The Beaute of Christmas: Week 4 - Showing Up Anyway

I didn’t feel very festive this year.
Not in the loud, tinsel-and-carols way anyway.

Life has felt heavy. Exhausting. Emotional. And yet… I still found myself reaching for Christmas clothes. Bright colours. Candy Cane lipstick. A bow in my hair. Not because I felt joyful, but because sometimes wearing joy is the first step toward feeling it.

Even when I felt tired, run down, overwhelmed, lonely, and a little unappreciated, I still chose Christmas. And maybe that makes me a bit weird but I think it also makes me human.

I noticed something interesting. Each day at work, someone would smile. Comment on my outfit. Laugh at my Christmas pants. And every time that happened, it lifted me just enough to keep going. Not because everything was fixed, because connection matters.

Christmas doesn’t always look like matching pyjamas and perfect tables. Sometimes it looks like showing up anyway.

Decorating Without the Overwhelm

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s this: you don’t need to decorate everything to feel festive.

A bow. A candle. A Christmas mug. A favourite outfit.
Small touches can still signal comfort and care without tipping you into exhaustion.

This season isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing enough.

The Beaute Connection

Self-care at Christmas doesn’t need to be extravagant. It can be as simple as sticking to the routines that make you feel like you.

A familiar skincare ritual.
A favourite lip colour.
Five minutes at the end of the day to wash everything away.

Comfort isn’t indulgence. It’s regulation.

From the Craft Desk

This week, progress didn’t look like creating, it looked like refining.

I’ve been quietly working behind the scenes on the new Buttons by Brooke shop. Learning. Tweaking. Rebuilding. It’s almost ready to go live again, and while that kind of work isn’t always visible, it matters just as much as the finished product.

Home & Heart

Christmas can be complicated. Not everyone comes to the table feeling light or carefree. Some are grieving. Some are anxious. Some are just tired.

And after the heartbreaking events at Bondi this week, it feels especially important to acknowledge how fragile and precious life really is. There will be families missing loved ones at their tables this year and holding that reality alongside our own celebrations matters.

If you’re finding this season hard, you’re not alone. And if joy feels distant, that doesn’t mean you don’t belong.

A Little Gift for You

If you’re new to the blog series and missed week 2, I’ve created something to help.

Don’t let your mind spin out of control for last minute gift ideas that leave you feeling overwhelmed.

You can download my Christmas Gift Guide here, but honestly you can use it year round. (Be sure to save it or bookmark this blog.)

No pressure. No perfection. Just ideas to make things easier.

Wrap Up

You don’t need to feel festive to show up.
You don’t need to be joyful to belong.
Sometimes choosing colour, routine, and kindness (even quietly) is enough.

Be real, not perfect.
That’s the kind of Christmas I’m leaning into this year.