Blogmas Day 11:Christmas shopping tips!!

I finally started Christmas shopping today and almost completed it....

Check me right out.

I still have my parents to get (pretend you didn't read that mum...I have one thing for you, please dont look in the gnome bag in my room,one of your small things is in it)but beyond that I'm nearly done. 

I've also broken my rule and kinda know what I'm going back in for next Saturday, so fingers crossed all should be well!

If anyone has still got loads to do and is starting to panic...here are my top tips for surviving Christmas shopping with little time to spare. 

1. Just accept that the first few shops you go into will be complete and utter duds - time is short, you will probably need to panic buy and you're not actually sure where to start....that first shop will probably no come through for you...its also possible that the next three or four wont either...and thats totally fine....honest!!

2.  Don't shop for a demographic... I'm quite guilty when I'm pushed for time I go...well he's a guy so he'll like this...she's elderly, that'll work....within less than 5 minutes, I've gone back to that rail or shelf and put whatever item I've picked up back exactly where I found it...I always try to imagine me as the person I'm buying for when I chose presents and if I'm not doing a smiley face in my day dream....I don't buy it for them. 

3. Take half an hour out to regroup - Yes, you have a limited amount of time in which to shop, yes the shops are so busy its taken an eternity already but there reaches a stage in the proceedings where you begin to wilt, you need to pee, you need to refuel and get some form of beverage inside of you......take half an hour, grab a drink, part your bottom on a seat and watch the world go by, return to your list and have a think about where to go next.  Enjoy the stillness for a moment before you set off again.

4. Go home when you hit the wall - hitting the wall is a little different from wilting.  When you get mid way there is always a little bit of reserve left, that last push you know you have in you before your body can't take it anymore.  Once your body reaches that stage, go home.  You've done brilliantly up to this point.
Sure, there are still a few people on the list and a limited amount of time to find something for them, but you've had enough.  Go home, rest and get researching online before you dive into the shops at the next possible available moment.

5.  Most importantly - don't panic.
You've got this. 

I forgot to take a Christmas-y picture today...so theres a picture of me as a Disney emoji instead.....

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Blogmas Day 9 and 10: I'm rubbish

Missed a day again! I'm rubbish....

I also planned to start my Christmas shopping today and didn't, again I'm rubbish. 

I tell a lie....I ordered something off etsy for my friend Nicole tonight,which may or may not arrive in time for Christmas!

I've mentioned before a few days ago that I tend to leave my Christmas shopping to the last minute and that I thrive on the pressure, but It occurs to me that I only actually have one more weekend in which I can shop because the next one is Christmas....yikes!!

Tomorrow my aim is to actually do some Christmas shopping, write a decent blog post and also to put my tree up in my room. 

Our living room tree is in the picture above....decorated by Mum, with zero help from me.......I'm rubbish. 

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Blogmas Day 8: Christmas Movie Quotes

At time of typing, I can currently watching the original Miracle of 34th Street from 1947, which I'd never seen before.

'Oh Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind, and that's what keeps changing'

That quote jumped out at me... almost 70 years later, it's still pretty strong. 


Christmas movies have some of my favourite movie quotes...


The Grinch is full of them

"Hate hate hate, double hate, LOATHE ENTIRELY"
"I myself am having some Yuletide doubts"
"Blast this Christmas music, it's joyful and triumphant" 
"One man's toxic sludge, is another mans pot pouree, I dunno it's some kind of soup"

It's a Wonderful Life

"What do you want Mary, you want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a laso around it and bring it down, say, that's a pretty good idea, I'll give you the moon Mary"

"Atta boy Clarence" 

Flint Street Nativity 
"She's not Mary, I'm gonna be Mary"
"Go on, dares ya"

Muppet Christmas Carol 
"Mother always taught me, never eat singing food"

Home Alone
"Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal" 

Elf

"Santa!!! Sandra's coming! I know him! I KNOW HIM!"
"Buddy the Elf, what's your favourite colour?" 


Those are just a few of my faves.
The tree above is from 4 or 5 years ago and belongs to my aunt!! 

Tomorrow, a Christmas night out! 

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Blogmas Day 7: Christmas shopping

If I got money every time someone asked me if I was all set for Christmas and all my shopping was done, I'd have enough money to buy myself lots of expensive presents.

I know plenty of people who have it all done and dusted or know exactly what kinds of gifts they need to complete their list....

I can't operate that way.  

I have to happen upon a gift while browsing shops, I have to see it and decide on impulse, if I forward plan, it doesn't work.  

I end up with something generic or not quite suitable and end up shoving it in a cupboard somewhere in the hopes it suits someone else and just go out shopping again until I get it right. 

