Author: Alphe

New Year’s Resolutions 2026 – Fitness, Crafts, Education And More

I actually can’t believe it’s already 2026. I once heard someone say that days are long, but years are short – I 100% agree with that statement. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might remember that I set myself New Year’s resolutions for 2025. I actually recently posted a summary of my progress – check it out if you’re curious to see how I did! It was a mixed bag of huge achievements and big flops, but I feel like I learnt a lot just through attempting to reach my goals, regardless of the results. So, we’re doing it again in 2026. I chose a handful of goals for myself, in a few categories. Here is my list of New Year’s resolutions for 2026!

Continue reading →

London In Photos – Christmas 2025 – Winter Wonderland, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Kew Gardens, Luxury Stores

London is beautiful all year round, but it really shines over the Christmas period. Stunning street decor and various festive events make it a truly magical place. Today, I’m taking you on a photo trip around London at Christmas. You’ll see the major Christmas markets and the famous Trafalgar Square tree, which goes viral on social media every year, for the wrong reasons. I’ll also take you to luxury department stores and seasonal events. I originally planned to post this before Christmas, but ran out of time. However, London’s festivities are typically similar every year. Save this post for Christmas in London 2026 inspiration!

Continue reading →

New Years Resolutions 2025 – Final Check-Up – How Did I Do?

Happy 2026, folks! I actually can’t believe that 2025 is already in the past. It just flew by! Exactly a year ago, I made a list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2025, with a variety of goals, ranging from fitness to crafts and education. Today, it’s time to celebrate my achievements and shed a tear over my failures. It’s a mixed bag! Not everything went to plan, but that’s just life – we can’t predict everything. As I’m currently making a list of resolutions for the new year, it’s a good chance to learn from my progress in 2025 and maybe even roll over some of the missed goals. So, here is the final summary of my New Year’s Resolutions 2025.

Continue reading →

Mini Botanical Cross Stitch Designs – RHS – October, November, December

Earlier this year, I bought a set of 12 botanical cross stitch kits, designed by the Royal Horticultural Society. I had seen this set in several shops, and one day, I found it in TK Maxx at half the regular price. So, naturally, I got it! The mini cross stitch designs are labelled with months, and I decided to complete them in those months, and share the results every quarter. Today, I’d like to present the completed mini projects for October, November and December – featuring an anemone, a pansy, and a poinsettia. This makes 9 out of 12 designs from the set done!

Continue reading →

Christmas Baking 2025 – Gingerbread Cookies, Yule Log Cake And Much More

Christmas time, for me, is filled with Christmas baking adventures. Over the years, we’ve established many traditions in our family, and there are many foods that we simply can’t not have at Christmas. So today, let me share with you all of my Christmas baked goods from this year – with recipes, if you fancy making them yourself! From the best gingerbread cookies to a spectacular Yule Log, there’s something for everyone. What a delicious and fun week it’s been!

Continue reading →

DIY Mini Cross Stitch Kit – Gingerbread Man – Christmas Crafts

I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas. This year has just flown by! I’ve been in the Christmas spirit for ages (I’m one of those people who get in the festive mood on the first colder days in September), and finally, the holidays are pretty much here. So naturally, I’ve been enjoying Christmas themed crafts lately. This time, I completed yet another cross stitch kit, with the perfect design for this time of year. I thoroughly enjoyed cross stitching this small gingerbread man holding a candy cane!

Continue reading →

DIY Crochet Set – Christmas Tree Garland – Free Pattern – Christmas Crafts

Today, I’m bringing you another Christmas crochet project inspiration. This time, with a free pattern included! I bought an assorted kit for making a garland of crocheted Christmas trees, but ended up changing the pattern to my own taste, and making individual hanging decorations instead of a garland. It was a bit of a learning cure, especially with the pattern tweaks, but I’m really pleased with how cute these turned out!

Continue reading →

DIY Simple Gingerbread Themed Christmas Gift Wrapping – Gift Tags, Gift Bags

If you’re looking for a simple and cute DIY Christmas gift wrapping idea, I’ve got your back! I came up with this idea a few years ago and since then, I always wrap some of the Christmas gifts with a gingerbread theme. It’s easy and fun to do, and the result is really pretty! All you need is a white paint pen and a base – some empty gift tags, plain gift bags, or even just brown coloured paper. From there, the possibilities are endless! Here is some inspiration for simple gingerbread themed handmade gift tags and gift bags.

Continue reading →

Christmas Markets In Poland – Wroclaw, Poznan – Top European Christmas Markets

Trips to Christmas markets are amongst my all-time favourite things to do. As soon as the Christmas period ends, I start counting down days to when the Christmas markets start again. In the UK, my favourite Christmas markets are in Manchester, Winchester, and Birmingham. Overall, the best Christmas market, in my opinion, is probably in Vienna, Austria. But today, let me take you to a few Christmas markets in my homeland, Poland. The one in Wroclaw is probably amongst the best in Europe!

Continue reading →

DIY Crochet Set – Gingerbread Man – Christmas Crochet Inspiration

In today’s episode of learning to crochet from zero to hero, I’d like to share with you my most elaborate project so far. I bought an affordable crochet set for making a cute gingerbread man toy, wanting to challenge myself with techniques I haven’t tried before. It wasn’t a smooth journey all along, and I did make significant mistakes along the way. But, I also learnt several valuable lessons and will now approach future projects armed with additional knowledge. Despite his flaws, I still think that this crocheted gingerbread man turned out adorable and I did quite well. What’s even better, I completed it in just three evenings!

Continue reading →