Page 6 | Countdown to Christmas part 2

1stTimeMama · 15/05/2017 17:27

Yes Fluffy, we were told weeks ago we'd be going, and know it'll be around mid-June, but they've not given us the posting order yet, so we can't apply for a house!

AnyFarrahFowler · 15/05/2017 18:42

Flapjack That sounds amazing, a cosy cottage with the family for Christmas! I'd love to do that, it was a bit of a squeeze having everyone in my house last year. Am hoping my Mum or my in-laws will offer this year, as they have a lot more room.
Will you be taking all your own decorations, or will the cottage owners put a tree up for you?

flapjackfairy · 15/05/2017 19:32

I dont know anyfarrah I hope they will do that. I have so much to take already so hope that side of it is taken care of. It seemed like a good idea at the time ! I never thought much about the logistics so i will try to be extra organised this year with copious lists !

flapjackfairy · 15/05/2017 19:39

Another fly in the ointment is dd who is married cannot book the time off and may only come for a couple of days. I am wracked with guilt and dont want to be without her on christmas day though she worked all last christmas day so only saw her briefly anyway
It will be first time i will not see one of my kids there at all on the.day and i feel wretched !
If i hadnt invited other family members i would be tempted to cancel!
Enjoy your kids everyone when they are little as it is so true that they grow up so fast. Although i still have younger ones (youngest will be 3).
I am doing my best to avoid the empty nest !

NoWordForFluffy · 16/05/2017 06:09

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HairsprayBabe · 16/05/2017 08:39

flapjack I have never spent xmas away from my mum and dads (I'm 25), DP is pushing for us to do it at his parents this year, but we just had Easter there and honestly it was crap. So I am saying no again.

NoWordForFluffy · 16/05/2017 08:48

Hairspray, do you see his family on Christmas Day at all? It sounds like your DP wants to see his family even if you don't!

We only don't see my family as they're 170 miles from us. I've no doubt we'd see everyone if we were all in the same place!

However, now we have small children, we invite people to us as I'm not dragging the kids round to visit people when all they want to do is play with their new toys!

flapjackfairy · 16/05/2017 09:25

Oh hairspray feel even worse now.
When i booked i thought she could book time off but no even though she worked the whole of xmas day last and only had a couple of hrs off!
She is 25 also and rightly points out she probably wouldnt see me anyway on the day but i dont feel right about it.
If only they were all little again ...sigh !

HairsprayBabe · 16/05/2017 09:40

I don't mind if he goes to his parents, but I won't be.
We live right round the corner from his Mum and a 25 min drive from mine, but not walk-able and no public transport on Christmas obviously.
Neither of us drive and we don't think asking for lifts of people on Christmas day is right, so we are a bit stuck really and we have to pick one.

His family have a very quiet and simple Christmas day, sort of like a normal sunday with pressies, whereas my family go really really big, it just doesn't feel the same and it is too important to me to compromise on this.

In an ideal world one of us would drive, we could spend some time with DP's family in the morning and then go to my parents in the afternoon, but that doesn't look likely right now.

NoWordForFluffy · 16/05/2017 10:34

Can you invite people to you instead? Save you going anywhere?!

BiddyPop · 16/05/2017 10:39

Oh dear Hairspray - that is quite a different approach to reconcile. Is it possible to do something on Christmas Eve with his DPs before you travel to your family, or to host them on your return on Boxing Day or 27th?

(I suspect that driving lessons would be a great present! Plenty of time to learn by this Christmas )

Is a taxi an option even if no other public transport is on? I know there are fewer available, but DGran used to get a lift across the city from DUncle and then insist on getting a taxi home in the late afternoon so he could enjoy a glass of wine with lunch. She always was able to do that, she just had to book it a couple of days ahead. So you could offer a nice breakfast to DP's parents in your house, exchange presents etc, and then head off to your own DPs?

That's a shame Flapjack that your DD can't get time off - especially if she covered last year as well. Is it too late to rearrange the cottage for another time? If you do go, we can all help with the lists (we rent cottages most years that we go "down home" for Christmas so I have winter lists as well as summer holidays lists for SC purposes!). Most important - spare loo roll, bin bags and wine opener!

Fluffy you sound like you have a good plan with sticking put in your house. We are doing that again this year, I think, and I am soooo looking forward to a quiet day. We travelled the last 2 years, but we really need a quieter year this year. We'll offer food to anyone who wants, and beds to the first 2 (maybe 3) who ask - but most want to stay "at home" (as in, our DP's home and DPILs home or their own DPILs) rather than travel. And those who don't go "home" will be staying in their own homes overseas.

MrsD I hope all those other celebrations went well but haven't totally distracted you from the ultimate important one!

I was on the Lego website yesterday, there are some interesting looking new sets coming out for the City range - Coastguard and Jungle ones, and as I have a sailing mad DD, the coastguard could be great!

I'd better get to work though and concentrate on earning something for it!

HairsprayBabe · 16/05/2017 10:44

No there are too many people for my tiny cupboard of a house, DM hosted 17 last year!

