Ahhh men- the weird and wonderful creatures in our lives. Not only are they hard to figure out on the other 364 days of the year, but Christmas really hammers home how difficult the male species can be to understand. But never fear, we’re here to help!

For The Foodie

Did someone say a 3-course meal with a side of suave? Whether it’s the mastermind behind a Michelin star-worthy midweek dinner or simply the one you can always rely on to make your favourite comfort food, shopping for the foodie in your life offers endless gifting opportunities. Perishable presents are always a winner at Christmas time, but giving a gift that keeps on giving might be the more fulfilling route to shopping smart this Christmas. From recipe books, kitchenware, accessories to hampers, there’s something super comforting about food for the soul inspired presents.

For The One Who’s Always Outdoors

Adventure is a state of mind! If sitting still is this gift recipients worst nightmare, you’re in the right place for nailing the perfect outdoorsy gift. 2020 has got us all itching for a taste of escapism, whilst solidifying our love and appreciation for the simple yet luxurious pleasure of a nice, long walk.

We’re feeling optimistic that 2021 will offer us endless opportunities for out of the ordinary memories to be made, and this selection offers the perfect hints of wanderlust for walking weekends, camping trips and hikes against gorgeous scenery around the globe. It’s time to get planning!

For The Music Obsessive

Whilst your dad’s questionable taste of 80s bops, and younger brothers insistence on playing Post Malone on repeat might drive you up the wall, they do in fact offer endless opportunities for music-themed gifts you know they’ll love. The fun thing about this category is how nicely it crosses over with personalisation, giving you extra brownie points for thoughtfulness too! Sound wave artwork, retro record walls and lyric inspired prints are just a few gift options you might go for, as well as both speakers and headphones, depending on how aligned your music tastes are.

For The One Who Never Says No To The Pub

Ahhh, the comfort of your local boozer, there’s nothing quite like it! We’ve spent far less time at the pub in 2020 than we’d like, but that doesn’t mean your present options need be restricted for the man in your life that loves a pint and packet of crisps. Go chic with some Insta-Worthy bar cart accessories, or classic with a failsafe beer bonanza and rest assured knowing you really can’t go wrong with a tipple at Christmassss- cheers!

For The Lover Of The Finer Things In Life

Sometimes working with a bigger budget makes it harder to narrow down a gift you think the lucky recipient will really want, but there are a few classic present routes which will never fail you, namely accessories + tech. Go for a classic design in the form of a watch, wallet or tie for the slick and sophisticated man in your life or some smart new tech that promises to sort your dad’s forever overbooked calendar or brother’s extensive uni reading list. Finish with an impressively large bow on top to really stand out under the tree, and you’re about to get yourself in the good books for the whole of 2021- result!

The ‘You Can’t Go Wrong’ Gifts

Sometimes simple wins! Don’t overthink an extravagant or unique gift if you know your dad/uncle/boyfriend just isn’t that kinda guy, and instead stick with the classic holy trinity of Christmas presents – socks, pyjamas and gifts that serve a purpose. 2020 has been complicated enough and simplifying your shopping is likely exactly what you need an extra serving of. M&S, John Lewis and Debenhams- we’re coming for you!

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Traditional dried fruit decorations are the holy grail of Christmas crafts. Strung onto a garland, hooked into a natural Christmas wreath or even nestled into a bowl of potpourri, they bring a certain festive simplicity and fragrant flair to our homes throughout the holidays that no shiny modern & polished ornament would dare to compete with.

You will need:

• Oranges
• Limes
• String / twine / Raffia for threading
• Baking tray
• Metal cooling rack
• Parchment paper
• Cinnamon sticks
• Paper towels / tea towel
• Upholstery needle
• Scissors

How to:

The first and most longwinded step is drying your fruit. Cut your oranges into 1-2cm thick slices and pat dry with paper towels or a tea towel to absorb the excess juice. Place your slices on a metal cooling rack over a baking tray lined with parchment paper to allow the air to circulate around the fruit and prevent them from burning.

Place them on low heat (120⁰C) in the oven for 3 hours and flip them over half way through drying. If you’re drying whole oranges, cut six ¼ inch slices around the orange and heat as per the sliced fruit but account for longer drying times (4-6 hours).

Once the fruit is visibly dry, remove from the oven and allow to cool before proceeding. You can create all kinds of dried fruit arrangements from present-toppers to place cards but here’s how to make traditional tree decorations & garlands.

Christmas tree decorations

Tie a knot in your twine or raffia, you may need to tie a few knots until it feels secure. Next, thread your dried fruit and cinnamon sticks onto your twine / raffia vertically to make a little stack. You will need to make small holes in your fruit to enable the needle to pass through.

