I think I enjoy the build up to the festive season more than the actual day itself. The German Market arrives in the city centre, encouraging us to consume enormous sausages (!!), hot gluhwein, crepes and pofferjies covered in Nutella, and endless craft based crap that we didn’t realise that we wanted until we saw it. Carols and festive songs appear in all the stores and on every television advert. I get to buy presents for everyone and celebrate with my favourite people. Work finishes for a few weeks. I love it. I love the excitement, the decorations that appear, the atmosphere. Aside from the occasional hot, sunny days that the UK receives every summer, this is absolutely my favourite time of year.
I decided to join in the festive spirit and decorate our tree. The Bloke and I bought a fake one (due to the fact that the cats would attempt to eat a real one) about five years ago from Argos, and each year we diligently take it out of it’s box and joke about the fact that it looks drunk. He set it up and put the lights on it while I was away at my mother’s house ready for my return on Sunday, but as I was feeling rough I didn’t tackle it until yesterday evening. Amidst the box of random decorations that we have collected over the years I discovered something that would provide me with hours of entertainment…
I found the Santa hats.
Two years ago I purchased three small Santa hats for the cats, and I consider the fact that I was able to get a photograph of all three of them sitting together and wearing them to be one of my greatest achievements of that year. Sadly, I lost one of the cats earlier in the year at the age of nineteen, so I decided that The Bloke needed to take her place instead (with an adult sized one, of course – we wouldn’t want him looking stupid, would we?). On went the hats, and out came the camera.
All of them were less than impressed, particularly Daisy when I decided to double my fun.
I eventually stopped laughing, The Bloke stopped rolling his eyes and I got my decorating on. I tried to spend a little more time on it than in previous years, attempting to space them all equally, colour coordinating etc, and after a few catastrophes with bits of tinsel and standing on a few stray decorations that had fallen on the floor, I stepped back to admire my masterpiece.
“What do you think?” I asked The Bloke. He turned his head to one side.
“Yup.”
Cheers for that dear. Upon closer inspection, it actually wasn’t too bad – for once my little tree seemed to be… Sober!
Win!
What about you guys? Have you got any silly traditions within your family during the holiday season?
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Suzie Speaks 
and for her next amazing feat, Suzie will have the cats playing the piano…. Thanks for article!
Haha! If I could train them to go to work for me that would be great! Thanks for reading!
I love the pictures of the creatures! 🙂
We came up with new traditions a few years ago, mainly “tacky” trees. We had red for a few years, but last year we bought a purple one.
Ooh that’s such a good idea!!!
Great post! I love the cats with their hats on! Regular traditions for me include visiting a particular pub that always goes all out on the decorations – it looks like Santa’s grotto! I will be taking good part in xmas jumper day on Friday with my work colleagues and the antlers will come in handy next week for a ‘festive’ spin class although why I’m doing exercise at this time of year I don’t know!
Festive spin class doesn’t sound any better than any other spin class! What makes it festive? Madness!!! I’ll be there on Friday with my jumper on too… The pub sounds good!
Lol. A nod towards Christmas in terms of clothing I think hence the antlers. Maybe I will take a tray of mince pies along and see what the spin instructor says ? 😉
Haha! What jumper are you wearing on Friday?
It’s a fairisle pattern with snowflakes and reindeer…thanks to primark 🙂 I bought the antlers at the same time. How about you what’s your jumper like?
Red, cheap and crap. Bought it at a pop up store last year. Need to find it first – I’ve moved house since then!
The cats and your Bloke look mighty fine in their Santa caps, Suzie! I happen to not mind if the music is singing (vocals) music, but don’t really like Muzak, or just some random instrumentals. I guess I am getting older and tolerate the silly music more, maybe being a Nana? smiles!
Hi lovely! The Bloke is a very tolerant man. I love Christmas songs for the first few days, but I get sick of them by the time Christmas arrives!
Great cats in hats. My disco would probably try to eat the hat never mind the tree. We did buy little reindeer ears so we will see how that works out. As for the tree, by the time I’ve finished unfolding all the branches I’m so fed up that I practically just pour the decorations onto the tree from their box lol
Haha! I love that expression – unfolding the tree. I do exactly the same!
Love the pictures! !
