FN's Ponstastic Christmas Thread part Trois....

[FellatioNelson]

....will be officially open for business on September 24th. I am just firing up the engines and dusting down the control room ready for action in case I forget to do it on the 24th

Do not post yet. Do not. Sit on your hands, ladies.

On your marks........................

Twllbach Can you link to your cushions - I'm about 2 miles from a dunelm mill, so if they're in stock i can post them to you if you'd like.

I got my damsons today, almost a kilo of them, the farmer let me have them cheap as i was buying so many, lovely man! Anyway they're now happily sitting in 1.5 litres gin and some sugar .

i've also just ordered a load of books for my kids advent books, going to wrap them all, then they take turns to open one each evening to read together, fantastic idea i stole off pinterest.

Ophelia which books have you bought for advent? Are they all Christmas themed or just ordinary books?

I got a nativity book and scene and an advent calendar for ds2 to colour from e book people.
Ds1 has an advent candle...he likes them :) and doesn't eat choc.
Moth gave to get some chocs for the tree for ds2 though :)

'tis almost the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la laaaa

Right, 3rd year in new house, 3rd time hosting for the rents and the ILs, but most importantly of all, 3rd Xmas for DD (DS is on his 10th, so he's going to be partaking in all things poncy with me).

This thread has come at the perfect time, I needed something nice to focus on!

No mantle piece or open fire here, but a beautiful piano, sweeping staircase and, for the first time, white walls, so plenty of scope for decorating.

Now, I have promised Delia that I would try to make Christmas pud using butter this year (yes yes, I'm serious, it's there in the web chat somewhere) so I'm going to give that a go soon.

Viking..I know I am getting proper excited already...
Must pace self.....

Oh wow, just had to explain to (French) the meaning of poncetastic. That was, umm, interesting (Urban dictionary didn't quite cut it).

Bet definition I could think of was imagining one was rather rich and lived in a manor house and decorating accordingly, despite actually living in a hovel modest dwelling.

"Explain to (French) DH" that was supposed to read.

Ophelia, can I follow you on Pinterest, if so pm
Me your boards
I am obsessed with Christmas boards currently!
I have all my Christmas books in th loft so will wrap one evening in November to feel more Christmassy!!

I read the entire December section of Kitchen Diaries last night and have decided to make Nigel's Christmas pudding. We have a pudding competition in our house, DH makes one and I make one and we decide who's is best. Last year I lost so Nigel will be going up against Saint Delia of Smith for the title.

viking how do you plan on getting your Ds to ponce with you? I ask because this is my view too. Dcs are 16' 13 and 10 so all the lovely traditions for young children have now gone from this house. I am determined to keep Christmas magical and special for them but I'm at a bit of a loss of how to achieve it.

He loves helping with anything creative especially if it means he gets out of tidying his room or doing his homework for a while , so I thought he could help me make tree decorations (stained glass biscuits, button trees, dried lemon and orange slices tied with cinnamon sticks) and possibly a few cards for close relatives and a roll or two of printed craft paper to wrap presents. He'll be helping with the pudding too, and mince pies.

He found out only last year that Santa doesn't exist, but he has decided to carry on believing just in case for the sake of his little sister (in fact lat year he agreed to be a decoy for her while I snuck the presents under the tree).

And I still do a Christmas eve hamper for both of them (even yr 16yo would probably enjoy receiving one of them), DS helps me chose the contents for DD, you might be able to do the same with your three (10yo helps put together the hamper for 13yo, 13yo for 16yo and 16yo for 10yo).

(ashamed to admit ignorance) can someone please tell me what the CK organiser is ?!

It was explained (properly) somewhere unthread. It's a ring binder, with several sections (to do lists for you to fill in, card and presents lists, a scrap book part I think etc.).

Oh yes we do Christmas eve hampers. They love them. We put a movie in one bag for us all to sit down and watch before bed. It helps calm down 10 yr ds2 and gets them all sleepy.

Id love to take them to midnight mass but I don't think they'd be too impressed and I'd would end up moaning at them.

Urgh no, the worst Christmases I ever had we're the ones where I was subjected to the midnight mass, leaving me tired and grouchy the following day, definitely not good for kids me !

Ok, possibly the ultimate Christmas ponce: has anyone tried to make their own crackers?

Bloody auto correct.

I did once, my mother sold them one year (in the 80s, it was the MC version of Pampered Chef ). You can get kits with the plastic tubing (to make the shape, you remove it) and snaps and pre-cut paper - doing it from loo roll innards with crepe paper looks a bit crap tbh.

I've been blackberrying and sloe picking today. The sloes are ace here (SW) - don't wait for the first frost or I think most will have gone over. Go look now .
Crap year for blackberries though.

Can I join the thread? I have ordered the Sarah Raven book too!

My tip for writes and garlands is sprayed berried ivy.

I am totally new to being poncetastic, I am 22 and haven't really done Christmas at home apart from last year. We made our own cards, baked goods and reindeer dust ect. Dp made c dinner as I wouldn't know where to start. Anyone who has the time or kindness could you pm poncetastic ideas to make Christmas our own

I think you'd be as well to stick on this thread/topic - Waitingforastar - loads of great ideas. If you advance search 'Christmas Traditions' there have been millions of threads about making your own Christmas special and a fair few bunfights too. Everything from new jammies on Christmas Eve, to the Norad tracker, the Santa video email...I'm sure there's someone who gets new bedlinen for Christmas eve.

last year we did the pnp video...and me and dp tracked santa till 4am haha. Id like to nab the christmas hamper idea for christmas eve but not sure what to put in, ill stick around if you dont mind :)

I love the PNP more than words. It's so ace.

This thread and the previous two years should give you loads of ideas. Are you on Pinterest? If you just put in Christmas on the boards there are lots of ideas