My Little Christmas

Have a very merry Spanish Christmas

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:54:00 +0000

The night before Christmas

Throughout Spain Christmas Eve is one of the most jovial times to stroll through the streets of cities and towns. Neighbourhood bars and cafés all stay open into the early hours, hosting intimate gatherings for family and friends. No gifts are exchanged and there is no Santa Claus. Instead the gift-giving happens on the 6th January during Epiphany ─ another religious holiday.

Tasty Christmas tapas

For the uninitiated, the first part of a Spanish Christmas is tapas. A delectable starter selection that features tasty morsels like jamón, queso y chorizo (ham, cheese and Spanish chorizo sausage) along with crusty fresh bread – ideal for nibbling before the main course.

A tasty and easy starter is langostinos con salsa rosa (large prawns with pink sauce). This recipe couldn’t be easier, with prawns cooked in a spicy pink sauce consisting of mayonnaise, ketchup and Tabasco.

An alternative to salsa rosa is a romesco vinaigrette, made from garlic, Spanish olive oil and vinegar. This complements seafood and a light salad perfectly. Are you eager to understand the essence of Spanish culinary words? Immerse yourself with a course at CLIC, visit www.clic.es.

Primer plato

Primer plato means the first plate. This is literally a warm up to the main course, with soup being the typical fare. Consider sopa de pescado y marisco (fish and shellfish soup), a traditional favourite in beach-side Andalucia. A more creamy variety is sopa de carabineros (creamy prawn soup) and esparragos blancos (white asparagus spears that are delicate and creamy in flavour, having never seen the sun.)

Segundo plato

The second plate normally consists of deeply satisfying and stodgy meat and potato-based dishes. Try patatas fritas or potatoes that are lightly doused in olive oil and baked for a long time. Also, cordero asado (roast lamb) done with a rich and herby infusion of flavour. For balance, have a green salad as an accompaniment.

Postre – dessert

Finally is the deep sigh of satisfaction, as tummies are allowed to settle before the grand finale. Traditionally, a Spanish Christmas finishes up with desserts like polvorones (almond biscuits); turrón (Spanish almond sweets); and mantecados (a delectable crumble cake).

Toasting to Christmas and having a good night is best with some Spanish cava or Rioja wine, and a great resounding cheer of “Feliz Navidad” (Merry Christmas).

If you’re a culture vulture and want to learn more about the fascinating Spanish language, check out some enriching and enjoyable Spanish courses in Spain, and make the dream a reality.

Useful links

BBC Good Food Spanish Recipes
More delectable, tried and trusted recipes from the BBC

Taste test: Spanish food
The Guardian goes on a journey to find the best tapas and Rioja

Christmas traditions in Barcelona
The Barcelona tourist guide

The Birth of the Christmas Stocking: A Time-Honoured Tradition

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 10:36:24 +0000

What is it about family traditions that open the floodgates of our memories and warm the cockles of our hearts? Most often observed during a holiday, traditions learned during childhood are carried into adulthood without question or missing a beat.

Mum’s special stuffing – always the same every year, dad’s life-sized Santa standing by his sleigh and reindeer up on the roof, and Christmas stocking toes filled with a big navel orange.

I may not have the big ole Santa on my roof, but I still make my mum’s stuffing every
Thanksgiving, and a stocking is not a Christmas stocking unless the toe is plumped up with an orange.

Do you ever wonder where your family traditions began? I’ll bet if you asked your parents, the answer would be “because that is what my parents did.” We need no other explanation; hence the tradition lives on.

The Christmas stocking – my all-time favorite tradition – has quite a compelling past and although each story has the same happy ending, the specifics change from country to country.

Legend has it that the tradition of filling stockings with gifts started back in the fourth century when a kind nobleman, with three marriage-minded daughters, was too poor to pay their dowries. Saint Nicholas heard of the father’s despair and stopped by their home one evening. Everyone was already in bed; peeking in the window, St. Nicholas saw the daughters’ stockings hanging by the fire to dry. He climbed on the roof and threw three bags of gold coins down the chimney into the daughters’ stockings so the dowries could be paid. The girls were married and they all lived happily ever after.

