A photo every day for a year! 21st - 31st December! Week 52 of #Project365

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas or holiday, whatever that looked like for you. We had a lovely Christmas and have had a relaxing time since. Becky has had a few days off work so it meant we could properly catch up, sit around chatting and slowly get the house back to some kind of normal instead of living around piles of wrapping paper and random gift bags.

Here we are at the end of 2025 and the end of posting a photo every day for a year. I think I did well, only missing one day in early November. Today I have a bumper edition, finishing up the year and it will be a short post on Sunday with only a few days for the start of the new year.

I hope you all have a lovely time welcoming the New Year, whatever you’re doing. Here’s to fresh starts, new plans and lots more photos in 2026!

Now for a photo every day!

355/365 - 21st December

I had one last look at my online food order, adding some things and removing some. Asda did a great job! There were a couple of substitutions with my delivery but nothing ridiculous. The big bonus was the beef. They said it wasn't going to be delivered but it turned up and because of a glitch in the system, it came for free!

356/365 - 22nd December

This was a proper family day. I managed to get us all together for a photo while we were waiting to head out to celebrate my dad’s birthday. We went out for a meal and had such a lovely time. Good food, lots of chatting, plenty of laughs and that nice feeling of just being together.

357/365 - 23rd December

This was the start of proper Christmas dinner prep. Things started coming out of the freezer. I know each year I buy a lot of stuffing but this year I bought more than ever. Oops. I'm not even sorry, I do love stuffing!

358/365 - 24th December

Christmas Eve! It was a busy one for me, cooking everything that I could and for tea we just had picky bits! If you are a long-time reader here, I am sure you have seen these trays before. They only come out at Christmas. It started when my girls were little and has continued. They're perfect trays for a picky tea.

359/365 - 25th December

Christmas Day! I didn’t take loads of photos and the ones I did take were very much in the moment and slightly blurry. 

360/365 - 26th December

There were new Stranger Things episodes and I managed to avoid all the spoilers by watching them as soon as I got up! I’ve seen people saying they weren’t as good as the previous block of episodes but I really enjoyed them.

361/365 - 27th December

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a tub of Quality Street but I have to say, I’m not impressed this year. I know there’s a big push to reduce packaging and help the planet, which I do support but I really miss the shiny wrappers. They were part of the experience!

362/365 - 28th December

This was a big tidy-up day. Presents finally found proper homes, bags were folded away and the living room started to look like an actual living room again. The sofa did need a big reset, fixing the cushions and the throw.

363/365 - 29th December

It was time to pack Christmas away until next year. This year I was so organised and wrote on the boxes where everything should go. The future me is going to be so grateful when December rolls around again.

364/365 - 30th December

I finally got around to re-watching Ally McBeal. I haven’t seen it since it was on TV back in the late 90s and wow, it’s a blast from the past. Some bits have aged better than others but I’m really enjoying it.

365/365 - 31st December

And here we are, the final photo of the year. My dress for tonight. I had options, one I liked and this one that I love. It’s sparkly, fun and it feels perfect for seeing the year out!

The best bits of 2025!

Happy end of the year!! Is it just me or did 2025 absolutely zoom by? I was looking through the photos that I have taken this year and realised I’ve already forgotten half the cool stuff that happened. So before the New Year begins I wanted to sit down and remember the good things from the last 12 months. I know I shared my favourites from the last year on Sunday but I had more and some thoughts from 2025. I have also included my favourite photo from each month. There's no order to this, just random thoughts and moments.

Ellie's 18th birthday in August was so special! She had such a wonderful day and was spoilt rotten! Everything I’d planned came together and then some. She got more presents than she expected, we went out for a lovely meal and she made a full weekend of it by heading into town with her friends for a proper night out. Watching her get ready, seeing how excited she was and knowing she was stepping into this new stage of life felt massive. The fun didn’t stop there either because her sister whisked her away for a night and a mini concert thing which they both absolutely loved.

In fact we all had amazing birthdays this year! Stu and Ellie's in August and Becky's in the first week of September. It gets no easier having 3 birthdays so close together but we did something special for each one and on my birthday in November we visited York Christmas Markets.

