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🎄 Things It’s Okay to Let Slide  at Christmas and New Year That weird stretch between Christmas and New Year isn’t normal life. Work is half-on, plans are random, time stops making sense, and the only consistent schedule is “eat whatever is left.” So if things feel a bit messy right now — good. That’s the correct experience. Here are a few things it’s genuinely okay to let slide for a few days. 1️⃣ Productivity Being Low The week between Christmas and New Year isn’t normal time, and expecting normal output during it is pointless. Most people aren’t fully working, fully resting, or fully off. Emails are slow, replies drag, and half the people you’d normally interact with aren’t paying attention anyway. Trying to force productivity in that environment usually just leads to frustration. Doing less during this week doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. It usually means you’re responding to the reality of the calendar. Very little meaningful progress happens in these few da...

🎄Christmas TV Episodes That  Are Actually Worth Watching Not every Christmas watch needs to be a full film. Sometimes an episode is the best option — especially when people are drifting in and out of the room, food keeps appearing, and nobody wants to commit to a two-hour “sit still and pay attention” experience. These picks are the ones that actually work at Christmas: easy to throw on, funny without trying too hard, and good enough that you’ll still enjoy them if you’re properly watching. 1️⃣ Gavin & Stacey – Christmas Specials Episode info: Series 2, Episode 8 (Christmas Special – 2008) + Christmas Special (2019) This works because it doesn’t suddenly turn into a fake “perfect Christmas” episode. It still feels like Gavin & Stacey — just with more people in the house, more tension, and more chances for awkward conversations to go on longer than they should. The characters are already fully formed by this point, so the humour comes from knowing exactly how...

🎄 5 Simple Ways to Look After Your Body at Christmas (Without Proper Workouts)  The Christmas weeks aren’t designed for routines, gym plans, or peak performance. Days blur together, meals happen at strange times, and rest feels both needed and oddly guilt-inducing. The good news? Looking after your body at Christmas doesn’t require “proper” workouts at all. Small, sensible habits go a long way — especially during this time of year. 1️⃣ Long Walks (Seasonal Movement That Actually Helps) You don’t need intense exercise during Christmas week. A long walk is more than enough. Post-dinner walks, fresh air after a busy house, or wandering around to look at lights all count as meaningful movement. Walking keeps your body mobile, helps digestion after heavier meals, and gives your head a break from noise and screens. NxtUpgrade Fitness Tip: Aim for relaxed walking, not steps or pace. If it feels refreshing rather than tiring, you’re doing it right. 2️⃣ Letting Your Body ...

🎮 5 Games That Feel Perfect to  Play Between Christmas and  New Year The days between Christmas and New Year feel different. Time slows down, routines disappear, and suddenly you don’t want loud, demanding games shouting objectives at you. This is the week for slower, more thoughtful experiences — games you can enjoy without pressure, grinding, or needing to remember complex systems. 1️⃣ Firewatch The vibe: Quiet, atmospheric, story-driven. Firewatch is a first-person narrative game set in the Wyoming wilderness. You play as Henry, a man who takes a seasonal job as a fire lookout, spending his days isolated in nature and communicating mainly via radio with his supervisor, Delilah. The gameplay is intentionally simple — exploration, conversation choices, and uncovering a slowly unfolding mystery. There are no combat systems, skill trees, or overwhelming mechanics to learn. Why it’s perfect this week: It’s focused and easy to pick up after a long day. You can...

🎄 5 Things To Stop Feeling Guilty  About This Christmas Christmas has become the Olympics of guilt. Not festive enough. Not social enough. Not generous enough. Not sparkly enough. It’s madness. So here are five things you can officially stop feeling guilty about this Christmas — because none of them make you a bad person, they just make you human. 1️⃣ Not Buying Expensive or Huge Gifts Some people act like Christmas is a financial competition. If your gift doesn’t glow, sing, self-wrap, and grant wishes — apparently you’ve failed. Here’s the truth: nobody sensible expects you to go bankrupt for Christmas. Thoughtful gifts don’t need to be expensive. Cheap doesn’t mean lazy — expensive doesn’t mean meaningful. NxtUpgrade Insight: A small gift from a calm mind is worth more than an expensive one bought in panic. Peace > Price. 2️⃣ Not Being Super Social Some people thrive at Christmas — parties, drinks, social events, loud houses filled with...

🎄 6 Christmas Movies For The Adults Let’s be honest: kids get the cute Christmas films… adults get the good ones. The ones with chaos, questionable decisions, emotional crises, violence, sarcasm, or at least one character having a breakdown in the snow. So here are 6 Christmas movies adults genuinely enjoy — funny, chaotic, sometimes dark, sometimes wholesome — with a quick look at what each movie is really about and what it’s trying to say (yes, even the violent ones have a message). 1️⃣ Bad Santa (2003) If Christmas had a “drunk uncle” energy, it would be this movie. Bad Santa follows Willie, a full-time alcoholic and part-time mall Santa who makes children cry for sport. It’s filthy, chaotic, and yet somehow still manages to punch you right in the feelings by the end. The message ? Even the most broken people can accidentally stumble into redemption — usually because a lonely kid forces them to grow a heart whether they like it or not. It’s Christmas healing, ...

🎄 8 Christmas Dinner Ideas If You  Don’t Like Turkey Not everyone enjoys turkey. Some people love it. Some people tolerate it. Some people would rather eat dry toast than another slice of dry bird with forced enthusiasm. So, if you’re not part of the Turkey Fan Club this year, you’re not broken, awkward, or “ruining Christmas”. You just have tastebuds and standards. Here are 8 Christmas dinner ideas if you don’t like turkey – all festive, and all fully approved by your inner food demon. No calorie counting. No guilt. Just good food and good vibes. 1️⃣ Chicken — The Sensible Sibling Turkey gets all the attention at Christmas… despite the fact half of us secretly find it dry, stressful, or straight-up disappointing. Enter chicken — the sensible sibling who shows up, behaves, tastes good, and doesn’t need three litres of gravy just to survive the plate. It’s juicy, reliable, cooks quicker, and is basically turkey without the emotional baggage. If you want a Christm...

🎁 10 Affordable Gadgets to Get  HER This Christmas Buying gifts for her at Christmas doesn’t need to be a panic-scroll through “gift guides” that all suggest the same five things. You don’t need to spend a fortune, and you definitely don’t need to guess wildly. These 10 affordable gadgets are practical, fun, and actually useful. They’re the kind of gifts that get used all year round – not just opened, smiled at, and abandoned by January. 1️⃣ Smart LED Vanity Mirror  (Adjustable Lighting) If she does makeup, skincare, or just wants decent lighting instead of looking like she’s standing under a dodgy bathroom bulb – this is an easy win. A smart LED vanity mirror with adjustable brightness and colour temperature makes getting ready less of a gamble. She can switch between warm, cool, and “daylight” modes so her makeup or skincare checks actually match real life, not just the bedroom lighting. It feels like a luxury gift, but there are plenty of budget-friendly ...