Christmas Favourites

I could say so much about Christmas and all the past years of traditions and experiences and things which made it feel like complete magic when I was young, I could also say how much Christmas feels different now, how you try and grab hold of that spark but it disappears before it touches your hand. The perils of leaving childhood. Ultimately though, I love Christmas, I love seeing people put effort into decorations and lights, I love the colours of Christmas, I love the thought of snow and pine trees, but I also love that our Christmas usually consists of sun-kissed shoulders and warm summer nights of light-looking.

As it is now the week before Christmas, I thought I'd write a little list of some of my favourite Christmas things; if you've written your own similar list, comment the link below as I'd love to read them. If I don't get to say this before Christmas, I hope yours if filled with wonder and blessings. xx

Drink | Considering I don't know what the typical American favourite of eggnog even tastes like, I'd probably just have to say wine, we drink wine at Christmas, and when I was young or if I have to drive it's the good old "fake wine" on the menu.

Movie | 'Mickey's Christmas Carol' because every Boxing Day growing up we would finish the night watching or falling asleep to this, spread across the lounge room floor with all my siblings and cousins. I also kind of love The Grinch.

Food | The roast, the Christmas pudding and the brandy butter (mouth is definitely watering).

Album | A couple of albums which were always put on at Christmas when I was growing up, I think they're one of the things which really send that Christmas feeling through me. I'll have to try and find what they are and put them on - I haven't listened to them much the past couple of years.

This Year | We are having Christmas lunch at home, with the smallest group of people since forever. But I'm actually really looking forward to that, simple with just some siblings, Ben, and Mum. Dinner will be at Ben's parents', Boxing day afternoon/evening will be out at my Aunty's hobby farm (a tradition where a bunch of traditions happen and we can catch up with all of Mum's side of the family). Then the morning after Boxing Day, Ben and I are off to Apollo Bay until the new year!

Tasmania | Enchanted Walk

The day we arrived at Cradle Mountain National Park we had patches of rain in the morning, but we managed to squeeze in the short walk at the entrance of the park which is fittingly named. Moss and lichen covered rocks, trees which made you feel like you were walking in an enchanted forest, and a stream with waterfalls. When you're made to feel like you could be in the Lord of the Rings, you know you've experienced something good. We got through without it raining on us and spent the other hours of the day looking at the videos and installations at the park centre, the afternoon involved relaxing in the ute at our camp site (where a wallaby came to say hello), and we went to the Tasmanian Devil Sanctuary to watch the feeding as it got dark. We finished the night with dinner at Pepper's and a drive to check out what wildlife we could find - with an outcome of something like 11 wombats (!) and countless other animals.

Weekly Notes

I've decided that to help myself in my complete and unfortunate downfall in journaling, I would like to create regular posts on things that have happened, made me happy, that I'm doing or that I'd like to share. I journaled every day for a couple of years and then it just stopped - I can't see myself picking it up again - but that's partly why I started this blog. To bring some of my mind and memories into words again. Here goes!

// I have officially completed my first year as a nursing student (proud moment), it was difficult and I'm so frightened for the future, but I'm going to push it to the side and concentrate on my passion for the time being - hellooo photography.

// We had a garage sale today and although it's sad seeing memories go it's well past the time for it - I plan on greatly diminishing the amount of things I own over the holidays, it's been too long since I've had a clean slate. Wish me luck.

// I'm finally on summer holidays and it's such a great feeling! I need to write a big list and plan out all the things I want to do, time flies when you're having fun and I can't go another set of holidays without finishing that list off! 

// I'm looking forward to Christmas + beach trips + time for photo-taking + blogging + maybe picking up a good book and reading (I think the last book I finished was The Hobbit a couple of years ago - shocking!) 

// I am going lens searching tomorrow; incredibly excited to get a new addition on my camera as my Christmas present - I don't even care that I won't have a surprise gift this year.

  

Other things:

| Breaking up with my wardrobe

| 9 ways to start living a simpler and intentional life

| Letting go

| The daily routines of writers