Whichever way you paint it, January can be pretty grim. It’s dark in the mornings and evenings, and everything is cold.
The joy of Christmas is over, and everyone is repenting for their excesses by going on restrictive diets and giving up drink. We’re all trying to save money and force ourselves out running. Summer holidays are just too far away to look forward to.
And to add to all the joy this year, we are also in a third National Lockdown as Covid-19 cases soar.
Let’s keep it real, January sucks.
The only thing I’ve found to combat the blues is taking pleasure in little luxuries that are good for mind, body and soul.
It started with a Christmas jumper. A funny item to trigger such a realisation.
Immediately, I found another stockist and placed a duplicate order, chucking a handful of other items into my basket while I was at it. The next day, predictably, the first one turned up.
Why was I so desperate to get my hands on a novelty jumper that I would order two, plus a load of other stuff I didn't want or need?
I looked around me - a wardrobe overflowing with items I've never worn, many still with the labels on. A dressing table stuffed with untouched 'must have' cosmetics. A bathroom packed with spare toiletries.
What on earth was I thinking?
Suddenly I began feel suffocated, oppressed by the sheer weight of my belongings. It was madness.
Christmas 2020 was always going to be different wasn't it? I expected it to be quieter than usual. I expected to miss people. But I never expected how this one would turn out.
In blogs and across social media, it's very easy to share the good times and shiny stuff. What's harder sometimes is to be real and a bit raw. I'm going to try my best to be those things in this post.
2020 has been a hell of a ride, so I think we were all ready for a little festive cheer. With a lot of the usual rituals off limits - taking the kids to meet Santa, work Christmas parties - the ones we could keep to felt even more important.
To say that this year has been a bit of a shocker is a complete understatement, so I think most of us are more than ready for some festive cheer. I've been looking forward to Christmas in a major way.
The kids at 5 and 2 are at the peak ages to be excited and basically since late November we've been shamelessly encouraging it with lots of gingerbread baking, festive film watching and mince pie eating. I don't even know who's more excited at this point.
What have you got planned for your 2020 festivities?
Nothing is going to be the same this year, but it's all about looking to the positive and appreciating the little pleasures. That's why the December Birchbox was so welcome when it arrived on my doorstep.
True, all our Christmas parties have been cancelled or will be happening on Zoom, but this little arrival gave me a touch of that festive spirit. I haven't been a Birchbox subscriber for a long time, but I saw the box spoilers for this edition and had to get in on the action.
Anyone else self-gift around Christmas?
They say you have to love yourself before you can love others...and that flimsy justification is really all I need to top up my dressing table - so it was time for a slice of festive Beauty Pie! This really makes it feel like Christmas has come early.
As well as being totally in love with their premium skincare, the makeup offering from Beauty Pie has really impressed me this year. More and more of their products are becoming part of my daily essentials now. They’ve been busy reformulating a lot of things, and they’re coming back feeling really luxurious.
So, what brought some festive cheer to my doorstep this week?
