Over here at the love shack, we fully embrace the American tradition of decorating our house for the holidays on Thanksgiving weekend. Which is how it transpires that my house is currently infested with Christmas trees.
We actually decorated five at my house, this year… although granted, three of them are miniature, not requiring that much effort. Nevertheless, regardless of size, they each have baubles and lights, which means they count. Right?
Mr Maximalista informed me, in no uncertain terms, was I to come anywhere near his office with anything resembling tinsel or smelling of cinnamon.
Bah, humbug.
Other than Mr M’s mancave, the only room I did not touch was the laundry room. But rest assured it is on my radar for next year.
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It seems like every November — usually when I am minding my own business, innocently doing my grocery shopping — that Band Aid is piped through the sound system at the store.
Those ominous donging bells signaling the beginning of Do They Know It’s Christmas are all it takes for me to get an immediate lump in my throat. Without fail.
Some years, if I am lucky, I may be in the comfort of my own car when it wafts across the airwaves, so that I can at least enjoy this moment of sentimentality in private.
In the past, I have tried to circumvent that event by playing my Greatest Christmas Hits CD, hoping that playing DTKIC at home will lessen the emotion it elicits in me. But nope. Any time I hear that blasted song, I get a piece of grit in my eye. It’s annoying.
Having said that, my all-time favourite Christmas song is actually Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade. It fills me with so much joy!
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The run-up to Christmas is the perfect opportunity to dust off my box of classic films. I don’t need much excuse to start watching White Christmas, Home Alone, or A Christmas Story.
Growing up in England during the 1970-80’s, it was perfectly customary for James Bond to be playing on telly every Christmas Day and Boxing Day. This is a tradition I continue at my house to this day: I insist on having Roger Moore or Sean Connery playing in the background on Christmas Day.
My family does not love this. My husband would prefer we watch Daniel Craig’s 007 — whom I also love — but that rather defeats the point: nothing screams Christmas spirit louder to this recalcitrant Brit than Roger Moore fist-fighting Jaws.
Lots of love,
M xo
The English Maximalista’s Favourite Christmas Songs:
John Lennon — Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
Paul McCartney — Wonderful Christmastime
Pogues — Fairytale of New York
Messy elves!
The English Maximalista 
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