Christmas Haul

I've picked up a few Christmas goodies lately, from brooches to books, and wrapping paper to dog toys, so I thought I'd do a little haul, and show you what I've been buying.

I bought my Christmas cards from the Cornish brand Whistlefish a couple of months ago, after browsing their website to look for an art print I saw in their Padstow store on holiday. I wanted pink or pastel-coloured cards this year, and couldn't resist the two pink designs I found. I then added some other more colourful designs to my basket, too. I think they're lovely. Their cards are currently £1 each or 20 for £10, and they're 100% recyclable, with no plastic used to package them.

I always try to make the gifts I give look as pretty as possible with lovely wrapping paper and embellishments, and this year, I went with these amazing snail mail Christmas wrapping paper sheets from Gabi & Gaby. The paper is cream with a print of Christmas stamps in blue, pink, orange, and brown, and feature cute festive images like snowmen, Christmas puddings, crackers, presents, and more. They're made of 90gsm uncoated paper stock, so they're great-quality, and recyclable, too, and each sheet comes with a matching gift tag made of thick card. My gifts look so pretty wrapped in them with complimenting pink ribbons, and they're going to look so good under the Christmas tree.

I couldn't help treating myself to a few new Christmas brooches and earrings from Erstwilder's new Modern Holiday collection in November, nor could I stop myself from buying a festive dog tag to accessorise Rosie's collar for Christmas. They're all amazing, and if you want to know more, I recently reviewed them here.

Now on to Advent calendars. This year I'm counting down the days to Christmas with the Essie nail polish Advent calendar, which is filled with twenty-five mini and full sized Essie nail polishes and treatments. It has some gorgeous classic colours inside, but they've played it very safe with shades, and it could definitely do with a little more colour. It didn't arrive in time for me to photograph and review before Advent began, but I might do round-up post of what I find in it this Advent instead.

I also got a cheap and cheerful Dairy Milk chocolate Advent calendar, just because I always had one of these calendars growing up, and having one now makes me all nostalgic.

I love reading Christmas-themed stories to help get me in to the Christmas spirit that little bit more, and recently added A German Christmas: Festive Tales From Berlin to Bavaria to my collection. It's a lovely little book filled with short stories, poems, plays, and carols that were all written by writers from Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, and if you'd like to hear more, I recently reviewed it for you guys here.

Another festive book I picked up this year is Midnight in Everwood by M.Z. Kuzniar. I've not read it yet, but it's apparently loosely based on The Nutcracker. Also, its cover is stunning. I'm hoping to be able to read it and review it before Christmas is through.

Pigs in Blankets // Plush Tennis Balls // Pink Reindeer // Robbie Reindeer // Christmas Tree Treats // Christmas Cubes Gift Set // Meaty Selection Box // Snowdog // Little Petface Reindeer

And, finally, I've been having so much fun shopping for Christmas presents for my dog. She loves opening presents just like a furry toddler, so I always buy and wrap up presents for her. I've mostly bought her Cupid and Comet toys and treats, that I found reasonably priced via Hyper Drug online. I especially love the plush covered tennis balls, but the reindeer toys are pretty cute, too. The Snowdog toy was just £4 from Sainsbury's and I found the Little Petface reindeer toy on Amazon, but it's currently much cheaper elsewhere. I guarantee she'll murder all the soft toys for their squeakers within half an hour, but I'm looking forward to seeing her enjoy them on Christmas morning.

And those are the Christmas-themed things I've picked up this year.

I've definitely been tamer with my spending than other years, but I'm still surprised that I haven't bought any new Christmas decorations at all (yet) this Christmas. I usually add at least a couple to the collection each year- though, I guess, there's still time. Watch this space!

What festive things have you been buying lately?

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A German Christmas Festive Tales From Berlin to Bavaria Book Review

 I love reading festive stories each December to help get me in to the Christmas spirit, and when I was hunting for some new titles to read this year, something new caught my eye.

I'd stumbled upon a beautiful little book filled with German Christmas stories called A German Christmas: Festive Tales from Berlin to Bavaria, and it sounded like the perfect cosy Christmas read, so I had to get myself a copy.

