10 Things I Can’t Live Without-At Christmas
I am firmly in the planning stages now for Christmas 2017. It is Baby J’s first and, I think the first one that G will truly know what is happening.
At the moment, G is convinced that flying goats pull Santa’s sleigh and that Father Christmas gets stuck down Stick Man’s chimney and I am excited already.
I LOVE Christmas. Always have, always will so I thought I’d share with you the ten things I cannot live without over the festive season and in the run up to it.
1. Lists. All the lists. Presents to buy, food to order, rooms to tidy, DIY to be done, animals to buy sort out. I am a list-lover. A lover of lists. The act of writing a list instantly makes me feel better. Never underestimate the power of a list.
2. A dishwasher. I know this is superficial and uncool but seriously? Dishes after Christmas dinner fill me with dread. I got mu first dishwasher when we moved to the farm five years ago and it recently stopped working. A new one was dispatched and I actually breathed a sigh of relief that the failure didn’t happen on Christmas Day. Life is too short to wash dishes.
3. Port. I was pregnant last year and all of my three children were incubating over the festive period. I love a glass of port while I put the Christmas tree up and I am really looking forward to it this year.
4. A festive photo of the children in matching outfits. Last year, the big two wore Panama tops with ordinary bottoms and a Santa hat for their official Christmas photo. Wait until you see this year’s offering. I may only have one or two years left until one or two of them complain so I am making the most of it. Tinsel twinning is always winning in my book.
5. Christmas nibbles-you know like those little pretzels that are only sold at this time of year? They make television over the holiday even more sweet.
6. A new pair of pyjamas. The children always have a new pair for Christmas Eve. It is the law in our house but I quite like a comfy new pair myself. Last year I got an ELF! Nightie and I took it to hospital in March when I had Baby J. I got some really funny looks padding around the ward with Will Ferrell emblazoned across my bump.
7. Cheese. What is it about cheese and Christmas? With a selection of crackers. Not stilton though. I got some once in one of those cheese selection packs you can buy. I thought something had died in my fridge. As I have got older, I like a really mature cheese-you know the type where there are really crunchy bits in there? Ooo I could eat a little slice right now.
8. The smell of Christmas. The reed diffusers have to all have scent of cinnamon and there will be candle burning on the kitchen windowsill with essence of mandarin and clove. Oh I love the smell of Christmas and I usually bulk buy Christmas smelling home things in the sale so I can have that wonderful aroma floating through my house all year round.
9. Last minute panic buying. It happens every year. I think I’ve got the kids enough then, like last year, I went and picked the turkey up and I ended up thinking ‘they haven’t got much’ and then bought them some little extras. When it came to wrapping on Christmas Eve, I had to hold some things back for their birthdays. Oops.
10. Christmas music in general but Mariah Carey All I Want for Christmas in particular. My favourite festive song. Ever. The end.
What are your Christmas non negotiables?
