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

I've Been Thinking... - Decorating the Christmas Tree! (Photo Diary)

Hi!!!

Welcome back! Today is Blogmas Day 4 and I wanted to share some photos from my weekend. We decorated the Christmas tree on Saturday and I thought it would be nice to tell you what the day we decorate for the holidays is like and what our tree looks like (spoiler alert: it's absolutely magical). I love decorating the tree and I think it's something most of us can agree is a fun tradition and something we look forward to so I hope you enjoy this post.

We have an artificial Christmas tree. I know this outrages some people, but I've spent all of my Christmases round an artificial Christmas tree and I personally love it - if nothing else because I don't end up accidentally standing on pine needles while walking round barefoot and howling with pain (it's right up there with standing on Lego, isn't it?). Our tree is quite a big tree and I wouldn't have it any other way - Christmas isn't the time for half measures, in my opinion.

 

I put the lights on the tree this year, took them all off because I'd missed a few branches, put them all back on, and then had to sit down for a bit before I untangled the second set and put those on the tree because, as it turns out, putting up Christmas lights is a pretty taxing job.

 

We put quite a lot of lights on our Christmas tree, but we also put a lot of decorations on it, so it's necessary for you to actually see them.

 

I would describe myself as the Chief Decorator but I don't decorate all by myself because I love gathering round the tree and making memories with my family.

 

I dig out a Christmas CD (find my recommendation here) or put on a Christmas music channel on TV (I'd recommend Heart's TV channel for the best Christmas songs), we sing along and drink as many cups of tea as is humanly possible and end up covered in glitter. It is definitely one of my favourite parts of Christmas.

 

 

We're not minimalists when it comes to decorating the tree, and we don't have a theme for our decorations, but I can't imagine the Christmas tree looking any other way. We squeeze as many baubles as we possibly can onto the branches and I think it leaves us with a beautiful display, especially because there are so many different decorations from different times and different Christmases and different locations around the world and so it is brimming with all the sentimentality of a Christmas movie.

Thanks for joining me for Blogmas Day Four, I hope you enjoyed seeing some photos of our decorating process (which sounds very official, doesn't it?) and of our lovely Christmas tree.

How do you decorate for the festive season? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

See you tomorrow!

Have a spectacular day!

GingerSnaps xxx

 

Are You Hanging Up Your Stocking On The Wall? - Christmas Traditions.

Hi!!!

Today, I wanted to talk to you about the traditions that I have at Christmas time, personally and within my family. I'll tell you about Christmas Eve and Day and Boxing Day later on. I was going to add pictures, but can't be bothered right now, to be honest. To stay fair to you lovely lot, however, if you want, I'll do a post dedicated to pictures and link back to this.

Advent Calendars.

Every year, I have an advent calendar. This year I have 2. I have a normal, Me To You cardboard "box" type one, with all the little jumbled up doors you have to find. I also, however, have a 3D cardboard reindeer from Marks and Spencer. You hang bags filled with chocolates from his antlers. They are both very sweet, and I love them. Plus, it's double the amounts of chocolate for me!

The Christmas Cake of Destiny!

 

I make the family Christmas cake. I've done it for about 3 or 4 years now and I really enjoy getting stuck in and making a cake for everyone to enjoy. This year, I've used a different recipe than in previous year, but I think it has gone well. If this is the case, and it better be, then I'll share the recipe with you next year. Not everyone is a fan of Christmas Cake, but if you aren't, I still think it's nice to contribute to the festive feasting.

  

Christmas Shopping with All the Trimmings.

 

  I do my Christmas shopping in, what I call, sweeps. It usually takes me 2 or 3 trips, but I did mine in one day, and picked up some extras along the way.

Whenever I go Christmas shopping, I stop for lunch. I sometimes go to Pret... I love Pret... At Christmas time they have sandwiches which donate 5p to the homeless on purchase. I think that's great because I can have my lunch, and help someone at the same time. During the festive period, I always go and grab a festive Costa. The cups are really cute this year. My favourites are the White Chocolate Hot Chocolate, the Black Forest Hot Chocolate, and I also like the Spiced Apple Punch type thing. Snazzy.

 Christmas Decorations.

The decorations are one of my favourite bits of Christmas. We have a big Christmas tree in the window of the living room. It is a fake tree, but I think it has character, and isn't sparse or anything like that. We decorate it with 3 boxes of decorations, and I love the way it looks when its all finished. Its very lovely. We have garlands on the mirror, and I have a little Christmas tree in my bedroom. It's very pale pink, and very fluffy - it's made of feathers. My Dad got it for me for Christmas when I was very small, and I love it. Over the years, the original decorations got lost and this year I bought a load of new ones from John Lewis, and some from some Christmas markets. I like it a lot.

Festive Trip to London.

Every year, me and my Mom go to London to see the Christmas lights, do some shopping and spend some time in one of my favourite places ever. This year, we stayed in Travelodge Covent Garden, and got the First Class Virgin Pendolino train, which means snack boxes and peace and quiet. We went to the theatre but also spent lots of time soaking up the festive atmosphere, and looking at all the pretty lights. We went to our favourite department stores in London (Liberty, Selfridges etc), and picked up some decorations and had a look round. We had a great time, and I really enjoyed myself. T'was lovely.

Pantomime Time!

My Auntie, my Nan, my Mom and me go to see a pantomime together every year. This year, we went to see Sleeping Beauty at the Wolverhampton Grand - it was good, and we had a nice time. I'm also going to see a pantomime with my friends tomorrow, and we're going to have a bit of a shop and eat some food and stuff. Good times ahead.
Pantomime is one of the highlights of my year because even if it sucks, its still funny.

So, that's it for today. I'd love to know in the comments what your Christmas traditions are, and if you have any similar to mine. If you have any ideas for any more festive posts, let me know while there's still time. And don't forget to tell me if you want to see some pictures in a separate post. Alrighty then...

 

Have a fabulous day.

 

GingerSnaps xxx