When you’re done, tie another knot at the other end and create a loop to hang. For single fruit decorations, simply take an inexpensive Christmas tree hook/wire ornament hook and poke a hole around the rind. Pinch it closed and you’re done. If you’re attaching your dried fruit pieces to a wreath, use floristry wire rather than glue so you can reuse them for several years.

Christmas Garland

If you’re making a garland, thread your first piece of fruit from the back of your piece of fruit at a 1 o clock position, leaving a 12-inch tail of thread the other side. Then, thread back through the front of the fruit at an 11 ‘O clock position.

Take another piece of fruit. Poke a hole from behind at the 1 o’clock position again. Pull it all the way through next to the first piece of fruit to keep it taut. Take the thread out at 11 o’clock position again. Continue adding your fruit like this until you’re happy with how it looks.

After you’ve placed the last piece of fruit onto the garland, leave another 12-inch tail of thread at the other end for hanging, as you did at the beginning. Shuffle your fruit along the twine if they look too huddled together, then take the leftover string at the end, double it up to make a loop and make a knot a couple of inches down. Do this on both ends so you can hang your garland on the mantelpiece. Cut off the excess string and voila!

First of all how are you and how are you coping in lockdown?

I am getting there! It was such a shock at first from going from 8 shows a week in such a full out, high energy show to just stopping completely. However, I have actually really enjoyed the break and have used this time to focus on new, exciting projects!

Talk us through your journey to the West End!

I have sung since I was 6! I used to always take part in local talent shows and take part in the school productions. It wasn’t until I started attending the Guildford School of Acting Saturday School and going to the theatre with my mum that I started getting serious about wanting to be on stage. I was then lucky enough to go from Saturday school to the 3 year Degree course at GSA! I landed the role of Swing/ Dance Captain in SiX the musical during my third year and made my debut in the show the day before my graduation! It was such a whirlwind week.

Which shows might our audience have seen you in?

I started my career in a very popular show, SiX the musical where I covered all of the Queens! SiX officially opened in the West End in January 2019 after we did a 6 month UK Tour. I left the show in in August 2019 to embark on my new adventure with & Juliet, a re-telling of the classic love story using the music of pop-writing legend, Max Martin. In the show, I cover the title role and it is one of the most fun jobs ever!

During the pandemic and whilst the West End is closed, I was lucky enough to appear in an outdoor concert version of ‘Hair’ on a jetty, directed by Arlene Phillips! The show is hopefully doing 2 shows at the London Palladium in January!

What’s parts would you most like to play in the future?

My current dream roles are Eliza in Hamilton, Eurydice in Hadestown and Glinda in Wicked.

How can people support the arts during lockdown 2?

You can support the Arts by buying tickets for projects that artists are doing during lockdown such as concerts, workshops or q&as. There are also incredible charities such as Acting for Others or the Theatre Support Fund who are doing incredible work to support creatives and theatres in this time whilst the curtains are down.

What is your advice for someone wanting to make it to the West End?

Never box yourself and have a ‘Just go for it’ attitude to trying new things. This industry is crazy so you never know where your path might take you! Also, be a nice human! Being a good company member is just as important as your talent when it comes to getting jobs.

What would you say is your biggest achievement to date?

With the nature of & Juliet, we are constantly meeting celebrities! However, a night I will never forget was when I played Juliet in front of Katy Perry. I sang ‘Roar’ with her in the audience and got to meet her after. She was so lovely and couldn’t believe I had only done the role a few times before that!

Can you tell us more about your podcast Cut To The Grace?

This project has been something I have wanted to do for so long! I wanted to do it to find out more about the incredible performers and creatives I know and admire. Not only about the careers, but also about them as humans! We can feel so defined by our jobs as actors. I wanted to break that stigma and show my audience that we are human beings with interesting stories and lives! It’s also a super casual, conversational podcast so that my audience can feel like they’re joining in the chat over a cuppa with their favourite Theatre stars who I am lucky enough to have join me on the show.

What is your favourite musical and why?

This is so hard! I absolutely adore the story and music of Hadestown.        However, Kinky Boots is a show that just makes me feel amazing every time I listen to it and it has such an important message. My best friend played one of the angels in the show so me and my mum saw it A LOT and loved every second!

What do you always carry with you?

I am not myself without my phone, my vaseline, a hair band round my wrist and a bottle of water!

What does your perfect weekend look like?

My perfect weekend would start with a massive cooked brunch with loads of coffee before a trip to London looking around the vintage shops. It would, of course, end with watching a show on the West End before a few cocktails! Sunday would be all about chill time- Netflix, puppy cuddles, dressing gowns, cups of tea, snacks, maybe even a cheeky trip to the spa!

If you could only eat one meal again what would it be?

