As the days get shorter leading up to the winter solstice on the 21st I have some ideas for you that work well with the slower pace of life that I feel this time of year requires. 

• 2022 planner plans
• updates on last shipping dates and stock
• Furkoshiki wrapping
• window stars
• a December poem

I will be at my last market of 2021 on 18th December at Stockbridge so if you are in the area it would be lovely to see you. 

And as this will probably be my last newsletter of the year I wanted to say a massive thank you for all your support this year. The business had its 1st year anniversary last month and I honestly wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. Every email you open, like on social media, recommendation to a fried and order makes me eternally grateful and it is you who has enables my dream to become a reality so thank you.

A reminder that you have until 11th December to be entered into the prize draw to win a Christmas gift box which includes a gold frankincense and myrrh soap, a wool star decoration and a beeswax rocking horse decoration. All you have to do is buy something from the Christmas collection before the 11th and you will be in a with a chance to win a lovely gift for yourself or one perfect to gift on. 

As we are approaching the end of the year here are details for last posting dates for Christmas delivery. I have a few posting options in the shop: 12th December for royal mail 2nd class and 17th December for royal mail 1st class. I will hand deliver any local orders up until Wednesday 22nd December when I will be closing my shop and taking a break from social media until 5th of January. You will still be able to place orders in that time but they wont be shipped until I reopen. 

Furoshiki is the Japanese art of using cloth to wrap gifts or items to carry.  And at a time of the year where it is estimated we produce up to 30% more waste and in the UK throw out 108 million rolls of wrapping paper; it is a incredibly practical and sustainable alternative.

You can buy ready made cloths to wrap but it is just as easy to make your own. I use vintage fabric that I collect throughout the year. Old silk scarves also work well for a lot of items. You can make them any size you need, though its useful to note that they do need to be square in order to make the neatest folds. The most common sizes for cloths are 45cm x 45cm and 70cm x 70cm. 

Other advantages are that I find it a lot quicker to wrap and you also dont need the addition of sellotape. 

A basic wrap is to lay your item in the middle of the fabric then fold one corer over the item and the opposite corner over again. then take the other two opposite cornets and tie a knot. Tuck in or tie a label if needed and you could add a slice of dried orange or some evergreens for a festive touch.

This year I am planning on making two types of paper stars. The first one, window stars, is made of folded and glued transparent kite paper which capture the low winter sun beautifully and create amazing shadows on the walls.

The second type, which will be a first for me this year, is lace like hanging paper stars like the one pictured above, which I think are so delicate and whimsical. 

For both I will use tutorials by the wonderful Sophie @goldnuss on Instagram. For the window stars she did a post yesterday with an incredibly pretty tutorial and for the lace paper stars she has a highlight saved on her profile. 

If you don't have Instagram Bella Luna Toys has a tutorial for the window stars here  and House and Garden do a similar hanging paper star here

If you make any I would love to see the photos of your finished creations so please tag me or send me an email. 

It may sound incredibly type A but as a very un type A person I assure you its not. I fell in love with bullet journaling this year and feel it has really helped my productivity and rhythm. I do not have a beautiful artistic journal it is very basic, scruffy and monochrome but I love it. 

I find the quite time between Christmas and new year is perfect for setting up my planner for the following year and putting in just a few pretty more detailed spreads that I know I wont have time to do later on in the year.

One of the key benefits of bullet jounalling is that you can put whatever you want in your journal, so here are some of the things I like to include but please do take them or leave them depending on your own preferences.

• I always reflect on the year past what I thought worked well and what didnt- and am always reminded of the line from Tennyson's Wild Bells 'Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow; The year is going, let him go'
• I always choose a word for the year to help create a simple framework.
• Level 10 life- where you rate your happiness levels with ten common life area like health, relationships finances ect and then work out goals for each area.
• I aim for 1000 hours outside with the children each year (we have 54 hours remaining for this year) so I set up a tracker for that.
• A reading and book recommendation list
• A personal self care list of things I can do when I need it
• And then my normal monthly and weekly spreads plus a monthly gratitude spread and monthly menstrual cycle awareness spread
• Finally for next year I will be including a monthly spead which has a space for weekly and lunar reflection.

From the book Around The Year by Elsa Besko which is a family favorite.

December

Christmas is here again,

the tree is on its way,

Lucia in her candles crown,

the family all dancing.

Santa comes with laden sack.

The snow falls thick and fast.

Christmas is here again

with parcels

and presents

and candles

and cake

and magic

and lights in the Windows.

It is Christmas

-a feast,

a festival, 

of Christ.