As the story traveled around the world and through the years, it was twisted and tweaked, as stories often are. In some countries, stockings were replaced with shoes - some as empty vessels ready to welcome small gifts, cookies or candy, and some filled with gifts for the giver.

In Holland, wooden shoes are left by the fireplace filled with hay and a carrot for Sinterklaas’ horse, which is replaced with gifts during the night.

The French version dates back to when wooden peasant shoes were worn by the children, who placed them by the fireplace waiting to be filled by Le Pere Noel.

In Italy, shoes are left out the night before Epiphany, January 6th, as opposed to Christmas Eve. Instead of Santa, La Befana, the good witch, is the bearer of surprises.

The children in Hungary shine their shoes until they can see their expectant faces in them, and then place them near a door or on a windowsill to be stuffed with treats.

In Puerto Rico, small boxes are filled with flowers and greens, and then tucked under the bed for the Three Kings’ camels.

In Canada, it is tradition for Santa to stuff the toe of stockings with oranges (hmm…), and in China children hang stockings made of muslin, which are filled by Dun Che Lao Ren.

Here, in America, it seems bits and pieces of these traditions have weaved their way through the ages into our homes, all starting in the 1800’s with Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement Moore Clark and illustrated by Thomas Nast.

Today, the tradition of the Christmas stocking, although glittered with yet more tweaks and twists, carries on. The anticipation when hanging that empty stocking is the same; the happy ending as you tear into the delights inside is the same. Santa still earns his cookies and milk - the difference is in the stuffing.

Stockings, once filled with little toys, fruit, nuts, cookies, and candies, are now filled with iPhones, diamond earrings, the occasional set of car keys, and gift cards for a coveted Babolat tennis racquet, leather jacket, or snowboard.

Although Santa has upped the ante from trinkets to high end treasures, the romanticism of the Christmas stocking remains the same at every age.

For me, digging my way through the gifts and the walnuts, to the orange – the grand prize – conjures up memories of Christmases past; always warming my heart, maybe bringing a tear or two as I remember my mum, and never ceasing to turn the corners of my mouth into a big smile.

How about you? What is the one thing that finds its way into your family’s Christmas stockings year after year?

Suzi Martel, founder of In Suzi’s Words, is a freelance lifestyle writer, from Southern California, who has a passion for writing informative, entertaining copy on a variety of topics such as; sports, exercise, healthy living, and caring for others.

Exploring The Meaning Of The 'Twelve Days of Christmas'

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:50:43 +0000

Many people will recognise the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ as a traditional song sung during the festive season, but have you ever stopped to consider what you’re singing about? Obviously, the song is talking about Christmas and the seasonal holiday, but the different aspects of the song also have other meanings that can be linked back to Christianity.

Of course, most Christmas carols have their roots in religion as Christmas is after-all a Christian holiday. The song is thought to have been published for the first time in 1780 in England, but other sources suggest it actually originated in France.

The twelve days that are referred to in the song are actually the twelve holy days in Christianity, which begin on the 26th December and finish on 6th January. These holy days have a lot to do with pagan rituals as well though, as they’re intrinsically linked to astrology - the night between 24th and 25th December is supposedly a Holy Night when the sun (seen as Christ in Christianity) begins its journey from north to south.

In the middle ages in England people spent the twelve days enjoying glorious feasts and celebrations. People still follow the twelve days of Christmas tradition today in the UK - Boxing Day (the first of the twelve days) is a national holiday and people always take their Christmas decorations down on 6th January (the twelfth day).

Returning to the song though, it’s thought that it might have been written to help youngsters learn about the Catholic faith during the time in which it was outlawed as a religion in England. There are a number of supposed meanings for the lyrics in the song as well, for instance, the partridge in a pear tree can be seen as Jesus, the two turtle doves could be the Old and New Testaments of the bible, the three French hens could be the three kings that appeared at Jesus’ birth, and the six geese a-laying could be the six days that God spent creating and populating the Earth.

The lyrics for the Twelve Days of Christmas song aren’t set in stone though, as there are a number of variations. The variations include different gifts sung about in the song, and in the USA the song opens with the line ‘on the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me’, whereas in the UK the singer’s true love ‘sent’ the gifts to them.