Since January my mindset’s gone from powering through no matter what to actually stopping to ask if something’s worth my energy. I used to think pushing myself was the only option. Now I’m much more do I need to care this much and that feels like progress!

The best meal I ate this year was steak and chips which surprises even me. I’ve never been a steak person but Stu and I went out to the pub when they had an offer on. Steak and chips for two and a bottle of wine for £30. Absolute bargain considering a bottle alone is usually about £15. The steak was cooked perfectly, the chips were proper pub chips and I followed it up with Baileys profiteroles for dessert. They were made fresh that day and I still think about them. It was one of those meals where you sit back afterwards and go that was worth it. Sometimes it really is the simple things.

Both my girls are adults now which still feels a bit surreal to say out loud. I’m learning that my role isn’t to fix everything anymore, it’s to listen, support and trust that I’ve done enough to let them figure things out in their own way. It’s hard, and I don’t always get it right but I’m trying. I’m still here just more in the background cheering them on and resisting the urge to interfere.

There were so many moments this year where I caught myself laughing with my girls and realised how much our relationship has shifted. Less mum mode and more we’re just hanging out. Baking, kitchen chats, laughing at something that probably wasn’t even that funny, all those moments were special!

Stu and I had a night away just the two of us on Valentine’s Day and it reminded me how important that is. We’re so used to being in parent mode that it was nice to switch that off for a bit and just be us. Walking, talking, eating without rushing and not worrying about anyone else for 24 hours felt like a reset.

This year I have realised that I am never going to be a domestic goddess with all my ducks in a row. I muddle through with the housework, there might be a pile of clean clothes on the dining room table most days and the living room always needs vacuuming but I'm doing my best. This house is lived in, it's never going to be a show home and that's fine!

I started doing a bit of skincare at the start of the year and shockingly I stuck with it. No miracle transformation but my skin is less dry and just feels better. That’s a win in my book. It turns out doing small things consistently actually works. Who knew?

My denim jacket and white trainers were the best things that I bought myself this year. I wore them right through the summer and felt good in them.

Becky and I had a night away and out seeing Whitney - The Candlelight Concert and we then had a lovely time. She took me to a few bars afterwards. One of them the music was too loud, full of what seemed like kids, the drinks were overpriced and they had a smoke machine which made me feel sick! I am too old for wild nights out so we ended up back in the hotel watching Wrestling on her phone.

My girls have found new interests this year and I have enjoyed watching them explore them. TV shows, movies, football, Formula 1 racing and different computer games that they play.

Not all people but some people see a line and cross so far over it that they forget the line even existed in the first place, then act shocked when they get called out on it and act like you’re overreacting. This year taught me that you really can’t control how someone behaves but you can control how close you let them get! Some folks just don’t do personal space or common sense!

TikTok stole a chunk of my life this year. I reckon I spend about an hour a day scrolling. It's not ideal but I do learn things and laugh a lot. I’ve accepted it for what it is, a bit of entertainment and a bit of learning.

Over the past year I have discovered so many new blogs to read and each day I go and read those blogs and it really is like catching up with a friend.

Some of the best moments this year weren’t events at all. They were slow mornings. The first cuppa of the day, no rushing, doing things at my own pace and sometimes even eating breakfast like a proper adult. Those mornings feel like luxury now and I appreciate them so much more than I used to.

We tried Haggis earlier in the year! I don't know what I was thinking but I thought it would be a good idea to get it as a meal with our Gousto box. It wasn't the taste which put us off, it was the texture. At least we can say we tried it now!

There was a little drama in someone's life and in the past when drama has happened I did not handle it well, I wasn't eating, losing sleep and stressing a lot! This time around the only way I can describe is I thought F**k it and F***k them! I was not going to let people ruin my peace.

Usually I would say my dad has been the biggest support to me throughout the year, he has of course been amazing but this year the teachers at Ellie's college have been the real MVP's. They have been fantastic with her, helping her get onto the course she wanted, pushing her when needed, keeping in touch with me about goings on and being a massive support when there were some issues. I can't thank them enough.

When I look back at 2025 it doesn’t feel dramatic or stressful like last year did. It feels full of little shifts, small joys and moments that mattered more than I realised at the time. I laughed a lot, learned a lot and protected my peace better than ever.

