Countdown to Christmas: Day 14

Another day of celebrating the Countdown to Christmas in a little cottage in Cornwall! Today was just lovely (but I'm going to say that about every day we're here, aren't I?)

Lizard

It's the second day of our holiday!

Camomile and Green Tea Shower Steamer

Today, my shower was scented with camomile and green tea.

Christmas Pumpkin Soup

We've managed to acquire an accidental tradition! For the last two years, we've brought the last of the Halloween pumpkins (picked on our annual visit to Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream's Pumpkin Patch) to Cornwall with us, and I've made it into festive soup. Technically, it was a butternut squash this year, but the tradition is established now. I teamed the pumpkin with some Brussels sprouts and little pasta stars, so it was definitely Christmas soup! (It was very thick.)

Reindeer Cupcake

Little Christmas cupcake for after the soup.

Hannah’s Bookshelf 3 Minute Santas Special

Obviously, as I'm currently in Cornwall, today's episode of Hannah's Bookshelf on North Manchester FM was pre-recorded. It was the first of my festive specials for the year... 3 Minute Santas! I ask writers to submit festive short stories that last 3 minutes, and this year I had a record-breaking 23 stories on the show, all different genres and styles.

Walk to Church Cove

This afternoon, I went for a little walk along the coastal path from our cottage to Church Cove (just over a mile away). It's weird, but in all the years we've stayed here, I've never done this walk before as we normally head out in the opposite direction! It was gorgeous, particularly as I walked back in the twilight, listening to Christmas music.

Rovaniemi Virtual Walking Challenge

My walk along the coastal path added the last couple of miles to my festive Rovaniemi virtual walking challenge (from The Conqueror). When I logged my last distance, I got a postcard from Santa Claus Village and a finisher's certificate... and a medal to follow!

Gingerbread Chocolate Pots

We had Gingerbread Chocolate Pots tonight!

Rare Exports

Since I'd just completed my Rovaniemi virtual walking challenge, it seemed fitting to watch a Christmas film set in Lapland (the Land of the Northern Lights).

The Anti-Social Season

Tonight's Christmas reading was The Anti-Social Season by Adele Buck. Not my usual genre, but 'tis the season.

Advent Tea

Today's tea from my Bird and Blend advent calendar was Morning Kick.

Advent Model

And today's model from our other advent calendar was a little Christmas machine and chair!

Countdown to Christmas: Day 6

Another day of celebrating the festive season, and although we were both at work today, we had a special night out planned (and the first of several Christmas Dinners this year).

Fancy Mince Pie

Nice little addition to a tea break at work... a fancy mince pie (leftover from an event last night)!

Postcard from Rovaniemi

My walk to work this morning took me to the next milestone on my The Conqueror virtual walking challenge through Rovaniemi. I got a postcard from Ounasvaara Hill.

Christmas Dinner at Groobarbs

Tonight, we went for a wonderful festive dinner at Groobarbs Field Kitchen. We started off with crackers and mulled cider, and then enjoyed a four course meal made with seasonal produce grown on the farm and sourced from its neighbours. The food was gorgeous, and I loved recognizing all the ingredients that we've had in our veg boxes recently (particularly squash, but also beetroot, parsnips and celeriac).

Advent Tea

Today's tea from my Bird and Blend advent calendar was Great British Cuppa!

Advent Model

And the model in our other advent calendar today was a little train!

Countdown to Christmas: Day 5

It's the fifth day of our Christmas countdown! Admittedly, it was a day when we were both at work, but that doesn't mean we couldn't have a little bit of festive cheer.

Festive Gingerbread

Had a little bit of Christmas gingerbread while I was reading a book for review on my radio show this weekend.

Postcard from Rovaniemi

I signed up for a Christmas virtual walking challenge from The Conqueror last month month. It maps a thirty-mile walk through Rovaniemi (the capital of Finnish Lapland), all the way to Santa Claus Village. Today, I passed the two-thirds mark, so I got a postcard from Kemijoki.

Advent Tea

Today's tea from my Bird and Blend advent calendar was Dozy Girl.

Advent Model

And the model from our other advent calendar today was a little Christmas tree (at least, I think that's what it is... it also seems to have a tap and a present next to it!).

31 Days of Halloween: Day 7

It's Day No. 7 of our month-long Halloween celebrations this year!

Tea Meditation

Today started with something that maybe wasn't strictly a Halloween activity, but I'm counting it anyway as it happened in October! I attended a Chinese Tea Meditation (Cha Dao) session with TsiaTe. It might not be an explicitly seasonal thing to do, but the sense of connection to nature and lineage, and the encouragement to slow down and be mindful, certainly helps when you're trying to live more seasonally.

Lord of the Rings Walk

And another thing that wasn't actually for Halloween... me and my brother have been doing a Lord of the Rings walking challenge from The Conqueror this year. We've completed The Shire, and now we're about a third of the way through The Fellowship. Today we got together for a walk, which (I think) took us pretty much to Weathertop. We celebrated, not with a knife in the dark, but with Warm Blanket tea and a Halloween cupcake.

Beetlejuice Fanta

Little present from my brother!

Parkin

I had to go to a meeting this evening that I didn't want to go to, as I knew it would be horrible. So I took some parkin with me. Everything's better with parkin.