I'm just going to say it.

[MintyGlint]

I'm ready for Christmas now.

That glint of the winter sun early in a morning. You can see your breath but the sunshine makes everything sparkle.

The feeling in the air as shoppers wander home, it's already dark and everywhere glows with lights and candles.

The sound of schoolchildren singing carols at our local church.

The look on faces when they open gifts, cooking as a family. The drive between houses to see other family. Hot chocolate, warm slippers, tinsel.

My first Christmas as a mother. Waking up with my daughter every day.

Just me? It's probably just me.

Yay for Christmas. The endless commercialism, the 'I wants', the stress of finding money to buy gifts, getting grief because you didn't buy what someone wanted and the a-hole Christmas shoppers; not to mention the hell of trying to get DD1 to think of someone other than herself for one damn day. Christmas? Well it can do one and be cancelled for all I care

Mrjones...
And you felt you had to come in the Xmas topic especially to share that with us?
Thanks 🤔
VERY easy to avoid the Christmas topic if it annoys you that much...just go to customise and hide
HTH 👍🏻

MrJones Christmas can be as commercial - or not - as you make it. It absolutely doesn't have to be. We've had Christmases where we've had plenty of money and ones were we've had sod all, but they've all been special, lovely and memorable. I think if you approach it from a stressed POV that's what it becomes; take a more relaxed approach and it becomes far more enjoyable.

Explain to people that you can't afford expensive gifts if you can't. Nobody would expect people they love to go into debt or be hounded by worry just so they can get their hands on a pricey gadget or whatever. 'I want never gets' is a valuable lesson to be learned! Have Christmas within your means if overspending makes you dread it all. There are so many ways to cut corners but still have a lovely time - there's lots of tips and ideas on the Christmas topic. Do your shopping online to avoid nightmare crowds - it's often much cheaper, too. Have a look at eBay for gifts - people sell on stuff that's often unused and there are some amazing bargains to be had.

How old is your DD? Perhaps a stint volunteering at a food bank collection or hospice - just a few hours in the run-up to Christmas - might be a useful way of reminding her to think of others for a bit if she's old enough. You could do it together and make it a new tradition - me and DD have done something similar every December for years, and follow it up with a nice hot chocolate somewhere festive.

Turn off the TV to avoid the endless adverts for an evening and play games or have a festive family meal - again, it doesn't have to cost much.

And if people are ungrateful enough to reject a well thought out gift then the problem is entirely with them, and quite possibly they'll find themselves off the gift list next year saving you more money Seriously though, vouchers always go down well, or better still home-prepared eatables which can cost very little, but look impressive.

Love Christmas and looking forward to it.
I enjoyed the celebrations when my children were little - still love it now they are grown up. We still do everything Christmassy and love it.

I agree too! I'm really looking forward to long jeans and boots, big fluffy jumpers, candles and warm snuggles in the evening when it's cold outside, hot chocolate, and all those traditional winter dinners like stews pies and casseroles! Also my daughters 2nd Christmas and our first staying home as a family (last year was too much stress trying to see everyone lol) xx

Oh Christmas, all cosy and twinkly 😀. Cards are already creeping into the shops. Mince pies and mulled wine, a million calories a day and I don't care because they are lush festive calories. Your excitement is infectious to some of us OP and I hope you have an amazing Christmas xx

I hate Christmas...bah humbug! 😜

Saw my first Xmas cards today
Didn't purchase any though!

Lovely OP. My nearly teenage daughter is in her high school choir for the first time this year and the carols are in the city cathedral, the lights go out and the children walk in carrying candles as a solo voice sings the first lines of Once in Royal David's City. Spine tingling. I'm also working at a local Christmas Market this year and just finished writing copy for the listings. Going to enjoy my beloved autumn and then...deck the halls! The cost and commerce doesn't have to feature - resist! I loved Christmas as a child and believed in the big fella with all my heart, then grew up and realised we become him so believe all over again. Enjoy your anticipation and the little one's first Christmas. Sounds like you love it for all the most magical reasons.

Thank you BiddyPop. Some lovely ideas and a reminder of some things we did last year and really enjoyed.

I've actually already brought both ds's main presents already lol I have two no so know it would be more of a struggle around November December so decided to get them early and get little bits leading up, so glad I have. I've brought my nieces and nephews too. I've found so many bargains lol plus my ds2 will be one in October so I've brought he's main birthday present as well. It's all about hiding them from my eldest now he's 8 and will hunt them out haha I love Christmas and I'm so excited for this year xx

BiddyPop your Christmas sounds lovely!

I hate Christmas. I converted to become Jewish partially because I hate Christmas so much.

We're going to Iceland for Xmas (country, not shop!!) - I cannot wait!!

Incidentally, in spite of 3 DC, I usually hate Christmas as I miss my dearly departed DF and DB so much...hence why we're going away this year.

i am eagerly awaiting boots christmas gift catalogue hitting the stores.

i bloody love christmas.

i started getting the little flutterings a couple of weeks ago!

like butterflies i know i know. im a five year old trapped in an adults body when Christmas is just around the corner.

Am currently on a beach in Barbados and Christmas couldn't be further from my mind but you crack on luv if you are excited xx

I bloody love Christmas. I've been collecting Emma Bridgewater Christmas crockery all year and can't wait to show it off.

Dd1's birthday is in December. Mine is in November. There's Bonfire Night when we get together with all the family and have a big fireworks party. The kids love Halloween, we usually have all the friends round and have a big party for that. I love this time of year. I love a sunny summer day and flowers in the spring but I also love cosy winter evenings, my lovely woodburner, snuggley jumpers and the build up to Christmas.

The only thing is we just lost Fil. Dh will be a bit down this year. He'd been ill for a long time and it was expected but it's still not very nice.

My lovely new crockery will be out as soon as my birthday is out of the way and the tree will go up at the beginning of December. I'm going to dig out the paper chains this year and the fairy lights for the windows. Can't wait.

I absolutely LOVE Christmas but I do love the Autumn first..collecting conkers, choosing pumpkins, trick or treating & bonfire night with toffee apples & sparklers, snuggling up in pjs straight from school & watching films. I am a summer baby but I actually like all the seasons for different reasons. Having said that I have brought my new winter boots & gillet ready for the winter!

I absolutely love Christmas it's our favourite time of year. I'm not a big fan of summer so when the kids go back to school the countdown to Xmas starts. I love everything about Xmas seeing all the decorations the Xmas songs wrapping the presents the cold winter mornings putting the tree up and Xmas movies. I think I might be the real life Elf🎄🎅🏽

Okay. Christmas used to be a fun,silly time for me when I was younger. But somewhere along the way the magic/fun has been lost. I am cynical towards it now.

I do like the idea of getting my eldest to volunteer somewhere. I personally would give up my whole Christmas weekend to volunteer somewhere

Mrjones
Many people do just that
My pils make and deliver Xmas day meals to the elderly
I always donate money - I've chosen UNICEF this year
I also always do shoeboxes and Salvation Army boxes
A friend of mine puts together boxes for homeless people and delivers those in our nearest town.
There are many different ways to give at Xmas - but be aware lots of people want to volunteer at Xmas - it's the rest of the year that these charities need help!
Don't be surprised if they already have enough helpers.
All depends where you live of course -
the bigger the city the more opportunities for volunteering
I would make enquiries now if that's what you want to do
I try to celebrate the whole month of advent rather than one day....advent was once a very strictly observed religious season
(Fasting etc) and no one worked from Xmas eve til twelfth night!
I don't fast but I do try and do something special each day of advent (even just going for a nice walk)
Xmas is as commercial - or not - as you make it