Christmas Décor 4 Ways: Styling Your Home For The Holidays
To help you figure out how you’re going to deck the halls this season here’s four different Christmas styling ideas to suit every humble abode, from the classic and traditional through to the maximalist & novelty.
With the holidays just around the corner, you’re probably starting to think about whose turn it is to clamber into the loft to pull down the Christmas decs and untangle the fairy lights. Shotgun not.
To help you figure out how you’re going to deck the halls this season, here’s four different Christmas styling ideas to suit every humble abode, from the classic and traditional through to the maximalist & novelty.
Take a cue from these festive styling ideas and fill your living space with holiday cheer.
Whether you’ve just moved into a new pad or you fancy doing something different with your décor this year, take a cue from these festive styling ideas and fill your living space with holiday cheer. Bring on faffing with the tinsel and re-doing them blinking lights 17 times. Bah humbug!
Scandi
Getting your home holiday-ready doesn’t have to mean staying faithful to the classic red and green colour palette. If cosy minimalism and understated cabin-in-the-woods cool is more your interior mantra, a medley of timeless wintry whites, hints of natural green foliage and flourishes of rustic textures will provide a beautiful Narnia-inspired Christmas with plenty of Nordic hygge charm.
Stick to neutrals and natural materials such as wood and recycled paper to perfect the look and let your tree’s arboreal beauty become the focal point of your room.
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Traditional
Recreate the traditional magic of Christmas with classic decorations, stockings, regal ribbons and the quintessential red and green colour combination of holidays past.
Spruce up your tree with candy canes, nutcrackers and whimsical felt figures and transform your mantelpiece with festoons of gorgeous green foliage for a truly nostalgic take on festive styling.
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Novelty
For a characterful Christmas extra enough to rival Santa’s very own grotto, go offbeat and eccentric with kitsch accessories, bold colours & dramatic flair.
So what if the end result is a little merry & Marmite? Novelty décor is all about ripping up the rule book and embracing the frivolity of the season. We say gather the dinosaurs, the flamingos and the Dachshunds, the funkier the better, because life is too short to play it safe.
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Chic Luxe
For a chic and sophisticated Christmas with a generous pinch of bougie glamour, opt for gilded baubles and luxurious mixed metal tones.
Don’t feel like you have to stick to silver and gold to nail this look
Don’t feel like you have to stick to silver and gold to nail this look, you can go for blush pink and copper or even cooler pastel tones and frosted white baubles. Any colour combination with metallic accents will work.
If you want to dial up the drama (because this is 2020 and quite frankly, needs must), coordinate your décor across the house, from your tree to your coffee table display and your wrapping paper and cushions. This will marry all the elements together into a beautifully cohesive and impactful look. Guests better hang onto their hats.
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Scandi, Trad, Novelty, Chic Luxe, what’s your favourite festive style?
Talia Mar is a Youtuber, singer, and Twitch streamer who's been killing it this year! Find out more about her and her journey online.
First of all how are you and how are you coping in lockdown?
It has been such a weird time. I live on my own so I did find the first lockdown tough. I am trying to keep myself distracted and busy and I think this second time around will be easier, for me.
The only bright side is that this time has allowed me to really focus on the things I love. Like recording music and streaming with my audience on Twitch. I’m a bit of a homebody so I do also like the fact you don’t feel obliged to attend events because nothing is happening.
Talk us through your journey online and what you’re getting up to at the moment?
So, I had a non-typical entry into this online world. When I was sixteen, I posted a tweet that went viral which was a makeup meme. It was basically me saying “when you say you’re gonna do just mascara” and it was me with a glittery cut crease. Off the back of this traction, people asked me to do make-up tutorials. I had actually abandoned my YouTube channel when I was thirteen because my school peers were really mean about it. The response to this tweet gave me the courage to start this channel back up and I’ve been posting on YouTube ever since.
As I gained confidence my content has evolved especially as my interests have changed. I consistently stuck to make-up for about a year and half, but this progressed into the more random content that I post today. I used to game a lot when a kid and my love for it has been reignited over the last year and a half, so this is the majority of what I now put out.
I’m being kept very busy and it’s really exciting! I’m on the cusp of releasing an EP so am in the process of perfecting those tracks. I’m also writing and recording new music for post this EP. Just this week I’ve been on a shoot for the EP cover and am engaging in some writing sessions.
Which platform are you having the most fun on this year?
Ah, this is an easy question for me. I am really loving Twitch. I’ve only been active on it for a year so it’s still reasonably new to me. I really love live streaming as I get to talk to engage with my audience instantly. It’s also a really safe and friendly space as the mod’s live moderate the stream. Where I spent lockdown by myself, Twitch streaming allowed me to chillout, speak to friends and make new friends.