A German Christmas is a lovely little collection of festive stories and carols written by German, Swiss, and Austrian writers, and translated for English readers. Spanning 224 pages, there are twenty works to enjoy as you count down the days to Christmas, from the classic children's story, The Elves and the Shoemaker by The Brothers Grimm (one of my childhood favourites), to the poem, Advent by Rainer Maria Rilke, and the play, Christmas Shopping by Arthur Schnitzler, to the beloved Christmas carol, O Tannenbaum by Ernst Anschutz. 

Here's a complete list of the works included in the book, in the order they're printed:

♥ The Elves and the Shoemaker by The Brothers Grimm.

♥ Berlin at Christmastide by Heinrich Heine.

♥ Nutcracker and the King of Mice by E.T.A. Hoffmann

♥ Advent by Rainer Maria Rilke.

♥ Interview with Santa Claus by Erich Kastner.

♥ The Separation by Ilse Frapan.

♥ The Christmas Box by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

♥ In the Outer Suburbs by Peter Stamm.

♥ Christmas Eve by Peter Rosegger.

♥ The Loan by Wolfdietrich Schnurre.

♥ Christmas by Kurt Tucholsky.

♥ Christmas with the Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann.

♥ Christmas Shopping by Arthur Schnitzler.

♥ Christmas Not Just Once a Year by Heinrich Boll.

♥ On Christmas Eve by Helene Stokl.

♥ Christmas in Cochinchina by Joseph Roth.

♥ Martin's Christmas Wish by Erich Kastner.

♥ Every Year Once Again- the Client Gift by Martin Suter.

♥ After Christmas by Hermann Hesse.

♥ O Tannenbaum by Ernst Anschutz.

It's a beautifully curated collection of classic stories with something for every mood and stage of the Christmas season, and tales suitable for all ages. I haven't read many books by German, Austrian or Swiss authors in my life and knew the work of very few of these authors before reading this book, so I've been enjoying branching out a little, and sampling stories from other parts of the world. I've been reading a story or two a night, and I love how the book is helping to immerse me in the Christmas spirit, and showing me how the holiday has been celebrated in other countries over the years. It's exactly what I hoped to gain from this book.

The book itself is a gorgeous evergreen hardback with festive red end papers, and it's a little smaller than the average paperback in size. The dust-jacket is the same shade of green, and is beautifully designed with Germanic black and white houses along the bottom, and classic Christmas images like Christmas trees, candles, Nutcracker soldiers, Krampus, and German treats decorating the space above it. The fonts used for the title are tasteful, and on the back there's a quote from one of the stories in festive gold foil.

It isn't an illustrated collection, but each piece has a small image from the cover design included beneath its title in black and white, which is a sweet touch. The paper is reasonable quality, and the font used is average-sized, which helps make it easy to read.

Overall, I think A German Christmas: Festive Tales From Berlin to Bavaria is a fantastic book, and I'm glad I gave it a chance. If you enjoy the classics and are looking to read something festive but a little bit different this Christmas, I couldn't recommend it to you more.

I'm now tempted to try a similar collection of festive fables from Scandinavian writers called A Scandinavian Christmas: Festive Tales for a Nordic Noel. I have far too many books on my TBR pile waiting to be read to justify a pre-Christmas purchase, but I may have to pick up a copy for next year.

Have you read A German Christmas? What are your favourite festive books?

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The Festive Christmas Book Tag

I found this fun bookish Christmas tag post a couple of years ago, and it's been sat in my drafts ever since, so I think it's time I gave it a go. There are eight festive book-related questions, and it was originally created by the Booktuber GirlReading. 

1. A fictional family you would like to spend Christmas dinner with.

I think it would be so much fun to spend Christmas with the Weasely family at The Burrow, although, Christmas with the March family at Orchard House would be lovely, too.

2. A bookish item you would like to receive as a gift

Sprayed-edged books, bookmarks inspired by my favourite books, or custom Funko Pops of Jacks the Prince of Hearts or Nikolai Lantsov would go down very well with me. Or, y'know, just a big stack of new books.

3. A fictional character you think would make a perfect Christmas elf.

Trying to avoid saying the obvious one- 'Dobby', I think Nikolai Lantsov from the Shadow and Bone / King of Scars books would make an excellent Christmas elf. He loves to invent and build things, the demon inside him could help keep kids in line around Santa, and let's face it, he'd look adorable adjusting his lapels in an elf suit. 

4. Match a book to its perfect Christmas song

I think Every Christmas Eve from the Santa Claus the Movie soundtrack would go perfectly with the first Christmas Eve scene in Little Women, when Marmee and the girls all settle around the fire to read the letter from Mr March, and are trying not to be sad that they're poor and not together.