The situation is further complicated by church, I still sing in my parents parish choir, and obviously Christmas is one of the biggest days of the year, DPs family are not religious and church isn't part of their day at all. Christmas Day without church would just feel wrong to me on so many levels!

Yes we need to learn to drive, we couldn't afford to before and now we have no time!

BiddyPop · 16/05/2017 10:55

Oh, well, choir in church is important especially at Christmas! You HAVE to be there. DP will have to do something to either arrange transport back later in the day, or to have another event for DPILs around the day but not on the day itself then. Or each do your own thing.

Onehellofaride · 16/05/2017 10:56

Hi all, I haven't been on the thread much since Christmas as I think I burnt out. Usually in January I plan all other events for the year and then make a big deal of all. The last couple of Easters have been like a mini Christmas Day but this year I couldn't be bothered at all. DSS's birthday is now over as is DD's (last weekend) which only leaves DS's for the kids this year. Finally pulled my lists out and I'm ready to start planning! I've usually bought a few bits by now but I haven't so have some catching up to do! 🎄

HairsprayBabe · 16/05/2017 14:24

I feel awful now and think maybe I should make an effort to be at MILs this year. But it really is the highlight of the year for me, and I just don't want to give that up yet.

We have had Christmas day at my parents once 2 years ago, and the rest apart, this will be our 7th christmas together. I don't mind that he wants to see his family on the big day that is 100% normal, it is just hard that we have to choose one or the other.

Sayhellotothelittlefella · 16/05/2017 14:29

I usually buy lots of stuff in January to put away for Christmas and then keep my eyes open for other stuff through the year. I'm quite pleased that I've just bought DP's present ( which I get to enjoy as well as it is tickets for an event). I'll probably start my lists end of June ready to really get going as soon as the dc's go back to school in September- I still end up in a mad rush and think I'll never get finished though - no matter when I start

TheWoollybacksWife · 16/05/2017 14:40

Oh Hairspray that sounds really hard.

Do your parents continue the celebrations into Christmas night? If they don't would it be possible to compromise and do Christmas Eve/Christmas Day at your parents and then book a taxi to go and spend the later part of Christmas Day with your PILs? Then you can get nice and merry and still stagger home to your own bed.

I've been on MN too long as my DD1 tells me she is going to spend Christmas with us when she is married and I smile and nod while thinking but what about your PILs

AnyFarrahFowler · 16/05/2017 16:10

Hairspray do you have to choose? Could you all get together at one house? Is there a lot of you?
DH and I never spent a Christmas together til we were married so 7 Christmas Days apart as he's an only child and didn't want to leave his parents on their own, and my dad passed away so I wanted to be with my mum & brother. Last year was our DS's first Christmas so we all gathered at our house. It was a bit, um, busy, but it was the only compromise we could come up with!!

HairsprayBabe · 17/05/2017 08:13

Can't do just the evening with my parents as have to go to church in the morning.

DP's family is very small, only one surviving grandparent, no cousins or aunts etc. and FIL doesn't speak to his side of the family at all after some issues regarding his late fathers estate, so there is only 6 of them on Christmas day. My mother (or aunt depending on who is hosting) have up to 17 on Christmas Day, then it swaps for boxing day. So plus another six and we would be on 23, and even my mothers house couldn't accommodate that without an extension!

In an ideal world we would drive, and the day would go -
up main presents at our house,
off to church at 9,
back for the morning and christmas lunch at MIL's
then off at about 3 to my mothers for after dinner pressies and more festivities and cheese.

Original poster

SideOrderofSprouts · 17/05/2017 13:16

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OP posts:

smellylittleorange · 17/05/2017 19:44

Hi all just wanted some advice really..have taken stock of wrapping paper and there is on I didn't use Last year as I was too scared ..it is brown paper with quit large (scone size?) red glitter dots on it...shall I give it to charity shop and buy something else less glittery?

TheWoollybacksWife · 17/05/2017 19:56

I used glittery paper last year. It looked lovely but I did have a few problems with getting the sellotape to stick to the glittery bits. I think I'll try double sided tape this year if I use similar paper.

I've just had a look through Google images to see if I could find a photo of different wrapping styles. What I'm trying to find is one of parcels wrapped using two different papers. So you would wrap in the glittery stuff and then put a wide band of plain paper (plain brown craft paper perhaps) around the centre. Then finish with red ribbon to match the glitter dots. From the description of the size of the dots it would probably look best on larger parcels, so you would probably use it quite quickly

smellylittleorange · 17/05/2017 21:55

Thanks Wooly - doubleside sellotape should help I think - I know exactly what you mean about the packaging.

AnyFarrahFowler · 18/05/2017 06:00

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HairsprayBabe · 18/05/2017 08:06

Glitter paper is a nightmare it just gets everywhere!, I would use it as an accent paper, possibly use it to wrap a few things and use hot glue or double sided.

I don't have any paper left from last year save some plain gold that I have used for birthday wrapping too. Need to think of a wrapping scheme for this year last year I had red, gold, green and craft with little houses on it. What I try to do is find one patterned paper that I like and then buy plain wrap in colours that are incorporated in the pattern. I love the William Morris ones but I don't think we can stretch to that really. I think I used 8 rolls total last year plus cellophane.