Earlier this week, I shared a post on my personal Facebook page to help normalize the feeling of disappointment and also the feeling of camaraderie that will be Christmas 2020. It was pretty obvious that others are feeling all sorts of sadness and mixed emotions with this year’s holiday!

This Christmas will be different to others, and that’s ok. We are in this together and we must see this year and this pandemic through. Luckily, Christmas comes along every year!

With all that being said, it’s important for me that this Christmas still feels special and is celebrated like all others. Mark and I have been thinking of ways that we can make fond memories out of this interesting situation, of which I’m sure you have been too! Here are a few things that we will be doing to add some cheer this Christmas…

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1. Two new traditions:
   1. I have always wanted to do something special as a tradition on the shortest day of the year (Dec 21), outdoors in the wilderness. Now that we have Hazel, we are going to start a new tradition this year of feeding the birds and little critters of the forest by candlelight on the evening of the 21st which is inspired by the Swedish tradition of Santa Lucia.
   2. The second tradition we are starting in 2020 is the Icelandic tradition of gifting a book on Christmas Eve and then spending time reading. Mark and I fell in love with Iceland on our honeymoon so we thought this would be a nice way to bring that culture into our life during the holidays!

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1. Extra care to gift wrapping: Anyone who knows me knows I’ve never really enjoyed wrapping presents… I don’t have the patience for it… well for 2020 I wanted to bring some extra love to the gifts and fell in love with the process of artistically creating each little parcel. A little trip to my favourite gift store in town (Dandy Lines) drew me to the most adorable Rifle paper and stickers and from here my obsession with creating beautifully wrapped parcels began! They look so pretty under the tree that I don’t want them to be opened!!

1. Filling our home with beautiful smells and sounds: Have you read “Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty? (If you haven’t, do add this to your Christmas wish list!)! Anyways, Jay speaks about how important it is to have calming and inspiring smells and sounds in your home. Adding the warmth and wholesomeness of a fragrant and fruitful cider along with some calming background piano music will be the perfect way to add some warmth to our home on Christmas Eve/Day!
2. Supporting local: Shopping local is important this holiday season more than ever! Instead of thinking ahead as to what a special someone wants or needs, try walking into a couple of local shops to get inspired. I found far better gifts this way this week when I went into a shop with an open mind! Also, be sure to check out what restaurants/ local grocers are offering for Christmas meals.
3. Christmas Day walk: Getting a nice long walk in, in the forest will be in the cards for us! What a better way to spend time on Christmas Day than outside, in the fresh air!

No matter what this holiday has in the cards for you, I hope you will always remember it to be an extra special one in its own way.

A big, big thank you to all those who are working hard to keep people safe, and tending to those who need medical help. You are heroes each and every day!