I've been so busy preparing for Christmas over the last couple of weeks, and feel like I've done more this December than the rest of the year combined. It seems like the perfect time to sit down, and have a catch up about what I've been doing and enjoying so far this festive season, so that is what I'm here to do.
Reading
I haven't found a lot of time to read so far this month, but I started reading my beautiful Puffin Classics copy of A Christmas Carol a few days ago because it has to be reread at Christmas time. I've only read a couple of chapters so far, but it's making me feel really festive. I'm also reading a psychological thriller called The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen, but there's nothing festive about that.
Watching
As it's Christmas time, I've been watching lots of Christmas movies and TV specials when I've not been blogging or sleeping. So far this month, I've watched Santa Claus the Movie, The Muppets Christmas Carol, The Family Stone, Christmas With the Kranks, The Holiday, Home Alone 1 and 2, Little Women (1994), While You Were Sleeping, Meet Me in St. Louis, and so much more. I've also been enjoying old reruns of Kirstie's Handmade Christmas on weekday evenings while I've been crafting, and have loved rewatching old favourites like The Gavin and Stacey, and The Vicar of Dibley Christmas specials. Christmas entertainment is the best!
Listening
I've naturally been playing lots of Christmas songs to soundtrack a lot of my festive activities. I've been listening to all the usual classics from artists like Wham, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Slade, John Lennon, etc. that I grew up listening to each Christmas in the eighties and nineties. They make me feel the most festive. I've also been playing Ronan Keating's Winter Songs Christmas album on repeat, as it's one of my favourite Christmas albums, and I've been tuning in to Magic Radio when I wake up because they're playing nothing but Christmas songs right now. I love a good Christmas song!
Playing
When I've had a spare second to relax, I've been logging on to Animal Crossing and enjoying the festivities on my island. I've been trying to make my island look all Christmassy with Christmas decorations, winter paths, a Christmas lights walk, and a Christmas room in one of my houses, and I really want to add a Christmas market, Christmas tree farm, and an ice rink somehow. I'm also loving the snow, and running around catching snowflakes, building snowmen, and hunting for new festive recipes to decorate my island with. I think this is my favourite season so far! The image shows the Christmas lights walk I recently made at my island entrance, except I've since changed the path to a white winter one to match the snow.
Stitching
I've been trying to cross stitch for at least an hour in the evenings this December- although, I've been hindered by an arthritis flare these last few days, which has made it too painful to use my hands to sew, so I've ground to a halt again. I had been making progress on the Satsuma Street Christmas wall hanging I began last Christmas, and am currently on the last section of the picture, which is an aquamarine-green bell. Once that panel is finished, I just need to go back and sew the snowflakes and lines through the bunting, which I've left until last as I can't decide which colour to stitch them in. They should be white, but I decided to sew the picture on white aida instead of natural as suggested, so I need to choose another colour so they'll show up. It's unlikely that I'm going to finish the picture before Christmas now, but I'll try to blog some photos of what I've done so far before the 25th- providing I find a spare second to take the photos.
Wrapping
I began wrapping presents in November, and have had a few present wrapping sessions so far this month. I've wrapped most of the presents I have so far, but still have a handful more to do, which I'm hoping to finish this week. I'm using the cutest pink wrapping paper for most of the presents this year, which I've been finishing with mint green or pink ribbons and mini baubles. I think they look so lovely under my tree, and I can't wait to give them to my family on Christmas Day. I wrapped the men's presents in cream retro Santa wrapping paper with red ribbons and baubles, since I didn't think they'd appreciate pastel pink presents, and have even wrapped the dogs' presents in festive dog print paper! Yes, I'm crazy! Haha!
Writing
I finally finished writing my Christmas cards over the weekend, and used Forever Friends and Paperchase charity cards. I didn't have loads to write, but it was slow-going and took me three sitting this month because of arthritis flaring in my fingers. Why must it always flare at the most inconvenient times?? I might just hire a PA to write them for me next Christmas! I'm just glad it's crossed off the to-do list for another year.
