Countdown to Christmas 2017

[SideOrderofSprouts]

365 to go

I have ventured out today and got some great Christmas bargains in Hobbycraft, big craft sets reduced to £1.50 from £5.00 and little sets for 49p. Put lots of those away for presents, All our decorations go back into the loft this weekend, Christmas feels like such a long time ago/

Yes I say keep the cards too, I always keep this years for next years so I can remember who sent us cards, but also as my mum isn't in the best of health, so I will always have the last one just incase something happens

I took the decorations and tree down last night . But I quite like having the house looking a bit tider, and we're having a nice family meal tonight.

Someone further up said that they find that the preparation for Christmas is the fun part and I can see why. For me, late night Christmas eve is a change of gear, when all the work is done and dusted, and family time kicks in. So this year I AM going to start early, and try to get the basic stuff sorted before December, like presents, food orders for store cupboard stuff, cards etc. Even if I don't post them out, at least they are ready to go and I'll enjoy doing it all more when I'm not rushing.

I called in at the recycling place with bottles, card etc from Christmas 2016. Popped into Poundland and discovered that they had 'everything in this bay 10p' emblazoned all over their Christmas section. I bought wrapping paper, ribbon, a table runner, gift tags, napkins, cupcake cases and will pack them away with the other Christmas decorations ready for December 2017. First time I've done this, which makes me feel marginally insane and very organised in equal measure.

Normally a lurker, but just popped on to ask if any of you could recommend an app for tracking presents (on android). What I want is something that will let me create lists for each person, upload photos of the present (going to be organised this year and wrap as I buy, but obviously don't want to forget what I've bought and not sure a description will cut it with the DCs toys) and let me add in the cost of each item. Does such a thing exist??? TIA

Decorations down here too. The lounge looks particularly bare as we've had to move everything out of reach of the small person. It looks like we're moving out its so bare!

I'm nearly at the end of my maternity leave, but I have a couple of weeks to myself before I go back to work when M will be in nursery. I'm going to go up into the loft and sort it out. DH just shoves stuff up there but I like neatness and order. Plus I have quite a bit of stuff like wrapping paper, cards and crackers that didn't get used this year and I want to get that listed in my organiser ready for next year.

DD1 took all the decorations down this afternoon while I was in work and she did all the party bags for DS's party tomorrow. She's away to study for a whole term in Europe next weekend and I am going to miss her in so many ways.

How on earth is M a whole year old soon MrsD?

Christmas was very different this time round. It's strange how just one more person can affect the family dynamic. The DC didn't even get to watch Dr. Who until DMum had gone home I suspect that even our quiet family celebration was too much for her. It certainly didn't help being away from home and sleeping in a strange bed.

Kittycat I regret it now lol
Not taken the decs down yet
am doing it in the morning hubba not happy lol
bought more cards from whsmiths
and a vegan advent calendar for dd1 from superdrug half price
I am sure it will decrease more but I couldnt chance it
it is hard it is to find vegan advent calendars that are not horrible pretend chocolate lol

Oooooh you naughty peeps - no countdown

So, we're 352 then (for about another twelve minutes, I'll hover about till post midnight)

I have found my people. This Christmas seemed to go faster than usual. I am still sad about taking it all down! Nice to be among like minded Christmas fans

351

I find every year it goes quicker (but I blame my age )

I still have some iced/marzipanned Christmas cake (your NN has just reminded me) about the size of two blocks of butter, I took some to my DParents , and some un-iced for later (wrapped up)

I'm going shopping with DD , now the sales have settled down, so not looking for Festive bargains but there might be something out there

I'm waiting for the boots sale
On the 18th where it drops to
70% off

Marmalade - there is a free app I use called Xmas Organiser. You put in all your lists/budget etc and it's really handy. No scope for photos though, I'm afraid.

sprouts I did quite well in the Boots Sale last year. I got a few gift sets that I repackaged and gave away during the year. The packaging was damaged so not giftable but the products were absolutely fine.

Saved me a fortune!

I wonder if they'll have anything left by the 18tj? I've sometimes found more bits in the smaller boots than the large one.

For present tracking I use an excel spreadsheet and a pintrest board. The spreadsheet totals up the list of presents per person, price paid and RRP. But find looking at exactly what I have got via the pinterest board, stops the twitch a little.

Ooh the Pinterest board idea is genius! I'm going to steal that.

