Countdown to 2016 - a whole extra day to wait.

[AbbyCadabby]

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[santa]

I am in for the countdown for 2016.

I think I was on the thread for 2015 too but ironically dropped off the closer to Christmas it got as everything was too busy. I am normally hyper-organised for Christmas but it all felt very rushed last year. I travelled to Australia at the end of November and then before I had properly recovered from that my parents came to stay for a week at the beginning of December and then I never properly caught up with my Christmas prep.

We did manage to do some lovely festive things including a trip to the ballet, to see Elf the musical and a few days spent in Center Parcs just before Christmas but my never-ending to-do list never seemed to shrink. I found myself on December 20th at some ridiculous time of the morning kneeling outside the Harry Potter shop at Kings Cross wrapping presents for friends' children trying to catch the last post...

Not this year!

I went to Oxford Street today and bought a few stocking fillers for the DCs from Selfridges and Hamleys. It was lovely and quiet. January post-sales is obviously the best time for Christmas shopping!

I'm very jealous of you all getting bargains to stash for next Christmas. Mind you, I would probably get some if I actually went to the shops

Guitargirl I had an unusually busy run up to Christmas and it really affected how prepared I felt. My family didn't notice any difference but I felt a bit flat. I seemed to do a fair bit of preparation in early November then work went crazy and it was suddenly the day that schools broke up. I'm afraid I did smile at the thought of you kneeling down outside the HP store wrapping presents, sorry. I made crochet/knitted gifts for my niece's children this year and was sewing in the ends after midnight the night before we were due to travel to see them.

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Sorry, I am rubbish at pictures so you'll have to wait for someone like 70s to show up for that!

And also, sorry for my "woe is me" post earlier in the week - I was having a bad day and ranting helped me get through without eating the head off DH or being tempted to ring DMIL and piling on the guilt.

Today, I am working on getting a big job done at work. DD is home sick (ear infection) but DH is with her and will drop her off to me on his way to aircoach (2 days away for work). And a couple of quiet nights at home this week (due to DH's travels) means I might get the dining table cleared and also get some sewing done!!

Today, will be a GOOD day!!

You woe-away, Biddy! Hope it helped.

Another one for whom Xmas felt a bit manic, though for nice reasons in that we took a long holiday at the end of November, very last-minute so I was really busy planning that - Xmas seemed to come out of nowhere.

Our town still has its lights up in the hight street - not lit, at least. Though lights look so pretty, would be nice if we had them year-round.
Anyone been to the Lumiere lights thing in London?

Hello all, I'd love to join you. I too love christmas and feel a bit bereft when its all over. I especially love the planning of it, my lists, picking up bits and bobs for stockings.

We had a lovely chilled out christmas this year, much better than I'd hoped - similar scenario to others, we'd moved my dear dad to a home earlier in the year and me and my sis were really worried how christmas would feel. Dad has advanced Alzheimer's. I think we both felt the day went much better than expected, we didn't plan for it to be elaborate, and both managed to see dad mid afternoon.

2014 was a fairly busy one, as dc3 was just 2 mo (ds1 is now 8, dd is now 6), he'd arrived 3.5 wks early, so I hadn't managed half the Christmas prep I'd planned! So I was more organised this year, but stupidly in October felt I didn't want to peak too early and ruin the spirit and build up so slacked off a bit cue, some slight panicking, but I absolutely love the post up thread about the purpose of this thread, and being able to enjoy the build up without stressing about doing stuff.

Just took the decs off the tree today (DH had put the boxes back in the loft so only got them down on the weekend!) it is now looking forlorn with the lights alone. I watched love actually whilst doing it. I plan to watch all of my Christmas films every year from November onwards, and never manage it, so am working my way through them now.

Have got some lovely cards online in the sale (my secret treat, whilst the dcs are happily playing with their new stuff after Christmas i trawl all the sites online for cards I like ), also had some lovely wrap from whs, but I must admit I do love it when oct / nov comes around and I can start looking at the new cards in stock- it's a bit of an obsession of mine. I have my Christmas box on top of my wardrobe with cards, tags etc in, which I have a look through if I need cheering up!

i don't tend to buy any presents until the autumn arrives, but I just love the whole planning and thinking of it!

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DD asked me today "Why couldn't we have had this cold weather in December " (-3 when we left home brr )

C'est la vie!!

Went for a quick dash to Lakeside it was weirdl being so quiet, all geared up towards Easter/Spring now (all yellows,blues and florals)

I didn't have the time or wherewithall to look for bargains unfortunately, got some clothes and headed home.

Welcome, Daisy.

Ha, 70, - DH said at Xmas that we should move Xmas Day to February when it has been coldest for the last few years.

Ordered some little bells for decorating gifts for next year - they just arrived and have gone in my Xmas gift tags and decorations and sprinkles box.

Yes, my dcs keep saying oh why didn't it snow for Christmas, every time snow is mentioned on the weather! The mountains have been covered for the last week. I keep telling them this way we get the best of both worlds- Christmas Day happens anyway, and I've promised a winter festival with a feast if it snows

I've decided on a new approach to saving for christmas today. I've written out envelopes with Christmas 2016 on and on each one added similar people, so eg dcs' friends, teachers £60 total, mum £50 etc, and I've decided I'm going to put £10 a week in an envelope, then as each envelope gets its total I will seal it. I'm keeping them in my Christmas box. I do save in a separate account for Christmas, £30pm, but with 3 dcs now, I've started to find that just about covers their gifts, 3 stockings, and our Christmas shop I was going to up the amount, but I think I would dip into it as things arose through the year.

