DAY TWENTY-FOUR OF BLOGMAS UNBOXED 2023: A REEL OF DECEMBER 2023

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

DAY ELEVEN OF BLOGMAS UNBOXED 2023: DISAPPOINTMENT AT CHRISTMASTIME & EDINBURGH CHRISTMAS MARKET PHOTOS & A REEL | IN COLLABORATION WITH PHOENIX COVE

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Welcome to Blogmas Unboxed!!

 Today’s post in the Blogmas Unboxed series is inspired by my trip to Edinburgh Christmas Market with my Mum via Gardiners NMC which – I’m sad to say – was a bit of a disappointment (the market; not the entire trip!). In the past, I would have coped with this disappointment in a really unsafe way and I very likely would have found myself searching for someone to blame. On this occasion though, I made the conscious decision to continue to appreciate the trip and the time with my Mum in the city that I actually really like because I’ve visited it a number of times. So, I searched for the good in the day and I focused on making the most of all the things we were able to do that we might not have if the Market had been better (there weren’t many stalls and a lot of them were selling the same items as each other and those items were things you could buy online; they weren’t handmade or really special and one-of-a-kind in anyway). So, here are some photos of the other things we got up to instead, and at the end of the post; there’s a reel from the day…

WHY COLLABORATIONS CAN BE ALL ABOUT LEARNING AS YOU GO | IN COLLABORATION WITH EDINBURGH BUS TOURS | AD

“Those who do not understand the power of collaboration always struggle for growth”

Anuj Jasani

In June, I took a trip to Edinburgh and decided to go on one of the Edinburgh Bus Tour routes (the Majestic option) and I enjoyed it so much we’ve decided to collaborate again (you can read our first collaboration here). So, whilst this piece is inspired by my recent visit back up there and the photos are from my experience of another of their routes; I’ll be chatting more about the fact this is our second time working together. So, here’s my thoughts on the fact that landing collaborations can be a ‘learn-as-you-go’ kind of process…

MY EDINBURGH RECOMMENDATIONS | IN COLLABORATION WITH EDINBURGH BUS TOURS

To bring you something a bit different, with very little mention of mental health(!), I’ve teamed up with Edinburgh Bus Tours to bring to you this piece about my greatest recommendations for a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland…

When I was younger, if I was going to visit somewhere, my first ‘must-see’ was the stores! If I spotted a River Island or New Look then who cared about a huge castle or an impressive cathedral?! However, now that I’m thirty-one, I’m finding that when I go on a trip these days, I’m more interested in seeing the sights because I recognise that I can’t see them back home; so booking a tour route (there are a number to choose from – or you can purchase a ticket that allows you to do any/all of them!) with Edinburgh Bus Tours seemed like an obvious way to do this on my trip.

I chose the Majestic tour because it included some city sights and a costal one (The Royal Yacht Britannia on Leith coast) – I like the Coast in terms of photographs, but I’m a ‘city girl’ at heart! And this tour seemed to be the best of both worlds! The variety of the tours; their mix of theme and their different routes around Edinburgh really provide a brilliant opportunity for absolutely anyone’s preferences to be catered to.

THREE LESSONS I’VE LEARNT FROM MY GOD CHILDREN | MY TRIP TO SEE THEM IN EDINBURGH

I’m forever grateful for the fact that I was so late to my A Level History class that the only empty seat left in the classroom was beside Ellie! Sitting beside her, I didn’t ever imagine we’d be best-friends thirteen years later and that she’d be Mum to my three incredible Godchildren!

Due to work and school opportunities, Ellie and her husband moved the family to a town just outside of Edinburgh and with the UK lockdown pretty much immediately following their move, I’ve not been able to visit until now! And the trip to see them all was my inspiration for this post…

You should always appreciate time spent with loved ones

The initial lockdown regulations meant that I couldn’t see my oldest God Son (Jonas) for his Tenth Birthday so I sent presents and was sent a photo of him with his gifts and the biggest, cheesiest smile on his face! As happy as I was to know he had liked his presents (a Lego Sports Car & American Candy!), losing the ability to see him was really triggering of my memories around being in the psychiatric hospital over 100 miles away for two and a half years. Being in the hospital for so long meant that I missed out on the majority of Jonas’ life aged 2 - 4, and being in and out of hospitals for the last six years has meant that I’ve missed out on some milestones for my God Daughter; Emmy (yes I named my cat after my God Daughter!), and my youngest God Son, Kasper. 

BLOGMAS 2019 – POST TWELVE : EDINBURGH CHRISTMAS MARKET

Thanks to a poll on my Twitter back in November, my wonderful followers decided that I should publish a blog post and film a vlog every day for the entirety of December! 

So welcome to December 12th…

For so long I’ve wanted to go to the Edinburgh Christmas Market and for some reason, I’ve just never gotten around to it! But this year, Mum and I booked our train tickets in advance and heeded all the warnings on not going at the weekend or on an evening/nighttime! As much as we planned it though, we didn’t plan on the market being closed due to high winds! Although, that happening gave me the subject for this blog post so that – as usual – instead of a typical play-by-play of the day, I’ll actually be talking about how to cope with setbacks and disappointments…

MY TOP FIVE PLACES TO VISIT ON THE LNER ROUTE | IN COLLABORATION WITH LNER | AD

I’m very proud to be able to say that I’m collaborating with London North Eastern Railway (LNER) on a series of posts in the run-up to a complimentary first-class trip on June 15^th. 

Here’s my five favourite places (in no particular order) from the LNER route!

1.    Edinburgh

Things to see and do:

Edinburgh Castle – learn about its fascinating, vibrant and grisly history, ensuring you visit the Scottish Crown Jewels while you’re there. Opening hours: 9:30am – 6pm, tickets: adults = £19.50, Concession = £11.50, Children (5-15) = £10.50, free for children under 5

National Museum of Scotland – not only can you explore the exhibits and displays but there’s also an incredible panoramic view of the city from the Museum’s rooftop terrace. Opening hours: 10am – 5pm, free admission, donations welcome

Christmas Market – crepes and waffles, glass baubles and decorations; Edinburgh Christmas Market is visited by thousands of shoppers a year

Shopping – Princes Street for all of your high street stores from Superdrug to Apple to Primark, for luxury shopping; Multrees Walk