Monthly Archives: December 2013

Frost’s Top 10 Brands to Trust for a Stress Free Christmas

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Christmas is a stressful time of year. We’ve all had a Christmas where it ended in tears because the food wasn’t right or a present broke right out of the box. Unfortunately most companies can’t be relied upon. Revenues and profits are the main consideration. After the sale has been made most brands will consider the relationship with the customer over. But there is a small minority of companies who buck this trend and put the customer experience above all else. Brands which can be relied upon at this important time of year. So here is Frosts independent guide to the brands we believe can be trusted for a stress free Christmas

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Top Electronic Brand – Apple

No one was ever disappointed to get any Apple product for a present. You can also almost guarantee it will work right out of the box with minimal stress and frustration and provide an amazing Christmas experience. If on the off chance something does go wrong, Apple is excellent at sorting out any problems you have. The company prides itself on the ‘user experience’ and this definitely comes across. The company’s products are always a joy to use. Of course the downside is the cost which can be exorbitant. However this year you can get an iPad mini for £219 from John Lewis (another one of our top ten brands) http://www.johnlewis.com/electricals/ipad-tablet-pcs/apple-ipad-mini/ipad-mini/c8000030510

It’s an incredible product and experience but the mini is still by no means cheap. For a cheaper alternative why not try these amazing Bluetooth headphones we reviewed earlier this year. https://www.frostmagazine.com/2013/10/groovez-bths800-bluetooth-headphones-by-stk/

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Available from Amazon for £36.71

Top Online Shopping Brand – Amazon

The online shopping giant has always been reliable and easy to use. Although its not as relatively cheap to the highstreet and other online competitors as it was a few years ago, it’s still unbeaten for choice and reliability.Amazon has always prided its users and has always put there experience before profits. In fact the company still barely makes a profit despite turning over hundreds of billions of dollars every year. If you buy from Amazon you can be fairly sure your items will arrive quickly and as described. And if by any chance anything does go wrong in our experience Amazon has always issued a refund. This is definitely a company which takes some of the stress out of Christmas. In second place is notonthehighstreet.com which offers products from small boutique companies. There’s a really nice feel to the website and it can be a great place to find a personal gift at a reasonable price.

Also check out shuffle hub a great new way to shop online. Shuffle Hub scans major websites and randomly shows you a small selection of products. If you don’t like what you see you can just hit the shuffle button. You can filter it by gender, cost, item type etc Definitely worth a look. We love it.

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Top Supermarket – Sainsbury’s

Of the major supermarkets Sainsbury’s is the one we are trusting with our Christmas this year. The supermarket has been getting better and better recently. The produce and suppliers can be trusted and the food in our experience is of better quality than most peers.

The experience in the stores is warm and even the infernal self scanners are better than in most competitors. The staff are all friendly and seem to be enjoying their jobs. By contrast I think Tesco has really taken its eye off the ball recently. Both price and quality are not as good as they once were and shopping in the store is stressful. A close second in the top supermarket department is Morrisons who offer some great Christmas produce. https://www.frostmagazine.com/2012/11/morrisons-christmas-showcase-event-what-food-to-buy-for-christmas/

Top Highstreet Retailer – John Lewis

John Lewis is as reliable as they come. The company has always put a tremendous focus on looking after customers. Shopping in the stores has always been easy and there are loads of good ideas for Christmas presents. On some items you will pay more but if your clever you can often avoid this. Remember John Lewis has a policy of never knowingly being undersold. It’s worth using for the same items you might have bought from another store anyway (like the iPad mini above) because of the great customer after care.

pandora2Top Jeweler – Pandora

We’ve visited Pandora’s new flag ship store on Oxford Street and it was a great experience. The company is best known for its charm bracelets. You buy a bracelet and then add to it throughout the year on memorable occasions. It’s a great present to give wives and girlfriends. It’s personal, its jewelry and its fun. Better still it takes the stress out of buying presents in the future since you can just keep adding more charms. The company has a great range of products which it is constantly updating and prices vary. The products are well made and in our experience can be trusted.

Top Chocolate – Divine

Chocolate is an important indulgence at Christmas. Ditch the multi national brands and go for Divine chocolate. In our opinion there chocolate is more intense and simply better than the majority of their rivals. They offer a big range of products from hot chocolate to mini thins. All tastes great.

