My Blogmas 2017 Review – Blogmas Day 25

First of all, Happy Christmas everyone! I can’t believe I made it through Blogmas, posting daily and managing to engage with so many other lovely bloggers! It really has been a great experience. Well done to everyone else who took part, it’s been a brilliant couple of weeks to be part of the blogging community.

I thought in honour of all of the festive content that’s been put out there over the last 25 days, I’d do a review post – of my own Blogmas experience as well as my favourite Blogmas posts from other people.

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9 Of My Christmas Traditions – Blogmas Day 24

It’s Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is having a lovely time getting into the Christmas spirit. For my penultimate Blogmas post I thought I’d list ten of my family’s traditions during the festive season…

Shuffle Music Tag – Blogmas Day 23

I had other plans for the last couple of days of Blogmas but don’t seem to have found the time to write them, so instead I am going to do the Shuffle Music Tag today, which the brilliant Lauren tagged me in! I really love Lauren’s lifestyle blog, which ranges from fun tag posts to helpful posts about managing stress and anxiety. Go check her out if you haven’t already! Onto the tag…

Things I Want To Leave In 2017 – Blogmas Day 22

At this time of year, it’s natural to reflect on what’s been great and what’s been not so great in the past 12 months. So here’s a snapshot of some of the things I think should be left behind and not brought over into the new year:

Feeling Low at Christmas: 15 Self-Care Tips – Blogmas Day 21

I don’t feel great today. Sorry for the downer, but life isn’t a constant fairy lights-bordered blogpost: we all go through ups and downs, and being down at Christmas can feel a lot worse than any other time of year. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, right?

I’ve seen quite a few posts this year about self-care, in particular paying attention to looking after your mind and body during the festive season; firstly, it is wonderful to see so many bloggers raising awareness around mental health at Christmas, and secondly, because of this, I know a lot of the things I’m about to say have been said before. This post is a reminder for myself, and anyone else out there struggling, to take simple steps towards being kind to yourself.

Boys Toys, Girls Toys: The Blue and Pink Divide – Blogmas Day 20

“I won’t eat my ice cream unless the spoon’s blue.” a boy scowls with the ferocity of a bear in a zoo, outraged at the injustice of being locked up.

“Of course, darling.” a tired mum sighs, looking up at me, the gelato scooper, with expectation and an awaiting hand.

The week after, and most likely the week before too, a parent apologetically approaches the counter and explains, “my daughter will throw a tantrum if she can’t have her ice cream in the pink cup, I know it’s the medium size, but maybe you could just put the small amount in the pink cup? That wouldn’t be a problem, would it?”

The Christmas Tag – Blogmas Day 19

Sophie kindly nominated me to take part in The Christmas Tag, so I thought I’d answer those questions for today’s Blogmas post! You should go check out her blog if you haven’t already: she’s a student and lifestyle blogger with some really interesting content. Thanks for the tag Sophie!

Homemade Vegan Gingerbread House – Blogmas Day 18

I have made gingerbread houses a handful of times in the past, often with friends as an afternoon activity in the school holidays. I didn’t make one last year as I didn’t get the time to, but thought I’d put in a bit of effort this year to create a modest little home for some gingerbread people.

Dear 2017 Me: An Open Letter – Blogmas Day 17

Dear Alys from 2017,

There are aspects, both big and small, that define our lives during any one moment; years down the line, these characteristics that shaped us can be forgotten even if they had the power to significantly change us in ways that resonate fifty years beyond the initial impact. This open letter is a collection of musings from and about you, at 19 years old, written on a cold winter night a couple of weeks away from tipping into the unknown of 2018.

The Vegan Flavours I Bake With At Christmas – Blogmas Day 16

Baking has always been one of my favourite activities, particularly during the colder months. When I first converted from vegetarian to vegan, the thing I was most concerned about wasn’t cheese, but baking. Can you even make an eggless cake?

A lot of the things I’d learnt about baking over the years, what I’d considered the fundamentals, were suddenly useless in my pursuit to retain my hobby. It was as if the pillars of a building had been taken away and the roof was expected to stay up. Of course, since then, I have learnt a lot about the versatility of plant-based ingredients and that it is very much possible, and not at all difficult, to bake without eggs, or indeed any animal products.