What has been a highlight from your year?

Our weekly meal plan! 29th Dec - 4th Jan! #MealPlanningMonday

Are we all enjoying the time between Christmas and New Year? It's that strange little bubble of time where I don't have a clue what day it is. There’s no routine, no alarms but it is nice to take things slowly. We’re still very much in Christmas mode until Friday and then apparently we’re meant to click our fingers and return to normal. New year, new routine, sensible meals and all that but I’m not ready. I think sensible eating can wait until the 5th. There’s no rush, and I refuse to spend the first few days of January being grumpy over healthy food! Hehehe

I didn't do a meal plan last week, it was all about our Christmas dinner. Since then we have eaten leftovers, picky bits out of the fridge and nothing much else. It was perfect! We still have lots of Christmas snacks to keep us going this week and plenty of chocolate to eat so all is good!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Breakfast for tea!

Sausages, bacon, eggs, black pudding, mushrooms, hash browns, baked beans, tomatoes and toast.

Tuesday - Corned beef hash!

A nice and hearty meal. I will add mushrooms because I add mushrooms to pretty much everything and we’ll have it with baked beans because that’s just how we like it. 

Wednesday - Party food and snacky food or a meal out.

New Year’s Eve food is a bit up in the air. Sometimes we plan it properly and sometimes we decide at the last minute, this year is a last minute thing. It could be pizza, sausage rolls, sandwiches and lots of snacky bits spread out on the table or we might go out for a meal if we feel like it. We haven’t decided yet.

Thursday - A roast dinner of some sort!

Starting the new year with a roast dinner feels like the right thing to do. We have roast potatoes, stuffing and some veg in the freezer.

Friday - Fish, chips and mushy peas.

Might be home made or it might be from the fish and chip shop.

Saturday - Home made pizza.

I will buy ready made dough and then we will just add our own toppings. I will have BBQ sauce, smoky sausage, mushrooms, onions and a little bit of cheese.

Sunday - No idea!

I have no idea what we will have on Sunday. I think it’s going to be a fend for yourself day. Leftovers, toast, freezer bits or whatever people fancy. By then the fridge will probably be looking empty and it will be time to get a food shop delivered.

What are you eating this week?

What I have loved this year!! My Friday favourites on a Sunday!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!! I am doing something a little different this week with the things that I have loved, instead of things from the past week I am picking my favourite things from my whole year and to confuse things even more I am posting it on a Sunday, usually today would be my Project 365 blog post but I am saving that until Wednesday so I can finish off the year all in one post and to be honest I wanted to enjoy Christmas with my family so this post was written a couple of weeks ago so I didn't have to worry about blog writing.

TV!

There has been some great TV over the last year, my favourite things that I watched were Squid Game, Stranger Things, All Her Fault, Toxic Town, Apple Cider Vinegar, Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, Scamanda, Adolescence, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, The Twister: Caught in the Storm, Paddington in Peru, Doctor Who, American Murder: Gabby Petito, Grey's Anatomy, Nonnas, Ginny & Georgia, Wednesday, The Traitors, The Handmaids Tale, My Oxford Year and of course all of the wrestling!

Painting my nails!

This year I made a point of doing a bit more self care and painting my nails became my little weekly ritual. I’ve been all the colours under the sun. Every now and again I give my nails a rest and it feels so strange not having colour on them. I love how something so small can make you feel a bit more put together even if the rest of my life is falling apart.

Temu!

I hate the idea of Temu but I gave in this year and placed a few orders. I always make sure to pay with Paypal as I have heard horror stories about peoples bank accounts being wiped out but they do sell some fantastic stuff at great prices. I really rate the decorations for special events like birthdays and Christmas and things to do with TV shows like Grey's Anatomy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and anything WWE. I have also found them to be cheaper than eBay and Amazon for some things, the delivery takes a few weeks so everywhere else is better for convenience.

The Country Show!

