Hey… how was your Christmas? Did you survive it? Did you actually manage to chill out for even a tiny bit?

I mean, this whole Santa thing is a surprisingly complex operation - especially when your kids are 11 and you’re fairly sure their friends have already told them Santa isn’t real… but unless they catch you out themselves, there’s still a tiny window where belief survives, right?

To be fair, I was pretty sure they didn’t believe this year. And then Flynn dropped a very serious scientific theory about Santa, which made me reconsider. According to him, Santa must slow down time, because Christmas night feels like it lasts forever. I nodded along like, yes, obviously, that makes perfect sense. He went on: given the number of children Santa has to visit, he’d need to travel faster than the speed of light, which, of course, is exactly why he slows time in the first place. I mean, that's flawless logic.... absolute scientific fact....case closed.

The Wrapping Mission

On Christmas Eve, I still hadn’t wrapped the presents from Santa, so Luke kindly took the boys out for lunch while I stayed home to tackle the present-wrapping operation. I pulled out every present I’d hidden in the back of cupboards, then retrieved the wrapping paper I’d been hiding in the boot of my car and officially began the mission.

Somehow (and quite impressively, if I do say so myself) I’d managed to buy the boys exactly the same number of presents. Pure luck, considering everything had been ordered randomly on Amazon or grabbed in one slightly panicked dash into town. No planning. Just, well.....blind hope.

About an hour in, Luke texted to ask if I’d finished. I’m not even sure why it was taking me so long - I got slightly distracted trying to find the receipt for my sister’s ring, which I’d bought without really knowing her size. I replied, “Give me twenty more minutes,” only to immediately discover several extra presents I’d panic-bought and shoved into a cupboard days earlier.

And that’s when it became a full-blown race against time. Heart pounding, adrenaline kicking in, and my wrapping skills deteriorating by the second. Then came the labels, all handwritten in a style that tried very hard not to resemble mine. Turns out, faking handwriting under pressure is much harder than it looks.

After that, it was time to hide the wrapping paper and the presents. I sprinted to the car, shoved everything into the boot, and covered it with blankets like I was hiding something highly suspicious. I felt like I was on a game show, and somehow, miraculously, I won. Just. I finished literally seconds before the boys walked through the door.

Christmas Eve Chaos

By Christmas Eve evening, I was pretty tired. I’d been awake since 4am, yet we still made it to Christmas Eve drinks at my sister’s, just down the road from my parents. Prosecco happened (yes, I’ve been drinking a little over Christmas, not loads, but enough), followed by a glass of white wine back at Mum and Dad’s. The boys, however, were wide awake. Fully wired. Running on excitement, sugar, and, well.....that good old Christmas magic.

I genuinely thought I’d have to set my alarm for 2am to stuff their stockings, but thankfully, around 11pm, they finally fell asleep. I tiptoed in, grabbed their pillowcases, filled them as fast as humanly possible, and sprinted back to bed, deeply relieved that I wouldn’t be dragging myself up in the middle of the night.

Boxing Day: Brain Offline

It's Boxing Day evening, and my brain feels like it has completely switched off, which I’m choosing to believe is a good thing. I’m still tired, but I’m wondering if that’s just my body catching up after the week leading up to Christmas, when sleep was more of a suggestion than a reality. Now that I can finally relax, maybe I’m just making up for lost sleep.

Yesterday was spent at my parents’ house with the whole family (well, apart from my brother, who’s in Japan). Don't you think Christmas feels more magical with kids around? We had quite the collection: my two boys, my youngest sister’s three-year-old and one-year-old, and my middle sister’s seven-year-old. Chaos, noise, toys everywhere… and all of it in someone else’s house. Perfect! 

The “Dumb Phone” Miracle

We got the boys a phone each for Christmas, you know, one of those “dumb phones.” Basically one where they can’t go on the internet. They’re 11, and I’m quietly praying the under-16s social media ban hits the UK before they start negotiating for proper smartphones. To be fair, they were genuinely thrilled - I mean, a dumb phone is still a phone, right?

And here’s the weird bit, I actually remembered how to use them. The boys were struggling, and I was like, “No, no, you press the button three times for C.” Remember those phones where sending a single text felt like a ten-minute workout for your thumbs? For a brief moment, I felt like a tech genius… a very old-school tech genius. I even found myself seriously considering getting one for myself.

Reflect, Recharge, and Set Your Intentions

The last couple of days were exactly what I needed. I feel very grateful to have spent time with my family, eaten good food, and simply enjoyed being together. And now? I feel ready to get back to work - recharged, and quietly excited for whatever the year decides to throw at me. And let’s be honest, life does love its curveballs… and the older you get, the more it seems to aim them straight at you.

But before diving back in, I’m taking a moment to jot down some intentions for next year - a mix of personal and self-care goals, family and relationship priorities, personal growth, health, and business ambitions. And maybe, just maybe, another fitness challenge… because this year reminded me, once again, that you really can’t take your health for granted. What matters most to me is making the most of my relatively short time on this planet - surrounded by the people I love and doing my best (really, just trying) to make a positive impact in the world, however, small.

So hey, if you’ve managed to pause, breathe, and reflect over the holidays, amazing. And if you haven’t yet, that’s okay too. There’s still time. Take a moment for yourself, write down a few intentions for next year, and really prioritise yourself, your health, your self-care… and yes, your fun too. That amazing experience you’ve been thinking about, the new skill you’ve been wanting to try, the small things that truly make you light up - don’t let life’s chaos push them aside. Make space for them. You deserve it. 🩷