By Calm Christmas by Beth Kempton
4.9
205205 ratings
The podcast currently has 35 episodes available.
The UK’s #1 favourite Christmas podcast is back for a one-off special to mark the turning of the season and the gift of a leap day as winter gives way to spring. This bonus episode ‘FAREWELL WINTER’ includes:
- A beautiful ritual for bidding farewell to winter
- An insight into the tradition of ‘leap day’
- Ideas for celebrating the arrival of spring
- A peek into Japanese microseasons
- Some gorgeous words capturing the feeling of the season turning
- Our wellbeing and nature corners
- A peek into my brand new book KOKORO (which is out on April 4)
- An inspiring writing prompt and more
With inspiration from Mary Webb, Masaoka Shiki, Alan Watts, Lin Yutang, Madoka Mayuzumi, Tadashi Terashima, Yosa Buson and Christina Georgia Rossetti.
Why not take a walk this week, and have a listen while looking out for signs of spring where you are? (And for those of you in the southern hemisphere, may it be an invitation for you to notice signs of autumn).
Beth Xx
Handy links:
· My new book KOKORO: Japanese wisdom for a life well lived (Piatkus) (or free international shipping when you order via Blackwells here)
· Get FREE access to my new seasonal writing sanctuary Spring Light when you pre-order KOKORO from any retailer (Here’s the link for Blackwells who are offering free international shipping). Once you have ordered it in any format from any retailer, go to bethkempton.com/kokoro and pop your receipt details in the short form there.
· My haiku essay: The Life-Changing Magic of Writing Haiku: finding beauty and solace in a heartbeat sized poem
For all show notes including book and article reference links please click here.
Here we are completing another circle around the sun. We have clambered across the fabric of another year, stitched together adventures, stories, and memories, darned some holes as neatly as we could, knotted threads of new colour into our lives, and we are now here at the edge looking back across all we have woven in the past twelve months.
This is a wonderful time to focus on gratitude, to reflect on the year gone by, choose what to leave behind in this year, do some gentle dreaming for the year ahead and cross the threshold of the year together, with hope, dreams and a steaming cup of tea.
This episode includes:
· With inspiration from: @SimpleThingsMag, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Emily Thomas and James Weston Lewis, Lindsey Harrad @livemoreplantfully, Brenda Wells, Emily Silva @soulsadventures, Max Ehrmann
Handy links:
· Sky View app
· StarWalk 2 app
· Thompson-Morgan gardening newsletter
· My Book Proposal Masterclass course (next class runs live from Jan 29)
· The Way of the Fearless Writer: Ancient Eastern wisdom for a flourishing writing life by Beth Kempton (Piatkus) – just 99p on Kindle on Amazon UK throughout January
This week’s giveaway
· Chance to win a lovely journal and a personalized signed copy of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year over on @bethkempton on Instagram
Click here for all show notes including featured books.
Wishing you a very happy new year, friend.
Beth Xx
These are the days in between. The liminal space that hovers beyond the festivities and the before the arrival of a fresh New Year. I call this time 'the Hush', when the world slows and some kind of portal opens up. This episode is all about making the most of this precious time and it includes:
With inspiration from: @gill.meller @slowhomepod @BrookeMcAlary, Elizabeth Jenner, Dakota Hills and Sierra Brashear @superbeamix.
Handy links:
· Full moon calendar
· Last chance to join my Winter Writing Sanctuary (FREE) Starts December 28!
This week’s giveaway
· Chance to win some lovely self-care goodies and a personalized signed copy of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year over on @bethkempton on Instagram
Ingredients for Gill Meller's Homity Potatoes recipe:
(Serves 4 or more) You will need:
8 baking potatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
15g (5 ½ oz) butter
2 leeks, sliced into rounds
2 onions, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
100g (3 ½ oz) mature cheddar, finely grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Featured in this episode:
· Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton (Piatkus)
· What to look for in Winter by Elizabeth Jenner (Ladybird)
· Moon Bath: Bathing rituals and recipes for relaxation and vitality by Dakota Hills and Sierra Brashear
· Outside: Recipes for a wilder way of eating by Gill Meller
· Care: The radical art of taking time by Brooke McAlary
Enjoy!