We always have such a great day at the country show that happens near us. It’s one of those proper wholesome days out with the animals, stalls, the smell of chips in the air, someone somewhere selling wooden ducks for no reason. This year the girls had their friends with them so Stu and I had the day to ourselves. We basically wandered around like we were on a day date, pointing at tractors and eating burgers at 10am. We also saw my dad and his partner there with his vintage car. He does love showing it off. Every time I see him with it he has that proud parent face. It’s very cute.

Football!

We have been right into watching the football over the last year. Newcastle United, the team we support did pretty well last season and won the Carabao cup and England's ladies did pretty well too! The Lionesses went and won the Euro's! I am hoping the men's football team does just as well in the World Cup next year.

Lots of family time!

The girls have had a busy year which means there’s been less quality family time so when we have had the chance to be together I’ve grabbed it with both hands. It won’t be long before one or both of them move out and I feel like I’m living on borrowed time having them mostly to myself. We’ve had days out, meals out, movie nights, stay at home and do nothing days and lots and lots of laughs. I love those moments where everyone is in the same room but doing their own thing but it still feels cosy and together. I’ve also spent loads of time with my dad, my brother and his family and I had a fab day out with my dad’s partner at the world’s biggest Primark in Birmingham.

Ellie's new/old bed!

I don’t even know who came up with the idea of shortening Ellie’s bed to give her more room in her bedroom but it happened and it worked! She has a metal bed frame and a couple of inches were chopped off the length and it was all put back together and it's perfect! It sounds dramatic to say it changed her life but it genuinely did. Suddenly her bedroom made sense, she has so much more floor space, a dressing table she actually uses every day, a clothes rail and even the motivation to keep it tidy. Miracles do happen.

A few nights away!

We had a few nights away during the year and every single one felt like the biggest treat. Stu and I had a Valentine’s Day away, just the two of us and it was lovely. No kids, no responsibilities, just us pretending we were young and carefree again. I had a night away with Becky as a late Mother’s Day gift when we went to see Whitney - The Candlelight Concert. The whole evening was gorgeous. We did have a week away booked in October but life happened and we decided to play safe and cancel. We still had days out though and made the most of everyone being off work and had a cheeky night away!

Gousto meals!

I have stuck with Gousto over the year, getting recipe boxes delivered most weeks. They sent out an email like a Spotify Wrapped for food and I was far too excited about it. Apparently we had 32 boxes delivered, ate 85 different recipes and explored 13 cuisines! I love how it makes meal planning easier. No more standing in front of the fridge wondering what combination of random ingredients will make an actual meal. It’s made cooking fun again and we’ve tried so many things we never would have picked ourselves.

The Garden!

My garden was a bit hit and miss this year but I enjoyed growing what I did. The sunflowers were a huge success, my tallest being about 6ft tall. My flowers did amazingly well and were still going strong well into November. I did so well with the cucumbers and my tomatoes were late coming but I grew more than a few handfuls.

Katie Van Slyke

TikTok showed me a woman, Katie Van Slyke from Tennessee who has a farm. She breeds horses and other animals and I have followed along, watching and have become so invested in her animals. Her mini goats got me hooked when they were pregnant and I've watched the baby goats being born and grow up, mini horses been born, cried when a horse died and lately I have been watching all the new born calves. Soon it will be foaling season for the horses and I am very excited.

A tattoo!

Not mine, my youngests. Ellie got a tattoo a few months ago, at the time it wasn't my favourite but it's growing on me! It's so funny but I keep forgetting that she has it especially at this time of year with her wearing long sleeved tops. She loves it and is so proud of it.

An empty house!

As much I have loved the family time we have had over the last year I have enjoyed having an empty house while the girls have been out doing their own thing, at work or with friends. They both seem to have the best social life and as much as I miss them they're not here it makes me happy they are out in the world loving life.

John Cena!

I've loved him most years, he is/was on the top WWE stars. What a rollercoaster ride the last year has been since he announced his retirement! He's been on our screens for 20 years and has worked hard. This year though, I went from loving him, to hating him when he turned bad guy and then loving him again.

Heart Musicals!

Since I discovered Heart Musicals radio station it is just about all I have listened to apart from the last few weeks when it has been Christmas music! I listen to it through the radio app on my TV. It has all the musical hits from the likes of Wicked, Les Mis, The Greatest Showman, Frozen, Chicago, Hamilton. I’ve been walking around my house, singing like I’m on stage at the West End.

