Poncetastic thread

[WaitingForEgg]

Is there a poncetastic thread this year? I am itching to ponce!

I want to ponce! I'll be starting Mat leave in November and DS in nursery 2 days per week, so enough time I think to ensure a fairly poncy Christmas.

We are out for a big Christmas lunch this year, so it's all going to be in the details before and after for me...

So, someone start me off... Is it too late to do a jar of sloe gin? And if not, how the feck do I go about it??

This might be my home! (though I suspect I'm more wannabe than a true ponce) I have been known to cry on Christmas Eve when I've run out of time and my oh doesn't appreciate any of it. Heathen!! This year I plan to sew advent calendars. Anyone have a good template or design? When I was 8 I was awesome at tapestry but I may have peaked early in that skill, so thinking more appliqué style.

I keep planning to ponce but life gets in the way. This year will have 2yo twins plus 4mo DS2. Who is proving to be as good a sleeper as his siblings (ie rubbishy)

But I do have mincemeat from last year. Also Christmas pudding whiskey. Perfected my pastry for mince pies (Dan Pearson recipe). Made an awesome salted caramel roulade.

Will just be us this year (maybe one or two family) rather than the 15 of last year. I was 6 weeks PG and in denial so literally passed out with tiredness event evening at 8.30. So hoping to have a bit more fun this year

Want to try forcing bulbs and lifting the fire. Will maybe have a rib of beef on Christmas Day and a ham on Christmas Eve. Can live without turkey and although I love goose, I can't face it this year. Might do a big chicken the Sunday after Christmas though for a bit of poultry action.

Need to buy more decorations and festive-up the house. DTs are just at the perfect age to get excited.

It's all about food for me.

I have been planning Ponce One for a couple of weeks now, I am going to make Christmas pudding Vodka, and THEN, use the fruit to make my own mincemeat.

in readiness I am browsing ebay for bottles.

Last year dh and I went to buy a real Christmas tree early Dec I wanted to make it special as he and I were both working over Christmas. I intended to make lots of things to compensate and make it something Kirsty Allsop would be proud of, however dh and I arrived at Christmas tree farm and whilst hunting for the 'perfect' tree it got dark. We eventually ended up with a crap tree as the grinch dh was fed up with me iffing and ahhing.

Couldn't get the tree in the car, had to bend it this way then that, dsd felt sick from eating all the chocolate we told her not to eat and once we got it home half the Christmas tree lights blew. It resulted in a heated discussion and me pushing our new crap tree into dh half lights and all and declaring Christmas was already ruined.

This year I am going for ponce. Dh has assured me he will get into the spirit of things, so bring on the poncetastic festivities!!

I might have a stab at poncery this year. Think I got all that out of my system pre-dcs (remember making clove-studded kumquat hanging decorations).
We've moved into a house with much more space now; last year we could fit a much bigger tree, but the rest of the house (hall, stairs etc.) was a bit sparse.
Thing is, it's just us lot now (youngest of three dcs is 14), and I find myself getting more maudlin and 'what's the point?' as December draws in. Making more effort early on might actually nudge me to do something sociable!
(Salted caramel roulade sounds amazing!)

Yay , I'm in

As a family , DD and I are the main poncers.
DH is happy to let me ponce as long as I'm happy.
DS is meh (but he likes Aunt Bessie Yorkshire Puddings so I'm not going to consult him on the Ponciness Scale)

Last year (and the plan this year) is to have DBro,DSil,DM,DF and the DCat to visit.

Last year I did the table in blue. At Easter, I was talking to my DDad , he couldn't remember what my Christmas Table looked like , you can see what I'm up against. (He did remember the food so I'll let him off)

I spend many hours doing my lists, do my shopping , my food shopping.
I spend most of Christmas Day cooking Christmas Dinner (it's a day I enjoy but I need to command the kitchen. We have a kitchen/diner/through lounge so I can still chat).

I'll make a Poncey Christmas Pudding in my Portmerion bowl and we have evaporated milk poured over (I know , I know but they don't like custard or cream) in my Portmerion jug.

I do the beds in Christmas bedding I'm working out now who'll get which bedding.

Mama I've never made sloe gin but I think you're meant to pick them after frost so you've got time.

Or is that brussel sprouts? (Though I wouldn't fancy brussel gin)

Another years poncing shall commence tomorrow, I am beyond excited!

As I don't work on a Friday and DD is in nursery I have even set aside the morning to pop into town, choose this years 'Christmas notebook', settle down with a nice coffee and begin my plotting.
My pinterest board is already brimming with a mixture of things I haven't got around to doing over the last few years and new poncetastic ideas.

Better still it is our year to host so I can go into overload .

This feels like coming home I'm new to being a MNing ponce although a long term festive ponce who is so happy to find that others do this too and most definitely placemarking!

Mama, have you got the sloes? Can't remember when exactly they're out but I do know you can put them in the freezer rather than await the first frost. That reminds me, I've still got some in my freezer from a couple of years ago - wonder if they'd still ne okay?

Glass bowl of clementines with leaves on (just reading about satsumas in the stockings. It would get trodden into the carpet here).