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Top Drink – Disaronno

We at Frost can’t get enough of this delicious Amaretto. We love it and in our experience there aren’t many who don’t. Definitely worth having some around for Christmas. Here’s our Disaronno cocktail guide.

https://www.frostmagazine.com/2013/04/disaronno-cocktail-recipes-and-drink-review/

Top Whiskey – Chivas Regal

We have been given our fair share of Chivas over the years, their 21 Year Old Royal Salute being a particular favourite.

Top Clothing Brand – Burberry

They are as far way from the tarnishing of their image when their unique and patented (though possibly not for long) plaid became synonymous with chavs  and every market stall was selling a knocked-off version than it is possible to be. In the past few years they have had the best of Britain fronting their ad campaigns and their clothes have left all negative stereotypes behind. Like a phoenix from the ashes, Burberry rises again and become our top clothing brand of the year, Sienna Miller fronts their ‘kisses’ marketing activity for Autumn/Winter with fiancee/baby daddy Tom Sturridge.

Top TV Shopping – QVC

QVC has to win for this. They have grown enormously in the past few years and now everyone has got in on the act. They even have top designers and personalities designing for them. Giles Deacon recently did a jewelery range for them and they sell the most beautiful Lulu Guinness bags. You can also buy everything you want from QVC on their excellent website. From beauty products, home decor and fashion: QVC has it all.

 

An Evening With Sylvester Stallone

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 AN EVENING WITH SYLVESTER STALLONE IN LONDON Hollywood’s much-loved action hero Sylvester Stallone is set to enthrall, enlighten and entertain the UK at a unique ‘An Evening With’ event at London’s iconic Central Hall, Westminster on Saturday, 11th January 2014. This un-missable event is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the world’s biggest stars in the grandiose setting of Central Hall, Westminster. The event is presented by leading entertainment impresario and event organiser Rocco Buonvino and entrepreneur Joe Ricotta, in association with film producer and founder of entertainment company Sterling 2 Ent Teji Singh.

 

Sylvester Stallone, who is famed for his roles in such cult classics as Rocky, Rambo, Demolition Man and The Expendables, will treat the audience to an intimate evening of anecdotes about his illustrious career, private insights from his life as one of the world’s most admired screen idols as well as partaking in a special question and answer session with audience members.

Sylvester Stallone rose to worldwide recognition as an actor, writer and director since he played the title role in his own screenplay of Rocky, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and was nominated for a staggering 10 Oscars. Rocky grew to a franchise of five sequels and in 2006 Stallone concluded the series with Rocky Balboa, a critical and audience success which resolutely confirmed both Stallone and Rocky as iconic cultural symbols. In more recent times, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in Rambo, which continued the saga of Vietnam vet John Rambo 25 years after the debut of Rambo: First Blood.

 

Stallone then released his most ambitious project, the action thriller The Expendables, which he wrote, directed and starred in, and for which he hired an all star action cast including Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Eric Roberts, Dolph Lungren and Steve Austin – as well as Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It opened to Number One at the Box Office – making Stallone the only actor in Hollywood history to open a Number One film across five decades.

 

Seen as one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars, Sylvester Stallone will be seen at Christmas 2013 starring in Grudge Match with Robert DeNiro. In March, 2014, Rocky the Musical will open at The Winter Garden on Broadway. The musical is based on the original film written by Sylvester Stallone with music by Stephen Flaherty and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.

 

‘An Evening with Stallone’ is undoubtedly an exceptional occasion to catch an icon in the flesh. Tickets start from £45 (plus booking fee) and can be purchased from www.seatlive.com For VIP tickets, please contact Sterling Media on 020 7801 0077 or 07503 231 715.

House Of Cards Season 2 Preview

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Right after House of Cards was nominated for four Golden Globes, Netflix released the first trailer for Season 2; Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright and Carey Stoll were nominated for their roles, while the show was nominated for Best Drama Series.

“The road to power is paved with hypocrisy … and casualties,” Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), says. Expect this season to be darker, more brutal. We can’t wait for the February 14th 2014 release date. Let the butchery begin.

Hints And Tips On Choosing The Perfect Wedding Wines

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hattie wineThere’s so much to think about when organising a wedding, but planning (and most importantly tasting) your wedding wines should be fun. So we’ve worked with Hattie’s Wines to bring you the top 10 tips for anyone thinking about wine for a wedding day.

1. Before you do anything else, work out what your venue will allow. Can you bring your own wines? Will they charge ‘corkage’ (a fee per bottle to let you bring your own)? Or do you have to choose from their wine list?