What have been your favourite things in 2025?

This week my Word of the Week is: Christmas!! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

It has to be! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, whatever you were doing.

I worked through my Christmas Eve to-do list and got everything done and by teatime I was ready for a sit down. I got lots of the Christmas dinner cooked in advance so there was less to do on Christmas Day, it worked out really well.

We were up early on Christmas Day at half past seven, just in time for Becky and her friend getting in from work. Becky's friend was staying with us over Christmas so she didn't have to rely on a lift to and from work with there being no buses. We were up so early so we could all open our presents together! Everyone was spoilt rotten! The girls had a few surprises which they were happy about and so did I. I got some perfume off Stu, which I wasn't expecting, a fab Bon Jovi mug and from my dad, a tonne of bath stuff, which might seem a normal gift but coming from my dad it isn't, he is so not into girly things so it was a big surprise.

The morning was spent going through our presents, speaking to family on the phone and helping Ellie set up her new phone. She takes security seriously and has a different password for everything and never writes them down, so that was fun. It's a good job I kept a record of her login details for her bank because she didn't have a clue as she uses her fingerprint to log in to most things but when you have a new phone you have to log in to everything first before using your fingerprint.

We could have eaten Christmas dinner at midday as most of it was ready but it felt so strange to be eating that early on Christmas Day, so we held off until about 2pm. It was just Stu, Ellie and I as Becky was still sleeping for work. I'm blowing my own trumpet here and I have to say the Christmas dinner was one of the best I have ever made! We ate our fill and then relaxed for the afternoon.

Just after half past five, Becky and her friend were up and out of bed and were ready for their Christmas dinner. I always think I am just an OK cook and I get nervous cooking for other people, but the friend said the food was amazing! Phew! I also made them a packed lunch to take to work full of picky bits like pork pies, sausage rolls, chicken bits and things like that. They loved it and were so grateful as there would have been no buying snacks from the shop with it being closed. It might even have convinced Becky that packed lunches are a good thing and she doesn't need to spend money each evening at work buying food. Hehehe.

Yesterday we spent the day doing nothing much at all apart from watching the new episodes of Stranger Things. We slept until late and ate lots and we didn't even bother getting dressed properly. It was the best PJ day ever!

How was your Christmas? I hope it was as wonderful as ours. I don't think Anne is hosting her Word of the Week linky this week but I do like writing these posts.

Doing nothing! Our Boxing Day routine!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day! Ours was lovely. We were up early to open presents with Becky when she got in from work and the day was spend doing nothing much apart from watching TV, eating and exploring our presents.

Boxing Day in the UK really comes in two very different flavours. There’s the out in the wild version where people voluntarily go on chilly morning runs, take part in Boxing Day Dips in the freezing sea, head to pubs packed with football fans yelling at screens and then there’s my version of Boxing Day. The quiet, cosy, no one speak to me unless it’s about snacks or a TV remote version.

The day always begins with a lie in because we have no plans for today. There's no need for any sort of alarm clocks and we sleep until we wake and roll out of bed, whenever our bodies decide it's time! Then the most important part of the day begins: changing into the Boxing Day outfit and by outfit I obviously mean brand new pyjamas that I received yesterday, fluffy socks and oversized hoodies are all encouraged too. Usually Stu has the cheek to suggest getting dressed properly in case we go out later and the rest of us will just stare at him like he's suggested something truly crazy!

Breakfast slowly merges into brunch or even lunch. It will be nothing fancy, I'll grab a croissant, they are a boxing day treat and cover in in leftover cranberry sauce. I will also find myself nibbling on cold roast potatoes every time I walk through the kitchen and pigs in blankets and mini sausage rolls. Today will be all about the leftover food. Sandwiches stacked with turkey,  stuffing, cranberry sauce, the Christmas trifle and the snacks never truly stop with bowls of crisps, mince pies and there is of course all the tubs of chocolate which I always overbuy because I panic that we’ll run out (we never do).

