Don't be an April fool, get your Easter eggs in a row and countdown to Christmas Thread 3

[NoWordForFluffy]

268

New month coincides with the need for a new thread!

The last one kept us going for over 2 months, so let's see how we do this time!

Fluffy We have our Sunday lunch on a Saturday and the takeaway on a Sunday. We’ve always done it that way..I suppose it’s just a roast😂.

Just looking at Pinterest and found these very pretty decs to make
I love Russian dolls
blog.hobbycraft.co.uk/how-to-sew-a-festive-matryoshka-doll/

Thank you Fedora l know l must be happy for her and like you say she is young enough with no ties to do what she likes , it is totally different to when l was 23 , l had been married 2 years, was tied to a mortgage with 17 % interest and times were hard . No one seems to be marrying young these days but we all did then , it was thought there was something wrong with you if you didn't get married in my circles , times really have changed and for the better l think. Rant over lol
Fluffy l am glad you don't use anything to kill the weeds or insects , l don't like using them at all either not that l garden at all but l am worried about the world we are leaving for our children.Thank you for the vote of confidence for DD2 job . l know she has to do it, no question about it gives me some reassurance when you all say the same here
My darling BFF, who l have been friends with since we were 18, has done the same as you to her shoulder Fluffy, she is waiting a surgery date bless her , in great pain, on Amytrip and Zapain , same stuff as Cocodamol l think .
Better shift to bed, am trying Amitryptyline and Cocodamol now for the sciatica and they really make you tired
Have a good night everyone

207

Morning! It smells like Christmas in here! We have a new oven with a timer, so I set it to come on at 4.30 this morning so the mincemeat could have its 3 hours' cooking time. It should cool nicely before I have to go out to give blood at 10.30 ish. DH forgot to stir it when he was in charge the first time, so I can do that regularly before I head out.

It's gloomy but dry today. Must hang the washing out!

Forgot this!

I might make mincemeat in the slow cooker bearer to Christmas , how long does it need to mature for?

I have three loads of washing and the Perfect Drying Day but I need to make sure the Moggies are out of the room before going out . The female is eyeing up the sparrows .

They aren't ready to go outside yet but already plotting

Typical cats, 70! 🐱

It doesn't take much time to mature really, but it does taste better if it's older. We still had some left from 2017 last year and it was lovely. The new stuff was too, but you could tell the older stuff.

Morning everyone 😀
Off to Mum's this morning, she has visitors again today, l try to get ppl to pop in to see her because she is not going out much atm. I have and am trying to get her to come out with me but she is very reluctant to come out. She is not wanting to see ppl either but l am insisting she does. I can't do anything more than I am.
Fluffy ❤️ thank you for giving blood my dear, l really appreciate you doing it. If it wasn't for people like you willing to do this then my Dad wouldn't have been able to have his blood transfusion 👏👍🤗
The mincemeat looks gorgeous ❤️ well done 😁
70 your puss cats sound adorable , l think it is time we got another pet ,DH is resistant to it though 🙄
Have a lovely day everyone 😀

Hello everyone! I ventured on to the Christmas boards last year but I mentioned that I’d watched Arthur Christmas with 3 year old DS (think it was April) and was told by a particularly charming poster that her “DD thinks you’re weird” so I haven’t been back since.
But you know what - fuck her! I love Christmas and chatting all things festive. So I’m joining in with the chat. The poor woman was probably just sad her DD wouldn’t watch Arthur Christmas with her!

So - I’ve bought a few books for DS and DD’s presents and I’ve written lists for everyone I buy for. I’m intending to budget really well so that all I have to pay for in December is the food shop. Also going to book a Santa train this month once tickets go on sale.
We’re getting our kitchen done this summer and I’ve already planned where the tree is going to go...

Good morning everyone, we’re at dads now. It’s adorable seeing him with the boys..heon only had girls and always wanted a boy so he loves it. The weathers alright here but it’s very clammy it needs to rain and clear the air. Will catch up with you all later.

Ooh, we have unforecast rain. But like Fedora, we needed it! The washing is getting wet, but it'll dry eventually.

Mrs, those decorations look a bit beyond my sewing ability, sadly, as they're lovely.