Beth Xx
You can find all the show notes here: https://bethkempton.com/ccpodcast-shownotes/
It’s nearly Christmas Eve. Can you feel the magic hovering? If ever there was a time to take a deep breath and let go of all that has not been done to embrace what is here, that time is now. Pull up a chair and relax, my friend. It is Christmas, after all. This very Christmassy episode will ease you into Christmas, reminding you what really matters and encouraging you to let things be perfectly imperfect.
This episode includes:
With inspiration from: Matsuo Basho, Laurie Lee, Johnny Coppin, @NadiykaGerbish, Yaroslav Hrytsak, Dot May Dunn, Elizabeth Jenner, Malcolm Bird, Alan Dart, Kenneth Grahame, JRR Tolkien, Bailey Tolkien and Father Christmas.
Handy links:
Ingredients for Roasted Nuts recipe shared in this episode:
Featured in this episode:
You can find all the show notes here: https://bethkempton.com/ccpodcast-shownotes/
This week's episode is dedicated to those we love and miss, to encourage us all – me included – to take all the time we need to feel all the things we are going to feel in the days ahead. I hope you find this episode to be a comfort.
Of course I am not going to tell you how to be or what to do as you face Christmas without a loved one, or face it carrying any other sense of grief. What I am going to do is share some ideas for pausing, honouring and remembering our loved ones, along with some gentle advice from people who work with bereaved families, and some beautiful poems and readings which I hope will offer us some comfort.
In March this year my lovely mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer out of the blue, and died in a hospice three weeks later. I was by her side for nearly all of that time. It was devastating in its brevity and impact, but it was also just about enough time for us to leave nothing unsaid. We talked about Christmas, and she gave me some ideas for this season of the podcast, particularly for this episode. When I think about that now, I am floored by her bravery and selflessness, and the way that in having those conversations, she has managed to give us a Christmas gift this year too. I hope this episode will give you an opportunity to pause, honour and remember those you love and miss, and find some joy and light in this darkest of seasons.
This episode includes:
With inspiration from:
@donnaashworthwords @optionb @andygrammer @stoswaldsuk @joannemallon Bertolt Brecht, Sarah Crossnan, Dana Gioia, @sheep1sh Neil Astley, Pamela Robertson-Pearce, Phillis Levin, @thehungryyear Kevin Young, Ashley Muller, @glass_walls_life Austie M Baird, Cherie Arnitt, @warsanshiree @williamsieghart, Robert Frost, @lydiamillen @lia_leendertz @rebeccacampbell_author @katecbowler, John O’Donohue
Leave a note remembering your loved one on the self-care giveaway post on my Instagram @bethkempton here. https://instagram.com/bethkempton
You can find all the show notes including to all featured books here.
Handy links:
· The Life-Changing Magic of Writing Haiku (free essay on my Substack)
· St Oswald’s Hospice donation link (where Brenda works)
· Escape to a cosy world of words in my Winter Writing Sanctuary (FREE) December 28-January 6
This week’s giveaway
· Chance to win some lovely self-care goodies and a personalized signed copy of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year over on @bethkempton on Instagram
Beth Xx
This delicious episode is all about festive feasting – from the main event to all those gatherings and feedings in between. I adore cookbooks and share a lot in this episode, along with some other food-related delights. I hope it gets you flicking through your own recipe books and planning for some special time around the table this year.
This episode includes:
- Snippets from some of my favourite Christmassy cookbooks
- Tips for reducing the stress of Christmas cooking, and being mindful of costs
- A story about the day it all changed in our household
- Some ideas for laying your Christmas table
- Christmas (food-related) traditions from around the world
- Two super simple recipes
- Get ahead tips before Christmas arrives
- PLUS a lovely giveaway (enter at @bethkempton on Instagram)
With inspiration from:
@auriolb @dianahenryfood @lisanieschlag @larswentrup @sam__dixon @gizzierskine @nigelslater @nigellalawson @jamieoliver @dethample, Delia Smith @housebeautifuluk @housebeautiful
Handy links:
· Help yourself to the Christmas Meal Planner in my FREE Calm Christmas Planner here
· House Beautiful cracker making tutorial
· Click here to book your FREE place on my Winter Writing Sanctuary
· Up to 50% off all my writing and personal development courses in my winter sale here
This week’s giveaway
· Chance to win a copy of Winter Wellness by Rachel de Thample and a personalized signed copy of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year over on @bethkempton on Instagram
Full shownotes here.
