The Thrifty Christmas Tag – what I love most about Christmas

Welcome to the Christmas tag! It’s a blog post chain linked by bloggers tagging each other to join in. I was very kindly tagged by my fellow Gloucestershire blogger Lady Janey. You can read her own Christmas tag post by clicking here.

So, pull up a comfy chair, turn on the tree lights and settle down to read all about Christmas in the Thrifty household:

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

There are so many Christmas movies I love. In the children’s film category I adore The Muppets Christmas Carol, Nativity!, Elf and Deck the Halls. I watch The Holiday every year – I’m a big fan of Kate Winslet and her little Cotswold cottage is perfect. My favourite scene is when she gets to L.A. and finds the bedroom has electric blackout blinds – bliss! Love Actually is good too and I’m also partial to a Channel 5 afternoon Christmas movie!

Have you ever had a white Christmas?

As a child we used to spend Christmas in London where both of our parents were from. I seem to remember there was a white Christmas once and we made a snowman. In Gloucestershire I think a few snowflakes fell on one Christmas day but not enough to settle sadly. Being a child made it even more magical.

Where do you usually spend the holidays?

We usually spend Christmas in Gloucestershire or Devon with family although I’d secretly love to have Christmas in Cornwall (or the Caribbean) one day! Wherever there is family is Christmas for me.

What is your favourite Christmas song?

I like The Power of Love and thought the cover by Gabrielle Aplin used by John Lewis (in my favourite of their Christmas adverts) was superb! I also like Kate Bush – December will be magic again and Michael Buble’s Christmas album makes me feel festive. In terms of traditional carols I like the more unusual choices of In the bleak midwinter and Carol of the bells – I even have a snow globe that plays this one!

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

I love ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ and when I was younger I used to have a beautiful traditional book with lift-the-flaps and glittery illustrations. The poem names the reindeer in order so… Come Dasher, come Dancer, come Prancer and Vixen, come Comet, come Cupid, come Donner and Blitzen… (not forgetting Rudolph) Phew!

What holiday traditions are you looking forward to this year?

This year is Thrifty Bubba’s first Christmas so we are enjoying setting a few family traditions of our own. So far we have watched a couple of Christmas films with hot chocolate, decorated the tree, read lots of christmas stories, been for a walk in the snow and we are looking forward to Christmas lunch! I am a traditional girl at heart so I like the similarity and familiarity of christmas each year – the same songs, the same foods, the same films! I’m looking forward to helping my little one leave a mince pie and a glass of milk for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeer on Christmas Eve.

What is the best Christmas gift you have ever received?

This is a tough one and I have been so lucky to receive so many lovely things. As a child I loved my plastic rolling pin set (small things), my tiny tears doll, my barbies and their accessories (which are still safely stored) as well as cardboard boxes! Last year I loved knowing that I was pregnant – what a gift! The most special present of all.

What is your most memorable Christmas memory?

As I child, up in London for Christmas, my Mum tucked my sister and I into bed at my Grandma’s house and told us to close our eyes and listen for the sound of sleigh bells ringing. We were lucky enough to hear them outside in the garden so squeezed our eyes shut and fell fast asleep. In the morning, the mince pie had been eaten, the carrot had been nibbled and our stockings were full!

What made you realise the truth about Santa?

The truth is little old Father Christmas is alive and well, living in the North Pole, busily preparing for the big day!

What makes the holidays special for you?

I like my home comforts so, I enjoy being with my family, snuggled up on the sofa under a blanket with a warm drink, the chocolate box open, the fairy lights sparkling on the tree and a good film on TV. This year I’ll have my darling baby girl in my arms to share it with too!

In true tag fashion I now nominate some of my favourite fellow bloggers to join in:

If you are reading this and would like to join in then please consider yourself tagged – I’d love to hear all about how you celebrate Christmas. What are your Christmas traditions? What Christmas films do you recommend? How did you celebrate baby’s first Christmas? Comment below and let me know!

Love, Thrifty Mumma X

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