So if you really love Christmas, come on and let it snow

Earlier this month I took a trip to Manchester for a very long overdue catch up with one of my old housemates. It had been way over a year since we'd last seen each other as we don't live in the same city any more, so we decided that the Christmas Markets in Manchester were the perfect excuse to finally organise a little reunion. The time we spent in the markets themselves actually ended up being fairly limited as we spent more time trying out every shade of lipstick on the Mac stand in Selfridges, but it was a bloomin' lovely day and made me feel all nice and Christmassy inside (the mulled cider definitely helped the Christmas merriment along!). 

My absolute favourite thing about Christmas is the extra effort that people put in to spend time with old friends, people they haven't seen in ages as well as doing extra- fun things with people they see all the time. I know my December has been jam packed with Christmassy activities (mostly involving food and horrific quantities of wine... did someone say work Christmas Party?!) and I've loved every minute of it so far. I know some of the loveliest people in the world so any holiday that gives me an excuse to spend time with them is always going to be a winner with me, and still having another week of freedom before going back to work makes it even sweeter!

Hope you're all having a looovely Christmas break!

Christmas is all around: Billy Mack (Love Actually)

For about the last 8 years, two of my best friends and I have got together to eat excessive amounts of food and watch Love Actually. Hence why I have this song in my head. 

Don't judge me.

Well I wish it could be Christmas everyday

After a busy day of Christmas shopping in York last Saturday, I wanted something a little calmer on Sunday. It was the first time my housemate and I had been around on a Sunday together and not been suffering from dramatic hangovers so we decided to take a little trip out of Leeds to Harrogate. One of the families I work with suggested a visit to Harrogate as last weekend was the Christmas Market, I'm so glad I listened to them as it was the perfect way to spend December 1st!

The market was huge and there was tonnes of food on offer (and oodles of cheese to sample... always a bonus as far as I'm concerned!). Plus, there were some reindeer outside Santa's grotto, you can't get more festive than that!

Although there were a lot of people around, it didn't feel hectic or busy like most places do around this time of year, and even better, the town centre itself was blissfully calm (I've never seen a Primark like it- there were only two tills open on the womenswear floor and there still wasn't a queue... I know where I'm heading for my Primark sprees from now on!). 

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday- Wizzard

And everyone is singing, I hear those sleigh bells ringing

Last weekend was a very Christmassy one. York on the Saturday as you already know, then off to Manchester on the Sunday to see two of my old friends from school. I love Manchester so much, its somewhere that I used to go quite a lot in sixth form back in the days when Liverpool still wasn't very exciting for shopping, then when I moved to Leeds it was still a pretty convenient distance away for day trips shopping (one of my friends and I were very good at going there just before exams and pretending we lived a blissful English Language free existence). 

Anyway, the main point of our little trip was to exchange Christmas presents and wander round the INCREDIBLE Christmas Markets. However, a quick trip to TGI Friday turned into waiting for over an hour for food then ending up having to force free dessert down after a goodwill gesture from the manager because the waiter forgetting to put our food order through, so there wasn't too much time left for festivities. After wolfing down a starter, huge burger and the world's biggest waffle at lunchtime it left me too full to even think about eating any yummy market food. Wahhh. I'm off to the Leeds German Market this evening though so I'll make up for it there I'm sure. It may be small in comparison to Manchester's endless market stalls but you can still get a decent crepe and mulled wine... what more could a girl need?!