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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Countdown to 2016 - a whole extra day to wait.

1000 replies

AbbyCadabby · 26/12/2015 10:37

Star 366 Star

[santa]

OP posts:
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TheWoollybacksWife · 12/02/2016 21:37

I've got a massive family and not one of them has got a Rudolph Day birthday. I'm not impressed.

One of my friends asked me to help her get organised for Christmas this year, so I'll have twice the amount of preparation to do. I'm so excited Xmas Grin

ConstantlyCooking · 13/02/2016 11:38

315
First day of half term.Smile
We are not doing Valentine's Day - partly because I have given up chocolate for Lent, but I am planning to make Easter a lovely family event and shortly after have a v big birthday to dread / celebrate.

VillageFete · 13/02/2016 15:58

Paper oh good luck!! Would love to see a picture of your gorgeous newborn.

So, valentine's tomorrow... I would celebrate the opening of an envelope in my house, so will decorate this evening (for DD's benefit) going to scatter fake rose petals, put some chocolate hearts out etc. We don't "do" valentine's really, I just cook a nice fillet steak & we get each other a card.

Can't wait for Easter, got so many lovely things planned for the Easter weekend, and i've started buying Easter decorations for the house.

My Christmas savings are coming on nicely, which i'm so pleased about, hopefully this will make it rather stress free this year.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 13/02/2016 20:53

Oooh yes easter decorations Grin
We (well, I ) do an Easter Tree (indoors, white twigs, planted in a felt Easter Bunny Bucket, hung with egg decorations.
Some of those tiny easter chickens on the stairs and I'm going to buy some rabbit decorations this year.
I have ceramic rabbit spoons (years old from Tchibo) and some rabbit napkins.

And we do a Hallowe'en Tree but that's a while off .

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 14/02/2016 00:00

Star 314 Star

Happy St Valentines Day Xmas Grin

Need to make my way off to bed and cuddle DH now .

Paperblank · 14/02/2016 17:04

Hugely romantic day here! I've obviously got that nesting thing going on Grin

DH is working a 13 hr shift Sad so I am blitzing the kitchen. I am doing it in 15 minute spurts so I "don't overdo things" and go into labour (happy to wait another 8 days)

I will be so happy when the kitchen is done and will probably kill anyone DH who so much as breathes in there!

BiddyPop · 15/02/2016 10:11

313

We had a very bad start to Lent in Cubs - we took the troupe to the local ice-cream parlor! Ooops. A bit of lack of planning, main leader absent (so planned wide games session was postponed), and no-one thinking. Oh well.

But I had a lovely surprise when DH got home yesterday - he brought a big bunch of flowers (from a flower shop!) and a bottle of champagne (the good stuff) with him. I think he is feeling a little guilty at the amount of time he's away recently.

And I did also manage to get some practical things done around the house. So the top of the kitchen cupboards are cleared for the painters coming, and I got some of the regular cleaning done (but I need to do bathrooms tonight - I just couldn't be arsed over the weekend).

Paper, hopefully it will stay gleaming for you, and if DH works 13 hours yesterday, he can be around more after the DC arrives instead. And you will have a lovely babymoon together (much more important than a Hallmark Holiday!).

We do an easter tree as well - lots of eggs hanging from branches. And a few egg pictures up on the windows in the kitchen (from various school projects over the years!).

BiddyPop · 15/02/2016 10:13

And we only have a short mid-term this year, as Easter is so early, so only off Thurs/Fri. DD is going sailing, at her request - forecast is bitterly cold but she did "fall in" (I suspect jumped) on Saturday at her first day back at sailing club, so cold water doesn't bother her!

Paperblank · 15/02/2016 14:54

Am lazing on the sofa today. I cannot find the energy to do anything - I must have worn myself out yesterday.

I might just have a chocolate and a little napChocolateGrin

zeetea · 15/02/2016 16:42

Hi all
I've always wanted to 'do' Easter and we're finally doing it this year - invited the in-laws over for Good Friday (I figured, if I make an effort for Easter/Halloween shindigs this year maybe they won't cause such a fuss about us wanting Christmas on our own again, we did it Crimbo just gone and it was the best thing - literally never want to see my in-laws on Christmas Day again, they've always ruined it in the past!)

Anyway I was thinking a nice lamb roast, a whopping big chocolate cake and decorating with some Easter bits (poundland are great for stuff like that) - any other ideas? Love the thought of an Easter tree!

BiddyPop · 15/02/2016 17:47

I'd definitely make a chocolate cake - turn the decoration into a nest with fudge icing and a poundshop-type little chick and a load of mini-eggs (whether in foil or the candy-coated type). We always have roast lamb for Easter too (my DM cooks).

