The Calm Christmas Podcast with Beth Kempton

***Please note the silence in today’s episode is intentional to accommodate a series of journalling questions!***

Happy new year friends! The final episode of each season of this podcast is always a bittersweet moment. Christmas is behind us, we are deep in winter now, and a new year is upon us, with all its promise and possibility. I hope today’s episode eases you in thoughtfully, and leaves you hopeful about the year ahead. It includes:

* My favourite poem to read as a new year begins

* Twelve potent journalling questions (with silent writing time in between each one)

* Some thoughts on things to plant at this time of year

* An invitation to head outdoors, whatever the weather

* A special recipe from Great British Bake Off Finalist Christiaan de Vries

* A few ways to stay connected in the year ahead, if you’d like that

With inspiration from Max Ehrmann, Susan Coolidge and Christiaan de Vries. You can listen on iTunes, Spotify or here on Substack.

Thank you so much for journeying through the festive season with me this year. What a joy it has been. I hope you have enjoyed this 'winterlude’ as much as I have. Don’t forget to subscribe so you get notified when The Calm Christmas Podcast is back next November. Until then, I hope to see you on my other Substack @Beth Kempton.

✨Wishing you a light-filled 2026✨

Beth Xx

Lovely things for you

* ❤️ Our final giveaway on Instagram @bethkempton (The prize includes a personalised signed copy of my book The Way of the Fearless Writer, a Made of Stars journal by Meera Lee Patel, a goals journal from Mal Paper, a Midori sticky note pad to capture your ideas for the new year, and a complimentary place on my online class Do What You Love: the life-changing e-course.

* ❤️ MOON+SHADOW - a beautiful one-day virtual winter writing retreat taking place on Sunday January 11, 2026. This is FREE to all members of my private writing community SoulCircle. If you aren’t a member yet you can join here (choose Monthly to try it out or Annual to get a lovely discount). If you are already a member you don’t need to do anything. I’ll be sending out more details soon.

* ❤️ Join me for a gorgeous live seven-week deep dive writing and Substack immersion INK+FLAME, which begins on January 26. You can get 30% off if you register here by January 12.

* ❤️ You can get a huge 30% off ALL my writing and personal development classes (or 50% off bundles of inspiring classes to guide you through the year) in my gratitude sale (on here until Monday January 12, 2026).

Other links

* Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

* New Every Morning by Susan Coolidge

Ingredients for Christiaan De Vries’ Fluffy Pancakes

* Your usual pancake ingredients (here’s BBC Good Food’s Easy Pancake Recipe)

* Raisins

* A bit of rum

* Butter

* Icing sugar

Image: Holly Bobbins

Friends, I hope you had a lovely, peaceful holiday, or indeed, whatever kind of Christmas you had hoped for, and if you didn’t, well it’s done now, and you enjoy a quiet few days ahead and then a shiny new year.

I always feel mixed emotions at this particular time of year, sad that Christmas is over, relieved that all the work of Christmas is done, and hopeful that everyone enjoyed as best they could, given the circumstances, and also secretly delighted about this sacred pause that I call ‘The Hush’ and love so very much.

For many years now, I have sensed something very special about these precious days between Christmas and New Year. It’s as if some kind of portal opens up. January will be here before we know it, but until then, let’s stretch these days as wide open as we can and meander for a while, giving our minds and hearts a chance to assimilate and process all that’s happened over the past 12 months and plant some seeds for the year ahead.

This moment is that fleeting pause when time bends and magic hovers between the book ends of the season. We must and we should are abandoned in favour of ‘Shall we...?’ and ‘We could...’ Spontaneity and softness become the order of the day. This is a precious time to breathe deeply, savour moments with loved ones or alone. Feel the world slowing for just a while. It’s a time for reflection and releasing, meandering and dreaming, and today’s episode is all about that.

It includes:

* The special magic of this time I call ‘the Hush’

* An amazing story of manifestation, which began on this podcast

* An invitation to speak your dreams aloud

* A beautiful wintery visualisation

* A potent question to guide you beneath the surface of things

* Lots of love for deer

* How to make a vision board

* A delicious soup recipe from Mark Diacono

* Some goodies for you

* A gentle could-do list for the week ahead

With inspiration from Ryokan Taigu, Calexico, Blackdown Shepherd Huts, Fog Chaser, Laura Pashby, Shaun Davey, the Natural History Museum, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Mark Diacono and Kate Trenchard. You can listen on iTunes/Spotify or here on Substack.