Can you tell us about your music and how you got into singing?
I’ve sung ever since I can remember. When I was really young, I had a super cute bedtime routine where my dad used to sing me to sleep and I would sing back. I was then given a karaoke machine when six. Much to my mum’s dismay, I used to sing Like a Virgin – all the time. She told me I’d understand why when I was older and just asked me not to sing it when we had guests over.
I went to a school that really valued typically academic subjects and didn’t give much value to music and the arts. I would sneak up to the music rooms and write songs at lunchtime. I have always been engaged in music and spent so much of my spare time snapping up as many opportunities as I could. I ended up winning a scholarship to a performing arts Saturday school and did this for a year or two.
Then when I was 16, I went to The Brit School and studied music. The course covered everything from music tech, production, recording, law etc. so I am lucky to have a really strong theoretical knowledge of the music industry from my time there.
In terms of what’s next, my new EP is coming out at the beginning of next year and I’m so excited to hear what my audience think!
What do you think is the best thing about social media?
It’s hard to choose but I think it would come down to social media giving us the ability to talk to and connect with people despite distance and time zones. The number of friends I have made across the world because of social media is kind of ridiculous (and amazing!).
What would be your advice for someone who wants to start gaming and streaming?
So, the most important factor with gaming and streaming is consistency. You just have to start; you can’t do that whole back and forth of should I/shouldn’t I? The more you do this, the more time you waste when you could be building your platform. I know it’s easier said than done but I promise that consistency is the main factor if you want to be successful in streaming.
What would you say is your biggest achievement to date?
My first EP, Tough Decisions came out a few years ago and it was so important to me that I really learnt and nurtured the process. I wrote, sang, produced, and mastered the entire Tough Decisions EP. Then for my EP showcase which I hosted at The Boderline in London, I did everything from arranging everyone’s parts to securing the venue and running the logistics. I’m really proud of the event and how it went and was received.
What are you currently working on?
Honestly, so much. I’m focussed on completing and perfecting the EP, writing and recording more music for hopefully a further 2021 release. I also hopefully, Covid-19 permitting, will be doing some tour dates next year and there’s so much more than I can’t tell you about, just yet!
Who are some of your current favourite follows online?
So, on Instagram it’s no secret I love @mrshinchhome and @staceysolomon. They are real favourites of mine. Also, @kurizo_chow is just so cute and I’m obsessed. My Instagram is literally filled with travel inspo, dogs and Mrs Hinch’s cleaning tips haha.
On Twitch, I’m a big fan of so many streamers but Emzy, twiinsane and sweet_anita are really great and you should check them out.
This sounds really boring but it would have to be an Among Us stream on Twitch and then out for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants, Il Cucciolo in central London.
If you could only eat one meal again what would it be?
It would have to be Pasta. I think probably gnocchi with a simple tomato, basil, and onion sauce with a bit of clove powder.
If you could give one positive message to our followers what would it be?
Trust your gut and instincts and don’t listen to what people have to say about you if you don’t believe it!
A bed of slow-roasted sweet potato complete with a sticky charred marshmallow meringue layer, swirled with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and brown sugar.
Always a BIG Thanksgiving tradition, this classic fluffy sweet potato and yam recipe will give you something to be grateful for.
A bed of slow-roasted sweet potato complete with a sticky charred marshmallow meringue layer swirled with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and brown sugar. Phwoar, it’s salivating stuff.
Is it a casserole, is it a pudding? Nobody knows, but what is important is that no Thanksgiving table is complete without it. Follow these simple steps to make your own sweet & melty holiday side dish.
SERVES 6-8
PREP:
30 MINS COOK:
1 HR 45 MINS
MEDIUM
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potato Mixture:
5 sweet potatoes
50g light brown sugar
40g utter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
For the Meringue topping
150g caster sugar or light brown sugar
5 eggs
Bake the whole sweet potatoes for 1 hour, they’ll be done when a sharp knife can slide through.
Cool the potatoes until you can comfortably handle them. Scoop the flesh out of the sweet potato peels into a bowl.
Coat a baking dish with butter
Place the sweet potato flesh, 4 tablespoons melted butter, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mash until smooth and combined.
Mix in the egg yolks until well-incorporated.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes.
While the sweet potato mixture bakes, whisk the egg whites until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar while mixing, and whip the meringue to stiff peaks.
Carefully spread the meringue onto the sweet potato mixture, covering all of the sweet potato mixture
Bake until the meringue is browned, about 15 minutes more. Serve immediately and dig in!
