I've Been Thinking... - 25 (Festive) Facts About Me.

Hi!!!

This is one of the posts I've been most excited about writing and it turns out Blogmas Day Ten is the day. I had the idea of writing a 25 Facts About Me post but with a Christmas twist. I figure it will give you an opportunity to find out more about me and what my Christmases are like and I think it will be really fun to write.

1. My favourite flavour Quality Street (and Roses) chocolate has always been the strawberry ones.
2. My Favourite Christmas song is Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty McColl.
3. I always wear a red dress on Christmas Day.
4. I hate when people say that 2 Become 1 by The Spice Girls is a Christmas song - it is not, you cannot put it next to 'Merry Christmas Everyone' or 'Underneath the Tree' or 'White Christmas' in your playlists, it doesn't belong.
5. My favourite Christmas snack - you know, The ones you only ever have at Christmas? - is (hands down) Cheese Footballs. Nothing else compares.
6. I went carol singing every year for two or three years as a child. My primary school teachers taught us all sorts of songs and carols and then we'd go on a 'tour' of various places local to us, singing for our parents and for shoppers in Morrison's to name but a few. It was so fun and something I'm so glad I got to do.
7. I spent a lot of my childhood Christmases in Northern Ireland staying at (what has become) my favourite hotel with my parents and I have wonderful memories of it - I love big family Christmases at home but I will always have a soft spot for light lunches, bingo, swimming on Christmas Eve in the hotel spa and going on a 'sleigh' (aka horse and cart) ride on Christmas morning.
8. Our Christmas tree is topped with an angel.
9. I have made around six Christmas cakes so far in my lifetime.
10. I love a festive cheeseboard.
11. Stilton is easily my favourite thing on said festive cheeseboards.
12. If I worked in Santa's workshop, I think I'd be a gift-wrapping elf.
13. As a kid, I played a Christmas fairy, the angel Gabriel, a mouse, an angel and a shepherd in my primary schools' Christmas plays.
14. I was actually the angel Gabriel two years in a row - I was obviously brilliant in the role.
15. I don't remember ever particularly wanting to play Mary in the Nativity play - I just wanted to be in it, I didn't really mind what I was!
16. I used to watch Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse all year round when I was younger (and the same goes for the Polar Express).
17. I really love the smell of tinsel.
18. My opinion on parsnips changes every year - some years they are a highlight of my Christmas dinner, other years I can't bear the sight of them.
19. I have a pair of Christmas Eve pyjamas that are only to be worn on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (I sometimes extend it to Boxing Day but no further).
20. They are red with white polka dots - like the background of my blog.
21. My first Christmas drink at Costa is always Black Forest Hot Chocolate - I try the rest of the menu throughout December, but I always kick off with a Black Forest Hot Chocolate.
22. I would love to visit Germany at Christmas and visit as many Christmas markets as possible while there.
23. My favourite John Lewis Christmas adverts are Monty the Penguin and The Long Wait.
24. My advent calendar this year is a Snowman and Snowdog one from Thornton's - it's very swish.
25. I would absolutely love if there was snow this Christmas - all of you, cross your fingers for a White Christmas, please.

Thanks for joining me for Blogmas Day Ten.
I'd love to know a festive fact about you so feel free to leave one in the comments. Or maybe you'd rather leave another comment or suggestion for future posts? You know what to do.
See you tomorrow.

I hope your day is fabulous and festive!

GingerSnaps xxx

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do - Music - My Top Christmas Compilation Album.

Hi!!!

Welcome to Blogmas Day 2! Today I wanted to talk all things music and in particular Christmas music, now that it is finally acceptable for me to blast it at top volume throughout the house. I'm going to tell you about a wonderful Christmas compilation album that has become a staple of the festive season for me and might for you, too.

I bought this album last December because I decided the drive to visit some of my family - which takes a couple of hours - definitely required some guaranteed Christmas tunes (I always struggle to find the Christmas radio stations and then when I do I'm normally just in time for the adverts - not ideal).

Now (That's What I Call) Christmas is a three disc compilation album and I think it has everything you could want at Christmas - pop songs, nostalgic sing-a-long classics, traditional songs and carols and jazz.

I would say Disc One has more of a pop sing-a-long vibe, kicking off with Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', moving through 70s and 80s Christmas essentials from the likes of Wizzard, Slade and Jona Lewie as well as some more recent instant classics from Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis, Coldplay and more.

Disc Two is where most of those wonderful timeless jazz tracks are - think Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole singing songs like 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' and 'The Christmas Song'  - as well as some slightly more upbeat songs from the likes of Darlene Love and The Jackson 5.

I'd describe the overall feeling of CD Three as traditional and focussed on what Christmas means to people. It features a variety of traditional songs like 'Silent Night' (performed by Nat King Cole, which is, quite frankly, the stuff of dreams), 'Silver Bells' and 'In The Bleak Mid Winter'. It also features some less traditional - but just as meaningful - songs like 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)', 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' and 'The Power of Love' which are three of my favourites.

I think it is clear that the main reason I recommend 'Now (That's What I Call) Christmas' so highly - it has something for every mood, every festive occasion and for every taste. That and the fact that it is actually full of songs that you'll know - sometimes compilations end up with all sorts of odd songs on them that act like a weird sort of filler but not this one (except for maybe 'Senor Santa Claus'?).

At £11.99 for three discs and over 70 songs, I think it is an absolute bargin and the perfect album to treat yourself (and maybe your Christmas/music loving family and friends) to this Christmas.

You can buy it -here-.

Thanks for reading.

Do you have any Christmassy album reccomendations for me? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Leave a comment below to tell me.

I hope you enjoyed today's post. See you tomorrow.

I hope you have a cracker of a day!

GingerSnaps xxx