I've Been Thinking... - 7 Little Things To Get You Feeling Festive

Hi!!!

Hands up if you are excited for Christmas - I know I am! And to help get you feeling super duper excited too, I've made this list of seven little things you can do in the run up to the big day that will make you feel just like Buddy the Elf. Let's begin, shall we?

Swap your normal shower gel for a Christmas shower gel.

It's probably unlikley that you'll get chance to use your Christmas bath bombs everyday, but by treating yourself a festive shower gel (and maybe also a scrub/moisturiser/lip balm), you still get that feeling of being pampered and to use those lovely seasonal scents. Check out Lush's Snow Fairy, Lush's Lord of Misrule and The Body Shop's Vanilla Chai.

  Buy yourself some Christmas socks.

Never underestimate the power of a good pair of festive socks. Buy any with snowflakes or reindeer or snowmen or Father Christmas on, and feel that little sprinkle of joy when you get dressed everyday (and when you get home and take your shoes off). Its such a simple thing,  but so fun. Primark always do some cracking ones.

Treat yourself to a Christmas Costa.

Whether you stay in the café or get yours to go in one of their adorable Christmas jumper inspired take away cups, it'll put a smile on your face. There's something to suit all tastes - hot chocolate and coffee - so take a look next time you pass one. Or, y'know, just make yourself a really snazzy hot chocolate at home. Also, big thanks to Elf Girl for helping with the presentation in the above photo (and for reading the list of drinks for me each visit -#shortsightedproblems). Check out the menu here.

Have a movie night.

 Line up some of your favourite seasonal movies - see a list of mine here - get in your PJs, grab a blanket and a hot chocolate and work your way through all of them. Laugh, smile and enjoy them all at your own pace. Oh, and turn the big light off, and get the fairy lights going instead - it gives it all a much cosier vibe.

Play Your Favourite Christmas Songs At Top Volume.

 Normally on the way home from going to see a pantomime, we have a huge family sing-a-long in the car. Last year, we outdid ourselves - playing songs top volume, screeching along to them, dancing in the car and laughing at each other. We even had a dance off with another family at the traffic lights. So whether yours is part of a car journey or in your house, and whether you perform solo or with a group, go for it and have fun. Play all of your favourites and pretend you're on stage. All the fun. And FYI, I wrote a post about my playlist last year if you need some inspiration.

Paint your nails in a Christmassy way.

  Maybe a red, maybe some glitter, maybe if you're super fancy and talented some penguins or presents or something. Or get some pretty pre-designed false nails if you're lazy or don't have much time to spare like me - look at these cute Henry Holland ones!!! (they also have Christmas Tree and Candy Cane designs if that's more your style).

Get the Christmas jumpers out.

Wrap yourself up in the cosy, cheesy-ness of them and love every second. Every time you look down at the fair isle/gingerbread men/reindeer/etc  on your jumper, you'll be filled with joy. And, what better excuse than donating to Save The Children's annual Christmas Jumper Day campaign and being charitable in the process?

And those are some of the things you can do to reach peak Christmas.

What are your favourite things to do at Christmas time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks so much for reading.

I hope your day is magical.

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - Some of My Favourite Christmas Films.

Hi!!!

Good evening everyone, how are you all? Today is the third post in my "A Dash Of Ginger Festive Five" series and I'm really excited to write it. One of my favourite things to do at Christmas time is curling up and watching Christmas films with the Christmas lights on and a hot chocolate in hand as it always makes me feel so festive and happy. Since it is always such a huge part of my Christmas, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite Christmas films with you.

(Obviously, I haven't listed every single last one of my favourite Christmas films - as there are just so many - but these are some that I do really love and enjoy year in year out. These are my stand-outs.)

Some of My Favourite Christmas Movies.

 

One Christmas movie that has been a favourite of mine for many years is Miracle on 34th Street. I love both versions but my favourite is the one made in 1994. The story is absolutely beautiful and totally enchanting, I love all of the characters, and the cast and production of this film are wonderful. This film makes me feel all Christmassy and makes me smile every time I watch it.

 

Another fantastic Christmas movie is Nativity!. This film is hilarious and charming and I'm a huge fan of it. The characters are great (especially Mr Poppy - what a legend!) and the storyline is brilliant. This film is bound to put you in a good mood, the children in it are adorable and all of the characters are loveable. It's just a stroke of genius.

 

Elf. How could we get through a Christmas movie post without Elf? There is quite a bit of hype surrounding this film and I can say that, in my opinion, it is totally worth it. It's really funny and I quote it a ridiculous amount. I really like how it has just the right amount of classic Christmas-ness mixed with lots of laugh-out-loud moments.

If you know me, you'll know about my serious love for Love Actually. I just think it's brilliant - I'm a huge fan of Richard Curtis movies and of Christmas so this was always bound to be a favourite. It has lots of hilarious moments, some beautiful stories and the format of multiple intertwining stories is unique and works really well.

The Holiday is a really wonderful festive film and I've loved it since I first watched it. I think the story is beautiful, the characters are brilliant and I'm always left smiling and feeling really happy by the end. This was an instant favourite for me and I think it will be for you too - it is so sweet, so funny and so excellent. I also dressed in Iris (Kate Winslet's character in this) inspired outfits for a good year or so after seeing this film...

Saving Santa is a super fun animated Christmas film. It has a lovely storyline, it is really cute and the characters are very loveable. This has some really funny moments and it is a great feel good movie which is guaranteed to fill you full of Christmas cheer and joyfulness. I am a big fan of this one and I 100% think its worth a watch.

Arthur Christmas is a great one. I watched this the other night (I'd seen it before then but it reminded me how much I like it). There are some really touching moments in this as well as some funny and slightly crazy moments (it's not often that light up slippers can be used to calm down lions!) and the character of Arthur is really sweet.

The Polar Express has been a love of mine for many years and is a treasured part of Christmas for me. The storyline is wonderful and it takes you on an adventure with the characters. I think its a really lovely film and I enjoy it every time that I watch it. This is best enjoyed with a hot chocolate and pyjamas and I think you'll really like it.

For as long as I can remember, I've loved the Muppets so of course The Muppet Christmas Carol is on this list. I've seen it so many times but it never gets old and it always makes me feel festive and cheerful. There are songs, familiar Muppet faces and the classic and meaningful Charles Dickens storyline to look forward to so you should check it out.

Another favourite is Home Alone. This is such an out-there story but it works really well and makes all of the slapstick comedy more hilarious. I'll always want to ride a sledge down the stairs and I still admire the genius of the character Kevin for looking after himself so well and for his creativity when it comes to protecting his home. Classic Christmas comedy.

An undeniable seasonal classic is White Christmas. This has all the best bits of an old school musical - brilliant songs, great characters, memorable costumes and a fun story. This has a special place in my heart - I have lots of memories watching the film and last year my Mom and I went to see it at the Dominion Theatre.

I'm a big Disney fan so Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas/Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas/Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse are some of my favourites. The little sketches and stories within the film are charming and it's lovely to see some familiar faces in the form of Mickey and Co.

That's all for today then, folks. I hope that you enjoyed this post and that it has inspired you to curl up with your favourite Christmas film. I hope you're enjoying the "A Dash Of Ginger Festive Five" series so far, I'll see you tomorrow for the next instalment.

What is your favourite Christmas film? Have I drawn your attention to one you haven't seen before? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments section.

Thank you for reading, I hope you're having a lovely week.

 

Have a terrific day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx