I live in a non-Christian household. We take our non-Christianity seriously, and as such, don’t particularly “do” Christmas. My husband explained it all way better than I ever could here.

So it is rather bizarre that I end up having to get in the spirit for my craft. I own twinkly fairy lights, Santa hats and reindeer antlers. These items never see the light of day in my own home, they are aired only at my fairs. To remind people that Christmas is just around the corner, and you should spend spend spend to make it an extra special one. And yes, it does make me feel a bit dirty. I do not dislike Christmas, I enjoy that people are having fun and being charitable and friendly. That in the bleak mid-winter there is something to get excited about. BUT, if I had to pick one thing I hated about it (other than tinsel, what the hell is even up with that?!) it would be the greed. I had some wonderful Christmases growing up during the leaner years. All we had was family, hand made cards, a simple Sunday roast (but me and my sister got to have a small Baileys for the Christmas one, even though I was only 12!) and a few small stocking filler joke gifts. It was all our parents could afford that year. That year is no more or less special a memory than the year we got MP3 players. At the time, it was amazing, because it was Christmas day. The smells of roast potatoes mingled with Baileys and pine needles, the last pocket on our felt advent calendar tree (which my stupid sister always got to do!), the sitting around all day in a dressing gown and not having to get dressed, the Christmas day TV, the heating on full blast, the waving to our neighbours, waiting for our parents to wake up so we could open our gifts, giving up and taking the presents up to their room to sit on their bed and unwrap them. The simple things were the magical ones, not the hideously expensive gifts.

And so, yes, I feel a bit dirty trying to hawk my goods on shoppers, convincing them that they’d make Christmas complete. In all honesty, they wont. Don’t buy them for that reason, please. YOU will make Christmas complete for your loved ones, being there with your family and friends and sharing in the sentiment of the season. Peace and goodwill to all men. Or some other hippy nonsense like that. Personally this Christmas I will be doing what I always do; opening the two or three gifts from the people who insist on disrespecting my religious beliefs, calling my Mum and Dad and the In-Laws (they “do” Christmas, so I may as well wish them a merry one), watching rubbish telly, thinking about all the things in my life I have to be grateful for, and lamenting the fact that the local takeaway is closed. Oh and drinking some Baileys. Some habits die hard 😉

(Charity) Link of the day:

It’s something to do with me, but not in a selfish “buy my things” kind of way. In the spirit of the season (shhh you) I have decided to donate some of my goods to raise money for charity. I am “selling” them in return for a donation to Build Africa. I am not making any money off of these transactions, in fact I am losing a fair bit. But that’s what donating my goods means! I am donating £100 worth of my scrabble jewellery, and the postage costs, to Build Africa. £3 for a scrabble tile hair clip or £4 for a scrabble tile ring, including postage to the UK. Add £1 to your total order for postage anywhere else in the world. For more information, and to “buy” your jewellery, have a look at the justgiving site: http://www.justgiving.com/westartandglassscrabble Feel free to pay more than the suggested minimum, as any extra money will be an extra donation to Build Africa.