Beth Xx
There is a particular kind of joy in the simple act of curling up in an armchair with a book on a winter's day, or going to a café with nothing to do but take in the next chapter, or going to bed early and sitting up against soft pillows to read by lamplight. Words can be a real comfort in the darkest of seasons - both those we read and those we write. I hope this episode inspires you to pull down a favourite book off the shelf and have a read, or perhaps treat yourself to some poetry, or a new story, or a self-help book that is going to carry you through the winter. I also hope it is going to inspire you to get out your notebook and write some of your own words, as the fire crackles and the tree lights flicker.
This episode includes:
With inspiration from Peter Hennessy, Josephine Greywoode, Alexandra Harris, Jane McMorland Hunter @alittlecitygarden, Tom Hennen, Phyllis Cole-Dai, Ruby R Wilson, Horatio Clare @horatiowrites, Nancy Campbell, Kevin Parr, @MattBakerOfficial, @FrancescaBeauman, Ono no Komachi, @SandrineBailly, Kim Simonsen, Randi Ward, Chris McCabe @mccabio1977, Freddie Jones, Andrew McRae, Robert Bridges, @Mark_Nepo, Elizabeth Jenner, @NationalTrust, Greg Loades @hull_urban_gardener, Shawn Bythell @bookshopwigtown, @cheftimanderson @hollyringland @therosiewalsh @mattzhaig, Muriel Barbery, Jenny Colgan @jennycolganwriter @jennycolganbooks, Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.
PS See the full show notes here for recipe ingredients and other links.
Lovely things for you:
· Read my how to write a haiku essay and subscribe for free at https://bethkempton.substack.com
· CLICK HERE to download the free Calm Christmas Planner
· CLICK HERE to register for my Winter Writing Sanctuary (Dec 28-Jan 6), also free this year
· Get up to 50% off ALL my writing courses in my winter gratitude sale at https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com
Did you know it is scientifically proven that decorating for Christmas can actually make you happier? Oh yes my friends, it is in the interests of our health that we get those fairy lights up... With the weather getting chillier outside, it is the perfect time to start thinking about how to make our homes festive and cosy, and a sanctuary of wellbeing and rest for the winter.
This episode includes:
With inspiration from Christopher Yokel, @realsimplemagazine, Lucy Hunter @theflowerhunter, Bex Partridge of @botanical_tales, Grace Alexander of @graceaexanderflowers, @piajanebijkerk, Ark Redwood, Lisa Hood, Lisa Hood @lahoodyoga, Lizzie Kamenetzky @deliciouslizzie, @marinawrightwellness, Anja Dunk, @StEvalCandles and @royalmuseumsgreenwich.
PS See the full show notes here for recipe ingredients and other links.
Lovely free things for you:
· CLICK HERE to download my free simple guide to making a wreath x
· CLICK HERE to download the free Calm Christmas Planner
· CLICK HERE to register for my Winter Writing Sanctuary (Dec 28-Jan 6), also free this year
Featured in this episode:
· Cold by Christopher Yokel in Winter Poems: New and Selected by Christopher Yokel (self-published) p.9
· The Flower Hunter: Creating a floral love story inspired by the landscape by Lucy Hunter (Ryland Peters Small) p.197
· The Everyday Alchemist’s Festive Season Reimagined by Pia Jane Bijkerk (self-published) p.32
· The Art of Mindful Gardening: Sowing the Seeds of Meditation by Ark Redwood (Leaping Hare Press) p.113
· Moon Yoga by Lisa Hood (Godsfield) p.63
· Winter Cabin Cooking by Lizzie Kamanetzky (Ryland, Peters & Small) p.7 and p.166
· Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas by Anja Dunk (Quadrille) p.4 and p.199
· Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A little book of fe
Today is all about mindful gifting. Listen to this before Black Friday hits! It’s almost impossible to think about Christmas without thinking about presents, and I know it’s still early, but starting to think about mindful gifting now can save us stress, save us money, help us give things that will genuinely bring joy, and give us time to enjoy the process of dreaming up ideas, making or buying, wrapping them and delivering them in good time.
