    By focusing on the fact that the important things in life are NOT things - it's People, it's Memories and it's Love, Love, Love!

    So Merry Christmas everybody:D
    I sincerely hope you find what's important under your chrissy tree; and that's someone who loves you and makes you feel like, wow, I'm so glad I get to spend my Christmas with you. xox

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  107. Christmas Eve boxes for my boys - filled with - new undies, Xmas DVD, mini tobelerones, microwave popcorn, hot choc pouches. Aldi shopping = winning! = family time! :) kgold5@eq.edu.au

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  108. Thank you for sharing valuable information. Nice post. I enjoyed reading this post. The whole blog is very nice found some good stuff and good information here Thanks..Also visit my page. Australian Christmas Hampers Fruit hampers fruit gift baskets online from Fruitcorp Fruit Hampers. Gifts for all Occasions.

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