Wardrobe wishlist - Christmas edition

Dress //  Shoes // Jacket // Handbag // Enamel Pin // Necklace // Glasses // Washbag

It has been a looooong ol' month this December and we're just past half way!  Finally I am on my hols and can turn my attentions to nice things like outfits I would buy if money were no object... (Not that the above are expensive just that I am trying to save money so have to look adoring at ASOS and the like but not click 'order now'.)

Life lately

Where did the time go?  The last time I posted was in April and so much has happened since then, or at least a lot for my little, contained life....

• I went to Austin, Texas!  I have wanted to go there for years and years.  I liked it, but I didn't love it - it was hot.  Like hotter than the surface of the sun hot (hyperbole much?) but the SoCo area was cool and I experienced the most intense thunder storm in my life which I loved, obviously.
• I went to Denver, Colorado!  Flying into Denver airport took my breath away.  America does big nature and the Rockies in Denver were possibly the biggest nature I've seen for quite some time.  The backdrop to this lush city was utterly stunning and I'm so glad that my job took me to Denver, somewhere I wouldn't have thought to go had it not been a work trip.
• I celebrated my Birthday in France with my folks and MozzyMr.  It was so nice to relax and completely get away from our everyday lives, we caught up with my relatives and went to Futuroscope which was weird frankly and not somewhere I am likely to return to.
• I got a little promotion, I'm pretty chuffed with progress at work it has been SO difficult and so hectic but has been made so much better by having an amazing team of people around me.  
• I was asked to participate in an expert panel at the British Council Erasmus+ conference.  That was scary but awesome, I'm so glad I had the opportunity.
• We finally took over the whole plot at the allotment.  MoMa and I worked on it for two weeks in the summer and it looks great!  We have a pond in place with actual wildlife living in it and crops already growing ready for spring.
• Brexit happened, that was shit and hateful.  I'm still not over it and frankly cannot believe the sheer racist stupidity of the country we live in.
• I visited Liverpool for the first time, what an awesome city with so much to see.  I was there for a week on business so didn't see as much or it as I would have liked but did see a Francis Bacon exhibition at Tate Liverpool which was sleek.
• We said a sad farewell to a couple of relatives this year as well as a fond hello to the babies of lovely friends.
• I started painting again and attending the studio on a relatively regular basis
• I stopped going to the gym.  I have mixed feelings about this, I loved exercising but lost my love for the classes I was doing.  I haven't found the class or activity I really want to do yet, the netball club I used to attend in my hometown disbanded and the nearest one was just a bit too far away to make it a viable option but when I find that new thing I'll let you know.
• MozzyMr celebrated a significant birthday this year and our wonderful friends came to visit and celebrate with us, it was awesome.
• I volunteered at two charity events this year, both for Hospicare and I loved both events the enthusiasm people have for helping others is inspiring.
• I saw comedian Henning Wehn and the AWESOME Christmas Queens 2 in Cardiff with my sleek and amazing friend Mel.  

So I have one day left at work before the holidays and I cannot wait.  I'm going to hang out with Mewster and MozzyMr, work on the allotment, do some painting at the studio, get ourselves to Dartmoor for a trek across the moors, go to the beach and play computer games... all the computer games.

Christmas for the anxious or the introverted

So I'm quite an introvert, well to be precise an extroverted introvert.  When required I can do a presentation in front of 500 students, I can network at conferences, I can banter and socialise with the best of them but I'm happiest at home or on the allotment either on my own or with Sam.  

It's not that I don't like socialising, I do but I also find it really exhausting.  Why am I posting this?  Because Christmas is hard work for a lot of introverted people or people with anxiety; Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, travelling far and wide to make sure you see everyone you need to can be really overwhelming.

Things I do at Christmas that non-anxious people might find weird:

• I'll always choose to text or IM you rather than talk on the phone
• 9 times out of 10 I'm totally fine about you cancelling our plans
• I will NEVER get super dressed up, being uncomfortable even during the office Christmas party is not an option
• I know Amazon are evil tax dodging scum but doing my Christmas shopping with them means I don't have to deal with the busy Christmas high street and I'm prepared to sell a piece of my soul every time I click the 'submit order' button to avoid that
• I'll do 'the big Christmas shop' at 1am at the 24 hour Tesco just to avoid the horror of dead-eyed weekend food shoppers *shudder*
• I will sneak out of a party without saying goodbye to avoid the 'big goodbye' involved, I won't feel bad about it either
• Socialising with friends who are fine with me bringing my slippers to their house will always be my favourite

I would love to hear from fellow introverts, I can't be the only person who does this stuff at Christmas can I??

Christmas Gift Guide: Awkward People

Diary // Carrot Fork and Spoon // Clock // Cheese Board // Cork Globe // Colouring Book

Of course by awkward people I actually mean me.  Sam thinks I'm really difficult to buy for but I think I like so much!  To be fair I'm pretty fickle and if you have a fickle person in your life hopefully something from this gift guide will suit!

Christmas Gift Guide: Cat Theme

Baby grow // Plate // Bird box // Catnip Bomb // T-shirt // Print // Highlighters // Collar

Every cat person needs as much cat themed stuff in their life especially at Christmas amirite?

Christmas Gift Guide: Stationary

Polka dot notebooks // Shark ruler // Cat notebook // Chicken stapler // House pencil sharpener // Dino pencil case // Neon tape // Neon pink pencil // Rose gold clips // Biscuit erasers // Cork diary

Um... so yeah stationary is the best!  I have so many notebooks, pencils and pens that I technically don't need to buy any stationary for the next five years or so.  That won't stop me of course and I just had to put together a stationary gift guide, it gave me an excuse to lust after all the amazing stuff out there!