I hope you have fun at your mum's with her visitors.

Fedora, enjoy your (not Sunday!) lunch!

Farrah, I think I remember you. That wasn't a Christmas board person; you were bitch-plopped by somebody who saw it on active threads and posted to be a cow. We have a regular bitch-plopper, though there are a few nasty people around on here who live to be a cow as often as they can. Welcome back!

I'm just waiting for the train into town now.

mrs love the decorations, I’ll have a bash at them closer to Christmas with the boys. I completely understand where you’re coming from with your DD, me and my mum are the opposite, we’ve lived, practically, the exact same life. Settling down fairly young, having kids fairly young, the only difference being I have a career and a job on the side. She wanted me to go off and live a similar life to your DD because she was unhappy in her life. I think as mums we just have to let out DC make their mistakes and be there for them in the fall out. You should definitely get another pet! We have a cat, dog and some fish and I love it. Our cat is an indoor cat too so the house is full all the time.

Fluffy the mincemeat looks great wish I was able to smell it, it always smells incredible. I’m awaiting the rain here, it’ll be a nice release from this heat. Thank you we definitely will enjoy it.

Farrah ignore them!! Christmas films are just films and should be enjoyed all year round. You seem very organised! It’s the complete opposite here.

I've potted on a ridiculous number of things today: 9 squash plants, 6 courgettes, 6 tomatoes plus over 20 chilli and pepper plants! I've used about 100 litres of compost! 😱

The garden is coming on nicely. The strawberry patch looks brilliant and I've got loads of herbs and flowers / plants / veg / fruit on the go. It's amazing what you can fit in a small garden!

We harvested our first spuds too, which I'd forgotten were red! 😂

Fluffy that garden is looking ace, spuds look delicious too.

We have not long got in from dads. Both boys are zonked out and DH is taking the animals for a walk and I’m going to unwind and have a soak in the bath. Hope you all have had a good day.

206

Morning! It's still raining after a brief respite yesterday evening. I need to go and weed at the allotment so will need to wear waterproof trousers as I need to go crawling under the brassica nets to get to the weeds. I don't mind kneeling on mud, but I draw the line at wet mud! Rock'n'roll life.

I've made two lemon drizzle cakes which are in the oven and my Yorkshire pudding batter is waiting to go in when the cakes are done.

We didn't wake up until almost-8 today. Unheard of for both kids to sleep in that long at the same time! Long may it continue. (Spoiler: it won't!)

AnyFarrah my DD and I (she's nearly 17) have a Tradition of watching "Lost Christmas" in August then again about 23rd Dec.

She was talking about The Polar Express yesterday and how we must dig out a copy (not watch on ITV with the pesky adverts)

Morning, it’s still cloudy here but it’s so clammy I can’t handle it. I woke up this morning sweating and had to open every window in our home, it felt like when you wake up in the morning and you’ve been camping and the tent is unbearable.

We’re taking the boys to the play park for an hour or so and then we’ll go and do the weekly shop. We might take the pets and DC on a long walk before bed to tire every one out and then it’s back to the grind tomorrow morning. DS1 only has 7 weeks of nursery left and then he’s done forever and ready to start big school. He’s so excited bless his soul.

70, it's a fiver on Amazon!

Or £2.50 inc postage on eBay!

Love love love the polar express. I don’t think there’s a film more Christmassy than that

Are any of you on the Christmas Eve box bandwagon?. We’ve never done it before but I’m considering experimenting this year, maybe with a letter from Santa etc as it might make the DC go to bed earlier if I include some pyjamas etc.

We had rain as we walked home last night - no taxis, DH wore a sleeveless jacket while I had a raincoat cos only 1 of us checked the forecast. It's dry again now but not sunny.

We do a Christmas Eve box. New pjs for everyone in the family, lush festive bath bombs for dd and I, a Christmas beer for DH, posh hot choc for everyone, and then the annual favorites - DD's plastic Santa plate and glass, her snowman hot water bottle, and our copy of 'Twas the night before Christmas. It comes out after dinner and lighting the Christmas candle, as part of winding down for bed. Dd puts out the cookies and milk, goes up for her bath, down for hot choc and her own cookies, and then I read her the story in bed.

