Countdown to 2016 - a whole extra day to wait.

[AbbyCadabby]

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[santa]

Good luck with the shopping 70. It's the same when I go shopping with DD2 except she carries all the bags. I still have to pay for everything though

Today is DS's birthday party - so no doubt we will have to find homes for new toys tonight.

DH is 50 very soon - he has aged very well and I fancy him even more than I did when I first met him when he was 21.

My SIL is a MNer so sorry SIL if you read that. I'll bring some brain bleach next time I see you

I booked a personal shopping session at Top Shop for dd after exams last year. They had lots of outfits for her to try on and we had a large changing room in a separate area so I sat and watched. Our dedicated assistant then ran around changing sizes/ colours etc. it was a lovely experience. The session itself was free but obviously we bought things. They were things she needed anyway ( send a questionnaire beforehand ).

Ahh woolly, how lovely to hear you talk of you DH in a smitten way! Things have taken their toll on me and dh the last few years, looking after dad took so much time and energy before he moved to the home. I hope things will be much improved by next christmas.

I always write a list in January of the seasonal celebrations, and always plan to throw myself into each one with as much enthusiasm as christmas, - varying results

Burns night
Chinese New Year
Valentine's
Pancake day
Easter
Mayday
Summer solstice
School breaking up
August bank holiday
Back to school
Halloween
Bonfire night
Thanksgiving

There we are, christmas before we've even got time to think about it!

Happy Birthday Wooleys DS

I'm 50 this year and hopefully I look as lovely as I did at 21 I'll have to ask DH (we met at 19yo )

Valentines Day we do a meal (but otherwise it;s a bit overdone)
DH and I will celebrate 30 years together

Easter I love, and this year it's early (don't know if that's good or bad though)
DS GCSEs this year (then 6th form)

DD and I have birthdays only 3 weeks apart so I need to plan things for those (Spa Day is on the agenda)

Hallowe'en is one of my favourite times of year
Then we have DH 50th also October
Guy Fawkes
DS in December
Then Christmas again ... yesssss

Not thought about holidays, I think we'll leave it this year , planning a family get together so that'll be ££

I'm sure DD would leap at the chance of a Personal Shopper in TopShop, I'd be bankrupt though

My DD is 5'6", size 6-8 depending on shop, very long limbed and athletic (gymnast) , knows what suits her and loves clothes.

She's already eyeing up dresses for her Prom (which will be in 2 years time ). I still need to find out if my DS will be going to his. (He won't be buying a dress though)

Thank you Daisy and fingers crossed for you. I like your NN and I'm eagerly awaiting the next Carola Dunn. I love "Golden Age" mystery novels.

Thanks woolly, it's hard this marriage thing at times! Always gives me fresh hope when I hear of people so happy.

As part of my decluttering, I put my daisy books on ebay in December, but ds1 said to me mummy why are you selling your favourite stuff??? So I quickly changed the price (to extortionate!) and they didn't sell. Now I'm re-reading them, but joy of joys, only got to 10 or 11, so have a load of new ones to look forward to. Agatha Christie is my absolute favourite, so ive spent the last few years in search of the holy Grail, comparable books to hers. Whilst I think carola Dunn is a different style, she's got that old country house atmosphere spot on at times. (Really didn't get on with the muckraker one mind you, and found the dinosaur one a but baffling too !) however, I digress!

I started a major declutter October or so, made a fair amount on ebay to contribute towards christmas, but am being a bit more methodical now and giving myself 6 months to do it properly. (And hopefully save towards birthdays and next christmas along the way).

Risking a slight derailment...

I also like the Georgette Heyer mysteries but they are all pretty much stand alone so there isn't really a main character to empathise with.

I adore the Peter Wimsey books by Dorothy L Sayers and the Alleyn books by Ngaio Marsh are pretty good too. I'm reading the Campion books of Margery Allingham now and I have also enjoyed the Clara Benson books with Angela Marchmont as the detective. There is another series that I've read and enjoyed about a woman detective based in Brighton but my kindle needs charging and I can't remember the author.

