Countdown to Christmas part 2

[SideOrderofSprouts]

Wow! Part two!!

8 months to go

I had a flipping fantastic holiday Fluffy . It was a fabulous cruise round the Mediterranean thanks to a very generous once in a lifetime gift from DM. My very very pale just call me Casper Celtic skin is even off-white for a change. I tried very hard to look for Christmas stuff but I couldn't find anything apart from some very dodgy looking felt decorations in a cafe in Gibraltar.

Sounds amazing, Woolly! I'm rather

70 - i saw bobble hats and festive make up sponges in primark yesterday. I picked up some long sleeved tops, need them at the moment!

Getting quite excited about it all :)

Loving the Yankee melts! They were on sale in a saver shop I think I went a bit ott. House smells like cranberry and cinnamon 😍🎄

Gorgeous day here. Lots of washing dried!

Same here, Sprouts. Though not as much as yesterday!

DH unearthed my November copy of Good Housekeeping (I think it was under his chair) so I had a sneaky read through it , a few Christmassy bits in there .

Goodness I just put all the Christmas stuff together to take pictures (to remind me what they have). It's coming along nicely

And sorting out the cupboard I found
The m&s food catalogue from two
Years ago I think!

I'm very disappointed with M&S this year; they're too bloody slow at releasing their food options!

You can normally order from about 7th October, so they're slacking somewhat!

I've had to order a Trunki for DS today. I knew DD wanted one (so had bought it), but DS decided he wants one too this morning (13 month gap. Where DD leads, DS follows!).

140!
Rhubarb vodka is bottled and Christmas vodka is infusing!
I love recipes that need to be made several months ahead.

Love the sound of all your cake and vodka making. Makes you feel all festive.
I can't buy any more presents until I get paid next week.
The weather here was ok today. It started out sunny. I was helping out at a local community event, on the hook a duck stall. All of a sudden it bucketed down! We all had to run inside! It lasted about ten minutes but everything was soaked. We decided to bring it all inside after that but then it never rained again! lol

Hi Minister

What is your Christmas app?

I have already bought three small items for one of my DDs, but last week I found some candy I had hidden for last Christmas. While it gave a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Christmas in July' I do not want to find the three new items stashed away somewhere next summer.

Random thought of the morning... I do wish the shops wouldn't start their Christmas sales until after Christmas. We don't go to the shops on Christmas Eve, but do drive past, and I hate seeing all the lovely Christmas windows taken down and replaced with sale banners.
Equally, I remember back when the shops started their January sales in... January!
Sorry for the downer thought of the morning, it's just something that really bugs me!

Bracing myself for a thoroughly pagan christmas.
Just put in an order for £2000 worth of craft items, commissioned an artist friend to do yuletide cards, booked a few slots at christmas fairs, it's going to be a manic christmas.

Tootsie-I agree completely. I like sales but don't want to go on Boxing Day. I like to enjoy Christmas and then think about sales (and buying stuff for the following year) in January or at least wait until 27th Dec. I also feel sorry for the staff who have to work late on Christmas Eve and then have to be in early on 26th. I love Christmas and want it to last 2-3 days at least! Seeing Easter eggs before New Year is just wrong ( rant over).

Hi Mathanxiety
The app I'm using is called Gift List free, i like it, it has a countdown to Christmas bit and you can tick multiple ppl when you buy a gift that's for a few people & it has a chart for overall tracking (though not liking how much it's envisaging spending budget wise) but I've added in some 'birthdays' too that are around festive period which puts up budget massively.

I agree about the sales & I used to work in retail for 8 years, we used to have to prep sale stock on Xmas eve so often got out late (shop closed at 4 we got out at 6pm) to get it ready for Boxing Day where we went in early & finished late as was the busiest day of the year, it meant my Xmas felt about 12 hours long. Christmas Day was the only day off & we were knackered. I still think shops should shut on Xmas eve & Boxing Day to give all 3 days off & sales start after that but will never happen 😕 It's why I love Christmas now though, time off with family x

What would you think of this as a starter for Xmas meal....

www.booths.co.uk/recipe/filo-fish-pies/

This year I'm going to
Sale
Shop online I think

@Minster2012 that's looks lovely!

Yes, I really feel for retail workers over Christmas Eve / Boxing Day - it's even worse than working in hospitality ! At least when we signed up to work in hotels, we knew the deal about working over Christmas, valentines, Mother's Day etc.

I refuse to shop on Boxing Day, even if it means I miss out on great bargains.

I love Christmas lasting a few days, although in our house it is the whole month!!

Minster2012 that looks bloody lovely. I would be well chuffed if that was my starter (or main)!

Tootsie you are so right, I worked in retail for over 10 years and it crushes Christmas right out of you. I will point out that the way pricing and sales are managed now means that you don't get true bargains. Customers are just tricked into thinking they are getting a good deal.

Minster2012 -I would take it further and say shops should be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & Boxing Day AND Hogmanay, 1st & 2nd January.

Minister - thank you very much. It looks really useful. Up to now I have relied on random lists in my desk, with predictable results.

Your starter looks delicious. I have pinned it.

I used to work in a hotel and I feel the same way you do about the 24/7/365 retail and hospitality cycle. I never shop on days when everyone should have time off to enjoy a holiday.

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments on the potential starter, feel better now! Just need to make sure it will for oven wise but can make the filling a day ahead so that helps and if I make a dessert that's cold that will help too (1st time hosting Xmas, & in a new house!) so you've bolstered my spirits for doing something different that I would have thought would be that difficult!

Yeah retail is rubbish over Christmas but it is busy so we did make jokes that at least time used to fly but it was so disheartening when the shop literally looked like a Bomb hit it and people just threw stuff everywhere & we knew we'd be there for ages tidying it instead of going home only for it to happen all over again but that's life!! I'm very careful to fold stuff back up quickly if I unfold something now on shops being on the other side but I don't shop on Boxing Day, it's a glorious family day of about 50 ppl at in laws house with games & a walk & fun & drinking AS IT SHOULD BE!!

139

Morning!

Job interview today...not too nervous as I know I can do the job. I've a whole raft of questions for them though (I'm taking my chance to interview them very seriously!).

Sprouts, we're gonna need a new thread soon...how many do you reckon we will have this year? 5 or 6?!

Good luck Fluffy!