An Almost Grown-Up Christmas

As a child Christmas is very me, me, me but I am now 23 and, as my mother keeps telling me, this means I don't get the same amount of surprises as the little ones. Now I'm not bothered about amounts, I'm a quality over quantity kind of girl, but sadly Christmas usually means useless presents so this year I took charge and kindly requested a whole host of gifts from her. I was very clear, all I really wanted was some pyjama's, anything else would be a bonus, but I had listed a variety so that I wouldn't know what was coming. I thought this was a cunning plan and somehow, magically, even those who didn't have access to the gift gave me wonderfully thoughtful presents.

Some of my favourite presents, including a beautiful long chained gold bird necklace, a hand knitted headband 
and an Apple Magic Mouse to stop me getting RSI with my incessant trackpad use.

I loved spending time with my friends on our traditional Christmas Eve pub crawl, plus my family and my boyfriend. This is his first year out of university (he did Dentistry which is a 5 year course) and he didn't love his short 4 day break (that's very short when you're used to 2/3 weeks) but we crammed in seeing both of our families and the constant moving around felt very adult. Suddenly we weren't just sat in front of the television eating chocolate, we were in the car moving around and he was entertaining my five year old brother playing Halo on the XBox and competing over the noise of my family all talking at once. Seriously impressive if you take into account the fact my boyfriend is an only child who is not used to having lots of children around and my brother argues with everyone he plays with and even shoots those on his team.

More Temporary Secretary & Love Hearts and Crosses

I love jewellery. The quirkier the better. I hardly ever go to a high street retailer for it because they all seem to be stocked by companies that produce near identical pieces. In fact, in some cases I'm sure it's the same supplier. Most of my jewellery comes from local independent stores such as Peccadillos in Stafford, who fuel my love of precious stones.

In October I wrote about Temporary Secretary, who were suggested to me by the lovely Rose over Twitter. Now I finally own my own little piece of TempSec thanks to the boy... he had a parcel sent my house over the weekend that enclosed the TAB typewriter ring I had been lusting over.  It came complete with a wonderful little note from Sarah thanking him for his purchase. What a lovely graduation present! (I officially graduate a week on Wednesday.)

My new found love for TempSec has had me looking elsewhere online for gorgeous costume jewellery. I came across Love Hearts and Crosses on Twitter as well... but this time I wasn't thinking just of myself but of others too. I can think of one friend in particular that would love one of these pieces in their Christmas stocking. In fact, she has her very own karma circle tattooed onto her inner arm. Maybe she'll get the necklace to match.

Sing Dance Live Love Stacking Bracelets £25

Ask the Gift Genies

So this is late by a few weeks (I've been busy) and some of you reading this will probably hate me for posting this just after Christmas but I have discovered a brilliant app: Ask the Gift Genies.  The brains behind the operation are the lovely people at peoplelovepresents.com, who ask you a few simple questions about the person you're buying for and then trot off across cyberspace to find you the perfect present within your budget.

Yes, actual people do it, which means that the request I put in for my mother on Christmas Eve hasn't yet been fulfilled (everyone needs a break right?!) but before Christmas responses were speedy.  I have only tried this for a few people and I haven't actually purchased any of their recommendations.  Name, age, relationship and brief info isn't really enough for them to know a person completely (and present buying should include your own thoughtfulness) but they can definitely inspire you.  Of course the more you give them to work with the better.  i.e. "she is a girl and likes pretty things" is never going to be as good as "she loves blue candles". Yes my examples are appalling but you get the gist...put in something more structured and you get a better result.

Here's the best bit though: It's entirely free.  Watch this little video by Lady Geek TV to give you a better idea and then head to the App Store pronto.

Bah Humbug

Christmas is upon us.  Apparently.  My email inbox has been bombarded with reminders of Christmas from gift ideas to alerting me to the fact there are only a certain number of shopping/posting/work days left.  Well all it's doing is panicking me.

I have so far brough one present and that present is for my five year old sister Holly, who is the easiest person to buy for in the world.  She wants things.  Lots of them.  Anything with her favourite Disney characters will do perfectly and currently those are Tinkerbell and Ariel.  Therefore, on Christmas day she will be dressed as Tinkerbell courtesy of moi...complete with twinkling lights on her chest.

I have trawled over the internet, with little to NO time left to go shopping by the time I've caught up on random chores/visits/events on weekends.  The internet is not being helpful.  I would like to turn back time.  By 4/5 months would do...I see myself lying in the sun in south France laughing at the boys I was travelling with and worrying about getting sun stroke again.  Now I'm worrying about the fact that someone at work has informed me "Jack Frost will be visiting for the first time tonight".  This tells me I'll be freezing on the walk home.

Some may say I've outgrown Christmas, that I'm bitter, that I'm silly, that I'm the Grinch...I say I'm just a fan of summer, it's when I'm happiest, and I can't wait for it to come back.  Oh...and Christmas isn't the same when at you have been putting out the presents yourself for almost 10 years.  Santa has officially gone my friends.  Bah humbug.