When it comes to Christmas rom-coms, only two are of any importance. These films are of course Love Actually and The Holiday. Both films give you a slight guilty feeling about watching a rom-com, which quickly dissipates as you become emotionally involved. But why should we feel guilty about our emotional entanglement with such…
Read more
If, like me, you rolled out of bed on Boxing Day with a ham hangover and fell into a pile of wrapping paper and gifts that you don’t want, then I may have a solution for you: regifting. Regifting is basically a type of recycling. To regift, if you’d like the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition, is…
Read more
When Christmas rolls around each year, my mind inevitably drifts to a magical place of woolly reindeer jumpers, lavish office parties, Death Cab for Cutie, Chinese food and a good dose of family drama… a place known, of course, as The O.C.. Is there a better television show to revisit at Christmas? I think not….
Read more
It’s nearly Christmas and living in the city I constantly see the hustle and bustle of people rushing to get organised for the festive season. It’s the busiest time of year for shopping and retail. As the 25th of December gets closer, the streets become more and more crowded. At the time of writing, it’s…
Read more
The New Day Box project began just a few short weeks ago, ‘almost by accident’, says project founder, Cyan Ta’eed. The project asks us to make a box and fill it with cosmetics, skincare and treats that will be sent to women living in crisis accommodation this Christmas. ‘It is a way to show…
Read more
With the holiday season only just behind us, the image of Santa Claus is likely still fresh in our memories. That’s right, the portly old man who saunters around in a red suit perfect for those artic temperatures. Santa and his iconic garb are now ingrained into our popular consciousness, seen in countless films, advertisements…
Read more
Christmas is over, you’ve rung in the new year, and now that the holiday buzz is wearing off you’re looking at a stack of unwanted gifts. While basking in the glow of hot summer days and beer that bathbomb making kit seemed like a bit of fun, but now that you’re back at work all…
Read more
Christmas is wonderful – glorious weather, glorious food, glorious company, glorious gifts. However, the holiday season also comes with health hazards, some worse than others. Here I’ve listed five unpleasant Christmas-associated ailments and how to avoid them. SUNBURN If you’re planning to spend a day in the sun on the 25th, please be nice…
Read more
As we draw closer and closer to Christmas, I admire my younger sibling’s excitement about the holiday and the jolly old man who makes it all possible. They approach Christmas with wonder whilst I simply view it as a great excuse to eat enormous amounts of food. Their endearing ability to find magic in the…
Read more
Recently, my four-year-old niece asked ‘where does Santa come from?’ I instinctively answered, ‘from the North Pole’, and she seemed convinced. While I was relieved she had not asked the dreaded question – ‘is Santa real?’ – she had got me thinking about just how the legend of Santa developed. Surely the festive season was…
Read more
This year will be the first time in four years that I’ll spend Christmas Day with my immediate family. It’s not that we have ever been estranged, or that we’re not a particular loving or sentimental family, it just worked out that way due to work hours and travel plans. However, earlier this year, my…
Read more
As the year draws to a close, people everywhere wrap things up with final celebrations. Office juniors scramble to try to organise a suitable party for their bosses, whilst New Years Eve offers a further chance to use up leftover ham and indulge with a few more toddies as we count in the New Year….
Read more
For those of us who celebrate it, Christmas is coming up. This time of year is fraught with difficulty for most of us. From December 1 onwards (even earlier in some cases – Christmas trees and decorations for sale in September is some kind of bullshit), those who don’t celebrate Christmas have to put up…
Read more
Happy Holidays! Christmas is almost here and I’m getting into the spirit. So stop fighting people for parks at shopping centres and turn off that Christmas movie with Jonathon Taylor Thomas, because I have some Christmas stories for you to get lost in. 1. A Christmas Carol I would be a bit of a Scrooge…
Read more
