Try as I might (and I have!) I just can’t get into the Christmas spirit this year. I’ve done everything:

Looked at Christmas lights (see photo above- wowza).

Played Mariah Carey’s All I want for Christmas is You a few times on YouTube.

Watched Home Alone 1 and Four Christmases (the latter is a truly heinous movie).

Decorated the house:

Been to five Christmas parties/dinners.

Indulged in some festive and fattening baking:

(Pavlova)

(Sticky date pudding)

AND

Listened to Michael Buble’s Christmas album.

I’m now at a loss as to what I should try next. None of the above have given me that twinkly Yuletide feeling which could be because:

a) I had a Winter/Christmas themed birthday party in August and am possibly suffering festive season fatigue

b) I weighed myself after three Christmas parties on the weekend and it was truly depressing

c) trying to buy decent Christmas presents in regional Australia is a frustrating and pointless exercise (the local CD store didn’t stock The Rolling Stones?! Rage!)

or

d) I am on the other side of the country from my family and it won’t feel like Christmas until I am with them.

I’m hoping it’s d) otherwise I have prematurely morphed into the Grinch. And I’m pretty sure I can’t rely on a trio of ghosts to visit me overnight to teach me the real meaning of Christmas. Humbug.

What do you do to get into the Christmas spirit? Help me!