5. Bah humbug! A book or fictional character you've been disappointed in and should be put on the naughty list.

Apollo from The Ballad of Never After. Considering what he did at the end of the book, he deserves to be be pelted with coal, and force-fed Brussels sprouts until the end of time. As should Stratt from Project Hail Mary for what she did to Ryland Grace. 

6. A book or fictional character you think deserves more love and appreciation and deserves to be put on the nice list.

Jacks the Prince of Hearts from the Caraval and Once upon a Broken Hearts books. Yes, he can kill people with his kiss, and manipulates people to get what he wants, but underneath, he's got a gentle side, and doesn't hesitate to put himself in danger to save people he cares about. The poor guy has been through so much, and just wants to be loved, but he can't have it because his (supposed) one-true-love- the only girl he can't kill with his kiss- chose another, and his kiss will kill the girl he actually loves. (He definitely loves her, don't try to convince me otherwise). And after what happened at the end of The Ballad of Never After, I think he could do with a hug, and some presents. Maybe a gift card for some therapy, or a cure for his curses so he can go get his girl?

7. Red, gold, and green. A book cover that has a wonderfully Christmassy feel to it.

I have a beautiful soft-green hardback of The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (this one), and it looks so wintry and festive.

8. A book or series you loved so much, you want everyone to find under their Christmas tree this year so they can read it, and love it, too?

I've read so many great books this year, so this is a tough one. I can't pick just one.

For people who love a good fantasy series, I'd tell Santa to bring them the Shadow and Bone / Six of Crows / King of Scars books by Leigh Bardugo, which are all fantastic fantasy trilogies or duologies set in the same magical world. I loved them all so much, that I devoured all seven books in under two months, and became completely obsessed- especially with Nikolai, who is one of the best book characters ever. There's now a graphic novel prequel called The Demon in the Wood, and the two companion books are worth reading, as well.

For those who prefer stand-alone books, I'd gift Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, or The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber. They're easily four of my favourite reads of 2022, and you need to read them.

And that's The Festive Christmas Book Tag.

Feel free to have a go at the tag on your own blog. If you do, remember to send me the link to your post so I can read your answers!

Which book(s) do you love so much you'd gift it to everyone this Christmas?

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Erstwilder Modern Holiday Christmas Jewellery

As an Erstwilder fan and self-confessed Christmas enthusiast, I look forward to Erstwilder's Christmas jewellery collections every year.

This year's range launched a few weeks ago, and I was so excited to discover that Erstwilder had gone with a mid-century-modern theme for Christmas 2022. I love the style of the era so much, and it's inspired some beautiful pieces that put last year's collection to shame (sorry, Pete Cromer). It's a big collection, too; made up of brooches, necklaces, earrings, scarves, enamel pins, and even tree ornaments, with festive designs like Christmas trees, Nutcrackers, angels, snowglobes, and even menorah and dreidel brooches for Hanukkah. It's all so festive, and I think the only way I could love the Modern Holiday collection more is if it were pastel-coloured instead of made of bold blues and jewel tones- but that's just me. I wish everything could be pastel-coloured.

I bought a few of the brooches, along with a matching pair of earrings, and something a little bit different from an older collection, so let's get a closer look at what I got.

Shall we start with one of the most unique brooches in the collection, and a classic Christmas carol? 

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... a partridge in a pear... brooch. Except, I bought it in November, and gave it to myself because I'm bereft one true love. Oh well, at least a single girl can gift brooches to herself whether or not she finds love. It's a good thing, too, as I instantly fell in love with it the moment I saw it in the live reveal, and just had to have it.

The True Love's Gift brooch is so eye-catching and unique, and it makes a refreshing change to all the usual snowmen, reindeer, and gingerbread men designs that Christmas jewellery collections are usually saturated with. I've never seen another piece of jewellery quite like it. It features a colourful little partridge layered over a pear, and it's fabulous. The pear is made from a pretty yellow-green ripple resin, and topped with teal and seaglass coloured leaves, and the bird is made from a mixture of glitter, ripple, and plain resins in different shades of blue, silver, amber, and the most amazing glittery magenta. It's so sparkly- perfect for party season! I particularly love its scalloped feathers, and the way the layering of the resin gives it depth. It's a little masterpiece. It seems to be sold out everywhere in the UK now, but it's still available direct from Erstwilder in Australia.