DS had a fab party and was a superb balance of knackered from running round with his mates and hyped up on sweets and juice

We have a huuuuge family wedding at Easter so I'm really looking forward to that. DD2 did her GCSEs last year and DD1 had her degree finals that was fun, not so this year should be a little less stressful

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A month ago was Christmas Eve, all the planning taking shape , and one of the loveliest days of the festive period.
It always seems a right drag to get to the end of January though then February is a short month !

Look like I completely missed the sales (Christmas items) and I don't really buy clothes in sales unless it's something I've been wanting before (impulse clothes buying for me never ends well )

I was dithering about some Yankee Candles but I still have some left (they were 50% off some) but I declined them (and they're heavy too. I'd have been like some 17th C serf ambling on after DD, staggering under the weight of her handbag)

Seems like ages ago 70 but tomorrow is the first Rudolph Day of the year

Popped into Tesco this morning for the first time in ages. I'm now 34 weeks pregnant and feel like I've aged 34 years in a week. I very nearly rang DH to ask him to come and get me!

The seasonal aisle is fit to bust with Easter Eggs. Yesterday in Primark I spotted bikinis, flip flops and holiday things....I'M NOT READY FOR SPRING!!!

I may have to have a lie down in a dark room

Hope LittleWoolly had a great birthday.

Ooh, Paper, not long now!

That's one long relationship, 70! I met DH relatively late. (34)

Loving that list of celebrations. I don't want the year to go too fast though. (Though winter can do one! Bring me sunshine!) It's already racing along. Feeling like I need to slow time down and treasure these early days with my babies. Am looking forward to them growing, and doing different things, but already my 5yo feels so big. Just watched a few videos of him from when he was 2yo, and ohhhh, he was the most precious little boy I've ever seen. And dd is nearer one now than newborn, outgrowing new baby stuff. Have sold a good chunk of stuff this weekend so feeling less cluttered.

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Happy Rudolph Day everyone!

Gosh January has dragged hasn't it?! A month ago now I was in the kitchen doing Christmas dinnery things, the house was full of carols and laughter and wrapping paper and I had a glass of champagne in my hand. Sigh. Me and DD always say though that once it's a month ago since Christmas Day you HAVE to let it go and stop grieving! I miss it more than usual this year. Possibly because January has been a bit rubbish so far.

Still, definitely time to look forward now! Easter is the next big thing for us and I've already started buying a few bits. I bought a pale pastel blue Christmas tree in the M&S sale reduced from £20 to £3 - it's a wee two footer, and we've bought some pastel flower lights for it, and we're going to decorate with papier mache eggs and have an Easter tree! Also started buying cava, food bits etc. I love Easter, I wish it was more of a 'thing' generally. Only 58 days to Good Friday!

oOOh, Rudy Day!

At this stage, 1 month ago, I was stuffed from 1 turkey dinner, as we drove to the presents and next turkey dinner, in the rain and dark.

I love the list of things to celebrate all year, I may steal that one!

I put away the last of "Christmas" in the storage unit yesterday. (And re-organized it all as DH had literally just thrown all the bags in and there was a box of loose baubles (the nice glass ones!!) thrown on 1 side to get smashed!). All is now ready again to take out 1 crate in early December (fleece blanket, DD's duvet cover set, advent calendar, dvds and books, a mug each and glasses for DD, festive hats and gloves, and DD's HWB cover). The rest is also organized by use - so the decorations are all together, lights in another box, crockery in a 3rd, anything fabric in another - and I can then FIND things!!

This weekend I also gave a decent regular cleaning to the house. THis week, I intend spending some time on decluttering - focusing first on the Dining table, bench beside it, spare bed, and my dressing table. I also though need to do paperwork - yeuch!

So I might play some nice music to help me keep motivated (I probably won't do Christmas music but I may change my mind).