I’m not putting up a Christmas tree this year just because from past experience. … I had it up for (no joke) 1 hr and Sami climbed ip the tree and knocked it down.
Aww… I love your furkids! What are you doing instead of a tree?
Now you’ve done it. I have to get a Santa hat for my cat. Like you, I completely like the build up better than the day.
The anticipation is so much more fun! You need to get a Santa hat for everyone in your family, including the pets and tweet me a picture!
I looked today but haven’t found a tiny hat yet. I don’t think I can get my family to along with a family picture with the cat.
Love the pictures! The cats and the Bloke are looking very fine in their Santa hats! Your tree is lovely. I haven’t gotten our out yet. And I am having Christmas here! I need to get on the ball and get it done. Enjoy your time off from school. 🙂
Thank you, I will – I hope you have a lovely time setting everything up!
thanku
Cute photo of the cats. I did not realize our cats are basically the same, except for their ages.
Aww thanks! They’re brother and sister and I got them as a pair because their other brother died in the first few weeks. They’re hard work, but worth it!
Mine are over a year apart in age, both females. One is very easy-going and laid back, the other is a terror.
Getting me in the holiday spirit!! with cute kittehs ta boot. love it ❤ I am dead jealous of the Christmas market. I wanna go!
The Birmingham market is lovely and gets bigger every year! It’s my favourite time to go into the city…
Those Santa hats are very cute! 💞
Haha! Thank you!
Daisy is absolutely adorable in her two hats. Love the photo!
Haha! Thanks – I feel very sorry for her sometimes!
We have to have a Boxing Day quiz every year and I always end up as the Quiz Master who has got to come up with the questions. So if you know any trick questions I can put in the Quiz this year, I’d appreciate it Suzie.
My dog, Toby, appears on our Christmas card this year wearing, you’ve guessed it, a Santa hat. He doesn’t look best pleased but everyone who has had the card ,so far, says he looks so cute. I don’t think he sees it that way and is begging me not to post it on my blog 🙂 Now could I be that wicked?
Aww that’s lovely! I’ve learnt never to ask their opinion… I already know they hate me when I dress them up!
I’ll have a think about the questions and get back to you!
Brilliant, thanks Suzie. I’ll see you tomorrow at the SundayBlogShare over on Twitter.
I got a hat for Smelly Dog last year, but she went bananas trying to get rid of it, so no festive dog this year. That cat is dripping with disdain and just glares at the tree as if it’s an intruder. My tree is decidedly drunk, by the way, and scantily clad because I can’t find the rest of the Christmas decorations in the wailing wall of boxed in the garage. And don’t get me started on the Christmas shopping… Grumble grumble grumble.
Haha! You always make me laugh in your comments! Here’s to the drunk trees!
Raising a glass of beer as I type 🙂
Hello stranger, I am glad to see you are blogging still, I have started to write again, quite a few things has happened since I last wrote, Tiger my monster cat had past away and I have been diagnosed with a problem with my brain which makes thing take extra time to done. I am back at http://www.mysoresoul.co.uk
take care
Pete 🙂
Pete! Glad to see you back! Sorry to hear about the cat – I lost mine too in April. It’s tough isn’t it when they leave us. Sorry about your diagnosis, hope you’re doing well.
Hi Suzie, yes it is hard, Timmy misses Tiger he has just started to settle down, but he has moved that attachment onto my wife and at 3pm every day he will wake and walk around the house calling her with this howl, 3pm is because twice a week she come home at that time, they are not daft. I see a psychologist once a month because of this brain thing one of the ‘features’ is depression and suicide and she encouraged me to start again so here I am lol. How is the photography going? http://www.rainbow-photography.net and follow to the gallery you will see new photos. Take care 🙂
My niece’s cat always knocks over the tree trying to climb it. She doesn’t knock it over every time she climbs it anymore, but always at least once.
Mine never climb it thank goodness! They make life interesting don’t they!
Sure do.
I got a notification yesterday that you followed my blog. Had you dropped me? Did I offend you?
No of course not! I love your posts, and I think you’re brilliant! I certainly haven’t unfollowed you at any point – no idea why my name has come up. WordPress is really strange at the min…
Whew! That’s a relief!