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Will you be adding Meringue Yams to your Thanksgiving meal?
The effortless yet chic finish this trend gives oozes confidence and is the ultimate in power dressing perfection. We promise you can pull it off, and you can thank us for the compliments later!
Whilst tonal dressing feels very on-trend and boujie, it’s actually one of the easiest ways to look stylish and put together with minimal effort- especially if there’s a shade you always gravitate towards!
Tonal dressing, aka dressing from head to toe in one key colour or hue, made a splash onto Instagram in 2019 and has continued to inspire outfits galore this year too. Brown and lilac are the hero colours you’ve likely spotted online in recent months, but this trend works with every shade under the sun.
The effortless yet chic finish this trend gives oozes confidence and is the ultimate in power dressing perfection. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with where to start, mix up the textures of each piece, opt for varying hues of your colour of choice, and break up your colour blocking with accessories if needed! We promise you can pull it off, and you can thank us for the compliments later!
Zoe
So tonal dressing is fairly new to me and something I don’t often think about when looking at my wardrobe in the morning but I can totally see how amazing it can look and how easy it must be when putting together an outfit so I think I need to do this more! I’ve gone for grey as it’s a tone I feel suits me and I’ve gone for a casual style!
Brown is having a big moment this autumn/winter and I’m really into it! It’s not a colour I have a lot of in my wardrobe but I’m definitely ready to jump on the trend because of its versatility and longevity in matching existing items in my wardrobe. I’ve gone for a mix of textures with this look, bringing in knit, faux leather and cotton to balance each piece with one another and create a simple, chic look. I’ve especially got my eye on the chunky boots which tick both practical and stylish boxes!
I feel like oatmeal and brown are having a real moment currently so I have centred my outfit around these beautiful shades. As it’s November and sigh another lockdown, I have gone for a super comfy but chic knitted co-ord, perfect for lazing around or wearing as a cute WFH number. I have paired it with an oversized wool coat (for that walk in the park duh) and some Veja trainers. No outfit is complete without a cute handbag and I am obsessed with this brown leather shoulder bag from ASOS.
I’m a stickler for ALL the beige, brown & & neutral tones, so much so that some of the local shops know me as the Spiced Honey lady (sounds like that should have a sexual anecdote for a backstory but it’s just the colour of my bedroom), so I think I accidentally practise the ritual of tonal dressing on a daily basis. Those warm earthy shades really speak to my soul, plus they lend themselves to this autumnal time of year. I’ve gone for 50 shades of beige from some of my favourite French brands, topped off with the Chelsea boots of my dreams from Jonak (firmly on my Christmas wish list).
GUYS, I can’t stop buying cream/white/oatmeal jumpers! I’m drawn to every single one I see, they’re so cosy and wintery, so obviously, the first tonal outfit I put together is of the same ilk! I’m calling this outfit; ‘chic zoom-Christmas party’ because it’s comfortable but classy, would look banging with a red lip and you can also wear it dressed down in the day with a turtleneck underneath and a mac. Basically just obsessed with this two-piece and want to buy it now.
I’m going to be honest, I don’t think I would pull off the tonal dressing look. So I just chose my favourite colour and ran with it. I brought these tights last winter and they are SO comfy. I like all these items individually but no idea if they’d look good all together (probably not) but maybe one day you’ll see me dressed head to toe tonal and say, ‘hey that girl must be feeling a little blue.’
Find out how the team got on with this whirlwind tale of privilege, secrets and lies.
For our October book club, we had the pleasure of reading ‘Wonderland’ – Juno Dawson’s radical and contemporary retelling of Alice In Wonderland.
This compulsive and immersive novel provides the perfect literary rabbit hole we all need right now, all while tackling themes such as mental health, gender & sexuality with remarkable tact.
Find out how the team got on with this whirlwind tale of privilege, secrets and lies.
Alice lives in a world of stifling privilege and luxury – but none of it means anything when your own head plays tricks on your reality. When her troubled friend Bunny goes missing, Alice becomes obsessed with finding her.
On the trail of her last movements, Alice discovers a mysterious invitation to ‘Wonderland’: the party to end all parties – three days of hedonistic excess to which only the elite are welcome.
Will she find Bunny there? Or is this really a case of finding herself? Because Alice has secrets of her own, and ruthless socialite queen Paisley Hart is determined to uncover them, whatever it takes.