Wishing you peace and joy for these in-between days,

Beth Xx

Lovely things for you

* The Winter Writing Sanctuary FREE seven-day gentle writing class, starts Monday December 29 (join here)

* Moon + Shadow one-day virtual writing retreat on January 11 (join from anywhere, FREE to all paid subscribers/members of my SoulCircle private writing community. If you are not a member yet you can join here).

Books mentioned

* Chasing Fog by Laura Pashby

Other links

* Hear the Bells by Calexico

* Blackdown Shepherd Huts

* A Peek Inside the (Tiny) Hut that Words Built (essay by me)

* The Deer’s Cry by Shaun Davey

* A Simple Carol by Matt Evans Fog Chaser (60 minute version)

* Reindeer at the Natural History Museum

* BBC Wildlife Magazine on the difference between deer and reindeer

Ingredients for Mark Diacono’s Cauliflower and Sage Soup

* Two teaspoons of coriander seeds

* Two teaspoons of cumin seeds

* One tablespoon of butter

* One tablespoon of olive oil, and more for the sage

* Two onions finely chopped

* Two garlic cloves finely chopped

* One medium to large cauliflower chopped into three centimetre or one inch cubes

* 1.2 litres or two pints of hot water

* 12 sage leaves,

* Curry powder to serve

* Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

There is a moment of silence that occurs every year somewhere between the dawn of Christmas Eve and the setting of the sun on Christmas Day itself. A moment we all have experienced at least once in our lives, maybe more than once. It can silence a great city like London or New York, and it can bring stillness to our hearts, whoever and wherever we may be. That moment of silence is unlike any other. It offers the promise of new beginnings, of the clean slate of New Year, and it incorporates the breathless expectancy of Christmas Night itself, when a familiar figure enters our lives and changes them briefly. - The Winter Solstice by John Matthews

Welcome to Christmas Eve Eve and to Season Five, Episode Seven, Driving Home for Christmas. To me that feeling of expectation on the cusp of Christmas is about the feeling of time folding in on itself as all past Christmases and hopes for future Christmases collapse into a single moment on the cusp of Christmas itself and anything - even magical things - seem possible. This cosy episode includes:

* Christmas Eve traditions from listeners around the world

* A special memory of the Budapest Christmas Market

* Thoughts about gathering

* Taking a moment for gratitude

* Giving ourselves grace

* A delicious mocktail recipe

* The simplest Christmas craft project

* A special Christmas story

* Our final get ahead tips

* A Christmas message for you

With inspiration from John Matthews, Clement Clarke Moo1515115re, Chris Rea, Fiok, the team at Pentire in Cornwall, Sara Starling and Kings College Cambridge.

You can listen on iTunes/Spotify or here on Substack.

I would like to dedicate this episode to Chris Rea, whose classic Driving Home for Christmas inspired the title, and who sadly died yesterday, December 22, aged 74.

I’ll be back on December 27th with Episode 8, The Deer’s Cry: Welcoming the Hush. Until then, may you have whatever kind of Christmas you want and need this year.

Beth Xx

Lovely things for you

* Winter Writing Sanctuary (join for FREE here, runs Dec 29-Jan 4 online)

* Giveaway with a prize worth over £700 on my Instagram @bethkempton

Here are some Calm Christmas Podcast listener recommendations you might enjoy:

* Cosy reads for the dark season

* The only Christmas movie list you’ll ever need

* The Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers (including some last-minute ideas!)

