It's almost Christmas in July time - Christmas Countdown 2018 part 4

[BiddyPop]

I believe it's day 190

HOW did we get past the 200 mark so fast? And only 12 Days until Christmas in July starts, for anyone who celebrates that.

My course last year was at an National Trust property Firefly. We had a great instructor and a lovely lunch too. Is there anything like that near you?

I don't watch Strictly but in this house it's Dr Who that leads the way to Christmas ( not sure if DH will watch it, I know DS won't , he got meh with PCapaldi)
I might tune in as Bradley Walsh is in it...................

Redgreen apple and blackberry crumble! 😋😋😋😋😋😋😋

DD will go to bed at 10.10. 😴

Have just made 2 packed suppers for Adventure. 😋🍫

I love Strictly. And, from next Weds, it'll be 'next month' when it'll be back! Whoop. It's my official count down to Christmas when that starts!

4am, Firefly. Hardcore! 😂😂

Ilove my friend did this a few years ago and it was sweet but she said it wasn't worth the time it took (although sewing isn't her thing)

70 My DM bought paper bags from the studio catalogue last year and they worked really well.

Redgreen that planner looks lovely. How is it organised inside please? I have a red leather notebook as mine but the lists etc are in a random order.

I have had a lovely few days. I managed to crochet a small (child-sized) Christmas stocking while DH was out yesterday for my niece and only have one more present to source for the mad August birthday rush so I feel very productive. Have also just done my weekly diet meal plan so ready to start the working week and not thinking about DHs long summer off

Wish this hot weather would go away though! I thought it was finally turning on Friday but no, today has been humid and uncomfortable 😣

I have bought the vodka for my Christmas vodka and also for DD's 'going to uni box' (fingers crossed for her results). I am also planning some Christmas gin. I am looking at the crab apples waiting for them to be ready to make jelly.
I am undecided about the M&S advent calendar - I bought it for the first time last year and was a little disappointed but I don't think the more expensive ones are worth the money. I am keeping an eye on Superdrug for DD but bought the nuxe 12 day calendar in the sales.

156

Morning! DS2's in bed playing Minecraft, I'm in bed drinking coffee.

Morning! We're heading off to Fountains Abbey today; it's meant to be spectacular. Currently stuck behind a tractor right now though!

The weather is lovely still, thankfully. We had a very wet week in Scotland last year, so this is a blessing!

Enjoy the holidays Fluffy, I hope it's not too hot for you!

That's a good reminder Constantly that "infusions" need to get started soon enough...I keep saying I will do a Christmas gin and forgetting.

I managed to get my sewing done yesterday - so the first set of dribble cloths (shaped to fit over a shoulder for winding etc) are ready to be wrapped. I hope to do a second set, as another new baby is due later in the autumn - if I get a whole day to myself, I might manage it. But first I have to make a couple of fleece cushion covers for DD's room, and I want to do that before she gets back from Scout camp. And hopefully a set of hanging pockets for beside her bed (for a book, a torch, and little treasures) in a "graffiti" fabric that is kinda cool for an almost teen.

Quiet day in the office today - fire training for the morning (mostly dull sitting in a classroom stuff, but putting out a fire with an extinguisher to finish it off). And as the afternoon looks quiet, I will finalise my lists ready for getting back from hols. I already made a good start yesterday by getting rid of 1 bag to the clothes bank, 1 box of bottles to the bottle bank, and sending DH "down home" with 4 bags of toys for his DSis and 1 of too small clothes for his DBro (their children would all be the right ages for relevant bags) - and I sent 3 bags of clothes towards other DNiece/DNephew recently. And I threw out 2 bags of "clutter".

It's all about baby steps.

The next one of those being to tackle under the spare bed again (all my Christmas magazines are there, and recipes torn from loads of food/lifestyle mags that I want to keep but need to organize). So the plan is to devote a few hours to that this week (while DD is not distracting me, wanting to "help"!).

It burned off to being exceptionally toasty, Biddy; it was raining when we got there!

The kids were wiped out, bless them. DS is still asleep, but DD doesn't nap for as long now she's 5.

You're doing well with your clearing. I've told DH that we are going to declutter the dining room over the summer holiday as it's driving me mad now. Might as well get a head start on ourselves, once we've sorted the allotment. That's this Sunday's plan! In theory!

Had lunch in the Sainsbury's café, DS2 had chicken nuggets, chips and peas, Kettle chips, a chocolate chip cookie and a chocolate brownie, DD had cottage pie and peas and pralines, I had tuna pasta bake, salad and garlic bread and a Magnum Classic, dropped them off at Adventure, picked them up at 5, DS2 will go to bed at 8. 😋🍗🍟🐟🍫🍫🍫😴

Evening all
Have had the most awful day , Went to Mum & Dads and she had D & V in her bedroom , the landing and the bathroom . I can't tell you how awful it was , her bedroom was like a bomb had dropped. Anyway it took us , DH was with me thank God , 2 hours to scrub everywhere, clean her up , get the bedroom and the bed made up, the carpets shampooed and the washing done. Honestly l could have cried, it was so bad
She is fine now , l think it was because she had cottage pie that she left in the microwave overnight. I am so fed up of telling the pair of them to keep food in the fridge , they don't take a bit of notice . lt is really hard looking after them sometimes .
To add to that DD2 wisdom tooth is killing her again she has been crying with the pain , l have dosed her up with Co codamols and Ibuprofen, ice in a tea towel, oil of cloves. l can't do anymore for her. She has another dentist appt in the morning . hope they will sort her out it is horrible seeing her in so much pain.
Hope everyone is ok and enjoying their evenings,
Sorry to be such a doomongerer , normal service will soon be resumed l am sure, l feel better for telling you all

Your poor mum, poor you and DH and poor DD2.