This is the hardest question for me because I LOVE food! BUT I think it would be a vegan chicken piccata that me and my boyfriend make (it’s amazing). It consists of quorn chicken, capers, lemon juice, white wine, and ALL the garlic. With pesto potatoes, broccoli and a bit of garlic bread on the side. DREAMS. If I’m allowed a pudding at the end, Ice cream!

If you could give one positive message to our followers what would it be?

Comparison is the killer of creativity. So, stay in your lane and remember that you are more than enough just the way you are.

Keep up with Grace on Instagram here!

We enjoy a hot toddy as much as the next person but this year calls for something a tad more celebratory than a bottle of mulled wine, don’t you think?

So, station yourselves firmly by the bar cart and make an occasion of happy hour at home with these very merry & drinkable festive cocktails.

The Christmas Margarita

A festive concoction with a classic tequila base, blended with cranberry juice, orange-flavoured liqueur and lime juice. You’ll never look back.

The Baileys Espresso Martini

A rich and luxurious Yuletide take on the classic coffee-flavoured cocktail – that’ll get you in the holiday spirit.

The Very Merry Mojito

Time to debunk the myth that mojitos sit firmly in the Summer bev category. The Merry Mojito is easy to make, light and refreshing on the palate with a seasonal, spicy twist. That sounds like a Christmas-appropriate jingle juice recipe to us but don’t take our word for it.

The Winter Aperol Spritz

If you’re sad about giving up your favourite tipple o’ Summer, we’re here to tell you we can fill the void with this suitably drinkable Winter edition Aperol spritz.

The cranberry juice works in perfect unison with the fresh citrusy notes of the Aperol and the prosecco and orange zest = quite the holiday romance. Get shaking and making – you’ll see. Bottoms up!

The Sloe Gin Bellini

The perfect brunch-like cocktail for opening presents and lubricating those mid-morning salmon bagels. Sloe-secco is the new prosecco, people.

Which festive cocktail will you be wetting your whistle with this Christmas?

Ahh the mantelpiece … a central part of the home that feels very adult and one of peak sophistication. Whilst it may be easily confused and combined with the styling of a shelf (understandably so), there’s something about a mantlepiece forming the central, focal part of your living space that sets it apart from the humble shelf we’ve grown reasonably confident in styling. This week’s edit is one of two halves: the ones ready for Christmas and the ones unsure whether to dip their toes into the festivities, offering you a look at both ‘normal’ and festive dressing to inspire your space through winter and beyond.

Let us know which picks you’re totally heart eyes for and any tips you’ve picked up along the way for styling this part of your home.

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As the comfort tv hierarchy goes, Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas is up there with The Great British Bake Off as one of the best ways to quiet the mind and de-stress after a long hard day. Or as the case may be, a long hard 2020.

As we continue into a second lockdown here in the UK, we’re going to be spending more time indoors during the days leading up to Christmas, and what better way to fill that Winter Wonderland shaped void in our hearts and cure those bad-day blues than with a festive crafternoon round the table?

From marble-effect crackers to snowflake coasters, here’s how to make sure you have the best DIY December yet #KeepCraftingAndCarryOn

1. Reusable Handmade Advent Calendar

Count down the days till Christmas with your very own advent calendar, made from 24 small muslin bags, number templates and red acrylic paint / number stamps. You can either trace the number templates and paint over them or paint a thin layer of paint directly onto number stamps and then stamp the bag.

If you don’t have wooden rods to hang the finished muslin bags, you can forage for a stick and tie a piece of twine to the ends for displaying. Fill the muslin bags with mini treats to enjoy all through December and tie onto your wooden framing with the handles or secure with rustic wooden pegs.

Follow the step by step guide here.

And for those looking for a longer DIY project, we’re obsessed with this felt stocking advent calendar by A Beautiful Mess.

2. Jumbo Christmas Garland

Give your door a statement festive makeover for the holidays with this jumbo Christmas garland made using wooden craft ovals, metallic spray paint and a drill. Go extra or go home right?

Get the full step-by-step here.

3. Crafty Christmas Baubles

Use polystyrene balls, glue, silver bauble tops, ribbon or twine and Decopatch papers to make your own Christmas tree baubles – hang them loud and proud, pride of place on your spruce.

Follow the steps from Paperchase.

You can also use clear baubles filled with sprigs of fresh rosemary decorated with calligraphy inspired lettering – give it a go with a gold or black Sharpie.

4. DIY Napkin Rings

Dress up your Thanksgiving table with budget-friendly napkin rings. You just need three things: twine, a roll of natural hessian burlap and some scissors.

Cut your burlap ribbon to size, wrap it round your napkin and hold in place with twine for a rustic & frugal farmhouse tablescape. You can also add in cinnamon sticks and evergreen twigs for a table that looks and smells the part.

