I've Been Thinking... - Snow.

Hi!!!

Good afternoon, everyone. I know today's Blogmas post is going up a little bit later than usual but I do have a very good reason - there's snow outside. I thought it would be nice to share some of the many photos I have taken of the snow - and a short piece of writing that I've done. If you haven't got any snow where you live at the moment or you just love snow as much as I do (which is a lot) then I think you'll like today's post. Happy Blogmas Day Eleven!

I've said it before but Winter is my favourite season. The cold temperatures, the frost, the soft blue or grey skies, the bracing winds and most of all, the snow. Snow is my favourite kind of weather. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe has always been one of my favourite stories and to see the world transformed into a Narnian landscape fills me with joy.

 

 

I love how serene the world looks when it is covered in snow. I love the excitement you can see in people's faces. I love how snowflakes feel when they fall on your face. I love having snowball fights and I love building snowmen and I love making snow angels and I love taking the sledges round to the park and slipping and sliding down the hills. I love how everyone becomes children again when it snows. I love how grown-ups and little ones and grandparents all laugh and play and make memories together. I love how people become happier and become more ready to pass it on. I love how people are eager to help push cars off snowy driveways and I love how people want to tell you they like the snowman you've built.

 

 

 

I can't stop looking out of the windows. I can't stop smiling when I see the trees in the park. I can't stop telling everyone how much I love snow. I can't stop laughing at videos of us trying to make our sledges perform in a Winter Olympics style. I can't stop singing Christmas songs with lyrics that mention snow and pointing as I sing because we actually have snow at Christmas-time like they do in the films. I can't stop thinking about how lucky I am to live in a world where there is snow.

I won't stop thinking about how lucky I am to live in a world where there is snow.

Because I am.

And I feel that with every fibre of my being.



 

I hope you enjoyed this post!
Has it snowed where you live yet? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Leave a comment to let me know.
Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow for Blogmas Day Twelve!

 

I hope you have a wonderful, snow-filled day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

Oh My Life! - Tales of My Life and Times - Birmingham German Christmas Market

Hi!!!

Good morning! For today's Blogmas post, I wanted to share what I got up to yesterday with you - expect plenty of festive photos to brighten up your Tuesday afternoon and fill you full of Christmas cheer.

My Auntie S and I went into Birmingham yesterday for a day of Christmas shopping and visiting the Christmas market. As someone who has always lived in Birmingham, the German Christmas Market will always have a special place in my heart as I've spent so many December days and evenings there. It does seem like there are less stalls than there usually are this year, but there are building works going on nearby which is probably why.

The first point of call was definitely to grab something to drink, especially since the cups that the drinks are served in are so photogenic - as are the tokens you are given to hand over when you give the cups back.

 

The German Market always look super festive with all of the fairy lights, Christmas trees, the carousel, the Santa Clause statuettes and Nutcracker dolls.

 

 

 

I also think that all of the stalls are super Christmassy, too. There's rows of colourful stalls selling everything from toys, tree ornaments and candles to jewellery and food. It's always a nice place to go for gift inspiration or just to look at all of the lovely things on offer.

 
 

My tips for visiting would be to go during the day if possible (as it will be a bit less crowded), to say yes to all of the food available (everything from pretzels to marshmallows to fried potatoes with garlic sauce and crêpes) and allow yourself to be present and take in all of the lovely Christmassy sights and sounds and smells.

Massive shout out to my Auntie S for letting me tag along on her Christmas shopping trip and for sharing fried potatoes and laughing at a singing moose with me.

Thanks so much for reading Blogmas Day Five.

Have you visited a Christmas Market yet? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Leave a comment to let me know.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I'll see you tomorrow for Day Six.

I hope you have a great day!

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