I don't know if it's just me, but for the first time in a few years, I'm actually starting to feel quite excited about Christmas again.
Not in an I've bought matching pyjamas and decorated the house in September kind of way.
More that I've been thinking about how we actually want Christmas to feel this year.
Because there's no denying it - Christmas changes when your children get older.
When they're little, Christmas almost runs itself. They're beside themselves with excitement, you're up at some ungodly hour, there's wrapping paper everywhere and you barely get a chance to think.
Then suddenly they're teenagers, nobody is waking up at 5am (thank GOD), everyone's on their phone, everything costs approximately £4 million and you can sometimes find yourself trying to recreate a Christmas that doesn't really fit your family anymore.
And if I'm being completely truthful, I think I've found Christmas a bit weird for the last few years.
I’ve actually thought that this is it – I am now one of those Christmas haters!
Maybe we need new Christmas traditions
Our girls are older now. They still absolutely want to be at home for Christmas - which suits me perfectly because going away at Christmas costs an absolute fortune - but I've started wondering:
Why do we have to keep doing Christmas exactly the same way we've always done it?
Last year, we changed one of the biggest things.
We had the Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.
And I know. Some people will be reading this absolutely horrified.
But hear me out.
Christmas Eve food has become a bit rubbish in our house. You don't really want to cook because you know you're cooking the massive dinner the following day, so it ends up being a takeaway or party food.
And by that point in December, my hubby is well over the M&S party food!
So last year we thought - why don't we just have the proper dinner tonight?
And honestly?
It was brilliant.
We cooked the Christmas dinner, did extra meats and everything we normally would, and actually sat down and enjoyed it. Tons of leftovers for Christmas Day!
Then Christmas Day was completely different.
No spending half the day in the kitchen. No military operation involving six pans, three ovens, and somebody asking when the potatoes will be ready.
We had all the lovely leftover meats, made pies, cheeses and picky bits and everyone could basically eat what they fancied.
It completely took the pressure off. We still had starters, but it all felt so much more enjoyable.
So now I'm thinking… what else could we change?
That's where my head is this year.
If I'm not tied to the kitchen all Christmas morning, what could we actually do?
Could we get on the bikes for an hour?
Go for a big walk?
Come home freezing, put the fire on and open something fizzy?
I'm not talking about turning Christmas Day into some exhausting itinerary of FUN FAMILY ACTIVITIES. Absolutely not.
I just quite like the idea of getting up and doing something together before settling in for the day.
And maybe that's the thing I'm starting to realise.
Different doesn't have to mean worse.
Our Christmases when the girls were tiny were lovely. But we're not that family anymore because they're not tiny anymore.
Maybe instead of constantly comparing Christmas now with Christmas then, we get to decide what this version looks like.
And actually, that's quite exciting.
I'm keeping the pudding though…
There are certain things I have absolutely no intention of making difficult.
This year I'm making Nigella's chocolate Guinness cake. I make it throughout the year but never for Christmas Day.
I love it, it keeps brilliantly, you can make it beforehand and - most importantly - it looks like you've made far more effort than you actually have.
My kind of Christmas dessert.
And Christmas night, when everyone's collapsed on the sofa and nobody could possibly eat another thing?
A slice of that with an espresso martini.
Tell me that doesn't sound good.
So I need your best Christmas ideas…
This is where I'm handing Jo's Journal over to you this week because I genuinely want to know what other families do.
Especially those of you whose children are getting older.
Have you changed your Christmas traditions?
Do you eat your Christmas dinner at a completely different time?
Do you go out on Christmas morning?
Have you ditched something everyone secretly hated?
Or have you started a random little tradition that your family now absolutely loves?
Because I think I'm done with doing things just because that's what you're supposed to do at Christmas.
Life changes. Families change. Children grow up.
And perhaps Christmas is allowed to change with us.
So hit me with your best Christmas idea - however weird, simple or completely untraditional it is.
I'm looking for inspiration.
And if anyone else fancies moving Christmas dinner to Christmas Eve…
I can highly recommend it.
Jo x
