Mac Creative’s all a-tinsel and silver bells.

When it comes to nestling into the Christmas spirit, there are two types of people.

The first type are the Christmas Scrooges.  These are the scowly old grinches who loathe the thought of rushing the high street in search of that last-minute stocking filler; the ones who whince at the repugnant scent of nutmeg; the ones who will just scream if they have to be involuntarily subjected to Cheryl Cole squeaking out her rendition of Santa Baby. I, coincidentally, fall into this category.  Mention Kris Kringle before December 1st and I’m akin to a basset hound forced into light-up reindeer antlers: itchy and droopy and ready to chew my way out of the burden.   Humbug!

The second are the (sometimes closeted) Addicts who relish the festive season months in advance.  They eagerly await the holidays by X-ing off their calendars until ‘The Day’ finally arrives.  That ‘Day’ is today, not coincidentally, as Starbucks starts serving their ever-popular gingerbread lattes, so I’m told,  and more  importantly, in a grandiloquent sweep,  the annual Spirit of Christmas Fair rolls out its bag o’ Santa’s goodies for all of London, so I know.

If you’re of the latter variety and been jonesing for yuletide fix, chances are you’re ready to muscle your way through the crowds of overzealous shoppers, and hurdle over toddlers in prams pushed by mothers with one eye on all the festive kitsch good, bad, and just plain ugly.   But if you’re a little more gun-shy when comes to claustrophobic communes of consumerism,  I recommend checking out the fair anyway.  There are plenty of great finds for even your inner-Ebenezer.  Here are my favourites.

I loved the ‘Red Dot Collection’ from Artpark Crystal.  Super-festive with the red and white, but  can also be used year-round.  Perfect for even the most Christmas-challenged.

Retro and kitschy for all the right reasons, Jenny Duff’s tableware makes great gift for any aspiring interiors guru afraid of The Big CC (Colour Commitment).

Pintuck’s range of cheeky aprons and tea towels feature popular British sayings such as Keep Calm and Carry On and Make Do and Mend - perfect for the domestic goddess on your list.

Enjoy the perfect cup of eggnog and stay warm by the fire with Northlight’s dainty tea cups and cosy fleece throws.

Emma Bridgewater always has an amazing selection, but I’m coveting these sweet mini mug candles.

Lastly but not leastly, Tigermasala is selling these beautifully hand-painted baubles from India.  The online boutique sources ethically produced materials and donates a portion of their proceeds to a tiger conservation charity.

So if a stale cinnamon stick swirling around in your bitter latte just won’t get you into the holly-jolly swing of things, check out the Spirit of Christmas Fair now on through Sunday, 10am-6pm at Olympia Exhibition Centre, W14 8UX.

But if you’re a dastardly misanthropic Scrooge like me and just can’t be bothered, fret not – mydeco’s got heaps of Christmas gifts, decorations and styling ideas awaiting you right here. Forget the high street. Forget the crowds.  Forget your clothes.  This Christmas you can even shop with mydeco in your jim-jams.

Merry Christmas, everyone.  (Humbug.)