Monday, December 28, 2015

Christmas and 2015 reflections

The year is drawing to a close and what a year it has been. I may post again before the year is fully over, but it felt right to combine reflections on Christmas with thoughts on this year as a whole.



First, Christmas. It was lovely. I was getting a cold, which was less lovely, but it was our first Christmas in our new home and we enjoyed a relaxed and laid back day. There were lots of presents, lots of food, and just the right amount of effort to make it special. There is something to be said for a Christmas where you do everything just the way you want to.

 


In line with "just enough effort", we had a buffet-style Christmas dinner and I made less from scratch than I'd intended. I made roast potatoes, glazed carrots, and salad with pecans and cranberries. I bought hummus and vegan-friendly falafels and spring rolls from Waitrose, and Mr Bite had some sliced roast turkey. I thought about tofu kebabs but we didn't need them; similarly, I thought about individual apple pies but we had plenty of sweet things without.


Even if we hadn't had sufficient sweet items, my Christmas selection would have helped us out. Mr Bite excelled with choosing me some incredible vegan chocolate options. I have a plain dark block, an M&S dark chocolate with ginger block, a Doisy & Dam dark chocolate with ginger, chilli flakes and hemp seeds block (which I've admired on several occasions but resisted on account of price), individual flavoured chocolates by Moo Free, and caramel choices to round things off. When I'm not eating chocolate I can be drinking tea, reading, bathing with Body Shop apple bath gel, and considering when to use various vouchers, including an outing to nearby Hever Castle and use of the digital magazine site Readly.


In all, I am well positioned for the end of the year. Unlike previous years, I didn't set many goals for 2015. To repeat my exact phrasing: "The reason is that I have relatively few, but those I do have are relatively large. We want to look into moving somewhere bigger than our current 1-bedroom apartment, most likely in the commuter zone just outside of London. We may get a car to accompany that move. And...I have a charity place in the London Marathon."


A year on, we have moved, we do have a car, and I did run the London Marathon. It has been a full year and a fulfilling one. I feel very lucky.

It has also been a full year at the end of several equally momentous years. Life is busy! With that, sometimes my blogging is less consistent than it once was. Sometimes I feel like blogging less than I once did. Going into 2016, I have decided to accept that and even embrace it. So, from here on, I am abandoning posting schedules and my sense that I "should" post at least 3 times per week. I have decided it matters more to me that I post recipes I want to share (accompanied by photos I want to share) than to hit publish on something for the sake of it. I'll still be reading blogs and I will still be posting, but the frequency is likely to vary according to whim and time.

On that note, I hope that your own 2015 is drawing to a happy end - and that 2016 brings all you want it to.

Do you have plans for celebrating the new year?

11 comments:

  1. Amen to that! Looks like a lovely relaxed christmas and sounds like all is going well for you - no doubt it is thanks to your hard work to get there! Hope you keep up your blogging but I support your decision to blog at your own pace. All the best for 2016.

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  2. I hear you! Your Christmas looked just lovely, and fabulous to hit those bigger goals. I too have been blogging less and lurking more but it's working for me at the moment. Here's to a lovely 2016 x

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  3. Happy New Year to you too. I do like the sound of your ginger chocolate - Mr Bite did very well.

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  4. That looks like a lovely Christmas! Caramel Choices are delicious, I got through two boxes over the holidays.

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  5. Hope you had an amazing holiday and Happy New Year!! We celebrated our first Christmas day at our new home as well. Tim had to work (one of the perks of working at a hospital) an 11 hour shift that day so we had a very very humble brunch together. Mr.Bite knows you so so well hehe. Love love your delicious collection of chocolate and tea. And I know exactly how you feel about blogging getting the best of you. I, too, felt like I HAD to post 3 times a week, but I abandoned that idea around August of last year. That's around the time when I got a full-time job (which I love!) and quickly realized I'm not a superwoman. Since then, I've been able to be more present in the moment and give my undivided attention to the people I love and matter the most. I also thought about shutting down my blog, but after taking some time unplugging, I felt a strong desire to update it. Now I blog whenever I can, and yes, I still struggle with the comparison trap from time to time and feelings of lagging behind gets the best of me. However, I just remind myself that I need to do what's right for me! So all this to say, I support your decision 100% ;). Let's make 2016 an unforgettable one!! xoxo

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    1. Thanks so much for this lovely comment Min! I'm glad you've been able to reach your own equilibrium with blogging and time - full time work is definitely a big adjustment when you start. I'm glad you're enjoying the job though and I hope 2016 brings you much happiness!

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  6. Sounds like a lovely holiday meal =)
    And chocolate and books? Best gifts ever!
    The blogging goal is a good one - blogging should be for fun, enjoyment - not work and pressure.
    Happy New Year!

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