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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Countdown to Christmas part 2

999 replies

SideOrderofSprouts · 26/04/2017 20:27

Wow! Part two!!

8 months to go

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34
73kittycat73 · 16/06/2017 02:44

That sounds lovely Biddy. Xmas Smile
Got no spare money left now, did some Christmas shopping! Xmas Grin Still, it helps to spread the cost through the year.

MrsDilligaf · 16/06/2017 08:47

Happy birthday baby sprout.

I'm in full on wedding prep today. My friends are getting married tomorrow and along with a few other friends we are on "duty" getting the venue looking fabulous.

I am so looking forward to a wonderful day.

I wonder if it is possible to donate things like Christmas stocking to the children affected by the fire?? I'd happily knock up a few...

HairsprayBabe · 16/06/2017 09:48

Happy birthday mini-sprout!

Oooh I could really go for some sprouts now!

Can we talk about Christmas Eve routines, I am thinking about switching ours up this year, but it depends if DP passes his Driving test on Monday! Fingers crossed we will be on the road in a few short weeks!

BiddyPop · 16/06/2017 12:47

Christmas Eve. DD comes to work with me in the morning, we meet DH (who has been for a nice relaxing breakfast alone - although his company changed rules last year to 24th being a working day too now) to buy DD's birthday cake in M&S, and any other nibbles or other bits we need. Then we get family lunch.

Head home, peel potatoes and prep veg, DD bakes cookies for Santa (either from scratch if we have time and energy, or slices from a half batch in the freezer from earlier in the month if not - I ALWAYS make sure to keep enough for 5/6 cookies in the freezer in December!!).

We try and get a nice walk either up the hill or on the pier if the weather is ok. I usually still have wrapping to do too.

Smorgasbord type dinner of nice nibbly bits (cooked and cured meats, prawns, smoked salmon, cheese, cherry tomatoes, olives, nice breadsticks or crackers or crusty bread, maybe some pate etc).

Candle ceremony, hamper, stockings out. DD goes for her bath (she and I get a Lush bath bomb in the hamper) and new pjs. Hot chocolate to drink, read "Twas the night before Christmas" in bed, and maybe another story. Then hopefully collapse and relax a bit.

Or, if we're travelling, work in the morning, buy what we need in M&S, including picnic bits, drive 3 hours, aim to avoid the worst traffic and also to get past the worst services before we need to stop, visit both DPs and DMIL before getting to wherever we're staying (we generally rent a cottage if travelling for Christmas - either DM or DMIL or both may have a pile of jobs needing doing by us before we leave), unpack, food, candle (and maybe a few decorations), stockings, bath, bed, collapse.

SideOrderofSprouts · 16/06/2017 17:56

Middlesprout says thank you everyone!

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73kittycat73 · 16/06/2017 20:37

Happy Birthday mini Sprout! Xmas Grin
I'd love to hear about your Christmas Eve HairsprayBabe.
There are no young children here anymore so we don't really have any Christmas Eve traditions any more. I try to get an early night in as I know I'll be up early the next day! Xmas Grin

HandbagCrazy · 16/06/2017 20:48

Happy Birthday Baby Sprout!

There are no children here so Christmas Eve routine is -
Morning - DH and I blitz the house. I lay the table and generally annoy DH with the Buble album and my excitement while he preps the dinner.
Walk the dogs
Go out for a late lunch
Afternoon / evening - DH goes for a traditional 'pint or 4' which generally takes from 3pm until 9pm. He meets up with various friends who live all over the place but all tend to come home for Christmas so he doesn't see them often.
I go to my parents where we have a mini-party (parents, me, dsis, nephew, auntie, cousin and her baby this year)! We have a curry, listen to music and generally act a bit silly.
Then everyone leaves around 9pm so I pick DH up and we go home and have a drink or 2 while watching Elf / die hard.

If we're away, we do whatever is 'normal' for where we are. We spent Christmas in Iceland once and they celebrate properly on Christmas Eve so we went on the golden circle tour then went for a fancy-pants meal with cocktails and spent the evening chatting and wandering around Reykjavik then had a quiet Christmas Day instead.

TheWoollybacksWife · 16/06/2017 21:12

Happy birthday middlesprout 🎉

Our Christmas Eve is pretty lazy but there would be a riot if I tried to change too much.

The day starts with a cooked breakfast and I'll prep something for our main meal. I'm the past it's been something casserole-y in the slow cooker but last year it was steak with dauphinois and cream sauce which was a big hit so I will probably do that again this year. We don't have lunch but eat dinner early - about 4pm.

Then we go to church for the Children's Christmas Eve Mass which starts at 5:30 but you have to be there by 4:45 to get a seat. It is quite a long service so we don't get home until about 7:30 after the Mass and exchanging greetings with all our church friends.