The next piece I chose is something a little more traditional- the Bright Spirits brooch. It wouldn't be Christmas without lighting some candles on dark December nights to make the house feel cosy, but if you don't like playing with fire, this beautiful candle brooch is definitely a safer alternative. Bright Spirits is a set of three church candles of different heights grouped together behind a wreath of holly. The larger two candles are made from crimson and raspberry pink ripple resins, and the smaller is a glittery royal blue. Each one is topped with silvery-white ripple resin dripping wax, and have flames of pale yellow and sparkling blood orange. Beneath the candles, are holly leaves of azure and pale seaglass, with beautiful crimson berries, all made from the most mesmerising ripple resins. It's a stunning brooch, and the depth created by the way the holly has been layered is amazing. 

My favourite of the three brooches I purchased has got to be the snowman brooch, Stay Frosty, Snowman. Just look how cute this little guy is! I tried to stop myself from buying him as I already have an Erstwilder snowman brooch in my collection, but I couldn't resist him in all his sweet, glittery glory. Stay Frosty is a silvery-white, two-tier, ripple resin snowman edged with a trim of mint and hot pink circles, and capped with the coolest glittery pink bobble hat. Like all the best snowmen, he's mismatched his accessories with a sparkly royal blue scarf patterned with pink, blue and white shapes, and his sparkly carrot nose and rosy cheeks complete his festive ensemble perfectly. I love him, and I have a feeling I'll be wearing him a lot this December.

After buying the brooches, I realised I didn't really have any earrings that would pair nicely with them, so I treated myself to a pair of the pink-glitter Christmas tree stud earrings from the inexpensive Essentials collection. They're a simple pair of triangular Christmas tree studs made from the most incredible glittery magenta resin, and they go perfectly with the snowman and partridge brooches, as well as many other pieces in the Modern Holiday collection. They're so fun and sparkly, and a bargain at around £5.50-6.00, depending on the stockist. If you prefer something a little more traditional, these earrings also come in green, and there are drop earrings in both colours, and other designs to choose from, too. 

The final festive thing I have to show you is something a little bit different. It's not for us humans, but for the four-legged fur-babies in our lives- The Bite Before Christmas Pet Charm! I'd had my eye on Erstwilder's pet tags for my dog, Rosie, since they were released last Christmas, but couldn't justify the price at the time. I recently saw that some of them had gone on sale through the stockist Lottie & Lu, from £16.95 to just £8, so I knew I had to get her one, and snapped one up while I was buying the earrings. I'm so glad I did because it's gorgeous, and Rosie looks so cute wearing it on her collar. The gingerbread design is based on an old Erstwilder Christmas brooch, and it's beautifully coloured in festive red and green which stands out perfectly against her black and white fur. It's made from thick, good-quality, golden enamel with a spiral keyring for attaching to your pet's collar- or your keys, if you don't have a pet- and it's feels strong and well-made, so it shouldn't break from every day wear and tear. There's plenty of room on the back for engraving, too, although, I've yet to get Rosie's done. There are lots of other festive and non-festive pet tags still available from Erstwilder and Lottie & Lu, and they'd make lovely little Christmas presents for your cat or dog, and for friends who love their fur-babies.

There are still lots of designs from the Modern Holiday collection available to buy from Erstwilder and their stockists, so it's not too late to treat yourself to a little something. It's only fair to match each present you buy with one for yourself, right?

Have you bought anything from the Modern Holiday collection? Which piece is your favourite?

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50 Things I Want To Do This Christmas

It's the first of December, so that means the countdown to Christmas is officially on, and things are going to turn festive here for the next few weeks. 

I'm going to kick off the yuletide fun with a list of festive goals I've set myself for the month. 50 of them, to be exact. There are so many things I need and want to do before Christmas arrives, from decorating my home for Christmas to wrapping presents, and going to a Christmas market to making Christmas cookies, so if you're looking for some ideas for what to do this Christmas, you should find plenty of ideas here.

Here's 50 things I want to do this Christmas:

1. Buy a little Christmas tree for my bedroom.

2. Put up decorations in my bedroom.

3. Decorate my home for Christmas

4. Finish my Christmas shopping. (I still have quite a few gifts to buy, but I'm getting there).

5. Finish wrapping Christmas presents. (I began wrapping presents in November to take some of the pressure off this month, so I've actually got most of them wrapped already. Go me)!