Books mentioned

* The Winter Solstice by John Matthews

* The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

* Christmas, The Bubbling Toad and the Gift by Sara Starling

Other links

* Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea

* Fiok stationery shop, Budapest

* How to make a Christmas tree from music manuscript paper

* Snowflake templates on marthastewart.com

* Pentire botanics

* Carols from King’s / A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Ingredients for mocktails

Pentire Seaward Eastern Fizz

* 50ml / 2 oz Pentire Seaward

* 25ml / 1 oz fresh lime juice

* 20ml 0.75 oz agave syrup

* 3 cucumber slices, muddled

* 3 mint leaves

* soda water

A Winter Wonder (easiest Christmas cocktail ever)

* Your favourite gin or non-alcholic botanical equivalent

* Your favourite tonic water

* Ice

* Slice of clementine

* Sprig of rosemary

Image: Holly Bobbins

Winter can be a difficult time for any of us grieving, or experiencing feelings of sadness or loneliness. And yet there is always beauty to be found in amongst it all. This week’s episode, Midwinter Light: Holding joy and sadness in December, is about allowing ourselves all the feelings, and encouraging us to take some quiet time to think about those we love and miss as the world rushes all around us.

So many of you have shared how you have been through difficult things this year. For some of you, I know that all you want this year is one more Christmas with a loved one. I want you to know that you are not alone in your experience of things being hard in this season, and I hope that together, we can honour the sadness and also look for the light.

This is the week of the Winter Solstice, when the darkness begins to shift into light. We can lean into the darkest dark, or we can welcome the promise of that light. I find that we tend to hold both the dark and the light at this time of year, because memories come flooding back as Christmas moves in, and some of those are beautiful and some of those are painful.

We might sense deep gratitude for those who are here and a bone deep ache for those who are not. We might, at the same time, be aware of all of our blessings and all of our longings. The thing is, we don’t need to resist any of it. The Winter Solstice is an ancient ritual event in the human calendar that invites us to simply sit with it, all the sadness and the joy, the darkness and the light. I hope Episode 6 is a balm for your soul.

This episode includes:

* Thoughtful words to comfort you when things feel hard

* Some reflections on the symbolism of the Winter Solstice

* Some love for sweet robins

* Delicious, nourishing recipes for you and for your furry friends

* Get ahead tips and an invitation to seek out shooting stars

With inspiration from Donna Ashworth, Machine Soul Collective, EC Krupp, Carolyn MacVicar Edwards, Charles Baudelaire, Elena Brower, Kim Krans, Charles Bertram Johnson, Fog Chaser, Hannah Langdon, Amber Guinness, Royal Museums Greenwich, Songbird Survival and the RSPCA.

You can listen on iTunes/Spotify or here on Substack. I hope you absolutely love it.

Wishing you many blessings in this final full week before Christmas.

Beth Xx

LOVELY THINGS FOR YOU

* This week’s giveaway @bethkempton on Instagram - You could win copies of The Country Commonplace Book by Miranda Mills, Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton, Hold Nothing by Elena Brower and The Gifts of Winter by Stephanie Fitzgerald plus a place on my gentle writing course Words Heal). Enter here.

* Register for my Winter Writing Sanctuary here (it’s FREE!)

* Gratitude sale on all my courses extended over Christmas - get support to do what you love at dowhatyouloveforlife.com (30% off courses, 50% off bundles!)

BOOKS MENTIONED

* Joy Chose You by Donna Ashworth

* The Return of the Light by Carolyn MacVicar Edwards

* Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire

* Hold Nothing by Elena Brower

* Christmas with the Princes by Hannah Langdon

* Winter in Tuscany by Amber Guinness

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED

* Midwinter Light by Machine Soul Collective featuring Alexander Tennant

* Research by EC Krupp quoted in The Winter Solstice by John Matthews

* The Wild Unknown Alchemy Deck by Kim Krans

* Snow by Charles Bertram Johnson on poets.org

* A Simple Carol by Fog Chaser

* National Robin Day

* Songbird Survival’s tips for helping robins in winter

* Merlin ID app

* Winter by Walter de la Mare on poets.org

* Ursids Meteor Shower (via Royal Museums Greenwich)

* DIY Christmas Treats Recipes for dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs via the RSPCA

INGREDIENTS for Baked Fennel with Chilli and Parmesan

(from Winter in Tuscany by Amber Guinness)

You will need:

* 2-3 fennel bulbs

* 1 garlic clove, finely crushed or chopped

* ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes

* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

* Olive oil

* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

* A hunk of parmesan

INGREDIENTS for DIY Christmas Treats for Dogs (from the RSPCA)

You will need:

* 1 cup whole wheat flour

* Half a cup of creamy peanut butter (but make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol)

* Quarter of a cup of mashed banana

* Quarter of a cup of vegetable stock

Blessing for those we love and miss, by Beth Kempton

May you have whatever kind of Christmas you want and need this year.

