Countdown to Christmas 2023: get past the post-Christmas slump by thinking about the next one! (Thread 1.)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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Morning (just)!

I failed at eating yesterday which meant I got blotto far too early and wasn't well. Oops! 🙈

But we had a great time anyway and I avoided having to tidy up!

Countdown to next year is go go go! 🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻

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didn’t have to worry about sleeping in and being later for school this morning - been awake since 4.30am instead. Fortunately I don’t go back to work until tomorrow, so at least I can go back to bed at 9am

Morning. My dc aren’t back at school until tomorrow. The car is being collected today to be fixed. The money situation here is pretty dire, going to have to go into savings and January pay won’t be great with two days strike in it.

Please can I join - I've lurked on your threads previously as really enjoy the Christmas conversations but didn't want to intrude!

You've inspired me to order a Christmas planner as this year is going to be a difficult one and I need something to focus on and look forward to.

I've also bought cards and wrap (Paperchase had 50% off their sale prices and had some relatively plain wrap that I liked, and Sainsburys and M&S had cards reduced to 50% off), two Orchard toys games that were half price in Aldi, a couple of sets of books in the 2 for £7 on Amazon and then last night ordered some heavily discounted garlands from Argos. I'm not sure what they'll look like though so prepared to be taking those back!

I've promised DS we can leave our tree up until tomorrow evening as he's back to school on Thursday and I'd like a clean start to the new year and plan to take a long lunch break on Thursday to get the floors washed on my wfh day.

Got the Christmas Planner! Got some half price giant baubles from nkuku but thought the christmas sales were a bit rubbish tbh and still on the hunt for bargains but then yesterday was horrified to see that my local little tesco has easter eggs!!! Please God no.

Morning all 🙂 Thanks for the compliments on the peg people, they're possibly my favourite ones yet. Someone asked about them being all my own work - I tend to google image search & scroll Etsy for inspiration before I paint them, so I have an idea what I'm aiming towards.

I spent NYD evening, and yesterday, feeling truly awful. I had a terrible pain in my right hand side & thought maybe kidney infection. NHS 111 directed me to my own gp (obvs closed yesterday 🙄). It's not half as bad today but still rough & no idea what it was but doesn't seem worth the effort now to get an appointment 🤷‍♀️

I haven't looked at any sales yet; the girls are going shopping, with their dad, for my birthday at the weekend, so I'll head to town for new work trousers and a wander then. I'd like to make a start on their Advent calendars at least. Primark's usually good for beauty bits around the pound mark if nothing's reduced.

Found my hat I’d brought for next Christmas it’s in the sack now forgotten about so that’s started might do some cutting for tags this weekend but will have to take it slowly but I want to do and it will be nice to do them. Must order the silver pen at some stage but that can wait planner ordered today or tomorrow just waiting for last bill to be paid.

No don’t want Easter eggs yet as it means a wonderful event will have gone. It’s too soon for Easter thinking I’ve got Candlemas and lent first. I’ve still got my nativity advent calendar up that will come down Friday.

I went to tescos this morning and saw the Easter eggs. I also picked up Valentine’s Day cards for dh and dc. I vow to be more organised this year, I just have to remember where I’ve put them come February.
I don’t however have any cards or presents for dd who’s birthday we are celebrating on Saturday (it’s actually next week but she returns to uni on Sunday 😢), so my joy of being organised was very short lived

DH bought hot cross buns in Sainsbury’s yesterday, not for Easter, he was peckish.

Duchess I have a list on my phone for presents/cards, including where I’ve stashed them.

Into Tesco’s got four boxes of lovely Christmas cards and bows for presents so very pleased, found my hat so that’s gone into. my sack of goodies for next Christmas

Hello!

Busy day at work today. Again. One day I'll have a nice, steady, day! Maybe.

Good to see all of the planning being done.

Hi everyone,

Was back to work for me today. Wasn't too bad but it just cemented the fact that Xmas is over 😪
OH and the kids go back tomorrow. It's DS2's birthday next Friday so got quite a lot for him in the sales 👍 I'm then gonna get organised for the rest of the year including THIS Xmas 😁

Dh is off work till Monday we went to town today and all the Christmas Market is still on and they have the lights up still DS had a stick of toasted marshmallows for a FIVER 😑 but it felt really festive still 😭

DD is one next month so I need to think of something to get or do for her we already have so much stuff and we have been to so many places over Christmas I'm a bit stuck - suggestions welcome!