Ophelia your Easter tree sounds lovely. I'm hoping that it is a nice weekend weatherwise- both for the family wedding and for an Easter egg hunt in my SIL's garden. We usually follow it with the first BBQ of the year which isn't quite as much fun when it is raining

This time a month ago I was putting the finishing touches to our dinner. We actually ate the last of the Christmas turkey and gammon last night for dinner (it had been frozen ) - it was delicious casseroled with roast spuds, stuffing and pigs in blankets followed by Vienetta which reminded me of Christmas as a child.

Ooh, 11 months til the Big Day!

I haven't had Vienetta in years. We are vegan now, and there's a vegan version of it, but I've not managed to track it down yet.

I want Viennetta now!

0phelia I've got one in my freezer...pop round I'll happily share

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All the threes .......................

Vegan Vienetta eh?

I buy the Swedish Glace ice cream (I have no idea what is in it and I probably don't want to know ) I'm not a vegan but I am vegetarian/very limited dairy/wheat free (I eat some wheat time-to-time to test out my intestines. They don't enjoy it but I'm not coeliac so it doesn't 'harm' me. Just really painful )

I bought some GF frozen donoughts and I'm wracking my brains to remember where from (there were ok, not proper , but nice enough. Unlike the GF Yorkshire Puddings that I wont revisit)

Try Waitrose/Tesco/H&B ?

Can I jump in with a list of things to celebrate/look forward to?

Jan
Hopefully hitting my target weight at Slimming World
Feb
Shrove Tuesday
Valentines day
My birthday
Mar
DH's birthday
Easter
April
Disney On Ice
A little holiday to Butlins
Erm...My return to work?
May
Dd2's first birthday
Hopefully her christening, too
June
My dad's 70th birthday
July
Finishing work for the summer
Aug
Wedding anniversary
Sep
DD1 starting school!
DD2 starting at nursery
Oct
Half term
Halloween
Maybe a few days away
Nov
Bonfire night!
Dec
DD1 birthday and maybe her very first birthday party
Finish work for Christmas
CHRISTMAS!!

Something special in every month :) the year will fly by!

Paperblank I'm on my way!

Zombie your year sounds full and fun!

We haven't made many plans for the year yet, but so far things to look forward to include: Easter (really excited about that!), me and DH's 'getting together' anniversay in April (usually have a night in a nice hotel), trip to London in May, DD's 19th birthday in June, mine in August, DD starting uni in September (she's staying at home though and going to uni in our city, I'm so happy she's not moving out!), wedding anniversary, DH's birthday and annual autumnal trip to Edinburgh all in October, Bonfire night, and of course Christmas! Which stretches from the end of November to early January in our house

Today I bought a beautiful merino wool and silk jumper for DH to put away for next Christmas - it was in the final reductions bit of the M&S sale and was reduced from £40 to £7! I bought him a similar one for full price last Christmas and he adored it, this one's even nicer though. Also a purple silk tie down from £20 to £1.99! I think that's the last of the sale bargains now though,everywhere seems to be gearing up for spring/summer and the sale stuff is disappearing. I don't mind, I've done well this year!

A month ago now I was drinking champagne and waiting to order our Boxing Day curry. Gosh it seems like forever ago!

Ooh I like the list of things to look forward to...here's mine:

February
Finish work and go on Maternity leave
Valentines Day
Our baby is due

March
Mothers Day
Easter

April
My birthday

May
....hmmm I'll have to plan something...

June
Going on a Hen Doooo

July
Best friends wedding
Mum and Dad both have birthdays

August
DH birthday

September
Our first wedding anniversary
Centerparcs

October
Halloween

November
Bonfire Night Party
Christmas light switch on

December
Christmas - obviously

70, were you talking to me re where to buy vegan vienetta? Apparently it is only Tesco who stock it, I've just never managed to find it. I did find the vanilla and chocolate vegan ice cream by the same company though, and WOW, it is delicious! It's by a foreign version of Walls (same logo). We are trying to reduce our sugar though, DH has been watching some frightening documentaries and they've scared us off. Special treats only now.

What a lovely list of celebrations you all are listing.

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