Decorating
I finally started decorating my bedroom for Christmas last week. I usually start on the 1st, but had a nightmare trying to find a small fresh Christmas tree for my room this year (I'm assuming there's a shortage because of Covid). We finally tracked one down on the 8th, and I began decorating it the next day, but it's been slow going this year because I'm flaring. It took me a few days to decorate the tree, but I haven't quite finished putting the rest of my decorations up yet as I'm having to do a little at a time. My tree looks okay, though. It's adorned with colourful vintage-style decorations, and white fairy lights, and it looks super festive. We still have downstairs to decorate, although my Mum has put a few decorations up already. I think we're going to be decorating the tree in the living room in a day or two.
This is a photo of the tree in my room so far, but I have a lot more presents and decorations to add until it's finished. I'll do my best to blog a little bedroom Christmas decorations tour in the next week or so.
Visiting
On Friday, I took a drive over to the Appleton Christmas Barn with my sister. It's basically a Christmas tree farm in Appleton near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, with a barn converted in to a Christmas shop, and a couple of reindeer to see, too (for free). We of course had to go see them on our way in to the shop. They were so beautiful, and it was lovely to see them eating and resting close up. We then headed in to the Christmas shop to browse their decorations, which thankfully wasn't too busy at all. They always have the most beautiful selection to choose from, and I came away with four pretty Gisela Graham dimple baubles. The larger two peacock-coloured ones weren't cheap at £7.50 each, but they're so gorgeous I just couldn't resist them. I would've bought a couple more if I hadn't had presents to buy. I'm really pleased to have found the smaller ones, too, as I bought a couple from a garden centre last year, and one fell off my tree and broke last Christmas. I was gutted as I love these vintage-style decorations, so I'm happy to have a couple more again. I just need to hunt down a blue one to replace the one that broke. It was only a quick trip out, but it was lovely to get out to do something festive just the same.
Instagramming
I've been working hard to fill my Instagram grid with festive photos I can look back on, and have so far managed to post every day this month. I've been sharing a peek at the nail polishes I've been getting in my OPI Advent calendar every day, and also posting at least one other festive photo a day. Considering my photos have been very few and far between all year, I'm really happy I've managed to stick to my goal and share so many photos. I love how festive my grid is currently looking.
Buying
Like everyone else, I've been busy Christmas shopping, and haven't really treated myself to anything new lately, except the odd bar of chocolate. I think I've finally finished my Christmas shopping now, after picking up the last few gifts I needed on the weekend. I'm sure I'll remember something I've forgotten, but right now, I feel relieved to have finished it, and finally feel like I'm getting organised.
Eating
Virtually everything in the kitchen is reserved for Christmas, so I haven't been eating anything exciting lately. I think I'm going to treat my family and I to a box of Christmas Krispy Kreme doughnuts to enjoy in the interim.
Loving
having Christmas decorations up in the house again, and seeing all the Christmas lights on the houses in my home town. It seems like everyone has decorated their homes more than ever before as there are soooo many with lights in my neighbourhood this year, and it's lovely. There's nothing like Christmas decorations to help brighten up the dark winter nights, and miserable Covid life. I love it! Maybe we should just keep the Christmas lights up until the pandemic is over??
Hating
that we've not been able to do some of the fun Christmas things we normally do like Christmas lights switch ons and family Christmas parties, and that we've had to cancel some of the Christmas activities we had planned because our area went up a tier to tier two after lockdown. It's not the end of the world in the scheme of things, but it's a shame more things I was looking forward to have had to go out the window. At least I'm used to disappointment, and there's always next year! I know I'm lucky because the festive season hasn't been that different for me so far at all.
Needing
A spare second to myself to relax! I feel like I haven't stopped all month, and I'm close to burning out.
Wanting
A hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat. They're amazing, but I haven't had one since last Christmas.
Wishing
Preparing for Christmas wasn't so stressful, and that Christmas stress didn't cause my Arthritis and Fibromyalgia to flare so badly. It's exhausting.
Looking
forward to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day now that we're getting so close to the big day. The atmosphere over those two days is the best, and I can't wait to spend a few days with my family, relaxing, watching Christmas movies, eating some delicious food, and just generally having a laugh. We all deserve a good Christmas after the year we've all had.
Well, that's my December so far... What have you been doing to prepare for Christmas?
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