Things to Love About the Christmas Season 

xmas2

 

I am known online and off as being something of a Christmas fairy. When it comes to the Christmas season I really am like a big kid. There are so many things to love about the Christmas season and I am very vocal about been in love with the whole shebang!

The Smell

When autumn really takes hold you start to get the lovely wood-smoke smell which seems to remind me of cinder toffee; when Christmas comes knocking it’s pine cones, mulled spice, berries and cold (cold does have a smell!). We tend not to go overboard with home fragrance but I already have a spiced berry wax melt in the burner and it’s helping to build the festive feeling nicely.

The Food

We eat at home (Roy, the boys and I) on Christmas day and have a pork dinner (thrown in the slow cooker in the early hours) and of course there’s stuffing, cranberry sauce, proper meat gravy, Yorkshires, Shloer and all of the other lovely stuff that we look forward to enjoying at Christmas.

Sadly the bread oven doesn't work but it gets a good Christmas polish up (and is a very sneaky place to hide Xmas goodies).
Sadly the bread oven doesn’t work but it gets a good Christmas polish up (and is a very sneaky place to hide Xmas goodies).

The Family

We visit Roy’s family on Christmas Eve to say hello and exchange gifts and do the same on Christmas morning with my family (we all live nearby). It’s great that we all live close enough so that we each other regularly through the year and have managed to keep the tradition up of sharing Christmas together while still having our own time and building our own individual traditions at home. Of course at Christmas we get to spend so much more time with the kids as we are both off which is a huge bonus!

The Traditions

Our Christmas is jam-packed with traditions, from the purchase of my first (of many) Christmas magazine to the Christmas Eve boxes the boys open after tea. My youngest sister and I always go Christmas shopping and out for a Christmas dinner just the two of us, that’s our tradition and we all enjoy the Christmas light switch-on in town (we live in a rural market town with a strong community feel so this is always a lovely evening).

 

Decorating the house together as a family is always a great fun tradition. 
Decorating the house together as a family is always a great fun tradition.

The Gifts

Anyone who says Christmas is not about the gifts at all is a fibber or a scrooge! I love Christmas shopping, finding things I know will make people laugh, that they’ll appreciate or find really useful. I also enjoy the challenge of buying for the two large families (I’m one of six siblings, Roy is one of four, then there are partners and children….) without breaking the bank. I have a special notebook and tick people off as I go, using money saving coupon sites and cashback as I go. The more we save, the more we can buy while staying within budget!

The Music

I adore the music that comes at Christmas time, from the 80’s faves to the more classical tunes. One of my favourites is Oh Holy Night and never fails to put me in the mood! The boys both do a lot at school of course at Christmas and so Little Donkey and similar is played or sung throughout!

What is it that you love about Christmas? Do you have a special tradition? An outing you look forward to or are you like me, someone who thoroughly enjoys everything, from the arts and crafts with the boys to cooking, shopping, decorating and beyond?

Early Bargainous Christmas Preparation

I am a Christmas fiend and make no apologies for it. I adore this time of the year and have already started with my prep.

First up, the house. I love interiors as much as I do Christmas and so in November each year I start thinking about sorting the house out. There’s the obligatory decluttering sessions, the carpets have been cleaned downstairs (local people – look up Heaven Scent Cleaning Services, Michelle worked magic on my cream carpets and was unbelievably affordable!) and then onto revamping the lounge and dining room.

I’ve stolen this absolutely gorgeous piece from my parents and given it a little tart up. This is one of those solid pieces that you loved as a child and cherish when older. The photographs don’t do it justice so I’ll take some more pictures in December when it’s all covered with Christmas decs.

 

Next up, my bargain of the year (which again will be re-snapped when dressed properly), a new, solid and rather gorgeous extending dining table. An Ebay find from a local seller which was a steal, even including hiring a van man to fetch it for me.

New Table

Of course I needed new Christmas tins. No Christmas is complete without Christmas tins crammed full of fabulous goodies and these beauties were just 3.99 from my favourite supermarket, Lidl. Lovely aren’t they?

 

LidlTins

And the first new additions to our Christmas decorations (although I suspect these will stay out all year). A real steal these lovely owls from Ribbons and Bows look just fabulous.

New friends

I have Taylor’s birthday on Sunday and Roy’s next week so the “proper” Christmas prep will start in earnest after then. I’ve ticked a fair few bits off the list this week though and just can’t wait to pull it all together with my Christmas decorations and favourite pieces.

None of this cost very much in the grand scheme of things and will all add to our wonderful family home at Christmas time.
How are your Christmas preparations coming along?

 

If like me you love all things festive head over to Festive Friday, a wonderful collection of posts from fellow Christmas friends, led by the ever inspiring (and quite lovely)  Chris Mosler.

Festive Friday at Thinly Spread