It’s just over a week and a half since Halloween and already Christmas is starting to hit. The Christmas adverts are coming out already (I’m loving the Irish version of the Aldi advert which stars Star Trek’s Colm Meaney as Santa – this should be the only version!). Christmas decorations are in the shops (although if you’re a TK Maxxer, they’ve actually been creeping in for a couple of months now and McDonalds have announced their Christmas menu. Oh, and there’s another lockdown. Hurrah, I hear you say.
So, with the first lockdown we had pretty good weather which made outdoor exercise a bit more possible and made everything a little more bearable, but now, it’s darker longer and frankly rather chilly and wet. So, what are we all planning for Lockdown 2: The Sequel? What are your coping mechanisms and feel-good things to get you through? I intend to bask in early Christmas before the panic of preparing gets in the way – Enjoying all the things I wish I had more time to enjoy any other year.
Ok, so Autumn/Winter brings new things to TV. While many shows have slowed or stopped production, there’s still enough stuff in the can they’ve saved for the Autumn and Winter schedules. Firstly, Nigella is back! Her new show, ‘Cook, Eat, Repeat’ is around for the next few weeks, giving us some inspiration for indulgent treats and feasts. Every Autumn feels much better with Nigella on our screens, plus they’ve confirmed we’re getting a Christmas special from her too, so it can’t be all bad! Also, if foodie TV is your thing, there’s a few episodes left of The Great British Bake Off, so competitive cake crafting could keep us occupied a bit! Banana bread was HUGE during the first lockdown, so maybe these shows can inspire something else to cook!
Then, of course, there’s all the food that the supermarkets bring out for Christmas every year. If you’re going to be having food delivered, maybe it’s time to road test some of these treats! It’s not like we have to worry about fitting into swimsuits for a while. We all know the supermarkets compete with each other over festive foods, so maybe a tasting session would be a fun way to keep the family amused for a night (Or just yourself, no judgement). It could be my inner (and outer) fat bitch talking, but food always makes me feel much happier. Besides, all those Christmas party nibbles are great for a night of movie binge watching! Plus, the bonus of having them before actual Christmas is, no bickering relatives to share them with – they’re all yours! Plus, lockdown means no unexpected visitors to catch you covered in crumbs on the couch with too much party food. Seems like a win to me!
If you’re in an area where you McDonald’s deliver to your home, which I’m not, then from next week you’ll be able to get your greasy mittens on their festive menu, which always excited me (though I miss the mince and custard pie they used to do – I don’t know, they just seem a bit more lazy nowadays). A double Big Mac is in the offing this year, along with a Celebrations McFlurry and Camembert bites, so there’s something to get excited about.
If you’re near a Costa that offers take outs, their festive offerings include a trio of hot chocolates inspired by some of our favourite Christmas chocolates. There’s a Terry’s Chocolate Orange one, a Quality Street Big Purple One flavour and an After Eight one. I MUST have them all! I’m already thinking about more hot chocolate even as I’m just finishing a big mug of the stuff – and I do it the right way with a pan of milk and at least three different types of real chocolate melted into it. This time, I’ve added honey, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg to give it a nice winters spiced kick. Honestly, it’s divine.
It might also be time to start thinking about which advent calendar you’re going to invest in this year. That’s right, they’re not just for kids anymore. Over the last few years, expensive adult oriented ones have been flooding the market, stuffed with everything from booze to makeup and even jewellery – Or, one of my favourites, different flavours of pork scratchings from the Snaffling Pig Company. These are very much worth looking at, particularly the beauty ones, as there’s often big savings to me made when you add up the contents. They’ve become such a thing now that even MAC are doing a rather fabulous makeup filled one this year. Hint hint.
So, the more I write, the more festive I’m, starting to feel. I’m going to have to dial it back so I don’t peak too early, but I’m already on my third box of M&S mince pies and the last two Sunday roasts have had bread sauce (my absolute favourite) with them, so I don’t know if there’s any turning back at this point. The thing is, whatever your favourites are about the colder seasons, indulge! No one’s judging you and you’re bloody well entitled to it right now if you ask me!
Of course, as much as people like to tell us all the things they got done during lockdown, it’s actually been a bit of a crap year for many of us, so if you want to just chill out and do nothing, then that’s OK too. It’s much more important to look after yourself then it is to do something extra that nobody expects from you. Sometimes we expect too much of ourselves and forget to just chill out. Maybe that’s a gift we can give ourselves this season. Plus, Netflix is releasing a sequel to The Christmas Chronicles, with Goldie Hawn accompanying Kurt Russell this time, so pop your feel up, fetch the blanket and prep those nibbles!
Why not tell us what your favourite indulgences are that are going to get you through this? Are you intending to relax more this time than last time? What are you excited about in the run up to the festive season? Tell us!
Now, before I eat myself to death on this box of Quality Street, I shall wish you a good night and hope you stay safe, stay sane and stay sparklingly… Vidalicious!