Today's task is to book flights. After I finally surface and have some breakfast to recover from last nights outing.

Fedora yes the CEH is a lovely tradition (and ignore all those that say Christmas Eve presents? What next ?Boxing Day presents? More tat )

When mine were little , we took them out on Christmas Eve (nice walk, tire them out feed the reindeer or ducks. Come home when it's dark) . When DH and the DC were outside I just went to "check the back door is locked" and put the boxes by the fireplace

New PJs (Primark are good for small DC) in a 'winter' pattern
Jar of sweets
Bath Bomb ( put it in a bag away from the food if its a Lush one or everything will taste of it)
Christmas mug, sachet of hot chocolate
An Annual

Just things to wind them down, the bath, nice PJs . Read a bit or watch TV.
When they're little there's the huge countdown and the build up leaving school, then a couple of days of waiting ....

Fast Forward now , I have a 19yo and a near 17yo.
We do the Hamper on Dec 1st .
DD likes nice winter pjs not just for Christmas.
I buy them a dressing gown each.
Jar of sweets

DD likes a Beauty Advent (but .....it has to be one that I make for her , she doesn't like the ones on sale ) . So I buy her a beauty gift , in a tiny bag with a number 1-24 , and leave by her bed with her morning coffee .

It is ££ so it makes up part of her presents, just means they're spaced out over a month rather than all at once .

We have an Advent Tree with tiny decorations that hang up. I used to put 2 chocolate sweets or coins in each door . We don't do the sweets bit now but still use the tree . DD says she'll need the Tree when she has her own DC

We do a Christmas Eve box, but other than pyjamas, it's all stuff we use every year (sacks, stockings, plate, 'Twas the Night before Christmas book). Neither of ours drinks hot chocolate and I'm not keen on bath bombs etc.

We use a Christmas cardboard box with lid we got from eBay for about £6.00 and it works a treat. The kids really look forward to it!

Biddy we have a copy of ‘‘twas the night before christmas, I’ve had it since I was a little girl and we ready it every Christmas Eve. I’ve not seen the same copy anywhere else.

70 we’re definitely on the same tangent regarding long walks. They happen most nights in our house😂. I’m thinking of setting a fair chunk of money aside and then doing the CEB. I’m considering...

A wooden box so it can be used every year,
Some activities to do on the day, Christmas playdough, salt dough decorations, baking Santa’s cookies, painting own Christmas mug etc (then we can keep all these in a keepsake box for when they get older).
Pyjamas,
A new (cheap) Christmas themed bedspread,
Bath bomb/bubble bath for the boys,
Hot chocolate stick,
And then a Christmas film and book to snuggle down with on the night time.

biddy fx for your parental leave and DCA.
I currently work 3 days and find its a great work life balance for me. I get a day in the week to myself (to now be used for keeping on top of the house and a guilty hour or two of boxset binge watching with a hot cuppa) and one day with just dd whilst ds is at school. woolly sounds like you all had a wonderful time. Almost right im just outside liverpool near st.helens. fluufy your dinner sounds amazing and i bet the house smells amazing with the mincemeat.

fedora im absolutely loving this age. I love her enthusiasm and excitement and all the cuddles its brilliant. We do a Christmas eve box and this year im doing a 1st of December box so they have more use out of the Christmas bits. This year it will have there Christmas bedding (which will be used every year) christmas pj's, advent calender, a cheap pound shop activity pack, christmas toilletries and we will go out that day and pick a Christmas decoration each. The christmas eve box will have nice pj's for all year round a bathbomb and hot choclate with some treat snacks we can watch a christmas film with before bed.

mrsmad so pleased for your DD. I understand your reluctance but if its any consilation i took a temporary contract a few years ago. When i had dd they wouldn't let me work part time and i had to leave for a role i hated but a year later the experience from my temporary contracr got me the job im in now which i absolutely love.
farrah amazing plan, this is pretty much my plan too. Im booking our panto tickets next week.firefly i hope you enjoyed the squidgy newborn cuddles.

Well im half way through the big deep clean and i think i might actually have found a home under all that clutter.