5. Snowflake Coasters

You don’t need to be Kirstie Allsopp to master this easy festive coffee table décor. All you need is a glue gun, scissors and white pipe cleaners. Sounds like our kinda craft!

Cut three 3 inch even pieces of pipe cleaner for the base, six 1 inch pieces and six ¾ inch pieces for the snowflake detail. Use the hot glue gun to secure the 3 inch pieces together to make a star shape for the base. Bend the smaller pieces to make a ‘v’ shape and glue onto each arm to complete the snowflake design. And you’re done!

6. Felt Garland

Here’s a Christmas garland you can put together in one crafernoon and enjoy using year after year. Thread a series of accordion bundles of felt together on one line of strong upholstery thread in vivid colourways or festive tones of your choice, pressing the pieces together as you sew. Knot the end, fluff your felt and enjoy.

Follow the full felt garland how-to here.

7. Paper Tree Garland

Scandi lovers, this minimal garland will speak to your soul. You’ll need heavy card stock paper in a few shades of green, scissors, bakers twine, self-healing cutting mat, precision knife and embroidery needle and thread.

Make a triangle template to map out your tree shapes, each tree will consist of two interlocking triangles (so if you’d like a garland with 12 trees on, you’ll need to cut out 24 triangles). Pair the triangles up and cut a half inch slit in the top of one and a half inch slit in the bottom of the other, so they can interlock. Using a straight pin or a small hole punch, make a small hole in the top of the tree. Then, thread the trees together with the embroidery needle and baker’s twine.

Check out the tutorial here.

8. Marble Christmas Crackers

Style your table with your very own marbled crackers – they’re surprisingly easy to make and they certainly look the part.

Get the 411 right here.

9. Gold pine cone place card holders

Why have we never fully appreciated the tiny notches of a pine cone before? To make your very own festive place card holders, give your pine cones a couple of coats of gold / silver spray paint, or leave them bare & rustic, they look just as nice.

Cut out your place cards using cardstock paper and write your guests’ names on each one using gold calligraphy ink (or just your best handwriting with an ordinary gold pen, no judgement). Nestle each card into a pine cone and place on the table for each guest. After your Christmas dinner, you can repurpose the pine cones in a bowl with some twinkly fairy lights or style them with your garland on your mantle.

Get your inspiration here.

10. Christmas cocktail stir sticks

Give your tipples a festive glow up with these super easy cocktail stir sticks. All you need is a set of wooden skewers, a hot glue gun, mini bottle brush trees (available online / at most craft stores).

Start by trimming your skewers to fit your cocktail glasses, dab a generous blob of glue on the top end and attach it to the base of a bottle brush tree, holding in place for 30 seconds to secure. Once cooled, add it to your favourite Yuletide beverage for a drink that’s dressed for the occasion. Stand back and admire your handiwork.

11. Cranberry place cards

Crafts don’t get easier than this! Using fresh cranberries, wire, scissors, fresh tree trimmings, kraft paper and stamps, you can make your very own festive place cards. Christmas table of dreams pending…

Get the tutorial, here.

12. Swedish-Inspired Brass Ring Christmas Wreath

Making your own Christmas wreath is one of life’s simple pleasures and a great way to quiet your mind. To make your own simple Christmas wreath, you will need a selection of foliage (eucalyptus, berries, evergreen twigs and hydrangeas work wonderfully at this time of year), floristry wire, scissors and a plain brass wreath ring (available online).

Begin wrapping your floral wire around the base of the ring so you can place your foliage and secure the wire as you work your way round. Take your foliage all the way round for a statement wreath, or if you prefer the simple and traditional Nordic style, focus your greenery around the bottom half of your wreath, or down one side for a fuss-free but undeniably festive DIY wreath.

13. Car In A Jar Snow Globe

You know that quintessential Christmas scene with the old vintage car with a tree on the roof, well with bottle brush trees, faux snow, mason jars, a toy car, red and white twine and red jingle bells, you can make your very own to give to your loved ones for gifts, handmade with love.

To start, tie the red jingle bells around the lid using the baker’s twine. Remove the base from your bottle brush tree if it has one and tie round the vintage toy car with the baker’s twine. If your toy car has windows, thread the twine through the car to secure. Cover the bottom of the mason jar with a light layer of faux snow and nestle the car on top. Secure the lid and watch your loved ones tear up with joy at your thoughtful creation.

14. Pine Scented Candles

Homemade gifts don’t get better than Narnia-inspired Christmas candles. Once we’ve successfully made one of these, we’ll know we’ve hit our Yuletide peak.

Learn how to make these pine-scented festive wicks right here.

What festive craft projects will you be cracking on with in the run up to Christmas?

