December 2021
We're so excited to share another monthly journal written by the lovely Lola Jones, also known as @pocketfullofbuttercupson Instagram. Lola is a wonderful photographer and all round creator of beautiful content, raising her twin daughters Maya and Chloe & her baby Thea from her house near the Peak District. Each month she will give us a small glimpse into her world, inspiring you with activity ideas, recipes and more.
There is a sense of anticipation the night before Christmas and not just for children. The year is coming to an end and it feels like a good time to look back, count blessings and appreciate what we have. On Christmas Eve, after the children are in bed and the last-minute wrapping is done, I like to take a quiet moment to sit by the Christmas tree, watch the lights flicker. Then it is time to blow out the candles and head up to bed full of wonder, anticipation and the feeling of approaching magic.
Spruce needle bath soak
The last couple of months of the year can feel very stressful with all the million things on the to do list and pre-Christmas rush.
A good long soak in the spruce needle bath will help you relax. Spruce needles are an invigorating natural remedy - great for clearing your head. If you are exhausted or feel the cold coming, have a bath with the spruce tree essence and let the scent of Christmas work its magic.
You will need:
- 3 fresh branches from a spruce tree (washed)
- 1 litre of water
Method:
Cut the branches into small pieces, place then in a saucepan and add water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Now remove the pan from the heat, cover with a cloth and let the solution infuse for another 10 minutes while you run the bath. Strain and add the solution to your bath. Relax in the bath for about 20 minutes, breathing deeply. Go to bed straight after and rest.
Festive Family Traditions
I have been thinking about family Christmas traditions and their importance. How old ones can be passed down through generations and new ones created. For me, being born and raised in Russia, winter and Christmas traditions are vastly different from the ones people have here in UK.
I do not remember a single Christmas without snow. The first snow would usually fall around late October - early November. More would fall over the course of winter, forming tall snowdrifts that my dad would have to shift every morning in order to open the garage doors. The snow would generally stay on the ground until March.
A winter back in my childhood would be about ice-skating, sledging, snowball fights with friends and once December arrived, we would also be visiting the town square where a Christmas tree stood tall, surrounded by giant ice sculptures.
Nurseries and schools would be busy decorating classrooms with paper chains and handmade paper snowflakes, parents would be sewing costumes for their little ones taking part in Christmas shows. At home, my mum and dad would always buy and decorate a real Christmas tree. I remember the smell when they would bring it in - so fresh and wintery. I remember colourful glass tree decorations, lots of shiny tinsel and a red star to go on the very top.
Another interesting fact is that back home, we don’t celebrate Christmas until 7th January, so the tree and everything else are all in preparation for the New Year, rather than Christmas. We open our presents on 1st January. Children believe in Ded Moroz (Father Christmas|), who is always accompanied by his granddaughter - Snegurochka.
Now I have a family of my own, I have adopted many new traditions, but have also carried on with some I remember from my childhood. Do you follow any Christmas traditions from your childhood?
Home theatre
Do your children like dressing-up and pretending to be a performer on stage? It used to be a tradition or ours when I was little - to learn a seasonal song or a poem and when the whole family gathered for Christmas I would be put on a little stool and asked to recite.
Make this Christmas holiday a little more magical for them by setting-up a home theatre. Prepare a show together and have some fun singing or dancing. Why not bring to life a favourite story?
You will need:
- Fabric, sheets or blankets for theatre drapes/curtains
- String and pegs to hang the fabric on and hold it together
- Decorations (we had a chandelier, balloons, confetti and lots of gift boxes stacked). I think paper stars or snowflakes would also look lovely.
- Costumes and accessories for the performers (we had pretty sparkly dresses, party shoes, masks, top hats, mushroom and a wooden ice-cream toy as microphones)