The connection with France stems from a song published in 1855 called ‘Le premier jour d’l’année’ or ‘Les Douze Mois’ which has very similar lyrics to the English Twelve Days of Christmas song, making many believe that the English version is a butchered copy of the French one. The French lyrics refer to (once translated) partridges, turtle doves, ducks, dogs and rabbits, and the song progresses in the same way as the English version. There are also other songs originating from Scotland and Australia that bear an uncanny resemblance to the song, but no one knows for sure which one came first.

While there’s no definite meaning or understanding of the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, why not have a guess at what each gift means when you sing it this Christmas?

This guest blog was contributed by Paul Burkin a freelance writer who enjoys the festive season and often blogs about where to find the best Personalised Christmas Cards.

The smile has ‘Christmas’ written all over it!

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:27:30 +0000

The smile has ‘Christmas’ written all over it!

I’m trying to hold in the excitement!

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:25:48 +0000

I’m trying to hold in the excitement!

10 great Christmas foodie inspirations

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 13:00:23 +0000

Tis the season to stuff your face. This year, why not do it in style with some posh nosh that you feel really proud to have on the table. Here’s ten ways to inject some luxury into the ten days before Christmas.

1. Prosecco Party Time

What’s Christmas time without popping open a bottle of bubbly amongst friends and work colleagues. As the working calendar slows down for you (hopefully), it’s prime to cheers and see the world the way it was always intended to be seen – as an effervescent orb of fun and mischief.

2. Duck Terrine Delights

Take the most succulent and tasty parts of an animal, and whiz them together with a decadent array of herbs, cream, potato and gelatine. After it’s set, serve the terrine with crusty fresh bread and dips. This is yet another gratifying starter, that settles people in for a night of foodie enjoyment. Vegetarians shouldn’t fret, terrine can come in all manner of varieties from pea and asparagus, to the gorgeous chestnut and ginger.

http://pixabay.com/en/appetizer-canape-canapes-cheese-20572

3. Cheese Platter Combos

A delectable selection of cheeses can really kick off social gatherings on the right note. Forman & Field do delectable cheese platters. Add contrast to the tart and bitter flavours of particular cheese varieties with sweet and juicy grapes, pomegranate seeds and cherries. Adding a touch of the Mediterranean to your Christmas gatherings is a wise idea. It makes for great nibbling and grazing fodder for those bovine lazy afternoons.

4. Mince Pie Magnificence

Where would Christmas in Britain be without granny’s favourite – the humble mince pie. For many people, these little babies are the true essence of Christmas. You may eventually tire of the fruity mince flavour of orange peel, maraschino cherries, mixed spice and so on, but until then, try some pre-emptive festive cheer.

5. Cold Meat Connoisseur

We’re not talking about a drab breaded ham from the supermarket. Get creative and go left field with cold selections of meat that include venison, spicy parma ham, proscuitto and German or Polish sausage.

6. Saucy Minx

Use a wide selection of sauces, dips, glazes and dressings on meats, salads and everything else that can be eaten. Normally, a ”less is more” Zen approach to food applies; forget this at Christmas, and tumble head first into ruinous and gluttonous flavour combos. Ask questions later.

http://pixabay.com/en/balls-christbaumkugeln-glaskugeln-65333

7. The Epic Gingerbread

Gingerbread comes in countless permutations and can be flexible enough to become a table decoration, tree decoration or stocking filler. It’s arguably just as tasty as chocolate and probably healthier too.

8. Macaroon Madness

‘Macaroon madness’ takes a normal lounge room environment and adds colourful petite fours and macaroons, some wine and several hungry people. Pretty soon it’s a whirlwind of bedlam in there, and later on, only crumbs remain.

http://pixabay.com/en/oily-olives-paprika-feta-cheese-58745

9. Liqueur Licence

Pairing all of the delectable morsels with the right wine can get a bit dull. Instead of doing this, take some tangy and refreshing liqueurs in citrus flavours like apple, lime and orange and leave them on the table along with ice and soda water.

10. Opt for a hamper

Preparing a huge meal doesn’t need to be a hassle on Christmas day. Instead, opt to have Christmas hampers full of goodies delivered straight to your door. Perfectly cooked and ready for the table.

Resources

Festive Winter Holiday Treats

Further inspiration about how to make Christmas unforgettable for the kids.