So today I am doing the 'big clean' and have found a Christmas gift bag with half a string of crochet fairy lights, some crochet snowflakes and an unopened Christmas magazine. I now remember stashing it away when we had friends over back at the beginning of November, so I'm going to settle down with the mag later today

What I do Handbag, is when buying online, you can 99% of the time just click on the image and save it to the pinterest board, I do it at the time of buying otherwise I forget!

Do any of you save for Xmas? And if so how much per week?

I put £20 per month in, dh does £30. Then we add where we can, ie ebay sales, bday money, any extras....he gets a small bonus in June, £200 will go to xmas, we may have foreign students staying a few weeks, again % will go to xmas....

I feel super pleased, I have two lovely outfits already for the dc in our winter clothes storage box for next year gorgeous thick legging type red trousers and white tops and two gorgeous navy coats from zara, and some body warmers for next xmas. I have never been this organised.

We are in Disneyland Paris, got here yesterday and staying till Thursday Super jealous. Super jealous.
Still very xmassy here though, dh said as a joke today " shall we take the tree down" I was as it still looks good as new, he said he was only joking and lights outside are cheering my heart on these dismal Jan days so they are staying put too. Everything xmas is staying put. Firmly.

Hello everyone. Sorry I dropped off the last thread - my uncle was admitted to hospital with heart failure and life just got in the way. He's recovering now, thankfully.

It got in the way of Christmas as well as my MN-ing - no visit to Santa this year does that make me a bad mother? DS is 21 months.
We then had norovirus over Christmas so cancelled most of our plans with family as we didn't want to pass it on!

I took the Christmas decorations down yesterday as DM had DS. Another Christmas parenting failure on my part - I only put lights on the tree, no baubles as I couldn't face fighting DS off them!

So, next year will be better. DS will be old enough to get it, although he was getting into the whole opening presents thing by Tuesday when we finally finished opening them! He didn't even have that many, maybe 20, but we've just been either ill, busy or away! He will be old enough to leave my baubles alone, so they will be going on my tree. We will go see Santa. I will have festive afternoon tea with my friends. We will go to a Christmas market. We will make Christmas cards and decorations. I will make some of the crafts I have pinned to my Pinterest board. We will go to the crib service on Christmas Eve. We will have family round Christmas Eve for takeaway and Boxing Day for a buffet. We will have a lovely Christmas Dinner together and pull crackers and wear paper hats. We will have cinnamon buns for Christmas breakfast. I will find and watch Muppet Christmas Carol.

I don't know what DH means when he says I have unrealistic expectations of Christmas

Nick I'm def going to do my best to remember that idea!

All my decs came down NYE

Blimey Firefly nobody could blame you for having a low key Christmas after that lot

Even when my DC were small we didn't visit FC every year. The best one for miles around was a good 90 minute drive - the more local ones just didn't measure up and then later the DD's used to perform in the local pantomime so had rehearsals at weekends.

We did cinema and takeaway on New Year's Eve which was brilliant - followed by board games and booze - and not a whiff of the Hootenanny!

*re saving
I don't save as such, but I do like to spread purchases over the year, admittedly more for my personal excitement at keeping Christmas 'alive' than budgetary.

I am accountable to some extent for any purchasing, well I hold myself accountable and aspire to be mindful. DH seems to spend quite freely and without guilt, he does have a strong indulgent streak whereas I will hunt out a good price for the satisfaction of it and also to maximise value for money.

As DC are older, the costs of gifts for them has fallen and as yet no grandchildren!

I think it does prevent a late Nov/early Dec splurge though; although obv much of the food purchasing must wait til late Autumn.

I have a spreadsheet going back to 2014

firefly glad he's ok!!

Well, I am recuperating gibbering quietly in a corner and mainlining wine after a very successful cinema party for DS. This time ten years ago I was on my fourth day of slow labour and I would have killed for a glass of wine.

I'm like purplecabbage - I spread my purchases out through the year while keeping my ears open for hints from the DC. This year's "hints" from DD2 included emails with links and a whole swathe of tabs left open on my laptop

We have a tradition of Santa taking Christmas lists when he leaves the advent calendar so nobody can change their minds after 1st December but then again I don't buy for a huge number of people - immediate family, 2 DMums, 3 godchildren and about half a dozen nieces and nephews so the vast majority of spending goes on my DC.

350

Two weeks ago we were in the thick of Christmas!

Two week?? Feels like months 😭