Christmas Gift Guide: Secret Santa

Pug in a mug // Set of 3 candles // Mini reading lamp // Sprout bookmark // Owl highlighters // Secret agent pen set // Magic aquarium // Catapult // Emergency power bank // Christmas chocolates

I work in an office where Secret Santa is taken pretty seriously we have a £5 budget and we're sworn to strict secrecy (which is ignored completely and utterly).  We have our Christmas party tomorrow and will be giving out our Secret Santa presents.  Most years I've done pretty well, there have been a couple of occasions where it's clear that my Secret Santa has no idea what I like.  With this in mind I've compiled a gift guide where the gifts are generic enough not to cause offence and are in the region of £5 which seems a fairly typical budget amount.

Christmas Gift Guide: Woodland Theme

Gnome container // Mushroom Tea Towel // Mushroom Erasers // Fragrance // Mushroom Keyring // Gnome Lapel Pin // Fox Paperclip Holder // Rabbit Night light // Campfire Fragrance Candle // Campfire Shaped Candle // Squirrel Cruet Set 

Woodland themed Christmas gifts and decorations are probably my favourite, or maybe neon Christmas decorations... not sure. 

Christmas Gift Guide: Tweens

Monopoly deal // Penny Skateboard // Slingshot // Doodle Duvet // Wooden Microphone ruler // Multi coloured battery operated candle // Wireless charger // Temporary tattoos // Hair chalk

I have two amazing nieces to buy for, one is a tween, one is soon to be a tween.  Missy Big is on the cusp of all things teenage but isn't quite there yet, Missy Little looks up to her sister and is therefore really interested in what she gets for Christmas so the stakes this year are pretty high.  

When compiling this gift guide I had my nieces in mind but have tried to keep it as un-gendered as possible (I really don't like gift guides for 'her' or 'him' they're so predictable).

Ok let me talk you through the reasoning behind these choices:

• Monopoly Deal: this card game is great and a lot quicker than the board game version, the whole family can play and involves pretty grown up strategy to win.
• Penny skateboard: it seems that tweens really start to take more and more of an interest in technology, and (sweeping generalisation here...) less of an interest in outdoor physical activity so something like the awesome Penny Skateboard might just take interest away from phones and iPads.
• Slingshot: I had mixed feelings about adding this one, I really like it as an object and think it could be really fun but I know many of my friends who are parents have problems with any toys that resemble weapons - happy to hear your thoughts on this one, as someone who isn't a parent I would give this as a gift is that appropriate?
• Doodle duvet: what's not to love about customising your own duvet cover?
• Wooden microphone ruler: erm... I just think it would be great to have this in my pencil case, I was a big fan of stationary when I was at school spending most of my pocket money buying new stuff each term.
• Multi coloured battery operated candle: when I was a tween my friends and I would always be giving one another candles as gifts I think it gave my parents regular mini heart attacks.  If these had been around when I was a tween I think both me and my parents would have loved this option, plus.. multi coloured!
• Wireless charger: it's compulsory to have at least one practical gift at Christmas right?  This seems like a pretty sleek option, much better than socks.
• Temporary tattoos: this ETSY seller has loads of great options, I liked this watch as well as some really great lolly options which entertain for a hour or so on Christmas day?
• Hair chalk: all the hair colours under the sun without ruining the best bathroom towels.

Christmas Pinterest

Around about September I start getting the urge to pin Christmas images to my numerous Christmas Pinterest boards but even I recognise that this is socially unacceptable and shouldn't be encouraged.  But as we're so close to December I thought I would be allowed to share some of these, my favourite pins with you?

I have the following Christmas themed boards you can take a look at: Advent, DIY. Food, Garlands, Gift Wrap, Illustration, Room Decoration, Table Decoration, and finally Tree (you may not have guessed but I really like Christmas).

Everyday adventuring

Eat/sleep/work/repeat

This last fortnight in particular has been crazy busy, with all the staff cuts at work there is no quiet time any more where we can catch our breath and do all of those jobs that aren't urgent.  My colleagues and I eat/sleep/work/repeat but hey we do it with colourful bunting and a smile on our faces so that's ok then...

Sarah and I did squeeze in a trip to the Bike Shed Theatre where we saw We This Way, the audience hold up different coloured glow sticks to dictate the direction of the story it was really interesting I would recommend it.

Christmas disappointments

I'm going back to a real Christmas tree, I tried a fake one last year and it just wasn't the same not nearly as Chritmassy and exciting as a real tree.  To celebrate this decision Sarah and I ordered a bunch of novelty decorations from ASDA sadly the order arrived incomplete and many of the decorations were broken.  Not entirely surprising really as many of them weren't even wrapped up and were knocking around in a box far too big for the contents *grumble*.

Allotment successes

We've not had too bad a year on the plot all in all, you'll see Sam holding up some peppers that we FINALLY managed to grow, we think we know what we've been doing wrong all of these years so with any luck next year we won't be able to move for peppers we've grown.  

Exciting news from the plot as well.... we have a new plot share, the lovely Sam (different Sam it's confusing for all when I ask Sam/Sam to pass me something) and guess what, she turns up to the plot and works on it!  What a miracle!!  I will do a separate post  to show you the amazing progress she's made already :)