Countdown to 2016 - a whole extra day to wait.

[AbbyCadabby]

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[santa]

I think DH is right (a bit) the red tartan wouldn't look right in our room but...I'd go for a grey plaidy type pattern with the stags for a festive touch.
Not out-and-out Christmas but Wintery/New Year with a touch of reindeer?

Need to keep it cotton (hot flushes)

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I've made a dent in my shopping now

I swear I am not an Ikea salesperson - but we got a nice brushed cotton grey plaid duvet cover set in Ikea quite recently (maybe 8 weeks ago?). Up to king size duvet I think. Would that work 70s? (DH loves the cover, but the pillow cases have been given to me for camping purposes as he needs crisp cotton under his soft cheeks!).

I have dreams and plans for lots of sewing projects - then work and life get in the way. I did love all the stags last year though. I am also contemplating a piece of brown(ish) cotton material, a black fabric marker and cream heavy canvas-type fabric, to make a set of pine cone cushion covers. But then I have the BBQ aprons to make DB and his DW (first planned for Christmas 2011!), that I have the fabric and ribbon for ties for, and the tools to go in the pockets. The extra stockings for DSiblings. The baby dribble cloths for DNiece (now almost 2) which may get made for forthcoming DNiece/Nephew on DHs side. The knitted blanket for same DN. The knitted sleeveless jumper for DD. The brushed cotton Christmassy PJs for DD and DNephew (who needs cotton on his skin) - pattern goes up to age 8 (DD is 10, DN is now 8 and wear age 12!). The handbag for DSis when I had her in the secret Santa (2013). Oh, and the top I started for myself when we still lived in our old house (I am now a permenant 2 sizes larger, we moved in 2002).

Anyone want some of my stash?!

Biddy you should sell some things on eBay..."for a perfect Christmas, get it handmade by Biddy" ! I'd be a customer

I'm making surprisingly good progress with my shopping Chip Go us!

Summer solstice today, so that means we are now heading towards winter!
I usually start my Christmas prep in July so am planning my projects.

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Can't chat mic this morning. Evil work meeting put in for 11 so I need to prep now!! Boooooo.

Mimsnet - I'd love to sell on ebay - but that would mean actually finishing something!! They are all the UFOs (unfinished objects) that I have either started or bought the materials for specifically (and not including the numerous crates of fabric and wool with no specific purpose in mind just yet)...Maybe when I retire I will get them all done.

Enjoy the meeting Rat (evil grin!) - I hope the prep is sufficient, and you can get back to fun stuff soon.

No real news today, I am slowly making my way through the unpacking, drying, cleaning and repacking for storage of all the camping gear after Cub camp. (We struck camp in the POURING rain so everything is drowned wet!).

But I am also in work hell as I do planning and paperwork, and get the team focused on a couple of projects reaching the end line. And minding our US law student intern for 6 weeks.

Anyone see the "strawberry moon" last night? We had cloud cover - apparently it's quite cool and pretty rare.

I have now bought 18 presents so have made a good start

I am excited already though and we are still 6 months away

To paraphrase the late, great Sir Terry Wogan from tonight the nights are drawing in

Not done much in the way of present buying - that starts in earnest after everyone goes back to school in September. DD1 has just got a place on a Masters course - I've checked and there is a lovely Christmas market so I'm going to visit it her.

Winter is coming! haha
I have bought 3 out of 40 gifts, I have firm plans for one other, so only 37 to think of and buy...
Need to get my thinking cap on and start buying/listing DP is a PITA to buy for so I will struggle with him as I do every year!!!

Meeting was sufficiently evil (thanks biddy) I now have a massive project plan to produce by next Tuesday!!! Argh. (Also in project planning and delivery).

Are we having a mini celebration on Saturday? I'm out sat evening which involves alcohol. Can't wait.

OOoh yes!! I like the idea of a half year celebration for Rudy Day on Saturday - last Cubs session in the morning, powerboat training in the afternoon (4 leaders racing around the bay being careful but childish!!), and DH is home for a nice quiet "dinner á 2" (ok - I can't do the opposite yokie on the a, sorry to any francophiles). I even have a nice bottle of bubbles, or nice red wine, although I think DH would raise his eyebrows at me getting out the naice turkey wine we never had a chance to drink - although......that has me thinking about a small nice turkey dinner with fresh peas rather than sprouts....