Alice is all alone, miles from home and without her essential medication. She can trust no-one, least of all herself, and now she has a new enemy who wants her head…
Lareese
I well and truly fell down the rabbit hole with this book! Seriously, what did we do to deserve Juno Dawson?! Admittedly, I don’t read a great deal of YA, so I would have missed out on this delight if it hadn’t been for book club. This contemporary and intelligent retelling of the classic Lewis Carroll tale was utterly compelling, which just goes to show how reading out of your comfort zone can totally pay off sometimes! Juno Dawson borrows the familiar dark dystopian setting we all know as Wonderland and brings it bang up to date with her 10/10 wit, relevance and effortless skill. Content warning: it handles many nuanced topics such as gender, attempted rape, suicide, cancel culture & mental health and doesn’t shy away from raw teenage experiences. Alice’s character is a pansexual transgirl and I love how, as a narrator, she doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to talking about her identity and the ups and downs of her transition. No spoilers but there’s one standout scene in a toilet towards the end of the book that’s incredibly powerful. Wonderland is a wild ride of a novel and an utterly addictive one at that. I’m going to call it, it’ll be turned into a binge-worthy series before we know it.
Rating: 5/5
Would you recommend? Yes
Danielle
I LOVE a modern re-telling of a classic story and Wonderland did not disappoint! Sometimes modernising something only includes a few texts and slightly out of date slang but Wonderland truly tackles really important subjects that often go ignored in YA fiction. The book is narrated by Alice – a pansexual transgender girl who takes absolutely no prisoners. As always I listened to this one on audible and the fact it’s narrated by Juno Dawson herself made it all the more important. The fun doesn’t stop there, the whole book is wild, Alice crashes a super-luxe secretive high society party, the characters are packed full of sex-positive pals. The book is political is the very best of ways, Juno has smashed this story I really couldn’t put it down.
Rating: 5/5
Would you recommend? For sure!
Darcey
Well what can I say! Wonderland is a truly amazing re-telling of the classic Wonderland we all know. I really enjoyed reading a book which tackled very modern day societal issues. Juno Dawson left no stone unturned, discussing difficult topics such as sexual assault, attempted rape, mental health and gender. I adored Alice the main character and getting to know her so well throughout the book, you are taken on Alice’s sexual awakening and also the awakening of her true-self. You can really see her character develop throughout the book and I found myself always rooting for her. The ‘Wonderland’ party of course is absolutely wild and the attendees even wilder, you discover some juicy secrets in this book and some real twists happen! One thing I would say is I wish there was more about the hunt for Bunny, especially when Bunny does something CRAZY involving a gun (no spoilers) and I was ready for a man hunt, but there didn’t seem to be one. Overall though I really enjoyed reading Wonderland and would definitely recommend it!
Rating – 4/5
Would you recommend? Yes
Charlotte
Sometimes a slighter shorter or more digestible book actually appeals to me more than a hefty hardback option, especially one with a cover as enticing as this! I was super intrigued by the plot and had quite high expectations before starting after hearing how much Lareese had loved it!
The tale was so cleverly told and I loved how witty and funny it was in parts. It discussed numerous heavy themes which I have to say I found quite triggering at times, which is my only fault of the book. I loved how intricately linked it was to the original Alice in Wonderland story, and as the first re-telling of a classic I’ve read, I really enjoyed this element of the story’s structure.
It was such an addictive read, and once I got into I really struggled to put down. It reminded me of the TV show ‘Skins’ in many ways because of the issues it tackled and relationships between characters, with the same addictive quality of a series you can’t wait to get to the end of.
The ending was a little disappointing but I don’t think this detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book, and I would still recommend it!
Rating – 3/5 (only because of the triggering issues that were sometimes hard to read)
Recommend? -Yes
Team Zoella Predict the 2020 John Lewis Christmas Advert!
Ever since the launch of the first-ever John Lewis Christmas ad back in 2007, its debut has become synonymous with the start of yuletide glee. And how much do we need a bit of that this year?
We all know the holiday season is only really official once the John Lewis & Partners Christmas advert hits our screens, usually around mid-November.
Ever since the launch of the first-ever John Lewis Christmas ad back in 2007, its debut has become synonymous with the start of yuletide glee. And how much do we need a bit of that this year?
From accident-prone dragons (2019) to Monty The Penguin (2014 – aka the best one. We said what we said) and lonely sentimental old men living on the moon (2015), the retailer has perfected the Christmas ad recipe over the years, so it could be said that they certainly know a thing or two about making a nation weep. Then again, this is 2020, it won’t take a lot to have us oozing from our eyeballs. We are fair, pathetic game and they know it.