May your loved one be present in your mind, in your heart,

In whatever way you want them to be.

May anything unsaid be as if it had been said.

May anything that needs forgiving be forgiven.

May anything that is complicated fall away.

So you are left with the flickering light of an everlasting connection, which reaches back through time, across space, between hearts.

May the depth of your loss be evidence for the vastness of your love.

May it help you see into the heart of being,

And remind you to celebrate wonder,

and to stay aware that there is an imprint of your loved one on everything you do, if you invite it.

May you honour those who have helped you through the darkness

and recognise your own contribution

to the world as the healer you are becoming.

May you show compassion to yourself,

and to others who are suffering,

whether or not you know their names.

May you continue to be interested

In both the remarkable and unremarkable

which make this life,

and see beauty in the ordinary

every single day.

May you have whatever kind of Christmas you want and need this year.

One of the most gorgeous carols in the world reminds us of how bleak midwinter can be, and yet how there is beauty and even comfort in it. This episode is all about taking care of ourselves in the dark season, finding ways to stay warm, inspired, healthy and connected. It includes lots of love for trees, and hedgehogs, and suggestions for wellbeing in winter from listeners and experts alike. This episode includes:

* The single easiest step to radical self-care this winter

* What to put into a Winter’s Evening Care Package

* Ways to keep warm without spending a fortune

* The tradition of Christmas trees including research and insights from Canada’s Christmas Tree Lab

* The feeling of climbing a tree

* How to contribute to the UK’s Ancient Tree Inventory

* A fresh way of thinking about sleep

* Some love for hedgehogs

* A wonderful Citrus Miso recipe from Rachel de Thample

* Nature observation advice from Tristan Gooley

* A thoughtful writing prompt

* Dates for your diary

* Get ahead tips

With inspiration from Christina Rossetti, Enya, Bernd Brunner, The Christmas Tree Lab, Henrik Dahle, The Woodland Trust, Dr Stephanie Fitzgerald, Hedgehog Street, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, Rachel de Thample, @fogchaser and Tristan Gooley.

Listen on iTunes | Spotify | Substack

May this be a treat for you as the darkness moves in,

Beth Xx

PS I’d love to hear about all the ways you take care of yourself in winter. Feel free to share in the comments!

Lovely things for you

* Free registration for my Winter Writing Sanctuary here

* Lovely bundle of wintery goodies in this week’s giveaway on Instagram here

* Cosy Reads for the Dark Season (podcast listener recommendations)

* The Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers (affiliate link free, includes lots of free or close-to-free gift ideas)

Books

* Inventing the Christmas Tree by Bernd Brunner (translated by Benjamin A Smith)

* Art of Climbing Trees by Henrik Dahle

* The Hidden Seasons by Tristan Gooley

* Winter Wellness by Rachel de Thample

* The Gifts of Winter by Dr Stephanie Fitzgerald

* Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton (99p on Kindle here or £3.99 on Audible here until Dec 23)

Other links

* In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rossetti, sung by the choir of Kings’ College Cambridge

* And Winter Came album by Enya (includes song of the same name)

* Christmas Tree Lab (here on Instagram)

* The Ancient Tree Inventory (run by the Woodland Trust)

* My Book Proposal Masterclass

* Hedgehog Street

* British Hedgehog Preservation Society

* Carols by Candelight at St Martin in the Fields

* A Simple Carol by Matt Evans Fog Chaser (journalling music)

Ingredients for Rachel de Thample’s Citrus Miso

To make one bowl you will need:

* 250ml shojin dashi, which you can buy or make using a recipe in Rachel’s book, Winter Wellness

* 1 clementine or ½ orange

* 1 tbsp miso

* 2cm thumb of root ginger

* 1 small garlic clove

* 1 spring onion, ¼ leek or a handful of three-cornered leek

* A dash of tamari or soy sauce to taste

* 1 tsp seaweed flakes to serve

Photo: Holly Bobbins

In our winter writing episode this week we are exploring the poetry of solitude and the solace of poetry. I hope you will listen somewhere quiet this week, notebook in hand, and love every moment of it.

