From Russia with love
Lydia and Zhenya Tsvetnenko show us how they celebrate Christmas at home.
THE DECORATIONS: Our home is decorated into two sections. The first floor is adorned with silver and red, and the top floor in green, gold, orange and silver.
We've also got this thing at the moment where we fill large glass vases with silver and red balls to get us into the Christmas spirit.
THE THEME: Sometimes we work around a theme and it's usually very modern and edgy with the use of classic colours in a range of forms and combinations.
THE TREE: It's 10 feet (3m) tall and we made a slight misjudgment with it so now it's missing a section and is slightly lopsided.
It can be easily fixed but it all adds to the charm of our tree!
We've also got decorations from the first Christmas we spent together six years ago, and we've collected more along the way so it's all very special to us.
The mix of decorations is probably a good reflection of our characters. Magically, they fit in perfectly with the house and our personal styles as well.
THE MENU: Christmas dinners are always casual but they are always lively.
Everyone brings a plate and dad's famous potato salad and a leg of ham, which almost lasts until New Year's Eve, are consistent favourites at the dinner table.
Of course, nanna still insists on bringing her beetroot jelly that goes untouched every single year but we love her more for it!
THE GIFTS: Everyone is given gifts, so I guess it's a Secret Santa for all.
Our favourites include concert tickets and swapping favourite photos for keepsakes.
You don't have to break the bank either. A choice present is a $12 ticket to the Lazy Susan's Comedy Den upstairs at The Brisbane Hotel so we can make a night of it.
It's also great to buy a gift that generates good things for others.
Dare I say it but tickets to the Party Like the Gods, where profits go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, promise an awesome celebration while also raising money for a great cause.
TRADITIONS: We entertain friends on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is reserved for family.
