Yup, you read that right. I am A BAD BLOGGER. And this post will probably annoy some, and make others roll their eyes. That’s ok. I make people do that all the time.
Christmas is coming. It’s that time of the year where there is A LOT out there blog wise, social media wise, shopping wise, telling you what to get for Christmas for everyone in your life.
Gift Guides are the bread and butter of blogdom at this time of year. Let’s face it, if you are being paid to share about products, or being sent products to share about why would you say no.
I have done them, and to be fair, I will be sharing some Christmas ideas and some Christmas themed posts this year, but there will be no gift guides. I can hear all the PR companies backing away now, and my PR work drying out, about now.
This past year, these past few months have thrown some things at us, that have made me pause for thought. That have brought reality screaming into my face. That have made me realise that things and stuff are just not important. People, the ones you love and care about, and that love and care about you, are THE most important. Even where we live isn’t that important as long as you are with those you love and who you need and need you.
I don’t even know what I want for Christmas this year. I don’t think I actually want any THING.
There are things that I would like, but to be honest, I could buy them or ask for them at any time of the year.
There are things my kids want, but we are doing a very scaled back Christmas this year, for many reasons, with a trip away to a favorutie part of France, for a few days, so they will get some nice things, but we are not doing lots of stuff.
There are a multitude of things I could buy for the husband, from the small to the large. But he also doesn’t want stuff.
I love Christmas. I love the time with my kids. We are very strict about who we see and how we spend the precious week we have together (hence the going away this year) I love traditions like putting up decorations, baking, cooking, feeding people. playing Christmas music, telling my children about things I did as a child with my mum and family. I like getting small things for people that I know they will like.
I hate the commercialism of Christmas though. It’s all about what to buy, what to get, what we REALLY need, what we should want if we could afford it, more stuff for our kids, more stuff to clutter up our houses. More things to accumulate. More money spent.
I am just not in the mood to share loads of posts with links to things I think you all should buy. So I won’t.
There will be a few posts scattered here and there and some fun giveaways but the frame of mind I am in, I simply cannot write gift guides.
I also think that Christmas is becoming shockingly bad for the environment and our planet. That is something I am not an expert in, but maybe one day I will write a post about it.
That does make me a bad blogger. I know. My loss.
But I have always said this is my blog, and I will write it the way I want.
Maybe next year I will write an alternative guide to a stuff free Christmas. This year I am focusing on keeping it together, hugging my family, appreciating the life we have, trying not to worry about what we don’t have, and being grateful for those around me I love.
You can’t get that in any gift guide…
Thank you! I must see at least a dozen gift guides in my bloglovin feed a day, and this number is likely to rise from now until Christmas! Most of them list the same items too – so I am fed up already!
OMG I have counted 61 gift guides in my bloglovin feed today and it is only 4.30!
As I am sure you know I am totally with you in this one and I detest the commercialism of Christmas and the pressure put on so people to buy, buy, buy, implying that this is the only way they are going to have any festive fun. You prove there is more the Christmas than unwrapping loads of (unwanted) gifts – it’s about family and your own traditions, together time and relaxation (and some good food!). This is a great post for #GoingGreen and I for one do not think you are a bad blogger. In fact it makes you the complete opposite in my eyes and I look forward tot the day most bloggers are influencing us to lead sustainable lives, not feeding the environmental scourge that is commercialism.
Never done a gift guide in almost eleven years of blogging. Never thought that made me a bad blogger. Isn’t that the wonderful thing about blogging? If you want to read about gift guides, then there are blogs that do. If not, then there are blogs that don’t. Providing balance. An alternative to commercialisation. I applaud that you are not. Personally I’m going for a simplified Christmas, where we make the most of our time together, not cluttering the house.