What is the difference between snowmen and snow women? Snowballs! It’s countdown to Christmas thread 5!

[SideOrderofSprouts]

45! ( from midnight. Three glasses of wine and a tub of pringles means I’m falling asleep!!)

Good morning all!
MrsMad I hope your dignity remains intact after your fall - although you could always claim it was multitasking by getting a beauty treatment in as part of your walk!! !

Fluffy chilli jam...mmm..sounds lush!

Handbag that's great news about DNiece! Fingers crossed that all continues to go well for her. I love the Christmas music competition!

Minster your nails are FAB! (You;ll never see mine they are so bad!).

I've probably missed people too, sorry -Hi All!!

This morning was productive as I managed to catch an earlier train and get jobs done en route to work - dropping mending, collecting a script from the Dr and dropping it to chemist, bank stuff, dealing with a last minute interview panic, buying lunch (and a cheat's Thanksgiving dinner) in M&S, and acquiring a pack of mince pies for research purposes....and adding plenty of extra walking to the efforts at dieting! (I slightly needed to walk some muscles back into movement after pilates last night - this year's teacher is a lot more intense than last year!!).

Tonight is cleaning and organizing night at home - first my bedroom, then the spare bedroom, and we'll see if I get further than that. I am getting more ticked off my lists - but lots more yet to do too.

Lots more Christmas lights are popping up in the towns!

Ours were turned on by E17 at the weekend (or people purporting to be E17; it's not the original line up!).

I did see 2 houses (period houses, next door to each other) lit up when I was going home last night - my first!!

And we saw a massive truck load of Christmas trees (in their "hairnets"!) as we were driving to DM's city on Saturday - cue much excitement in our car (DSis, DSisIL and I - all at least slightly on the scale of Christmas Nuts!)

Saw a tree in a bay window , blue sparkling lights

Mine won't be for a while yet though, definately not till after DS Birthday,

Biddy , my dignity has gone well and truly! lol
I am fine today not a bruise on my butt or stiffness thank you
Am looking at walking shoes/boots any tips please?
I am very wide of foot and just want to be comfortable and dry feet and safe .
No lights on yet the big switch on is Saturday hooray great work on the mince pipes research , take one for the team my dear , were they M & S ones ? Pray tell what were they like my dear I am all agog lol , I thought Aldis el cheapos were the better out of Aldi and Waitrose in the little taster I did but not done any extensive testing yet slurrrrp!
You did very well in getting stuff done Biddy, well done am starting to panic slightly ..........

Handbag what lovely news about your darling baby niece just wonderful! Had a lovely time visiting the fogeys , I love Pontypool I used to go there when I was little to my DS in laws they were a lovely couple and very sweet to me .I think it has left a lasting impression on me . Get better soon sweetie , was going to give you a kiss then lol and thought better of it and then I thought to hell with it get better very soon xxx
Fluffs ....Chilli Jam WOW!
Get that tree up already you hear lol
E17 hey ? Ohhhh we have to put up with the Mayor and his lady
Fridge glad you gotcha Mojo back sweetie can't be having you mojoless!
Glad you had a great time shopping Ceebs you were a lot braver than me going shoppio on a match day!
Don't forget to put your trees up asap, did you hear on the news today that putting your tree and decs up earlier makes you feel happier ? Great excuse to shut the DH up lol . Hope all ok , take care everyone

I saw that, MrsMad! I'm aiming for prime happiness! 🎄🎄🎄

33

🎄🎄🎄🎄

Well, I didn't get terribly far last night - but I did clear off the chair and dressing table in my room, refilled the bottles in my toilet bags that needed refilling (I keep both my see-through plane kit and my "general travel" fabric washbags filled ready to go mostly), and generally tidied the room. And I emptied the 2 dehumidifiers of water, added a new tablet to one, and sorted laundry. And spent time chatting with DD.

I intend getting papers sorted in the spare room tonight. DH is away. I may also get out his Alexa and try to set it up for him before I organize wrapping it - then again, that may be a tech challenge too far for me. I also need to collect a parcel on the way home (and a script from the chemist at lunch).

But it is miserable here today - very wet still, and humid. The cold is not due to come until later tonight. So my sinuses are playing havoc with me!

Are you doing that American home clearing, get ready for Christmas thing?

I'm trying to find time to get all sorts of little jobs round the house done (or prompting DH to get bits which are his forte as a builder done) sooner rather than later.

He's very much a dumper (why put towels away when you can put them next to the basket) and I'm a tidy organiser. He gets far less bothered by the detritus which comes with small kids than I do!

But I'd like to get on top of clearing clutter before Christmas and I'm running out of time. 😱

Saw my first decorated house today! Full on father Christmas in the window and a massive tree

So glad your DNiece is doing well Handbag!

Every year I start the Holiday Grand Plan. Every year I fail - sometimes at the start, sometimes further in. But I never manage to do it all.

