I hope you spent a lovely festive period full of love, laughter and an abundance of gorgeously naughty food. Christmas is wonderful but I am glad to be on the other side of it. The older I get, the more frustrated I get with the whole issue of excess. Especially that of non-stop, over the top present buying that you see all around you from November onwards. I wish more people would reflect on how much they spend unnecessarily and how much they could have sourced that was pre-loved or second-hand or even handmade. The mad consumption merry-go-round just seems to pull us all in and other more frugal options don't seem to get considered.
I bought a few pre-loved gifts for a few people last year. Not loads but some specific bits and pieces that I came across that I knew would work for certain people. But I also spend a lot of time throughout the whole year buying bargains that I know (and hope) will be ideal. I am always looking to save money even if it seems buying for Christmas in the height of summer is a bit odd. Shopping that way though means that I have more pennies in my purse for other lovely things.
My amazingly resourceful friend Jo loves Christmas but is also very good at sourcing or making really creative gifts and this year she outdid herself. She made me a lovely advent calender with a difference. She gave me a vintage style tin filled with 24 beautiful envelopes. Each one contained a thought or an uplifting phrase or just simply words of support alongside a small gift.
And that's not all. For each day on the run up to Christmas I was sent an email with a link to a clip on YouTube. Genius idea. John and I watched them every night before we went to sleep. Some were truly hilarious. No meaning behind them necessarily, just something to make you smile (and often laugh out loud). I cannot begin to imagine how much time it must have taken but I appreciated it all the more because it was homemade. It's given me a wonderful idea for my mum for this year.
And on the sourcing front, she found an amazing vintage towel rail for her sister Emma when we spent a lovely day together in Chepstow. That, and a vintage suitcase to store all her Christmas presents in.
I could wax lyrical about presents I received but I thought I'd just mention a few that meant a lot. A monogram scarf from my stepdaughter that I adore. I had been trying to get one for weeks and weeks but was unsuccessful in my quest. They were from Matalan but were part of a charity campaign for Great Ormond Street hospital with all the profits going to such an amazing cause. I was so chuffed that she even listened to my ramblings of trying to find one.
As for my Mum, she bought me an amazing black Cossack-style furry hat. Amazing. I just wish I had the guts wear it more often. We need a hat revolution, people don't wear enough hats.
Finally, on Christmas Eve John surprised me when he picked me up from work with a beautiful
bouquet of lillies that not only filled the house with a beautiful scent for nearly three weeks but looked stunning in my huge vase in our lounge. I got so much joy from them.
As for Christmas itself, well John and I had hoped to either volunteer or do something at our home for those less fortunate. And despite our best efforts and lots of talks with the local vicar, we were unable to get anything sorted in time for Christmas Day. We were so disappointed as we really
wanted to give something back. We are so lucky in so many ways, we had hoped to make a special day for others less fortunate. But it wasn't meant to be. So, we have decided to extend our Christmas wish and still aim to do something in the near future for no other reason than it would be a good thing to do.
So on reflection, how was your Christmas? Was it all about family, love, a time of rest from the rat race? I do hope so.
I haven't been our squirrelling much in January but I found a few key treasures that I will share with you later today. Today is a day of catching up and ticking lists! Hope you have a lovely day also...
