Family Christmas Traditions with John Lewis & Partners
We’ve tried no presents, presents and parred-back presents; we’ve gone away, stayed at home and invaded relatives houses en-masse. One thing I’ve learnt from our festive trials as a blended family – trying to ensure everyone feels like they belong and feels ‘at home’ – is that what we give, where we are or which parents’ house the kids are at on the actual day, has minimal impact on how festive we feel.
The magic, the sparkle and inner-belly warmth don’t come from the latest Xbox game or ‘must-have’ gizmo, they come from the Christmas traditions we’ve inherited and the ones we create as a family.
All the little details that make the nostalgic memories are intertwined with moments of laughter, love and togetherness – it’s in the smells, the sounds, the games and the preparation. For me, the joy isn’t so much in the day itself, it’s in the anticipation (can you tell I’m a slow un-wrapper, not a ripper?!). So, I’ve joined festive forces with the Kings of Christmas, John Lewis & Partners, to share our sure-fire ways to get you in the Christmas spirit – to help make the magic last a little longer than a mouthful of mince pie!
Snuggles & Movies
Vital Components:
(if they’re not all matching, is it even Christmas?)
Family argument about which film to watch
Chocolatey Treats, Hot Chocolate & Popcorn
Get the look: My Jigsaw Super Soft Pjs & Boys’ Matching Pjs
Of all our traditions, this one requires minimal effort – decorations are optional, it doesn’t need to be December and no-one’s going to judge you for jumping on this Christmas tradition mid-November. Hence, it’s possibly one of my favourite traditions – throw in new PJs, an open fire and a tin of Quality Streets, and it moves into pole position.
We’re certainly not re-inventing the wheel with our movie choices, so if were hoping for a Christmas movie you hadn’t heard of, erm, there isn’t one – ‘cos if you haven’t heard of it/watched it at least 10 times previously, then it’s not really a Christmas movie at all. We keep it simple with the likes of Elf, Muppet Christmas Carol and Nativity. If the kids are feeling particularly patient, we can rope them into deep sentiment with It’s a Wonderful Life – but they seem to think black and white films aired when dinosaurs roamed, so I’m always aware of pushing my festive luck.
It’s Beginning To Smell a Lot Like Christmas
Vital Components:
A woody, aromatic scented candle
Candle Lantern for extra sparkle
Orange & Cardamom Room Spray, for a quick Festive pick-me-up
Lots of greenery
Mulled wine warming on the stove
An olfactory festive feast of cinnamon, cloves, oranges and tonka, are guaranteed to spark memories of my Nan’s bowl of festive pot pourri circa 1989. Nothing says “get the mulled wine and Nat King Cole on” more than a home filled with festive fragrance. The power of a single Christmas candle and room spray, is enough to evoke the warmest of memories and ward off the Grinch completely.
A Treat a Day Means Christmas is On Its Way
As a child, I’ll admit to being disproportionately excited to open each days’ picture ‘treat’ on my advent calendar. Don’t tell my mum, but I may well have skipped ahead to ‘window 25’ by the 15th of December out of sheer excitement! Fast forward 25 years and thankfully advent calendars have evolved with my slightly higher expectations for excitement.
In truth, John Lewis & Partners have an advent calendar for all levels of excitement, from pictures (if that’s still your thing!) to candles, Gin & Tonics to pamper sessions, racing cars to Lego – they’re little boxes of anticipation for all ages. I chose a little luxurious treat with the Aveda 12 Days of Great Hair (also amazing as a Christmas gift for Aveda lovers!); while I couldn’t not get Cas the fab City Car Advent Calendar.
I’m just not sure how I’m going to explain to Cas that there may well be 25 cars and traffic accessories behind those doors – but it’s just one a day! Who am I kidding? I’ll be using my favourite fib, I mean, tradition which is banded about a lot between November and 25th December, “Santa’s watching, so you better be good!”.
For all these goodies and so much more, be sure to take a peek at the John Lewis & Partners Christmas Shop.
This post has been sponsored by John Lewis & Partners, who also kindly gifted the above items to make our Christmas a little more sparkly and delicious! This post also contains affiliate links. All opinions, anecdotes and traditions are my own.
