Can we have a general Christmas chat thread?

[Mortgageandmoney]

I'm sorry if there is already such a thread. I'm been (obsessively) checking the forum for the last couple of weeks as I love Christmas but I only have one friend (and DH) who can tolerate the chatter - friend is probably even bigger Mrs Claus than me!

Feeling a bit rubbish today and this forum has been pepping me up recently.

Again, sorry if there is already a thread which I've somehow overlooked!

I love reading about what people have bought or done for Christmas.
I've just about finished my shopping. Just need to think about my dad and brother. Both hard to buy for.

I'm feeling extremely festive op inspite of everything going on!
I've nealry done all my shopping and Dec's are waiting to go!

Stir up Sunday tomorrow, going to do some baking with the dc. I need to sort through what I have, tie down the dc to Christmas lists (no believers left). Tree will probably need to go into greenhouse to start acclimatising to indoors temp. Need to also sort out the Christmas order. Slots booked and Turkey reserved but at the moment other shop is mainly milk and bread. Really busy at work at the moment until mid Dec but I know if I don't sort out orders soon I will run out of time.

I’ve just bought some new decorations for my stairs. Lots of our Christmas stuff is old or hand me downs and I think I’m going to start updating it. DH is getting nervous because I keep insisting I want the house to be like a grotto
This will also be the first year I’m doing Christmas dinner. We’ve always gone to families and I decided this year we would stay at home but family have now decided to join us so it’s going to be just as hectic as ever and I’ll be heavily pregnant.

I need to get the decorations out to check them. Not putting them up quite yet. And track down a Christmas tree seller in our current location.

I need to get wrapping family gifts in case travel is allowed at the beginning of the month to do handovers. Not risking leaving it to the rumoured 5 day break at Christmas.

Our tree went up yesterday and I’m currently watching it’s a wonderful life. We had a very low key Christmas last year because DS2 had just come home from the NICU and I’m determined not to let COVID make this year any less special. Going to start writing a list of Christmas activities we can do in case our two planned events (Christmas train and a visit to Santa) are cancelled.

Hi all, I’m planning on getting organised for Christmas this week

• wrapping the DCs presents.
• assemble and wrap the large gift (no sure where to hide them)
• finish buying DHs gifts
• buy my DF something - I have no idea what?!
• write a list of festive activities to do with the DCs
• festive meal planning. I’m a bit stuck with this as we have too many dietary requirements.
• Christmas food shopping order
• maybe get the decorations out

This list is longer than I thought. I can’t do cards yet. What I’m I missing?

I’ve nearly got all the presents or are waiting for them to arrive. I’ve just got a big book book order to do once I get paid again.
I’m going to drop my parent’s presents to them next weekend just in case. I wrapped them up last night whilst watching a cheesy Christmas film.
I’ve got to post my Australian relatives’ presents soon but I’m still waiting for one to arrive - it’s all taking a while in the post at the moment.
We’ve ordered a real tree, which is being delivered very early - at the end of this week! We are going to chop the end off and put it outside for a week in some water.
Christmas turkey crown and cheese ordered. We’ve got some booze ready.

I made 6 mini Xmas cakes yesterday (never again, double-lining six baked bean tins with baking paper is NOT fun).

Making Xmas cards today, watercolour baubles, hope they look half decent.

I'll get the advent calendar out during the week but not put it up. Need to check I've got enough sweets to go in. It's made of 25 felt and fabric stockings on a gold rope that stretches about 2m across the living room only one stocking will have a small gift in, on DS' birthday.

I'll make fabric crackers on 18th when I finish work, I found a YouTube tutorial, two halves of tubed fabric that velcro together, genius! I've got funky pens for DS and I, need to find something for DH to put in his. DS age 9 can do the jokes I'm abroad and can't buy crackers here. Well, we can buy Asda crackers without the snap at the British Xmas Market held every year, but of course not this year. So I make my own. We're going to a friend's house on 24th, I'll make some crackers for that from crepe paper. Friends are from Argentina, so they'll be surprised with the crackers. They're also getting one of the mini Xmas cakes, which they're eagerly looking forward to as they loved the sound of a cake made with brandy

I've got a handful of gifts left to buy, mostly online. Relatives in Oz will get things ordered from Oz websites, I doubt anything I post now will get there in time.

I'm a teacher and it's report-writing time, so I'm rather up to my tits. Doing some crafts and ordering gifts is my happy downtime.

Feliz First Advent Sunday, everyone

I've loved reading all these - thank you, everyone.

I've finished shopping now and most bits have arrived. I'm almost on first name terms with the Hermes delivery driver which is slightly embarrassing.

Our dining room currently has no table (in kitchen due to WFH) so it's turned into storage for gifts for everyone, food & decorations. It's quite exciting but it will be good to move some bits to the tree when it's up.

We've planned advent activities (just DH & I but all still usable for kids) to try and ensure we spent time together and to get away from the sofa all evening. We also have lights for the outside for the first time ever. We have a tiny front garden so like to put on little seasonal displays for people walking past.

