Christmas

Well, one week to go until the big day! I mean Christmas Day of course, with all its glitter, tinsel, over-indulgence and stress! And I'm ready!!

Personally, I love Christmas. It's an opportunity to spend time with people that I care about and be generous in a way that I never would for the rest of the year because I'm not rich and I simply cannot afford it. But at Christmas, I splurge!

I must also confess to being rather fond of the traditional bits of Christmas too, the carols and religious elements that make it such a warm and uplifting occasion on top of all the commercialism. I'm not religious (I have my doubts that the big guy up there exists, but I'm not sure he doesn't, either) but there is something so innocent and gentle about Christmas in church and I will always try and either go to a teatime carol service on Christmas Eve or the Midnight Mass.

This year, I feel incredibly organised and rather smug sitting here typing this when lots of others are still struggling round the shops or fretting because they aren't finished with arrangements. But my advice would be, don't worry. No one is going to disown you if you don't make things absolutely perfect and you won't do yourself any good at all health wise if you wind yourself up into such a frenzy you are ill next weekend. There are only so many hours in the day and you only have one pair of hands.

I feel sorry for those that are struggling financially this Christmas - the economic situation is really hitting some very hard and prices in the shops, despite the much publicised early sales, are soaring. It's a fact that as your kids get bigger, their preferred gifts get smaller and proportionately more expensive - swop jigsaws for ipads! Food prices are hideous - I went to Morrisons the other day and managed to spend £150 on a trolley which was only half full. And no, it wasn't full of gin!

However you are spending it, try and make it peaceful and fun, filled with kindness and laughter. And this week, in the run up, be calm!