I have loved Christmas since I was a child. The hopes of snow and flying reindeer, that special Christmassy feeling in the air. I still sense that as a grown up, but the festive season seems to come with a lot more pressure these days. This year, instead of trying to create the perfect Instagrammable Christmas, what if we just relaxed and focused on what really matters? Welcome to Season Two of the Calm Christmas podcast with bestselling self-help author Beth Kempton. This series is all about making the season special for less – less stress, less expense, less pressure…  Episode 1 is on the theme of PREPARE and includes: A cosy introduction to The Calm Christmas PodcastPondering the question of what Christmas means to you – and to meSome beautiful wintery words from some of my favourite writers and poetsJournaling prompts for reflecting on your Christmas experiencesPlus our weekly nature corner, recipes, wellbeing ideas and tips for getting ahead for ChristmasI hope this podcast will help you locate Christmas as an anchor in the stormy seas of winter in this world right now.   New episodes every Wednesday throughout November and December. Remember to subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop! CLICK HERE to sign up for my FREE two-week writing course, the Winter Writing Sanctuary (runs Nov 22 – Dec 4 2021) For more details of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year go to bethkempton.com/christmas To be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of The Almanac 2022 by Lia Leendertz and my book Calm Christmas, head over to Instagram @bethkempton. The deadline for entries is 4pm UK time on Friday November 5, 2021. Take good care, Beth (@bethkempton on Instagram) Featured in this episode: ·      Good Hours by Robert Frost, in A Mind of Winter edited by Robert Atwan ·      We Can be Film Stars, Just for One Day by Sue Townsend in On Christmas: A seasonal anthology by Gyles Brandreth ·      Of Calcutta, Christmas and New Year by Suhel Seth in On Christmas: A seasonal anthology by Gyles Brandreth  ·      Introduction by Judith Flanders in Poems for Christmas ·      Christmas: A biography by Judith Flanders  ·      The Almanac: A seasonal guide to 2022  by Lia Leendertz  ·      Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardening Through The Year by Ian Spence ·      East Wind Melts the Ice by Liza Dalby  ·      Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton