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

CC, are you able to PM me, maybe I can reply? I am still unable to start messaging.

I've not thought about Christmas films yet. I think I'd watch one I fancied if it was on, but wouldn't deliberately hunt one out!

I really need to do more wrapping later on. I've been a touch hungover today after a belated birthday lunch with my mum friends yesterday. Lovely time but boy did I feel wonky this morning! 🍾🍾🍾

Hello all! Been busy with rl things so must catch up...

I must confess to watching home alone 2 the other day with a hot chocolate. Dear god Kevin's parents are shit.

We've also done our last 'big shop' before the Christmas shop! Need to start running the freezer down before refilling it with Christmas goodies. I managed to sneak in a couple of tree decorations too, although dh rolled his eyes when unpacking.

Really need to start wrapping and do an inventory of what I've got. It is all on a spreadsheet but it always looks like either a lot more than you thought when you wrap it all, or a lot less.

I'm just at my mums for lunch. I luffs her - she has been to TK Maxx, spotted the Spode Christmas stuff (without me saying anything) and bought me a dish and 2 mugs. She always buys me something Christmas themed around now as an ongoing joke (in my family DH plays the perfect pretend Grinch to my Christmas mania and the gift is to make me happy and simultaneously make DH pull the face).
It's beautiful

I think we're almost there with our Christmas Shopping!! Only got a couple of presents to get and then we can concentrate on getting Martha's Presents!

We're on a "clear out the freezer" week this week so we will be eating some rather random meals, but the aim is to empty a couple of drawers so I can start refilling them with Christmas goodies. I've been into Lidl today and had a very quick look at their christmas stuff - it looks delightful.

Also popped into Homebase and my local branch is giving away the boxes their baubles come in (big egg box type things) so I picked up half a dozen so if you are looking for some free storage for precious baubles it might be worth popping into your local store to see if they are doing the same.

It's definitely starting to look at lot like Christmas

Handbag- those dishes are things of Christmas beauty!

33! 🎄🎄🎄

Morning all

Chip - was it children or weather that had you up posting at such an ungodly hour?

Today's task is to make a list or two. I luffs a list to check what there is to do. Everything bought so far is wrapped so I'm feeling virtuous. I'm bound to have missed something...

I've be just reactivated sky movies so we can watch all the Christmas movies and Disney over Christmas with the kids. I may watch The Holiday later. But I'll feel dirty about it ;-)

I am trying to do a freezer clearout as well - but end up putting things in as fast as I clear space. I took out a large container yesterday, of macaroni cheese (to make pasta bake for tonight) - and had to fill up that space with 3 portions of pumpkin soup this morning.

But we are eating from the freezer the rest of this week - and DH WILL take soup for lunch some days. (For some reason, he "forgot" this morning, and I have the flask as he wouldn't even come out of the office to take it off me - I am really not a soup person but I feel like death warmed up so maybe I will today).

Almost nothing Christmas done. Half the doors were hung (guy doing it wasn't told 2 were a double so needed extra tools - he'll be back on Friday), but the lino was put down in the carpet. I need to cancel the cleaners this week because the doors will be another messy day straight after they clean, so no point.

I'm also looking at my budget and realizing I have - not quite majorly screwed up, but close enough. Savings are almost wiped out without realizing it, and while I am solvent, I need to pull in the belt and cut the spends and put more away. And DD is about to cost a lot more as we need to move her afterschool club (bullying).

And I need to go to the storage unit on late night opening this week, to get out the advent stuff and a few bits for Cubs this weekend (cookery and firelighting things).

Handbag that is lovely, how wonderful is your DM!!

MrsD enjoy the randomness of the freezer!

Wooly I am dead jealous of you having everything wrapped , enjoy the lists

Good luck today, mummy.

We really need to eat through what's in the freezer but I bloody filled it with reduced stuff the other week! I think we will have sausages tonight in some form to clear some space!

We are spending loads on DS going to preschool, Biddy. DD went for 3 mornings from 2, but is doing 4 plus lunch now as that's her full 15 hours' funding. This means that DS wants to stay for lunch when he's doing his 3 mornings (and if he didn't, DH would be doing laps all day to drop off / pick up). What used to cost us about £235.00 per half term is now £410.00 (price has gone up 50p per hour as well, but I don't begrudge them that). Can't wait til he's also free next year! I'll keep getting a small amount of childcare vouchers though as I don't want to lose my entitlement to the scheme as the new scheme doesn't help us as much and there'll be after school clubs to pay for. Expensive little buggers, kids!

Oh, I've bought The Holiday on DVD. It was for sale with Love Actually for about £4.50, so I have them in Glasgow to entertain me on a lonely evening!

I've got a triple set but I can't find it and can't work out what the third film is! The holiday, love actually and something else. I'm going to put love actually on later.

I binned lots of food from the outside freezer, if I couldn't work out what it was or when it went in it went. I've also filled a lot of the space but a lot of Christmas prep stuff is in there.

I got the Aldi food catalogue. Wilf and I sat and drooled over it!

Thank your HH, roll on 4pm!

I'm keeping quiet about kids getting MORE expensive as they get older

I'm also doing the winding down the freezer stocks thing. I think I mentioned on the first thread that we had quite a glut of apples this year - so much so that I had to buy a small chest freezer for the garage to help store the 20+ tubs of stewed apples that resulted. I think I still have about 15 tubs left.

Very, very best of luck today Mummy

hope you get good news today Mummy

Woolly, I've had a little parcel today, but DD is here so I've not opened it. Sender surname beginning with C, which I think must be you. So thank you!

Oh yes, fingers crossed Mummy that all goes well

Certainly sounds like it Horace

My lists are done and I'm having a lovely time crocheting a mermaid tail for my friend's DD. I've got my candles lit and I'm watching the horrible drizzle

Another set of crossed fingers here for Mummy . Hoping for good news for you xx

All clear! Hormonal breast changes no further action needed. She couldn't find the lump that the GP found and the one I found is in the skin.

Brilliant news Mummy

Pour yourself a big glass of something lovely... annnndddd relax.

That's wonderful news Mummys! You must be so relieved. Hope you get a good night's sleep tonight and can really look forward to Christmas now! .

Whoop. Bloody brilliant news, Mummy! 💐💐💐😁😁😁

Thank you all! I now need to start eating better and lose all the weight I've put on in two weeks comfort eating. Then I can start the Christmas eating