What will 2020’s hotly-anticipated ad have us feeling and whose dulcet plinky-plonky tones will grace the soundtrack this year
So, what will 2020’s hotly-anticipated ad have us feeling and whose dulcet plinky-plonky tones will grace the soundtrack this year (FYI we will be shook if it’s anything less than a wholesome duet from Captain Tom and Harry Styles tbh). We have absolutely zero intel, but we thought we’d have a bloody good go at guessing anyway.
Here’s what the team predict we’ll be seeing from the John Lewis festive ad this year.
Zoe says…
Honestly one of my highlights of every year is watching the John Lewis Christmas Advert and I feel like there will be so much anticipation around this one after such a whirlwind of a year. The pressure is truly on JL, just saying. I’m hoping for something that is uplifting, wholesome and makes you shed a happy tear (I’m not sure we could withstand a man on the moon scenario this year). My guess is a classic John Lewis dreamy cover of a happy song (but possibly a lot slower) and I’m going to go with Lewis Capaldi. I love his voice and I just think a John Lewis advert song would be something he would absolutely NAIL! I’m not 100% sure on a full-frame by frame breakdown, but I do think there will be a nod to the pandemic in some way (although I do believe they would have been working and storyboarding this before March of this year, so maybe a few tweaks have happened along the way). I’m torn by this because I think they will either bring it into the advert or completely avoid it in order to give people a sense of escapism! Okay, I’m going to go with the pandemic nod. I think it will be based around the lack of being able to be physically close to our loved ones, so finding ways in which we can feel close through thoughtful gifts/funny inventive ways to see each other at Christmas? Either way, I will almost definitely love it and cry! Can’t wait to see what they do.
Danielle says…
I’m such a big JL advert fan, in fact, I get pretty fired up over most Christmas ads (I know, I know, super cool). 2018 was a bit of a miss for me, as much as I love Elton John it just didn’t bring those sweet sweet wholesome feelings the previous ads evoked so easily. They brought it back for 2019 with Edgar however I did miss the classically British Love Actually style scenes of people bundled up in scarves and hats. My absolute fave was “The Long Wait” where the little boy was SO excited for Christmas day and when the day came all he wanted to do was give his gifts which is exactly how I feel about Christmas, I’m all about the giving people.
I think it will go back to being all about love and the relationships we have with each other as the cute animals take a step back. Maybe it will be a child writing their Christmas list, pouring over it, researching for hours, but when they hand it over to their parents it’s just a list of all their family members they want to be with on Christmas day. WOW, I actually just shed a tear writing that, what a flippin year eh!
Basically, all we want this year is to be together, happy and healthy, gifts have never mattered so less. It must be SO hard for them to try and guess what kind of situation we’ll be in by the end of the year especially as they have to start working on it so far in advance. So perhaps the tagline would be something like ‘This year you’re the gift’. I hope the cover singer is female as we haven’t had one for a while, maybe Dua Lipa or Charlie XCX as they’re pretty big at the moment. My absolute dream would be Laura Marling singing Fleetwood Mac Landslide. BRING ON THE TEARS.
Charlotte says…
SO! It’s really hard to think of any sort of ad during 2020 not acknowledging the state of affairs we’re currently in, and there’s only so many ways to spin or romanticise that into feel-good magic. Having said that, John Lewis always pull on the ol’ heart strings, so I imagine this year’s ad will be the ultimate tear jerker to really make us sob. I’m kind of not ready …
I’m envisaging animals being a central theme this year, which I know is something they’ve played on before but I just feel like humans and the endless worries we’ve had to deal with might feel a little too close to home. Maybe something about animals in little packs and tribes and not letting anyone get left behind? I think it would feel weird to see masks or social distancing in what is normally such a magical storytelling experience, so I think they might go a little off-piste and surprise us with something that feels like pure escapism.
It would be fun to see them tap into some of the trends of 2020, maybe some banana bread, TikTok or toilet roll thrown in for good measure, but whatever it is I can’t wait for that little slice of normality and joy when you hit ‘play’ for the first (of many) times.
Darcey says…
There’s no doubt that this years advert will be based around the pandemic and I would put money on it being focused on a family member being alone at Christmas. Now I don’t think it will be one of the grandparents because they have done similar before with ‘The Man On The Moon’ 2015 advert. I’m imagining a university student who can’t come home for Christmas or someone who is having to isolate due to Covid and unable to see anyone. I’m thinking a whole lot of community spirit, people dropping off presents and food to them. People carolling outside their door, a heartfelt FaceTime thrown in there somewhere too. I’ve got a feeling an acoustic cover of Pretenders 2000 Miles will be playing, maybe even the Coldplay version or at least sung by someone with a beautiful wispy voice. I predict snow, lot’s of love and a whole lot of tears!
