Drove three hours from boyfriend’s house to mine on Christmas morning to make lunch for my widower father who “doesn’t DO Christmas” but guilt makes me provide. By afternoon was struck down with Norovirus. Spent Christmas night alone violently embracing lavatory. Still stuck in my house, unable to drive three hours back to Christmas jollity (all of which I have now missed). Today I had my first shower since 24th after wading into swamp to rescue my bored springer spaniel. Expressing mood in old skull-emblazoned sweatshirt and leggings covered in bagel crumbs (the only food I can handle as yet). Zero presents as yet.
Likewise bemused by Instagram - what is with the matching pyjamas this year?? Thank you Jo for this - and for normalising not bankrupting yourself on presents. Really hope your pup’s ok. God bless us every one!
How incredibly refreshing! Thank you so much for this much-needed dose of normality and reality. Without wanting to get too ‘pious’ about it as well, I’ve found the performative glitzy aspect of social media christmas particularly hard to stomach this year given the fragile state of the world.
I was covered in milk vomit (new baby) and chocolate (toddler) by 9.30am and spent much of it washing up (why is there SO much cleaning and clearing involved?!) - but still had a nice day and just felt grateful for family, food and our health.
Bollocks to this horrible spitting contest and cheers to the regular Christmases!
I removed myself from social media over three years ago and it’s remarkably freeing. I find, from the outside of it all, how utterly weird it is to be constantly recording the minutiae of a life, which then becomes incredibly competitive. Ugh, no.
My (half French) husband and I have spent this week in France, up a mountain at a v small v French ski resort with his family. It’s far less fancy than it sounds, I promise. No turkey has been eaten, i have mildly grazed my way through this week. But i’ve been trying v hard to get control of my stupid rheumatoid arthritis this year and my work has been overwhelming and knackering. Hiding up a mountain and getting some fresh air, trying to find myself again after a hectic year has been the main focus. It has definitely been a start towards that. Altho my right hand hasn’t been playing ball today. I think a “proper” Christmas would have been far too overwhelming and tiring. Bugger that.
Merry Christmas, Jo! I’ve enjoyed your writing so much this year. Xx
how refreshing! yes i wore the expandables for dinner too - there’s nothing better on the day.
just usual family there on the day (at my sisters’) plus our aunt.
played/argued over a new board game esp with 12yr old tweenie.
following day was at my mam’s for lunch and secret santa - which was really nice as extra kids there too. went to pub after for a few and then home in the rain. all quite laid back and non-instagram able, perfect. i hope ur doggie is doing better x
I loved this article Jo and it was so timely. Just as we arrived home from a wonderful few days with extended family, I bemoaned the fact I hadn’t taken enough photos, not one of us as a family and hadn’t posted anything to the gram!
So this has made me realise we all had a fabulous time together, eating way too much food, playing stupid fun games and just switching off. The break from the gram was what I absolutely needed. 🙌❤️
I stayed off instagram over Christmas for this very reason. I’m so completely over the competitive sport that it’s become to outdo everyone else at Christmas for “the gram”. Comfort, food and family time is all it needs to be for me!
Loved this. I really struggle with the performative posts over Xmas and will take myself off the socials, it completely takes away from the true essence of what it should be. Your Xmas sounds lovely! I would choose over a masoof Xmas hotel lobby tree any day x
Love this post. Mine was very similar and I intend the next few days to be suitably dull and restful. Jo please write more about this as I’m in the same boat and cannot shake the feeling. Much worse at Christmas .... And I had my usual melancholy hours about how far away I am, and vowed to get to Sydney in 2024.
