Putting the Tea in Teacher: Christmas is round the corner...

I know it's early, but I've been thinking about Christmas recently. Partly because Mum has been trying to arrange it, and as it's our second Christmas without Dad it's still quite a sensitive time. But I've also been thinking about it because there are so many things happening in my life at the moment, that I'm setting Christmas in my mind as a time when so many areas of my life will hopefully have calmed down. So here are my hopes for this Christmas:

1. My house will be a home.

We bought our own house about a month ago, and still haven't slept a night in it. It's currently in a state of great change, with new stairs only recently installed and walls being built, dismantled and re-plastered. I'm hoping the house will go from a disaster zone:

To a homely and wonderful place to be:

Photo from spaceforinspiration.blogspot.com

by Christmas time. It would be such a relief and a real achievement to know I've designed and created my own home, just as I like it. I can't wait to get to the stage where we are decorating!

2. I will love my job.

I'm currently in a job that I find very stressful, unrewarding and disheartening. With only a week left at my current work, I'm itching to start my new job. Although it's the same position but at another college, I'm really looking forward to the change. The problems with my current work isn't really the actual job. It's the terrible structuring behind it. Timetables, work ethic and lack of support are making me feel more miserable than the actual teaching. So fingers crossed for a more settled work-life balance and happier work environment by Christmas. I have high hopes and I'm feeling really positive that things will change for the better.

3. I will have time to relax.

Currently my life is taken up with working late evenings, studying Psychology or stripping wallpaper. By Christmas I'm hoping it won't be unusual for me to have the time to sit in a quiet corner with a cup of tea and a good book, rather than constantly feeling I've got to be doing something. Once the house and my job have fallen into place, hopefully so will my free time and it'll become much easier to enjoy those quiet moments. In fact, sometimes it's great to go through periods of stress in order to enjoy the relaxing periods after; just like when you're feeling poorly and then appreciate being able to breathe, exercise and have a normal life so much more when you finally recover.

Life is changing, but in a really positive and exciting way. Once my home is ready, I can't wait to get in the Christmas mood and start decorating with some gorgeous Christmas items from the Dotcomgiftshop.

Here are some of my favourite items at the moment:

These festive little mushrooms are so adorable. I love them because they're a little bit unexpected. Christmas decorations can become a little bit bland, but these add a little bit of personality to your tree.

Quirky mushroom decorations £6.95 for 6

This tea light is so sweet and the angels move when the candle is lit. They're so sweet and would make a great centerpiece on the Christmas dinner table, or add a bit of mood lighting on the mantlepiece.