Wishing you a magical Christmas
As we hurtle towards the festive season (time really does seem to speed up in the run-up to December, doesn’t it?), there’s growing excitement as it seems this year we’ll be able to gather with our nearest and dearest, having experienced such a different, scaled-back celebration last year. Families are looking forward to getting together and making merry – and I very much hope Good Housekeeping can help with this.
My brilliant team has made it a mission since the summer to bring you every bit of help and advice you need to create a special occasion that’s right for you. A particular shoutout here must go to the cookery team – director Meike, editor Emma, writers Alice and Grace and assistant Georgie – who have worked tirelessly to create new recipes for all tastes, budgets and skill levels. If you want to stick with traditional Christmas lunch, their 2021 menu is absolutely perfect (page 160), but they’ve also considered those cooking a celebration lunch for the first time (page 174), as well as coming up with brilliant ideas for vegans and vegetarians (my daughters can look forward to trying the whole baked tofu ‘ham’, page 188). And when it comes to sweet treats – well, the headline Joy To The World says it all (page 193)! I couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and do hope you enjoy using their recipes, too.
Meanwhile, our homes team, directed by Sarah Keady, show you creative ways to spread a little sparkle through your rooms (page 123), and fashion director Amanda Marcantonio’s beautiful photoshoot reminds us how to get glamorous again (page 20); having spent so much time wearing leggings over the past 18 months, I for one am very much looking forward to having an excuse to dress up!
As well as all that, we also have some wonderful features for you to enjoy that I think really bring into focus the sense of gratitude and hope many of us feel at this time of year. Those are certainly the sentiments of our wonderful cover star, Joanna Lumley, who shares with us her Christmas wishes: ‘I’d love to have everyone round for dinner; that’s the most special thing any of us could ask for this year, isn’t it? The truth is, my Christmases are never hugely ambitious and that’s exactly how I like it. There’s no dress code, table theme, or traditions we have to stick to. None of that really matters in our house. Love is what matters, especially this Christmas.’ Hear, hear to that!
Sending you lots of love from me and all of the Good Housekeeping team.