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! 🤣🤣

Morning!

I've been to the allotment this morning and done a load more weeding. As it's now 3 months' post-surgery, I'm allowed to lift things heavier than a cup of tea, so I was using the wheelbarrow to shift the piles of weeds I've created in the last three months! There are still some left, but it's looking better than it did.

This afternoon I'm going shopping and doing housework. Exciting!

Morning. Mild and cloudy here. I’ve been good shopping already and done some washing. Dh hung it out after I got grumpy that he was sitting there doing nothing - surely you do all the things that need doing in the house and then sit and do nothing if you so wish. That’s the only way things get done. Dd feels unwell but has about 8 pieces of homework to do. So stupid.

House is so exciting @NoWordForFluffy!

Very relaxed day here but did do the sainsburys Christmas food to order, very excited for the puddings!

I've bought far too much that we now need to move though. Oops!

What pudding are you going for <nosey parker that I am>

It's a plural, 70...methinks it's a selection! 😋

Goes without saying Fluffy goes without saying

I have been dithering over the M&S Leatherlook leggings for over a year (they were very popular last A/W ) but I decided they'd look like I was wearing a binbag.
I ordered some pretendy suede ones (I don't wear leather ) so I'll see how they look as they're non shiney . And the cat hair won't show up .

I'm not doing Christmas Pudding or Christmas Cake but I can do steamed syrup pudding with ice cream and sticky toffee pudding with custard . (DD request )
Brownies for other days
I will have some chocolate over Christmas (as it's Christmas )
DD doesn't like traditional pudding/cake/mince pies
DH rarely eats sweet things
DS will eat an ice cream Sundae with Crunchie and toffee sauce .

I'll look at the desserts on the orders but only to drool over !

I have ordered these :)

https://food-to-order.sainsburys.co.uk/product/8162978/home-for-christmas

https://food-to-order.sainsburys.co.uk/product/8167598/spruced-up-sticky-toffee-pudding

https://food-to-order.sainsburys.co.uk/product/8168010/chocolate-salted-caramel-melting-middle-star-pudding

https://food-to-order.sainsburys.co.uk/product/8168026/honey-almond-and-amaretto-christmas-pudding

The puddings are what I get really excited about and was v disappointed by the M&S choices this year. Who knows I may add more to my order before the deadline 😂

They look delicious Hoping . I was looking at the Sticky Toffee one thinking "How many of those Bundt Tins do they have , they're really expensive "

Nigella does a Vanilla Cake in the forest tin, its about £45 for the tin !

We'll need to peruse what Booths has on offer , even though they don't deliver to my neck of the woods .

Off to ;ppk at Waitrose too .....

Off to ;ppk at Waitrose too ....

look at Waitrose (bloody keyboard )

Sainsbury's website isn't working for me. Booooo!

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Morning!

It's very autumnal here this morning. Damp and murky. It's meant to be dry though, so that's something!

It’s cloudy but bright here. I’ve been to the gym and have uni layer. Dd is in bed as she’s not well - being out all day for the wedding made her feel awful yesterday.

Where does everyone hang their washing? I’m fed up of the clothes horse being in the sitting room. I was considering putting it in our room but I like to put it outside when the weather is nice so having it by the French doors is more practical 🤔 we only have two rooms downstairs.

Ours goes into our room if it needs the airer after being on the line. Which I hate, but the dog attacks it if it's downstairs.

I imagine we'll use either the garage or my office when we move.

We put our washing in one of our spare bedrooms. With my daughter having moved out, and my son downstairs we have quite a lot of space. I know we are lucky with that.

🎄83🎄

Fluffy how are you feeling after your allotment trip on the weekend?

Wreck hope your dd feels better tomorrow (technically today I suppose).

I hang washing in the conservatory in the hope it warms up in the weak sunlight we’re getting at the moment.
We’re considering moving our coats and hanging 2 wall mounted airers in their place in the utility room though, to stop it looking so scruffy.

No festive food shopping for me- we have no idea what meals we’re having at home and if we’ll be hosting anyone yet. Plus choosing, ordering, collecting, prepping and cooking all the festive food is DHs contribution to Christmas. He’s excellent at it and I do almost everything else so I refuse to get involved.