Holly says…
OK I think we all know that the theme is going to be zoom calls, being lonely etc. I’m imagining a family eating playing games, exchanging presents etc, then it pans to the nan and grandad who are all alone, missing their grandchild’s first Christmas when there’s a knock at the door, it’s the gift of technology. A kind stranger hands them a present and when they open it, its a laptop, wham bam your family are there, everyone raises a glass and we all shed a tear. And it’s an acoustic version of Jess Glynn singing I’ll be there.
Lareese says…
I know they plan the Christmas ad a good year ahead or something but no doubt they’ll find a way to make sure it’s a poignant pandemic tear-jerker. One thing’s for sure, they’re going to eat our hearts for breakfast, aren’t they! They’ve focused on animals and cute monsters a lot over the last couple of years, so I reckon they’re going to strip it back and make it all about family togetherness for 2020. Maybe some sort of socially distanced visit to wish grandpa a Merry Christmas from the nursing home window – featuring the dog he had to give up when he moved into the care home. The theme tune? Some glorious tear-jerking acoustic version of Nat King Cole Unforgettable, sung by an undiscovered TikTok star.
Maddie says…
I think if the good people at John Lewis knew what we all needed then this years advert will be 100% uplifting, be full of joy and hope for the future ahead. Where we have all felt isolated in one way or another this year I think this advert will be the antithesis of that. I think it will touch upon ways that we can all be together and be there for one another even if we can’t cross oceans or see all of our loved ones as we’re used to doing at this time of year. I think gifting will be a really minor part of the advert and rather than focusing on products it will focus on memories and moments, however small, that are the most important thing at Christmas. I would love Adele to sing the theme song, she puts a smile on the nation’s face just by being herself and is totally unapologetic which I love. She also has the voice of an angel of course and it’s been too long since we’ve heard her sing.
What are you predicting for the John Lewis 2020 Christmas ad?
Gift Guide: Advent Calendars For Literally Everyone
Enter: advent calendars on steroids, the creme de la creme of miscellaneous treats from food, drinks, craft, lifestyle to fun in the bedroom, there really is an advent calendar for ALL eventualities.
If there was EVER a time we needed a little boost of joy on a morning or a before bed treat, it was always gonna be 2020. And whilst your day is infinitely improved by a small helping of chocolate goodness, we can’t help but feel like that just might not cut it this year…
Whilst they might be a little pricier than your average £5 Dairy Milk situ, we really think we all deserve a little extra love in our day throughout December
Enter: advent calendars on steroids, the creme de la creme of miscellaneous treats from food, drinks, craft, lifestyle to fun in the bedroom, there really is an advent calendar for ALL eventualities. Whilst they might be a little pricier than your average £5 Dairy Milk situ, we really think we all deserve a little extra love in our day throughout December, and all of 2021 to be honest- can we start a petition for advent calendars all year round??
11 Handy Apps To Help You Get Your Sh*t Together This Christmas
We’ve rounded up the best apps to get us organised for Christmas, so we can kick back and enjoy the countdown to the holidays without that last-minute present-wrapping panic and turkey dinner fiasco.
Sometimes the stress of planning for Christmas leaves our festive spirit in tatters. Well, not this year, we say. Not this year! What’s waiting till tomorrow starts tonight.
We’ve rounded up the best apps to get us organised for Christmas, so we can kick back and enjoy the countdown to the holidays without that last-minute present-wrapping panic and turkey dinner fiasco.
From budgeting like a boss to smashing your Secret Santa, here’s how to get all your turtle doves in a neat little row this Christmas.
Giftster
Every family has that one person who’s painfully difficult to buy for but Giftster gives them the opportunity to declare the gifts they’d like to receive, taking all the guess work and dad drama out of holiday shopping.
Create and share your gift ideas and wish lists with family and friends or set up a Secret Santa draw. You can even mark certain gifts as reserved, so you don’t double up on anything. Genius.
Santa’s Bag
Make Christmas shopping a breeze with this easy to use app. Share & save links straight to the app, set and track budgets per person and organise each gift using the handy labelling system, so you can keep on top of your to-do list through the entire process from ‘idea’, ‘need to buy’, ‘purchased’ and ‘wrapped’. You’ll never forget granny’s present again.
Moonpig
Level up your Christmas card game with these one of a kind, personalised designs. Whether you want to upload a memorable photo directly from your camera roll or pick one of their ready-made designs and choose your favourite font, these greeting cards are sure to make your loved ones’ day even more magical. Import reminders from your calendar so you can forever be organised and browse their flowers, hampers and other gifts, ideal for any last-minute stocking fillers. Sweeeeeet!
