Countdown to 2016 - A whole extra day to wait...thread 2!

[MrsDilligaf]

Well hello avid countdowners....

A shiny new thread for us

Link to the last thread here

I forgot to ask yesterday - has anyone seen any small Christmas themed soft toys that play Jingle Bells? My friends little boy has been singing it since July and he has a birthday at the end of November - I thought I could give him that to sing along with throughout December but haven't found any yet.

Also, I am in full on organising / listing / spending money mode - DH is like this at me and my millions of crochet snowflakes because I wandered the Christmas aisles of Sainsbury's yesterday and wanted to buy everything!

I got almost nothing Christmassy done this weekend.

Saturday, I did get firewood organized, which was on my "to do" list. And I picked a tub of blackberries on the green, as spare in case the Cubs didn't find enough to stew with their icecream - but we got lucky and found enough in the park, so I froze the tub I got (I had intended blackberry and apple crumble for desert, but had no energy, so I will do it next weekend instead).

Sunday, I did manage to go through the boxes of winter clothes and put away the summer clothes. Although I won't get the boxes back into storage until next weekend. But at least the sorting job is done. And there is quite a selection of bags of cluttery bits for DMIL to sell at carbooting (in aid of either Friends of the local hospital or the hospice - not sure which it is just now), old clothes of DD's for DN's in 2 places, and a bag of my old clothes for the charity shop.

And I spent most of Sunday actually out in boats (powerboat training), which was intense but reasonably pleasant and relatively relaxed compared with dealing with DD all day. (DH took her climbing, they lasted 5 hours there!! and then shopping so he was in absolute bits last night!!).

Tonight, I go through my lists

Warning: do not go into John Lewis' Christmas dept. I spunked £36 on unneeded baubles etc today (on the upside, there are very cute mini snow globes for £5 which I knew DD (3) would adore. She spotted them, and I was right!).

I went to Costco and resisted the huge nutcracker prince ( life size), the Father Christmas and Christmas trees ( polishes halo).
I may have bought wrapping paper and ribbon plus panettone and am considering some other bits. It was a lovely Christmassy time wandering around but I resisted the stollen and mince pies.

I have decided to introduce an advent box for home - it will have the advent calendars plus Christmas films and books and any new cushions and other bits. The Christmas Eve hamper will mainly be nibbles and hot choc and maybe a fleece blanket.

I went to Costco and resisted the huge nutcracker prince ( life size), the Father Christmas and Christmas trees ( polishes halo).
I may have bought wrapping paper and ribbon plus panettone and am considering some other bits. It was a lovely Christmassy time wandering around but I resisted the stollen and mince pies.

I have decided to introduce an advent box for home - it will have the advent calendars plus Christmas films and books and any new cushions and other bits. The Christmas Eve hamper will mainly be nibbles and hot choc and maybe a fleece blanket.

Did they have non foil / metallic double sided paper did you notice?

I'm excited! Bought my son's main present now and then splurged out on annuals, books and chocolate, Christmas pjs and a couple of dvds.

Have enlisted hubby to make a wish list with me for Amazon (for my son) and we'll do a Christmas list (complete with cut out pictures from Smyths catalogue!) this weekend.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

74

I didn't think it was possible for time to get any faster, but it is! I'm getting so excited now.

Apart from DH, I've also completed my shopping. Lovely stuff! (I need his input for his present as he needs a new waterproof coat and it needs to be good quality. He knows more than I do about such things too!)

I am not doing well in terms of what I have and haven't bought looking at my list I still need 26 more gifts! Plus DP!

I normally do a big blitzkrieg in early November and get most of it out of the way in one day, I like to be done before December 1st with everything wrapped before the first weekend in December!

Don't have kids so I have more time than most!

I went to Costco and resisted the huge nutcracker prince

Matalan has some good sized nutrackers for about 10 - 12 quid. come up to my knee,

I adore the whole nutracker theme I wish more of that style of decoration would be introduced. Mice King, sugar plum fairy etc.

because I wandered the Christmas aisles of Sainsbury's yesterday and wanted to buy everything!

