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! 🤣🤣

Many years ago DH painted the small bedroom (his study at the time ) dark burgandy red with a burgandy/wine wallpaper with gold accents .
It took so many coats of paint to cover when he redecorated , I think if we stripped the walls back to plaster the room would be 4" bigger !

Downstairs loo would be like a horror film room if it was dark

Which reminds me , I need to look at mirrors !

Thanks Biddy I might give it a go. I’m a size 8/10 now so hopefully I’ll find a few bits. I have to buy a whole new winter wardrobe as I’ve gone from a size 20 due to illness and I’ve nothing to wear for colder days.

Ooh, a chance to reinvent yourself Coleslaw. Get thee on Vinted!

70 it's a Comfort special edition called 'Winter Sparkle'. Its got something on the bottle about top notes but it smells Christmassy without having the traditional apple/cinnamon scents.

We have not redecorated the downstairs loo in the 10 years we've lived here. We've freshened up the paint, removed the completely bloody unnecessary as it's a frosted window looking at a brick wall curtains and pole, moved and replaced the sink, installed a washer and dryer, replaced the flooring, replaced the toilet and just installed a custom built (and free because my mum called in a favour) over toilet cupboard, but it still has the same diarrhoea brown tiles that I'm pretty sure were fitted when they built the house in the 70s!! I keep thinking I might paint them, as I can't be bothered to remove them and sort out the walls behind, but something more urgent always seems to crop up.

Your weather must have made its way across here overnight, Fluffy. We had an almighty thunder storm a couple of hours ago.

We had a massive thinderstorm about 5pm. Our MaleCat sat by the back door with some fluff stuck on his whiskers ( so he looked like a creepy little moth ) glaring at me because he couldn't go out (he'll dissolve obvs) and it was ALL MY FAULT

Coleslaw I bought some evening clothes from eBay , I look for BTWT if I can .
So far my haul is :

black velvet short sleeved short dress
navy devore Monsoon long dress
red chiffon beaded top
black/gold evening jacket
gold sequin top ( that I am Totally wearing when we go to ABBA Voyage )

going on a cruise so Evening Clothes are part of the experience

Where are you cruising to 70? We are off to Canada in the autumn. I've recently lost a stone and a lot of my evening stuff fits me again but I'm always on the look out for more - the more bargainous the better!

It;s round France/Portugal then Canaries BuckTooth
Should still be nice, warm enough .
There's 2 Formal Nights (proper glam time ) and the resturants if we don;t fancy the buffet . Theatre , shows and Kar-e-oke though I cannot carry a tune in a bucket , everyone else is too drunk to care !

I need to do some serious work on my Beach Body (ha!)

120

The time now will stride on by , after the August BH and the school go back , the shops start with the Get Ready For University , Hallowe;en and Christmas .
I'm hoping to get things at home organised in the next month , then some serious tidy-up in end October , leaving November to buy presents and December for doing nice things at home and some days out we've got booked .

I'm writing my lists (I love A List)

@70isaLimitNotaTarget love a list here too. I've been using the gift list app last year and I'm going to use it again. I can put in ideas then mark when they are bought and wrapped, add prices and pictures as well. Really cut back on my overbuying issues.

It was very misty out of the window this morning, but is starting to burn off now.

Autumn days are coming...

I also have ambitions to sort, declutter and clean, 70. We'll see how that goes 🤦

Morning!

We had more biblical rain overnight (we had the country's only yellow rain warning in our region) but it seems to have stopped now, thankfully.

We're driving south in an hour or so. We're testing out travel sickness tablets for the dog as he's not a happy traveller usually. 😩

It's really autumnal today. Chilly!

Todays plan is (having missed the adult morning swim session) perhaps a swim in the 1st family hour if it's not chaos, but definitely going to Oppenheimer in the late afternoon and having lamb chops for dinner (have chops, potatoes and tomatoes already prepped and marinating in different ziplock and Tupperware to chuck into the oven when we get home).

I should call to DAunt and Uncle's to drop presents if they are home yet (I tried twice this week, think they're on hold before school returns). And should sort papers but may ignore that until tomorrow when the house will be quiet. Emptied most of my boot yesterday to charity shops, Lidl returns and storage unit - so that was a success!

DH has gone to walk DDog before the next band of heavy rain sweeps through

119 I am getting ready for my new job by writing lists! I know I will be busier and so need to be organised.
I have tickets for ABBA Voyage as well 70- I am going with friends in late September and we haven't decided how much to dress up!
I need to get to the gym now instead of being on Mumsnet!

Also procrastinating here - should either do paperwork or go for a swim but it's raining and my last proper day off (tomorrow is medical, back on Wednesday). I think I'll go collect dry cleaning but with sw gear in the car and see if I can encourage myself to use it.

