Let the festive fun begin...

Disparaging as I was with Christmas stuff appearing in shops before we'd even got Bonfire Night out of the way, the first weekend in December marks the start of the festive season for me. The tree is up, tinsel draped, lights lit, chestnuts roasted, wine mulled, parties planned... Christmas here we come!

Sale away

Over the past few days I have eaten chocolate and cake for breakfast and supper, justified drinking before noon, given and received, and watched more crap television than I usually do in the whole rest of the year. So that was Christmas. Now what? Well in true tradition of the consumer society of course we are usually encouraged by 'them' to spend spend spend some more in the sales. I have never been a big post Christmas saler, the cost and hassle of all that pre-Christmas Day shopping tends to be more than enough for me. Plus if I really really need something (not just want it, lust for it, or panic buy because it's a *bargain* - proper need is my new buying barometer) there's this handy thing called the internet now. Nothing (bar a brand new Mercedes for a fiver, okay everyone has their price) would make me queue up outside a shop.

But having said all that- the one thing I always fall for are lovely luscious notebooks. Many moons ago my favourite bit of going back to school was buying new stationery, going to the local newspaper/book/stationery/toys/random gifts shop in our small town and choosing a new pencil case, pencils, pens, and notebooks. I still can't resist them - smart or snazzy, posh or quirky, oversize or tiny - I love notebooks. These are my latest, bought on a Christmas present shopping outing when I spotted them - already reduced in price - bargains! I couldn't resist getting them for myself and I do have my eye on a nice moleskine which I'm sure is going to come down in price really really soon. But I will use them (eventually), they are practical as well as gorgeous - so they definitely pass the 'I need and not just want' test...

 

Tree-mendous traditions

It's that time of year, Christmas, one of life's constants appearing on the same day year after year. Except it does of course change as life moves along, family changes, children grow up. As my son's got older I no longer need to leave Rudolph's hoof prints outside, although I do still leave a mince pie and tot of whisky out for Santa but that's really for my benefit - my son is 16 and no longer believes in Santa Claus. He does however still go to the panto with his grandma, insist on a Christmas CD playing in the car from 1 December, come with me to get the tree (always 'the biggest' - I'm sure it's a boy thing) and, once he's left me to do the decorations, he will appear in the living room and grace me with his presence to switch on the lights. Long may it continue!