No.5 is No.1

Chanel No. 5 is considered by most to be the world's most famous fragrance. Released in 1922, it is reported that a bottle of this world-renowned perfume is sold every thirty seconds!

For some years now, I have coveted a bottle of this celebrated scent. This Christmas I had my wish granted, with a bottle of Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere lovingly deposited into my Christmas stocking. The packaging is simple but unmistakably Chanel, with the little white and black box just as iconic as the glass bottle itself.

And what a beautiful bottle it is. Slightly taller than the classic No. 5, but still with the distinct square shape and bottle stopper top. The fragrance within is a reinvention of the original, similar but with a fresh modern twist, making it particularly suitable for a younger market.

As with all Chanel perfumes, you can sense the quality of the scent. They are incredibly long-lasting, and only a small spritz is required to smell beautifully all day. A bottle of No. 5 may be pricey, but it sure is worth it.

A quality Christmas staple

When I first see the large tins of Quality Street piling up on supermarket shelves, I know Chrsitmas is just around the corner. For me, the Quality Street tin is a quality Christams staple that no household should be without (and we usually end up with a few!).

One of my all time favoutrite smells is that of a freshly opened tin of the famous chocolates. I'd recommend everyone to stick their nose in a brand new tin and have a good ol' sniff. They are also incredibly beautiful to look at, with their multi-coloured, iridescent wrapping. They won't stick around for long, I'm sure, so I'm stashing the Orange Cremes away from the resident chocoholic (my dad) as I speak.

Nb. Quality Street also make excellent poker chips. I see your Green Triangle and raise you two Big Purple Ones.

All the trimmings

Even though the Christmas lunch is not much more than a fancy roast dinner, I look forward to it each and every year. And it has so far never failed to disappoint me (thanks, mum!). On Christmas morning, the smell of the slow roasting turkey difts up the stairs, and I challenge you to tell me a better smell to awaken to.

Of course, the Christmas dinner would not be right without a few essential ingredients. First and foremost, the turkey, followed by the tricolour of winter veg: carrots, parsnips and brussel sprouts (yes, I actually like brussels). Then there is the stuffing (homemade, obvs), pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and gravy. However, no plate would be complete without the obligatory cranberry sauce.

As Christmas is the period of eccessive eating, the infamous lunch lasts several hours. With starter, main, dessert, cheese and coffee courses to plough our way through (as well as copious amounts of alcohol), it's no wonder we all feel the need to roll home at the end of the night.

The night before Christmas

Christmas Eve is not just my favourite day of the Christmas period, it is my favourite day of the entire year. I have an annual tradition that I go through, which consists of Carols from Kings complete with just lit alter candles, a Chinese takeaway from the restaurant down the road, and a snuggle on the sofa with the classic Christmas film: The Nightmare Before Christmas (more of a cult classic, I admit).

It's amazing how even though some things change, others remain steadily constant. When I was younger I loved Christmas Eve solely because of the presents. Waiting for Santa to arrive and deliver my goodies was the most exciting feeling. Now, however, the excitement and anticipation still grows, but for a different reason: relaxing with family over a turkey dinner and the inevitable Doctor Who Christmas special.

Wonderful Westfield

Since it opened a few months ago, Westfield Stratford City has been continually overflowing with hoards of shoppers. This influx of people was not surprising, and I decided to bide my time before taking my first steps into East London's newest consumer paradise.

I must admit, on my initial visit, I was slightly underwhelmed. Being very familiar with Stratford's sister mall located in White City, I had certain expectations. I was expecting this Westfield to be like a mirror replica of the other. But in reality it is very different, not just in the design of the space but also the atmosphere.

However, after numerous visits (I have been good and kept my purse firmly in my bag the majority of the time), Westfield Stratford City has really grown on me. During the Christmas season, it is especially festive. Jolly seasonal jingles ring out over the PA system inside the walls, and outside hundreds of lights twinkle around a buzzing ice rink. A little bit of Winter Wonderland of Stratford.

Presents you can't wait to give

When you are a child, presents seem to be the most important and exciting part of Christmas. It's sad, but true. The real meaning of Christmas takes a back seat to the large red and white character of Santa Claus, with his sleigh full to the brim with beautifully wrapped magical gifts. As you age, however, things begin to change. Although presents continue to contribute to the majority of Christmas preparation time, giving them to your nearest and dearest greatly trumps receiving them.

As mentioned in a previous post, I absolutely love taking a trip to my beloved Paperchase in order to stock up on my gift-giving necessities. This year though (mostly due to sheer laziness on my part), I decided to place my Paperchase order online. When the parcel arrived, I was ridiculously excited to see my goodies: cards, wrapping paper, tissue, ribbons - the whole shebang.

I spent an entire evening lovingly crafting my masterpieces, complete with well wrapped paper and curled ribbon. And they looked amazing (even if I do say so myself). I can't wait to take on the role of Santa and deliver them. I'm just like the boy in the John Lewis advert.

Snow way!

I could not believe it. It actually snowed today, albeit for a split second. Whenever I witness even the smallest speck of snow, I can sense the excitement building inside of me and I feel like a child again. Thoughts of sledging and snowball fights fill my head, and I watch eagerly out of the window in the hope that the flakes will continue to fall. And although the snow didn't settle and leave behind a glistening white blanket, it was enough to serve as a reminder that Christmas is almost here. I can't wait.

Water skating

Every winter, ice rinks begin to pop up in various locations all over London. For the past couple of years, I have attended in the hope that this time, I will be a better skater. Unfortunately, that is never the case and I am just as rubbish on the ice as I remembered.