This episode includes:
With inspiration from:
@ ArounnaKhounnoraj @countrylivinguk @noor_unnahar @emilysilva @Mark Diacono @editbyemily (Emily Dawe)
Lovely things for you:
· The FREE Calm Christmas Planner (a little book of festive printables which includes my unusual but highly effective approach to budgeting, plus tons of mindful gift ideas)
· My Winter Writing Sanctuary 10-day FREE online writing class
Beth Xx
PS See the full show notes here for recipe ingredients etc. If you are worried about money call the National Debtline in the UK on 0808 808 4000 or seek out a similar organisation in your country.
Featured in this episode:
The modern world calls us on us to be visible, to be sociable, to be ‘out there’ and tell everyone about it, not to mention to fill our days rushing from one thing to the next to keep up with everything society makes us feel we should be doing, nevermind the pressure from advertisers to create the perfect Christmas, and the knowledge that we are soon to be bombarded by visions of other people’s perfect Christmases online in the coming months, and it is a lot.
This year I want to entertain the idea of giving ourselves permission to be less visible if we want to, less sociable if we want to, more ‘in here’ than ‘out there’ when that feels good, and to slow right down, and to do less, in a way which feels like more, without feeling guilty about it.
That’s why, before we dive into all the chaos of the festive season, and all the joyful themes coming up on the podcast, like gift giving, festive feasting, gathering and more, I wanted to take the time to do a whole episode on nourishing ourselves – mind, body and soul.
This includes asking for, and receiving, what we need at this time of year, even if that isn’t what society wants us to want, because it does not fit the commercial agenda, or the plans of our loudest friends, or anyone’s expectations.
Welcome to The Calm Christmas Podcast. I am Beth Kempton and this is Episode 2: Candlelight Carol, which is all about radical winter wellbeing.
This episode includes:
· Why retreating is a good idea
· Practical ways to nourish yourself in winter
· Our regular nature corner
· Christmas traditions from around the world (including several shared by listeners!)
· A lovely simple crafting project that might even become a Christmas gift for someone
· Two lovely recipes (hello nourishment!)
· Get ahead tips and more!
With inspiration from @brie.doyle, @tracee_stanley, @davidjwhyte, @silverpebble2 (Emma Mitchell), @bonniesmithwhitehouse, @deliciouslyella, @ellamills__, @nancyhachisu, Fiona Danks, Jo Schofield, Elizabeth Jenner, and Emily Thomas.
Lovely things for you:
· GIVEAWAY - ! This week I am giving away a very special gift for YOU AND A FRIEND! It includes some beautiful solid skincare from my friends at SBTRCT along with a personalized, signed copy of my book Calm Christmas for EACH of you. Hop over to Instagram @bethkempton to enter. If you are listening to this after the giveaway deadline, don’t worry. I am going to be doing various lovely giveaways each week up to Christmas so there will be something waiting there for you!
· CALM CHRISTMAS PLANNER – Download yours for free here (if link is broken go to dowhatyouloveforlife.com)
I hope this podcast will help you locate Christmas as an anchor in the stormy seas of winter in this world right now.
Take good care,
Beth
(@bethkempton on Instagram / bethkempton.substack.com / dowhatyouloveforlife.com)
All show notes with book and article references etc and ingredients for recipes can be found here.
The podcast currently has 35 episodes available.
89 Listeners
867 Listeners
1,663 Listeners
465 Listeners
237 Listeners
3,720 Listeners
1,429 Listeners
1,369 Listeners
405 Listeners
158 Listeners
142 Listeners
1,611 Listeners
167 Listeners
201 Listeners
84 Listeners