A Nineties Christmas...

So technically I was born in 1986, but I spent my more formative years mostly in the nineties and early noughties and my heart is very much in this period. Bring on the paper hats, tacky tinsel, smock dresses and Vicar of Dibley Christmas Special, I say. 

We spent our advent practising for nativity plays with no political correctness issues, blasting out Mariah and East 17 watching Miracle on 34^th Street for the umpteenth time. Our Christmas lists included Sticker books, Polly Pockets and Pogs and, the Puppy in my Pocket Hotel. Tinies Tim and Tears wet themselves- that was enough for us. Later we just wanted the Spice Girls album and a subscription to Shout magazine. As the nineties drew to a close, it was all about skater gear and owning umpteen CDs which invariably got scratched on our favourite songs from overuse. We would record the Christmas Chart religiously with the cassette drive of our Ghetto Blasters, trying our best to cut out the DJs voice and just get the tracks. 

The actual day consisted of crappy stocking presents, board games and watching our parents sing drunkenly to Slade whilst we pilfered Quality Street. We never had any batteries for any gift that needed them, we could never get into the excess of pre-green-consciousness plastic, nineties packaging and we also fell asleep on the sofa. A simpler time.

I've seen many, many wonderful posts by far more prolific bloggers on Christmas and Christmas gifts and I am fully aware that I cannot match these. So instead I will provide a nostalgic look at how to rekindle a little of that nineties spirit and what presents to buy the nineties kids in your life...

FASHION

Nowadays, Christmas jumpers are back in.. and they sort-of-cool and festive. However, style-wise they are more seventies-eighties in era. A nineties christmas jumper looked like this: 

Jumper, ASOS Marketplace, £19.99

In the early nineties our parents loved a patterned waistcoat:

Waistcoat, Etsy, £9.39

Know some kids to kit out? Why not try the nineties staple, the smock dress. (I actually love these still and would buy myself this if in my size.)

Smocked Dress, Etsy, £9.39

ATMOSPHERE 

First, decorations and all hail, the classic paper-chain and paper snowflake. You actually need nothing for these except coloured paper, white paper, scissors and glue (who doesn't have a Pritt Stick hanging around at home?). 

So metallic paper is cooler....

Remember these? Circle of paper, fold in to sixths and cut funny patterns in. You have to know how to handle your scissors to make them this good.

If you can't remember how to do these, there is a guide here - for kids so you should be able to manage.

Here's your playlist:

CD,Amazon, £16.95 or iTunes

And these are a must: (all Amazon or iTunes)

GIFTS

If you know some nineties kids, I'm sure they all like these.. 

Truffle Shuffle t-shirts, all £19.99.

Ladies Playdays T-shirt

Ladies Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile T-shirt

Mens Jurassic Park T-shirt

Mens Bert and Ernie Sesame Street T-shirt

Personalised Converse, £54.00

Whaaaatttt. They are the same converse but full customiseable...

UNO, £2.99 

Ebay

Jellyfish Lamp, £60.00

Because some people still miss their lava lamps and these are way more beautiful... they sell them at Selfridges if you're based in London or in their online store as well.

Nintendo iPod Charger, £22.54

Because.. why not..

Finally- top of my list:

ASOS Backpack, £28.00

Ummm, it's tartan and it totally Cher...

That's all for now. Merry Christmas Kids...