2. If you have to select from their list, make sure you ask to taste the wines that you’re thinking of choosing, ideally with the food you’re having, to check that you like them. If you’re struggling with the venue’s wine list, you can upload it to Hattie’s Wines for some free help, if you’d like.

3. If you can bring your own wines (yay!), the next step is to be clear on your budget, bearing in mind any corkage you might have to pay on top. On balance, while it’s great to splash out on some fabulous wines for such a special occasion, it’s also really important to make sure you don’t run out halfway through the meal, so if your budget is limited then consider some of the great value for money wines we’ve suggested below.

4. Next up, think about the food you’re having but also think about the people coming (younger crowd, trendy crowd, boozy crowd?!), the weather (if you can predict it!) and the time of day. Red wines can get quite heavy after a while, especially on a summer afternoon.

5. Most of us know the broad rule of thumb is to pair white wine with white meats and fish and red wine with red meat dishes. But like everything else you’re organising, this is your day, so do it your way. You might prefer to have a white wine with the starter and a red with the main, or both on the table at once for people to pour for themselves. In this instance, think about the weight of the wines and the foods – lighter wines with lighter foods and bigger wines with richer foods.

6. When you look for a wine supplier, make sure you’re able to get some good advice on what you’re buying – whoever you buy from should be happy to have a look at what you’re trying to achieve and help by advising you on the best wines for your needs and budget.

7. Don’t forget to consider the delivery options. It will probably be much easier for you if the wines are delivered direct a day or so in advance, then it’s one thing off your to-do list.

8. Get tough with your supplier, especially if you’re buying lots! Look into wine companies that can give you some kind of offer for a bulk purchase, e.g. free delivery or money off when you spend over a certain amount.

9. Don’t forget the bubbles! There are lots of times you may need to serve something sparkly, perhaps while guests are waiting for you to have your photos done and of course during the toasts. Splash out on Champagne if you can but if not don’t worry, there are some fantastic Proseccos and Cavas out there which will suit just as well.

10. And our final tip? Don’t worry about over-ordering – whatever you don’t drink can be taken home for you and your beloved to enjoy whilst perusing your wedding photos.

Some wedding wine suggestions from the Hattie’s wine list:

Aperitif / during photos:

Bach Extrisimo Semi-Seco Cava, £8.99. For those of you who don’t like their sparkling wines really, really dry, this will be music to your ears. It won’t make you suck your cheeks in (think lemon sherbets, or Victoria Beckham). Made in the Cava region, this is all apples, citrus and almonds in liquid form. A great alternative to Pimms.

White wines:

Clique Viognier, £8.99. This is a wine stuffed with gallons of juicy exotic fruits, from pineapple to grapefruit, but is still dry and highly drinkable. This is not the moment for British reserve – it’s time to kick off your shoes and dance like nobody’s watching. This is punchy, unabashed, unembarrassed joy. Oh and the label looks fab on the table!

Or splash out on Coulaudin Bussy Chablis Premier Cru, £14.99. A wonderfully fresh, lemony wine, but with real backbone. It’s ‘Premier Cru’ (more Marc Jacobs than Mark Owen) which means it’s even better quality than the average Chablis. This is the Chanel handbag of wine – a classic that accessorizes anything, and oozes style and sophistication – just like your big day.

Red wines:

Domaine d’Aumieres Merlot, £7.99. This little gem of a wine comes from a family that started making wine in this region over a century ago. So, they really know what they are doing. The beauty of this Merlot is in its simplicity – ripe, juicy and soft with baked plum fruit flavours. A definite crowd-pleaser!

Or splash out on Le Blason du Prince Chateauneuf du Pape, £14.99. It’s time for a celebration. A big classy celebration. Even the scantest French skills will pick out ‘prince’ and ‘chateau’ here, and should tell you that you’re dealing with something pretty regal. The flavours manage to be both restrained and powerful at the same time: a sophisticated glass of dark brambly fruit. The quintessential posh red wine – a princely bottle for the day’s princess!

Toast:

A toast to the happy couple deserves Champagne, and why not go pink with the Louis Massing Champagne Premier Cru, £19.99. Light and delicately done, but with lush redcurrant fruit flavours, and a twinkle in its eye.

Beyoncé Releases Visual Album

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With the secret release of Beyoncé’s self titled visual album today, Queen Bey is the woman that everyone is taking about. Get Beyoncé’s music video looks from Soft Paris, as featured in ‘Jealous’ and ‘Haunted’.

