Christmas Traditions I Can't Be Without...

It is my favourite time of year and I've been excited since the 12 week mark. Now I only have 24 hours to go until it is socially acceptable to be beaming like the Angel on top of the Christmas tree for the festive season will be OFFICIALLY upon us. At the ripe age of 26, I may not be unable to fall asleep on Christmas Eve anymore (I'm sure being legally old enough to drink has something to do with that)...or wake up at 4am and clock watch until you know you won't get told to go back to bed, but I do get terrifically excited about all the little things that snowball into Christmas Day. Starting with...

1. My Old School's Christmas Market

I have been attending like it's a religious tradition since before my sister and I even attended secondary school and the last Saturday of November is still marked for the Bromley High School Christmas Fair. A mixture of independent craft stalls, the kid's corner and the infamous Bottle Tombola really kick off the festive feeling and tick a few off the present list too. Almost as legendary as our darling Head of Maths Mrs Smith who stood on stage every year promoting 'Bottle's Eve' in elf hat and shoes to collect bottled-beverage donations that would be sold for 50p raffle tickets. Where else can you get a bottle of wine for 50p??* 

*Adult supervision required, of course. 

2a) My Christmas Tree

With fierce opposition that it can be installed in the month of November, invariably the 1st of December is booked in my diary for this monumental occasion. Having moved in with my lovely man last year on 1st December itself, we had our first domestic spat around 19:28 when his idea of 'decorating' involved Dulux and a roller and mine involved baubles and tinsel. We learnt the meaning of compromise that night. 

2b) Hen's Christmas Tree

My mother has been the Queen of Decorations since I can remember. Every year it's a 5 day task to complete the house with at least two Christmas trees (one gold, one red & blue), wreaths, stairways and mantelpieces garnished with swags. I'm even heading back home specially next weekend to lend a helping hand. Cue the CD player for...

3. Michael Buble's Christmas Album

On repeat. Since early November. And it never gets old. Best moment of Festive Season '15 so far? Turning onto Oxford Street to see the lights for the first time with "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" bellowing through my headphones. Just try to not smile. 

4. Santa Clause The Movie

It's elf-explanatory: An oldie but undeniably a goodie (thank you Dudley Moore). It is a firm favourite on the podium along with The Holiday and Home Alone. I'm glad I'm not alone in this excitement (although the DVD collection is seriously lacking in comparison) as my good friend shared this on Facebook (thank you CC):

And thank you Sky Movies for the new and welcome 'Christmas' selection that appeared mid-November. 

5. The Radio Times

Grab me a highlighter, fetch me the blanket and let's spend an hour or two scheduling the next 10 days of back to back TV entertainment. Forget about time talking to loved ones, I need to know exactly which Christmas specials I need to fall asleep in front of. Particularly excited for Downton Abbey and whatever Dickens adaptation it is this year. 

6. Turkey

I have one friend who refuses to eat turkey at any other time of the year apart from Christmas Day. That is discipline I can admire. Me? I'm first in line when Pret releases its Christmas menu. This year I've upped the ante and even made a Friday Christmas Lunch ritual amongst the team at work - we divide and conquer all of Baker Street's eateries for their Christmas specials and rank them in order of deliciousness. Thank you so far to M&S Hot Counter, Pret a Manger, Benugo and Eat. Still 3 more Friday's to go before the big T day itself.

7. Carols, Nativity, Church

A friend of mine is getting married on the 12th December (Twelve Twelve...I like it)  and has chosen Christmas Carols during their church service. Now that is just utter genius and I find myself tempted to feature them in our Order of Service despite the 1st of July wedding date. Whether you go to Church or not, you have to admit they know how to do festive well. Bring on the hilarious children's nativity, Christingle, carols and candles. 

To do? Or not to do?

As a Millennial Child, I take for granted my very hectic daily life having been born and raised in the age of technology.  It’s only when I can get away from the city and look out over the Lincolnshire fields (crucially with no phone reception), can I stop and think about how busy my life is in that moment of peace. Being hooked up to my phone like it’s a life-saving IV drip is where the problem starts. I’m reading everywhere that you should implement a 7pm ban on all technology (phones, TVs, laptops, tablets…anything with a blue light) to allow the brain to switch off and to ensure a more restful and reenergising night’s sleep. FAIL 1; it’s 19:57 as I glance at my screen and I’m still yet to catch up on this weekend’s X Factor. FAIL 2; it’s the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see in the morning thanks to the Alarm function.

‘No Signal’ and ‘No Service’ are signs that generally make me panic – what will I do?? I generally make myself 100% contactable at all times, keeping my finger on the pulse of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and not to mention my two personal email accounts. Having recently switched from iPhone 5 to the new (and very gorgeous rose gold) iPhone 6, I realised that I must check my inboxes (at least) every hour for when I don’t, it ends up looking like the M25 traffic has been redirected.