The afternoon tends to be one long, cosy stretch of nothingness. We will watch a lot of TV. Boxing Day becomes catch up day watching the Christmas specials we missed yesterday, then we move on to films we’ve seen 37 times but still love and Stu will be watching the football, shouting at the TV like the players can actually hear him.

By this point I’ve lost all sense of time. Is it 2pm or 7pm? Who knows and who cares. I’m still in my pyjamas and staying this way until bedtime and while I could be sensible and make something light for dinner, not a chance. Boxing Day is all about round two of Christmas dinner. I always enjoy the Christmas dinner on Boxing day as I haven't had to stand in the kitchen for long and the microwave does all the work. Turkey, stuffing, mash, veg will all be reheated to perfection. The plate looks very similar to yesterday’s just slightly messier and without the pressure of everything needing to be served nicely.

Today is all about not rushing, no pressure, just comfort, leftovers and the kind of laziness you don’t even feel guilty about. It's the one day a year where doing nothing feels right!

What do you have planned for today??

Merry Christmas! Here’s a little note from me!

Here we are, Christmas Day! Can you believe how quickly it’s come around again? One minute I was wondering if it was too early to buy mince pies and now here I am, last night with the turkey cooking in the oven, a glass of bucks fizz and my Christmas pj's on.

I won’t keep you long, today’s all about soaking up the magic, eating far too much chocolate before noon and spending time with your favourite people. Whether you’re surrounded by family chaos, enjoying a quiet festive day or somewhere in between, I hope you find a moment to take it all in and feel that cosy glow that only Christmas brings.

If you’re reading this today here’s to you! May your day be filled with laughter, good food and maybe a nap that lasts just long enough to wake up in time for pudding. I hope your Christmas is everything you need it to be: joyful, peaceful and a little bit sparkly. Now go on get back to your celebrations! I’ll be doing the same, probably wearing a paper crown at a very questionable angle and wondering if there’s room for just one more roast potato.

Wishing you and your loved ones the merriest Christmas and a new year full of lovely things.

With love,

Kim xxx

My Christmas Eve to do list!

Christmas Eve has a mix of excitement, chaos and always a little panic about losing a present that I hid so well. For me it's the day where everything comes together, the food, the gifts and a day when I feel like I never sit down. Every year I make a Christmas Eve to do list. Not because I’m that organised but because it keeps me from getting swept up in the flurry of glitter and mince pies. My family do help but this year it's just Ellie and I home today. Eek!

On my to-do list today is:

Cook the meat!

As soon as I get up I get on with cooking the meat. This year I am cooking a turkey, gammon and beef joint. The hours it spends cooking are worth it just for the smell wafting through the house. It might seem like a lot of meat but we all don't like the same things and the joints are not huge!

Visit the farm shop!

Every year I visit the local farm shop for the vegetables! Somehow, the carrots, parsnips and sprouts taste better from here than anywhere else, the farm shop is way better than the supermarket as they never run out and everything seems bigger and fresher! I always say that I am just going for veggies but always end up buying chutney's, pork pies and sweet treats!

Prep the veg!

Back home and it’s time to get the vegetables prepped. Carrots, parsnips, sprouts, potatoes and so on. I will peel and chop everything ready to cook on Christmas day. This is where I feel organised but at the same time slightly overwhelmed.

Make party food for tonight!

While the turkey is doing its thing in the oven I think about tonight. It’s Christmas Eve which means picky bits and snacks for tea. Mini quiches, pizza, cheese straws, chicken on sticks, corndogs, all the usual suspects. I will cook it all in the air fryer. I like to keep it simple and maybe sneak a little taste of everything along the way because I never make time to sit down and eat lunch.

Make a trifle!

I don't know how this tradition started but as a child there would always be a home made trifle in the fridge over Christmas and a big one! A layer of jelly with sponge fingers, custard and cream are essential for a proper trifle. Making it is as much fun as eating it. I always think of the trifle from the TV show Friends, mine won't have the beef or peas. hehehe

Wrap the last of the presents!

This isn't my job, it's Stu's. There are a couple of bigger presents which need wrapping and some extras that I recently bought that never made it to my pile when I was wrapping.

Tidy a little!