I've been to the rinks at Kew Gardens and Somerset House, both of which are situated in absolutely beautiful settings. This year, for something a little different, I decided to book tickets to skate outside the iconic Natural History Museum.

The museum building is always a stunner, and when lit up at night with literally thousands of Christmas fairy lights, it looks magical. The weeping trees drooping over the large square of ice were covered in little white lights and twinkling in the wind. It would have been a wonderful place to skate.

However, when booking the tickets there was something I didn't quite prepare for: the December weather. Just an hour before our time slot, the heavens opened and it poured. When we arrived at the Natural History Museum we were already soaked, and there was a puddle of water an inch deep in the center of the rink. The skaters from the slot before us (and there weren't many) were making their way around the rink with extra care, with their hoods up and a miserable look on their face.

Unsurprisingly, we decided against the water skating. I am prone to falling over, and falling over in a pool of dirty water is certainly not my idea of fun. As disappointing as this all was, I think I would've been more upset to ruin my beloved camel coat (a bad idea in itself). Hopefully we'll go again before the season ends, and it'll be a lot drier and icier.

Santa pub crawl

This year my friends and I decided to dive head first into the Christmas spirit and attend the 2011 Santa Pub Crawl. We donned our finest festive outfits to march from pub to pub (with a G&T in hand), all in the name of charity fund raising.

Finding a suitable Santa outfit was a daunting task. I had been told Ann Summers had a nice costume, but there was absolutely no way in hell that I would be venturing outside wearing something predominately intended for the bedroom. However, after some frantic Googling, I managed to uncover a sizable collection of different Christmas fancy dress costumes on Amazon. Again, the majority of those on offer were a little too slutty for pub-wear, but there was one I found that I believed I could actually get away with.

The festivities began at The George pub opposite Borough Market. Upon arrival at London Bridge station, it was easy to know which way to go when we spotted a gathering of appropriately dressed Santas. During the walk to our starting point, we unsurprising received more than a few funny looks from passers by (I blame the candy cane striped stockings worn by my fellow Miss Santas!).

The pub crawl itself was what I expected. Too many people getting suitably pissed in grotty pubs which were too small to accommodate this number of Santas. The event organisers (or Senior Santas to us mere peasants) had to split up the crowd in order to deal with the sheer volume attempting to enter the cosy but tiny drinking establishments.

After we had arrived at pub number 3 (out of 6), we all decided that it was just too busy and so marched off to the Pizza Express we passed on the way there. After a yummy Padana pizza and bottle of fizzy rosé, we were too full to rejoin the masses, and instead made our way home (complete with the obligatory funny looks).

Aladdin's cave for arty geeks

You might be surprised to hear that my favourite high street store isn't a fashion house, but a stationers. Paperchase is, by far, the most interesting place to visit on a shopping trip to the West End. The flagship store at Tottenham Court Road is an Aladdin's cave for arty geeks like moi.

I especially enjoy Paperchase during the run-up to Christmas. The products on offer are absolutely beautiful. Cards, wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, mini trees, decorations... even diaries for the new year. Everything a person obsessed with pens and notebooks could wish for.

What could make a trip to Paperchase even better? 20% off everything, that's what. An offer in The Guardian allowed me to save £10 on my annual shop. As silly as it may sound, I enjoy giving presents just as much as receiving, and choosing the paper and ribbon with which to decorate them is one of my favourite Christmas "chores". And with this bargain offer, it just got even better.

Deck the halls

It's that time of year again. Time to scramble around the dusty loft and search out those Christmas decorations. Personally, putting up the plastic tree and untangling the fairy lights is not my idea of fun. It seems to take forever and I'm never completely satisfied with the final result.

But I must admit, on a cold and dark December night, they do look pretty lit up in all their twinkly splendour. And those beautiful baubles purchased last month at Liberty's look particularly elegant hanging amongst the branches. Finally, it really feels like Christmas.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park is a popular festive family treat. But a word of warning: never ever visit the attraction on a Saturday lunch time. It is unbearable. Hyde Park Corner underground station is beyond it's capacity, the pathways are so crowded that it takes an hour to walk from one end to the other, and you have to queue to do any activity.

But aside from the blanket of people covering this corner of London's biggest park, the seasonal festivities on offer are pretty spectacular. The ice-skating is particularly popular, with barely any room on the rink to move. There are theme park-style rides ranging in size from the slow but beautiful traditional carousel to the plunging drop of the Power Tower. There are also many fairground games offering gullible visitors the chance to win a naff cuddly toy! (Generation Game, anyone?).

But by far, the best of all is the Christmas Market. Styled in a similar manner to the well-known and much loved German Christmas markets, there is a wonderful array of delights on offer. And this seasonal food and drink is more than just some roasted chestnuts. There is the Bavarian Village with its bratwurst and beer, fairground staples such as donuts and chips, and of course, what Christmas fayre is complete without our favourite, mulled wine.

Countdown to Christmas

The chocolate Advent calendar, for me, marks the start of the festive season. Each little door, when opened, slowly and steadily counts down to what everyone has been eagerly waiting for: Christmas Day. However, it can be difficult to remember to head to the calendar on each day throughout the month of December.

And so, usually, I end up storing a weeks worth of chocolates between visits. But I have discovered that this is a great way of enjoying the cute chocolate shapes hiding behind the doors. On their own, they are far too small (granted, my Pepper Pig calendar is for children, but still). But six or seven at a time, now that is much better.