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Beyonce released her new album which went straight to iTunes without warning in the middle of the night. She announced it on Instagram. Bearing a brand new music video for each of its 14 tracks as well as four bonus videos, we are pretty excited and just in time for Christmas too. Let’s hope someone puts it in our stocking (metaphorically anyway)  A 30-second preview is below. What do you think?

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A-Z of Wink! Premieres on i-D with Cara Delevingne, Miranda Kerr and Joan Smalls

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We love i-D magazine at Frost and they are celebrating 33 years of iconic covers, i-D has brought together fashion’s hottest models, designers and personalities to create a celebratory WINK! video, exclusively for newly launched site i-d.co

Part of i-D’s fashion alphabets series, 26+ stellar superstars of fashion run down an A-Z of the best cover slogans from 1980 to 2013, all while giving the inimitable i-D wink; the pose struck by every cover star of the magazine and i-D’s own cheeky logo.

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Cara Delevingne, Lara Stone, Natalia Vodianova, Rick Owens, Lily McMenamy, Miranda Kerr, Joan Smalls, J.W. Anderson and Lindsey Wixson turned in their best looks for director Jérémie Rozan and fashion director Charlotte Stockdale over the two day shoot in Paris.

“i-D has been collaborating with the best talent in the industry for over 30 years. We couldn’t be happier to bring such an inspirational group of supermodels and designers together in one fantastic video to celebrate the iconic i-D wink!” – Holly Shackleton, i-D Editor

Happy 33rd from all of us here at Frost i-D.

Find The Perfect Watch For Your Loved One This Christmas

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Marc by Marc Jacobs watch., marc jacobs, watch, Christmas,A watch is a great Christmas present but getting it right can be hard. We have a guide from Watchshop.com to make it easier.

Terry Markham, Buyer & Online Merchandiser of WatchShop.com says: “It’s important to try and find a watch that not only looks great, but suits the personality and lifestyle of the person you are buying it for. Luckily, today’s watches offer an incredible range of styles and themes to suit everyone. There are several things you should keep in mind when it comes to choosing the perfect watch for someone”

The Overall Look – Think about the watch recipient’s particular style and start from there. Tailor the choices to distinctive clothing they wear, there will be a watch to match it. The selection of watch designs available is incredible, from elegant silhouettes, through more contemporary and fashion led pieces, all the way to striking urban inspired designs or purpose built functional utility watches, there will be one that suits their style and lifestyle all at once.

Function over form over function – The most important thing to remember when choosing is the person’s lifestyle, and where and when they will wear the watch. If it is going to be worn on special formal occasions, features such as an alarm or GPS are probably not the most vital. Water resistance is a consideration at this point, it will start changing the options available. Think about the features which would be most useful for the person. Will they need a watch that has a temperature gauge or helps them train for marathons, or does it need to look good with a suit? Figure out the “must-have” features of their ideal watch, and then zero in on brands that are known to excel at them.

The Fine Details – Sometimes, it’s the smallest details that really make the watch special for the recipient. Today’s watches offer more exquisite and exciting embellishments than ever. From Swarovski crystals, and precious stones, to exotic materials and finishes, you can take your pick from a bevy of stylish touches. If you think the person you are buying for would appreciate some glitz and glamour, it’s easy to track down an affordable timepiece that offers a hint of luxury and a healthy dose of glitzy appeal. If they are more reserved, a brushed finish will give the subtlety they will appreciate.

Colours – Finally, nearly every imaginable shade and hue can be found amid today’s selection of watches, from a single detail picked out subtly to a complete watch. From lurid contrasting colours or vibrant solid-coloured pieces that pop out in exciting and eye-catching ways, to more subtle and understated looks that exude sophistication and glamour to any ensemble, it’s a snap to find watches that feature everyone’s favourite colour, or match their pallete and wardrobe.

Use this as a rough guide of what people need, from the way they would identify their ideal watch:

Strictly Fashion – If you think they will value looks over functionality then you may wish to opt for a fashion brand and skip the high-tech gadgetry. In this case, you should can select from a variety of budgets and select a watch that appeals in a purely visual way to their style.

All Business – Business people tend to be very demanding about the watches they wear, especially if they travel a lot. If you’re buying a watch for them to wear to the office on a regular basis, you’re probably going to want to select one with a more conservative style. Choose colours and finishes that will blend in and go along well with the majority of their wardrobe. It should be comfortable and durable, a dependable companion wherever the work day leads them.