BBC Christmas Recipes

More tried and tested Christmas recipes

House to Home Christmas

House to Home’s novel and beautiful solutions for Christmas decorating, gift ideas and home crafts.

Photo

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:09:14 +0100

Christmas Gift Suggestions

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:02:11 +0100

To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.

Image source

59 days until Christmas! Are you counting too?…

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:47:32 +0100

59 days until Christmas! Are you counting too?…

Time to get ready for the festive season

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 10:28:45 +0100

The countdown has almost started and with just over two months until the day we have been waiting for since last year, it is time to get on with the preparations! If you are those who like to receive people in their home for Christmas, start planning now to make sure your guests will mark the date on their agendas. Let your family and friends know that you will be hosting the festivities (as usual?) so you can get organised.

Preparation is everything

Maybe it is time to change your menu and to add something to the turkey-followed-by-christmas-pudding traditional dinner? But to make sure it is still perfect, make a few dry runs before in the next two months.

If you want to have a choice when it comes to decorations, like those little angel name holders, you might want to start tracking them before everyone else invade the shops. By shopping early, you can compare items and get the best ones without the stress of the last minute rush.

Presents and chocolates will be hitting the shops soon too, so then again don’t wait to get them. You will take more reasoned decisions now than in a couple of months. This also means that you will be able to enjoy the run up to Christmas with a more relaxed attitude without having to run with everyone else. There will still be things to get nearer the time, so get what you can out of the way as soon as possible!

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients...

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:26:49 +0100

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas” - Peg Bracken, American author of humorous books on cooking, housekeeping, etiquette and travel (1918 - 2007)

Give Your Home and Office an Attractive Look with Luxury Christmas Trees

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:19:54 +0100

With Christmas approaching, everybody can feel the festivity in the air from the very beginning of December. During this time, we all get busy cleaning and decorating our homes and offices, buying gifts, new clothes, and more. This is also the best time for the service and retail industries to gain profit. Therefore, to attract more people, they spend a large amount on the luxury Christmas decorations

Almost all offices, malls, hotels, and other commercial centers across the globe use commercial Christmas trees and luxury Christmas decorations to mark the celebration of the holiday season. But finding a commercial Christmas tree is a difficult job because they are usually big and artificial, so they are not easily available in regular stores. Have you ever thought from where do these commercial centers get such huge commercial Christmas trees and how do they manage luxury Christmas decorations?

Get commercial Christmas trees and luxury Christmas decorations

At present, you will find lot of rental businesses in your own locality that offer a complete Christmas package. It includes a large Christmas tree and various luxurious and pretty decorative items. If you don’t want to venture outside, you can simply login to the Internet and search for the best rental business with offers that suits your requirement. You will find commercial Christmas trees in various sizes and designs. Nowadays, it is also possible to place an order for a Christmas tree from another country.

These rental businesses not only rent out the commercial Christmas trees and luxury Christmas decoration services, but also offer after festival services in which they pick up the tree and other pricey decorative products. So this way, these commercial centers can stay hassle free and concentrate on their business.

Rent Luxury Christmas decoration services

The skilled interior designing professionals from the selected rental businesses can change the look and feel of your place with their expertise and luxury Christmas decorations. The lavish products for decorations include variety of Christmas displays like Moore lights, Lake Country Christmas, Mint Julep Christmas and many more. Moreover, the lamppost decorations, banners, and Christmas bows also add beauty to the luxury Christmas decorations.

The Tree

The Christmas decoration is incomplete without a commercial Christmas tree. These trees are available in different sizes, shapes, colors and hues, and even wacky varieties like LED trees, colored trees, flocked trees, and fiber optic trees. These skillfully decorated, huge commercial Christmas trees are placed both outside and inside commercial centers along with other decorative ornaments and toys.

The luxury Christmas decorations also includes variety of commercial Christmas tree accessories like tree toppers, tree skirts, Christmas ornaments, wreaths, and tree stands. So, don’t waste your time and start browsing for commercial Christmas trees and luxury Christmas decorations online.

Keith Kirkham works for christmas tree hire. However, his keen interest in creative writing has inspired him to write on different topics. Apart from his job, He also loves story writing, travelling, and clicking pictures. The luxury Christmas decorations during Christmas excite him a lot.

