8th Dec- With shopping being our main leisure activity its hard to believe there was a time when Sunday trading laws prevented us from consuming on that day. I have no idea how folk, working full time got anything done. My parents used to dump me at the Barnet Odeon, Sat morning cinema club with a Curly Wurly & they would run around like maniacs, prepping the week. The exception to the trading rule was (I’m not sure why) garden centres. So, to punctuate our Sunday routine (being woken by the music of Demis Roussos, dad’s cooked breakfast, a bit of light arguing, cleaning, Sunday dinner, arguing, Songs of Praise, regretting not doing homework, panic,fear, bed) we would visit a garden centre or, perhaps more bizarrely, a camping warehouse (we never once went camping or wanted to) the reason I mention this as recently I did a project with Dobbies Garden Centre (all the lovely stuff in the snap is theirs) to promote that today, 8th Dec, is officially ‘Bring your Christmas tree home day’ Visiting one of their stores for the first time made me realise how far the garden centre has come. If you have never been to a Dobbies, block at least two days out of your calendar because it’s like a mini break! You can start with breakfast, take it a few depts, lunch, peruse the homewear section, and in the Dobbies I went to, even break up the shopping with a visit to the neighbouring butterfly centre. It’s all a far cry from the Jackson’s (my mob) crouched in a 5 ‘man’ tent, pitched inside a warehouse in North London that we had absolutely no intention of purchasing, saying ‘oo, isn’t it roomy’ Snap by @lenrayn decs and tree @dobbiesgardencentres Pr @lauraquick_ Doggie model @kajathedog, doggie Santa hat: models own #Dobbies #dobbiesgardencentre #bycthd #bringyourtreehomeday #wherechristmascomestogether #christmasmemories #christmas #christmaslooks #christmasadventcalendar #instagramadvent #leejackdesign #holidays #tistheseason #adventcalendar #rusticchristmas #christmastree #christmascountdown #christmas2018 #christmasfun #christmascheer #christmasmood #christmaslove #christmasfood #roastpotatoes #veggiechristmas #holidaysandwich #kajathedog #dogsinhat https://www.instagram.com/p/BrHtzELhqL9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1foipcculxy93