‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house….lied piles of unwrapped presents, a few work deadlines were looming and choruses of ‘I just need to get this done before Christmas!’ could be heard. Whether this is looking like your current set up or you were very organised and are now easing yourself into the festivities, all of us can relate to the mad dash before Christmas. For this reason, we have compiled a seasonal round up to chat all things Christmas with the lovely businesses and entrepreneurs we have interviewed over the last few months. Whether it serves as a break from present wrapping, offers a five minute distraction from the ever expanding Christmas to do list or simply gives you a last minute idea for the holidays (Lauren Napier’s mashed potato recipe anyone?), we hope you enjoyed the read and we wish you a very happy festive season ahead.
What single thing are you most looking forward to this Christmas?
Lauren Napier, Lauren Napier Beauty – I don’t have children and I feel like Christmas is a children’s holiday. I usually camp out with my family and wake up with my nephew and niece. It’s a joy to see hem light up with delight on Christmas Eve and morning to see them laugh and play.
Philippa, Chunky Couture – I live for Christmas! I am a total perfectionist and spend months making sure everything is perfect – from dressing the house, to planning the food and wrapping the gifts. But for me, the absolute best part is the day itself, with all the children and our family around (I normally feed at leas 12!). Even my children have said they don’t look forward to their presents, they look forward to the dinner and all the traditions I put in place for the day like wrapping the lounge door and toasting to absent friends. It’s easy to get lost in the presents but the important part is family and sharing time together.
Anna Ward, Cake Drop London – Victoria Yum’s Vanilla Chai Christmas Cakes with homemade gingerbread on the top!
Hannah McCollum, ChicP – Planning a getaway if it’s going to be a horrendous winter again!
Carolina Van Rosen, Get Raw – Spending time with family!
What is your New Year’s Resolution?
Philippa – I never make New Year resolutions, I always try to be positive and so I am happy to welcome in a New Year and close a door to the previous one and look ahead!
Anna – Read a book a week!
Hannah – It was this year’s resolution and I’m keen to put it into practice again next year – to play tennis once a week! It puts a different focus on your week, is realistic (ish) and not food focused which is quite nice considering that I am around food the entire time and don’t need a ‘lent’ kind of no sugar resolution.
Carolina – Instead of New Year resolutions, I make a cut and paste dream board. I am yet to decide the theme for 2019 though….
What is your go to Christmas recipe?
Lauren – I love mashed potatoes with butter and whole milk. I eat it with rosemary, baked chicken and sautéed spinach. I also make a killer sweet potato pie with cinnamon and nutmeg. It doesn’t last long, my family usually devours it in minutes.
Rose – I usually throw an annual Christmas party with all my friends. Aside from red lips, high heels and my Jo Malone Lime, Basil and Mandarin, I haven’t really got food go tos so I just make sure to get some festive canapés in and keep the drinks flowing!
Annamaria – I love all the Christmas traditions but again, for me, it’s all about the atmosphere – candles, cocktails some festive nibbles…Rose and I don’t really go near the kitchen!
We hope you enjoyed this mini festive round up – for more delicious recipe ideas, you can have a little look at our interview with Lauren, from Wild Thing . For some much needed self care tips, we will also be flicking back to our interview with Amy from I Can Cards – we love this because, as counter intuitive as it sounds, the festive season can be a rather stressful time for many.
Love,
Annamaria x
