MissTired, possibly brave, but I seem to be getting ignored rather than flamed. TG!!
I need to go back onto both IWantOneOfThose and NotOn TheHighStreet this morning to find the perfect tshirt I saw for my DBro's 30th early next month. And maybe throw in a few stocking fillers for adults to make good value of the postage.
I don't wrap until December, as the tape always comes undone on me. But I intend wrapping in the first week rather than last minute. I usually have to post a few things and drop bags either to relatives near to us here (if we're travelling) or to relatives where we grew up (if we stay here) in advance. Locals would only be Christmas week, but "down home" is usually a trip down either late Nov or early Dec for a weekend - in between DH's overseas travel, DD's schedule of matches, training and parties, and any events we actually want to do as a family. I might keep ILs until PILs visit on Boxing Day this year, they'll bring down to BIL and SIL and their families. But I won't see my family (or at least, those "down home") until the week after Christmas when they come up for Dad's family dinner (he has 5 siblings, so dinner including spouses, whichever of my generation are around (2 families, 9 "kids" - ranging from 40 down to 5 this year) and DD is the only next generation usually there (of 3 - the other 2 live abroad), is around 20-24 people!!).
I have my Christmas jumper sorted - I bought a Christmas pudding one in Next last year. DD has a sequinned reindeer top from M&S that will still fit, her printed penguins skiing scene sweatshirt will probably still fit (just!), and I think she has another Christmas top as well in the drawer. But she'll probably want to get a new outfit for Christmas Day that I'll have to suffer the shops for. Tracksuits and runners all year round, but for Christmas, she usually looks for something like a skirt, nice top and cardigan, and proper button up woolen coat!! Strange child - but for any other "event" (birthday parties, nice days out, seeing grandparents...) she wants to wear trackies and sportsgear and its a real battle to even get into jeans and a plain top.
I don't know if I need a new outfit or not this year - I will see how the weightloss plan goes, but I have a few nice things in the wardrobe anyway.
Must keep an eye out for nice wines soon, a nice bottle of bubbles, one for dinner and a half bottle for pudding, and put those away. I still have a half a bag of amaretti biscuits from last year (my personal treat - DH and DD not fans of almonds). I already have the naice hot choc (the block of real choc in a block with a wooden spoon stuck into it to help stir it into hot milk) for Christmas Eve - I got one with a squirt of amaretto liqueur last year which was interesting, but I experimented over Christmas with some others from the drinks cabinet - brandy was lovely, and chocolate liqueur (from Geneva about 8 years ago), and honey rum from Gran Canaria (12 years ago!), sloe gin and crème de framboise were both spoiled by it though.
I am in the throes of clearing out some of the clutter at home. The bins tomorrow are stuffed, and I have a few bags for the charity shop and clothes bank to drop on Friday. And another 2 rooms to get sorted then too. But its all helping.