Hello 👋
I've bought my cards, Tissue paper, eco gift wrap, storage bag for it all.
1 thing I'm not doing again is buying a cheeseboard.
Only dh eats cheese 🧀

Hello everyone. I was really quiet all last year. Had a pretty difficult pregnancy, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in June, and I've literally not had a moment to myself since 😂 so christmas just been was absolutely last minute. It was so stressful! I'm glad to be back planning with you guys this year. Gift list and budgets written out and planned, and I've actually just started buying some gifts that were on sale in marks and sparks. 4 scarves and a pair of slippers! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New year x

Ordered a lovely Christmas tableware set for half price! Is it too early to be excited? 😂

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Morning!

I've already started work, so this will be brief!

Wet to start today. Then dry and bloody windy. At least the washing will dry! 🤣

Saturn, is that Spode Christmas Tree ora different one?

Morning. First day back to school here in almost three weeks. It went well, helped by the fact that I’ve got to take annual leave as my car is still broken, both dc were really good at getting ready was very hard getting up at 6. I could go back to bed but I’m going to have a shower and do some tidying I think.

Our tree comes down today and as much as I love it I'm looking forward to being a bit more organised in the house. We're moving house at some point this year and so will be packing them extra carefully this year.

Hope you get sorted with your car soon @WreckTangled!

Morning. back to work today and starting a new job tomorrow (2 part time jobs plus also running 3 side hustles - 2023 will be the year I finally sort an ADHD diagnosis 😆). So need to find all my documents and certificates later. Also went back to slimming world last night, so now I’m surrounded by mountains of festive food and I can no longer eat them all. Might ask dd to take a case of food with her back to uni.

Where did you order from? I've had my eye on one for a few years but it never seems like the right time!

Popped to primark yesterday too and picked up loads of Christmas homewears in the sale to give as presents

I haven't braved shops yet, apart from taking over 2 hours to get around the big local supermarket yesterday! (Who would have thought lunchtime on a Tuesday would be so bad that cars were circling the car park for spaces?!). I have to go to IKEA today though (for 3 things on a list), after nurse visit (to collect 24hr BP monitor - the joys of middle age, peri menopause and wanting hrt on top of a stressful life...), and dropping into the office for an hour (for a call in supermarket yesterday that I need to sort).

But I got a bargain on a gammon ham, that I'll cook next week and get lots of lovely leftovers meals from, and not bargains but lots of useful things for sensible meals once rushing back at work. I also got some smoked haddock that I intended to make fish pie (includes broccoli) last night and a spare in freezer - but didn't realise we were low on potatoes so I have frozen the flaked fish and sauce, taking up less space but allows fast creation another night when I have spare mash.

Better finish my coffee and head to GP office slightly less rushed than normal in the hopes my numbers are reasonable...

Planner coming tomorrow really excited about that.

I’ve ordered a present for next Christmas. First time I’ve done it in January sale. First time I could afford to actually, that’s because other than DH’s present I was done by October last year. DH’s present came from BrandAlley with a 70% reduction.

Hopefully I’ve broken the cycle of over spending in December.

@AdoraBell once you get into the swing of spacing purchases out throughout the year it becomes second nature. For instance, we do a December 1st box for DD (she'll be 7 this year) and it contains things like:
Santa Hat (already have from years gone by)
Santa mug and plate (already have many years old)
Christmas books (old as the hills)
Christmas Bookmark (old as the hills
Pyjamas (ebay £4.00)
Jumper (ebay £6.00)
Craft Kit (eBay £2.50)
Elves (as old as the hills)

That only leaves me to get her Advent Calendar, a Christmas Cookie and a hot chocolate bombe nearer the time. It costs around £20 at most, and the majority of it is reused every year, and she loves unwrapping it.

I do similar with her stocking - and because my parents put similar things in my stocking I love carrying on the tradition of putting in funky socks, new pants, a yo yo, bubble bath, bath bombs etc all of which I can add to a weekly shop without it being too painful financially.