A festive to-do list

11 November 2018

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

Yesterday my Mum and I visited the Country Living Christmas Fair in London where we spent a wonderful few hours browsing all the festive goodies, picking up some treats and enjoying planning the weeks to come (primarily food-related!) I treated myself to a Christmassy candle, some new decorations for our tree (I do this every year!) and some amazing cheddar and chutneys, which I'm already excited about digging into on Christmas day.

I love this time of year, it's my favourite. As Autumn gets colder and crisper, the leaves change colour and fall, and then the nights get darker but interspersed with the festive lights twinkling from windows and trees. This year will be our first Christmas in our own home so it feels extra special.

A few years ago I sat down and wrote a wishlist of things I wanted to do over the festive season. It was a really good chance to reflect on what's important to me and all the little things that I look forward to this time of year, so I've decided to do it again this year.

Here are a few things that I'd like to spending some time doing over the course of the weeks leading up to Christmas and the festive period itself:

  • Write Christmas cards while listing to my favourite Christmas songs.
  • Crafting some more Christmas decorations - last year I made reams of paper chains and it was so fun to do and they looked wonderful!
  • Go out to look at some Christmas lights while sipping on something hot and preferably mulled!
  • Visit a Christmas tree farm and choose our tree.
  • Buy a tub of Christmas chocolates (we're a Cadbury Roses household!) to enjoy over the Christmas period.
  • Decorate the tree by candlelight - bring on all of the hygge cosiness. 
  • Bake some festive treats.
  • Donate to our local Foodbank and Toybank.
  • Enjoy my favourite Christmas films - Gremlins, White Christmas, Home Alone, Muppet Christmas Carol, The Holiday, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Scrooged...it's a long list and that doesn't even include the cheesy holiday specials on Netflix, which I looooved last year.
  • Attend a carol service.
  • Partake in some favourite festive foods - mince pies, cheeses accompanied by chutney and picked onions (I could eat them on their own really!), sprouts, bread sauce and allll of the chocolate. 
  • Go to the ballet - this one's already booked, we're going to watch the Nutcracker!
  • Wrap presents by the tree.
  • Jólabókaflóð - this is the Icelandic tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve before spending some time together reading. Isn't that a lovely idea? Apparently people tend to take their books to bed with some chocolate, which sounds extra cosy. We'll probably be very busy on Christmas Eve as we're hosting this year (eep!) but I'm hoping that we can make the time to do this.

Do you enjoy this time of year? What would be on your festive wishlist?

12 comments

  1. Christmas cards and Christmas music are on my list too! I've already started with the Christmas music, though I have to listen in secret when my roomie is out because she won't let me do Christmassy things until Thanksgiving is over! We live in a small apartment so we probably won't be getting a tree, but I do want to get a small fake tree for my room, one that I can put on my windowsill or something. I'm super ready for Christmas films as well. Is it too obvious for me to say that I love Elf? I'm looking forward to watching Disney's new The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry you have to wait a little longer before breaking out the full-on festivities but I suppose Thanksgiving is still something exciting to look forward to in the meantime?! I can't believe I forgot to include Elf on my list - although I actually watched it this weekend so that's an immediate tick :)

      Delete
  2. This is SUCH a lovely festive list. Christmas in your first house together will be WONDERFUL. It will be ours too :)

    My list would include all of yours PLUS drinking as much advocatt as possible ha! xx

    Lynsey || One More Slice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, that's something I've never tried and I'm really not sure about it...what does it taste like?! It always looks a little too creamy for my taste but hey, I'll just focus on the mulled wine :) xx

      Delete
  3. I really love this time of year and everyone else thinks I'm a fruit-loop! :D

    Your list looks very much like mine except I'll be adding Elf to the Christmas films, it's my wrapping tradition. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I knew you'd understand! I can't believe I forgot to add Elf to my list - we watched it this weekend! xx

      Delete
  4. I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of Christmas but the book swapping sounds like a great idea and mulled wine is always a winner for me. Our one festive tradition is mulling some wine whilst putting the tree up and then watching National Lampoon's - it's not just my favourite Christmas film, it's my favourite film above all others x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I looooove National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! I only watched it for the first time a few years ago but it's become a yearly favourite now x

      Delete
  5. Your list sounds so perfect! I have a lot of similar items on my list as well. I love the holiday season!

    xx Chelsea
    www.organizedmessblog.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's my favourite time of the year :) xx

      Delete
  6. This is the most perfect list, and it's made me so excited for Christmas and the festive season! Love it.
    Evie x
    My Little Online Space.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahh thank you so much, that's really kind of you! x

      Delete

Latest Instagrams

© Happy Go Lucky Cat. Design by FCD.