Before the festivities truly begin, I like to do a quick tidy. Not a full on spring clean, that can wait until January but a little decluttering to make the house feel festive and welcoming. It’s amazing what a few minutes of putting things in drawers, fluffing cushions and wiping surfaces can do.

Drink fizzy wine!

This deserves its own step because it’s basically my Christmas Eve fuel. Whether I sip it while prepping vegetables or just standing there like I waiting to do something, it makes everything more festive and by this point I’ve earned it.

Set the dining room table!

Christmas dinner might be tomorrow but setting the table early gives me one less thing to worry about. I like to go all out with festive napkins, the best cutlery and of course Christmas Crackers. This will be a job for Ellie but I know I will go and rearrange everything to how I want it. Oops.

Have a soak in the bath!

After all the running around I take some time to relax. A long soak in the bath is my Christmas Eve treat for myself. I throw in a bath bomb and will put a face mask on. 

Put on Christmas PJ's!

After all the prep I finally get to slip into my Christmas pj's and make my family wear theirs too. I will spend the next 10 minutes trying to get a photo of us all.

Bring the presents downstairs!

I try to bring all the wrapped presents downstairs tonight and put them all in piles for everyone to open in the morning! Seeing the piles makes me so happy!

An early bedtime!

Finally, as the clock creeps closer to bedtime I do something I never do and go to bed early!

What do you have planned for today?

Winter comforts I can’t live without!

Winter is not my favourite season, I am always complaining about the cold and I hate it. So I thought I’d round up the winter comforts I absolutely refuse to live without. The little things that make the season cosy instead of cruel.

Blankets!

Let’s start with the obvious: the blankets! There isn't just one because I need options and I need layers. There’s the fluffy one, the knitted one, the weighted one that threatens to pin me to my armchair forever. Each has a purpose and I love each one for different reasons and at least with having more than one I don't have to go without a blanket while one is in the washing machine!

Hot drinks!

Tea is lovely all year round but a cup of tea in the winter just hit's different and then there’s hot chocolate! Whipped cream, marshmallows and if it doesn’t look like a dessert I don’t want it. Winter drinks are like a warm hug for your soul.

Candles!

You’d think I’m hosting a séance some evenings with the amount of candles I light. They are needed though. The scented candles are mood lifters and winter is when they are needed. Vanilla, cinnamon, mulled wine, pine and cookie scents. My living room smells like Santa’s workshop at times and there’s something magical about that warm glow on a dark evening.

All the comfort food!

Winter meals are an excuse to eat things that involve potatoes in three different forms. There's stews, casseroles, soups so thick your spoon stands up on its own and the bread! Winter bread is different. Crusty, warm and slathered in salty butter. Then there are the slow cooker meals, they make the whole house smell amazing and take little effort to put together. There is also the baking! Cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls and gingerbread, the smell alone is comfort enough.

Pyjamas!

Nobody thrives in winter wearing tight jeans and proper clothes. hehehe It’s the season for soft, slouchy, oversized pyjamas that make you wonder if you should ever wear proper clothes again. I’m talking fleecy sets, fluffy socks, sometimes slippers so squishy that it's like a hug for your feet. Some days I stick a hoodie on over my pyjamas and pass it off as loungewear and if delivery drivers judge me I don't care, they’re out here in shorts in December anyway so they can't be trusted.

Hand creams and lip balms!

Winter does awful things to my skin so hand cream becomes a survival item. I keep one in every room and I’m forever applying it like I’m in a skincare advert.

Evenings in with zero guilt!

In summer if you stay inside people look at you like you’ve committed a crime but in winter everyone just nods in understanding. One of my favourite winter comforts is the do nothing evenings. When it gets dark early and the house gets warm doing nothing feels productive. It's self care! 

Seasonal TV specials and films!

Winter TV is the best with the Christmas specials, snowy dramas and heart warming comedies! These shows are just different when the evenings are dark and the blankets are ready. I have a list every year of must watch specials and there’s nothing more comforting than knowing your winter evenings are already planned.

Long hot baths!

Winter is the season when baths become a must. I throw in bubbles, bath bombs, oils, salts whatever I can find like I’m a wizard mixing potions. I love that moment when the bathroom is warm and I sink into the water thinking this is luxury!

Winter walks!

