❄️ Festive chaos, magic moments, and a final chapter to 2025
✨ A Month in a Nutshell
December came in like a snowstorm and left behind twinkling lights, biscuit crumbs, and a very tired (but happy) me. Between finishing work, orchestrating 24 days of Elf chaos, and making Christmas as magical as possible for the boys, it’s safe to say this month was A LOT. But it was also so worth it.
Let’s wrap up the final month of 2025 together — books, snacks, magic moments and all…
📖 What Books Kept Me Company
| Title | Author | Rating | Vibes | Link to Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rough | Renee Rose & Vanessa Vale | ⭐⭐⭐ | Werewolves 🐺, Cowboys 🤠, Mating Bonds 💥 | Read review → |
| The Cloisters | Katy Hays | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Dark academia, tarot, intrigue 🕯️📜 | Read review → |
Total time this month: 14 hours 23 minutes
This Month’s Fave: Neither was a top-tier fave, but The Cloisters definitely intrigued me more!
💭 Vibe Check: How I’m Really Feeling
🎄 Christmas.
😮💨 Chaos survived.
💖 Heart full.
This month felt like a snow globe of emotions — a mix of excitement, exhaustion, and pure joy. I finished work, dove into festive prep, and gave the boys a magical Christmas they’ll remember — managing to tick off nearly everything on their extended version of the 5-gift rule (…I think we landed somewhere around 29?). I’m tired.
I’m proud. I’m full of turkey and gratitude.
✅ Hits & ❌ Misses: Monthly Goal Recap
| Goal | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Finish 2 audiobooks | ✅ | Rough and halfway through The Cloisters |
| Finish work for the year | ✅ | Wrapped up the madness at nursery 🎉 |
| Keep up with Elf on the Shelf | ✅ | Not even the flu excuse was needed! Go me! |
| Christmas Day success | ✅ | Full hearts, full stockings, full bellies. |
| Host a theme dinner | ❌ | Postponed to January — festive chaos said “nope.” |
🍪 Snack & Sip of the Month
Snack: Where do I even begin?
Between Christmas dinner, Boxing Day buffets, cookie decorating, and all the sweet/savoury treats in between — it’s been a full-on festive feast.
Drinks that got me through:
☕ Tea (of course)
🍫 Hot Chocolate (extra marshmallows required)
🥤 Pepsi Max (fuel of champions)
🎉 Little Wins & Life Bits
- 🧝♀️ Elf on the Shelf: 24 Days, 24 Setups. I did it. I actually did it.
- 📚 Snuck in an hour of solo Costa Coffee reading bliss in town — hot drink, new book, peace and quiet.
- 👧 Babysitting my niece for 2 days = cookie decorating, a spontaneous bus trip, and the realization that two kids is plenty.
- 🍫 My Christmas Eve dessert charcuterie board was a total showstopper.
- 🎁 Christmas Day was filled with love, laughter, and pure magic.
- 🍽 Boxing Day: lunch with the O.H.’s family, presents and games with mine, then stayed over for…
- 🎂 My birthday the next day!
- 🛍️ Impromptu shopping treat
- 🕛 New Year’s Eve = picky tea and the traditional challenge of seeing who makes it to midnight (spoiler: no one will!).
📸 Monthly Gallery
A moment of uninterrupted bliss! 
Let Christmas baking madness begin! 
Little book haul 
Biscuit decorating with the niece 
Cousins off to the park 
Bye bye elves for another year! 
Christmas Elf Magic 
Not so festive nails but all vibes! 
Dessert Charcuterie was a hit! 
I looove this tree! 
Off on an adventure 
Christmas & Birthday Spending!
🔮 Looking Ahead
January feels like a fresh page waiting to be filled.
- 📚 Start a new book (hopefully a 5⭐ fave!)
- 📝 Begin planning blog posts and creative ideas for 2026 — I’ve got some brewing already!
- 🥘 Bring back Theme Dinners (finally!)
💌 Wrap It Up
December wasn’t perfect. It was a little chaotic, a little overwhelming, and a lot magical. I didn’t get around to everything I hoped (theme dinner night, I’m looking at you 👀), but I ended the year feeling proud of what I did manage. And honestly? That’s the real win.
Thanks, December. You were loud, sparkly, and full of heart.
📣 Join In
What did your December look like?
Favourite festive reads? Best snacks? Elf disasters?
Drop them in the comments — I love hearing how everyone wraps up the year 💛
The Reading Nook 