Papier
Everyone loves a bit of post at Christmas, especially when it’s as beautiful as Papier post. Spread some festive cheer with their v aesthetically pleasing Christmas card sets and singles. Choose from lovingly illustrated merry motifs, real gold foil details or your own photo design and personalise the inside with a lovely message or leave blank for your own unique handwritten note.
Punchbowl
Make sure everyone’s kept in the loop with these free fun digital invites and save-the-dates, perfect for organising your festive family get-together. Build your guest list quickly and easily with convenient import options from your contacts and keep track of your RSVPs in real-time from the app. Follow up with any guests who haven’t responded yet with a casual passive-aggressive reminder text/email, and chat with guests one-on-one or broadcast updates and announcements to the whole group. Advanced features allow you to add a co-host and add a poll – very useful stuff.
Price Runner
The holy grail of smart holiday shopping, Price Runner is the UK’s biggest product and price comparison service. You can compare all the products you find in store and keep track of special offers to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
Simply scan the product in store and the app will direct you to a price comparison so you can see if it’s worth purchasing elsewhere. Set price alerts for products you’re waiting to buy to get notified when the price is reduced and save your favourite products to easily-accessible lists to help you keep track of your present buying.
Christmas Countdown
Because those December days all blur into one (especially after one too many Baileys), sometimes the best and simplest way to get a handle on your Christmas to-do list is to know how many sleeps are left until the big day.
Amazon Wish List
What did we do before the days of the Amazon’s wish list? Make your own wish list to circulate with family members (subtle as ever) and you’ll never end up with 12 pairs of socks again. It automatically removes a gift idea from the list once it’s been purchased so there’s no risk of duplicates.
Any.do
Get sh*t done, with Any.do – a simple tool to help you remember the million and one things you’ve got to get done in time for Christmas. Your tasks, lists and reminders sync seamlessly across all devices, including integration with your calendar, so you crack on with your organisation, wherever you are. Streamline your festive food shop with the intelligent grocery list tool you never knew you needed. Import recipes and share lists with your family and friends to make this year’s Christmas shop a pain-free experience.
Santa’s Secret Keeper
A festive, spoiler-free app dedicated to matching Secret Santas for you. Create your SS gift exchange for family, friends or colleagues, add all participants, the price range and any other details and you’re done. Now all that’s left to do is find the perfect gift on a pre-determined budget…
No More Socks
No More Socks seamlessly integrates shopping and sharing into the gift planning process. Set budgets, specify your first choice, share gift lists and keep track of present ideas throughout the year so by the time it comes to buying your yuletide prezzies, you’ve got a whole year’s worth of hints, ideas and previous successes. No socks, no stress.
What are your top tips for getting organised this Christmas?
We're so excited to have MG takeover our IG stories today and bless us with this wonderful recipe for Christmas Tree Meringues.
If you’ve ever seen a lemon meringue pie from Meringue Girls you know they are NOT playing around when it comes to delicious sugar and egg whites! We’re so excited to have MG takeover our IG stories today and bless us with this wonderful recipe for Christmas Tree Meringues.
Before you start, read through the whole recipe and all of their tips so that you have a good grasp of what’s ahead. You can also find the method as an Instagram highlight here – check it out for useful images and references.
Top Tips
Use metal or glass bowls where you can as grease can cling to plastic ones.
Depending on the size of your mixer, you can scale this recipe up or down… just make sure you always have a sugar to egg ratio of 2:1. The smallest batch we recommend is 300g sugar to 150g egg whites.
The time it takes to whisk your egg whites can vary – it should be 5-7 minutes but keep a close eye on them and start adding sugar once you have soft peaks. This will vary depending on your mixer and the freshness of your eggs.
You can use fresh eggs or egg whites from a carton. If using fresh eggs, you probably won’t need cream of tartar, especially if your mixer is powerful.
Tip your caster sugar into a small cake tin or roasting tray lined with baking parchment. Shake to level out the sugar and then heat in the oven for a few minutes – until hot to the touch but not melting.
Place your egg whites in the bowl of your mixer and add a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Whisk slowly at first, gradually increasing the speed until the egg whites are at the stiff peaks stage – approximately five minutes.
Turn the oven down to 100’c, leaving the door ajar to help it cool down quickly – your meringues need to be baking at a lower temperature than used to heat the sugar.
Turn your mixer up to full speed at start adding the sugar one tablespoonful at a time, bashing out any big lumps. You want the egg whites to maintain their volume as you keep adding sugar – if you see it starting to collapse, stop adding sugar and allow the mixture to stiffen and rise before adding the rest of the sugar, again a spoonful at a time.
