Hello December.

And we wake to a carpet of snow.

Photo by Stephan H. on Unsplash

Hello from a snow dusted Northumberland.

It started on Tuesday evening, as I ventured into Newcastle city centre for a writers roadshow. There were mumblings about a low turn out due to the weather forecast. “What is the forecast?” I asked the lady next to me as she offered a glance at her phone, displaying a yellow warning for snow. I hadn’t checked the weather forecast this week as homework, late emails and admin had kept me from looking. I do not like driving in snow and ice and so my adventure to Newcastle was now tinged with a worry of “how am I going to to get home?”

At 9pm, I stepped out of the Tyne Cinema and looked up to the sky. Gentle white flakes were floating down, suspended momentarily above my head. They fell slowly, as the sounds of Christmas surrounded me while I walked through the market stalls, still open even at this time of night. Christmas had arrived in the city.

This set the scene for the rest of the week, and as we welcome in the 1st December today, I am in full Christmas mode. Perhaps you aren’t there just yet, that’s fine, but whatever your take is on the first day of December, I am sure you are starting to feel those cosy vibes, dreaming up warm hearty meals and planning for the busiest time of year.

Advent calendars were excitedly torn open this morning and chocolate eaten before 7am (a sure sign December has arrived) and songs sung at breakfast.

I wrote this Substack last year about how to make an activity advent calendar, if you are looking for some inspiration. All super easy and cheap ideas to see you through December.

This month I will be…

Celebrating our wedding anniversary on the 4th and my birthday on the 5th. We have booked at table at The Treehouse in Alnwick, for a meal for two. My parents are going to be babysitting the kids and I am excited to see the Treehouse all decorated with fairy lights and an open fire which will be so cosy. It will be a luxury to eat without chopping up someone else’s food, wiping messy cheeks and rushing through our meal as you so often end up doing when dining with young children.

There will also be Christmas plays, church concerts, usual after school clubs, family walks, table decorating workshop and last minute shopping. It is busy. It is full on. But I love this time of year. And I have made all the required prep to make sure I can enjoy this month as much as possible. Christmas cards and the majority of presents have been bought. I have been storing food since the beginning of November to my secret Christmas stash, like a squirrel preparing for winter. Tomorrow we are putting up the Christmas decorations and preparing our home for winter. I love this.

Keep your cool this month…

Well, actually wrap up warm. But keep your cool when it comes to all those jobs on your to-do list. Ask for help, Avoid social media when the overwhelm becomes too much. Plan nice treats for you as well as the kids. Get outdoors as much as possible, feeling that cold December chill on your cheeks. Bake. Cook. Slow down. Read. Watch Christmas films. Listen to amazing Christmas playlists. Laugh. Dance in the kitchen while your kids are still young. And, congratulate your children on their outstanding performance as door holder number three in the school Christmas play. (Have you seen that cute video of the little boy who has actually been given this role?) This year Phoebe is a sheep and I already can’t wait to see her singing with her costume on.

If you haven’t yet signed up to my “Once Upon a Bookshelf”, now would be a great time to consider upgrading your subscription as I fill your December with seasonal meal planning, cosy home suggestions and short stories, to help you unwind as each weekend approaches.

This week has been a mixed bag of ups and downs. I lost two clients due to funding cuts and was panicking about Christmas and the holiday we had just booked. Then, a brilliant meeting yesterday has filled me with hope again. This freelancer life really is a rollercoaster. 🎶And I’m just gunna ride it 🎶 I think it can help to pause at this time of year, to re-charge and make space for inspiration. I already have one big project idea that I can’t quite pin down. I am hoping the break over Christmas will help inspire and these ideas are going to come to me then…

Now would be a great time to thank you all for reading my Substack this year. I have big plans (as ever) for 2024 and can’t wait to see what everyone else gets up to. Thank you for reading.

Keep sparkling, look after yourself and enjoy this festive period as best you can - however that may look for you.

Lots of love,

Beth x