Also, in reality, I do pick up some of the smaller value gifts in asda/ off the internet / when out and about from sept onwards, which tend to just be absorbed by my weekly budget, so I'm hoping that come November when I open the envelopes, I might actually have a bit more than I need so some leftovers for treats!

Same. And last year when it did finally snow in Jan/Feb, my then four-year old saw it and said "Ooh, is it Christmas?".

Well, in an exceptionally organised thinking-ahead WIN, I have just bought FIVE YEARS' WORTH of pants for now baby-DD. Tesco had them all reduced, so I bought 18-24 mo for next years' stocking, and then for the following four years. Bargains, and mega cute! All the same design. It will be a 'thing' - 'oh, same pants as last year'! (I always put pants and socks in all of our stockings. DS looks very disappointed every time he gets to that particular gift!)

Ds1 and dd thought it was hilarious that santa put pants in their stocking- a bit rude of him - not just any old pants mind you, Star Wars / frozen respectively.

I actually love the hunting for stocking gifts part. I don't usually buy any gifts until autumn, unless I see something I know someone would absolutely love, but stockings I am going to start as I know I'm going to get them a monopoly and battleship shuffle card game, as they love the proper version.

Whilst I don't up overboard on stockings, I do like it to be stuff they will use.

I don't hunt too early though as their tastes can change a lot in a year.

Which one got Star Wars and which Frozen?
I shall admit, I have not seen either (any) all the way through yet!

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Ticking on, still being narked about January...

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I woke up at 2am this morning, thought "Four weeks ago was Christmas Day, we had a full house and I was going to cook my meticulously planned Christmas Dinner" the anticipation was palpable (DH,DS and I all camped in his room)

Then went back to bed, ear worming that song from 'Pilot' January, sick and tired you've been hanging on me...

1975 it was released, I am officially ancient

Oh, poor 70s - I occasionally realize what your username should mean, but I always think of you as a child of the 70s, and that is definitely NOT ancient (was born before that song was released also).

Daisy that is a great idea to put the money aside in the envelopes, and be able to use it too if you see something perfect for the recipient in the summer sales, you already have the money there!!

And Abby, I LOVE the idea of Santa bringing the same set of pants, in the right size, for years to come . He always brings pants or socks (or both) in this house too.

RL is taking all my attention at the moment, no planning ahead capacity. But I am working on putting the planning, prioritizing and delegating skills I learned from here and other Christmas prep, as well as household cleaning, organizing and "minimum maintenance" plans, in operation to keep us all afloat. And so far, that is working. DH picks up the new car this weekend, so all the savings have been wiped out with that (had to bite the bullet and go back up to a 2 car family - he's needed in DMIL's too much at the moment and DD and I need a car locally at weekends as not all is accessible by public transport).

I have had to scrape frost 2 mornings this week though, so it is finally getting to wintery, Christmas-type weather!!

Child of the sixties Biddy the Big 5-0 this year >

What does your username refer to, 70? Speed, age, both?
I was also born before '75, but only just.
Thanks, Biddy! Me too! Hope she likes them. Shame they only went up to 5-6! We do socks and pants every year too - bulks out the stocking well. Hope you enjoy the new car!

it's a motorway speed limit reference Abby (though IRL , I think they should just scrap the speed limit , it causes more aggro )

I buy pants for the DC stockings - M&S Christmas knickers for DD and some 'Pink' ones that she chose (she's 13.6)
Bought some Uniqlo trunks for 16yo DS (I had a look in M&S, their teen trunks were vile colours and he;s reed slim so the mens were way too big)
He's and hasn't worn them

New car @ Biddy (pats Wolowitz the Nissan on the bonnet so he doesn't sulk)

Ooh, controversial! :)

Lol. I bought DS (then aged 4) some stunning ones last year, had days of the week on, really stylish. He preferred to wear the pants he had the previous year that were all worn out (he had two pairs that were his faves, so they got washed and worn and washed and worn and they are faded now but still he prefers them, even though they are a bit snug!). This year I got him just a three-pack as the days of the week ones are still a good fit.

I've always wondered what your name meant 70

Mine is just another (regional) name for a hedgehog :o

I did a big Amazon order today, as there's an offer on (£10 off a £50 spend as long as it's all sold by Amazon themselves with code BIGTHANKS) - resisted getting any Christmas stuff though.

In terms of pants I am really pleased that the short type ones I got DD at Christmas actually fit her. I think they're much nicer than regular knickers so I'll stick to them in future.

fuzz, I never knew that! Which region?

I don't actually know! Not my region anyway (near London). It was some programme several years ago now, on BBC I think, all about words and how they vary. It just caught my attention because it was cute :o

It is! :)

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Need to get a wriggle on, shopping with DD (oh, joy)

Shopping with DD = we go to TopShop, Pink, Mac, Dorothy Perkins, H&M, New Look, various sports shops . I carry the bags, pay (natch) and she slinks along looking lovely and teenage blokes eye her up (she's 13.6 but girls look older) so I glare at them [sigh]

I have not heard of Pink! Gosh, I am out of touch!
Have a great day.
We are dejunking!