Top Five ... Day Seven

Merry Christmas Gang,

We’re in the home stretch now. Hopefully all your presents have be bought and wrapped, all the carols sung and the movies watched and your in your festive pjs awaiting Father Christmas’s visit.

What are your Christmas Eve plans? Are you ‘Driving Home for Christmas?’ ... perhaps ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’ ... hopefully you don’t see ‘Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’ 😂

Do you have a tradition or routine for the night before? An annual party or is it the only night you go to bed early?? Well as the final Top Five of the week I’m going for:

My Christmas Traditions 

1. Christmas Wrapping

So I’m not actually a fan of wrapping gifts. I somehow even manage to mess up the wrapping of an easy square box. And don’t even get me started on cutting the paper ... straight lines are never going to happen. I have major wrapping envy of all these fabulous instagram gifts 🎁. But that’s not the tradition I love. 

I don’t think I’ve ever set out to wrap a Christmas present without festive drinks, food, songs or films. It’s just not happening. And now I’m back home there is the annual “dads Christmas party” when the parents go out and me and my sister wrap their presents and have a merry time. 

2. Chatsworth House

Have you ever been to Chatsworth? This stately home in Derbyshire is absolutely beautiful at any time of year but at Christmas they pick a theme and decorate rooms around the house, including bedrooms, the library and, my favourite, the chapel. This years theme was ‘Once Upon A Time” but some of my other favourites have been ‘The Nutcracker’ and last years ‘Dickens’. 

It’s become an annual tradition with my mum and sister (who started it without me about 10 years ago). We like to go for the last entry to the house so that when we leave, it’s dark, all the lights are lit and it’s magical ✨✨ 

3. Ballet

It’s not everyone cup of tea, but this recent tradition is always a lovely day. We LOVE The Northern Ballet Company and every year they perform here in Sheffield or up the road in Leeds. The Nutcracker is a favourite and we’ve seen it a few times but Cinderella was equally magical. 

This year we made a weekend of it (although it was Thursday-Friday 😂) and stayed over in Leeds. A yummy meal at Gino D’Acampo’s restaurant was a highlight, especially when my mum nearly started a fight with a drunk woman on her works do. Can’t wait till next year ...

4. Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve night, for as long as I can remember, has been a family night. Back when I ate Chinese food, we would have takeaway and play board games. In recent years, our festive meal together has continued, but now includes more alcohol than Christmas carols. 

5. Christmas Day

As kids, me and my sister woke up super early. Too early for my parents. In the end, my mum bought us Angel stockings that she left outside our bedroom doors so that (after checking what time we were going to wake up) me and my sister would have gifts to entertain us aka keep us quiet, until a more reasonable hour of the morning. Yes, I’m a spoilt brat 🥰

These days, Christmas morning is significantly different. With either me or my sister working on Christmas Day presents are swapped at the end of the day. Which is fine with me. Presents are lovely, but they are just the icing on the cake. Christmas is for family, which is good because they all come over of dinner 🍽🎄❤️!! 

Spending time with your friends and family is so special, it makes you realise how lucky you are to be surrounded by so many loved ones. That’s definitely my ‘top one’

Happy Christmas gang. 

❤️

xoxo