Little Me, Little You

I loved Christmas when I was a child, and I still do. I get excited for the children, as I know how much I enjoyed it when I was little. So much of our Christmas is reminiscent of my own childhood, crammed full of traditions, as well as the Husband and I developing our own traditions with our own family. When I look back, way back when, Christmas memories come flooding back to me. Things like buying the tree and then struggling to fit in the car with us in there, bits of tree wrapped round our heads! Then there was decorating the tree, whilst singing loudly to Mistletoe and Wine, followed by making mince pies and then swiftly eating as many as we could. I loved lying in bed, looking out of of my bedroom window on Christmas Eve desperately hoping to spy that sleigh. There was my brother coming into my room and waking me up at 4am as he knew we wouldn’t be allowed up then, but he couldn’t sleep with excitement, so thought to share that with me. Thanks. And then there was the opening of the toys…

christmas as kids

I also then photographed all of my presents each year. I liked to arrange them nicely, sometimes I also listed them all, and then took a snap. Of course, my brother mocked me for this, but I quite like that I now have a few toy bundles preserved in this way!

So have things changed much 30 years on? Well, the traditions continue, and toy-wise this year, Little Man and Boo, amongst other bits and bobs, will be getting some Lego, a scooter, a tablet and these goodies from House of Fraser….

house of fraser toys

Now, there was no way we received tablets for Christmas when I was little, but then we did get a computer and I can still vividly remember our excitement at that one, and playing with it on the most antiquated television ever! We got Lego most years, and I recall the many, many happy hours that my brother and I spent building and creating. We had bikes rather than scooters back then. I’m sure they were about, but they weren’t the huge deal that they are now. I remember my brother’s red BMX, with yellow wheels – he loved it so much. I wasn’t so keen as he had those spokey dokeys on them (we were so 80’s!) and the noise was just relentless through the summer as he’d go round and round and round the garden on that bike, whilst I, of course, was just trying to read in peace!

And then to the gifts in the photo there. Well, they certainly weren’t about when we were kids, but are they really so different to what we had back then? Little Man has a Switch&Go Dinosaur, which reminds me of the Transformers that my brother used to have, and I know the Husband loved those, too. And dinosaurs always make me think of my now grown-up nephew as he’d no doubt have had one of these when he was little, as he wanted everything dinosaur! Now Boo’s been going on about these Pinypons for a while now, and I do like the look of this play-set, especially as it folds up into a carry-case which is always handy for taking out and about when we visit family. Anything like this is just a little haven for imaginative play. From Sylvanian Families, to Happyland, to my good old Sindy dollhouse, it’ll all play a similar role in our childhoods, I think. So, no, I don’t think things have changed that much. Sure, the technology’s come on, but the concepts and fun remain the same.

Christmas in my home was about me and my brother having a magical time. I hope to be able to create similar memories for my two.

What were your favourite Christmas presents when you were little?

Disclosure: Post written in collaboration with House of Fraser, though all words and opinions remain my own.

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6 thoughts on “Little Me, Little You”

  1. Love that you used to photograph your presents! Brilliant! I think our Christmas’ haven’t changed massively either because we keep our favourite traditions and pass them down. I remember me and my brother getting a Lego electronic train set one Christmas, it was without a doubt our favourite present xx

  2. I loved my Lego. I remember getting an inflatable globe (as you do) one year and absolutely loving looking at the world on it as I chucked it everywhere! Oh, and annuals. I loved those too-except I’d pretty much read them all by Boxing Day 🙂

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