What about an Easter Bonnet competition? Would the ILs be up for that?

And definitely a nice long walk in lovely spring sunshine (perhaps have a talk with OYBBK in advance to ensure there will be some Grin )!

zeetea · 15/02/2016 17:55

Fabulous ideas Biddy! I actually bought a load of those little chicks in the pound shop yday, I know what to do with them now! Grin
Can't wait already, I love all the Easter foods, hot cross buns for breakfast too yummy!

ConstantlyCooking · 16/02/2016 08:27

312
I am planning to make a simnel cake for Easter this year. I still have some marzipan left from Christmas.

AbbyCadabby · 16/02/2016 16:09

We have a whole packet of marzipan left - didn't use it in the end. Have given up chocolates and cake for Lent, hm, am feeling like cake now, thanks!!!

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 16/02/2016 21:16

Hot Cross Buns and Lemon Curd (must be bog standard buns, no cranberries or chocolate chips or other outlandish piffle) but Sainsburys Taste the Difference Lemon Curd.
(I will direct my wheat skiving intestines to take a day off)

Chocolate Crispie Cakes (with cornflakes) and mini eggs for DS

Rice Crispie Caramel (recipe on a box of Rice Crisipies years ago)

I love marzipan so I need to think how to incorporate it but keeping it minimal wheat (so no Simnel or Stollen)

Nigella Olive Oil Chocolate Cake for me and Brownies for DD.

DH can have fried eggs on a roll Grin

Paperblank · 17/02/2016 08:20

311

Loving the easter ideas! I'm going to have a little plan and come up with a way to spend the holiday I think 🐤

ConstantlyCooking · 17/02/2016 09:05

70 can you eat polenta? I made a lemon and almond polenta cake for my gluten and dairy free SIL. I imagine you could increase the almond content and it would taste like marzipan cake Grin

zeetea · 17/02/2016 18:03

Ahhh lemon curd is the bomb I love it! And crispie cakes I forgot about those, filled with mini eggs! Grin

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/02/2016 22:14

Constantly I haven't tried polenta (It is GF according to Google) I'd try the Nigella lemon cake.
In my eyes, Easter tastes of lemon, almond and cream (I don't like butter so no buttercream and I eat very little dairy, so I could do coconut cream - chilled whipped drained coconut milk. )

BiddyPop · 18/02/2016 10:18

Ooh, all this talk of lemon curd is making me plan another trip "oop North" (the only 1 I can get here is awful, so I tend to get it in Sainsbos when I am on a spin to NI). We're trying to empty cupboards and freezer anyway, so a spin before Easter might be a good plan.

M&S have their eggs out, including Easter Egg Hunt type ones. So I got 2 nets of mini-foil covered ones, 2 nets of caramel filled foil shapes, and 1 bag of larger foil eggs. I may need another few bigger ones, but at least I have enough to do the hunt in either house (DMILs and DPs holiday house) - we did one in each last year and the DCs next door loved it, while the adults in my DPs house always find it great fun (DD is the only child there normally).

I've also done something for Christmas this week! I tried to book the barn we stayed in 3 years ago, but there's a long term tenant in it now. So we managed to book a different cottage, only about 1km away, which has even more stunning sea views. Not cheap, so we are not staying for a whole week (but they are allowing a 4 night stay), but I really hope it means we can get some time out as a family of 3 even in the mayhem of a large family Christmas.

Also, DBro1 is coming alone for DB2's wedding in the summer, so DM reckons that the whole family (DB, DSIL and DNiece (then 2)) will be coming over for Christmas (transatlantic). And DSIL (DH's DSis) is due DC1 in late august, and DMIL expects her down as well. So having a space to retreat to is even more important (quite apart from DH admitting he cannot deal with another one like last year and being stuck in his home) - and having space for others to go visiting and not always in matriarch's spaces (on both sides!).

Paperblank · 18/02/2016 10:48

310

Xmas Grin

Biddy have you tried making lemon curd? It's soooo easy and delicious and hugely calorific but hey ho

I'll see if I can find the link to the recipe I used Smile

Paperblank · 18/02/2016 10:56

For Biddy

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lemon_curd_68499

Seriously delicious.

X

ConstantlyCooking · 18/02/2016 23:21

The lemon curd sounds delicious. I like lemon flavours. 70 I don't normally have cream with the lemon polenta as it quite moist, but it would be good with ice cream or can you get almond milk cream?

Paperblank · 19/02/2016 08:20

309

Xmas Grin
Paperblank · 20/02/2016 06:01

308

Xmas Grin
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