This one surprised even me but winter walks have become one of those comforts I didn’t know I needed. Not the freezing ones where your face hurts but the crisp, still mornings when the air feels fresh and your coat actually does its job and when I get home where it's cosy and warm a cup of tea is extra special.

What are your favourite winter comforts?

What we will be eating for Christmas dinner! #MealPlanningMonday

This weeks meal plan post is a bit different from other weeks because It's Christmas!! This week we will be living off party food, Christmas dinner and leftovers so I thought instead of boring you with the meal plan I would share what we will be eating on out Christmas Dinner!

If you’ve never had a proper British Christmas dinner let me tell you it’s not just a meal, it’s an event! This is the roast of all roasts, the one we plan, prep and slightly panic over for weeks in advance. The kitchen looks like a war zone, the oven works harder than Santa’s sleigh and by the end of it all we’re full, happy and swearing we’ll never eat again until pudding shows up. I go into full on festive feast mode with every type of vegetable, gravy that flows like a river, and enough food to feed the entire street and still have leftovers for sandwiches the next day.

Starting with the most important part: the meat!

The star of our Christmas dinner is always the meat. This year we have 3 joints of meat. Turkey, gammon and beef! It might seem a lot but we don't all like the same things and we have an extra person with us for Christmas. Everything will get eaten or put in the freezer to use at a later date. Speaking of freezers by now I should have got the meat out to defrost!

The vegetables and lots of them!! 

The vegetables at Christmas dinner are a big deal here and there are many!

We’ve got roast potatoes, they’re golden and crispy on the outside with a fluffy inside. Then there’s mashed potato, buttery and smooth. Some might say having both roast and mashed potato is overkill. Those people are wrong!

We also have roast parsnips and carrots. Brussels sprouts are mandatory even if half the family swears they hate them. Boiled and then fried up with a bit of bacon, they make an appearance every single year because it just wouldn’t feel right without them. There’s also cauliflower cheese, it’s basically cauliflower baked in a creamy cheese sauce until it’s bubbling and golden on top and just to make sure every colour of the rainbow’s covered, there’s red cabbage: cooked with vinegar and apples and mashed turnip, which adds that lovely earthy flavour. It’s a proper mix of textures and tastes with a bit of sweetness here, a bit of creaminess there. Every forkful is different, and that’s what makes it special!

Pigs in blankets!

If you’ve never heard of them, they’re little sausages, we usually use chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon and roasted until crispy. They’re bite sized, salty and absolutely addictive. In our house, they disappear faster than the Christmas chocolates. They’re the perfect mix of savoury and smoky, and no matter how many I make there are never any left. This year I have also got some pre-made ones wrapped with maple streaky bacon! Yum!

Stuffing!

Stuffing is another area where I go slightly over the top but that’s part of the fun. We usually have a few varieties: a sage and onion stuffing, a chestnut one and sometimes even a sausage meat version. I also treat us to a fancy stuffing from M&S. You know the ones, the gourmet style ones with things like cranberry, apple or caramelised onion mixed through. It just adds that little touch of luxury to the plate. You can always rely on M&S to make the humble stuffing feel posh. Everyone has their favourite so it’s only fair to have options.

The gravy!

Finally we reach the most important finishing touch, the gravy! It’s not just a drizzle, it’s a necessity. Christmas dinner without gravy would be like a tree without lights. Some people go all out with homemade turkey stock and drippings but I’ll admit, I’m not above a good gravy granules shortcut. I always make sure there’s plenty. By the time we’re done the plate’s basically swimming in it and that’s exactly how it should be.

Drinks and laughter!

Once everything’s plated up, we raise a glass usually Bucks Fizz, that perfect mix of orange juice and prosecco. It’s light, fizzy and makes the whole meal feel extra special. The table’s full of chatter, paper crowns from the crackers and someone pretending they’re too full to eat pudding but change their mind when they see it. 

Our Christmas dinner might sound like a lot and it is but that’s the whole charm of it. We cook too much, eat too much and spend half the afternoon in a food coma but that’s what makes it magical and the bonus is that we live of the leftovers for a few days so I don't have to cook!! 

What will you be having for Christmas dinner?