Driving Home for Christmas

Anyone else feeling slightly podgy around the middle and like they don't have quite enough space in their house for their gifts and sale purchases?   Yep me too!

Simon and I got to spend our first Christmas Day together this year so it was a very special one for us.

We started our break by travelling to Norfolk to stay with my parents at their beautiful bungalow.  I really love going to visit as it's such a lovely house and always looks really cosy at Christmas.  My Mum made the decision a few years ago not to have a Christmas tree so she now keeps her decorations very simple which look great.

Christmas Eve we went to a local bar in Norwich for my traditional drinks with friends.  We always keep it very casual and you're never quite sure who might turn up on the day.   This year I encouraged people to wear festive knitwear and was very happy when people obliged.

Christmas Day I pretty much turned into a kid and we were up at 5:30 am ripping into our stockings.  We were joined at my parents by my two sisters and their other halves, my sister's cat and my Grandma.  It was quite a house full and we had to attempt to squash 9 of us round the dinner table.

I always like to plan my Christmas outfit and despite it being the one day of the year where you don't leave the house and no one other than your family sees you I always like to make the effort to dress up even if by mid afternoon I've had to change into my PJs.  This year I chose my Primark Tartan dress which I bought a few months ago but have been saving for the occasion.  I love this dress, it's appeared on so many blogs and in so many magazines - I still can't believe it was only £15!

Simon also embraced Christmas by wearing the lovely new festive knit that I had got him from Tesco.  I love this jumper and actually bought it thinking that if he wouldn't wear it then I would.

I got lots of really lovely gifts, I'd mostly asked my parents for clothes but also got some wonderful surprises from Simon, my sisters and some friends which I shall probably share in another post.

We spent Christmas evening playing my parent's old Trivial Pursuit that we found hiding away in a cupboard.  It was a little tricky as it was from the early 80s but we had great fun making our way round the board even if it did go on for about 5 hours!

Our time in Norwich absolutely flew and only a few days later we were back on the road to head up to Manchester to spend some time with Simon's family and friends.  We got to have a second Christmas Day with Simon's Mum (and another excuse to wear festive knits) and spent a fantastic evening at a friend's house playing party games which I haven't done in a long time.  If anyone wants a wonderfully entertaining evening I recommend having a few drinks and playing Humm Bug.

All too soon it was all over and we now just have a few relaxing days in our flat before the madness of a new year at work begins.