I love learning about traditions and tales through the ages. So when better a time to share some beautiful ideas from around the globe than on this Christmas Eve, especially during a year when we perhaps aren’t able to experience them first-hand. Iceland I love the idea of this. Jolabokaflod (roughly translated means “Christmas Book Flood”) is the exchanging of … Read More
Christmas Shopping In 2020 Times
Christmas shopping this year will feel different. No doubt about it. So, I am doing things a little differently too. In previous years I have crafted Christmas gift guides that almost exclusively showcase the products of small, independent businesses throughout the UK. You can find them, if that’s what you’re looking for, here and here. There are some truly brilliant … Read More
Have A Merry Mindful Christmas
Christmas always brings stresses and strains, but perhaps never more so than this year. According to the Office for National Statistics, around a whopping 70% of adults in the UK have noted that they have been worried, stressed or feeling low as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Hardly surprising when the unemployment rate is rising, businesses are struggling to … Read More
Our 2019 Calendar of Goodwill
Once again, as the end of the year and Christmas approach, as a family we have spent time thinking about our Calendar of Goodwill. As I have mentioned previously, this is something that we started when Chief was born. We became so conscious that the Christmas season can quickly become a time to expect gifts rather than focus on the … Read More
Self-care at Christmas
Christmas can be a time where the pressure piles on to feel full of seasonal happiness and goodwill whilst in reality becoming a source stress for many. It can be tough to find the perfect gift, to prepare a meal or to face the seasonal cheer when the damp and dark edges in. In our house we have always tried … Read More
Christmas on Netflix
The winter is definitely drawing in at the moment with a sudden sharp chill in the air and dull light in the afternoons. It feels like the perfect excuse for early nights snuggled up in front of the telly with a good film or programme on. It’s certainly the time of year that I confess I am grateful for a … Read More
Have Yourself An Eco-Friendly Christmas
If you’re a regular here you’ll know that I’m pretty keen on supporting the environment. This seems so much more relevant at Christmastime than any other holiday in the calendar. I suspect that many will have at least heard of the David Attenborough programme Blue Planet II, and if you’ve watched it you will have seen the shocking reality of … Read More
Calendar of Goodwill – 2018
It’s December and, once more, we have drawn up our Calendar of Goodwill. Our calendar this year is really focused on giving back to those who have helped us over the past 12 months and the local community. I was delighted that the boys have helped again by coming up with ideas, and they even mentioned it before I did … Read More
Christmas Play List
December is the month when I download a Christmas playlist or two onto my phone to play via the magic of Bluetooth wherever I am. If you read my Share the Shuffle post earlier this year you will know that I have a wide ranging taste in music, but Christmas tunes to me are almost always pop classics. A few … Read More
The Christmas Play Rehearsal
It’s December which in our house means one thing… we are counting down to Christmas! The decorations are up and we are starting to pull out Christmas films, download Christmas playlists and dig out our Christmas stories. This year we have a new one to read together – The Christmas Play Rehearsal written by Sue Wickstead. “It’s Christmas time, and … Read More