Our Christmas as kids was pretty simple. From where I stood anyway perhaps It didn’t feel that simple to my parents. Financial pressure and the same pressure to make all the littles happy. Yet there didn’t seem to be so many extra things to tick off the “Christmas Bucket List” that everyone seems to have these days.
It was kind of basic our Christmas but we absolutely adored it.
Wake up earlier then normal, excited to see what Santy brought. Watch Charlie and the chocolate factory, maybe a swim, dinner time and then chill with all our new toys!
It sounds so very simple, but can we say Christmas was exciting back then?
Absolutely.
Going to bed Christmas Eve too excited to sleep but knowing you really have to or he just might not come.
I absolutely loved Christmas when I was little but I just wonder what it was like to feel a little less busy.
Things my parents never had to do :
ELF ON THE SHELF
Seriously elves making a mess all over the house? My dad would have died! He liked our place clean. OCD clean! Actually, Mary Poppins clean. Flour snow angels all over the floor? You must be joking! I’m not sure any magic would be worth that. Those elves would have been locked in a cage for sure. Only allowed out once they learnt to behave.
*Disclaimer – My sister and I were never put in cages till we could learn to behave. I was born impeccably well behaved and my sister was adorable and was able to to get away with anything.
THE BEST SANTA EXPERIENCE EVER
(then go broke booking it Months in advance)
Now I get that NO ONE wants their little to see a crap Santy. I totally understand that, but the need for scouting the BEST Santy would have you’re head melted with stress!
My mam took my sister and I to queue in Garden City for an hour if she was feeling fancy. The local shopping centre if she was running out of time and needed to tick the box! #jobdone
Fast forward a few (ok more then a few) years and I am here stalking Santy’s of Dubai! Does he laugh like Santy? Is the beard real? He better not be on a diet!!
REINDEER FOOD FOR CHRISTMAS EVE
Mess! Think of the mess – and then the collection of Ants from the said mess!
CHRISTMAS CRAFTS
I LOVE Christmas crafts – we go to our adopted Aunties house and being that she is an artist we end up with pieces that we bring out year after year – so this is pretty special.
Necklaces that jingle, ornaments, cinnamon sticks in the shape of a cross oh and so many things to hang off the tree -.crafting at Christmas is our idea of heaven!
Our parents just didn’t have the time!
CHRISTMAS BAKING
Great intentions but once again – who had the time?
Fast forward in time and I still skip the baking. Head to Ikea to buy Christmas cookies and let the little loves decorate!
Ikea also has the ginger bread houses for sale and one tip I was given by a friend is to hot glue gun the house together first! This to me is soooo clever – let’s face it. No one eats it – This idea saves so much time!
CHRISTMAS DAYS OUT
Winter Wonderland, Christmas markets, festive concerts, pantomimes, carols in the desert, the opera – just to name a few!
We had a Christmas fair at school and our parents didn’t even have to show up. See!? Less pressure.
I am probably sounding like the grinch which couldn’t be further from the truth. I adore Christmas and let’s face it – I will be knee deep in glitter and fake snow as soon as I stop typing. I guess the point I’m making is that Christmas before social media must have been so care free. More about being present and available for friends and family. Being around the people we love instantly calms us and removes those anxious “am I doing this all right” feelings.
We need to remind ourselves that Christmas was always magical and even if we forget to move that elf or miss a day baking with our little ones that Christmas will still be magical.
Merry Christmas…
Love, Helly xx