An Office Update

With Christmas just around the corner I for one am as excited as a small child! I love this time of year with all its decorations in bright colours, the music, (Mariah Carey is simply Christmas royalty) and of course the food!! The office is abundant with buttery mince pies, big, stodgy Christmas cake and the occasional festive themed chocolate box. The girls in the office are cursing their diets, (give it up guys - it’s Christmas!) and our spotted four legged friends can’t believe their luck at the veritable feast of crumbs under everyone’s desks.

Secret Santa is also upon us. We have all been out shopping and selected a perfect little pressie for our randomly chosen recipient, and are all now hoping it’s liked! From the more weird, wacky and wonderful gift to a tin of roses chocolates, it’s always a bit of fun in the office!

And finally ... we are all off to Budapest for The Phoenix Partners Christmas do! The city is all dressed up for Christmas, with a festive market and some of the most dazzling decorations around! I am especially excited as this will be my first trip with Rachel and co, and I have been told it really is something special! So now we‘ve all got our fingers crossed that more freezing weather doesn’t get in the way of us getting there.

Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow

So, the country is experiencing some of the earliest snow it has seen in decades. Temperatures are at a record low and our office heaters are on over-drive! Some of our team are having to work from home as they can’t get to the office. Others are expressively describing the frozen car horrors they woke up to this morning, and some have been in tailbacks since sunrise! A select few of us, who live at most a 5 minute walk away from The Phoenix Partners HQ, are smiling to ourselves in a way that says, "At about 10 to 9 I popped on my wellies and took a gentle stroll through the snow to arrive at work on time and pretty calm … that’s the life!"

Despite best efforts to keep our team members warm and cosey there are still those of us who, in the search for a grand night out, will leave the gloves, hats, scarves and coats at home in favour of mini skirts and t-shirts! Nowhere is this more apparent than ‘up t’north’ where the geordie lasses are gritting and bearing the frankly barmy minus 12 temperatures! The photos of these very brave party goers in the papers this morning really did make me shiver! However, I am very much aware that as crazy as they may be, I know I will be one of them. With my Christmas and New Year parties looming, I too will ditch the comfort and warmth of my woolly winter coat and opt for a much skimpier Little Black Dress! Think of me as you do the same.