It’s coming, slowly but surely, it’s coming!!

The lights are going up, the occasional dash of red, green and gold is appearing in storefronts. An unexpected mannequin Santa all dressed in red, belt barely holding his rotund belly in …. I was happy to see him but seriously?? It’s October.

Every year Christmas seems to sneak earlier into the year, whether we’re aware of it or not the advertising starts and we subconsciously begin planning for the big day. 

How many people do I need to buy for? What the heck do I get Dad who has everything? Who’s hosting? Do I have to get a gift for all the cousins? Where has all my money gone? Another Christmas party?


Whether in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, the holiday season is infectious. But the snow and mulled wine, or sunburn and BBQ’s can also bring a lot of stress. We are a very consumer-based society and every year it takes up far too much of my time brainstorming what to get everyone.

Kids are relatively easy to buy for, there’s always a few hints (in our family it’s a list) of things that hopefully Santa will bring. It’s the adults where it gets tricky, often they have everything they want – at least everything that fits in my budget.

During my brainstorming moments, I tend to think back over previous gifts I’ve received that have given me the warmest, fuzzy feelings and it’s always the thoughtful ones that stand out. Homemade gifts are hands down a  winner for me, if I know that someone has given up their time to lovingly create something, it’s priceless.




It’s also a significantly more enjoyable way to go about Christmas shopping. The throngs of people in the malls or sweeping down the streets, all with the same steely mindset – I will not go home until I’ve found the perfect thing for Sarah or John or whoever it may be. Literally my worst nightmare.

This year rather than traipsing the streets or the internet, why not use your Mad Millie kit to create something? Or get someone a kit that you can enjoy together?

With cheese, vegan cheese, ginger beer, lager, sauerkraut and chocolate to choose from there are a multitude of options. We’ve been doing a bit of brainstorming ourselves and have come up with some inspiration for you. Recipes coming on the blog in a few weeks!


For those of you lucky enough to be proud owners of a ginger beer or lager kit, now is the time to start planning ahead. Both kits involve steps over a few weeks for fermentation and ageing, you will need to purchase bottles (we think the flip tops are best for gifting) and make sure you still have everything in your kit. Have a look online if you need top-ups, all available through the Mad Millie website. If you want to get really organised there is no harm in starting early and popping your products in the fridge when they're ready. Don't forget to make an extra one for yourself, taste testing is essential!