Ding Dong Merrily! Getting the Christmas decorations down from the loft has proved a little tricky this year but then what exactly was I expecting having not replaced the solitary light bulb when I was up there last time?

Still, I went prepared – equipped with a torch and a bug swatter – and was determined to stay until my mission was completed and, amazingly, I actually found the whole process quite therapeutic, not to mention quiet. Yes, at four there are still some things that Megan can’t climb and lovely loft ladders are one of them.

Getting the house ready for Christmas is something I look forward to, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find it a little stressful. Every year we more or less follow the same routine and normally kick off proceedings by watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation followed by either an hour or an afternoon – dependent of the availability of headache tablets – of throwing baubles in the general direction of the tree and hoping they stick.

This year, for the sake of saving money, I happened upon a brilliant idea of making bows using spare white ribbon from my sewing box in place of tinsel. Does it look good? Well, to be fair, it’s been hard to get an objective opinion from anyone, not least my husband who always tries to make me feel like the female equivalent of Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen.

Then again, if he’s coming home to pass judgement on something that’s taken me hours to do, then what else is he supposed to say? Graham is simply too nice a person to ever be hurtful. He also knows that I know where he keeps his spare garage keys and he would hate to find I’d flogged his tools.

Talking of saving money, I was tempted to recreate decorations I made when I was younger. Who can forget the coat hanger mobile from Blue Peter? Thankfully, I seem to have done just that so I’ve not had to inflict that on the house. Homemade crackers made out of toilet rolls have, however, been resurrected and hung on display.

Graham had never made crackers before now, so even he’s been keen to get involved and make them. Now all I’ve got to do is get him to shout “bang!” every time he pulls one like the rest of us.

Job done, I cast an eye over our hard work – the angel on the tree is wearing oxygen cylinders. I know it’s the same price for 7ft as it is for 4ft but it doesn’t mean we have to have it – and there is not a strand of tinsel to be seen.

If I’m honest there was another reason why I wasn’t that keen on having tinsel this year. Last year our cocker spaniel decided to see what tinsel tasted like, he didn’t eat much of it but we were left with sparkly little packages all over the lawn. I suppose it’s one way though of taking your indoors outdoors. Kind of put me off though...