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Original poster

Decorating Day

28 replies

Kez437 · 31/07/2018 09:47

This is our first year in our own, albeit small, place with DSS(6). I love Christmas and I'm so excited to decorate our own little place and cook some christmassy food 😊 In my experience DH gets in the way of my organising and DSS gets bored although they love having the decorations up. I've booked the last Friday on November off work, I'm going to take it in secret and not tell anyone and then spend the day doing decorations, drinking hot chocolate etc then have it as a surprise for the boys when they come home. Anyone else do this? I'm irrationality excited 🎅

OP posts:
CherryPavlova · 31/07/2018 09:51

We always do the decorations together on the last weekend before Christmas. November is too early for me to start because it’s our son’s birthday and the flowers/wreaths and garlands wouldn’t last.

Original poster
Kez437 · 31/07/2018 10:09

Agree Cherry that November sounds very early but I normally try and put them up for the beginning of December as we have our Elf arrive then and it's just the way the dates fall this year 😊

OP posts:
NerosFiddle · 31/07/2018 10:41

Sounds lovely. I put my decorations up in November too but my dc are too young to know what it means yet.

youareawizard · 31/07/2018 13:23

I usually have a 1st December Rule for putting the tree up and decorating but this year I'm doing it on Friday 30th November with my Mum and DS (he'll be 5 months old Grin) making a big thing of it and then on the 1st me, DS, Mum and DP are going to France for the day to do Xmas shopping!

happymummy12345 · 31/07/2018 13:25

Ours go up the first weekend of December

Alanamackree · 31/07/2018 14:23

That sounds lovely! I think you’re very sensible to organize it that way to save yourself a lot of stress and frustration and actually enjoy it. Genius!

73kittycat73 · 31/07/2018 14:25

I hope you have a lovely time Kez437. Sounds like you will. Xmas Smile I put my decoration up on the 6th November! Xmas Grin

73kittycat73 · 31/07/2018 14:26

Decorations. I have more than one, honest. Xmas Grin

WooYa · 31/07/2018 14:33

That's sounds lovely ☺️ I plan on asking forcing DH to 'help' decorate, even though he doesn't like it and it looks messy but it's only our second year in our own home (used to live in flats) and our first with DS... I'm so excited Grin

NoWordForFluffy · 31/07/2018 18:03

I'm doing ours (with 'help' from the DC!) on 1 Dec as it's a Sat this year.

I love doing it, even though it's easier without them and they do too. They're already looking forward to it!

cheesemumma · 31/07/2018 20:02

@kez437 that sounds like absolute bliss. What a lovely day. I'm a teacher so that won't happen, though I may ask DH to take my daughter out for the day and do it while they're or I thought myself and my DH could do it the Friday night before the 1st and bring DD into see it in the morning.
It is also our first year properly settled in our own place so also irrationally excited for the whole thing.

Thehandmaidshat · 31/07/2018 20:08

We usually do ours on the 1st December but this year I'm planning on Friday the 30th so the dc wake up to them on the 1st along with their hampers.

Last year the dc were a nightmare with the tree, I'm hoping things will be different for this year!

FilthyforFirth · 01/08/2018 14:36

I put mine up as early in November as I can get away with, usually the last weekend. We will be in a new house this year with an 18 month old, so not sure how we are going to manage the tree and him running around everywhere! I too am ridiculously excited about it, I think my new house is just big enough for 2 trees! I have always wanted a 'hallway tree' as I think it is a lovely thing to see when you first walk in the house Smile.

Your plan sounds awesome, enjoy!

Stompythedinosaur · 01/08/2018 23:44

I would love to do that, but my dc would be disappointed not to be able to join in.

BiddyPop · 02/08/2018 14:27

I was just thinking similar to Stompy. Could you decorate the house (garlands, swags, string for cards, window clings - whatever you do that isn't the tree), and get the tree itself standing and lights on but have the decorations ready to put on together as a family? So the bits that they'd be more bored at are done, as you want them, but they still feel part of it?

Do you have an artificial tree or will you have a real tree? If the latter, perhaps you could do the house part and go together to choose the tree, but let them head off from decorating it when they get bored.

Or have a Christmas movie playing in the same room while you decorate, so they can "help" but really be in the same room while you get on with the decorating part, but they've been involved at the same time? (Movie probably involving drinking hot chocolate and you could always take a HC break in between, say, the lights and the individual decorations, and you can also ask for feedback and guidance as you are going along as they are right there even if not handing things to you).