Christmas advert season is finally upon us and after a whirlwind of a year, we’re so ready for the first crop of festive cheer to begin. As we wait with bated breath for the good people at John Lewis to reveal their 2020 tear-jerking goods, we’re rating the rest of the Christmas ads from Amazon to Argos.

John Lewis

The hotly-anticipated Waitrose & John Lewis advert has finally made its debut, so we’re officially in the mood for mulled wine and mistletoe. Inspired by the spirit of kindness shown by the British public during the coronavirus pandemic, the two-minute ad titled, Give A Little Love, shows animals, children, snowmen and neighbours carrying out good deeds. Each character passes the campaign’s heart emblem onto the next, spreading love and kindness this Christmas.

Instead of using a single production team, this year’s ad is a celebration of different art forms, selecting multiple artists from animation and claymation to CGI and cinematography. In another break from tradition, an original song (rather than the usual breathy cover) was commissioned to provide the soundtrack. Written and recorded by Brit-award winner, Celeste, the charity single ‘Give A Little Love’ lands us right in the festive feels. Together, John Lewis and Waitrose are aiming to raise £5million to help 100,000 families in need.

Cry-ometer rating: we didn’t think a pigeon clad in a gold chain and acid wash denim would get us teary but 2020 is no ordinary year.

Sainsbury’s

Disclaimer: this advert may be triggering for racists.

The supermarket has released the first two Christmas ads in their three-part series focusing on families sharing their culinary memories and hoping they can be reunited this year amid the pandemic.

The first instalment, called The Gravy Song, features a father and daughter having a chat on the phone about Christmas and the legendary gravy he makes every year. As a montage of throwback home-style video footage plays, the dad breaks out into his gravy song in the most embarrassing and loveable dad-like manner.

Despite the retail giant receiving criticism from some, ahem, racist trolls, we applaud Saino’s for getting their ad so, so right.

The second instalment, titled Perfect Portions, depicts a mother and son reminiscing about Christmases with their dad and how he’d always carve perfectly even slices of turkey. The final instalment in the festive Saino’s collection, Big Sarnie, is set to air on Thursday and will show two cousins remembering the Boxing Days spent at their nan’s.

Cry-meter rating: Crying at a Christmas ad? No. Eye condensation? Yes.

Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola ad sees a dad saying goodbye to his daughter as he sets off to work on an oil rig. After forgetting to post his daughter’s letter to Santa, he embarks on an epic journey to the North Pole. He sails the ocean, treks across the desert and climbs mountains in search of the North Pole but when he arrives, he sees a sign on the grotto door saying, “Closed For Christmas”. A certain kind bewhiskered sir in the famous Coca-Cola van gives him a lift home to his family, handing his daughter’s letter out the window to him as he leaves. The father, confused, opens the letter to find that his daughter’s Christmas wish was simply for her daddy’s safe return home. Who pulls away in the Coca-Cola truck? Good ol’ Saint Nick.

Cry-meter rating: Should come with a Christmas hayfever warning.

Tesco

In the year that humans stockpiled loo roll, we needed a light-hearted Christmas ad to poke fun at us.

The Tesco ad, titled No Naughty List, shows various people confessing to the things that might land them on the naughty list this year. From giving sisters dodgy haircuts (relatable) to failing to donate to Captain Tom (audible gasp), the retailer encourages shoppers to forget all about the naughty list this year and treat themselves instead. After all, we deserve it!

Cry-meter rating: howling, in a good way.

Amazon

As Christmas ads go, Amazon has set the barre pretty high. This year’s ad follows the story of a young, determined ballerina, forced to train from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Set to a moving instrumental of Queen’s ‘The Show Must Go On’, the two-minute advert sees a ballerina, played by French ballet dancer Taïs Vinolo, training on Zoom, in the streets and in her hallway, only to discover the Winter show has been cancelled.

Seeing her sister’s disappointment, the dancer’s younger sibling hatches a plan to invite the neighbours to a very special solo performance of, “The Show Must Go On” on their own snowy rooftop. The finale will have you on toast. Bravo Amazon – a touching reminder of the beauty of the arts and the power of community. Needless to say, Fatima’s next job will not be in cyber.

Cry-ometer rating: Ideally, you’ll have a tissue for each eye and nostril. Realistically, you’ll make do with one and use a heavy-duty sleeve to mop up the rest.

Asda

With England now in lockdown 2.0, many of us are clinging to the hope of a somewhat normal Christmas, even if it does look a little different this year.

Featuring the tagline, “the Christmas they need, at the prices they all want”, the ad sees the return of Sunny the superfan and his family as they decorate the house ready for Christmas & gather round the dinner table to tuck into a festive feast, c/o Asda.

The no-frills ad feels very simple & wholesome, acknowledging the pandemic but inspiring us all to make the most of the festive season, even if we’re spending more time at home.