Mum is hosting this year as my DB is terminally ill and can't travel to me. It's OK though, DS and I spend so much time here it's not going to be a big deal for anyone and she is well aware of my ponciness.

I have sloe gin (it's been in Kilner jars since last December) and bramble vodka to strain mid December. I will also be making Christmas pud vodka. I've got fruits in brandy and pickled nectarines in the cupboard ready for putting on ice cream and having with cheese and cold meats. I am putting my fruit in to soak this weekend to bake the cakes next weekend and will also get my mincemeat in to jars.

I have lists coming out of my ears and have started with gifts already. I am giving hand-knitted socks to a chosen few and am hand spinning yarn to knit in to a scarf for Mother. I handmade stockings last year so will reuse those. I collected pine cones on a trip to Scotland earlier this year which I will spray and add to a wreath I will make.

This is the beginning of my poncing. Poncy McPoncer from Ponceville.

You just have time to get sloe gin going, as in my experience it needs about 3 months to steep. Sloes are ready here (Lincolnshire). You can put them in the freezer or prick the skins (do the former, life is too short to do the latter).
I just fill a kilner jar or bottle to the top with sloes, add liberal sugar (i do by eye) and top up with gin (cheapest you can buy is fine). I then give it a gentle shake daily until the sugar dissolves. I often add more sugar once the first lot dissolves but I like a really sweet gin.
Strain and bottle just before Christmas.

I do tend to freeze sloes from this years crop to start gin in the middle of the year though as I prefer to steep it longer.

I also use this method for damson brandy and blackberry whisky.

Hello! I woke up extra early and excited this morning, couldn't think why, and then remembered, it's poncetastic day!

I ponce as much as one can ponce when one lives overseas and thus surrenders ones Christmas Day to one's mother in law when one visits England.

I was a poncer last year, I'm the one with all the crochet, I changed names with the hacking.

Yesterday I began to crochet tiny Christmas trees and snowflakes to make garlands, which I shall divide between the Woolly Hugs charity sale and my own house!

I have also hand crocheted Christmas hats for all the family and ordered DS a Christmas cardigan (ponce version of Christmas jumper!)

We're moving house soon, as soon as I've unpacked the kitchen I'll make a start on Delia's mincemeat.

Very unponcetastic... Peppa Pig's Christmas surprise has been booked.

Oh, and my biggest project has already reached completion - hand crocheted stocking for DH. It is huge so I'll have to work hard at finding bulkier fillings!

Dear God, yes. I LOVE this thread!!

Sadly, we'll have to strike out "fire blazing in the fireplace" for this year's Christmas enjoyment, as the fireplace needs have extensive work done and there's no way it will get done in time - I'm not risking having interior building work done just before Christmas!! There is nothing poncetastic about supports and brick dust.

I'm looking at a slight menu change this year, so I'll be watching a lot of the food posts closely for ideas. Dining room will be complete by end of October, so I will need to get decorations for it - this is going to be fun!

Three months to go!

Happy poncetastic day poncers! I'm new to this thread, but I do like to ponce around Christmas. new event this year is an early December brunch with some friends - most definitely need to pounce around that & would love to hear some suggestions!

zorion where did you get your pattern from for a stocking?! I've got one for tiny tree decs but wanted to make a big one each for me and DP

I'm hoasting Christmas for 12 this year so want lots of poncery! I'm off to the craft shop tomorrow for a hot glue gun and other bits and bobs. After a look on pinterest, I'm considering making my own wreath. I've never had one, and covet mils beautiful handmade one. She paid €€€€€ for hers, so have no intention of buying one!

I'm afraid I made it up as I went along binglet I can never follow patterns well. I made it like you would make a hat, then chained half way round for the ankle, then carried on until it was long enough, and for the ankle hole through trial and error ended up doing a circle there with lots of decreases. I couldn't find a decent pattern online... try making it up!! There are lots of mistakes but its totally unique!

OMG toddler DS has been fiddling with the ipad and somehow, god knows how, he has managed to put a christmas song on!!!! The ponce is genetic!

I am so pleased everyone is getting their ponce on already!
MamaDuckling when are you due? I love that there is a fellow preggy ponce!
This year will be me DH, DM, DSF, DB and DSIL on the actual day. DM and DSF are staying with us and DB and DSIL in a local hotel. Food wise I have been informed I am not to do anything on the actual day (as if) so I need to prep as much as possible before.

We are contemplating a rib of beef and a capon. Does anyone have any experience with capons? I have never had one myself but am quite keen for a turkey alternative that isn't too out there. Does anyone know how long I can freeze meat without losing some quality? I will also be freezing sides (home made stuffing, cauliflower cheese etc) plus making Jamie's make ahead gravy for the freezer.

Woohoo! I love this thread- have mainly lurked before, but was living in effectively a one bed flat with little space to ponce. Now we have a house, with loads of space to fill with Christmas, I am itching to get going. Have a new baby due mid-November though so CHRISTMAS may be less poncey than I would like, but I will try. DD is now 2, so old enough to get a bit excited.

Pink, you might be able to find a wreath-making workshop in your area. There's a free drop-in one at my local museum which I usually miss, but have put it in my calendar this year!
I've also seen them advertised at florists or places where they run gardening courses, possibly stately home-type places . . .