Lose yourself in a flurry of wintery words from some of my favourite writers across food writing, nature writing, fiction, creativity, poetry and more. These are words to soothe the soul. There's also a special seasonal writing exercise for you, and we look into the tradition of the Christmas pudding.

Episode 5 includes:

• The benefits of reading inspiring words, and writing your own, in the dark season
• Snippets of some wonderful writing from words that make you notice more to words that celebrate the human spirit
• A writing prompt for you to try
• Exploring the origins of the Christmas pudding
• This week’s ‘Get ahead tips’

Download the transcript here.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Almanac 2021 by Lia Leendertz
A Year of Good Eating: The Kitchen Diaries III by Nigel Slater
JRR Tolkien’s Letters from Father Christmas edited by Baillie Tolkien
The Complete Cold Mountain: Poems of the legendary hermit Hanshan, translated by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt
One Day in December by Josie Silver
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Drinking From the River of Light by Mark Nepo
Divine Beauty by John O’Donohue
The Light in the Dark by Horatio Clare
The Wild Remedy by Emma Mitchell
Making Winter by Emma Mitchell
Wild Embers by Nikita Gill
Rhythms and Roads by Victoria Erickson

For more details of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year and some free goodies with purchase, go to bethkempton.com/Christmas

Take good care,
 Beth 
 (@bethkempton on Instagram)

Explore what a slow Christmas might look like, with top tips and some lovely creative ideas, and discover the origins of the Christmas tree!

Episode 4 includes:

• The benefits of slowing down and simplifying
• Top tips for a slow Christmas this year
• Simple crafting and natural decoration ideas
• Exploring the origins of the Christmas tree
• This week’s ‘Get ahead tips’

Resources mentioned in this episode: Inventing the Christmas Tree by Bernd Brunner / The Winter Writing Sanctuary/ Kokedama how-to video from the Royal Horticultural Society

For more details of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year and some free goodies with purchase, go to bethkempton.com/Christmas

Take good care,
 Beth 
 (@bethkempton on Instagram)

Take good care of yourself, and discover comfort and joy this winter. 

Episode 3 includes:

• Mindfulness in the darkest season
• Looking to other countries and cultures for ideas on staying warm in cold weather
• Finding comfort and joy in winter
• This week’s ‘Get ahead tips’

Resources mentioned: Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton / bbc.co.uk / worldnomads.com / Gardening Through The Year by Ian Spence / The Book of Hygge by Louisa Thomsen Brits / The Winter Writing Sanctuary  / The Book of Joy by Archbishop Desmond Tutu & The Dalai Lama.

For more details of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year and some free goodies with purchase, go to bethkempton.com/Christmas

Take good care,
 Beth 
 (@bethkempton on Instagram)

Be inspired to make magic and memories this holiday season. This episode is all about enjoying the glorious autumnal season we are still in, while making some early plans for Christmas.

Episode 2 includes:

• Embracing the autumn while preparing for winter (including some fun activities to try in all weathers)
• Pondering how Christmas might be different this year, and how we can make the most of that
• Memories of Christmases abroad
• The one question you need to answer in order to create magic and memories this year 
• This week’s ‘Get ahead tips’

Resources mentioned: The Magical Year by Danu Forest / Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton / Christmas: A Biography by Judith Flanders / The Wild Weather Book by Fiona Danks & Jo Schofield / Silence by Erling Kagge / Morning by Allan Jenkins

For more details of my book Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year go to bethkempton.com/Christmas

Take good care,
 Beth 
 (@bethkempton on Instagram)

Christmas can be a very special time, but it can also be a very stressful time. And given everything that has been going on, who knows what will unfold this holiday season? What if, for once, we just relaxed, and gave ourselves permission to focus on what really matters? 

Welcome to the brand new Calm Christmas podcast with bestselling self-help author Beth Kempton. “Just like my book of the same name, I hope the Calm Christmas podcast inspires connection, belonging, self- care, nourishment and joy, and a little bit of festive magic.” – Beth 

Episode 1 includes:

•  A cosy introduction to The Calm Christmas Podcast
• An important question for you to ponder (because asking it now could transform your experience of Christmas this year)
• This week’s ‘Get ahead tips’
• Details of some treats for you

2020 has been a challenging year in so many ways, shaking up so much of what we thought we could rely on. But in a world where we never really know what is coming next Christmas is one of the few constants we can trust in. 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)