There's a thread on Chat Constantly (Everything you need to know about going to ABBA Voyage )

When DD and I went in Nov we wore long sleeved tops, jeans,comfy shoes , gilets and cross body bags under the gilets so hands free .
We're going in Dec this year (the later time) so chance to dress it up and leave the coats in the cloakroom.

There were people in sequin trousers , those brilliant white butterfly wing tops , wigs (but you aren't allowed Afro wigs) . Some in nice evening dresses , some in jeans like us .
Dressing up looks like great fun especially in a group . And when you're on the train you look at your fellow passengers and think ahh I know where you're going

They played some songs near the start that I'd never heard before but you can check on the ABBA Voyage page for the playlist .

I'm tempted to buy a gold skull cap to go with my top .....

Nice Bank Holiday relaxing day , just had to wade through a load of dishes as the dishwasher has thrown a wobbly .
I've got a Charity Shop bag tomorrow so going to sort that out ,

We're into the One Hundred and Teens now

Fluffy I'm also trying not to buy magazines this year and re-read my stash instead. Not sure how successful I'll be though - I say this every year and always break

How was your journey with ddog?

I've spent the BH weekend getting things organised around the house with DH, although somehow we've gone from a sparkling house yesterday to a pile of stuff on the table, a bike in the conservatory and a bag of clothes for DH to go through in the hallway 🙄

70 I went to see Mama Mia live a few years ago and people dressed up for that so I can only imagine the outfits you see at Voyage!

Can't remember who gave the tip about ripening green tomatoes by putting them in a paper bag with a ripe banana but I'm trying it. My plans were being eaten so I rescued the toms and am keeping my fingers crossed that they ripen - there are loads though so not sure what we'll do with them.

I've also developed a really awful stress-induced eczema patch right in the centre of my palm which is being a complete PITA - I can't crochet and I'm so so close to finishing the baby blanket I've been working on 😫

118

Morning!

We have survived a second night in a hotel with the dog. Thankfully we're going home today after seeing my parents.

This room has been so bloody noisy. And they put us on the second floor without a working lift and the dog refuses to walk down the stairs. Good job DH can carry him, as I'm not allowed to lift anything heavier than a cup of tea on the right side still!

Crazy, do you have any cream for the eczema? I hope it goes soon.

Hello, haven’t been on mn much as I find the site so shit and slow.

crazy can you get some steroid cream?

I’ve started making some notes for stocking fillers when the dc mention something they like (I don’t do plastic party bag type things for stockings, prefer to get them something they’ll use) and have decided to get dd a MacBook and ds a ps5 so big presents this year (much bigger than usual).

I’m taking the dc away tomorrow. We’re going to Somerset for one night then to see some family the next. Dh staying at home (thankfully, he’s annoying me atm). Then back to school next week which is sad, we hate school. I start uni again on the 25th and will be doing full time hours (work/uni) for the first time in over 13 years not sure I will cope!

Wreck I changed my settings so it only shows 100 messages per page instead of the full thread and that really improved it for me.

I'm a bit sad about this being the last week of the holidays, I've quite enjoyed the extra 2 days a week with my two, but I won't miss the constant mess! I am so sick of clearing up after other people!!

I’ve got it set on the standard amount of posts per page (this thread has 16 pages showing) but it’s still so glitchy and never loads properly. V annoying. Just found out DD’s bus pass has gone up to £330 for the term. Ffs.

Starting to book events for December.
We will spend Xmas week abroad with family but want to go to panto, father xmas visit etc here.
One thing we have never done is a National trust light walk.
Is there any near Northamptonshire worth the trip?

Why do they do that if they know you have dog Fluffy? It's very annoying - 2 of the places we stayed in Scotland literally put us in rooms as far away from the exit as it was possible to get. Was a bloody nightmare trying to get ddog outside for his morning wee!

Welcome back Wreck. £330 per term is ridiculous!
Sounds like you're going to busy(er) soon.
Does your DH need a patio space?

Sorry to be the odd one out but I can't wait for school to start up again. Having DH home while I'm WFH is awful - I know he's allowed a break, and he isn't spending all his time relaxing but I do feel resentful leaving him in bed in the mornings, or coming down to lunch to find him just chilling out

I have some steroid cream here which I've dug out - I think between that and the emollient it should start healing again soon (it's a recurrent patch that pops up whenever I get stressed)

My very exciting plan for the day is to finish work, get my stuff ready for my first day in the office in ages tomorrow, shower and paint my nails while DH cooks my tea. Then I'm going to try and pick my abandoned cross stitch back up...

@Lalanbaba Delapre Abbey have had a light walk for the last couple of years. Last year they confirmed it at the end of August so I'm assuming any announcements will happen soon.