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! 🤣🤣

It was pouring when I went to Asda as well Buck. Having woken up at 5.00 I was there at about 10.00, and it was getting really busy as I left. I missed the click and collect carnage thankfully.

We've had properly torrential rain this evening. Really grim for anyone wanting fireworks.

I have made the Christmas pudding, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and ironed the school uniform. I took the dog to the allotment on his walk and fed the birds. I chopped some raspberry canes down, but the dog was bored, so I'll need to finish that another week.

I've got our Christmas booze nicely stocked now, and have the beer coming on Thursday.

I now have beef, lamb and pork for our Christmas dinner, which will be on Boxing Day, I think. Or maybe Christmas Eve, depending on what days off I get. I don't start my job til late November, so I'm not sure what time off I'll have and when I can take it. Plus it depends on whether we're moving house before Christmas.

49 now the pace really picks up. Belated birthday greetings Fluffy.
Back to work today!
A Sherlock Christmas looks good 70. I have A Christmas Carol booked with friends plus a Carol concert for mid-December.
My Christmas list:
Present audit, check if I need to add anything to DD's advent calendar; make Christmas cake; order festive drinks; buy Florentines and treat bits to pack away and lose only to find in Feb.
I haven't found big tins of Quality Street so will probably buy a pack to put in my chocolate tin along with Lindor balls and Costco mini toblerones.
I changed jobs so no longer have easy access to Oxford St so haven't been able pick up as many nice things on my way home.

Ironed?! What is this fluffy 😅

Constantly I hope your new job is going well

Not much going on here. Dd still very unwell but we power through. Well, dd and I do, dh just moans about how tired he is all the time.

Only school uniform, Wreck, nothing else! Can't have them going to school looking like they're orphans! 🤣🤣

Your DH sounds annoying, Wreck. 🙄 How long for the medication to kick in for your DD if it's going to work?

Constantly, your new job sounds like it may be saving you money!

I would have thought we’d have seen an improvement by now tbh. No guarantee anything will work though, all I can do is hope she grows out of it as she comes out of puberty in 6 years… she went to school for two hours last week and hasn’t managed to shower/leave the house since.

Hey, I'm sneaking back in! Again 😳

Happy birthday for yesterday Fluffy. I did mean to message you but I got waylaid.

Also spent yesterday ironing school uniform, which is also the only thing I iron in the hope DS looks less like a neglected urchin. Hasn't worked yet, but I live in hope!

Went to M&S while we were visiting DMIL, so we now have Sloe Fizz and Christmas Colada. She pulled a face at the latter, so looks like I won't have to share 😁😁

Is there a review date set for her medication, Wreck?

Constantly I was eating Florentines in April because I found them in the cupboard! Has anyone seen the Aldi ones in yet? Xx

Definitely saving money on impulse buys but also missing browsing and opportunities to see all the new stock- like Christmas coladas - they sound intriguing!
Firefly there is nothing like finding unexpected Christmas food in random places!

I will just leave this and this and twinkle off... 😉

48

Morning!

Ooh, Firefly, I can't do rum. I had a rum-based incident many years ago. 🤢🤮🙈🤣 I have bought two bottles of the cranberry and clementine Buck's Fizz however (I say bought, I won a tenner from M&S, so they were free).

I need to think about making mince pies soon. My Christmas pudding was made at the weekend. I'm not doing too much baking this year as it's a bit much. Especially as we may be moving house in December (we've missed the November deadline).

I think we're going to have a partially 'dry' Christmas this year as we'll be spending time with a newly sober alcoholic and doing anything else doesn't seem fair so no booze buying for us (unless I stumble on an M&S bottle if posh Bucks Fizz or Bellini which I'll hide and drink when we're not seeing them).

I am on a Christmas mission today as I feel very behind.
We have an agreement with some of the in-laws to buy gifts for people who wouldn't get any rather than for each other so I've been waiting for the local social services Santa scheme to start. Today I should get the details of the children I'm buying for so tonight I'll be full on researching and ordering gifts.
Im so anxious to get started. Aiming to have everything for everyone ordered in the next 2 weeks (max), hopefully earlier

Also, rubbish that you've missed the November deadline for moving Fluffy. Is there any news/movement on the house?