I am the Queen of to-do lists – creating a mountain of tick-sheets and buzzing reminders of my phone – I get a real kick out of feeling efficient and organised. But I’ve realised that in every aspect of my life I’m trying to run such a tight ship that I’m in danger of losing myself to constant mundane chores to the point of needing to schedule my own ‘down time’! Every morning I wake up I see pop-ups and reminders that follow me around my day; from the mountain of housework to do around the house, or DIY or repainting the scuffed walls to walking past Tesco and mentally recalling what shopping I need to do that week. On my way to work, I’m putting on make-up (shameful but it gives me 10 extra minutes in bed and that’s worth the stares), checking work emails, calling Estate Agents (house hunting is a joy) or booking various appointments (hair / eye test / bank) to make the most of every minute I have outside the office. When I sit down at my desk and aside from the stack of papers beckoning the next 8 hours of my life away, I see a tray of vitamins that I wish I would take every day, the Berocca I should wash it all down with, the hand cream I should be applying morning and evening … the list is endless.

What I’m trying to fight now (by writing this post) is my inner desire to be uber efficient at all times whilst feeling an overwhelming sense of failure. So here I wish to test a theory – my own theory to help prove myself wrong. I want to write a list of everything I wish I would do on a daily basis and see how much time I would have left at the end of it all to actually ‘live’.

Respond to alarm and get up early > Drink glass of room temperature water (Gwyneth’s advice) > Brush teeth > Floss teeth > Mouthwash > Wash Face > Exfoliate twice a week > Shower > Shave > Apply serum followed by moisturiser > Moisturise body with oil followed by lotion > Style hair with GHDs or Babyliss Curling Wand > Apply make-up > Weigh self and record in MyFitnessPal app > Have hearty, nutritional breakfast at home (poached eggs or porridge) > Record Breakfast in MyFitnessPal > Make home-made lunch (soup, salad, sandwich or pasta) > Pack snacks for day > Pack gym stuff > Use FitnessFirst App to plan workouts > Call Mother > Take vitamins > Drink Berocca > Drink 8 glasses of water throughout the day > Apply hand-cream twice a day > Survive a day at work > Abstain from a Diet Coke crave at lunchtime > Log all spending on MySpendingPlan > Record Lunch in MyFitnessPal > Exercise after work > Have a break from computer screen every hour > Arrange social diary with friends > Plan meals for rest of the week > Log in FitnessFirst App > Read a book on tube home (Stylist if it’s a Wednesday) > Cook from scratch nutritional meal (never happens!) > Watch something interesting on TV or catch a film (my indulgence for the day) > Write something for me > Laugh > Snuggle up to my beloved > Lights out at a reasonable hour.

Considering I put a limit on how many items one can have on their task list at work – managing expectations is 70% of my job – in this instance, it’s clear from the above, I am setting myself up to fail…

Have you guessed by now that one of my things to do today was write a blog post?

Life 5 Years after a Fashion Degree

In the 12 months that followed graduation from Nottingham Trent University I was in a complete state of denial. Denial that the fun party days were over and the 'real world' and all it's fun responsibility, financial woes and daily grind was beckoning. I even penned my woes in a column 'Life After A Fashion Degree' which was published in the university magazine, Platform. Clinging on despite now residing 135 miles away. With three friends still living the dream thanks to 4-year courses, MAs or having returned from a year in industry, I had the perfect base to relive a few wild nights. The silver lining? At least I could afford the shots I drunkenly ordered at 1am.

5 years on I am in the swing of my new 'grown up' bubble; a rewarding yet demanding job, domestic bliss with a man that I even enjoy doing the weekly food shop with and more nights in on the sofa than I care to admit. 

So take the 25 year old me and put her back in the scene of my 19 year old self in Nottingham's wild student days for a weekend, what will happen? I can't quite imagine sitting cross-legged on the floor of Oceana refusing to let the night be over, or throwing myself into the thick of a foam party in EQ (sorry Jumpin Jacks or whatever it is called this week) and let's hope there's no undignified call history the next morning. Meeting up with 3 of my housemates from the Fresher's heaven of Sandby Halls (the fact that current students won't even know 'Sandby' due to demolition possibly sets the tone for feeling old and nostalgic) to celebrate one of their 26th birthdays makes me think that if this weekend were a film, it might be a little similar to 'Last Vegas'. 

So whilst I ignore the scene of the midlands flying past whilst I sit on the train, I'm thinking off the top of my head a few things I want to do whilst reliving my student days this weekend!

1. Sit in the Orange Tree and remember all the hours and halloumi burgers consumed by project work over the course of 6 semesters. Also whilst missing the best barmaid to ever work there and her awesome Cosmopolitans!

2. Tour the key sights; the new SU, the library, student shop, Victoria Centre, Market Square, Lace Market, the Premier Inn, the Arboretum, the tram stop and the police station (don't ask). 

3. Cocktails with a view at Saltwater. 

4. See if we can still stomach the £1 glass of wine at the Blue Bell. 

5. Let the alcohol in my body demand a Big Mac meal without the guilt. 

6. Visit Nottingham Castle (shamefully it would be my first time)

7. Discover a secret room in Coco Tang with a bag full of refresher sweets as a reminder of the night. 

Thirty. One. Thirty-One.