It's only the 7th day of December, so I still have time before any sort of panic has to happen, but I also can't bring myself to do Christmas shopping in advance.  I'm a last minute girl, I thrive on the pressure of knowing I have a very limited amount of time in which to find the perfect gift....it helps me bring out my A game! 

I could use my Mum as an effective case study for my method, she always says she doesn't ever get a bad present from me and the vast majority of her presents are chosen within a very last minute time frame. 

I actually blame my family for my lackadaisical approach to Christmas shopping - Mum and Dad both have a  birthday in November and my brother is five days before Christmas.  Add to that for future gift buying that my two Nephew's are also in November, which means I have 4 close family members all with a birthday shortly before Christmas.  You don't want to use up all your ideas on a birthday present and be completely unimaginative at Christmas, but equally you don't want to skimp on a birthday present either.  

If you need me during the week before Christmas....I'll be visiting several retailers for gifts and inspiration!

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Blogmas Day 6: I'm a Rory.

I recently started watching the Gilmore Girls revival....A Year in the Life - I'm only two episodes in at time of writing..no spoilers please. 

I've been a long time Gilmore Girls fan, I think I was around 14 or 15 when I saw my first episode after my mum had discovered it on one of our cable channels, we watched the series right through.......then when it ended about seven years later....we watched the whole series right through again.....and again....and again. 

We became word perfect, we have scenes we watch over and over again, we have scenes that we just can't watch, we have quotes we slip into every day conversations that make no sense to anyone else unless they too are a Gilmore Girls Fan. 

I even named my ukulele Paul Anka after Lorelai's dog (who was named after the singer...yes I know,I'm nuts). 

If you've never seen Gilmore Girls - do so - it's a tv show about a mother and daughter who live in a very unique small town, their lives, friendships, relationships and their family.  

It wasn't until watching one of the new episodes tonight that it occurred to me that there are similarities between myself and Rory - not purposefully, but I can see where I've followed a similar path. 

We both chose degrees and careers where our key skill set involves writing. Although Rory is a journalist/writer and I work in marketing, the key element to our bread and butter is in writing engaging and interesting copy. 

We both have a love of reading, I'm not sure I'll ever read as many books as Rory but if she wasn't a fictional character, I'm sure its a hobby we'd bond over. 

We both have had periods of uncertainty where what we are doing with our lives hasn't been abundantly clear, a lot of mine was documented in the earlier posts on my blog and have both found a way out of what period and navigated an improved path for ourselves. 

We both rely heavily on sarcasm and pop culture to navigate our way through human interaction and friendship. 

I wish I had her striking blue eyes and her wardrobe but I'll settle for being like minded. 

Although this post isn't very Christmas-y, some of my favourite episodes of Gilmore Girls have been Christmas or Winter orientated...so I've decided it totally counts!!

I'll be less rubbish tomorrow :-) 

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Blogmas Day 5: Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I know it's only the fifth of December but Christmas is almost in full swing already....Christmas services have started, Christmas shoppers have descended upon retailers, office parties are about to take place and lights are everywhere. 

If you weren't paying attention, you'd think it was Christmas Eve with the sheer volume of Christmas decorations. 

Everyone has there own marker for when it's officially Christmas for some its the Holidays are coming advert, for some its the John Lewis Advert, for some its when the lights go on, for some its when Eastenders comes on during Christmas Day or when the office closes.  Mine has moved around over the years.

One of my favourite things to do as a kid was to go with my parents, just a few streets over and view the lights of once house in particular - everyone knows someone who goes overboard with their Christmas decorations and one family a few streets away from me, really did go to town. 

There was Santa waiting by the Chimney, lights on all the greenery and shrubbery in the garden, decorations scattered around the outside of the house...Christmas songs booming loud and proud from a speaker and even a television pushed up against the window playing Christmas films.....it's been such a long time that I doubt the same family even live there, and if they do, they don't go to the same extreme.

There was something very magical about that house, not necessarily the lights and entertainment, but the sense that they loved Christmas as much as I did, gave me all sorts of happy feelings as a kid and made me feel like Christmas was right around the corner. 

My offical 'Christmas is here' feeling kicks in now just after my brother's birthday on the 20th.  Don't even get me started on having a sibling with a birthday in the same week as Christmas - most annoying!

The Upsidedown tree pictured above belongs to my friend Lorna - it's fab!

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Blogmas Day 4: Welcome Home

It's been a busy old weekend.  today my mum and I spent the evening with our friends who recently returned home from abroad after living in another country for several years.

We had hot chocolate (well everyone else at the table did, I had Irn Bru) and went to see some Christmas lights. 

It was both lovely and surreal to see them, their children are older now than they were the last time we saw them so it was strange to have a change from how I've seen them in my head over the years while they've been gone. 

It was a nice reminder that with friends, it doesn't matter how often you see each other, what matters is that when you do see each other, nothing changes, 

Welcome home x

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