‘Tis the day before Christmas and the preparations are in full swing. I am visiting my family this week for the Christmas/New Year period, and I am also getting to meet my baby niece for the first time. Christmas is my favourite holiday for many reasons. While I am not super jazzed about decking the halls with tinsel and baubles, I do love spending the time with family and enjoying the sunny weather. Enjoy this week’s list.

adult rocky road

I think everyone is familiar with the sweet treat, Rocky Road. It is one of the easiest desserts you can make. Melt some chocolate, throw your favourite crunchy bits in, chuck it in the fridge, super easy. This is a slightly elevated version of rocky road, for a more adult taste. I like to use dark chocolate instead of the sweeter mixer chocolate, and I prefer to use cashews and pistachios instead of peanuts. The Turkish Delight offers a different texture to your typical fruit. And finishing off with the flaked salt offers another interesting element.

Homemade items are a lovely gift for Christmas. I gifted these to some of my loved ones with positive feedback. It’s a simple gift, placed in a glass jar with a ribbon, but delicious.

I have given you my favourite recipe for a more adult rocky road, but you could try adding whatever you like. Pretzels, Maltesers, dried apricots, whatever your favourites are. The quantities are totally up to you, as well. You can throw as much or as little of something as you like. It is your dessert, tailor it to your liking.

live from new york by james andrew miller and tom shales

Just because it took me two years to read this doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading. It’s actually a great book.

A few years back I participated in a health challenge, where one of the elements of the challenge was to read 10 pages of a book every night. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not much of a reader and I thought that in order for me to be excited to complete my daily reading challenge I should get a book that is going to make me want to read it every day. And this book did just that.

Live from New York is the complete, uncensored history of comedy institution Saturday Night Live as told by its stars, writers, and guest hosts. For the uninitiated, Saturday Night Live, or SNL, is a comedy TV sketch show that has launched the careers of some of the best comedic performers in entertainment history. Everyone from Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Kristin Wiig, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, Dan Ackroyd, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock and Julia Louis-Dreyfus to comedy writers like Conan O’Brien, Michael Schur, Adam Mackay, David Mandel and Greg Daniels. If you can think of a successful person in comedy, it is incredibly likely that they got their start at SNL.

SNL was first broadcast in 1975, and in its 48 seasons, it has seen its fair share of high and lows, scandals and accolades, as well as legendary career launches and tragic unfortunate ends. You could say that SNL is what Hollywood mythology is built on. This book gives you a very thorough, in depth look at every story along the way, as told by those who experienced it first hand. There are very few performers and writers who didn’t participate in this book. Some couldn’t say enough good things about their experience and how it launched their careers, some were very critical of how they were treated. All of it is included. There are stories of the epic drug use, the fights with the network and standards and practices, the difficult times when it was nearly cut from NBC’s lineup, the rise of some of comedies biggest stars, as well as the deaths of some of it’s most famous performers.

Like I said earlier, this book took me about two years to read. It is an absolute mammoth, at 800 pages. But once you get reading, it’s a hard one to put down. The stories are unflinching, and whether honesty and memory has been blurred by the annals of time, I don’t know, but it certainly makes the recollections interesting. I have been a big fan of the show since I knew what SNL was, so it was fascinating to hear the behind the scenes accounts. I would assign this as mandatory reading for any fan of Saturday Night Live.

scruffy’s doggy daycare and grooming – Brookvale, NSW

Here on the Northern Beaches, we love our dogs. So it probably comes as no surprise that there are quite a few doggy daycare centres on the Insular Peninsula. But none are better than Scruffy’s Doggy Daycare, in Brookvale, in my humble opinion. To be honest, we’ve only tried Scruffy’s, but we’ve had no reason to try any others.

I know that sending your dog to a daycare sounds a little ostentatious or bougee, but for me, it’s a necessity. I’ve mentioned before that Harry doesn’t love being left on his own at home, so sending him to daycare makes me feel like I’m giving him a lovely life. When we arrive in the Scruffy’s reception area and I see Harry make a beeline for the gate, trying to push his way into the play area, I know that he has a great time. I like to say that I’m dropping Harry off at school on my way into the office.

Scruffy’s is well known on the Northern Beaches. They first opened in 2009, and have won a number of awards for their grooming and dog care services. They have an all-weather, purpose built facility, with attendants who are passionate about your dog’s enjoyment and development. All of the staff at Scruffy’s are incredible. They love your dog as their own. Harry is always so pleased to see them every time he comes in. Every dog who attends receives a daily newsletter, letting dog parents know how their dog spent their day. Photos are also uploaded to their Facebook page every afternoon, which is the highlight of my day. I love to see who Harry was playing with. You can also pick up dog supplies like leads, collars, chew toys, dog food and treats. They also provide training services, if your dog is having some behavioural issues, with a number of dog trainers in their staff.

When Harry first started attending Scruffy’s, he was quite a shy little puppy. He loved to play with dogs at the park, but he was just a little unsure. After nearly three years of regular attendance, he is a pawty animal, ready and raring to play with any dog who comes through the gate. He was also nominated for Dog of the Year in their annual Daycare awards this year. While he didn’t win, I am so proud to say that he is a member of the Scruffy’s family, and will continue to be for years to come.

activeskin salon – Balgowlah, NSW

As you may have already guessed, I love a good facial. Facials, for me, are how some people feel about massages. For years I had a monthly facial schedule, until I tried a new medispa, and was left with severe burn up the left side of my face after an overzealous microdermabrasion/peel combo. This left me a little untrusting of new spas. But wanting to unwind after a busy year, I thought I would give the ActiveSkin Salon in Balgowlah a go.

ActiveSkin has been servicing the Northern Beaches since 1999, when they first opened their salon. In 2006, they opened their online store, which has an amazing selection of skin and hair care products, with a broad range of brands and price points. I am a loyal customer of their online store and have been for years. They offer same day despatch on their online orders, and prompt Click & Collect.

I booked in for a 60 minute Proskin facial treatment with Kelly. The Proskin facial involves a quick consultation with your aesthetician about your skin concerns, and then they will put together a custom treatment, which may include a peel, microdermabrasion, ultrasound, galvanic current infusion, as well as a cleanse and a massage. My facial included a Foreo brush cleanse, a SkinCeuticals peel, a mask, a moisturising treatment, along with a shoulder, neck, face and scalp massage. It was absolute bliss. It was exactly what I wanted. Kelly was really lovely, she listened to what my concerns were, offered suggestions, checked in regularly to make sure nothing felt weird, and then gave me a kit Kat at the end. I will definitely be getting back into my facial regime with thanks to ActiveSkin.

---