This is the season that I love the most, you know the snug outfits and blankets, the Christmas songs and movies, shopping for gifts, and the advent calendars! There is so much about this season, and I will uncover some of my favourites in this blog post.
1. Festive Coffee & Cakes at Coffee Shops
Coffee shops never fail to impress me with the variety of foods and drinks that they bring in for the festive season. I am a regular when it comes to Starbucks or Costa, and they have a great selection to choose from, some of which they've brought back from previous years which is great to see, and some which are new to this year.
Caramel Waffle Latte & Chocolate Tree Brownie
Starting with Starbucks, I have tried out a fair amount of their festive editions so far, and I am looking forward to making the most of these coffee trips to get me in the festive spirit. I am loving their caramel waffle, gingerbread, and toffee nut lattes, I honestly could have these all year round, so warm, comforting, and full of flavours. As for their delicious cakes and cookies, I am drawn to having the toffee nut latte cupcakes and Christmas tree brownies, I think they are amazing, and I probably will not stop having them.
Costa Coffee is my go-to also, especially with the fact that they have brought back some loved favourites such as Terry's chocolate orange hot chocolate, Quality Street purple one latte, and many more iconic coffee flavours. They have also brought in a Toffee Penny Quality Street latte, which is a must during this festive season. As for the food goes, they have some lavish cakes such as the chocolate sparkle cake and the winter frosted marble cake, both I highly rate.
After Eight Hot Chocolate & Chocolate Sparkle Cake
I love coffee shops in general, but to go during a festive period is something else. You get the ambiance of the colourful Christmas lights, the excitement of hearing "snow is falling, all around me" even though most of the time in Plymouth, it is not, but we can imagine and dream of that perfect winter wonderland.
2. Garden Centres & Their Wonderful Festive Displays
I can't get over the feeling when you go to garden centres in December. From the moment even before you get to the door, you see so many lights and Christmas trees around, and the displays in the window, you do expect to go into a different world the moment you step in that door.
The garden centre I went to was Endsleigh Garden Centre in Ivybridge. It is such a big place and so many departments, you are for sure going to get lost and carried away with shopping.
You can make so much of your time there, from shopping around at their indoor and outdoor decorations to paying a visit to Santa's grotto and chatting to the elves, as well as seeing how they have put together their displays for this magical season. The Christmas village they had there, I was so impressed with it. I took so many photos of the figurines and small buildings and stood there for a good 10/15 minutes just taking it in.
I can't lie, when I do go to the garden centre especially around now, I just can't help myself but to buy a few bits whilst I'm there.
I did pick up some led lights for my room, despite me already having a room like a grotto with the number of lights, I felt this purchase was necessary. I mean it did have tartan bows on it at the end of the day and that's something different from the lights I have bought in the past for my room, so I think it's justifiable.
The next decorative item that I got was this teddy bear tree ornament, it was the cutest and I couldn't resist. I have this theme colour in my room where I am focusing on mostly browns, blacks, and any other neutral colours, so this ornament in my eyes fitted perfectly with that. The other item I did get was this reindeer in a stocking. For the same reasons as my last, I couldn't walk past it otherwise you'd never hear the last of it.
Finally, I got caught out just as I was queuing up, they had these cornish-made chocolates, in a gorgeous packaging that showed an illustrated part of Cornwall, which I thought was so lovely. They had them in different flavours and each one had a different image printed on the front, I went for the honeycomb milk chocolate because I love the combination, it is my absolute favourite chocolate.
3. Christmas Tree Farm - Santa's Trees, Liskeard
Now, who doesn't love a good Christmas tree farm? (of course, if you are allergic to them I understand, and fake trees are just as amazing)
It is within my family tradition to go to a Christmas tree farm every year to get a real tree for our living room, and then we have a fake one for downstairs. We have gone to Santa's Trees in Liskeard, Cornwall since we were young, and we've never been to any place different. I love how remote the place is and how most of the place is filled with trees, and then you have this small shop in amongst that where you can get some beautiful decorations such as wreaths, ornaments, tree toppers, and stands.
4. Christmas Decorations in the Cities
Now moving on to the next bit of excitement which is the excitement of the Christmas lights, decorations, and amazing displays in the cities.
I am well impressed with how London has gone all out for the festive period, everything about the place, I am lost for words. I'm living for the content that people are sharing on Instagram of this magical place.
On the other hand, I am also happy and in my element with the Christmas elements in Plymouth, they have made it extra special this year, which is always lovely to see, I mean we all deserve it after this crazy year.
I would say that my favourite two spots in Plymouth for the lights and decorations would be the Shopping centre and the Christmas markets in the middle of the Royal Parade. The Christmas tree light at the end of Drake Circus changes colour and flashes every hour, which I think is pretty cool. The markets are so lovely to have a browse around from having a warm cup of mulled wine to tucking into some fantastic spiced churros and supporting other special small and local businesses.
5. Wrapping Up for the Cold, but Cosy Season
Pinterest is your best friend for a variety of wintery outfits to suit any style. I would say that I am the type of person that prefers to wrap up in layers and not worry too much about whether I look cute or not. I am all about keeping toasty and comfortable in what I am wearing.
I do take some of my inspiration off of the likes of Pinterest and Instagram because I'm such a nightmare for having loads of clothes but not knowing what to wear (it's like I have clothes, but not enough. It's a whole cycle).
I have been trying to keep up with taking photos of what I wear and saving them in a folder on my phone so that I can make life a little easier for my brain. That way I can go back to them for reference and see what I have put together, and what goes well. If I am feeling in an edgy mood, I may try to mix a few of them up, it really depends on my mood and how I am feeling for the day, or if I'm even leaving the house.
If you want any sort of outfit inspiration (not saying that I am a fashion expert) then you can head over to my Instagram or Pinterest, or if you have any inspiration, I would love to know what kind of outfits you like wearing in the colder seasons, whether that's chilling at home or going out for the day, comment below.
If you want, you can comment also on your Instagram and/or Pinterest if you have them, I love to discover new people to follow and hype up their content.
Now we have come to the end of this blog post. I hope that you have enjoyed reading through the few things that I love about Winter and the Festive season.
If there are any other blog posts ideas you would like to see from me, please feel free to let me know. I have got a few in mind which I am in the process of writing that I can't wait to share with you.
Remember to keep yourself safe and have fun with your family and friends. Check up on loved ones and people who may be spending this time of the year alone.
Happy December Everyone!
#christmas #winter #seasonalfavourites #festive #placestovisit #travel #shopping #food #coffee #december
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