Our Christmas Tree

Nothing makes my house feel cosier in the winter than a Christmas tree covered in fairy lights.  I love the idea of waiting until just before Christmas to put it up, keeping the magic just for the big day but I can't resist getting it up a bit early, even if I don't put up any other decorations as it warms the house, makes the dark evenings brighter and provides me with endless exercise, removing small children from the lower branches and returning the ornaments that they insist on pulling off.

We were sent a new tree this year from Christmas Tree World (the 6ft Ultra Mountain Pine) and I have to admit, it was up in the corner of our living room before the end of November.  The tree is so easy to assemble with just 4 pieces including the base and realistic pine tips that make it look much more natural than our previous trees.  Everytime I look at it I am reminded of the trees out in the mountains and so it seems the perfect place to have it next to our snow pictures.  I am hoping this tree will last us many years as it is the perfect size for our room and feels really well made.

This year I decorated with only one small 'helper' at my side and it was like a trip down memory lane as we brought out the box of baubles.  We started as a new couple with a box of baubles from a supermarket, all uniform and co-ordinated but we took our baby son out to the garden centre that first year and each chose (him with a little help) something to go on the tree. Every year that became a tradition, to all go out and choose a decoration and now our tree is a mismatch of styles and shapes with a few surviving simple baubles amongst them.

Not all of them have made it through the years.  Some got lost, some smashed, some squirrelled into a toy box to be played with throughout the year but I still love how unique our tree is, how I still remember who chose what, and that we still have the 'baby's first Christmas' baubles hanging proudly.  We haven't planned this year's bauble buying trip yet but I can't wait to add six new decorations over the coming weeks.

The rest of the house still needs to be made festive and I am in no rush but the moment I walk through the front door and see the tree glowing brightly, it makes the dark evenings warmer.

 This post is in collaboration with Christmas Tree World

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The Last Two Weeks

The Christmas holidays are unlike any others.  There is relaxation and exhaustion, excitement and calm.  The time between Christmas and New Year we all seem to forget the date, routine goes out the window and we spend more time in our pyjamas than we should.  The lead up to Christmas is so busy, so fast paced and loud that this quiet in the middle couldn't be more needed.  New Year's Eve comes and goes and then the back to school rush is upon us, time is up and a new term must begin.

In the midst of it all, the mince pies and mulled wine, the party poppers and champagne flutes, the stockings full of gifts and the fireworks, we get to be us.  Just us.  We get to be six for two whole interrupted weeks, we get to turn off our alarm clocks, curl up on the sofa together and run around on the beach without a care in the world.

Four little people who are full of excitement, four little people with their own language and games, who get to spend two weeks playing, laughing and fighting together.  I took some photos as they raced down the sand mountains and explored the deserted landscape.  In matching jackets (because it makes head counts a lot easier!) they couldn't keep the smiles from their faces.

This is my favourite place to be at this time of year.  I love it in the summer, but when it is empty, when the sea rages and the wind blows, when the sand is piled up high to protect the coastline and forms the perfect slide, when our cheeks turn rosy and our noses pink, this is my happy place.  It felt like the perfect place to play during this strange in between time.

Tomorrow the big two go back to school, the day after Finn has nursery and our routine starts again.

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