This post contains affiliate links. Wool Jumper, £69 I spend a lot of time throughout the year thinking about Christmas. I’m that guy. I start buying presents as early as January, making mental notes of things people didn’t get for Christmas I knew they wanted, or what they liked from other people’s festive …
This blog post contains affiliate links. Every year I tell myself I don’t ‘need’ any more Christmas decorations. But early November it arrives and that small niggling voice saying ‘go on, just have a quick look at John Lewis’ selection…’ arrives soon after. It’s closely followed by an internal argument about the fact I …
I firmly believe the roast potato is the King of the Christmas Dinner. Perhaps it’s because I’m a vegetarian and everyone else’s King (the devil on horseback) doesn’t land on my plate, or perhaps it’s just because years of practise, trial and error have lead me to a recipe that creates the perfect roast potatoes, …
Most of you know will know by now that to me the wrapping of a present is just as important as what’s inside. Aside from decorating the tree, Christmas gift wrapping has to be one of my favourite tasks of the entire year. After last year’s semi-rustic brown paper wrapping scheme I wanted something really …
Full disclosure here: I start my Christmas shopping in January. In fact if truth be told, I never really stop it. Throughout the year I pick up pieces as and when I see them, as ideas pop into my head or as I’m visiting somewhere. For some the very idea of that is enough to …
My family isn’t overtly religious, but there’s enough of an undercurrent of belief there with my mum to mean as a child we had the kind of Advent Calendars that didn’t contain a foil wrapped chocolate treat behind each square but rather a picture of an object vaguely related to the Nativity. “Oh look …
Last year I made a pact with myself to start making more of the presents I was giving in an attempt to reduce the amount of things I bought at Christmas. It’s not that I don’t love the huge array of things out there to buy, but that it just feels so much more satisfying …
When I made the move back from London two years ago I was adamant I had to have a place with a guest bedroom. There was going to be long weekends, filled with friends who’ve made the journey up to Newcastle to visit. I’d make them epic breakfasts, they’d revel in the glory of …
I’ve often thought that my true calling in life was actually as a present wrapper. The reality of this not really being all that much of a feasible profession has held me back from pursuing the dream. In an attempt to make up for this I go all out with my Christmas wrapping. There’s even …
Like clockwork my Christmas tree always goes up on the first Saturday of December. It’s a ritual I’m very particular about and I take it very seriously. I’m going to warn you of this from the get go. The week leading up to Saturday I begin to dust off the decorations from their resting …