Oh bless you MrsMad. My DM played Russian roulette with food hygiene when she lived on her own

Ahhh thank you both so much , l am much comforted by your kindness.
That is exactly the right phrase to use 'Russian Roulette'
She is much better now ,drinking well, taken Imodium & Dioralyte , bloody marvellous stuff!!!

and for you and your DH, MrsM. I hope your DM is doing better soon. Your immune system can't cope as well when you get older so she might have been fine a few years ago and thinks she still will be. And your poor, poor DD. Toothache is the worst, because in my experience nothing really touches it!

I am absolutely melting today. It was 30 degrees in the bedrooms. DS only went to sleep about 30 mins ago; we tried putting him to bed later but that didn't work. I ended up sitting with him, holding his hand. DH thinks I've ruined him for life now

God knows what temperature it was in my office earlier - it was so warm I felt sick. Although I'm also getting stomach cramps so this could be a stomach bug, but it is not fun in this heat

Thank you Firefly Girl, l feel better now l got it off my chest .
I think there is a lot of truth in what you say , their food hygiene behaviour has to change , in fact l will tell her this tomorrow thank you
Very unpleasant for it to be so hot in work , no wonder you felt ill, hope you feel ok now my dear

155

Morning! In bed drinking coffee. I can't hear DS2 yet. 😆

Your poor mum, Mrs. It does sound like they need a bit of coaching re food safety, especially in this hot weather. I hope she's back to normal soon.

Firefly, your office sounds hideous. Do you have a fan or anything in there? It must be grim, especially if anyone is pregnant. We have good aircon, thankfully. I can't think if I'm too hot.

It's DS' 4th birthday today. I'm waiting for him to wake up so he can open his presents (he's got a bike waiting at home, so there aren't really many here, bless him!).

We're off on a steam train to Whitby today. I'm looking forward to the trip!

Happy birthday miniFluffy! 🎁🎂🎈🎉🎊

Happy birthday to your Darling boy Fluffy!
Good Morning all
Mum feeling much better today, have drummed the immune system bit into their heads, she was very contrite so hopefully it will hit home, fingers crossed!
DD off to the Dentist very soon , hopefully we will have more news about the extraction. It seems as if they refer their wisdom teeth patients to a clinic in Newport, not the hospital oral surgery dept, so l am hoping this will expedite the wait, bless her, she is so unhappy .
The steam train ride sounds lovely Fluffy , l would so enjoy that too, we love the Paignton to Dartmouth ride , with the ferry crossing , must do that again . I love the Torquay area we went to Agatha Christie house which l loved !
Have a wonderful birthday with him !
Have a great day everyone

Happy 4th Birthday MiniFluffy

Mrs my DDad is very lax/disparaging of use by dates but he's very rarely ill ( its a During the War thing , they went through rationing and its kind of stuck that they don't throw food out and don't buy loads at a time). I look through their fridge and pantry in horror sometimes.

Wisdom teeth are a nightmare , I had mine out 25 years ago , the relief!

Might have bought my first present.......QVC have Yankee Candles as the TSV , set of 3 . (2 large+1 medium) , I bought some for DD , but I might sneak one away for her Christmas

Evening all
DD2 went to the Dentist who gave her a course of antibiotics for the anaerobic infection of the tissue , having given her a course to deal with the original infection that depended on oxygen!!! l have never heard the like ! Anyway she is feeling much happier because they are going to push her appt through as urgent , l am so relieved. Mum is better today but terribly tired which is to be expected . So all in all a return to normal service for now at least ...phew!
70 my parents are not so bad about the cupboard stuff, l can imagine your horror lol but their meat and fish hygiene is not good , they leave meat and poultry and fish out overnight in the microwave and l am going nuts about it . I just hope they will learn from this now
Sounds like you had a bargain with the Yankee Candles 70 well done !
I am looking at Diaries/calendars/writing sets for the elderly friends and relatives l have to buy for , l find them so hard to get naice presents for
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0711239487/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0711239541/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_4?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IKKVZK6/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?smid=A20IEJQSR67H7O&psc=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

Just some of the things l am watching
Hope you are all having a lovely evening

My mum came, we had lunch in the Sainsbury's café, DS2 had bangers, mash and peas, Kettle chips, a jam doughnut and a Harry the Horse cookie, DD had cottage pie and peas and a chocolate brownie, my mum had a ham and mushroom omelette and salad and a Magnum Classic, I had ham, eggs and chips and a Magnum White, dropped the DC off at Adventure, picked them up at 5, they had what they would have had at Adventure for tea, I had chicken tikka masala, DS2's in bed. 😋🍳🍟🍄🍫🍗😴

Happy birthday, MiniFluffy. How was your train ride? I'm assuming it was NYMR - that's who we did our Santa train with at Christmas. Love it!

I have my own office; it's a mix of offices for the FEs and open plan for secretaries/juniors, so no air conditioning It's a big firm but I don't actually know of anyone who's pregnant. One of my NCT friends has just had her second and I don't know how she's coped! And trying to keep him cool in this weather!