Hey my lovelies, I hope you're all well. Happy 1st of December! As you can tell by the title I am doing Blogmas this year, I know I neglect my blog a lot when I am back at uni so this is going to be one of biggest blogging challenges to date. What better way to start it off than a Christmas Q&A, I hope you enjoy.
1. Favourite Christmas song?
I love a lot of Christmas songs, especially all the ones that the Glee cast have remade. But my all time favourite Christmas songs are:
Underneath The Tree by Kelly Clarkson & All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
2. What's included in your Christmas dinner?
We have turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn, brussel sprouts (for mum), swede (also for mum), parsnips, sausage meat, cranberry sauce, and gravy! (it's making me excited just thinking about it)
3. Your earliest Christmas memory?
I think my earliest Christmas memory/ the one that always come to mind the most; I think I was about 5 or 6 and it was still dark on Christmas morning as I woke up early, not sure what time. But I came downstairs and saw a baby pink bike and I absolutely loved it. I remember I was riding it around the living room into the hall and into the kitchen and back again. I was obsessed with it. I also remember on that day it was super dark outside because it had snowed and my dad and I went out into the garden and we built a snowman and just played in the snow until we ate Christmas dinner. I also have a photo of my dad and I on this day which is why it reminds me of it so often.
4. Top 3 Christmas movies?
I actually don't have a top 3 as I prefer Christmas episodes of a specific series, but my favourite Christmas film that I watch every single year is Love Actually. I enjoy the set up in movies of more than one story going on at once as it keeps me interested. Love Actually is just an easy film to watch and I just love it. It's a classic for me.
5. The best Christmas you've ever had?
For me, there's never been a Christmas that has been the ultimate best, partly because I feel like each year Christmas feels the best because Christmas is just the best time of year. However, in terms of gift giving, last year was definitely the best I've ever done. I really out did myself and spent a little bit too much money that I couldn't afford. However, it was worth it for seeing the look on my family and friends faces. That is definitely my favourite part, buying presents for the people I love and care about and seeing their faces light up when they open their presents from me, it just melts my heart.
6. Santa believer? Why or why not?
Unfortunately no as we all know we have that moment where we grow up and realise that Santa isn't real. If he was he'd need a massive round of applause every damn year! I'd love to dream and wonder that Santa is real and does live at the North Pole with Mrs Claus, the elves, and the reindeer's as they all work together to deliver all the presents round the world before all of the children wake up because that magical Christmas Eve feeling doesn't go away. There's something so heartwarming about going to sleep on Christmas Eve and waking up on Christmas Day to receive wonderful treats and give lovely presents to the people you value most around your Christmas tree.
7. When do you put up your decorations?
Honestly, I put my decorations up before December even begins, I get excited every single year as it approaches closer and closer, so I put them up as soon as I can.
8. Your favourite Christmas drink?
Hmm, I'd probably have to say the Toffee Nut Latte from Starbucks and the Gingerbread Latte from Costa.
9. When does Christmas season start for you?
If you know me and know me well, you'll know Christmas starts for me before even Halloween has been and gone. I swear I get more and more excited each year for Christmas and due to that, I begin to celebrate earlier and earlier. This year I started getting into the festivities during October.
10. The Reindeer you want to adopt?
I don't want to be cliche but let's be honest, it's got to be Rudolph! He's so beautiful with his shiny red nose and the red nose would come in handy for a guiding light when it's dark and if he can fly to places I'll be able to travel around quicker.
11. Favourite holiday treat?
God I have so many, the top one is definitely when Costa bring out their festive menu because they have their Christmas paninis back: Pigs in Blankets and Bacon, Cranberry, and Brie. They are to die for, Pigs in Blankets is literally Christmas dinner in a panini and the Bacon, Cranberry, and Brie one is just my all time favourite panini I've ever had in my entire life.
And the more sweet treats would be Peppermint Creams, Gingerbread, Terry's Chocolate Orange, Roses, Quality Street, Heroes, Celebrations.
12. Your Christmas family traditions?
I wouldn't say they are really full on traditions, but these are things we do every year together pretty much. Firstly, my mum makes mince pies for literally everyone we know every single year, including my uni friends! Everyone seems to absolutely adore her mince pies and people actually request her if she can make some for them.
We also put these Diary Milk chocolates on our Christmas tree every year, the ones that have purple wrapping and hang off of a gold string. We've put these on our tree ever since I was little so it would be wrong if we still didn't do it. Plus, everyone loves chocolate in my household!
Also, every year I help my mum wrap the Christmas gifts we give out to family and friends. We have a system where she wraps and I decorate with ribbons, bows, and tags etc. It's one of my favourite things to do, help my mum wrap and decorate all the presents.
13. What's better, the weeks leading up to Christmas, Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day?
Personally for me it's Christmas Eve. Even though Christmas Day is nice, like my mum says it's all of this time and energy all for a few hours on one day, which is Christmas Day. As once you've opened all your lovely presents and had a delicious Christmas dinner it's pretty much all over. I love Christmas Eve because it's the day when we drop off the last of the presents, see family before Christmas Day, I spend time with Heather during the day before Christmas, and then Chloe comes down to mine for a few hours in the evening before Christmas. Then myself and my mum wrap my dads presents, then myself and my dad wrap my mums presents, and then I'm kicked out of their room for an hour or two whilst they wrap my presents.
But the main reason I love Christmas Eve is just for the magical feel of it all. For me there is something so magical about the atmosphere of Christmas Eve and the imagination about if Santa was real and is getting ready to take off in his sleigh with all the reindeer's to deliver the presents to all the girls and boys. Christmas Eve just feels more special because during the evening it's almost like time is stood still and you appreciate everyone and everything you have in your life which always feels more at Christmas time.