Change of subject. Been meaning to ask: have you ever watched The Bold Type? IPlayer. Set in a magazine’s offices. Think of you when I watch it. Obviously a very glamourised version and I still don’t understand what a ‘vertical’ is. Keep writing - you’re so good at it! X
Spend my life dressing people for the perfect Christmas, when it comes to me, seriously I need to wear comfy, dog friendly attire. Get back into my dressing gown as soon as possible. But I will make you laugh, yesterday I was visiting my mother in law in sandbanks area, and went to rock water a restaurant on the beach. For some reason I decided to put a sparkle turquoise jacket on🙈. How wrong could someone in the style game get it 😂😑. I was surrounded by parkas and wet dogs. I wanted a wee but didn’t want to get up, and draw more attention to myself. I am sure they thought I was the cabaret 🙈😂. There is a time and place for sparkle, maybe beach cafe isn’t one of those places. I style people for a living, thank goodness I have never got it wrong for my clients. All I can say it’s hard to blend in when wearing turquoise sparkle. Happy new year everyone. Back to PJ for me. ❤️
Jo I loved this! Hw refreshing, as others have said. I’ve recently moved to Canada with work and my boyfriend and I didn’t leave the apartment for almost 3 days (get your minds out of the gutter, we were mostly on the sofa). We had no plans and only one present to open - a photo from my brother who got married this year, that he’d shipped over bless him. We did a 3.5 mile walk on Xmas day and that was it. I didn’t leave the flat apart from that. I ate loads, FaceTimed my family where I could. I felt weird in the morning with “no plans and no family” but actually it was bloody lovely having no obligations! I had to set my alarm this morning to meet a friend and I was bloody livid.
I agree that social has been way over the top this year - I might be off the mark but I definitely felt like people had more to “prove” and I wondered if was to show that they are “thriving” despite the cosie livs, or something? Saying that the matching pjs make me want to kill myself.
I hope your dog and bro in law are ok - that sounds really stresssful and horrible for everyone.
Your Christmas sounds perfect to me!
When I saw all the photos of people dressed up and with a full face, I shuddered. I cannot be bothered! I want to look like shit and have zero presssure, thank you very much. (Also I always find those who post the most / most extravagant, have the most to prove / biggest need of validation! Like those couples who post EVERYTHING on ig then suddenly break up...J
What are your nye plans? Ours are nothing at all... bliss!
I love your Christmas. We were scheduled to go to my niece's for our annual Christmas Eve celebration but my daughter and I were feeling under the weather. So we postponed. Thankfully we did since I tested positive for COVID yesterday. I knew there was an issue when I couldn't smell the Vapor Rub (its main ingredient is campho and menthol). My daughter and I woke up late on Christmas, opened stockings and gifts, zoomed with my sister and then we both went back to bed and didn't stir except for water and medicine.
Drove three hours from boyfriend’s house to mine on Christmas morning to make lunch for my widower father who “doesn’t DO Christmas” but guilt makes me provide. By afternoon was struck down with Norovirus. Spent Christmas night alone violently embracing lavatory. Still stuck in my house, unable to drive three hours back to Christmas jollity (all of which I have now missed). Today I had my first shower since 24th after wading into swamp to rescue my bored springer spaniel. Expressing mood in old skull-emblazoned sweatshirt and leggings covered in bagel crumbs (the only food I can handle as yet). Zero presents as yet.
Likewise bemused by Instagram - what is with the matching pyjamas this year?? Thank you Jo for this - and for normalising not bankrupting yourself on presents. Really hope your pup’s ok. God bless us every one!
How incredibly refreshing! Thank you so much for this much-needed dose of normality and reality. Without wanting to get too ‘pious’ about it as well, I’ve found the performative glitzy aspect of social media christmas particularly hard to stomach this year given the fragile state of the world.
I was covered in milk vomit (new baby) and chocolate (toddler) by 9.30am and spent much of it washing up (why is there SO much cleaning and clearing involved?!) - but still had a nice day and just felt grateful for family, food and our health.
Bollocks to this horrible spitting contest and cheers to the regular Christmases!
I removed myself from social media over three years ago and it’s remarkably freeing. I find, from the outside of it all, how utterly weird it is to be constantly recording the minutiae of a life, which then becomes incredibly competitive. Ugh, no.
My (half French) husband and I have spent this week in France, up a mountain at a v small v French ski resort with his family. It’s far less fancy than it sounds, I promise. No turkey has been eaten, i have mildly grazed my way through this week. But i’ve been trying v hard to get control of my stupid rheumatoid arthritis this year and my work has been overwhelming and knackering. Hiding up a mountain and getting some fresh air, trying to find myself again after a hectic year has been the main focus. It has definitely been a start towards that. Altho my right hand hasn’t been playing ball today. I think a “proper” Christmas would have been far too overwhelming and tiring. Bugger that.
