"Fat to Fittie"

In my first blog of this series I talked about treats and how at this time of year there are more things on offer that can tempt us and for me there are some things I just have to buy. most of what I get is not for myself but others and as each year passes, something else is added to the list, under the guise of “It wouldn’t be Christmas without it. I begin the purchase of festive items around October, depending on the shelf life, I look at it as a sort of Christmas club, who’s only member is me. I’ve never been one of those that can start saving for next Christmas in January, the thought of buying stamps through the year fills me with dread, only people who fold their boxer shorts or knickers are that organised.

Pickles are usually the first thing I get, red cabbage and onions, closely followed by the biscuits for the cheese board, As the shelf starts to slowly fill up, other items that normally live there are put away till January. As the weeks go on it becomes obsessive, if you see something you normally get, you just have to buy it there and then, just in case it sells out. All goes well until you realise that something you usually add to the collection hasn’t arrived on the shelves yet, it matters not that no-one eats them and you bin it in the new year, you have to get it. I searched for weeks for the Christmas edition of Jelly Babies and Wine gums, made festive with a light dusting of snow on each. I had to google if they’d been discontinued as my usual supermarket didn’t have them in, I’m pleased to report that they haven’t, but as of yet they aren’t sitting on my Christmas shelf. One item that has gone though, has brought misery to many as Cadbury has decided to get rid of Festive friends. These were small biscuits shaped like Santa and a snowman, covered in chocolate, instead they’ve been replaced with festive animals, which are biscuits shaped like, well, animals, there’s nothing Christmassy about a monkey, lion, parrot, elephant or crocodile, even if they are wearing Santa hats, thank god they’ve kept snowy fingers or we could be looking at a disaster.

I did go a bit mad this year, whenever I saw something that I thought the grandkids might like, that had been given a seasonal twist, it was in my basket, only stopping short at a bar of Terry’s chocolate orange that was called snowy, which was in fact only the wrapper that had white spots on it, they must think we’re stupid. I realise I’ve got a problem and might need some help or even therapy to stop this obsession with buying every bit of Christmas crap that comes out. Lucky for me I don’t eat much chocolate, hardly at all otherwise I’d put on 2 stone, instead it all gets given away, so why do I buy it ? Because it’s Christmas.