^^ nothing in my local sainsbos - just hallowwe

To be fair, the Sainsbury's I went to wasn't my little local one, it was the huge one in the next city. I love it there, it has food, clothes, gadgets, books and home stuff all in one place

There is nothing Christmassy in any of the shops near where I work - although there 2 men on a crane thing putting up the decorations yesterday!

I made a present yesterday (I crocheted over a headband and added a few peaks to make a crown / tiara). Very happy with it - and I thought about crocheting some huge presents to put under the tree like the light up ones but free what do you think?

Costco had lots of wrapping paper and lots ofNutcracker themed stuff. I was wondering if it is a big theme this year.
I also discovered a matalan near work and had a few minutes browsing in the Christmas section. I need new fleeces and am tempted to go with a rustic-highland theme instead of the red and white Scandi theme from the last couple of years.

Went to our local garden centre today and they were setting up their Christmas displays - loads already out. DD was super-excited! Starting to feel very festive with my Boots catalogue, though I wanted to buy something particular from it and popped into Boots yesterday, asked a woman working there where the Christmas wrapping paper was and she told me off! ("It's a bit too early for all that don't you think?" - with frown and frosty voice)

Lady at the till in sainsbury was saying to me how quickly Christmas was coming. I thought it was a bit early for the conversation but only from a non Christmas thread person and enjoyed it immensely.

DD has spent the last few nights devouring the Smyths toys catalogue. And told DH on Sunday the list of things she wants - when he mentioned that there was a lot there and it costs a lot, she told him that "an Xbox is very expensive Daddy, these aren't that expensive" !! Oh, yes, she has it sussed - but there is no way on this earth that she's going to admit that she has it sussed!!

BTW, her list had what we intended giving her, and a good few more things besides. Mostly sensible enough things, but I think it means we are looking for some more lego to add - or maybe that will be from us, or an idea for someone else in the family. Actually...maybe a good idea for someone else, as my family are often looking for "big" ideas. She is just finished rebuilding (again) her police truck set (2 years old), and the fire station Santa brought 5 years ago (she still had almost all the bits, literally only needed to get about 3 bits from other sets in different colours and that was a set with a LOT of small and specialist bits in it)! I was very pleasantly surprised at that!

73

No-one did the Countdown

Tuts loudly at Wayfarer Mummy and Biddy

Lump of coal for you lot

No Christmas things going on here, though I did see some really nice napkins in Sainsburys.

Planning for holiday at the moment, trying to get all the clothes/toilletries/swimwear sorted and hope I don't hear wails of Mummmm I need trunks/goggles/sandles because its blinking October and they don't sell the summer gear now

I thought I had. Oops.

Got the boots Christmas catalogue. Haven't looked yet.

Saw boots were setting up a full your own gift box thing, looked interesting!

Has anyone had anything yet about the Boots Christmas shopping events? They normally start the last week of October...though they've been gradually reducing the points you get back from it. One year I got 1700 back in points for every £50 spent (I stock up on stuff I need all year round...) - last year it was only 1200 points though.

I had something in the post last week about them. I didn't commit dates to memory though, as I'm working away right now so need to find out about them local to where I am.

Today I got the chocolates to go into my son's cloth advent calendar. Plus a, "5 for £20", deal for me!

Merry Christmas!🎅

The nearest one to me is on 27th October - the Thursday of half term week. I might nip over and have a look at the make up for the DDs. I always put foundation and mascara in their stockings and I bought DD2 brow something from Benefit last time I was in Debenhams. DD1 isn't into make up as much as DD2.

I picked up a couple of stocking fillers today and had a wee nosy round the decorations in Matalan. Was someone looking for nutcracker statues. They had traditional red colour way and a blue/silver version too. I also ordered DD1's main present and a family board game this afternoon.

My sister has ordered a unique gift for DS on my behalf - all I have to do is pick it up without him seeing when we are out on Sunday.

1000 points per £50 and yes 27th October

How annoying, they've reduced the points you get back, again! Boo. I normally wait to stock up on essentials at those events but without so many points I might as well just buy my toiletries and stuff from Tesco!

72- it getting closer.
Ds 2 told me what he wants yesterday. A skateboard, a red helmet and a peppa pig lunch box. He is almost 4, it did make me laugh when he told me. DS1 is going to have a think (his words). I dread what he will ask for. Something i prob can't get.