This year, the house is in full-on chaos (almost properly Flylady's Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome levels!!). So I am just trying to get the worst of it sorted and cleared out. But life is way too hectic as well. So I did a good job on the study about 6 weeks ago - but the spare room is a disgrace ever since....piles of paperwork, which I am ploughing through, sorting, categorizing and dumping some too - but I have to try and clear it just in case DMIL actually does come up in 8 days time!!!!

Wow this weather is just horrible, haven't been able to go out for my normal walk today the wind is so bad I don't mind the rain.
My DS has gone to Oxford and said the weather is lovely there , lots of Christmas bargains , loads of shoppers, she sounded in seventh heaven lol
Sooo the budget hmmmm I suppose the stamp duty is a very good idea but surely it means no one will buy anything until it comes to pass?
Random comment from me but the news is on lol
Biddy you sound like you are under duress my dear moi aussi
Ceebs not seen any decorated houses here yet
Fluffs you are so lucky having a DH that will do stuff for you mine is a hoarder
Hey ho hope all are well take care everyone [fgrn]

Mrs I heard on the radio earlier that the stamp duty thing will only effect Wales until April, then it’s back to applying on houses over £150k as it’s one of the things the welsh assembly deal with. Sigh.

Biddy you always sound so busy. Do you ever rest? Your cleaning / sorting / tidying puts me to shame. I essentially pull the furniture out and clean from top to bottom the day before the decs go up - to be fair, there are no dc here so the less is generally minimal but still..!

I went back to work today so I’m exhausted and have coughed myself hoarse. Quiet night for me I think.

I also saw fairy lights in 3 or 4 windows on the drive home - no trees yet though

Really windy here too rain but it’s on its way apparently. I worked today but fridays are my day off it’s also pay day then so I’m going to do as much as I can on amazon I’ve got a horrible cold. The cough started three weeks ago and I’m still not better.

Handbag ....yes we have to be different lol
Hope you feel better soon sweetie
Wreck ..... you too sweetie hope you feel better and enjoy your shoppio day on Friday yayyy!

32

Almost into the 20s!

Morning all. Bought my turkey crown yesterday and almost finished for presents

Well done, Sprouts.

I'm going to collect DH's present on Saturday morning and I'm done then once I've wrapped it.

All food is ordered for delivery / collection (just need to change one delivery date overnight tonight and another overnight on Sat as the right day becomes available) and I have most of the booze either already or ordered.

We are doing the trees on Sunday as we are too busy the weekend after! 😁🎄

We’re not hosting at Christmas and the dc are 7& almost 5 (on Sunday!) so not sure we will go all out. I cook all year so will probably buy all ready made! Not sure what meat....

We do an all day buffet on Christmas Day itself so we can eat while the kids play (the in laws are coming to us). I'm then doing a roast on Boxing Day at my in laws' house (we are having lamb).

We are visiting my parents on 28th Dec, as they're a good trek away (and staying near where Woolly lives, though she's swapping regions with me at the same time, so everything will be even in the universe! 😂).

getting lots of deliveries to my office atm!
doing the "big shop" to get the bulk of the gifts in this weekend!

Pay day tomorrow, hooray! I only have a few things left to get. I've just done an asda order, I don't usually shop there but they were cheapest for nappies. I bought six bottles of wine that were reduced from £8 and then included in their six for £25 so plenty of wine to drink or give. They had a good deal on boxed chocs so bought three for the house (single variety thorntons, my fave!) instead of heroes / roses etc and 3 boxes for swimming teachers.

Handbag my tidying wouldn't put anyone to shame if you saw the tip that calls itself our house....(TG the cleaners come today so it will at least be clean piles of shite around the place! ).

I bought slippers for DH (that he'd pointed out longingly recently) instead of PJs for Christmas Eve. He may feel miffed at that, but I can't get the shorts style he likes and he has said he has enough PJs, so I am trying to listen to him! And I got the same tshirt that DD adores and forms the vital top part of her "nicely dressed" outfit as a long sleeved top. (She got a jeans and tshirt combo on hols - and won't wear the jeans with any other top even though she has a few that would look quite nice together! I am hoping that, once it has the right logo, the longer sleeves mean she'll wear the jeans over winter as well). Hairspray I feel your plain, the service officers (who do the post) are giving me dirty looks as well at work (although I think a LOT of people are doing it this year).

I did manage my room last night, filling the recycling bin for today's collection, and sorted a bit more in the study. I want to do some more before DH gets home late tonight though.

Fridge that sounds like a good way to fill the trolley! And I am well jealous of Sprouts having her Christmas turkey organized already. We are having stuffed turkey breast slices for tomorrow's dinner (M&S option - DH is home too late to do Thanksgiving dinner tonight). But I need to clear more space in the freezer for festive specials!

It's funny that Fluffy and Woolly must swap places to keep the universe on its proper axis!