Once all of the sugar has been added, keep whisking until you have a stiff and glossy mixture. It’s ready to use when it holds its shape, usually about 2-5 minutes after you add the last of the sugar. You should also be able to see lovely peaks in the mixture if you remove and upturn the whisk.
Add the vanilla bean extract to the meringue and gently fold it through the mixture. Do this by hand rather than in the mixer – we find that whisking in flavouring loosens the meringue more than mixing by hand. You’re now ready to colour and pipe your Christmas tree meringues.
COLOURING & PIPING YOUR MERINGUE
Turn your piping bags inside out, leaving a little tip on each one for you to hold on to later.
Paint green colouring all over the inside of your piping bags, making sure to go right down to the tip so that all of your trees pick up the colour as you pipe them.
Place the star nozzle in the tip of one piping bag and pull the bag the right way around again.
Fill the bag with half of your flavoured meringue mixture. You’ll need to repeat the last two steps with the second piping bag once you’ve piped your first bag, washing and drying the star nozzle in between.
Cut parchment to the size of your baking trays.
Use sharp scissors to cut off the tip of the piping bag, making sure the serrated teeth of the star nozzle are clear of the piping bag. Squeeze small dollops of meringue into the corner of each baking tray and stick the parchment down.
Hold the piping bags with both hands, placing your dominant hand at the top of the bag and your other hand halfway down the bag. Hold the bag steady, about 2cm above the tray and squeeze the bag from the top to start forming the base of your Christmas tree. Keep the bag completely still while squeezing, using your lower hand to keep the bag steady. Stop squeezing once the meringue hits the tray and then lift the piping bag a tiny amount, without creating a break between the meringue on the tray and the meringue left in the piping bag. Drop the bag back down again slightly and squeeze gently to form the middle section of the tree. Repeat the tiny lift and drop a second time and then lift the piping bag straight up to leave a cute peak on the top of your Christmas tree. This will take a bit of practice so don’t worry if you don’t get it first time, just keep going and get a feel for it!
Repeat until you have piped all of your mixture – you want to work quickly as your mixture will loosen over time.
Sprinkle brightly coloured 100s and 1000s over your Christmas trees and top with an edible golden star.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes to be crisp on the outside and mallowy in the middle. Take them out of the oven when they lift easily off the baking trays with their bases intact. Leave to cool on their baking trays but make sure to try one while they’re still warm!
Once cool, pack up in cute gift bags to give as presents or store in a biscuit tin for up to two weeks.
We present 20 things you can actually do in November without the caveat of, ‘if we’re allowed’.
There’s just seven Fridays left until Christmas, guys. Seven. And given that this year has been absolutely feral to say the least, we are all for bringing those festivities forward in whatever way we can.
Fairy lights, fireworks, Michael Bublé and overpriced cinnamon candles
What better way to snuff out that 2020 negativity than by eclipsing it with a blanket of joy, fairy lights, fireworks, Michael Bublé and overpriced cinnamon candles. We present 20 things you can actually do in November without the caveat of, ‘if we’re allowed’.
1 Start your Christmas shopping. Heads up fam: hand sanitiser will be heavily gifted
2 Write a goodbye 2020 letter. There’s not enough writing paper in the world.
3 Cook your favourite Winter meal complete with hunks of crusty bread
4 Experience uncontrollable crying when you watch the John Lewis ad for the first time
5 Say ‘oo ah’ at the fireworks & the burning coronavirus effigies, even if it is at a drive-thru this year
6 Do a random act of kindness, the world needs it!
7 Defrost your Christmas playlist. It’s never too early.
8 Clean out your wardrobe (again) & donate your garms to a new loving home
9 Make a pot of mulled wine to glug whilst you complete Netflix
10 Consider buying a range of festive pet outfits even if you don’t own a dog
11 Buy a poppy and observe Remembrance Day
12 Pick a new podcast to listen to on your chilly Winter walks. All. The. Zen.
13 Binge watch an entire series. The Crown, Emily In Paris, The Fall. The devil works hard but you work harder.
14 Prioritise your self-care, Winter can be a sucky time so don’t forget to look after YOU
15 Buy your chocolate advert now just to torment yourself until Dec 1st
16 Romanticise the ordinary. You don’t have to do something revolutionary every day, sometimes you just need a quiet, unproductive guilt-free weekend.
17 Book a festive mani – only candy cane stripes ‘n’ glitter will do
18 Grab a Christmas sarnie for your lunch – we want to smell like herb stuffing and port & cranberry sauce from now until the end of December
19 Look forward to playing living room Jenga as you try and make room for the Christmas tree…
