Countdown to Christmas Part 3

[Wheelycote]

Jingle all the way.....

Part 3

DH would love us to have tinsel, and thinks I am too strict about it.

Ten No Tinsel

Try again... TEAM No Tinsel 😂

Well I am utterly baffled, I definitely posted the fudge recipe yesterday, without a shadow a doubt, I remember doing it...except apparently I didn't! It was a very teething he'll day yesterday, maybe I just mentally escaped to my happy place?!

Slow Cooker Fudge

200g Milk choc
200g White Choc
(or 400g any choc basically)
1 tin condensed milk
Vanilla essence
Knob of butter

Shove all in SC on high and leave lid off
Stir every 10mins for about an hour or so.
Pour into a tray and cool (add dried fruit, choc chips etc at this point)
Once cool pop in fridge overnight.

I did 200g plain choc and 200g milk and then crumbled crunchie bars over the top. It's had a thumbs up from most of my immediate family who won't fib to me about cooking.

scrappy I'm thinking of starting a Christmas bargains for teens thread as while these threads are AWESOME they are v centred on little ones and there's v little for those with older dcs.

I've collected together most of my dd's stocking fillers already by scouring the Urban Outfitters, Oliver Bonas, and New Look summer sales. It's a good time to pick up some stocking bargains!

*hell

You can get the concertina shiny foil decorations in b&m/pound land etc. I LOVE THEM! I have some from last year but I was too pregnant to put the up and then had a c-section so basically lived at my Mams for about a month and then it was time to take the tree down.

Sorry that should be dds' as I'm buying for two!

I am a team tinsel (converted by DH!)

Just downloaded the master gift list and am setting down with a sleeping baby to add in every present bought so far

That would be good idea Teal as it is difficult to find teen stocking fillers.

Last year I gave DS's a Japanese twist as he was really into Anime, Manga etc. I put in an awesome box of Japanese sweets, little kitkats of bizarre flavours, erasers, a pop vinyl of the Tokyo Ghoul bloke, books, a t shirt with a Kingdom Hearts logo,and so on, and he loved it.

This year = stumped 😆

I find all the different threads for different things confusing. Give t chance though. As we get closer to Christmas there is more for adults and teens on the threads. It depends where the offers are and where people see them

I bought an old suitcase today and there were Christmas decorations inside, but unfortunately the seller realised before handing it over. They were old 60's style ones and I probably should have bought them too, but I didn't.

I'm pretty sure this is a decision that will haunt me for many years.

I also found an old Christmas notebook in an aladdin's cave style second hand shop where someone had made a record of everyone she'd sent and received cards from and all the presents she gave from 1986 - 2001. So well organised, I could certainly do with taking a leaf out of her book.

As someone with a teen and a toddler I like all the bargains in one place. I think teens are harder as they are more specific about what they want. I can buy for ds3 because he will be almost 2 and has no preference so I can buy what I want him to have as opposed to dd (she'll be almost 14 at xmas).
More older bargains appear closer to the time like when boots do their star gift sets etc

Yay! Team No Tinsel is increasing in membership! 😂

I use those lengths of coloured beads instead.

I'm too excited about getting the tree up this year as it's new. I may put it up mid-November! Except I won't, but I want to.

I like all of the bargains in one place. And Sprouts is right, more teen / adult bargains come nearer to Christmas.

Teen DC change their minds so often about presents (so do younger DC admitedly but teen DC presents I think are harder to buy and £££)

I won't start buying until late Nov (DS birthday in Dec too) .

He's after an XBox (the new one) but I think he'll buy it himself , we'll buy him games and give him money.

Maybe driving lessons.....................

I've decided no Christmas stuff till after ds's birthday (28th November). And then 1st December I can start Christmas decorations etc if I want.

I've just finished wrapping the last of the kids' main presents as well as wrapping the stocking gifts in tissue paper.

What shall I do between now and Christmas?!

126

I spent a few minutes yesterday looking at the various kindle options "in the flesh". Thank goodness for the gadget bit of Tesco. I think I know what I'm doing now I'll need someone to wrestle my debit card off me in case I'm tempted to give in and buy the top price Cursed Child tickets.

I'm itching to break out the Christmas username and everything I think I'm working until 7am Christmas morning (very lucky to have Christmas day and boxing day off but I'll probably volunteer for overtime boxing day to give someone a chance to see family etc) but I'm already feeling festive as heck

I didn't even take off my Christmas name 😳

Bloomin' Heck this thread is going fast! Haven't been on for a few days and we're up to 370 posts with 126 days to go!

Sprouts please don't change your name - I love it!

Last night the gauntlet was thrown down by my SIL re us hosting Christmas for the first time (1st time anyone else than MIL)... by her saying "I'm so pleased xx are hosting this year, it means we'll probably have fun games instead of rubbish aldi bought quizzes like the past 2 years"

My reply "great so not only do I have to concentrate on not poisoning you all with my cooking we need fun games as well"

Any ideas welcome, least there's time, DH might in charge of "fun!"
Any fun games ideas welcome! They can be a rowdy bunch (my family more conservative do that doesn't help matters)

Not one for the kids but I absolutely love "Cards Against Humanity". You do need the right group of people playing it but truly hilarious.

For more family friendly stuff In our family quizes are really popular. We split into teams and it gets crazy competitive!

SIL had great fun playing a variation of the "post it note on the forehead" game with a mixed age group. It had glasses with a slot at the top for the name of the famous person/thing. I'm not explaining it very well but I'll try and find a link.

Pie Face went down very well last year with the children/teens and young adults.

Quiz sheets with photos - children's tv characters, name the Disney movie etc

We have a box of quiz questions we bought from M&S a couple of years ago that have children's and adult questions on either side. DS loved that after Christmas dinner and for weeks afterwards you may be able to find them on eBay if M&S don't sell similar this year.

Cards against humanity is great, but not suitable for children or those that could be easily offended.
I do kind of wish there was a less offensive version that I could play with other family members.

Will you have a mix of adults and kids?

Pears to pears (I think it's called. Something about pears anyway) is the child friendly version of cards against humanity. Dsd was given it last year and we found it hilarious and very competitive. Dsd didn't get it though, maybe not suitable for a child with ASD