What nice things do you have planned from now until New Year? Tell me your treats

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I need inspiration! My partner will be visiting soon and I want to plan some lovely surprises for her - currently trying to find a concert she would enjoy as she loves music but rarely gets to go to shows.

I'm trying to think of other little treats to plan for when she's here, maybe days out to places we haven't been.

What plans are you looking forward to over the next couple of months?

In no particular order-
Watching the Hong Kong Ballet perform the Nutcracker in Hong Kong.
Week in Hong Kong Lamgham with a stopover for a couple of days in Helsinki.
Christmas Day drinks with friends.
Boxing Day drinks at ours.
Village NYE party.
Couple of days on Isle of Wight walking the dog, swimming in the sea and pub meals between Christmas and New Year.
Carols by candlelight in the Albert Hall.
Carols by candlelight in our local village church with drinks afterwards.
Meal out for son’s birthday with group of his friends.
Supper party at ours with a group of our friends.
Bath spa and visit inlaws.
Husbands work Christmas meal and stay over in London.
Christmas Eve nativity and village suppers.
Winchester Christmas market with daughter and boyfriend. Maybe skating. Just maybe.

Christmas meal and concert by Royal Marines musicians on board HMS Victory.

Centre parcs winter wonderland midweek break
Christmas shopping
A festive visit to Barton grange (highlight of my year)
A family Christmas meal
Garstang Victorian Christmas market

Family trip to the pantomime.
Friends visiting and we are going into central London to see the lights with them.
Trip to the Theatre.
Kids will be in church nativity.
DH Christmas party for kids/ families.
We are hosting Christmas at ours this year.
Yes do love this time of year.

-A weekend in London visiting friends with dh and the kids

• playing in my samba drumming group for the town late night shopping (although last year it was freezing so not sure it’s a treat!)
• a Christmas party night and hotel sleepover using the spa facilities with my work colleagues
• cinema trip to see the new fantastic beasts film for ds1’s birthday at the end of November
• book club Christmas drinks

Would like to get a theatre trip in but money is a bit tight at the moment so I’m not sure that will happen, although our local theatre sometimes does £5 tickets at the last minute so I’ll keep my eyes open.

Nov 8th Spa Day
I am going away for naughty weekend in Spa Hotel in Nottingham with dh on Friday 9th November until Sunday 11th November.

Nov 17th taking 12 year old ice skating and hot chocolate after.
Nov 18th making popcorn caramel stars with chocolate tips with same 12 year old. Hand made card making.
Nov 23rd Visiting NT Christmas themed day with wreath making and afternoon Tea and prosecco with dd in hotel afterwards.
Nov 24th hand painting pottery baubles with children.
Nov 28th Send off Christmas cards including some hand made ones.
Dec 1st Christmas Fayre at child's school + Christmas shopping in afternoon
Dec 2nd collecting pottery baubles after kiln in morning and choosing tree from Christmas Tree Farm in afternoon.
Dec 4th decorating Christmas tree and outside lights up if not raining.
Dec 5th Nutcracker Ballet Hippodrome with dh
Dec 7th Meeting up with my sisters to make hand made Christmas wreath for Mum and Gran's graves
Dec 9th Son's birthday putting up Christmas decorations in house.
Dec 12th - 14th making mince pies and cup cakes and decorating for us and one of my sisters. Wrapping gifts in evening.
Dec 15th Christmas party in afternoon with child and Twelfth Night at Hippodrome with dh in evening + meal out
Dec 16th Christmas meal out with dh and friends
Dec 17th Making Christmas flower arrangement using holly from garden, twigs sprayed gold and silver and hand tied with bow for me and MiL.
Dec 18th visiting in laws to deliver Christmas gifts. Walk along beach if dry.
Dec 22nd Ice skating with 12 year old. Last minute gifts. Wrapping gifts.
Dec 25th Christmas meal at home with family.
Dec 26th Boxing Day at home with family and dd and dsil coming for day. More present giving and another Christmas meal.
Dec 28th Meal out with extended family.
Dec 29th Dick Whittington Panto Hippodrome
Dec 31st Meal out we are lucky we have a babysitter this year. Yippy.

I am really busy from now right up to end of year. I have probably missed some stuff off too.

Trips put include Kew at Christmas with dd1 and 2,
Bath Xmas market just me and dd1,
Local Xmas market, all 5 of us,
Local garden centre, it's done up beautifully at Xmas, all 5 of us,
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, followed by a trip to Harrods, all 5 of us as the dds have a training day, midweek end of November, very handy!
Meeting my BF in london, not sure what we're doing but dinner and cocktails will be high up on that list,
Hopefully some National Trust places as have membership just not sure where

I have a slight feeling that this thread is going to be almost as obscene as some of the summer holidays threads.