I'm just trying to speak to my solicitor to ask whether she thinks November is still possible, as we have to give notice today if it is!

Basically, the Land Reg hadn't registered the HA buying from the developers, so we couldn't buy it until it was registered. Which could take 20 months. I requested that the LR expedite, and they did, and the title docs are now available, so it's registered. Meaning the only issue is the vendor's agreement to the plan which was wrong and I've amended. I'd prefer to move this month!

We moved in mid December when DD1 was a toddler. The Christmas tree was up before most of the rest of the boxes were unpacked.

Priorities buck!

Hope you get some news asap fluffy all the waiting is such a pain. We’ve been in our place a year next week! Crazy.

Fingers crossed for the move Fluffy.
Thank you for the link Firefly!

47

Morning!

Breezy dog walk this morning with a bit of rain. Could be worse though! DH was out in a monsoon last night! 😬

I'm doing all I can to push the bloody purchase through. And we have a similar plan re the trees, Woolly. If we move on 15 Dec, we will unpack as much as possible that day, then the next, as the kids will be going off to Chester Zoo lights with the in laws. Once they're back, it's drop everything and decorate trees / the house.

The only reason we wouldn't make December is the vendor remaining glacial in their approach. I may have emailed the vendor direct for assistance last night! 🤣

47

Morning everyone.

I am planning to start the big pre-Christmas declutter this week. DD has already got in the swing of things and agreed to donate the baby toys and her Peppa Pig collection to 'Farmer Christmas' but DS is proving more resistant. He doesn't really play with toys anymore, though - he mostly spends his time reading (is currently obsessed with the Beano) playing computer games or making paper aeroplanes.

I'm also tempted to get the Christmas decorations down before December this year, so I will have more room to sort the loft...

It’s horrible wind and rain here today.

DD wants to put her little Christmas tree up in her room today, too early for me but no problem with her doing that.

I really need to crack on and write my essay. Just can’t be bothered…

Morning. Very grey, wet and windy here which is a pain as I wanted to do a tidy up of the garden on my lunch.

Christmas is very up in the air here - my dad is still living with us but hoping to have moved out by then and my sister is also trying to move but things are proceeding so slowly she isn't sure where she'll be for Christmas either.
I think we'll be hosting on the day and I'm hoping to do a few family get togethers at ours with my family and the ILs in December so I'll have to start the big sort out and clean soon 🙄

46

After all my great ambitions, I've got stomach cramps, probably from a bug, and DD woke up all upset with herself and coughing like she has a 40-a-day habit so I'm sat up trying to get her back to sleep. Yey 🙄

I doubt I will have the energy for decluttering tomorrow. Never mind.

Has your DDad found somewhere Crazy, or he's just looking and hoping?

Hope you and your DD feel better soon Firefly.
My Christmas tasks this weekend is to make the Christmas cakes ( I will make one mini one for MIL and a half size one for us. We eat it v slowly but I love making it.
I also need to get to Lidl and Primark (so will spend a lot of time in queues!)

How are you feeling now Firefly?

My dad is looking to rent but it's hard to find anywhere around here. He's waiting to hear back from one place and is actively looking daily. I think it's safe to say although we all get on, we're all at the stage of needing some space.

Constantly I'll be in queues this weekend too. Im braving the local town on Saturday. Aiming to make a very big dent into the Christmas shopping and explore the new Dunelm store

I've been fighting off a migraine since around 4am. Hopefully the last lot of meds and mini nap has seen it off 🤞🏼
Going to struggle on with work for an hour or 2 then think about what to cook for tea.

You've all done well for this long Crazy!

I'm doing better, thanks. It seems to be more manageable during the day but the last two nights it's been bad enough to wake me up/keep me awake 🙄 Hopefully it'll be nearly done now!

6 months and counting Firefly!

I hope the bug goes away quickly for you.

Feeling festive here now. I won a next voucher in work which I'll never use so my mum bought it off me on the condition I used the money on a treat for myself - so I've ordered the cross stitch attached

Plus, I opened my festive scent diffuser (just a cheapie - Festive spice from Asda) and it's lovely (and pretty). It's in the centre of the mantlepiece and I've already caught DH giving it the side eye