Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year. I am genuinely that annoying person that starts talking about it at the end of Summer. I just can’t help myself. It’s just everything about the season that excites me – the lights, the food, snuggling on the sofa with a Christmas movie, the aroma of a Christmas candle wafting through the house, I could go on forever.

So what better way to start the Christmas month off than with a  good old fashioned Christmas tag!

1.       What is your favourite Christmas film?

I can’t limit myself to one, that’s too hard. So I’m starting by cheating and giving myself three:

It’s a Wonderful Life

Shockingly, I only watched this for the first time last year, but absolutely fell in love with it. It’s such a lovely story and a real heart-warmer.

Elf

It’s made it on to nearly everybody’s lists in the past. I still laugh out loud every time I put this on. That scene where he bursts with excitement at the thought of Santa coming? Yep, that’s me.

The Polar Express

This is just perfect to put on for those kids who are just about to cross the bridge and become non-believers. The animation is incredible and the story could make anybody believe again. Plus Tom Hanks is your standard bankable actor.

2.       Is your Christmas Tree real or fake?

Ours is a fake tree whereas my other half has always had real trees at home. The OCD in me can’t cope with the lack of symmetry in a real tree and it’s hard to find a bushy enough one for my liking but I do LOVE the smell of a real tree. I think Mr Lyns might try to persuade me to trade our fake tree in for a real one soon.

3.       What is your favourite Christmas song? Both contemporary and carol.

My favourite contemporary Christmas song is Wizard “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”. Every time I hear the start of this song I just want to dance around and belt it out. I don’t think that the title is a coincidence for this Christmas nutcase! My favourite carol is Once in Royal David’s City. For some reason this gives me goose bumps every time I hear it and I get very emotional. It’s such a beautiful song that takes me back years to primary school Carol Services. I’m welling up. Moving on.

4.       What is your most memorable Christmas gift?

This one is easy. There was one year that my parents didn’t have very much money (not that I realised this at the time) and they were worried about Christmas. My Granda had an old school desk, you know one of those ones with a lid that lifted up and an ink well etc? Well, my Dad spent ages sanding this down and restoring it and the little stool in the run up to Christmas. When I burst into the living room on Christmas morning, it was the first thing I seen. I was in awe. I spent many an hour sitting at this little desk in the living room, doing my homework, drawing, hiding my secrets under the little lid. I absolutely loved it. And I loved it all the more when I heard the back story to it years later.

5.       What is your favourite Christmas scent?

Pine for me. It’s so fresh and clean. We buy those little scent sticks that you put in the tree and our whole living room smells of pine for the month of December. A-Maz-Ing.

6.       Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Mr Lyns and I spend Christmas Day with our respective families so I go back to my Mum and Dads on Christmas Eve. I always start by inspecting the turkey and kitchen cupboards to see what other goodies they have bought. Then I sit on the sofa listening to “Carols at Kings” in the background chatting with my Dad (as Mum is always manically cleaning the house). Actually, I’m usually listening to that and my Dad is complaining that Sky Sports News has been turned over. When I was little, the whole family always went to my Granny’s house to exchange gifts. That has changed over the years as my Granny is now in a nursing home and we tend to stay at home now. We get brand new Christmas PJs and have a glass of wine while nattering away then we’re ushered off to bed before Santa comes (my Mum still thinks we’re 8 and have to be in bed by 11pm…).

7.       Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

I used to when I was little. It was always a tradition to open one before bed. However, as I’ve gotten older, I have gained a little more patience and I can hold my horses for a few more hours so save them all until Christmas morning.

8.       What tops your tree?

Traditionally at home, we always had a little angel that came from my Granny’s house and was about 50 years old. She had to be retired a few years ago though and Mum and Dad have a new, not so cute Angel on their tree. At my house, we have a gorgeous silver, sparkly star. Aesthetically it’s beautiful, but I still want a little Angel similar to what we had when I was growing up but I haven’t seen any that are suitable.

9.       What is the best thing about Christmas for you?

It sounds cheesy but it’s genuinely spending time with your nearest and dearest, especially in the run up to the day itself. We always host a little Christmas party for our immediate families at our house in the run up to Christmas with party food and cocktails. Then, because Mr Lyns and I go our separate ways for Christmas Day still, we have our very own Christmas Day beforehand complete with new pjs the night before, full turkey dinner, presents and movies. I’d be content with no presents under the tree if it meant that I had lots of time with the people that matter to me.

 10.   What is your favourite festive food/drink treat?

This is a hard one. I feel like I spend all of December munching away and guzzling cocktails. Asides from the epic  and obvious Christmas Dinner, I think my favourite Christmas treat has to be Tunnocs Teacakes which in Northern Ireland, people only seem to pick up at Christmas! The marshmallow goodness is far too addictive.

11.   Bonus Question: What is top of your Christmas wish list this year?

If money was no object I would love one of the large screen IPad Pros or a nice new Mulberry Bayswater in Oxblood *heart eyes emoji* but this year is going to be a bit more low key so I’d be chuffed to find some skincare and makeup gifts under the tree with a few sweet treats to munch on the sofa over the period.

I’m not going to “tag” anybody, but I’d love it if some of you completed the questions too, as I really love reading everybody elses answers! If you do, let me know and I’ll go have a nose!

Thanks for reading.

Lynsey xox