Urban Lifestyles – City dwellers, and those who just prefer having a more urban edge, are going to want watches that offer a combination of style, excitement and technology. Life is fast-paced in the city, so it helps selecting a watch that will never be caught wanting. They will appreciate their watch being fun, cutting edge and very stylish to match their own lives.

Active Lifestyles – Even if the person you’re buying for is into extreme sports, you should be able to find a watch that’s more than up to the task. Almost every watchmaker these days offers water resistant timepieces, and there are many models that boast chronograph models to measure the time of their life. If they spend a lot of time doing outdoor activities, you’ll also want a watch that’s tough and durable, with a high water resistance.

There are so many different options when it comes down to buying a watch as a gift for somebody else. Don’t get overwhelmed, and just use what you know about them to buy a watch they will use and cherish for years to come.

The 12 Pitfalls of Christmas And How To Avoid Them

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vivienne_imgWhen a relationship is already struggling , Christmas can intensify that struggle. Instead of being a happy celebratory time, Christmas completely drains the joy. If you are already feeling a little under the strain and under supported, this article is for you.

The 12 pitfalls of Christmas and how to avoid them

 1 Too High An Expectation

We all have the wish for the perfect, romantic moment with the perfect gift when all our Christmas fantasies come true. There is an enormous sense of expectation on the big day and a lot of people aiming for perfection. This quest for perfection and the best Christmas ever can drain us and render both our Christmas and our partner’s efforts a disappointment. We all deserve to be happy and sometimes happiness is best reached when we stop the pressure. High expectations usually only lead to …..

2 Disappointment

The disappointment can be crushing because it feels so symbolic, as though if we are unhappy even at Christmas then we must be fundamentally miserable together. We can feel that “we” as a couple don’t want the same things in life just because “we” don’t want the same things at Christmas.

Perhaps we need to compromise our expectations, agree on how we will spend our time and efforts. “Good enough” can be very happy indeed. Decide to do something lovely for each other, so you both experience your special moment, so that potential disappointments can be curbed this Christmas.

 3 Negative Mindset

If we feel we’ve over-compromised or that we’re taken for granted before we start, then we enter into any conversation with a negative attitude which sets us up to have an argument or to fail in general.

If we look for the negatives and only notice events or things that are less than perfect this can lead to……

4 Over reaction

We all have the ability to massively over react. If we are tense to begin with, then the seemingly small stuff can push us over the edge from calm and composed to tantrum and distress. The number of people that argue over the practicalities of Christmas is probably close to 100%.

One particularly stressful practicality is packing the car. Let’s face it, this is basically an argument in a boot!  Mindset is key when it comes to the arduous errands around Christmas. If you find yourself thinking “what a nightmare all this stuff is” and “no way is it all going to fit into the car” …. Think about this before the day of travel and also turn that around to think “how great that we can give so many presents” and “This is going to be so much fun”.

After all, why spend all this time and energy and money buying the presents if you’re going to complain about packing them and the subsequent journey?

Some people have better spatial awareness than others …. be honest with yourself … how good are you at filling every crevice efficiently?  If the other person insists on doing it, let them get stuck before you wade in with your suggestions.

 5 Who’s rule is it anyway?

Christmas can seem as though it comes with an invisible but very real rule book. This rule book to be based on absolutes about the fundamental questions such as, ‘Who to spend Christmas Day with?’   Often families feel they must spend Christmas together.  Christmas Day seems to be symbolic of family and therefore if you don’t spend it with your family, you feel judged that you aren’t behaving in an accepted way. These emotionally laden rules lead to …..

6 Stress in various relationships

Many couples argue over whose parents’ turn it is to visit, and whose tradition to follow.  It may seem uncharitable and selfish to spend time with people whose company you actually enjoy.
Just because you’ve spent it with one set of people for the past 5 years, doesn’t mean you would be insulting anyone to have a change.  Handling that situation need not be as difficult as you may fear it is.

Family dynamics go into over drive. Various family members can battle over status and following certain traditions can equate to personal victories or be perceived as slights. Siblings can start to regress into squabbles befitting adolescence not middle age!

Everything can feel as though there is a hidden agenda and negative communication; even gift giving can be perceived as point scoring.  Christmas day can be reduced into a competitive battle ground with everyone trying to assert their status, for example, who’s in charge, who carves, whose pudding is better, who wouldn’t have bought the pudding but made it from scratch, whose present is more expensive, better thought out?  Competitiveness creeps in to cause many underlying feelings of guilt and undermining. Christmas is reduced to a series of unpleasant negotiations.