Merry Christmas, Jo! I’ve enjoyed your writing so much this year. Xx
how refreshing! yes i wore the expandables for dinner too - there’s nothing better on the day.
just usual family there on the day (at my sisters’) plus our aunt.
played/argued over a new board game esp with 12yr old tweenie.
following day was at my mam’s for lunch and secret santa - which was really nice as extra kids there too. went to pub after for a few and then home in the rain. all quite laid back and non-instagram able, perfect. i hope ur doggie is doing better x
I loved this article Jo and it was so timely. Just as we arrived home from a wonderful few days with extended family, I bemoaned the fact I hadn’t taken enough photos, not one of us as a family and hadn’t posted anything to the gram!
So this has made me realise we all had a fabulous time together, eating way too much food, playing stupid fun games and just switching off. The break from the gram was what I absolutely needed. 🙌❤️
Mine was also very average, glad it’s all over for another year tbh!
Sounds perfect!
I stayed off instagram over Christmas for this very reason. I’m so completely over the competitive sport that it’s become to outdo everyone else at Christmas for “the gram”. Comfort, food and family time is all it needs to be for me!
Almost exotic as a result!
Loved this. I really struggle with the performative posts over Xmas and will take myself off the socials, it completely takes away from the true essence of what it should be. Your Xmas sounds lovely! I would choose over a masoof Xmas hotel lobby tree any day x
Love this post. Mine was very similar and I intend the next few days to be suitably dull and restful. Jo please write more about this as I’m in the same boat and cannot shake the feeling. Much worse at Christmas .... And I had my usual melancholy hours about how far away I am, and vowed to get to Sydney in 2024.
Change of subject. Been meaning to ask: have you ever watched The Bold Type? IPlayer. Set in a magazine’s offices. Think of you when I watch it. Obviously a very glamourised version and I still don’t understand what a ‘vertical’ is. Keep writing - you’re so good at it! X
Spend my life dressing people for the perfect Christmas, when it comes to me, seriously I need to wear comfy, dog friendly attire. Get back into my dressing gown as soon as possible. But I will make you laugh, yesterday I was visiting my mother in law in sandbanks area, and went to rock water a restaurant on the beach. For some reason I decided to put a sparkle turquoise jacket on🙈. How wrong could someone in the style game get it 😂😑. I was surrounded by parkas and wet dogs. I wanted a wee but didn’t want to get up, and draw more attention to myself. I am sure they thought I was the cabaret 🙈😂. There is a time and place for sparkle, maybe beach cafe isn’t one of those places. I style people for a living, thank goodness I have never got it wrong for my clients. All I can say it’s hard to blend in when wearing turquoise sparkle. Happy new year everyone. Back to PJ for me. ❤️
Jo I loved this! Hw refreshing, as others have said. I’ve recently moved to Canada with work and my boyfriend and I didn’t leave the apartment for almost 3 days (get your minds out of the gutter, we were mostly on the sofa). We had no plans and only one present to open - a photo from my brother who got married this year, that he’d shipped over bless him. We did a 3.5 mile walk on Xmas day and that was it. I didn’t leave the flat apart from that. I ate loads, FaceTimed my family where I could. I felt weird in the morning with “no plans and no family” but actually it was bloody lovely having no obligations! I had to set my alarm this morning to meet a friend and I was bloody livid.
I agree that social has been way over the top this year - I might be off the mark but I definitely felt like people had more to “prove” and I wondered if was to show that they are “thriving” despite the cosie livs, or something? Saying that the matching pjs make me want to kill myself.
I hope your dog and bro in law are ok - that sounds really stresssful and horrible for everyone.
Your Christmas sounds perfect to me!
When I saw all the photos of people dressed up and with a full face, I shuddered. I cannot be bothered! I want to look like shit and have zero presssure, thank you very much. (Also I always find those who post the most / most extravagant, have the most to prove / biggest need of validation! Like those couples who post EVERYTHING on ig then suddenly break up...J
What are your nye plans? Ours are nothing at all... bliss!
I love your Christmas. We were scheduled to go to my niece's for our annual Christmas Eve celebration but my daughter and I were feeling under the weather. So we postponed. Thankfully we did since I tested positive for COVID yesterday. I knew there was an issue when I couldn't smell the Vapor Rub (its main ingredient is campho and menthol). My daughter and I woke up late on Christmas, opened stockings and gifts, zoomed with my sister and then we both went back to bed and didn't stir except for water and medicine.
Been down with a virus since the 21st, fever and cough. Every bloody Xmas I’m down with sth🤦♀️