Monday 22 December 2014

Three More Sleeps To Christmas


Christmas is almost here, and I'm super excited. It's that time of year where I get to act like a big kid, eat too much, and feel all warm and fuzzy curled up on the couch watching TV.

I thought I'd share with you a few things that I enjoy about Christmas and what I'm up to this year.


I love my tree. I've decorated in red and gold for years.
Maybe I'll change it one year. Maybe.
1. Decorations - I love to get my baubles out :) It's become a rule that on the first weekend in December hubby gets himself up in the roof and finds out the Christmas decorations. He kind of shuns all responsibility after that and it's over to me to throw tinsel over everything, decorate the tree, hang up the fairy light, and line up the cuddly toys. Hubby really loves the ones that dance and sing. No, he doesn't. And what has been somewhat of a tradition, every year in the sales, I buy a new tree decoration for the following year. Luckily, there's still plenty of branches on the tree just yet :)
Fairy lights around my fireplace.
Just a few of my cuddly toys.
I think it's an addiction.

2. Wrapping presents - the last few days my living room has looked like an elf threw up everywhere. There was wrapping paper, bows and gift bags all over the place, and it was again time for the great Christmas Sellotape hunt. Seriously, where does that stuff go? I love buying gifts and wrapping them up, taping up every opening, and adding ribbons, bows and tags. It really does make me feel ready for Christmas.


3. Christmas dinner - sure there are Sunday roasts, but Christmas dinner is always that little bit more special. Time to break out the pigs in blankets, get some fizzy wine, and pull a cracker. Since our siblings started reproducing, my husband and I have started alternating where we spend Christmas. This year we're staying home for what will be the second time so we can visit my family later on the day. I'm looking forward to cooking us something lovely again for lunch.
My first go at cooking Christmas dinner (2012).
It went down well.
Pudding drowned in cream.
Sticky toffee as hubby hates raisins and sultanas.
4. Christmas tunes - it's weird that there hasn't really been a proper Christmassy Christmas song released in quite some time. The last significant one I remember was Coldplay's Christmas Lights in 2010 and before that, The Darkness's Christmas Time in 2003! My all time favourite is Jona Lewie's Stop the Cavalry, with 2nd place going to Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses, and 3rd Stay Another Day by East17 :)

5. Christmas movies - there are some movies that are a must for this time of year. There's something for everyone - kids and adults. Some are classics in all their Christmassy glory, and others are great films set at Christmas time. Some of the kid-in-me's favourites include The Santa Clause, Santa Claus The Movie, Home Alone, Arthur Christmas, and Scrooged. And for the action/horror obsessed part of me Die Hard and Die Hard 2, Gremlins, Rare Exports, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Edward Scissorhands.

6. The soaps at Christmas time - I can't believe it was 1986 when Dirty Den handed Angie those divorce papers on Christmas day, the scene ending with the iconic Eastender duff-duff-duff. Soaps are generally filled with a mix of super happy and super dramatic storylines - births, weddings, murders, secrets coming out. And on my favourite soaps, Hollyoaks and Eastenders, this year seems no different.

Over on Hollyoaks we have my favourite character, John Paul McQueen marrying his boyfriend. The day starts out with both grooms missing from the stag the night before, one stuck in the middle of nowhere, the other in a prison cell after falling off the wagon despite a month in rehab. And though it's been confirmed they marry and the pics from the church look lovely, seems there's a bombshell about to drop at the reception. Is it the fact that John Paul's husband Ste has cheated with a lady mate whilst off his face and knocked her up? Likely ;)

And over on Eastenders, it's a big episodes for my new favourites, the Carter family. It's been a year since Danny Dyer joined the show as Mick Carter, the head of the family, and what a year - the youngest son came out, the eldest is back from the army and has anger issues/possibly PTSD, the daughter has epilepsy, Mick's lesbian sister was in an abusive relationship, Mick and his wife, Linda aren't actually married but shhh don't tell the kids, Mick doesn't know it yet but his sister Shirley isn't really his sister but is his mother, which means his dad is his granddad, and his other sister is his aunt, and the guy who is his dad is in prison. They recently came across their absent mother (or Mick's grandmother I guess now) who has Alzheimers, and Linda is traumatised having been raped by Shirley's son who is therefore actually Mick's brother, and Linda is pregnant but is it Mick's or his brother's? *takes a breath* Well, this'll be a fun Christmas!

7. Christmas Poinsettias - such a pretty plant. It's just so beautifully Christmassy and I love to have one in the house :) so has become one of my yearly must haves.

8. Terry's Chocolate Orange - it's not Christmas unless there's one of these waiting under the tree for me Christmas morning. Hope hubby got the memo :D


9. Snuggles and woolly jumpers - It's cold and chilly, the fire's on, the TV's on with some classic comedy Christmas special and what's better than being snuggled up on the sofa in a nice cosy jumper? Well, okay for me it'll be my hubby right there beside me and a mug of hot chocolate in my hand :)

10. The possibility of snow - I'm not sure the last time we had a proper White Christmas, it's more likely a White Valentines these days with snow usually falling in February, but I do enjoy frost and snow. Obviously, it causes chaos a lot of the time, but it looks so pretty and I am a big kid much to my husband's sighs and eye rolling in that I will drag him outside to make a snowman :) I am so channelling Ana if we get a good snowfall this year, sings "Do you wanna build a snowman?"
 

He'll give in eventually, and come and play in the snow :D

So there you go, some of my favourite bits of Christmas.

Do you have any traditions? Is there anything you look forward to every year in particular? Anything you always watch on TV? Or have to buy? Or places you go?

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Meredith xx

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