6. Write this year's Christmas cards, and get them sent early.

7. Complete the Christmas cross stitch projects I'm working on. (I'm currently stitching these Christmas baubles from Satsuma Street, but on white aida).

8. Finally make the DIY snowglobe I was given that's been waiting to be made for about seven years... (I must get around to it this year).

9. Read The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories.

10. Read A German Christmas: Festive Tales from Berlin to Bavaria.

11. Read Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar. (Apparently, it's loosely based on The Nutcracker).

12. Reread Little Women.

13. Have at least one Christmas movie marathon. (Who am I kidding? I'll have lots of them)!

14. Watch at least one Christmas film I've never seen before.

15. Make a new Christmas playlist and listen to lots of Christmas tunes.

16. Play board-games with my family on Christmas Day.

17. Go to my town's Christmas lights switch-on. (I haven't made it in years).

18. Visit Bourton-on-the-Water's Christmas lights switch-on- or if I miss it, visit the town one evening to see the lights and do some Christmas shopping.

19. Take a trip to the Appleton Christmas Barn. (It's a little Christmas tree farm near Abingdon in Oxfordshire with a barn converted in to a Christmas shop and some reindeer to see. They always have the loveliest decorations, so my sister and I go every year).

20. Go to the Warner Bros. Harry Potter studio tour for Hogwarts in the Snow. (I've wanted to go for years, but still haven't made it).

21. Visit Longleat Safari Park for The Festival of Light Christmas light trail. (Apparently, this year it's Roald Dahl themed).

22. Go to a Christmas market. (I'm not sure I've even ever been to one).

23. Browse the Christmas department at a local garden centre or department store.

24. Go Christmas shopping in person to soak up the festive atmosphere.

25. Go out for hot chocolate. (Preferably at Hotel Chocolat because yum).

26. Go out for a festive meal.

27. Go book shopping and chose at least one new book to read over Christmas. (I'd love to make this one a new tradition).

28. Take a drive to spot Christmas lights.

29. Buy at least one new Christmas decoration.

30. Bake and decorate Christmas cookies.

31. Bake and ice Christmas cupcakes.

32. Make a yule log.

33. Put together a sweet festive charcuterie board for our Christmas Eve buffet.

34. Make my Blackberry and Apple trifle on Christmas Eve.

35. Buy a box of Christmas doughnuts for the family to enjoy.

36. Try a mince pie. (I haven't eaten one since I was little, when I didn't like them, and I'm curious as to whether I might like them now).

37. Craft some homemade Christmas crackers for our Christmas meal.

38. Put together festive table favours for Christmas dinner. (I might make it simple and just buy everyone a Chocolate Santa this year).

39. Dig out the paints and destress with a Christmas colouring book.

40. Make a Christmas pom pom wreath in the shape of a star. (I've had the wreath frame for a few years, and still haven't got around to making it).

41. Take photos of my dog dressed up for Christmas. (Because she will get dressed up for Christmas)!

42. Enjoy the festivities on Animal Crossing, and make my island look super festive.

43. Put together a Christmas Eve box to enjoy as we wind-down for Christmas.

44. Add lots of Christmas photos to Instagram to make my grid and Stories look festive.

45. Blog Christmas content as often as I can.

46. Treat myself to a new dress to wear on Christmas Day.

47. Buy a new pair of Christmas pyjamas to wear on Christmas morning.

48. Open presents with my dog. (Rosie loves opening presents, and gets so excited on Christmas morning. It's really cute)!

49. Donate to a foodbank. (Christmas is going to be tough for a lot of people this year, thanks to the Cost of Living crisis, so it's more important to donate than ever. I don't have much to spare myself, but I hope next time I'm at the supermarket I can donate a little for those who have it worse).

50. Put together a shoe-box parcel for a homeless person. (I can't imagine how hard it must be living out on the cold streets, especially while everyone around you is going home to a safe, warm house laden with shopping bags filled with presents and indulgent food, completely oblivious. I can't help thinking about it, and if I can make someone's Christmas a little brighter by gifting a parcel full of treats and essentials, why wouldn't I)?

I'm definitely being a little too ambitious with my to-do-list this month, and it's unlikely I'll achieve everything on the list, but I'm going to have fun trying to cross off as many of them as I can. Wish me luck!

What festive activities are you most looking forward to doing this Christmas?

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