Happy Thanksgiving if you are celebrating, and may it be a day of counting our blessings, for all of us, wherever we live and wherever we are from. This episode - Season 4 Episode 3, Home for the Holidays - goes out with so much gratitude for your presence in my world, for listening to the podcast and sharing your own experiences of the festive season - many of which have been woven into this season of the podcast!

Today's episode is all about making our homes festive and cosy with lighting inside and out, sparkle, evergreens, textures, scents and love.

This cosy episode includes:

- Lots of ideas for making your home welcoming and cosy

- Some wonderful decorating traditions from listeners around the world

- A recipe for Cheesy Garlic Hedgehog Bread

- A lovely citrus star garland crafty project

- Tips to help you get ahead for the festive season, and more!

I hope this podcast will be a lantern guiding you through the darkness of winter and into a happy new year.

Beth Xx

Lovely things for you:

* Winter Writing Sanctuary registration here (FREE, runs Dec 28-Jan 5)

* Calm Christmas Planner – download yours for free here

* A new festive giveaway at Instagram @bethkempton

* Up to 50% off ALL my life-changing courses in my giant gratitude sale here

Links

* Madison Square Park Conservancy

* Christmas at Sea by Robert Louis Stevenson

* Evidence of a Christmas spirit network in the brain - Research by the University of Copenhagen published in the British Medical Journal

* (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays by Perry Como

* The Calm Christmas Podcast Season 2 Episode 5: Nest

* The Calm Christmas Podcast Season 3 Episode 4: Deck the Halls

* Selvedge Winter Fair

* National Trust

* St Martin in the Fields advent carol service

Referenced books + recommendations

* Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton (Piatkus)

* Rest and Calm by Paula Hines

* The Get-Ahead Christmas Cook by Jane Lovett (Headline Home)

* Christmas is Coming by Auriol Bishop (Headline Home)

Ingredients for the recipe shared

(Jane Lovett’s Cheesy Garlic Hedgehog Bread)

· 175 g of butter, with extra for greasing

· 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

· a handful of parsley, chopped

· 200 g taleggio cheese

· one round white loaf of rustic country style bread, like a cob or boule

· some sea salt flakes

What you need for the craft project

(Auriol Bishop’s Citrus star garland)

· some citrus fruit (clementine, satsuma, orange etc)

· cookie cutters in Christmas shapes

· a knitting needle or a skewer

· scissors

· string or twine

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com