When people ask me what my idea Christmas Day would be, believe it or not, I’d absolutley love to spend the big day itself in a cosy location somewhere else in the UK. I’ve always loved the thought of heading to another destination, and more so this year after spending nearly every day stuck at home since March!
The Lake District has always been top of my priority list when it comes to a UK break. There’s just something so whimsical, beautiful and quaint about the place. I mean, Windermere has always been one of my very favourite places in the Lakes, but it’s a pretty big area and there are so many other places in and around the Lakes I would be so keen to visit.
I can picture the perfect Christmas Day setup right now: I’d stay in a lovely little British countryside cottage, nestled in the heart of the Lake District. There would be a roaring fire, there would be views of greenery, ideally a lake and perhaps mountains in the background, and the cottage would be rustic and homely.
However, it’s not going to happen this Christmas, especially with everything this year has brought along plus me being heavily pregnant! But not all is lost…
This year, I’ve done my best to make our home as cosy and cottage-esque as possible. We might not be able to take out family to a cosy little getaway where we can explore the Lake District – my favourite UK getaway destination – but I’ve tried my hardest with a little help from Christmas decorations to re-create the snuggly, Christmas staycation vibe in my own home.
Next year, when there’s a little baby here with us, perhaps we’ll go with Lakelovers and book the dream Christmas UK staycation I’ve always wanted. I’d choose to stay close to Windermere, yet venture out on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day to neighbouring towns like Ambleside or Kendal. I’d even be keen to do a walk up Orrest Head, with the baby in the baby carrier (or my partner carrying the baby!) and go to a sophisticated little Windermere bar afterwards for a Prosecco (or a Baileys!).
There are some lovely boat trips that take you across Lake Windermere too, that would equally be lovely if the weather was dry, with a bit of frost in the air…
One of the most magical thoughts for me personally is imagining getting together as a family, and decorating the cottage with twinkling fairy lights, a real Christmas Tree (we always have a fake one at home which does the job, but a fresh Christmas Tree in a cute and quirky little cottage would be dreamy!) frosted pines and Christmas garlands sprinkled around the place.
Of course, I’d decorate the open fireplace with scented candles or diffusers, and hand stockings up around the fireplace too.
I’ve tried my best this year to re-create that touch of UK countryside within my own home, and although it’s totally not as ideal as being in the Lake District, admiring the countryside views and taking in the clean, crispy air, it’s definitely the next best thing. I hope the photos in this post capture this a little, too!
The diffusers I’ve popped around the home are scented with sweet gingerbread, as well as candles that are lightly fragranced with gingerbread and fresh pine scents.
The garlands incorporate frosting to give that Wintery, Christmas vibe, and we’ve even got ourselves a little reindeer wooden countdown block, in which we can either countdown the days until Christmas, or display the date so we’re kind of counting up to the big day itself.
As well as our pearl white and silver frosting tree decorations, we’ve been a little cheeky and popped gold foil wrapped chocolate baubles around the tree too, which I’ll find it hard not to keep nibbling away at!
While next year and travel plans may feel like quite a long way off, I honestly feel like as soon as 2021 arrives, my baby girl is here and the Winter season starts turning into Spring, we’ll all be seeing a clearer future of a year where plans can start to be made. Just think of all those beautiful UK destinations we should be able to start planning trips to once March and April are here, alongside our larger groups of family and friends.
Then perhaps next Christmas, I’ll use my new found skills within dressing our home like a cosy Wintery cottage, and put them to good use for this dream Christmas Day getaway I have in the Lake District for December.
I’ve already planned that the place I would visit straight after a fresh wintery walk up Orrest Head is The Fizzy Tarte – a prosecco and cocktail bar situated at Bowness-on-Windermere, for a warming tipple before heading back to the cosy Lake District cottage we’d be staying at. We’d bring board games with us to the cottage, and cook some traditional Christmas classic foods in the kitchen before settling down under cosy throws and blankets with a few Christmas inspired movies (Love Actually and The Holiday if I get my say!).
Have you ever been to the Lake District, and what are your thoughts of spending Christmas, or the run up to Christmas, in a little cottage there to experience a real UK wintery break?
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