Creating a Wreath out of Christmas Cards: A How-To

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:24:15 +0100

Guest post by Erin Levine

What you’ll need:

One 10-inch Styrofoam wreath
40-50 Christmas cards
Superglue or hot glue gun
One package of thumbtacks or toothpicks
Pencil
Pair of scissors
Decorative ribbon

As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to start thinking about decorating your home. This can be an expensive and often time-consuming process, although it’s certainly fun to turn your home into the perfect holiday scene. One inexpensive way to decorate for the holidays is to create a wreath out of Christmas greeting cards and Christmas invitations that you have received in previous years. This is an eco-friendly and fun activity to do as a family, and a way to showcase the cards that you have received from friends and family members over the years.

Begin by choosing 40-50 Christmas cards that you want to use on the wreath. Adjust accordingly if you would like a larger or smaller wreath. If you have many leftover cards, perhaps you can make multiple wreaths with different types of designs. Use scissors to cut the backs part off of the Christmas cards.

Create a stencil of a holly leaf shape measuring about 4 inches long, with either curved or jagged edges, out of cardboard. The paper should be thick enough to allow for tracing around it many times without damage to the shape. Trace a line around the holly cutout onto each of your Christmas cards and cut out the holly-shaped card with a pair of scissors. With superglue or a hot glue gun, glue a thumbtack or toothpick ½ to 1 inch in length to the bottom of each holly leaf so that the point sticks outward. Set aside until glue is dry.

Next, take a 10-inch Styrofoam wreath and place it on a flat surface. Insert the “pins” on each of the holly leaves into the Styrofoam in a circular pattern. Play with them a bit until you have the best arrangement. Ideally they will overlap a bit, and there will not be any blank spaces on the wreath that are not covered by the cards. Repeat and rearrange until all of your cards-turned-holly-leaves are fastened to the wreath in just the way you want them.

Tie the whole look together by putting some ribbon around the outside edge of the wreath. This isn’t a necessary step, but it adds some visual interest. The color choice is yours but both silver and gold ribbon add sparkle to a Christmas card wreath. Simply wrap the ribbon around the perimeter of the wreath and cut it at the right length. Dot the back of the ribbon with a very small amount of glue and press it down until the outside edge is covered. Allow the wreath to dry for two to three hours. Glue a large, decorative Christmas bow on the very top of the wreath. The bow should be just like one that you would use on a present.

Hang your new Christmas card wreath in a place in your home where it will be easy to see. Not only will you have a great decoration for the Christmas season, but your wreath will mean something special to you as you remember all of your friends and family when you pass by it.

Erin Levine is a copywriter for PaperStyle, an online retailer of whimsical Christmas cards, bridal shower invitations, and everything in between. She loves blogging about Christmas all year and is very excited for November to roll around so that she has an excuse to deck out her place in Christmas decorations!

DIY - Christmas Baubles

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:28:00 +0100

I’ve just seen this Christmas tree decoration and I think it’s a great idea for decorating the Christmas tree this year.

Image Source

It’s very easy to do; the material you need is:

- 2 or 3 metres of twine

- 1 Christmas bauble

The steps you need to follow:

1. Start from the bottom or the top of the bauble and wrap the twine around it.

2. That’s it!

You can also use other materials different to twine such as yarn, strips of felt or moss.

This is only one idea but if you are interested in DIY Christmas baubles decoration ideas, you can check this post. They have amazing DIY ideas for decorating Christmas baubles.

Eco-friendly and original Christmas tree.

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:10:33 +0100

Eco-friendly and original Christmas tree.

Don’t let it be lonely this Christmas Harry Potter...

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:18:00 +0100

Don’t let it be lonely this Christmas

Harry Potter didn’t have a family to go back to at Christmas time; the festive season should be spent with friends & family.

Many families around the World have their own Christmas day routine, but some people in this World aren’t lucky enough to have any family left. Don’t let them be forgotten - make sure you’re with your loved ones and appreciate the company you find yourself in!

Give to receive, eat (and drink) well, spoil yourself, spoil others, smile, laugh! These are just a few things that you should be doing this festive season - but the most important of all is to love.

(Only 192 days left!)