@Mortgageandmoney my Hermes driver is called Mark 😀 he always asks how our renovation is going. I’m just thankful Amazon have so many drivers as that would be embarrassing

Not sure which company it is, but I had a parcel delivered correctly despite having the wrong address on it! It was only the wrong house number, but the courier knew instantly the address was wrong.

Super excited for Christmas this year as our DD will be 6 months old! We've put our decorations up this week (we normally wait till December 1st but wanted to extend our Christmas with it being her first one!) She's loving the lights on the tree and all the jingly bells we have on it 🥰

Oh love this idea! I'm more a less done with Christmas presents now, still waiting for a few items to be delivered but due to money I shop all year round instead of just one go in the later months. I feel happy about it.
It was also my oldest sons birthday on the 18th of November so we snuck some pigs in blankets in with his party food .
It will also be my youngest boys birthday on the 27th of December.

This xmas thread is the one thing keeping me going at the moment after I have had a bit of a mental health breakdown so been off work. So thank you to everyone who is contributing, I love reading it all.

I am all shopped out and complete for the kids now, but I start early and do a bit at a time. Spent an obscene amount of money but just dont care this year, and we can afford it.

Food wise DH bought a frozen turkey, but we're doing a buffet rather than a roast so I've been buying up the frozen party food every week out of tesco and nearly done there too!

Still have extended family and DHs main gift to sort though. My mum is moving house this week, and moving quite a distance away so I'm waiting till shes settled and we can either visit to give it to her or post it.

Amazon is probably at our house every day, our Hermes delivery lady is wonderful and she's probably here once a week too

I watched my first xmas film yesterday (Christmas with the Kranks) and have been listening to my fave xmas album for a few days. Tree will go up next weekend, although we do have a small one up already.

I ordered a new Christmas tree the other day, it hasnt arrived yet bit I'm looking forward to it. We don't usually have an artificial tree but this year thought it might be a good idea in case we cant get a real one and if we can we have two trees! So I need more decorations but I can pick a colour scheme.

I'm nothing like as organised as usual for Christmas, I usually start the shopping in September after our kids summer birthdays, but this year we are moving house so trying to declutter ready for packing so I haven't bought much yet, starting to make me feel Christmas anxious! We might bit move until 10-12th december so Christmas will be a bot chaotic for us this year, I definitely don't think we'll get the christmas lights up this time round, but we're still looking forward to it, even if we're eating christmas dinner surrounded by packing boxes!

Oh, lovely idea! Christmas prep is keeping me going. We usually have a fairly low key Christmas which has gotten more and more so over the years as I am the only one in the house bothered, with DH regularly complaining that I am “totally out of control). But this year I have warned them that I am doing a proper Christmas and woe-betide anyone who deminishes it

My eldest is half way through a 2 week isolation period (it's our 2nd one since schools returned!) so our tree went up yesterday. It's not fully decorated yet & I will end up moving the baubles around as the kids just seem to chuck them on!

I've got a few things left to order this week & then just the food shop to sort. I've been buying a few 'treat' type things each week & I've started slowly wrapping some gifts.

Got all the christmas decs down from the loft today, currently washing the christmas blankets for the boys beds. New lights wrapped around the trees in the back garden.

Will start decorating next weekend proper and put advent calendars together - fill with chocs etc. Love 1st December and advent calendars. Best part for me the countdown.

I've finished my xmas shopping. Just need to finish making xmas candles for gifts and wrap everything. The last few weeks have been crap. My dad has been diagnosed with aggressive cancer and I can't see him. My ds has been sick and honestly I'm exhausted. The only thing keeping me going is the thought of christmas.
I got all the decorations down yesterday although we won't decorate till December. Hoping for some xmas cheer this week and more sleep.

@Ginnymweasley
I'm sorry about your dad. I hope you're able to see him soon and I hope your DS is feeling better

@Ginnymweasley sorry about your dad 😞 sending virtual Christmas cheer your way

I bought some vintage gold fairy lights last week very nice and warming gold colour! Put them all round the kitchen and it looks lush at night 😀😀

Presents nearly all done ✅

Just have to make a huge batch of red cabbage and apple and freeze it (always tastes better after being frozen)

Mincemeat is ready and waiting for first set of mince pies

I won't ever get the tree out till the 1st December though!

Wishing you lots of christmas cheer Ginny

Mortgage thanks for starting this thread
ElQuintoConyo love how crafty you are, wish I had time to be the same! Hope this coming year will give me extra time to focus more on crafts
Ginny sorry you're going through such a difficult time

So DH, who works in a hospital ward, is nightshift from 24th to 26th December. Our usual Xmas day would be one of DH sisters and his mum over late morning, then see my DSis and her family after, we usually tend to host dinner.

This year, between Covid and DH shifts it'll look very different. SIL lives in London so we don't have a clue if she will even make it to us (we live in Scotland in a tier 4 area). DHs other sister lost her husband at the start of the year, in the 20 years I've known her she always spent Xmas day with him, usually just the two of them (no DCs). So a great deal of unknown over how Xmas will look and a lot of variables to take into account!