The simple art of giving...

I have been thinking ahead to Christmas. Not this Christmas, but next Christmas.

It will be a quiet Christmas this year.

We are staying home for the first time in years and are very much looking forward to it.

No long car journeys, no uncomfortable silences when someone says something they shouldn't have around the dinner table and no clothes.

Uh huh - that's right...no clothes.

I will be wearing my pj's for Christmas this year...all day long.

Mainly because I can no longer fit into most of my clothes and I refuse to buy maternity clothes.

I am making do with stretchy items and borrowing things which is working so far, but rocking up for Christmas day wearing an over sized man's shirt and questionable leggings would I'm sure, be frowned upon.

So, it will be a quiet Christmas, which also means we have not had to go out and spend a fortune of our money, time and sanity on shopping.

I really do hate Christmas shopping.

Not at all because I am a scrooge, but because the meaning of Christmas (to me) seems to disappear further and further away each year.

I feel almost bullied into purchasing pointless rubbish which is 'supposed' to show I care.

I have the happiest Christmas when I spend time with loved ones, eat too many roast potatoes and listen to Christmas carols by candle light.

Yet I feel embarrassed if I turn up at a friends house without a gift usually over packaged in way too much plastic.

So I have decided, that next year, I will go green.

I'll still wash and won't go and live in a tree or something - I just mean that I will try to give gifts that are home grown or home made.

It sounds easy enough but it is actually quite a difficult task when I think about it.


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I have some box cuttings that are growing away in the greenhouse, which might make nice sized plants by next year.

 

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I have some white cyclamen that I could carefully dig up and pop

into a nice pot.

 

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I could go pine cone collecting and make some

wintery mobiles.

 

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I could print these cute little seed packets and create a personal selection of flowers, herbs and/or vegetables that I know a loved one liked.

 

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I could snip some greenery from the garden and make some pretty (if somewhat short lived) decorations. 

 

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 Plant some paper white or amaryllis bulbs in an old china cup or dish.

 

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Make a nice festive cake, ideally with cinnamon. Mmm Cinnamon. Mmm Cake.

 

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So my aim for this Christmas, next Christmas, Christmas in general is to... 

 

 

 

Good Night x