Contributing Through Charity Christmas Cards

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:18:00 +0100

Everyone knows how important charity work is – particularly at Christmas time. Charity donations tend to be higher throughout December than they are during other months of the year, buoyed up by the sense of Christmas cheer and goodwill to all men. Unfortunately, with the rapidly shrinking global economy, budget is playing an increasingly large role in the amount of money people have available for charitable donations. This is where charity Christmas cards come in.

The major strength of charity Christmas card companies is in the relatively low cost of the products that they sell. A single pack of charity cards can cost as little as a couple of pounds, and allows the purchaser to give a little bit back to a deserving charity, at the same time as spreading Christmas cheer among friends and family. Instead of having to set aside a specific budget for charitable contributions, buyers can save money on a commodity that they were always going to buy (Christmas cards are one of the UK’s top Christmas traditions) and contribute to charitable causes at no extra cost to themselves.

However, care must be taken when looking to purchase charity Christmas cards. As anyone who has read a major national newspaper around the holiday season will probably know, not all organisations selling ‘charity’ cards are quite as generous as they may seem. The Charities Advisory Trust publishes the ‘Scrooge Awards’ report each year, discussing which organisations donate the lowest proportion of takings from their charity cards. Some of the companies named and shamed in the Scrooge Awards have in the past-contributed percentages as low as 4% - although this is becoming less common, as more notice is being taken of the Scrooge Awards’ results.

The 2010 Scrooge Awards fingered Cards Galore as one of the least prolific contributors, forwarding amounts as low as 4.2% to charitable causes. Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and Clinton Cards, on the other hand, were commended for setting aside at least 20% for the causes they promote.

Obviously customers looking to invest in a pack of charity Christmas cards this year will want to ensure that their hard-earned wages aren’t simply going towards lining the pockets of business owners who aren’t following through on their promises to support charities. Before you spend a single penny on the high street or online, be sure to research your charity of choice thoroughly – and a great place to start is with last year’s Scrooge Awards.

One charity card company known for donating honestly to a wide range of charity organisations is Cards For Good Causes. They sell cards, not just through local outlets and volunteer stands and stalls across the country, but also through the Internet. This makes it far easier for busy customers to purchase charity cards in a time frame that suits them, without having to plan a trip into town to buy from a shop during traditional opening hours.

Cards For Good Causes pledge to donate at least 75 pence out of every pound from charity card sales, and from the range of national and international charities that Cards For Good Causes work with, you can pick a cause that really resonates with you. Whether it is sheltered animals, fostered children or victims of cancer, you can choose to donate to the charity that you feel the strongest connection to.

In spite of the bad publicity generated by a number of unscrupulous companies, you shouldn’t be discouraged from contributing to good causes through charity Christmas cards. With careful research and planning, you can be sure that your money is going to a truly deserving charity, which lets your Christmas cheer spread that little bit further.

How Much Weight Would Santa Put On Each Christmas? You...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:08:00 +0100

How Much Weight Would Santa Put On Each Christmas?

You wouldn’t be the first person to look at merry old Saint Nick and think, hey, he could stand to lose a little weight. Cutting back on sweets and snacks wouldn’t hurt – he must put away a few tons each December. If he’s not careful, it’s bound to have quite an impact on his health and his physical fitness so I’d imagine he has a strict diet and is a regular member at the North Pole gym for the rest of the year. This infographic produced on behalf of Virginia Hayward, shows exactly what would happen if Santa ate all of those treats that are left out for him each Christmas Eve.

Tradition dictates that every household that celebrates Christmas should leave out a snack and a little tipple for Santa each year – so every December, Santa wolfs down mince pies, chocolate cookies, Christmas pudding and shortbread, all over the world. To wet his whistle afterwards, he also gets frosty glasses of milk, whole pints of Guinness, shooters of sherry and mugs of hot chocolate.

That’s not the healthiest of Christmas meals, is it? It’s bound to take its toll on his body, too – those eight hundred million houses’ worth of snacks equate to over three hundred billion calories! Some how though, year on year Santa doesn’t seem to gain or lose any weight – he’s the same size as he ever was, isn’t he? It’s a mystery how he manages to maintain such a consistent (if slightly unhealthy) body weight.

Well, it’s a mystery that we’ve solved – the old boy’s secret is nothing more than exercise, just like you or me.

