I’m a Grinch… I freely admit it. Perhaps it’s because I am used to southern hemisphere Christmases complete with sunshine, swimming pools and moaning about the heat (England isn’t my native land). Or perhaps it’s because I’m no longer nine years old and giddy with anticipation waiting to unwrap the wonders that tempt from beneath the tree.
Regardless, there is one thing I do enjoy about this season; that’s the time between Christmas and New Year where there’s time to actually take a breather and sit and enjoy the things you never quite have time for. With that in mind, I’ve surveyed the rest of Team Lynx who are fully embracing the spirit of the season and have compiled a list of what we’ll be enjoying.
Ella – Senior Account Manager
If there’s one film that I’m sure to watch this holiday season it’s Elf – it’s my favourite Christmas film and has become a bit of a tradition. Not only is it arguably the funniest Christmas film to have been created, it has all the ingredients of a great Christmas film – love, laughter, reuniting family and reviving Christmas spirit.
When it comes to reading, for me it tends to be anything by Dorothy Koomson. I fell in love with her books after reading The Ice Cream Girls and am hoping to get her latest book for Christmas. Another good book I’m reading at the moment is Mindfulness – a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. Mindfulness is something I’m trying to practice a lot more and it’s a really good book that provides valuable techniques and tricks to help relax and unwind after a hard day’s work and ensure I’m paying more attention to the present moment.
Fiona – Account Manager
I always loved watching Eastenders from about the age of five until I finally grew out of that phase a couple of years ago. But I always go back to my old habit around this time and tune back into the Christmas special to see which character is departing the Square or who is having the dramatic affair!
I only usually watch Netflix as opposed to live television itself, but one thing I do love over Christmas is the adverts. For me it’s all about analysing how brands change up their strategy to focus on winning the hearts of UK viewers through emotional storytelling (especially when there are animals involved!). It’s also a good idea to compare the most recent ads to those of the past to see how the narratives and themes have changed, and if they truly reflect the year we’ve had.
Courtney – Junior Account Executive
Over the Christmas break I will be lucky enough to be having lunch with my favourite Youtuber, Joan Kim, who is a Korean-American daily vlogger who creates travel videos, skincare reviews and beauty tutorials. I am not someone who watches traditional TV anymore and I find I can relate better to YouTube content and it satisfies my short millennial attention span!
Because I turn to social media for entertainment purposes now, this Christmas I doubt I will be watching too many Christmas classics, but Home Alone has a special place in my heart and I will 100% be dusting off that one.
Emma – Digital Account Lead
I LOVE Christmas. From visiting as many Christmas markets as possible to spreading Christmas cheer (If you’re lucky enough to live near Hook, I’ll be joining the Whiteoaks International Christmas carollers outside Tesco’s in Hook on December 14th at 12.30pm). When it comes to decorating the house, my motto is ‘The more fairy lights, the better!’ After visiting the glitz and glam of New York city at Christmas two years ago, a trip to the famous Dyker Heights Christmas Lights certainly inspired the Christmas razzle-dazzle that I’ve adopted at home. 7,000 spectacular fairy lights cover the garden. My favourite, are a set of homemade orbs recycled from two hanging baskets inspired by this Pinterest Pin.
With several days holiday scheduled in over the Christmas break, I’ll have plenty of time on my hands to find new inspirational people to follow on LinkedIn. I’ll be checking out the UK’s Top Voices as ranked by LinkedIn, as well as look at what hot social media trends have been tipped for #2019.
Jo – Content Creator
A couple of things I always like to do at Christmas are a trip to the cinema and an annual viewing of The Grinch on Christmas Eve with the kids. It is rather fortuitous that The Grinch has been reanimated for the cinema this year, so I can combine the two activities into one!
The Bletchley Girls is on my reading list — it has been waiting on my Kindle since the summer after a visit to Bletchley Park — a place I highly recommend visiting. I also plan to read a TED talks book about writing your business story. I have listened to some amazing TED talks in the past and the one thing that always comes across is the speaker’s passion and interest in their topic. Always looking for new ideas to incorporate into my writing, I hope that this book will inspire me.
Susan – Head of Content (The Grinch)
In addition to spending some quality time with Netflix, I’m looking forward to reading my third Jon Ronson book, The Psychopath Test. This ex-journalist is hilarious in a dry way and presents some scary topics (social media shaming, terrorism) insightfully and humanely, while making it easy to read and not taking away from the severity. He also has a podcast that I might try, while lying on the couch indulging in Christmas cookies. I’m also planning on getting into Michelle Obama’s latest book, Becoming. Generally I’m not a fan of autobiographies, but I do admire this lady (intelligence, poise, personality, all in one!) and am keen to get some insight into her life beyond what we’ve been shown via the media. And I guess, if I absolutely had to choose a Christmas movie… Die Hard (definitely) and Last Holiday (no, not The Holiday), will be on top of the list.
