My parents had Christmas so easy….didn’t they???

Surely they did??

Our Christmas as kids was pretty simple. Through my hazy rose tinted glasses at any rate. Probably didn’t feel that simple to my parents . Same financial pressure , same pressure to make the kids happy. There just didn’t seem to be so many little extras.

It was kind of basic our Christmas but oh I did absolutely adore it.

We’d watch The Snowman on Christmas Eve , presents on Christmas morning (after our dad had played some kind of pantomime scrooge , pretending to take aaaggggeeesss to get ready to go downstairs and see if ‘he’d been’ ) Have a huge Christmas dinner (after my mam had barred everyone from the kitchen whilst she created her masterpiece!) , board games , a film then another load of food under the guise of the Christmas tea buffet (a tradition I have since adopted for us )

It sounds so very simple, but was Christmas the most exciting time as a kid ?? Absolutely.

Laying Christmas Eve too excited to sleep but knowing you really have to , awaiting true magic to happen is just something never replicated as a grown up!!

I absolutely adored Christmas as a kid . It just seems like it was a little less busy back then.

Things my parents never had to do :

ELF ON THE SHELF

Seriously elves making a mess all over the house?? My mam would have had a fit! She liked our place clean and tidy thank you very much!!Flour snow angels all over the kitchen floor? she’d have rounded up the little buggers and put them in a cage till they could learn to behave)*

*Disclaimer – my sister and I were never put in cages till we could learn to behave I promise. Mainly because I was born impeccably behaved , and well my sister was cute enough to be able to get away with her nonsense.

SCOUT THE BEST SANTA EXPERIENCE EVER

(then book it 3 months in advance)

Now no one wants their kid to see a crap Santa , that is a magic of Christmas ruiner!

My mam took my sister and I to queue in Alders for an hour if she was feeling fancy. Bransholme centre if feeling less so!! -Job done ?

When in years past checking out santas for small girl I’m looking at garden centres? What’s the gift quality like? Are there ACTUAL REINDEERS????

REINDEER FOOD FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

Again mess??? Litter ?? not a chance!!

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS

I bloody love Christmas crafts , small girl is a fan too!!

We love making christmas crackers (although we do buy a box too because i am not having Christmas pass me by without getting my hands on a fortune telling fish!!) , salt dough decorations (one time our scented versions will actually work) , tree ornaments?

Hobbycraft at Christmas is our idea of heaven!

I do know that everyone doesn’t feel the same way about crafts. I know some parents hate it and fair enough it’s a messy , frustrating with the very small ones , time consuming business. All I’ll say is I never remember my mam having to glitter herself into a festive meltdown because HOW CAN YOU RUIN YOUR KIDS LIFE BY NOT MAKING SALTDOUGH WITH THEM!!!!Or thats how the pressure feels at times!!

We used to get a pack of those cheap paperchains that you licked to get them to stick together…..only they never did!!!

CHRISTMAS BAKING

Obviously we have small girl – masterchef extraordinaire!

Shortbread Christmas trees , melted snowman cupcakes , rudolph muffins she’s up for all that , it makes her happy. My mam ONE years made butterfly buns . My sister and I are still traumatised by the taste , the texture and the whole occasion. I blame this entirely on why I don’t like cake. Bless my mam she wasn’t a natural baker – as I am not.

CHRISTMAS DAYS OUT

Winter Wonderland , Christmas markets , festive concerts , going to chop down your very own tree (may or may not be a thing)

We had a Christmas disco and fair at school (parents didn’t even have to show up , just send you off with your 20p in an envelope and all was good!)

I guess the point I’m making is that Christmas as a kid for me was the best best thing ever ever ever, even a bit simpler. Maybe we could all do to take a breath and realise we don’t have to do ALL the things in order to make Christmas a goer. Christmas is going to be magical for the little ones nevertheless.

I love all the Christmas fuss , crafts and elves and all that nonsense . However if we don’t make Winter Wonderland Christmas isn’t going to to be a disaster!!

Also I have to confess to a bit of a hunch….my mam seemed to have less pressure to do all the festive fuss when we were kids , however if she was still alive now you can bet your bottom dollar she’d be knee deep in glitter and elves and Christmas Eve boxes for the grandkids – mess or no mess!!

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A surprise gift that made my heart happy!

I love random acts of kindness.
I really love ‘just because’ presents.
I really, really ,really love thoughtfulness.

My sister nailed all three this week.

She made me a mix tape! Well a YouTube playlist , so a 2017 version! If you follow me on Social Media you’ll have seen my excitement about this! 

Back in t’day my sister and I were all young and thin and hot (we didn’t realise it then of course we were all full of hang ups that you don’t realise are absolute nonsense until you’re 37 and look back at photos of younger you and think ‘oh I looked great then why the hell did I waste those years on undeserved boys?’) We loved nothing more than going out dancing and staying out late and generally just really having fun! 

(My hair is tied back here I am not indeed bald)

Though my sister is my favourite adult human in the world we just don’t do that anymore! When the opportunity arises to spend time together these days we’re way more content to get in our PJs and start slurping on the wine. 

For an hour though when I whacked on her playlist full of the songs I really loved or that used to be played when we went out back then I was transported back to being a young woman who loved a good dance (I admit eldest girl cringed and said she hoped I didn’t used to dance like that when we went out ) and was giddy with nostalgia!

Music is so good at that isn’t it ? One song can bring back such emotions and such vivid memories and feelings . Unlike anything else I think! When I heard JLo, I wasn’t dancing round my living room but out happy and having fun like a youngster.

This gesture just made me so happy for a few reasons. Firstly nothing makes me happier than feeling that someone knows me well , all my quirks and weirdness and yet still loves me and knows how to make me smile. My sister can do this without trying , she just is another part of me. 

Secondly that she went to the effort of putting that together to make me smile is just sweet!

Thirdly the song choices were perfect!!

So I’ve got a challenge for you all ….

Make some one a 2017 version of a playlist , even if it’s only a couple of songs.

Maybe a friend you’ve lost touch with except to like the occasional Facebook status but there are songs that just remind you of her

Maybe it’s your partner and there are songs from way back when that you just both ‘get’

Make someone a playlist. I promise that they will love it and appreciate the sentiment….then come onto my Facebook page here and tell us all about it ,share it if you like!

Here’s my playlist if you’re interested