Cry-ometer rating: You will probably release a tear or two but you won’t be dealing with face ache. None of that contorting your cheeks and mouth business, save that for John Lewis.

Argos

In this adorable Greatest Showman-esque ad entitled, ‘An Evening with AbracaDaisy & The Incredible Lucy’, the iconic Argos catalogue makes a welcome comeback.

When sisters Lucy & Daisy circle a box of amazing magic tricks in the Argos Book Of Magic, they are transformed into mini magicians. Soon enough, the front room becomes the theatre of dreams with a grand chandelier and a royal box for proud grandma to watch the show, as the girls perform their set.

As well as performing a range of tricks from sawing their sausage dog in half to vanishing objects, the feel-good ad sees the girls magic up presents for their whole family to enjoy, all to the jolly tune of Gary Barlow’s toe-tapping soundtrack ‘Incredible’.

Instead of centering the story around the pandemic, the retailer focuses on themes of family, togetherness and the magic of Christmas. It’s the pure escapism we were all hoping for.

Cry-ometer rating: Happy tears will be a’flowing.

TK MAXX

Move over Emily In Paris! If this was a competition for bougie openings, TK Maxx wins because within the first three seconds, they gave us the gift of a goat in a beret. Clad in designer gear, the animated goat struts her stuff across the countryside, showing off her new look to her fellow woollies, neckerchief and all.

Meanwhile, her farmers watch on from the window, tearing up indoors as they reflect on the year she’s had why she’s totally deserving of a designer outfit, even if she is a goat. At just 30 seconds, it’s short and sweet but it’s just the kind of light-hearted, silly randomness we were looking for in these troubled times.

Cry-ometer rating: When the farmer cries, we cry with him because he’s right, it has been one hell of a year. SNIFF.

Very

What appears to be just another perfect Christmas Day scene of a happy family gathered round a table blah blah blah (oh, pur-lease), soon cuts to a family watching the cliché Christmas ad play out on their tv screens and branding it ‘a load of rubbish’. That’s more like it!

The unfiltered ad is different to anything the fashion retailer has done before and focuses on all the ridiculous traditions that make the run up to Christmas what it is – squishing the 12ft Christmas tree into a 10ft room, sourcing presents for the bin man and panic-making a last-minute DIY lumpy box outfit for your kid’s Christmas play. It’s charmingly honest and relatable perspective encourages us all to embrace what Christmas is all about this year instead of sweating the small stuff.

Cry-ometer rating: May your tear ducts enjoy a 90 second dry spell. This one’s going after your laughter lines.

Disney

We were not prepared for this. The ad, titled ‘From Our Family To Yours’, in support of children’s charity Make-A-Wish, opens in 1940 when a young girl receives a cuddly Mickey Mouse toy from her father. Fast forward to 2005 and that little girl is now a grandmother, passing on her sentimental childhood toy to her granddaughter.

The festive animation follows the grandmother and her granddaughter through the years, making star-shaped decorations together and enjoying Christmas traditions, until her granddaughter gradually becomes less interested and goes out for the evening instead.

When she returns home, the grandmother is already in bed and she sees the Mickey Mouse toy on the table with a broken ear. She sets about filling the living room with different colour star decorations and repairs the nostalgic Mickey Mouse toy. In the morning, she surprises her grandmother by re-gifting the treasured Mickey Mouse.

And if that nostalgic tale wasn’t enough to get us blurry-eyed, the soundtrack, ‘Love Is A Compass’ sung by London-based singer, Griff, ought to do it.

Cry-ometer rating: Not a dry eye in the house. What did we do to deserve nans?!

Aldi

Kevin the Carrot is back for the fifth year running and this year, he’s a long way from home.

Soundtracked by the Home Alone theme tune (genius), the clip begins with Kevin’s young family eagerly waiting for their daddy to come home. Meanwhile, Kevin is miles away lost in the snow trying to find his way back. He stumbles across a friendly hibernating hedgehog who helps him on the first leg of his journey, until disaster strikes and they tumble into an icy river – Santa to the rescue! Will he make it back to his family in time for Christmas?

Cry-ometer rating: Who needs onions when you have carrots? Enjoy a comfortable and much-needed sob to self.

M&S Food

Narrated by the iconic Olivia Colman, the M&S Food ad takes us on a culinary journey featuring all their festive best bits from oak-smoked salmon and triple chocolate panettone to their sparkly cult tipple: the light globe gin liqueur.

Each week, from now until the New Year, a new festive M&S ad will drop on the telly, voiced by over 10 world-famous actors including Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Dame Helen Mirren. M&S will also be donating £2million to charity.

Cry-ometer rating: If we can’t get hold of a bottle of THAT next-level gin, then yes – cry we will.

