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! 🤣🤣

I'll have barely any time off, as I'm moving jobs, so have lost some days (which I'll get paid for, but the time would be better!), so I'll have 1.5 days.

And I know. It's damn selfish of them, isn't it?! At least we should know soon if it can happen so we can plan properly.

Bit rubbish, but yey! New house!

You'll have to send some photos when you exchange/get the keys! #nosy 😃

Fingers crossed for the move fluffy.(I may have said that before!).I am hoping to get to Costco this weekend 70 but also need a trips to B&M (market research obviously) and primark so might try to leave work on time so I can scoot round midweek. There are worryingly few weekend days to Christmas and DH likes to arrange lots of stuff. I want to be able to fit in watching CCFs with DD in December!

41

Another sunny day this morning, but the clouds in the distance look ominous. It was very blustery on the drive home last night!

I haven't managed any CCFs yet this year, Constantly, I haven't had time.

I am secretary of two local groups and then my main interest is taking up a lot of time as the person who usually runs it has been away and ill a lot and it somehow seems to have fallen to me to organise/run in her absence. I'm out 2-3 nights a week, and our weekends are jam packed all the way until Christmas now.

But on the plus side - we have a new cleaner starting tomorrow! So, mad rush to tidy up tonight...

Raining here again. I swear it’s being raining for weeks non stop. So grey and miserable.

Same here, Wreck. Our garden is a swamp! North facing and a wet summer / autumn isn't a good combo!

Very grey and wet here too. And both me and DH are starting with a cold (lots of sneezing and blocked noses here) which is just lovely.

Fluffy the kids I'm buying for are local as the scheme is via the local council. Cinema voucher could also be a good shout!

I really hope your house move gets a wriggle on and you're in by Christmas.

Constantly you definitely need CCF time in the run up to Christmas!
I have a days annual leave left which I'm considering booking towards the end of the month specifically for that reason

I;ve put the fruit into soak (Turkish sultanas and Amarretto in one of my festive Lock&Lock tubs - QVC Bargain )

I need to buy underwear/socks for the Dec 1st Boxes

No CCF yet but we're going to watch "Spirited" on the 1st . Then DD and I will watch "Lost Christmas" (Eddie Izzard film)

There's not a lot of weekends till Christmas now you;re right @ConstantlyCooking . I don't want to plan too much , but I've got things booked and things to do . Still time , don't panic Captain Mainwaring !

I'm dragging DH out for our traditional shopping trip at the end of the month so hopefully that'll be everything except food . And DD main presents that she;ll need to choose .

I am indebted to you for the amaretto tip for Christmas cakes @70isaLimitNotaTarget. It works so well with the marzipan.
I can feel a cold starting but this isn't surprising as I have been sneezed on by countless children.
I like the idea of blocking out time in my diary for films. I need to see high-powered women moving to snow covered villages with failing hotels!

40

Morning!

Dry and a touch breezy (40mph) here today. We have washing on the line, which should hopefully dry nicely in the circs!

Today I need to come up with a new plan on how to chase our vendor, who is so spectacularly slack that I'm struggling to hold it together. I do wonder how some people manage to breathe without help, given how bloody useless they appear to be at general work / life! 🙄😩

We’ve got SUN 😱 crazy.

Fluffy that’s so frustrating! I’m not sure what you can do, some people are just useless!

Very frustrating Fluffy

Constantly absolutely. And don't forget the miserable men who learn the meaning of Christmas by meeting some stranded single mother in the beautiful snowy village they've gone home to for "the holidays"

Cold and run down feeling is ongoing here. It's freezing but sunny out so wavering between a short walk on lunch to get some fresh air and hunkering down in the house in my Oodie.

The CCF on channel five today look good. I’ve likely seen one or both before but I’m going to watch them anyway. First ones if the year!

We may have house movement. I chased our HA contact today, and he emailed back to say their sols are replying to our sols tomorrow. Hopefully it's the final piece of the puzzle and we can bloody exchange contracts next week! 🤞🤞

39

Morning!

Grey but dry today. Low wind, so not convinced the washing will dry. It's out though!

I've told my solicitor that they should be getting a response today so we can progress. She's going to ring them to chase if she hasn't heard by lunchtime. 🤞🤞

I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you Fluffy 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

Yesterday I decided on a compromise between hunkering down and walking and spent my lunch break in the garden, tidying up, clearing my potting bench, weeding and generally mooching about and enjoying myself.

Bloody magpies have pulled up some of my bulbs. Gits!
And I'm concerned my lemon tree isn't going to make it through the winter as I can't bring it inside. Have bought some gardening fleece for it and will have to hope for the best.

Does anyone have anything with nice colour in their garden for the winter? It all looks very bare out there.

Hello all :)

Sorry for having been such a rubbish contributor this year! I am determined to mend my ways.

How is everyone?

I hope you get news about your house today @NoWordForFluffy!

Hoping I have only just reappeared after being AWOL for most of the year. It's been an interesting time!

Crazy I've still got flowers on my fuchsias, and clematis, lavateria and nasturtium, but I'm expecting the next decent frost to do for them. The Hellebores will be flowering soon, but mostly it's just a sea of green out there now apart from some red leaves on the blueberry bushes.

Next door's winter jasmine is budding, but apart from that all I can think is pansies/violas.

Crazy we have nastursiums still flowering in one pot , the other pot has been ransacked by caterpillars -we grow them for Cabbage White Butterflies , I don;t like the plants myself but we love the Cabbage Whites . We had a really late batch this year after the July ones . They;ve all got tubby and gine off to hibernate
Pyracanthus has red berries
Still fuschia flowering .
My Boston Ivy has dropped all its leaves now (I have two)
Dogwood is a lovely red

Fingers crossed Fluffy for Good House News

House is frustrating. But have a new person on board, so 🤞🤞 for tomorrow!

Our viburnum is still in flower. That's our soul non-green item!

38

Hoping today I can make a dent in my list , I can at least get a bag of clothes off to the Charity Shop .
Then washing/cleaning/sorting out the pantry .

Fun times ahead !

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SmashingDealsDirect-Christmas-Decoration-Novelty-Bathroom/dp/B07K34JR2D/ref=sr_1_24?crid=3B8T6JQ0IMW6J&keywords=christmas+toilet+seat+covers&qid=1700206734&sprefix=christmas+toilet+seat+covers%2Caps%2C493&sr=8-24

Fluffy you said that your new house has three toilets ?
Then you'll need 3 of these ..............

I'll leave it, if it's all the same?! 🤣🤣🤣 I have towels for the bathrooms, that'll do! (Plus the loo roll!)

I'm pretty sure @Hopingforno2in2023 has 5 or more loos...maybe she's in the market?!

DMIL gave us some pyracanthas seedlings. Hers were beautifully espaliered 6 foot shrubs out the front, so I thought why not.

Ours have grown into 10 foot tall monsters with trunks thicker than my (rather rotund!) legs! I only keep them because they have inadvertently created a canopy outside the DCs' playhouse which I have decorated with lights so it looks cute and keeps the rain off! So, be warned...