Advent Calendar for the hostel

I've lived in hostels for a few years now and I usually don't make it home to my parents for Christmas because I am busy working at the Christmas market here in Edinburgh. However things are different this year and I have a lot of time on my hands. I am still not going home for Christmas because the plain tickets cost more than I can afford. So I am using my time, doing all the things I didn't have time for the last couple of years: baking biscuits, decorating the tree, drinking mulled wine and making decorations for the hostel. 

One thing I already wanted to do last year but didn't have the time for was crocheting an Advent Calendar. In case you are from a country where they are not very common: they have 24 bags or doors, one for each day from 1st to 24th December and are meant to make the time until Christmas a little sweeter for children. They are a big thing in Germany and I don't know a single child in Germany that doesn't have one. Even nurseries have one where every child gets their turn to open one door or bag or parcel. Over here in the UK the simple ones with wee doors behind which you find a bit of chocolate are the norm and I think most kids here have one of those as well. 

When I was a child however most kids I knew also had one that the parents or grandparents would fill for them with little toys, sweets, chocolate, useful things for school or the child's latest obsession (in my case stamps from all over the world at some point). 

And so this year to show a little tradition from my home country but also to simply make it a little more Christmassy I am the one making an Advent Calendar for the (hostel)kids.

First I crocheted 24 little bags. Mine are all kinds of different sizes, since I used a lot of left over yarns and depending on their strength I had to adjust the number of stitches in the bottom row. There are little gaps in the second row from the top for a string so I can close the bags and attach them to the fire place. Since it is really close to 1st December and you might not have enough time to crochet 24 bags, You could also use felt instead, because it's really easy to work with and saw together. 

Then I got really thin craft foam sheets and used a biscuit cutter as a stencil. The advantage with those is that they leave a clear imprint on the foam but you don't have ugly marker stains on your stars and even, if you screw things up a little when you write the numbers on the stars you can just turn them around and trz again. With the stencil the stars don't have a "bad side".

With a simple black marker I wrote the numbers on the stars and glued those with regular liquid glue to the little bags. 

And I used simple ribbon for wrapping presents as sting to close the bags. It is cheap and looks festive. I am sure you all know the trick to make it curly, don't you? 

This is what the finished bags look like. 

And here they all are. I also crocheted a band to hold all the bags. That way I don't have to use thump tags for every single bag. Instead I tied them with the ribbon to the band. They are not in order which makes the search for the right bag a little more exciting. 

Molly is already looking forward to 1st December, when we open the first bag. 

Edinburgh on a budget - food

Last time we got accommodation sorted, this article will make sure that you won't go hungry, even if you are on a tight budget.

THE most important tip would be, don't go where there are a lot of tourists. With very few exceptions restaurants, pubs and coffee shops in the pretty and busy areas are pricey.  But usually you only have to go a few hundred meters and you'll find what you're looking for, just less expensive.

I should also mention that I know the area around the Old Town way better than the New Town. So if you have any suggestions for food in the New Town, let me know. In this article I will mainly feature places in the Old Town.

When you are out and about on the Royal Mile the cheapest way to get some grub in your belly is probably the supermarket, especially if you are two people or more. On South Bridge you'll find a Sainsbury's and a Tesco's, the latter one is usually cheaper. But if you just keep walking another five minutes up the road you'll find a Lidl which is the cheapest. All of these shops have a little bakery section, sandwiches, fruit, cakes and drinks. Just grab whatever looks good to you and sit down in a park like the Medows or Princess Street Gardens.
If you are in the New Town there is Sainbury's in the East End of Rose Street and a Co-op in Frederick Street, there is also a Marks and Spencers on Princess Street but it is more expensive than the other two.
And of course, if you are staying at a hostel or couchsurfing, you can buy ingredients for dinner there as well.

But what, if you there is just no way you can eat somewhere outside because it is cold, wet and simply miserable? Here are a few cheap options to sit in. Again, I know the Old Town better than the rest of town.

Just off the Royal Mile is Cockburn Street (they pronounce it Coburnstreet, haha) and at the very top is The Baked Potato Shop aka the hottest tattie in town. A small baked potato and 2-3 fillings are usually enough to fill your belly. I sometimes still make the mistake to take a regular one and end up with more than I can eat. Oh well, leftovers for another time. Unfortunately the Baked Potato Shop only has one small table so there isn't always space to sit in. But maybe the people already sitting there are nice enough to scoot over and share the table. Time to make new friends.

Just a few yards (or metres) down Cockburn street is a close going down to the train station, you'll find a Kurdish Doner Kebab place called YamYam's. And no matter, if you sit in or take away they are cheaper than the chip chops (or chippy as we call them here) on the Royal Mile (Clam Shell) or South Bridge (Pizza Paradise, although, they rock because they are open till 5am). And if you are around for a while and they start to recognize you, you might get a discount. I sometimes do ;-)

On South Bridge there is an Asian Noodle place called Yokoko. They are very well known for really bad service but somehow I find that entertaining and the cheap meals make up for it. It certainly isn't the best meal you will ever have in your life but £10 for a starter, a main and a drink is extremely cheap considering how close it is to all the attractions in town.

Just a 5 minute walk up the road from Yokoko is the Mosque Kitchen which is actually close the Mosque. There is the new and fancy looking one which apparently is a bit more expensive than the old one. To get to the old one you basically have to go into the new ones backyard. Again, I have never been there myself but I have been told that you get a huge plate full of good food for very little money.

Should you find yourself in Tollcross and you suddenly get hungry make your way to The Forest Cafe. It is right on the big cross road in the newish brick building. It is a lovely artsy volunteer run place which offers amazing food, interesting people and quite often free events.

Also in Tollcross is Killer Restaurant which is an Indian buffet restaurant with a small but very tasty selection of well known Indian dishes. Dinner is just £10 and you can eat as much as you like and lunch is available for only £6. The interior is rustic-hip and the staff are really nice. You can bring your own booze and the soft drinks are super affordable as well.  

On Monday nights you can go to a pub on the bottom of the Royal Mile called Kilderkin you can get pizza for only £1. The catch is that you have to buy a drink for at least £1.70 but still for only 2.70 you basically get an entire meal. The pizzas are not fancy or big, but you definitely get more value for your money that you'd might expect. And I like the pub itself. They always play great music and it's one of the few places actually in the Royal Mile that offer cheap food. Even it it's just once a week.

Hidden in a tiny street in the New Town just off North Bridge is a place called Snack Cafe. I have never been there myself but I have been told they have extremely cheap food and the quality is better than you might expect from a place that cheap. It is a well known secret here in Edinburgh.

I am sure over time I will come across more cheap and good food places and might write a second article about them. Until then, let me know, if you have any suggestions. I am happy to check them out!