Christmas in July

I was recently invited to attend the Christmas in July exhibition where I would see all the latest products available for kids and adults out for Christmas, but with my childcare (the folks) on a three week vacation, I sadly couldn’t make it.

It did get me thinking about Christmas though and despite the summer heatwave, before you know it, it will be here, a mere five months away!

I love Christmas time, sat wrapping presents for all the family round the fire, an unnatural consumption of chocolate, present buying (I adore Autum/Winter collections for clothes for us all), a time for family fun of course where work winds down and Christmas movies are on repeat (Elf, anyone?), bliss.

I do hope it snows (enough) so we can make snowmen (and women) in the garden and the whole of the UK doesn’t collapse over a bit of snow on the roads (look to Canada GB and how they handle the weather) …and I’m looking forward to hopefully this year, seeing my little boy in a nativity play. I cannot wait.

We might well be moving into a new home in time for Christmas and there’s already been discussions of us having Christmas lunch there for all the family. I’m a bit nervous to potentially cook with my husband, for my food connoisseur folks but I’ll put that to the back of my head for now and focus on buying a new house first!

I think one of my favourite Christmas rituals is decorating the home with Christmas ornaments and Christmas lights and a real wreath always has to go on the door. Along with a tree that we select from a farm near us, I like to place tasteful usually white Christmas lights on the mantelpieces in the lounge and TV room and the whole family usually gets involved when we decorate the tree.

Oliver still talks about the Christmas lights we placed on a large tree outside our house last year (a great way to direct friends to our parties in the dark) and the gigantic Christmas tree near his Pre-school is discussed all year round, “But where is the pretty Christmas tree now Mummy?” he only asked last week.

Seeing Christmas though the kids’ eyes makes it even for more special and now with two little boys and potentially a Big Fat Greek Family to cook for, it looks like ‘Santa’ is going to be very busy this year!

What are you most looking forward to this Christmas?

Photograph ©Peter Broadbent: Oliver dressed as a little Santa aged 1. Not sure he’d let me dress him up now!