Barbour

Barbour’s much-loved festive grump is back for another blooming Christmas. Based on a true story of a customer’s cheeky Dachshund named Dudley, this year’s ad, named ‘Father Christmas To The Rescue’, sees Father Christmas help a little boy repair his dad’s old heirloom Barbour jacket after Dudley chewed his way through it.

After trying to mend it himself to no avail, Father Christmas goes on an adventure to the Barbour factory in South Shields to enlist the help of the experts to make it look as good as new in time for Christmas. A Christmas ad with sustainability at its heart – how blooming lovely.

Cry-ometer rating: Tears? Abso-blooming-lutely.

McDonald’s

There was absolutely no need for McDonald’s to go ham on our emotions like they did but here we are crying along right on cue and mopping up our tears with our burger bun.

Set to a stripped-back cover of the iconic, Alphaville’s Forever Young, sung by singer-songwriter, Becky Hill, the Christmas ad has made a surprising departure from their usual festive menu focus in favour of a tear-jerking animation.

The ad, titled Inner Child, tells the story of a mother trying to encourage her teenage son to get into the Christmas spirit but he’s more interested in his screens and gadgets than spending time with his mum. A relatable modern story that’ll ring true for many parents.

At the beginning of the 90-second clip, we see the mum dancing around a Christmas market with reindeer ears on her head in a bid to make him laugh but he sticks his earphones in and walks off. On the way home, the pair stop off at McDonald’s where Tom’s inner child lights up. When they get home, they have a snowball fight and Tom helps his mum decorate the tree and leaves carrots by the fireplace for Santa’s reindeer. The story ends with a message asking, ‘Are you reindeer ready?’.

The fast food restaurant has pledged to provide a further four million meals for the charity FareShare. The singer will also be donating 10p from every download of the soundtrack to the food charity.

Cry-ometer rating: Don’t bother putting makeup on.

What Christmas ad do you think is tipped to be the favourite this year?

We’ve always loved to champion the small and independent brands doing it right, but in 2020 more than ever the importance of shopping indie has grown exponentially, and we couldn’t be more thrilled!

Not only does this kind of purchase guarantee a gift that’s been made with oodles of love and dedication to the craft, it also means the lucky recipient will no doubt reap the benefits of a unique, special and one of kind gift.

This year more than ever, voting with your £££ and making informed choices to keep afloat the incredible small businesses we drool over on Instagram is a tangible way to make a real, significant difference.

Drop your fave indie brands in the comments too!

With the holidays just around the corner, you’re probably starting to think about whose turn it is to clamber into the loft to pull down the Christmas decs and untangle the fairy lights. Shotgun not.

To help you figure out how you’re going to deck the halls this season, here’s four different Christmas styling ideas to suit every humble abode, from the classic and traditional through to the maximalist & novelty.

Scandi

Getting your home holiday-ready doesn’t have to mean staying faithful to the classic red and green colour palette. If cosy minimalism and understated cabin-in-the-woods cool is more your interior mantra, a medley of timeless wintry whites, hints of natural green foliage and flourishes of rustic textures will provide a beautiful Narnia-inspired Christmas with plenty of Nordic hygge charm.

Stick to neutrals and natural materials such as wood and recycled paper to perfect the look and let your tree’s arboreal beauty become the focal point of your room.

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Traditional

Recreate the traditional magic of Christmas with classic decorations, stockings, regal ribbons and the quintessential red and green colour combination of holidays past.

Spruce up your tree with candy canes, nutcrackers and whimsical felt figures and transform your mantelpiece with festoons of gorgeous green foliage for a truly nostalgic take on festive styling.

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Novelty

For a characterful Christmas extra enough to rival Santa’s very own grotto, go offbeat and eccentric with kitsch accessories, bold colours & dramatic flair.

So what if the end result is a little merry & Marmite? Novelty décor is all about ripping up the rule book and embracing the frivolity of the season. We say gather the dinosaurs, the flamingos and the Dachshunds, the funkier the better, because life is too short to play it safe.

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Chic Luxe

For a chic and sophisticated Christmas with a generous pinch of bougie glamour, opt for gilded baubles and luxurious mixed metal tones.

If you want to dial up the drama (because this is 2020 and quite frankly, needs must), coordinate your décor across the house, from your tree to your coffee table display and your wrapping paper and cushions. This will marry all the elements together into a beautifully cohesive and impactful look. Guests better hang onto their hats.

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Scandi, Trad, Novelty, Chic Luxe, what’s your favourite festive style?

First of all how are you and how are you coping in lockdown?

It has been such a weird time. I live on my own so I did find the first lockdown tough. I am trying to keep myself distracted and busy and I think this second time around will be easier, for me.