Rat you are a genious!!

The 25th is the Birthday of my beloved DD 'Holly' (not a Christmas Baby, or even the fact she was born on the 25th , we just liked the name. It was the only girl's name that DH and I agreed on )

So , once I have got her Birthday, her presents, her meal out (they don't do parties at her age) , I have six months to recover till Christmas.

I had a look on the Ikea site, I will have a look at the duvets covers IRL (I have an Ikea paisley set at the moment which I love).

I could get the grey plaid , some darker sheets , and in December add a shearling (faux) backed blanket.

If I just buy it , wash it and put it on the bed, DH won't argue .....

70isa

my dd2 is Holly and her birthday was on the 16th of this month that because we liked the name as well (red dwarf)

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Sneaking in here to steal post number 666

My DH loves Red Dwarf Side but his coveted name for our DD was Kathryn (as in Captain Janeway from Star Trek)

Holly was a cat in the Sainsburys Pet Magazine (not that I named my daughter after a black&white cat, but I like the way it looked on paper )

As I was the one that was carrying and giving birth, I reckoned I should have final dibs (she was at risk of being called Mercedes, don't think she'd have thanked me for that )
Mercedes has nothing to do with her conception - we're not the Beckhams

We have Sci fi names for all three of ours. A farscape, a red dwarf and Tron. thats where the names are from not their actual name

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Anyone else looking forward to Christmas in July?

I'm probably going to get nailed for this as you guys are Christmas aficionados but are people sticking fillering already? Any tips for this? .... waits for the eye rolls as some have already wrapped presents

Stocking !!

Depends who you are buying for CBIGS/

DD1 will be 10 nearly so she gets jewellery, lip balm, hair bobble, scented pencils

DD2 will be 5.5 and she gets necklace, lipbalm. but then crayons, bath crayons, bubbles

DS1 will be 15 months so he will get a flannel, toy, bubble bath etc

Stockings are filled by rule:
Something you want
Something you need
Something to eat and
Something to read

And then a load of small fun bits as well

Need is usually things like socks, knickers, toothbrush, hair bobbins etc. Nice versions of stationary needs for school (nice rubbers, new colours, good toppers, extra erasable pens maybe 1 in a cool colour etc).

Eat is fruit (red apple, green apple, orange, mandarin, banana and maybe a kiwi) and some sweets/chocolate. Some people put a box of cereal from a selection box to get the DCs to eat breakfast!

Always a book I think they'd like to read, usually also an Annual or Christmas edition of a favourite comic, and sometimes a more factual book as well. I believe in books!

And then lots of fun stuff.

I grew up in a house where we all got the contents of a fruit bowl each and 1lb box of sweets, a book, something useful and something fun - so I just kept that going (perhaps a little more extravagant as I only have 1 rather than 6 to fill!).

This year, I haven't started but most years I have bits and pieces picked up by now. I look in Tiger (their stock changes frequently so nice to wander through from time to time), museum gift shops, good stationary places, and have started scouring the net as well.

I've never been great on the stockings but I love that idea biddy.
I can start looking for those bits now and putting them away. :)

Oooh I'll confess Ive got a bit Christmas excited now ...
I love the stocking bit ... There are some great ideas mine will be dd 6 , ds 10 and ds very. Nearly 18 ( but totes still gets one)
I might start putting bits away otherwise they get rushed at the end... Harder as they get older though especially boys !

I won't get to do it until next week, (and if I don't manage it - after my holidays) but I will try to remember. But I have a list of "stocking fillers" in a word document and there are lots there suitable for older folk - later teens and into adulthood (I know a few Americans who are big into Christmas and still do stockings for their married DCs and those DCs spouses!!). Might give some ideas

I've got a primary school DS and two older DDs (17 and 22). My stockings always contain:-
Pants and socks (sometimes, but not always Christmas themed).
Chocolate coins and either a Toblerone or a chocolate orange.
A book or a magazine.
Bubble bath/shower gel
Make up for the DDs - about 3 items
Football cards for DS
A novelty for DS - maybe Star Wars or football themed

This year I may include one of the giant biscuits from the bakery at Tesco. DD1 loves bourbon creams so what could be better than one the size of your hand?