With less than a month to go, we’re all thinking about it now; I’ve even seen a few trees already going up in my Instagram feed (TOO EARLY people!). But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that thinking about the preparations a little ahead saves time and head space as things gear up through December. NOW is the time to sort out the ‘other stuff’. For the first time ever we were organised enough to get wrap and cards in the January sales (*preens smugly*), but there’s always other stuff; and everyone needs a few new decorations each year. Either you’ve not had your own home for long enough to have built up a really boxful, or your tastes have changed, or your old ones simply get tired and shabby. This year we’ve sadly had to say goodbye to the moving light-up deer who have been gracing our front garden since the 18yr old was a toddler; there was much sadness when we decided they could no longer be held together by duct tape, and the ear, side of face and tail that no longer lit up simply made them look sad, not quirky.
That being the case, I’m going to leave this right here for you. Clas Ohlson. 3 for 2 on all Christmas Decs and lighting until the 11th December. I KNOW.
First up, there’s a couple of practicalities I’d like to pint ou towards. Just take a peek at this Christmas tree stand:
Doesn’t look like much does it?
Silly.
Just slide your tree into the hole on top, pump the foot pedal – and hey presto, your tree is perfectly upright and held firm. AND there’s a large water reservoir too.
SUCH a brilliant design – and at £29.99 it’s a total steal even without the 3 for 2. Just think how many years this’ll last you!
The Krinner Vbasic M Christmas Tree Stand is a penny under £30 (*whispers* and I can tell you that everywhere else sells them at nearer £40!), and that foot pedal ratchet is a stroke of genius.
I also love this fabulous Gift Tag Craft set – literally everything you need to make your tags personalised and pretty. The kit includes 45 tags (and 8 folded cards), plus washi tape, stickers, stamps with ink pad, pens, ribbon and string – all colour-themed in black, silver and gold. I so want to set aside an afternoon to create some tags now – we usually just cut up last year’s cards to create tags for this year. These would be beautiful.
The Christmas Tags Craft Kit is an absolute bargain at £5.99
These are so great too – and solve a perennial problem. I love mulled wine, but what do I serve it in? No one wants a mug, but glasses are impractical and my espresso cups are too small. These pretty little porcelain cups totally provide the answer – at 7cm they’re the right size, and they’re dishwasher friendly too. They look to me like they’ll stack perfectly, and at 99p each (and multibuy 3 for 2, of course) they’re totally worth stocking up on and tucking in a cupboard ready for Christmas parties.
Tradition Mulled Wine & Espresso Cup just 99p each.
And then of course there’s the pretty stuff…
- Christmas Paper Star Lightshade – there are lots of styles and sizes available, but this one’s my favourite. Instant festive cheer in the room for under £7.
- Battery Powered Fairy Lights – Not only are battery powered ones perfect for those areas without a power socket within reach, this indoor/outdoor set are particularly good thanks to the built-in timer. They’ll auto-switch-off after 8hrs, and with 120 leds (smaller sets are available too) they’ll make any dark corner look beautiful.
- Toadstool Tree Decorations – I have these, and they’re gorgeous. The metallic red shines deeply in the lights from the tree, and the clip-on base means positioning is easy (and there’s no string to ruin the line of the top, either). Plus, under £5 for a set of three glass ornaments is frankly amazing.
- Battery Diamond Lights – like the others, these battery powered lights have an auto-timer built in, meaning you don’t have to worry about draining battery power when you forget to turn them off. But these have that gorgeous diamond-shaped wire frame which is really eye-catching. The string of 12 lights is under £10, and comes in brass or copper tones.
- LED Pillar Candles – this three piece set has friendly flickering led’s instead of a naked flame, and their warm glow will light your room all the way through the season with their 400 hours battery life! plus, of course, they’re reduced from £18 to just under £10 – and still in the 3 for 2 offer. *Bargain alert*
- Christmas Star Table Lamp – isn’t it beautiful? A shining chrome base and stem, topped with that pierced acrylic star which gives off such a pretty effect. It stands over 50cm tall and reaches more than 30cm wide – this is a lamp to really light up a darker corner this winter; and it’s reduced from £13 to just under £8, too!