Focusing on how you and your partner really want to spend Christmas in a fashion that will make you truly happy is the key to sidestepping the unpleasantness. Thinking about happiness as the goal of the day and not point proving or following arduous tradition keeps you on the right track.

7  Quest for perfection

Women can often feel that how well they “do” Christmas is symbolic of how much they love and how good a wife and homemaker they are.  Women can end up putting so much pressure on themselves to get it all perfect that they set themselves up to fail, because they become stressed and grumpy therefore less fun to be around. This stress can lead to ….

8  Feeling Overwhelmed

FUN is the point of Christmas for most of us.  So, if the process of preparation drains the joy of the day, then your priorities are misconstrued however well intentioned.

Children and even partners only notice the stress – they don’t know the difference between good enough and perfection. So halve your “to do” list and go without some of the food and events but do what you are doing with a smile and you will enjoy it to and so will they!

9  Feeling Lonely  

Generally, husbands/male partners tend to care and plan somewhat less and the other partner feels “slighted”  or dismissed … that what they want to talk about is irrelevant … and this feeling of being ignored leads to ….

10  A sense of isolation

We can all feel lonely in a crowded room and never more so than at Christmas. This sense of isolation and being on your own with everything can cause stress. You can feel as though you need to take responsibility for Christmas and the emotional wellbeing of everyone and this becomes overwhelming.

Christmas and its scripts can put emotions and relationships into intense mode …. you’re supposed to feel joy and it can work to the contrary by making you feel more lonely, less connected, less valued, more miserable.

Communication is key to avoiding this pitfall. Talk to your partner about what you need to. However, you also need to talk to yourself. Strategize your efforts so that they will pay off and not completely frazzle you. If you don’t get the help you need, do less. Be fair on yourself too so that you don’t feel alone with it all this Christmas.

11  Working too hard

One partner feels taken for granted.  One partner isn’t pulling the same weight in effort as the other.  It feels symbolic that “if my partner doesn’t care as much about Xmas as I do, that means he/she doesn’t love me”. This sense of disproportion within the relationship can lead to….

12  Arguments and Disappointment

Overall, there are high expectations and the whole feeling of pressure to make this the “absolutely perfect family day” … and then add some alcohol to that and emotions quickly rise to the surface causing tension.

So logistic planning is helpful eg who’s going to contribute foodwise/drinkswise/presents …. all of this needs careful discussion beforehand.

Financially, parents tend to spend lots of money on their kids and then that sometimes leaves less for your partner’s present eg combining a Christmas present with a birthday present … it becomes a financial transaction rather than a giving or romantic one.  This is not a positive attitude to present-giving unless fully agreed with the receiver.

It is a very extended time together from eg 10 am – 9pm or even longer when visiting relatives far away which means an overnight stay is included.  So if it’s someone you don’t see regularly because you don’t want to, that too brings huge pressure of interaction to spend 36-48 hours with those people.

If you feel your relationship is coming to an end, then buying presents for the maybe “last Xmas” feels like a death looming.
How to step over these pitfalls

Whatever you decide, make that a positive decision.  Go into the situation with a positive mindset …. set it up to succeed.

Think about it – any time you meet a person who is complaining, down on themselves, or generally miserable, then your heart sinks and you don’t feel so good.

When you are greeted by someone who is smiling, open and interested, you feel their energy and the joy begins.
Prepare as best you can regarding travel logistics, presents without going into huge debt and agreeing who makes the gravy.  Have all the necessary conversations so that everyone’s expectations are met.

If there are still some issues, this is where you have to decide whether you are going to spend time with these people or not.  And if you decide that you are going to be with them, then this is when you decide how you are going to feel and behave.  If you go in with a smile on your face, you will feel happier and your experience will be happier.

We can all survive and even enjoy Christmas 2013!

Mindset is the key to a happy and fun Christmas Day.

Wishing you a happy Christmas Day.

From: Vivienne Goldstein (Relationship Coach) and
Dr Lucy Atcheson (Psychologist)

We hope this article is helpful. If you would like some bespoke therapeutic support for your relationship at one of our workshops supporting women to enhance their relationships please contact us at

Lucy@counsellingpsychologistlondon.com or Viv@viviennegoldstein.com