Countdown to Christmas 2017

[SideOrderofSprouts]

365 to go

Wilf is back to preschool tomorrow and I need to start to tackle my massive weight gain. Oops. Next year im not buying so much food. The heroes were a total disappointment but I still ate them. I shall allow one nice tin of shortbread instead.

I am teaching myself to crochet, I'm hoping I can make people some funky scarves for next Christmas. I'm starting early!

Mummy we had lovely shortbread from M&S this year. They were in a small red box and they were thinnish biscuits with a snowflake stamped on. Absolutely delicious. I hope they do something similar next year.

I can't believe it was 2 weeks ago either.
All decs are down and put away in the loft. Had a bit of tidy up and now looks like xmas never happend.
School is well and truly underway. Dc1 came back with homework on friday. A list of spellings to learn for a test on weds, maths(which we have to go to an online website), he has to read a book and describe in so many sentances one of the characters. Last but not the least the dreaded halfterm project. This time it the stone age and he has to make a tool or a weapon. I can't even draw a straight line with a rular so this is all on Dh.

Lolly - send him in with a stone. That's a perfectly acceptable tool which epitomises the era

Family trip to the beach to find one? Assuming you're coastal-ish.

Have bought my first Christmas 2017 present - Superdry mittens for my sister reduced to £6.99. Link here if anyone is interested. can't kick the bargain thread habit

All the decorations are packed away in the loft now. I have re-organised my boxes so the Advent box contains all my Christmas/ winter themed crockery and can be used from 1st December. I have also created a candle box and am not sure whether they are Advent or Christmas decorations.

I have a beautiful Christmas planner and have already started making notes for this year. I need to buy less food (or start eating Christmas food from mid December). I also want to have friends over for pre Christmas get togethers.
Last year, was difficult and so I didn't enjoy the preparation time as much as usual.
This year I want to be better organised so I can really relax and enjoy late December.

A stone is a very good idea.
We live in london but will probably be moving out in the next year or so. Essex or suffolk more than likely as houses prices are just so high.
would love to live near a beach

Woolly - I am also in recovery mode after a 10th birthday party. Sleepover for DD and 6 of her friends. I think a wee nap is on the cards today. I also have some leftover Baileys in the fridge which I am looking forward to whilst watching Sherlock later.

millefeuille1 and nickdrake genius, thank you! I reckon a combination of the app and pinterest is exactly what I need

ConstantlyCooking Nodding throughout your post, esp the part about being able to enjoy late December more.

The first couple of weeks of Dec were v enjoyable, fine tuning plans and prep, a little light gift shopping; watching fave Christmas cookery shows and generally getting in the mood, without too many time pressures. After the 15th - when the parties started - I started to feel tired and under pressure. Not massively, but I definitely lost the lightness of the first half of the month.

I hadnt really budgeted my time and energy around the socialising; 5 events in 8 days which would be a lot at any time of year for me personally!

I think it's the nature of the season, that acceleration and feeling of pressure as the big day gets closer! Plus the effect of tiredness from late nights and body having to cope with unusually rich food in large, regular doses!

Decs have been tidied into storage containers, and are waiting to be stored in the garage - waiting on DH to do so!

Repotted the living tree we have had for two years now. I'm not terribly green thumbed but it has been rehomed in a slightly larger pot, now very heavy! I was amazed to notice small green shoots from the tips of branches while taking decs down. Clearly the noble fir (or it could be pine?) is very happy in the balmy conditions of the living room!

Got a lovely white i'm dreaming of a white christmas plaque in morrisons for £1.25. Not sure what full price was but positive it was a bargin. Also got some selection boxes for friends kids and dneice and dnephew. Sell by date is good and they were only 50p. Lets hope they last til dec

Wooley we had those shortbread biscuits too very yummy

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I found a few bits last night when I was getting the guest room ready for 2 guests this week (I normally only have 1 bed out so was pulling out the second and making it up). A snowglobe, set of sheets, 2 Christmas jumpers etc. So I will have to make another trip to the storage soon.

Back to work formally this morning - ugh! Dh is also back to work. And DD is back to school, so we had the typical meltdown last night before bed! We did get a lot done over the weekend though on decluttering, tidying, painting bits and oiling the worktop, and filing paperwork (it was over 2 years since we last did the paperwork basket! eek!). DD enjoyed that as it meant we lit the woodburner in the garden to burn old papers, so she got to enjoy a marshmallow on a skewer, campfire style!

