Have you been naughty or nice?

Have you been naughty or nice? You better think twice! Santa is coming to town ...

How quickly did that go? Before we’ve even blinked, decorations are out, supermarkets are blaring tacky 60s versions of carols or, worse still, Christmas carols as sung by those annoying chipmunk characters that sound like they’re sucking on helium ...

But take a deep breath, and let’s remember what it’s like to BE a kid! That’s right, this year embrace all that Christmas has to offer and look forward to the hope and promise of the New Year. These are truly things to be celebrated, so don’t be a Christmas Scrooge.

Relax and think of all the things, however small, that you can celebrate. Decorate a Christmas tree with a child ... actually that is completely over-rated and trust me, it takes HOURS to untangle the fairy lights that somehow wrapped around the little munchkin. Much better to decorate the tree yourself and sit back and admire your cheerful handiwork with a well-earned glass of French champers. Even better if your partner notices you’ve done the tree, and pours you the champagne as you flick the switch to 1000s of dancing fairy lights – and a collective sigh of relief when it doesn’t burst into flames!

So we’ve got the tree up, the mistletoe hung and we’re ready for an awesome Christmas. What could go wrong? Well guys, here’s a few tips for Christmas:  Gifts are important. Yep, you can underline that. Now I’m going to tell you WHY.

It’s not the value of the gift (although some real bling is hard to get wrong!) but the fact that you not only thought of giving a present to that special someone – and this includes your mum – but that you actually got it too!

So whether it’s a serious spoiling present, or a charity card that donates funds to poverty-stricken villagers in remote countries, get something!

Another great tip – write in the card before you’re standing in front of the person you’re giving it to. Seriously.

Appreciation is not just for Christmas, but it is an especially good time to really thank the people who are important to you for being in your life.

Hey, why not really go all out and tell them all the wonderful things they do mean to you, and maybe even let them know how beautiful they are in that dress (substitute “hot in that shirt” where required!).

Admittedly, this is slightly easier to do after a couple of egg-nogs, but you get my drift. We’re talking about generousity of spirit and maybe making up for all the times we should have said “thanks for being there” and didn’t quite get round to it.

Tokens of our love wrapped up in garish reindeer paper are fantastic, but equally important is just honestly telling someone how wonderful they are to you.

Like all things, the difference between a Christmas and New Year to be remembered, and one that is just plain cringe-worthy, is you. How you feel inside, how you shine, how you smile, will lead all those around you to enjoy this precious time with you, and will help everyone find something to celebrate – even if it’s as simple as realising we actually did survive the stresses of the last 12 months.

So relax, enjoy the simple pleasure of a glass of wine with friends by a startlingly sparkly plastic tree, and spoil all those around you with your presence.

What a Woman Wants is to be surrounded by loved ones, to feel appreciated and special, and to be relaxed and happy amidst the festivities ... oh, and for there to be a really special present under that tree!

Have a great Christmas and New Years Eve, may there be lots of passionate smooching under the mistletoe.

Abby x

Don’t forget you can email me at [email protected]