On Christmas
I have many thoughts
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, however you prefer to spend it: either quietly in your pyjamas with a good book and a Chocolate Orange (tempting, see below), or with a raucous bunch playing games and making merry. I love Christmas. Adore it. I love all the planning and the buying little treats and wrapping presents (all done with brown paper which will go on the compost ha), I like the smells (gingerbread, cinnamon, orange - NOT gammon - see also below), the traditions (Boxing Day leftovers pie in our house is always a thing), Christmas songs, and decorating the cottage with twinkly lights, ribbons, holly, ivy and dried orange slices. I love planning our meals and the baking and cooking and maybe even partaking in a little game, HOWEVER I am an introvert so I like to do Christmas completely at home with maybe a trip to the pub, and lots of reading by the fire.
Somehow I have managed to bring up two adorable, funny, gorgeous, (grown up) children but they are huge and gregarious and have enormous feet and insist on having both the telly and the Big Light on at all times. They also love each other - which makes my heart sing - and stayed up until 5am drinking and chatting on Christmas Eve, which meant both were so broken on Christmas day that one had to retreat back to bed when a fried breakfast placed in front of him tipped him over the edge. Our elderly whippet also enjoys having her favourite people here and going to the pub (as long as she’s wrapped in someone’s coat) but may also be introverted as she had a protest wee on the floor on the 27th. Maybe everything got too much.
We had a huge mac and cheese (does nobody call it ‘macaroni cheese’ any more?) with marmalade baked ham on Christmas Eve, which was yum and probably a new Christmas tradition. I normally can’t stand ham or pork (it goes back to a childhood of having an uncle that was a butcher, I’ll elaborate one day), but I don’t mind my own once I’ve got over the smell of it cooking and as long as there’s NO FLAB ON IT WHATSOEVER.
On Christmas Day we got out for a chilly walk (I love looking in the windows and seeing families sat around the table with their silly hats on) and then had a non-trad dinner of slow-cooked beef and red wine stew with local, ethically sourced, sustainable beef (I’m a guilt-ridden former vegetarian, can you tell?) from our fab local butcher, with herby suet pudding, thyme and honey roast carrots, sprouts with chestnuts and delicious roast potatoes. A feast. My big brother came to visit, and before we knew it, we were opening presents at 5pm - I got the perfect array of gifts: skincare, perfume, lovely books and a voucher for some pampering from my Mum.
Boxing Day was pie (usually made from leftover turkey but this year with chicken, chestnuts, ham etc) and a silly dice game called Farkle that my sons taught us , and I’ve realised now I basically took no photos at all. The sign of a lovely relaxing time, I think. I’m now completely over-peopled and back at work, but have taken a few days off over the New Year, which we intend to spend quietly: reading, sipping something delicious, and scoffing all the leftover chocolate. I’ll be journalling and mulling over thoughts, hopes and dreams for 2026 too, something I really love doing.
I find it forever fascinating that after 20 odd years writing, blogging and Instagramming for work, I now do it for fun (well, mostly minus the Instagram - it’s got a bit performative). If you want some cosy reading for this time of year, I loved the following from my favourite writers:
I nodded along with all of this by Eleanor:
Gorgeous Amber. We went on a cruise together once and she’s definitely just as lovely as her writing:
Lovely Louise:
And, as always, wonderful India:
Lovely glimpses into your Christmas, and gorgeous photos 😍✨
Thank you for including me in this illustrious company, Becky! I was reading, thinking how lovely all of that sounded, and then saw my name - I'm honoured. And it did all sound lovely, and also looks lovely.