Already frazzled by the thought of a frantic festive season? Take a leaf out of EastEnders star Lacey Turner’s book.
While the actress, 36, “loves” Christmas and says it’s her “favourite time of year”, she adds: “I try not to make it hectic – you know, running around like a lunatic, queuing in car parks to get to shopping centres and stuff like that, I don’t really partake in all of that. I’m much more about being at home and just making memories.
“I’m lucky in the sense that I stop for Christmas. I have a date and that’s when I finish work, and then I have two weeks of just family time, and that is what I really look most forward to. Especially with small children, being able to take them to see the lights and do Christmas things with them, it’s really lovely,” continues Turner, who has two children with her husband, barber Matt Kay – daughter Dusty, five, and three-year-old son Trilby – and is currently pregnant with their third.
The actress, who lives on a small farm in Hertfordshire, recently installed an allotment and has been busy getting that sorted before winter set in. She usually loves hosting Christmas with her brood but will be keeping things on the quieter side this year.
“Autumn was all about getting the outside wrapped up and getting all the bulbs in for spring, which was lovely. And now it’s getting ready for the new baby and Christmas, and also Trilby’s birthday is in the new year, so it’s quite a busy time for us,” says Turner, who revealed she was pregnant again in September, sharing a cute snap on Instagram with Dusty and Trilby holding some scan photos.
“But one of my favourite things to do is decorate the front door and decorate the house – I love all of that. I could sit and do that every day, and Dusty is the same, she enjoys exactly the same things as me. She loves making things and turning things into decorations, so we’re quite good at that.
“I do make the most of [decorating for Christmas] for the kids, and I think it gets everyone in a really good headspace and creates a nice cosy vibe.
“Normally we would [be hosting], but this year we’re not because I think we’ve got too much going on this year. My mom’s going to do it this year, so that takes the pressure off. Not that I would normally do the cooking – Matt does the cooking – but it takes off the pressure of loading the dishwasher for me!”
Talking of the allotment, Turner says moving to the countryside has been life-changing, especially when it comes to taking care of her wellbeing.
“I love being outside, that is where I feel happiest and calmest. We live on a little farm, so it’s great – we moved in nearly two years ago and it’s just changed our lives, because I spend a lot of time outside and I’ve got animals, and that’s now my happy place, my self-care,” she says. “We recently built an allotment and that has been one of the best things we’ve ever done. Next year I am going to grow my Christmas dinner!
“I’m definitely not going to kill a turkey, absolutely not, but I do want to grow my veg and potatoes and everything for my Christmas dinner. For me, that is a really lovely, calming thing to do, and it’s lovely to do as a family as well.”
Another festive favourite for Turner is opting for sentimental gifts over material items.
“I am a very sentimental person. I keep the kids’ art – I’ve got frames where I put all the art, and I’ll get like 30 pictures in a frame, I’m one of those people. Every year since we’ve had children, Matt has bought me a photo book and a mug [with family photos printed on them], which is perfect for work because I’m constantly moving from studio to studio, so the same mug doesn’t stay in the same place the whole time. So I’ve got lots of mugs with the children’s faces on, and photo books of every year. To me, they are the best kind of present.”
It’s why she was happy to team up with photo printing company, CEWE, on a campaign this festive season. A survey on behalf of the brand found 75% of people believe the best presents aren’t about the price tag, but thoughtfulness and sentiment are what really count. Meanwhile, the poll of 2,000 adults also saw 73% admit they’ve been disappointed by a Christmas gift in the past, with novelty gifts among the most unwanted pressies (26%), and socks also not proving popular for 20% of respondents, along with unexciting household items such as mops!
Turner will be taking a break from EastEnders while she goes on maternity leave next year. But, just a teenager when she joined the much-loved BBC soap in 2004 as the sassy Stacey Slater, she has honed her approach to work-life balance over the years.
“Ultimately, you just have to find what works for you and your family – there’s no wrong, there’s no right. We’re a family where both parents work – and when I’m at work, I’m at work, and when I’m at home, I’m at home. I try to keep them separate,” says Turner.
“But there’s no book on how to do it, there’s no rules, you just you make it work for you. And we live in a world now where you’re so accessible, and you can work from anywhere now, so it’s up to you how much you want to work, and how and where you want to work. It’s just about making choices that are right for you.”
CEWE has a range of personalised photo gifts available, including the CEWE PHOTOBOOK, calendars, mugs and wall art. Visit cewe.co.uk