Episode 4 ‘On This Winter’s Night’ includes:

* Some beautiful wintery poems

* A writing invitation inspired by the moon

* Some wonderful wintery words and their meanings

* The tradition of Christmas cards

* How to make a zine

* A delicious gingerbread recipe

* Some Christmas joy from English railway stations and the London Underground

* This week’s Get Ahead Tips

With inspiration from Robert Frost, Lady A, David Whyte, Yosa Buson, Yuki Sawa, Edith Marcombe Shiffert, Paul Anthony Jones, Dianne Casey, the Academy of American Poets, Robert Hillyer, Matt Evans Fog Chaser, Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Mary Searle Chatterjee, the University of Birmingham Time for Letters project, John Julius Norwich, Charles Dickens, 42nd Street, Kate Trenchard, Helen Garcia, Barter Books, Morden Station, the London Underground, the staff of Axminster and Salisbury Stations and Alix Klingenberg.

You can listen on Substack, Spotify or iTunes.

I hope this episode offers moment of tranquility in a busy December,

Beth Xx

Lovely things for you

* Alternative Advent Calendar on Instagram @bethkempton (free)

* Winter Writing Sanctuary live writing class running December 29-Jan 4 online (free)

* This week’s giveaway on Instagram @bethkempton (free)

* SoulCircle (my private writing community on Substack)

Books

* A Winter Dictionary by Paul Anthony Jones

* Haiku Master Buson translated by Yuki Sawa and Edith Markham Schiffert

* Cacophony of Bone by Kerri ní Dochartaigh

* The Ultimate Christmas Cracker by John Julius Norwich

* Quietly Wild by Alix Klingenberg

* Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton (hardback | audiobook just £3.99 in December | Kindle ebook just 99p until December 23)

Other links

(no affiliate links)

* Good Hours by Robert Frost on poets.org

* White Pine Press

* Academy of American Poets

* Winter Nocturne by Robert Hillyer on poets.org

* A Simple Carol by Matt Evans @fogchaser

* Christmas Cards and the Construction of Social Relations in Britain Today by Mary Searle-Chatterjee in Unwrapping Christmas edited by Daniel Miller p.176

* A Time for Letters project run by the University of Birmingham

* How to make a zine via 42nd Street

* Barter Books in Alnwick

* Daily uplifting quotes on London Underground’s Morden Station on Instagram @MordenStation

Ingredients for Kate’s gingerbread

* 100 g butter

* 3 tbs of golden syrup

* 100 g dark muscovado sugar

* half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

* one tablespoon of ginger

* one teaspoon of cinnamon

* half a teaspoon of cloves

* half a teaspoon of nutmeg

* 225 g plain flour

Image: Holly Bobbins

All we really need to make our homes cosy in winter, and to make any seasonal gathering special, is a little bit of care and attention, some light, some kindness, perhaps a twinkling tree or a scattering of greenery, and maybe a pretty tablecloth. But it doesn’t have to be fancy, and it definitely doesn’t have to be perfect or all matching.

Episode 3: Holly, Ivy & Evergreen is all about simplifying, beautifying and cosifying our homes for the winter, making them welcoming for us and for others. It includes:

* Birth month herbs (Which one are you, I wonder?)

* The symbolism and uses of some of our favourite evergreens

* Christmas dinner table musings

* Tips for simplifying, beautifying and cosifying your home this holiday season

* Decorating traditions from listeners around the world

* Talk of advent candles

* How to make a winter flower garland with Bex Partridge

* A simply delicious recipe from Jess Elliot Dennison

* A thoughtful journalling invitation

* Get ahead tips and dates for your diary this week

With inspiration from @homesandgardensofficial @shegrowsveg @countrylivinguk @danuforest @laura_weir @annes.universe @botanical_tales @rossandrossgifts @jess_elliot_dennison @fogchaser @sarahravenperchhill @danninichollsmusic

You can listen on Substack, Spotify or iTunes.