The DC (2 are adults) open their presents from Nana (my mum) - it's always PJs and they get changed into them while I prepare party food and DH pours drinks. Then we watch Elf. DS leaves snacks for Santa and we all put our stockings by the fireplace. Once DS is fast asleep we all get the prezzies out and set them out and stuff the stockings. More booze, another film and off to bed.

TheWoollybacksWife · 16/06/2017 21:16

When my DDs were at primary school we used to go to a local farm park in the early afternoon of Christmas Eve. They have a Nativity play in the barn and have costumes so that the children can join in. It was adorable.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/06/2017 00:12

190

Star

QVC have a strimmer/chainsaw as their TSV (Todays Special Value) . I neeeeeed one to cut the base of the tree if I get a real one (though I'm looking for a nice pre-lit fake .....QVC might oblige on Christmas in July)

HairsprayBabe · 17/06/2017 07:09

I only talk of making changes because if DP passes his test on Monday then we will have the ability to make more people happy!
So could go to MIL for a Christmas eve bunch, stay till 1ish, then head round to my DMs for the cinema and gingerbread houses, then of to my grandparents for pork batches and carols from Kings.... then we wouldn't be dissapointing anyone!

HairsprayBabe · 17/06/2017 08:31

At the moment it goes something like
Wake up earlyish, help DM do a last once over of the house with Bublè on, help my sister(23) wrap the last of her gifts, make the christmas crakers with Dsis and DBro(18) make the ginger bread house, usualy with at least one bake off style disaster!
Veg prep and a walk before heading off to the cinema, family film, last year was fantastic beasts.
From the cinema head to my maternal grandparents for pork and stuffing batches, cold pickles and quiche.
Head back to DMs put the mince pie and carrot out for father christmas, light the runway and put out magic oats, get in bed with my sister and watch Beatrix Potters "The Taylor of Gloucster".
Then at midnight open the back window, because my dad will be running around the garden shaking jingle bells.

We are very much indulged by my family, as the only baby left is now 15!

HandbagCrazy · 17/06/2017 09:37

Hairspray that sounds lovely!
Luckily for us there has been a 'baby' in the family for a long time as dsis is younger than me, cousin is 10 years younger so still believed in Santa after dsis stopped. Then dnephew was born and I think this year will be his last believing but cousin has had a baby who will be 1 this year so it can carry on for a few years yet.
We always have a "oh, look, I can see Santa's sleigh" moment when looking out the window so dnephew can run and then we'll be so sorry he was too slow and missed him. Ddad has been doing that since I was small and I still love it (I'm early 30's now)!
We also get tales of past christmases where younger generations are always amazed at how different things were when my parents / dsis and I were younger. This usually ends up in some singing / googling past Christmas number 1s and embarrassing dancing.
Oh I love it all!

SideOrderofSprouts · 17/06/2017 20:15

Anyone else dying in the heat

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giraffesarefab · 17/06/2017 22:07

Me!! I want it to be cold and I can wrap up in a big, warm jumper and be cozy, not lollop about like a numpty, trying to keep cool! I wasn't built for heat Sad

73kittycat73 · 18/06/2017 02:38

I wasn't built for heat

I can so identify with that! Currently sat here with my fan on, I was melting previously. Got to turn it off to go to bed in a minute. I hope it's not too unbearable!

SideOrderofSprouts · 18/06/2017 02:53

I wasn't built for heat either. Too much insulation here!!
It's going to
Hit 31c here this week. And at the moment babysprouts is
Already struggling to sleep

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BaublesAndGlitter · 18/06/2017 16:01

*189
*
I absolutely cannot handle this heat, it's making me miserable! DH is sat working in the garden with Ddog 2 and MILs dog that we are looking after.
Me and ddog1 are hiding in the living room.

Roll on dark mornings and needing an extra layer.

I am not doing anything Christmas related today but I have had to move things around in the spare room and I've been dumping anything I buy in the Christmas gift bags on the spare bed. Am surprised how much is there which made me feel a bit proud Xmas Grin

SideOrderofSprouts · 18/06/2017 18:44

Oh god yes. Lovely cold morning

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SingaSong12 · 18/06/2017 18:55

question to you very organised Christmas posters - was the Mary's Boy Child I just heard in a cafe bar late Christmas 2016 or early 2017? 🎄

VivaJen · 18/06/2017 19:00

For everyone that's melting - just think, this time next week the nights will be starting to draw in!

TheWoollybacksWife · 18/06/2017 19:29

Hairspray best of luck to your DP for his test tomorrow 🍀

HandbagCrazy · 18/06/2017 21:38

Sing I would say early 2017 - before 1st June is late 2016, after that is the start of 2017 Xmas Grin

Viva I needed to hear that. Thank you! I am red haired and pale skinned and this heat is just killing

Good luck MrHairspray

NoWordForFluffy · 19/06/2017 06:18

188

Time appears to be rattling on now we are into the 100s, doesn't it?

Next Sunday is the half way date...whoop!

HairsprayBabe · 19/06/2017 07:53

Thanks Woolly I have everything crossed!!