I know what you mean fuckedoffat48 where does everyone get the time and money from.

To be honest if I get everyone a present and some grub in I'll be happy. I love nice walks and actually not having anything I have to do for a a day. That would be a lovely treat at the moment.

I am going to see the Tower of London torch ceremony which is on every night until Sunday
Pantomime is booked for the 22nd December
Christmas lights switch on at Covent Garden on the 13th November
Christmas Market on the south bank
Ice Skating booked at Natural History museum

An 80s/90s night at the local bar with loads of friends
A big walk on the Ridgeway with a slightly different group of friends
At some point I will go to see Bohemian Rhapsody
My sister's Christmas present to ds and I is a theatre trip
I'm gearing up to watching MadMen from the start over the winter
I'm doing NaNoWriMo
Reading a book that is really pushing my boundaries for book club - science fiction!!

Wow caring, I am exhausted just reading your list.

I love Christmas but I am happy just planning two or three events, I would be overwhelmed from rushing from one to another.
My plans include organising our Church Christmas Fair, two carol services, hosting a drinks party, organising a meal for our local ‘street dwellers & sofa surfers’, meeting family on Christmas Day and a day out with a girlfriend. For my ‘works do’ we always go out in the New Year when it is so much less frantic.

And nearly forgot .... busy working as I am in retail

Zoo sleepover for DS birthday
Family wedding
Visiting Father Christmas at local garden centre
Going to town light switch on

Fucking hell, these lists are exhausting, where's the normal "do nothing", time?

Anyway I only have two things planned, lunch at The Kitchin in Edinburgh later this month, and the Deacon Blue gig in December.

Oh btw, my Dd is 17, she's not invited to either of my events.

Wow loads of lovely things going on for you lot!!

My 2019 is shaping up beautifully but the rest of this year.....:
DS2s 1st bday today 😊
My bday mid Nov
Local RHS gardens xmas event
Local arboretum Xmas event
Might see Santa arrive at the local garden centre 😄
Local Xmas light switch on
Panto
That’s about it really!
Couldn’t book local amazing Santa as sold out and too expensive!
Couldn’t book onto any wreath making courses as not quick enough, sold out! ☹️
Better luck next year!

We've booked to take our DC to see Father Christmas at a local National Trust type place.

Also booked train tickets to spend Christmas with my family, and a pre-Christmas visit to MIL.

Er, that's about it! I think I have a Christmas meal in the diary with some friends assuming everyone finally agreed on a date before we all lost our minds but otherwise, we're not very "scheduled"! Some lovely ideas here though.

Two weekends at our holiday cottage one with DH and the dogs - walking, eating out, a bit of photography.
The other with DD - Christmas markets, eating out etc.
Panto with DD.
My Christmas work party.
DH's Posher Christmas work party.
A gig.
Christmas at Chatsworth house to see it all dressed up- (Fairytale theme this year) plus afternoon tea.
A few nights out with various friends.
Afternoon tea with the ILS.
Spa day with DD.

we do a cookie swap with friends- everyone brings 12 or 24 cookies (homemade or shopbought) and we all go home with a mixed tin.
We have a hot chocolate/ mulled wine/ festive coffee bar and play Christmas songs etc. It is really nice

I tend to decide week by week, caring that’s nuts in the nicest way.

I love that cookie swap idea, my friends in USA always did smiliar.

We’re quite near London so we are doing:

Winterville in Clapham (I’m not a lover of Winter Wonderland... it’s okay, but it’s SO expensive!)
Christmas meals with both sides of the family
Pantomime
Father Christmas visit
Cutting down the Christmas tree at a Christmas tree farm/decorating the house
Wreath making workshop with friends
Independent cinema to watch Elf with the family and again on 23rd to watch Die Hard with friends
Theatre to watch Horrible Histories Christmas (NOT my choice 😁)
Ice skating at the NHM
We’ve got friends over a few times in separate groups for catch ups and gift swaps etc.

No plans for New Year yet, I fancy a walk in
Richmond Park and a pub lunch, then home for baths and a takeaway! We race around visiting and hosting at Christmas that I have absolutely had it by New Year!

Ragwort it's become a highlight of Dec for me!

4 days in Amsterdam, staying in a lovely canal-side hotel with the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in.

Hiding. Where can I hide?