Allthepinkunicorns · 03/08/2018 08:57

That sounds like a lovely day you are going to have op. I would love a day to myself to decorate and watch Christmas movies all day long but my ds loves helping to much so I have to wait till he's older now.

Ellajt · 03/08/2018 10:06

I too have booked off the 30th November just to decorate! No children, but I love Christmas. Fiancé likes it more than most, but not as much as I do Grin he never helps decorate anyway! I’m going to do a 1st December box with new pjs and a cheeseboard and wine for when he finishes work Smile

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 03/08/2018 10:07

My DS birthday is the first week in December so we always waited till Mid Dec to do the decorations so that his day wasn't lost in the melee.

We do the Advent Tree (years old , bought when they were little and still makes an appearance ) December 1st hampers and the Christmas Bedding.

Then the house decorations go up two weeks before Christmas and the tree about 10 days .
I start sneaking the crockery out of the Christmas cupboard and the Christmas oilcloth goes on the table Xmas Grin

tomthomas · 04/08/2018 17:36

Funnily enough I was just thinking about decorating day! This seems the best place to ask so:

I’m planning on having ‘the elf’ decorate for us this year, DS will be almost 4 so loves decorations but has no interest in actually putting them up yet Grin plan is to decorate on the night of the 30th so DS wakes up to it all decorated, the elf back and advent calendars etc

Does anyone have any tips on getting it all done pretty quick the evening before? DS will be at nursery all day on the Friday so
I can get some prep done then but not really sure how to go about it, I’m considering doing the tree and leaving it in my bedroom until he falls asleep (we’re in a flat so won’t be too difficult I hope!)

[santa]

BakewellGin1 · 04/08/2018 20:36

That sounds like a lovely day and is pretty much what I am hoping to do... am super excited as we have just found I am pregnant so will be able to continue the santa traditions. DS9 does love decorating the tree and watching movies so as someone suggested above I might do the 'boring' parts while he is at school and the parts he likes later (however I will spend my day drinking hot chocolate and being excited)...

QuoadUltra · 06/08/2018 07:51

I love my decorating day. I do mine a couple of weeks before Christmas and will buy my tree a few days before that so it is in place and all the branches have dropped.

I spend one of my precious annual leave days on it and love it.

trancepants · 06/08/2018 14:49

I normally put our tree up on the last Friday of November as we have a social club party the next day that kicks off our Christmas season. Last year I was putting the tree together in the livingroom while DS (just turned 5) played with his toy in the same room as me). The tree is enormous and takes about 90 minutes to put together. It has nearly 1,000 lights that take forever to put on. I use tinsel, literally, hundreds of baubles and lots and lots of figure and characters decorations. I didn't mind that DS wasn't involved as he would have gotten in the way but figured I'd encourage him to join in at the end for hanging up our favourite pieces and then adding the baubles which he loves.

Toward the end of doing it a massive hail storm started and when it ended everywhere was covered in about an inch of white hail. Assuming that it would be the closest we'd come to snow for the winter, I decided to take DS for a play and walk so he could enjoy it. As we got home I saw a nearby apartment where the tree lights had just been switched on. I pointed it out to DS who got all excited and started trying to convince me that we should put up our tree! I asked him exactly what he thought I'd been doing in the corner of the same room we were both in all day and he looked at me baffled. I said nothing more and brought him into the livingroom where he stood in amazement at what the elves had come and done while we were out!!!!!!

pinkpotatoes · 06/08/2018 15:16

Ours go up on 18th November, in memory of MIL (the anniversary of her passing). She loved Christmas & it gives us a positive way to remember her at such a sad time. It does feel ridiculously early sometimes, but it's tradition Smile otherwise, they'd go up on DH's first day off after DS1's birthday on 3rd December x

bandthenjust · 09/08/2018 17:57

I decorated in November once. Neighbours laughed at me everytime they walked past my house.
Wont do it that early again, as I refuse to dust frickin Christmas tree decorations.
Put smaller stuff up first week of December, and this year aiming to put the tree up after Dds birthday on 15th.

Chrisinthemorning · 09/08/2018 18:29

Ours will go up weekend 8/9th December this year.
We all do it together with a Christmas CD or film on in the background and mulled wine

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