January is often the month associated with empty pockets. Sound familiar? With the early pay day in December leaving us all gasping for the next and the present buying from that bigger-than-ever Christmas list weighing down on our credit card balance, we can be forced into a state of eating own-brand supermarket food and spending nights in front of the tele. Dry January - whether you've given up alcohol or not - is not the most likely time for extravagance and opulence. However, just before the month was out, the Letley Ladies had the perfect excuse to toast 30.01.15. 

Afternoon Tea at the Dorchester was a long-awaited treat for four granddaughters and their grandmother. The occasion was indeed even more special. Our beloved Grandfather, husband to my Gran for over 60 years, sadly passed away in November last year and on the 30th of January, what would have been his 84th birthday (in a place that was also the same age), the Letley Ladies celebrated in his honour. And a birthday celebration requires champagne to start. 

Cheers Grandad!

The waiter began the feast by serving a round of perfectly linear finger sandwiches; smoked salmon, roast chicken, egg & cress, tuna mayonnaise and cucumber & cream cheese. How funny it should be that with five options on our plates, each one of the five Letley ladies should all, by chance, pick a different sandwich to begin our tea!

"Thank goodness we are different enough not to have picked the same!"

As afternoon teas go, with a 2:1 ratio of sweet to savoury, the acceptance of another round of sandwiches was a greedy decision we all soon came to regret. With compliments from the chef, a little mint chocolate cup to refresh our palettes began the slip into sugary heaven. 

We should have known better. Before we knew it the tiered stands before us became slathered with sweet things. Scones and jam were about as far as I could go despite the eye-arousing display of mandarin macaroons, chocolate & raspberry roulade, beetroot & walnut loaf, coffee mousse and coconut & mango sponge. 

With a menu of nearly twenty teas, it varied across our party from 'The Dorchester' (the house tea which my Gran was delighted with), to the more traditional option Earl Grey (I may be predictable but it was more delicious than ever) to some more experimental requests for leaves from far-off shores that were rather tricky to pronounce! With a never-ending supply of our chosen tea, we were fed and watered like Queens!

Did I mention the sparkly icing?

With the ivory tiles twinkling in the background, the service was everything you would expect from such a prestigious establishment. Hats, tails and waistcoats galore, the fabulous pianist Sam even took requests - Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin" was a special request for my Gran. 

It will be our special request to repeat this new tradition on an annual basis to mark 30.01.1931. Thirty. One. Thirty-One. 

(And that's 364 days to burn off the calories consumed!)

Monday Morning

There are lots of things you can moan about on a Monday morning. They're universally disliked. The faces on the London Underground around me say it all; hate the rain, it's cold, I'm tired, why did the weekend go so quick?!

However I'm making a positive spin on this autumnal Monday morning, giving in to the oncoming festive season, with a retrospective on the last 12 hours. (Did I mention my Christmas shopping is well under way?)

Torrential rain overnight whilst laying in bed getting inspired by interior decor ideas on Pinterest cosily under a duvet watching...

Boxsets. Orange is the New Black to be specific. The first of many series to be watched during the dark evenings drawing in...

With the central heating chugging away for the first time in months. Tootsies being warmed on the underfloor heating whilst my hands are...

Cradling a mug of something hot and sweet. A great lure out of bed along with the fleece dressing gown and slippers. Both getting reacquainted with the morning ritual before opening the doors to...

The winter wardrobe. So pleased to have said goodbye to the dress and sandal season. Goodbye pasty legs. Goodbye bingo wings, you're now safely under wraps. Hello boots / socks under boots / thermals, you'll help me... 

Battle the elements. Bring on the winter coat and fur scarf. Snug as a bug in a rug. 

 

Afternoon Bubbles

The Jones Family Project, Shoreditch

Had an amazing Wednesday afternoon meeting with my uber-cool East London design agency. And what better environment to talk creative than a creative edgy one such as The Jones Fanily Project. It ticked all the Shoreditch boxes; exposed brick, eclectic menu, mismatching chairs, sparkly lights in your indoor tree(!) and fantastic selection of kitsch art scattering the walls. 

Over a feast of the best appetisers - Cornish Crab, Quinoa Fritters, Fillet Steak Tartare, Truffled Mac'n'Cheese, Corn Bread, Feta Cheese, Watermelon & Melon Salad - the energy levels were stoked. This place had a great atmosphere; a place where working peeps came to chat and be slowly transitioned by the dimming lights and forgotten 90s tunes turning up on the sound system into a relaxed Friday night vibe. On a Wednesday. 

Now with most places, it's estimation can with go up or down depending on the ladies powder room. Marked by a big red lipstick mark over the door, the quirks continued. The best was this...

Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

And loving the Aesop products - hand exfoliating wash = genius!!

Would love to go back to this place. Suitable for colleagues, friends, family. As they claim, "food, drink and great times". Great times indeed. 

www.jonesfamilyproject.co.uk/