Happy cosifying, friends!

Beth Xx

GOOD THINGS FOR YOU

This week’s festive book giveaway is @bethkempton with a prize including:

* How to Winter by Kari Leibowitz

* The Joy of Wintering by Erin Niimi Longhurst

* Joy Chose You by Donna Ashworth

* Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton

* A complimentary place on one of my writing courses, Excavate Your Life

Also:

* You can join the Winter Writing Sanctuary for FREE at dowhatyouloveforlife.com (runs Dec 29 – Jan 4)

* You can get my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year for just £3.99 on Audible here (read by me) or just 99p on Kindle here (from Dec 1 - Dec 23)

* You can get up to 50% off all my courses in my annual gratitude sale, on now at dowhatyouloveforlife.com including live writing and Substack immersion Ink + Flame, live writing + career development immersion Life+Time and the Book Proposal Masterclass.

* You can join my beautiful private writing community SoulCircle at bethkempton.substack.com/subscribe (choose Monthly to try it out or Annual to get a lovely discount)

BOOKS

(no affiliate links)

* The Magical Year by Danu Forest

* Cosy by Laura Weir

* Midweek Recipes by Jess Elliot Dennison

OTHER LINKS

(no affiliate links)

* O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) sung by Andrea Bocelli

* Lola Houghton on birth month herbs in Homes & Gardens Magazine

* Seed crackers from Shegrowsveg.com

* Country Living Christmas Magazine

* Buttermilk window pictures by Anne S Olson @annes.universe

* The River sung by Danni Nicholls cowritten by Beth Kempton and Danni Nicholls

* Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for Making Moves by Danni Nicholls

INGREDIENTS

for Jess Elliot Dennison’s Dill Scrambled Eggs on Toast with Lemon and Feta.

(Serves 2)

* 2 slices sourdough bread

* 3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed or olive oil

* 1 large handful dill (approx 15g)

* 4 free-range eggs

* Sea salt flakes

* 50g feta cheese

* 1 small lemon

In the old days, Christmas was much more about gathering and feasting after a long year than about gifts given and received, but in modern life Christmas shopping has become something of a frenzied affair for many, starting with the Black Friday sales and running all the way up to last minute panic buying on Christmas Eve. Not only is this stressful before Christmas, it make January harder when the credit card bill arrives.

This week’s episode of the Calm Christmas Podcast - Season 5 Episode 2: The Christmas Present - is an invitation to consider how best to allocate not only money, but also your time and attention this year. It includes:

* Reflections on how Christmas gifting has changed over the years

* A few ideas unusual homemade items and children’s book gifts

* A little bit of festive shopping humour ;-)

* Cosy talk about the rain, and respect for honey bees

* A mermaid adventure

* Some lovely wrapping-related Christmas crafting ideas

* The world’s simplest recipe for edible chocolate bark (makes a lovely homemade present)

* Get ahead tips and dates for your diary this week

Note: In our ‘Get Ahead Tips’ section I mention a descendant of Charles Dickens performing A Christmas Carol as a one-man show. I made an error, saying that Gerald Dickens is the author’s Great Grandson when in fact he is his Great Great Grandson. Apologies for that!

With inspiration from Clement Clarke Moore, @robbiewilliams @moneysavingexp @rhodri Judith Flanders, Maya Angelou, @freyanorth @auriolb Jill Barklem, CS Lewis, Ruth Simmons, @carolinarabei.illustration Josie George @porridgebrain @tomfletcher @sara.starling.voiceover Sir Peter Thornton, @leyla.kazim @mermaidexplorer @erinniimi Alan Connor, @kunze Laura Fleiter, @skyemcalpine @sibster @unicef @dickensshows @fogchaser

You can listen on Substack, Spotify or iTunes. You can also find more (specific!) mindful gift ideas in my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year, as well as in the following earlier podcast episodes:

Series 4 Episode 2: Give Love This Year

Series 3 Episode 3: We Three Kings: For the Love of Mindful Gifting

Series 2 Episode 4: Love: Gratitude and Gifting

Series 1 Episode 6: Mindful Gifting

PS You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes.

I hope you love it, and that it helps bring a little more calm to your holiday preparations this year.