To cheer myself up though, or delay the inevitable in work, I had a looong coffee in the coffee shop this morning. And did my "review of Christmas" for myself - the good, the bad and the ugly. Not so bad, but a few things to bear in mind for next year (including spending FAR less on presents for almost everyone - except our DPs as I hadn't gone overboard for them. But DH was quite hurt at the presents we both got, particularly the cheap tat "dancing Santa" from Tiger that his DB gave him (his words), so I need to remind myself to rein it in next year). DH actually commented, this weekend, about how I put so much thought into the presents and we get thrown any old junk with no thought at all (I didn't even initiate the conversation so it has been bothering him ).

We've decided we are staying at home ourselves next year. We've said it to both families, and issued a general invite, but don't really expect visitors. DH has already mentioned he'd prefer not to do the rounds on Christmas Day itself (we both have extended family but his now usually travel away and mine are very much geared for adult visits not DCs) - so we are thinking he might hold the towels while I do a Christmas Day swim locally (and DD might do it in her wetsuit), after morning mass. And retreat for a quieter nuclear family day at home.

It's kinda hard to believe that 2 weeks ago, DD was making a cake for her birthday party at this time, and we still had loads of time off to enjoy - where has it all flown off to?!

OOps, gotta dash, monthly management meeting happening and that is the GREAT joy of being back at work!!

Bought a load of bits this weekend to go in my gifting box, christmas tea and Hot choccy from whittards, 50% off and best before feb 2018 some Yankee candle stuff and a Yankee advent calendar for myself!

Also found a lost christmas gift box from either last year or the year before! Lots of gifts in there that I had totally for gotten about! Oopsy! Nothing edible thankfully!

The Countdown to Christmas thread on Twitter is jubilantly proclaiming 'Only 50 weeks to go!'

I really love that attitude

Of course those 50 weeks are to be savoured and experienced for their own innate goodness.

And then again, really the final three weeks are hardcore Christmassy (Well they are for me) so it is inching ever closer!

Not much action in the supermarkets this morning; have been hoping SB would reduce the price of their epic and delicious 1lb boxes of medjool dates and have been loitering that aisle. Despite the snowflake motif on the boxes they remain, resolutely at full price!

In homewares they seem to be bringing in the Spring with some cream, lilac and pale green collections. While there remembered - had forgotton - to return for refund a red/white/green knitted throw that I imagined would look super Christmassy but didnt really work in our living room. Hoping the returns date has not passed, though I have SB to be very generous in that regard!

My learning to crochet is coming on. I am
Going to undo this and start it again tonight, a few annoying mistakes and it's not tight enough. But it looks like crochet! I think people will like a funky crochet scarf.

Well done, Mummy, you're getting the hang of that well! 😁

I've been looking at booking the Santa train we did last year as the website claims we can book from today, but there's no live booking link. Booooo! I'll just have to keep trying! 🚂

Checking in as I'm really missing the bargain threads

I want thin crispy shortbread biscuits

I bought the M&S (half price) shortbread in the tartan/deer tin but they were thick (though delicious )

I found precisly Nil Christmas bargains at the weekend but onward and upwards . I did hover over a really nice saucepan in Sainsburys but DD talked me out of it by telling me it was "Handwash" .

I feel sick.....I've had a tough tough day today, so put Moo to bed and announced to DH that if he needed me I would be in bed eating quality street and drinking prosecco.

I've eaten too much chocolate.
I've drunk half a bottle of prosecco.
It's only Monday.

Urgh

Hello all

Can I join in the Christmas planning?

I've got a 3yr old and an 18 month old and Christmas was amazing this year. I can't wait to do it all again

Found some half price chocolate games today that are bb Aug 18 so delighted with that and was tempted by a half price advent tea light calendar for me.
I think that's probably the end of the bargains now, for a while. I always have high hopes for January shopping but it's hard to get out while the kids are on school holidays.
I haven't settled on any craft projects yet. I'd like to spread it out across the year instead of thinking up great ideas in November! Or ideas that seemed great in November because they all seem dull now. Anyone working on anything?

Mrs D, what happend?
have another

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@lolly - I had a behavioural assessment at work.

I'm on Mat Leave currently and in a complete moment of madness in December I decided to apply for a job I haven't got a hope in hell of getting and as part of the application process I have had to have an assessment.

My company is restructuring so everyone has to be assessed but I bit off way more than I could chew.

I did my best but I was bloody exhausted last night!

Oh dears MrsD - just be careful that you don't have a Martha#2 after all that prosecco!! Although that could be this year's Christmas baby on the thread! (Or a twin for Woolly's! )