Getting ready for Christmas
I have decided to write a little post about how I will be getting ready for Christmas. It might seem a little early in November but now that I am in the business of selling handmade personalised gifts that are all made to order, I have to be super organised to fit everything in!
This is my second Christmas with Little Things by Lucy- last year I was totally unprepared and found myself in a crumpled heap at the end of it after trying to work full time alongside making my gifts, and also trying to do all of the lovely Christmassy things with the family and all the present shopping! This year is a little different as I am now working full time with Little Things by Lucy and loving it! However, I am busier than ever with orders and I am attending two Christmas Fairs which are taking a lot of preparation.
I love the Christmas season and with my little girl now at the age she can get really excited about it, I am going to make sure I build in lots of family time this year. We are also expecting baby number two so I am under the midwife’s orders to take some breaks and put my feet up too!
One of our traditions, as I am sure most families do is to have a day putting the decorations up together. Before our little girl came along this used to consist of me and my husband getting drunk on baileys and spending 5 hours untangling the lights while singing along to the Pogues. Things are a little different now! But we still put the tree up together and sing along to Christmas tunes, usually while Ella tangles herself up in the Christmas lights. The rule is that we are not allowed to do this until December so I am hoping to get going with this on the first weekend!
Christmas shopping has changed for us too now as parents. Where the crowds didn’t used to bother me and I would happily spend all day browsing through the shops, this is now IMPOSSIBLE! And the struggle seems to have started earlier than ever, we tried going to the shopping centre on the first weekend in November and turned straight back around again! Trust me when I say, this is no fun with a toddler. My shopping habits have also changed and not only do I enjoy shopping online, but I am buying more and more from independent shops, designers and makers from websites like Etsy. I do still like going to Christmas fairs and am looking forward to supporting local sellers at as many as I can get to! The one I am most excited about though is Etsy Made Local at Intu Milton Keynes on 2nd December, not just because I will be selling there but also because I get to meet the rest of the Etsy MK gang… and I plan to do lots of shopping!
Before I even started making my own gifts I would always prefer to buy friends and family something more personal than the usual gifts available on the high street. There is now a much bigger range of lovely handmade and unique gifts available, and I plan to continue supporting other small businesses whilst getting some unusual quirky gifts for my family. I will of course be making some of my gifts myself too! I have started to branch out into two directions with my designs, my classic range is full of sentimental gifts that anyone would love to open, all can be personalised with photos or unique details. And some of my newer designs are a little bit more sassy or cheeky- great for your best friends or siblings! Here are some of my favourites from my shop…
I am also really excited about this new range; I can now personalise jumpers with children’s drawings! All I need is a picture or written message which has been drawn with a thick black felt tip and I can create the look in a range of colours! The jumpers are also available in adult sizes. These can make great gifts for kids or adults, or a fun craft project so your kiddies can create their own personalised Christmas jumpers.
Personalised Children’s Jumpers
Another one of my favourite traditions is spending Christmas Eve together as a family. We have a huge family and Christmas is usually spread over a week or so visiting everyone and having lots of festive fun. Christmas Eve is the day I spend with just my husband and my little girl. Last year we went to visit Santa at Mead Open Farm which was fab! Then we came home, got into our pyjamas and snuggled up with hot chocolate and a family film. Before bed we put out the mince pie (and eat it shortly afterwards!) and read The Night Before Christmas. Last year we put all of these bits together in a family Christmas Eve crate which we opened together in the morning. I have actually nearly sold out of Christmas Eve boxes but for now you can still get one here of you don’t have one already!
Personalised Family Christmas Eve Crate
I am sure you all have your own family traditions, if there are any you want to shout about you can comment below! Have a happy festive season!!
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