Beth Xx

LINKS TO LOVELY THINGS

Head to @bethkempton on Instagram for the chance to win some lovely festive books in our second giveaway of the season!

Register for the Winter Writing Sanctuary at dowhatyouloveforlife.com for free (runs Dec 29-Jan 4

Cosy Reads for the Dark Season (round up of Calm Christmas Podcast listeners’ winter reading recommendations)

The Alternative Advent Calendar (free, daily from Dec 1) on Instagram @bethkempton

Up to 50% off writing and personal development courses in my annual gratitude sale now on at dowhatyouloveforlife.com

RESOURCES AND OTHER LINKS

MoneySavingExpert.com

KarenGrayCoach.com (mermaid adventures!) / Karen KJ Gray (@mermaidexplorer on Instagram)

Gerald Dickens (Charles Dickens’ Great Great Grandson) performing A Christmas Carol as a one-man show

A Simple Carol by Matt Evans on Youtube / Substack @FogChaser

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton

A Very British Christmas by Rhodri Marsden

Christmas gift research by Russell Belk referenced in A Very British Christmas

Christmas: A History by Judith Flanders

Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life by Beth Kempton

Kokoro: Japanese wisdom for a life well lived by Beth Kempton

Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer by Maya Angelou

Christmas at Flora’s House by Freya North

Chloe by Freya North

An Anthology of Christmas by Auriol Bishop

Winter Story by Jill Barklem

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

Christmas Lights by Ruth Simmons and Carolina Rabei

Letters from Wonderland by Josie George

The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore

The Bubbling Toad by Sara Starling (and in person at Vogrie Country Park)

The Later Years by Peter Thornton

Pathways to Purposeful Living by Leyla Kazim

The Joy of Wintering by Erin Niimi Longhurst

188 Words for Rain by Alan Connor

Advent by Kirsten Niehoff and Laura Fleiter

The Christmas Companion by Skye McAlpine

Charming Woodland Crafts by Sybia Torres Padilla

INGREDIENTS for chocolate bark (this is a very loose ‘recipe’…)

One large bar of good quality cooking chocolate or eating chocolate (such as Cadbury’s Dairy Milk) – you can choose to go with one of milk / dark / plain or melt 2-3 different bars in different bowls and then swirl them together

Some toppings of your choice (such as a handful of pistachios, crushed walnuts, candied orange peel, crushed candy canes or popping candy – just look at commercially available chocolate bars for inspiration!)

If you would like to flavour the chocolate you could add a few drops of something like peppermint extract

The UK’s #1 favourite Christmas podcast is back for a fifth season of cosiness and calm, hosted by bestselling British author Beth Kempton. Here in Episode ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ we begin the new season of the Calm Christmas Podcast in Scotland, with the beautiful words of baker Flora Shedden, owner of Aran Bakery, which perfectly capture what us 'Keepers of Christmas' sense and love about this time of year - the contrast between the cold outdoors and the cosy inside, the warmth we try to bring to our homes, to our communities, the details we notice when we pause long enough to look and listen to what is happening in nature and so on.

We will share a hot cuppa and conversations about ease, joy, endings and new beginnings, and much more including:

·      Gentle planning

·      All about Advent Calendars

·      A little bit of poetry

·      A lot of love for birds

·      A round up of podcast listeners’ favourite Christmas music recommendations

·      Our old favourites – Nature, Wellbeing and Traditions Corners

·      A viral Christmas poem written for you

·      A warming soup recipe courtesy of Flora Shedden

·      Get ahead tips

·      Some lovely goodies for you

With inspiration from @florashedden @aranbakery Jane Struthers, Christopher Winn, Bing Crosby, The Harry Simeone Chorale, Guinness World Records, @alixklingenberg @fogchaser @angelaferrarofanning @jenchillingsworth @rspca_official

Enjoy!

Beth Xx

LINKS TO LOVELY THINGS

· Head to @bethkempton on Instagram for the chance to win our first festive book giveaway of the season, with prizes for you and a friend!