I have made a start on my plans though, late as it is for me. I’ve written out the budget, list of people to buy presents for and some ideas of what I’d like to get.
Will start putting things in online baskets for the next week or two and will start buying mid month when I get my bonus.
Feels so good to have things in motion

Dd is still unwell and I’ve noticed school have been marking it as unauthorised. I’ve told them to call me if they’re not going to change it.

I can’t do any Christmas shopping as we’re completely broke 😅 dh had a few unintended days off as ds was ill then someone else cancelled and I’m paying for therapy for dd (cheap for round here at £70/hour). Fuel is up again too which is annoying. Also don’t know where we’re spending Christmas, I guess at home like usual.

Christmas is a bit up in the air for us too. Normally the in-laws come round, but I've asked a few times what's happening and not had an answer, so I'm just going to suit us at this point. I'm done with trying to plan to host others! 🤷‍♀️

Wreck, that's naughty re the school. I'd like to know their logic. That's annoying re the money situation. We'll have to cut back when we move as everything will be dearer. I'm sure it'll be worth it though.

It sounds like your plans are coming together, Crazy. Do you always get the same bonus, or does it differ every year?

That's rubbish on both fronts (dd and the money) Wreck.

Bonus is different each year Fluffy. It's technically 2 different payments (1 is dividends related to shares so can be £££ or £ depending on the market, and the other is a performance related bonus which is decided partly on my departments performance and partly on mine personally).
Dividend is a bit rubbish this year but performance bonus should even it out.

I'm rubbish in this part of the run up to Christmas. I'm too enthusiastic and make lots of lists, I'm so motivated to be on top of the organising - but have to wait for the money. Then every year when the money is paid, I have a productive week or 2 then lose the will to get stuff done. Every. Damn. Year 🙄

Weirdly, my mum broached the subject of christmas today, asking if she can come to us as she doesn't want yo be home alone and my sister wants to spend the day in her house.
Ive said we'll make sure she's not on her own but god knows how it'll work this year now my parents aren't together 😳

Where will your dad be, if your mum comes to you, Crazy? Are you heading for a totes awks Christmas?

All of my spare money is being funnelled towards solicitor's fees / house-buying at the moment. I'm glad I've a birthday coming up, even though it's only a couple of people giving me money (basically both lots of parents!) as I've acquired a house full of paint, wallpaper, curtains and flat pack furniture ready for the bigger house! We'd better bloody move soon else we won't be able to navigate round!

I'd have had a bonus in November if I wasn't in my notice period. Bugger! 😩

82

Morning. Very grey and cold here. Dry for now though.
I went to tidy up the garden a bit yesterday and discovered I've grown drubbed beans without knowing . Neighbour gave me some tiny plants ages ago but couldn't remember what they were - told me he thought they were sweet peas.
They didn't seem to come to much so I put them at the back of the garden and forgot about them.
Found around 10 long pea pods on them yesterday. What a plonker!

Fluffy That's a shame about your bonus. Does the new job come with a pay rise that makes up for it though?

This Christmas is definitely going to be weird. My parents are at the stage of being strangely formal and polite to each other when they speak but I really don't want them both around the same dinner table at Christmas - I think it'll be too soon and beyond awkward.
My idea at the mo is to send my dad to dsis as she's doing a buffet which they would both prefer, and have my dm here to enjoy DHs full Turkey dinner, which she loves.
Then I'll probably take her to dsis in the afternoon so she can see the kids and there'll be a lot of distractions so she won't have to really deal with my dad too much.
What a PITA! 🎄

Evening!

Your plan sounds pragmatic and sensible, Crazy. Let's hope it works! 🎄

And no amazing pay rise, sadly. I'm just glad to be escaping where I am, to be honest. 😬

81
Rubbish day here - working to a stupid deadline and realised I made a mistake days ago that effects everything I've done since so been on a mission to sort that out all day 🤬 Could bloody kick myself.

Plus I've had to take some time out to take dm to an appointment. Time I don't really have to spare but needs must.

Im having tea at dm's but I have to work lap top with me to do a bit more. Expecting to get home, wrung out and shattered, around 8 ish.

Hope everyone else is having a better day than me!