Twenty seven thousand measly tons of weight gain isn’t enough to keep Santa from doing his job. His exertions on Christmas Eve, be that in jogging back and forth across rooftops or leaping up and down chimney after chimney, help him to shed over a hundred billion of the calories he takes on throughout the night. So if you’ve ever wondered where Santa spends his time between Christmases, then wonder no more. He’s probably up to his eyes in dumbbells, working hard to get his waistline under control in time for next year!

297 Days and Counting…

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:38:52 +0000

So Christmas day 2012 is only 297 days away. Sounds so long, right? Well I can bet you that it will come a lot sooner than you think; before you know it you’ll be pushing and shoving past people whilst trying to get all of those presents for friends and family (then you’ll have to get them all wrapped!). If you’re hosting anything through the festive season, you’ll find yourself stocking up the cupboards with plenty of food and drink.. And probably more drink!

We’ve reached the 3^rd month of 2012- the last bit of the 3^rd quarter. Before you know it, summer will be here! But once that’s gone, that’s when the rush will start. So why not be prepared this year? Did you make any New Year’s resolutions to do with your finances? Well the more prepared you are for Christmas this year, the more pennies you will save.

So what can you do to get prepared? If you spot a little gift that you know a certain friend or family member would love, get it. This will show that you can put thought and care into your gifts. If you spread out your outgoings throughout the year rather- than the last few months- your bank balance will be a lot healthier than your belly will after Christmas!

When it comes to food and drink, you obviously can’t go buying lots of party food in March- but if you’re getting presents out of the way from now to December, you can relax a lot more. Alcohol is normally at its cheapest during the festive season, so by not having to buy too many presents in December, you can enjoy lots more eggnog - or any other preferred beverage!

Perhaps you could start making gifts. If you have a crafts hobby, you could make little things for people, such as necklaces, bracelets, scarves, mittens etc. This may take more effort than buying them, but the gifts will be unique and have a lot more meaning to somebody who receives it. You could quite enjoy making little gifts throughout the year, and it will cost a lot less than buying them from a shop.

So maybe it’s about time you started thinking about Christmas- no matter how silly it sounds. Get prepared; it will come back around before you know it!

My Top 5 Christmas Songs

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:43:47 +0000

As we’re nearly 2 weeks into the New Year, Christmas is starting to feel like it was a long time ago. So let’s reminisce and look back at the festive songs that blessed our eardrums, as I choose my top 5.

5. The Pogues – Fairytale of New York (1987)
This classic song by Irish punk group The Pogues features British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song isn’t exactly the happiest Christmas song, as they sing about their youthful hopes crushed byalchoholism and drug addiction, as they reminisce and bicker on Christmas Eve. The track was number 1 in the ‘VH1 greatest Christmas song chart’ three years running, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

4. Chris Rea – Driving Home for Christmas (1988)
This single by Chris Rea never really made it in the charts, but is recognised as a classic Christmas song and has been covered by many artists including Michael Ball, Saint Etienne, Stacey Solomon & Joe McElderry. In my opinion, like many things, the original is still the best.

3. Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas? (1984)
Band Aid was a charity supergroup founded by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for anti-poverty efforts in Ethiopia. The song became the UK best-selling single in history until 1997. In 1989 a new version was recorded by ‘Band Aid II’ and became the UK number 1 single for 3 weeks, but failed to make as much historical recognition as the original. Then in 2004, ‘Band Aid 20’ was formed (again by Bob Geldof, along with modern artists and a handful of the original artists) and became the UK number one single for 4 weeks.

2. Coldplay – Christmas Lights (2010)
This is the most modern Christmas song on my list, and I believe it could well become a classic in the future. Classic Christmas songs are rare to come by nowadays, with TV shows like ‘The X Factor’ normally dominating the Christmas charts. This is the first Christmas song in a while that has actually felt ‘Christmassy’. I believe this song will be a classic in the years to come.

1. Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody (1973)
“IT’S CHRIIIIISTMAAASSSSSSSSS!!” This is my childhood favourite. The excitement and energy of this song never fails to get me feeling festive. The track beat ‘Wizard’s’ ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’ for the UK Christmas number 1 spot respectively, and has been number 1 in the UK for a total of 9 weeks.

These are my top 5 Christmas songs, but everybody has different tastes. So what would you say your top 5 would be?