· The Alternative Advent Calendar (free, daily from Dec 1) on Instagram @bethkempton

· Register for the Winter Writing Sanctuary at dowhatyouloveforlife.com for free (runs Dec 29-Jan 4)  https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/product/winter-writing-sanctuary-2025/

· The Greatest Christmas Music Selection Ever at calmchristmas.substack.com

BOOKS, WEBSITES ETC MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

· Winter in the Highlands by Flora Shedden

· Winter Story by Jill Barklem (with gratitude to the person on Substack Notes who reminded me that the cosy version of my life is very much like a Brambly Hedge mouse)

· The Book of Christmas by Jane Struthers

· The Book of Christmas by Christopher Winn

· Quietly Wild by Alix Klingenberg

· Advent Calendar record on Guinness World Records

· The Holiday (film)

· The Snowman (film)

· Do You Hear What I Hear? (music) – Harry Simeone Chorale version | Bing Crosby version

· A Simple Carol by Matt Evans @FogChaser (music)

· Merlin ID app by Cornell Lab for iPhone | for Android

· RSCPA advice for feeding wild birds https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/birds/feeding

Ingredients for Flora Shedden’s Roasted Squash and Apple Soup recipe (from Winter in the Highlands by Flora Shedden, published by Quadrille)

Note: For the method you can listen to the podcast or find it in Flora’s book Winter in the Highlands (Quadrille) p.16

Serves 4-6

butternut squash (about 900g / 2lb), peeled and deseeded, then cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices

2 eating (dessert) apples (about 250g/9oz), cored and cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices

1 large onion (about 250g/9ox), cut into wedges

4 garlic cloves, peeled bu left whole

45g (1 ½ oz) fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

45g (1 ½ fl oz/3 tablespoons) apple cider vinegar

10g (1/2 oz) sage leaves

1kg (2lb 4 oz) chicken (or vegetable) stock

Olive oil, for cooking

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yoghurt, to serve

For the crispy breadcrumb topping

50g (2oz/1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs

50g (2oz/generous ½ cup) pumpkin seeds

10g (1/2 oz) sage leaves, the smaller the better, but if large tear in half

Olive oil, for frying

Welcome back friends! This is the trailer for Season 5 of The Calm Christmas Podcast, the UK’s favourite festive podcast hosted by me, author Beth Kempton. Have a listen to this cosy introduction to ‘Season 5: Winterlude’ to discover all the goodness I have in store for you before Episode 1 ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ is released on Thursday November 13.

The Calm Christmas Podcast is a hymn to the passage of time in our lives as we acknowledge the closing of the cycle of another year. It is a place for honouring all we have been blessed with and all that we have lost. It is a reminder to tune in to what we really care about, and an invitation to pause in the chaos of the season to notice the departure of autumn and the arrival of the darkest time of the year.

Our ancient longing for connection, warmth joy and magic is the song of winter – we hear it in the howling of the wind and the creaking of the trees, in the traditional carols and jaunty pop songs, in the laughter that rings out as we pop a cracker, in the memories that spill out with the baubles, in the single voice filling the cathedral with the sounds of Once in Royal David’s City.

This podcast will honour it all, and I hope it will be a good companion throughout the coming season.

Season Five ‘Winterlude’ will carry us from early November through to January 1, offering a weekly calling back towards slowness and calm. There will be seasonal stories and recipes, memories and journalling invitations, craft ideas, get ahead tips, wintery words and the sharing of traditions from listeners all around the world. Most of all, there will be companionship, as we, the Keepers of Christmas, settle in each week for a moment of pause and a little bit of festive magic. As the darkness begins to inhale the light, may our gathering be a lantern to guide us through the season and into the new year. 

Beth Xx

PS Be sure to subscribe to calmchristmas.substack.com where you will find all of the podcast archives, free wintry essays into your inbox and some lovely festive goodies (including my FREE printable Calm Christmas planner) waiting for you. Find me on Instagram @bethkempton or on Substack @bethkempton

RECOMMENDATIONS + REFERENCES:

-> FREE registration for the Winter Writing Sanctuary at https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com

-> Winterlude by Bob Dylan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM-1X4SjkU4

-> FogChaser on Susbtack https://fogchaser.substack.com/

-> Subscribe to the Calm Christmas Podcast on iTunes or at https://calmchristmas.substack.com

From @BethKempton