The only bright side is that this time has allowed me to really focus on the things I love. Like recording music and streaming with my audience on Twitch.  I’m a bit of a homebody so I do also like the fact you don’t feel obliged to attend events because nothing is happening.

Talk us through your journey online and what you’re getting up to at the moment?

So, I had a non-typical entry into this online world. When I was sixteen, I posted a tweet that went viral which was a makeup meme. It was basically me saying “when you say you’re gonna do just mascara” and it was me with a glittery cut crease. Off the back of this traction, people asked me to do make-up tutorials. I had actually abandoned my YouTube channel when I was thirteen because my school peers were really mean about it. The response to this tweet gave me the courage to start this channel back up and I’ve been posting on YouTube ever since.

As I gained confidence my content has evolved especially as my interests have changed. I consistently stuck to make-up for about a year and half, but this progressed into the more random content that I post today. I used to game a lot when a kid and my love for it has been reignited over the last year and a half, so this is the majority of what I now put out.

I’m being kept very busy and it’s really exciting! I’m on the cusp of releasing an EP so am in the process of perfecting those tracks. I’m also writing and recording new music for post this EP. Just this week I’ve been on a shoot for the EP cover and am engaging in some writing sessions.

Which platform are you having the most fun on this year?

Ah, this is an easy question for me. I am really loving Twitch. I’ve only been active on it for a year so it’s still reasonably new to me. I really love live streaming as I get to talk to engage with my audience instantly. It’s also a really safe and friendly space as the mod’s live moderate the stream. Where I spent lockdown by myself, Twitch streaming allowed me to chillout, speak to friends and make new friends.

Can you tell us about your music and how you got into singing?

I’ve sung ever since I can remember. When I was really young, I had a super cute bedtime routine where my dad used to sing me to sleep and I would sing back. I was then given a karaoke machine when six. Much to my mum’s dismay, I used to sing Like a Virgin – all the time. She told me I’d understand why when I was older and just asked me not to sing it when we had guests over.

I went to a school that really valued typically academic subjects and didn’t give much value to music and the arts. I would sneak up to the music rooms and write songs at lunchtime. I have always been engaged in music and spent so much of my spare time snapping up as many opportunities as I could. I ended up winning a scholarship to a performing arts Saturday school and did this for a year or two.

Then when I was 16, I went to The Brit School and studied music. The course covered everything from music tech, production, recording, law etc. so I am lucky to have a really strong theoretical knowledge of the music industry from my time there.  

In terms of what’s next, my new EP is coming out at the beginning of next year and I’m so excited to hear what my audience think!

What do you think is the best thing about social media?

It’s hard to choose but I think it would come down to social media giving us the ability to talk to and connect with people despite distance and time zones. The number of friends I have made across the world because of social media is kind of ridiculous (and amazing!).  

What would be your advice for someone who wants to start gaming and streaming?

So, the most important factor with gaming and streaming is consistency. You just have to start; you can’t do that whole back and forth of should I/shouldn’t I? The more you do this, the more time you waste when you could be building your platform. I know it’s easier said than done but I promise that consistency is the main factor if you want to be successful in streaming.

What would you say is your biggest achievement to date?

My first EP, Tough Decisions came out a few years ago and it was so important to me that I really learnt and nurtured the process. I wrote, sang, produced, and mastered the entire Tough Decisions EP. Then for my EP showcase which I hosted at The Boderline in London, I did everything from arranging everyone’s parts to securing the venue and running the logistics. I’m really proud of the event and how it went and was received.

What are you currently working on?

Honestly, so much. I’m focussed on completing and perfecting the EP, writing and recording more music for hopefully a further 2021 release. I also hopefully, Covid-19 permitting, will be doing some tour dates next year and there’s so much more than I can’t tell you about, just yet!

Who are some of your current favourite follows online?

So, on Instagram it’s no secret I love @mrshinchhome and @staceysolomon. They are real favourites of mine. Also, @kurizo_chow is just so cute and I’m obsessed. My Instagram is literally filled with travel inspo, dogs and Mrs Hinch’s cleaning tips haha.

On Twitch, I’m a big fan of so many streamers but Emzy, twiinsane and sweet_anita are really great and you should check them out.

On Twitter I love Ryan Reynolds, he’s so funny!

What do you always carry with you?

My inhaler LOL and my Peaches & Cream lip liner in the shade Praline.

What does your perfect weekend look like?

This sounds really boring but it would have to be an Among Us stream on Twitch and then out for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants, Il Cucciolo in central London.

If you could only eat one meal again what would it be?

It would have to be Pasta. I think probably gnocchi with a simple tomato, basil, and onion sauce with a bit of clove powder.

If you could give one positive message to our followers what would it be?

Trust your gut and instincts and don’t listen to what people have to say about you if you don’t believe it!