Countdown to Christmas 2023: launching into summer with more Christmas planning (thread 2)

[NoWordForFluffy]

Here's our new thread. Almost missed that it was needed!

Can somebody add the countdown again please, as I've no clue! 🤣🤣

Today's crop. Going to make tomato and basil pasta sauce for dinner tonight.
Finally got enough tomatoes so that DS eating one every time he goes past doesn't matter.
Thought he was a bit keen on taking the recycling to the bins 😂

I may be a candidate for green tomato chutney this year. I have a lovely mass of greenery in my veg bed but so far a handful of cherry toms from the hanging basket and 1 baby courgette from 3 plants. No broccoli yet either and slugs keep attacking (and I can't find pet friendly slug pellets locally this year).

I am not getting to Berlin shops this week as I woke to DH with flu (knew something was brewing) and dd with food poisoning (hadn't expected that) yesterday morning so cancelled our holiday trip - dd was in no state to mind DDog solo yesterday as planned (but bounced back overnight and has gone to work as planned this morning). DH would not have managed to flight, he's in bed with a temp of 39 and has the curtains closed with 2 duvets over him as he shivers "with the cold". I have been taking vitamins b,c and d, magnesium and iron religiously recently so I think that's helped me.

Good news is I made progress on my XSt yesterday. Bad news is sewing machine is too noisy so can't do anything more practical until DH is more human. May do some more sewing now, or just curl up with a book - can't really leave him alone to do a shopping trip. And it's raining.

Winter scene I'm working on- I managed the grey layer at the bottom when I started in July 2019, and hadn't had time to go back to it until a few weeks ago...

138 (is that right?)

I don't know for sure I need to take stock of my craft stash in the past I have done embroidery hoops, melt and pour soap, air dry clay ornaments and trinket trays, foodie gifts jams, fudge, chutney etc. Block printed tea towels and scarves. Needle felting, water marbling, punch needling even a bit of crochet - I am a jack of all crafts - probably why I have so many UFOs ha

Evening!

I have an increasing hoard of UFOs.

Busy day today. Again. I'm never going to catch up! 😩😩

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I need to sort out my card and present cupboard and begin planning autumn birthdays. My new job will have more limited opportunities for spotting bargains.

Morning. I have bought a few more presents, I am doing quite well with those, I am impressing myself with my organisation this year 😂

I need to clean the house today and can't be bothered.

You need someone to say they are visiting why. My hairdresser is coming today - I deep cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms yesterday and ran round with the hoover. 😂

Haha Buck maybe that would be the motivation I need.

Why I'm happy to volunteer to visit! 🤣 You'd have at least 10 hours warning to get the place gleaming 😜

I popped into the local craft shop that I haven't been in for years, as I needed 1 last colour for my XSt project...very helpful lady had a lovely chat with me before I wandered to explore (had 30 minutes to waste waiting for DH) but 3 Canadians came in and got very enthusiastic so still waiting to pay (and added another few bits to my pile of mostly books). DH delayed as they gave him a big bag of IV goodness, so I told him where I was - cue panicked reaction to what I might buy ...).

But if anyone wants wool, I can heartily recommend Winnie's Wool House!

Afternoon from bonnie Scotland! We're finally away on our holiday and I've spent the last few days consciously trying not to use my phone too much and to avoid mn so I can really switch off - but I'm feeling very Christmassy so wanted to check in here

I've brought a Christmas project with me (a scarf) but am kicking myself because I've accidentally brought 2 different yarn makes, one soft and fluffy and the other thicker and a bit rough so they can't all be used together. I've had to adapt the plan which is fine, just frustrating.

I dared to mention the C word to DH earlier and he rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

I've been lurking since the weather got too hot as my thoughts naturally turn to Christmas at that point, and I now have a poorly MiniFool so I'm distracting us both with Christmas chat. We've been planning the crafts for gifting to those family & friends who like that sort of thing, and I'm making headway on buying gifts & other ideas. It's a blessing to have the Christmas boards so I don't irritate people too much in real life!

Evening!

I hope you're having a lovely time in Scotland, Crazy. We're going up in October. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ❤️

I didn't finish work until 7. Trying to catch up after surgery is just impossible. 😭😭

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Biddy I think I could probably get myself into gear with ten hours notice 😂

Off to work this morning, the enthusiasm is low.

Morning
DH and I went to see Kevin Bridges Warm Up Show ( trying out new material for a new show)
He;s moved on from "a toastie" and "the empty" now he's officially Grown Up , Married , A Dad and Living In A Nice Bit Of Glasgow (that he used to rip the piss out of ) Very funny show and good to be out , there's nowhere on Earth like central London on a summer's night .

We've booked to see "Sherlock Carol" a Sherlock Holmes investigates the whole sorry Christmas Carol saga ( I still blame Bob Cratchit , he had motive )

Mucky garden jobs morning (including clearing drains and scrubbing out brown bin - ugh), but they needed doing. DH took himself back to A&E for today's iv, so he's feeling MUCH better, and he slept most of the night as well which helped. And dd isn't working and also slept late (also very unusual and much needed).

I'm waiting for dd to abandon the bathroom so I can shower offf the muck, then I intend to sit in the sun and do some planning for the HGP. And maybe some organising papers later in my office - but hopefully also some more XSt. We plan to bbq tonight before tomorrow's rain, so our holidays has a holiday feel at least once 🤣 - I folded the laundry mountain yesterday and i'm leaving cleaning the bathrooms to tomorrow when it's raining.

Hi all,
I've set a reminder for when the tickets for the children's play village Christmas show release it is my absolute fave event to take the littles too, its like an interactive panto amongst play houses - so much fun!

I also only really clean properly for company I am a true slattern by MN standards I cant be doing with daily changing of the beds and washing towels every 5 mins I would drive myself crazy!

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Poor DH Biddy he sounds in a bad way !

I'm watching QVC and being tempted by a Shark gadget that vacuums and mops (I am a sucker for an appliance ) but I do not need it .
I have a Halo Capsual vacuum for whizzing round and when I feel like flexing my muscles , one of those behemoth Henry ones ( it'd greem George 3-in-1)

I've dug the steamer out but it's too noisy this time of noght , the cats would go all pearl-clutcing and 'tut' at me .
So the kitchen floor can wait
I started reading the Grand Holiday Plan . I usually start putting summer clothes away in the attic and clearing out cupboards and pantry in late Sept.
Not sure what the plan is this year though. , I've got leave end Oct , it can wait till then.

Morning!

I started my Christmas card cross stitches yesterday. 6 to do, 1 on the go! The threads came in a bundle instead of on a marked card which was fun, as I had to identify the colours myself. 🙈🤣

We have a hired Rug Doctor carpet cleaner this weekend. Exciting times!

The range are getting their Christmas things out already. It’s too early even for me! Although it did feel autumnal when I went to the gym the other morning it’s looking like we’ve finally got some warm weather coming.

We've had a couple of warm days this week and apparently it's going to be nice again this week (on and off) too.

I'm seeing my surgeon again on Tuesday evening. He told me to take a book as he's always running late. I shall take my cross stitch instead. The card kits are just the right size to transport easily!

I was in The Range and TKMaxx/HomeSense today . No Christmas offerings but a fair bit of Hallowe'en here and there .
Costco will be full on Christmas mode when the schools go back .

@70 I was in Costco today - there is already quite a bit of Christmas there. Not in full swing yet but it made me happy to see it.

Were you brave enough to say that out loud Granny ?

@70isaLimitNotaTarget I sang along with the Christmas tunes and DH rolled his eyes 😄