December? We need to have words.

Hello December, now I know you said you were coming and I'm sure I've had you pencilled into my diary for a while now, but I feel like I need to be honest with you.

To be frank you've ambushed me a bit. There I was ambling through November quite oblivious to your impending arrival and then, bam! There you were, on the doorstep, demanding I glittered almost everything and mulled the rest.

What's more, there have been some suspicious goings on since you arrived in the house. I hate confrontation, but I'm going to have to come right out and say it. I think you've been stealing: You've run off with my ability to say no to cinnamon laden pastries; you've pinched that rule about not having a sneaky tipple before 6 PM (see my mulling ref above.); but most of all, you appear to have snatched my time. Every minute of it. Christmas was comfortably AAAAAAGES away and now it's basically tomorrow. 

I have to buy, make, paint, wrap, cook, paint, bake, thank, paint, visit, deliver, paint and paint in an alarmingly short space of time. Whilst finding spare hours to fill with goodwill to all men, women and non-binary people. 

And it's all your fault, you cheeky month. 

What's that? You think you should pack your bags? No, no don't do that. I'll have to start that bootcamp and stop eating mincemeat straight from the jar if it suddenly becomes January. You're here now. Take off your coat, pop on some slippers and have some of this sloe gin. It's great mulled.

Now, peeps. If December has pulled a fast one on you, too, I have a little Christmas morning treat for you, all ready to download and print. 

I've been on the blower to the big guy, Father Christmas himself, and he has dictated a little message to me for you to leave by the chimney/ stockings/ under the tree. It should give you a moment's peace as it's written in the form of pictures for them to decode. (The message is in the notes if you're struggling to work it out!) So, ta da! I give you the gift of a tiny bit more time snatched back from that naughty, speedy month. 

You can also have some little gift tags for your presents or those from Santa as a freebie download.

Merry Christmas to you all!