Yes! To noticing lighter eves. Final bargain rummages - the florist has some cute wooden signages, the usual 'Have yourself a ....' etc. And some pretty carved wooden trees. I did not indulge!
Watched a prog from a couple of years ago - Alex Polizzi, scarily sharp and accomplished! Decorating her Clapham home. Made a point that struck a chord, which is to not necessarily buy items with festive print, but to go for plain festive colours, so as to be more versatile.
With that in mind I did just pick up some beautiful red napkins with a subtle gold thread running through, which are definitely very suitable for the big day and could also work for St Vals, adult birthdays and for posh dinners!!
Mince pies on the 25th is a brilliant idea! Esp given that last year's batch tasted great but had burnt bottoms, I could use the 25th as practice runs. DH is such a food lover and would def be on board.
I wouldnt want to eat too much Xmas nosh throughout the year as I love to build the anticipation of it! I think I may enjoy the prep/planning/making even more than the eating, which is a somewhat strange revelation!!
Not just the pies, maybe also trial/practice other dishes on Rudolph days. The vegan nut roast needs a thorough rework _starting again from scratch and then there are the sides and miscellaneous dishes and treats, recipes I have drooled over but never made. Most notably a good red cabbage dish. Brilliant!!
Ohh and home made chocs, def can work on those as I plan to make as many gifts as poss and no longer have the patience for needlework/knitting/anything that takes longer than a single eve. I have made a fair bit of choc and it is the most fun ever. I would love to work some Christmas flavours in and also some seasonal shapes!