The Calm Christmas Podcast with Beth Kempton

• 🎄🎧Season 5 Episode 5 ✨And Winter Came✨

  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 tipsWith 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 | SubstackMay this be a treat for you as the darkness moves in,Beth XxPS 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 MisoTo 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 servePhoto: Holly Bobbins This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com

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• 🎄🎧Season 5 Episode 4 ✨On This Winter's Night✨

  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 TipsWith 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 XxLovely 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 flourImage: Holly Bobbins This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com

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• 🎄🎧Season 5 Episode 3 ✨Holly, Ivy and Evergreen✨

  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 weekWith inspiration from @homesandgardensofficial @shegrowsveg @countrylivinguk @danuforest @laura_weir @annes.universe @botanical_tales @rossandrossgifts @jess_elliot_dennison @fogchaser @sarahravenperchhill @danninichollsmusicYou can listen on Substack, Spotify or iTunes.Happy cosifying, friends!Beth XxGOOD THINGS FOR YOUThis 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 LifeAlso:* 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 DennisonOTHER 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 NichollsINGREDIENTS 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 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com

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• 🎄🎧Season 5 Episode 2 ✨The Christmas Present✨

  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 weekNote: 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 @fogchaserYou 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 YearSeries 3 Episode 3: We Three Kings: For the Love of Mindful GiftingSeries 2 Episode 4: Love: Gratitude and GiftingSeries 1 Episode 6: Mindful GiftingPS 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 XxLINKS TO LOVELY THINGSHead 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 @bethkemptonUp to 50% off writing and personal development courses in my annual gratitude sale now on at dowhatyouloveforlife.comRESOURCES AND OTHER LINKSMoneySavingExpert.comKarenGrayCoach.com (mermaid adventures!) / Karen KJ Gray (@mermaidexplorer on Instagram)Gerald Dickens (Charles Dickens’ Great Great Grandson) performing A Christmas Carol as a one-man showA Simple Carol by Matt Evans on Youtube / Substack @FogChaserBOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODECalm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth KemptonA 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 KazimThe 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 togetherSome 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 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com

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• 🎄🎧Season 5 Episode 1 ✨Do You Hear What I Hear?✨

  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 youWith inspiration from @florashedden @aranbakery Jane Struthers, Christopher Winn, Bing Crosby, The Harry Simeone Chorale, Guinness World Records, @alixklingenberg @fogchaser @angelaferrarofanning @jenchillingsworth @rspca_officialEnjoy!Beth XxLINKS 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.16Serves 4-6 butternut squash (about 900g / 2lb), peeled and deseeded, then cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices2 eating (dessert) apples (about 250g/9oz), cored and cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices1 large onion (about 250g/9ox), cut into wedges4 garlic cloves, peeled bu left whole45g (1 ½ oz) fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped45g (1 ½ fl oz/3 tablespoons) apple cider vinegar10g (1/2 oz) sage leaves1kg (2lb 4 oz) chicken (or vegetable) stockOlive oil, for cookingSea salt and freshly ground black pepperYoghurt, to serveFor the crispy breadcrumb topping50g (2oz/1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs50g (2oz/generous ½ cup) pumpkin seeds10g (1/2 oz) sage leaves, the smaller the better, but if large tear in halfOlive oil, for frying  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com

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