14. How much do you usually spend on a person for Christmas?
It really depends, I don't really think about the cost of something for someone. If I see something that I know they're really going to like I'll just get it (depending on if I can afford it of course). I don't think you can put a price on how much you should spend for family and friends because they deserve the world if you love and care about them deeply. Christmas presents always seem to prove how well you know a person and what they like. Christmas is always when I reiterate how much I love and care about people the most.
15. Opinion on the holiday weather? Seen snow?
Unfortunately I haven't seen any snow yet, it is supposedly meant to snow soon and I really hope it does as I absolutely love snow. I really wish it would snow for Christmas Day but it hasn't done that since I was a child.
16. Your favourite Christmas scent?
My favourite scent/scents have got to be Yankee Candle's Christmas Candles, especially the ones called Christmas Eve and Christmas Wreath.
There's a pine scented soap in TK Maxx that I absolutely love called Winter Pine by Castel Bel Porto.
And finally, of course, Snow Fairy from Lush. Oh my god, it is one of the best scents I've ever smelt. I absolutely love Snow Fairy and especially the Snow Fairy star that comes back every year for Christmas. Have to stock up every year so I can enjoy the scent all year round.
17. List some holiday events you attend?
We don't have any events that we 100% attend each year, but sometimes we go to the Christmas light switch on, the Christmas parade, the opening of the Christmas markets etc.
18. Describe your favourite Christmas tree ornament?
I don't think I have a favourite ornament to be honest, as I've gotten older I've preferred to have my Christmas tree with a colour scheme. For example, at home my room is pink, white, and silver therefore, the theme of my Christmas tree in my room is pink, white, and silver. But when I was a bit younger and decorated my Christmas tree in any decorations I wanted. I had a Sleeping Beauty figure standing on a blob of purple fluff that looked like a cloud, I think I still have her at home some where and I just loved her. She was one of my favourite ornaments to put on the tree every year because Aurora is my favourite princess. Also when I was younger I had a clear ballerina figurine who is in the position in the picture on the left (sorry, I'm not familiar on ballet lingo as I'm not a ballet dancer). But I absolutely fell in love with her, she sits on the tree really well too. I remember I used to hold the string and spin her around with her foot on the floor. I was obsessed with her, I think I still have her some where.
19. Star or Angel on top of your tree?
Always a star.
20. One place you would love to celebrate Christmas?
I'd always prefer to celebrate Christmas at home with family and friends, however, a few weeks before Christmas I'd love to go to Germany, Belgium, or Amsterdam at Christmas time and go to all of the markets etc. I just think it would be a Christmas dream come true.
21. How do you wrap your Christmas presents?
I've learnt from the best when it comes to wrapping Christmas presents, i.e. my mum. The way we wrap Christmas gifts is a step by step system. So you get your wrapping paper and measure out how much you need in order to wrap the present, then once it's wrapped we get the curling ribbons out. So depending on the colour scheme within the paper depends on the colour ribbon we use. The main colours we always go through are red, gold, silver, and green as they're like the classic Christmas colours. So once we've picked our ribbon we use our scissors and drag the ribbon down one side of the ribbon which then makes it all bouncy and curly. The ribbon is then attached with sellotape to the present, plus the written tag, and finally the bow over the top of both. And that is how we wrap Christmas gifts.
22. Your favourite Christmas character?
I don't actually have a favourite Christmas character.
23. Do you prefer to give or receive presents?
Let's be honest, everyone loves to receive presents. However, I honestly do prefer to give gifts. Christmas is that time of year when I go a bit crazy and buy a lot of presents for the people I love because I just love to shop for Christmas. I know so many people who absolutely hate Christmas shopping, but I love it. One of my favourite things to do is just go out and buy my family and friends presents that I know they will love; also I love to wrap presents too which is probably why I love buying all the presents.
24. Why do you love Christmas?
Honestly, I love Christmas for everything that is involved with the holiday. So the lights, the decorations, the weather, Christmas trees, the Christmas markets, the characters (e.g. Santa, Rudolph, the elves), going Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, the Christmas drinks at Costa etc.
But, my ultimate favourite part about Christmas is seeing my family and friends open their presents on Christmas Day and seeing how happy they are. It melts my heart every year and I think is the reason I always go OTT during the Christmas period.
25. Describe your day? Merry Christmas!
So, on Christmas Day I begin with opening gifts from my stocking and the ones under my mini tree in my bedroom with the gifts that are from my friends. I will then message the said friends, i.e. Chloe, Heather, and Charlie to say thank you!
So, we begin as a trio, mum, dad, and I. Once I've opened the presents from upstairs I will go downstairs and start by eating breakfast, half of the time we eat biscuits from the special editions of the Cadbury's Occasions and Victoria's boxes that come out during Christmas time. I will open my presents from my parents first, then my dad will open his from myself and my mum, and then my mum will open hers from myself and my dad. Then we move onto the presents from family and family friends. Whilst all this is going on, the turkey for our Christmas dinner is cooking nicely.
We move on to calling all of the people who have gifted us with something to say thank you and wish them a Merry Christmas!
By the time all of that is done and dusted it's time to eat our Christmas dinner. Before we eat we pull Christmas crackers, read the cringy jokes, and put on the paper hats. Then of course we eat our dinner and have dessert. Then we go and visit my nan and open her presents with her and sometimes we see other members of my family.
Then for the rest of the day we just stay at home, have tea (sandwiches, crisps, cakes, sausage rolls, quiche etc), and watch the Christmas specials that are on TV during the evening. And that's our Christmas Day!
I hope you guys have enjoyed the first post for Blogmas!
