01 March 2026
On the magical side ...
Layla Morgan Wilde's A Wise Woman's Guide to Yuletide Magic
The Alchemist's Kitchen's History and Rituals for Yule
13 February 2026
For the love of a good book
As mentioned in a previous post, I forked out to buy some books written by Russell Ince, co-owner of the Christmas Imaginarium on the Isle of Wight.
I've already read the first three -
- Santa Claus and the First Christmas Eve
- Santa Claus and a Christmas Carol
- Mrs Claus and the Search for Santa
and am presently halfway through Santa Claus and the Yuletide Rune.
I had no idea what to expect when I purchased them but hoped they would be magical. I have not been disappointed; they are fantastic. They focus on the magic of Christmas and the importance of kindness, hope and love and how they make the world go round. Russell's craftmanship is superb and his style of writing engaging. As a woman of advanced years, I've thoroughly enjoyed them and can imagine children also finding them enchanting and easy to read.
More please Russell 😊
10 February 2026
Hello and welcome to my Christmas blog. There's just something special about this time of year. Whether it's the music, decorations, pictures and smells or just the fact people are nicer, it's a time like no other. For me personally, it's a lot to do with anticipation, excitement and nostalgia, remembering people and times gone by. To me it's not just a season -- it's a feeling . . .
☆
How
can I
explain
how this
time of year
makes me feel.
It’s about seeing
the innocence of wee
children and feeling the
all-pervading feelings of
anticipation and joy and the
excitement at what's on its way
to us. For me it's not about gifts
or religion. It's the music, the songs,
the decorations and the way people are
nicer to one another.
It is
Xmas
04 January 2026
The nutcracker story
Nutcrackers used to be just that – nut crackers. Made of metal, they resembled present-day pliers.
Around the 15th-16th centuries wood-workers began creating nutcrackers that were both functional and attractive, carved in the likeness of humans and animals.
In the 1830s the word ‘nussknacker’ appeared in the famous Grimm brothers’ German dictionary. Carved in a human likeness, the ‘nussknacker’ was often defined in the form of a misshaped little man, in whose mouth the nut, by means of a leaver or screw, was cracked open.
By the mid-19th century, nutcrackers began resembling the figures we know today. In the mid-1860s a German wood-worker named Wilhelm Fuchtner began commercially producing and selling nutcrackers. His model was based on a character in the children’s book King Nutcracker and Poor Reinhold by E T A Hoffmann.
1892 saw the debut of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet The Nutcracker. The ballet being set on Christmas Eve and the hero a nutcracker that came to life, nutcrackers thereafter became associated with festive decor.
According to German folklore, nutcrackers were given as keepsakes to bring good luck to families and to protect their homes. It's commonly said nutcrackers represent power and strength, guarding families from danger and bad spirits. The nutcracker bares its teeth to ward off evil spirits and serves as a traditional messenger of goodwill. In spite of their somewhat fierce appearance, their role is to protect hearth and home and bring good luck.
Added to my Christmas book collection
A couple of years ago I learned about The Christmas Imaginarium, a magical shop on the Isle of Wight in the UK. The owner, Russell Ince, also writes and illustrates Christmas books. I thought that one day I wanted to put together a collection of his books for my beloved grandkids - something for them to remember their Yuletide-loving grandmother by.
Just before Christmas last year, that dream came a little closer. I did it for several reasons: I want to read and look at the books myself but mainly I hope to instil in my grandkids a love of reading and maybe, just maybe, a sharing of my love for this magical time of year 💕
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