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! 🤣🤣

Wound check was fine, 70. All healing well. I'm back on 2 Aug for more physio.

It's meant to be hideous weather tomorrow. I think I'll be staying in!

It's meant to be awful weather here tomorrow too which is a shame as I need to do a few bits in the garden. Fingers crossed Sunday is ok.

Glad the shoulder is healing well Fluffy

I'm desperately trying to finish the baby blanket I'm making so I can start a Christmas project when we go on holiday

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I nearly put 158 that would have not been helpful.

Absolutely pouring down here, I suspect that is because I am off for the weekend. I don't have anything planned though, just trying to take it easy as my fibro and or arthritis has decided to have a flare on top of a flare which is not amusing at all.

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Morning!

Somebody send a 🚤 It's chucking down here and apparently set to do so all day and night. 🌧️ ☔️

I got utterly soaked walking the 🐕 this morning. Had to peel my leggings off; even my knickers were wet! 😩🙈 I had a jacket on, but that only saves the top half...

I need to go to Next and Card Factory today as I have shoes to take back and I need balloons and a banner for DS' birthday on Monday. More walking, as I can't drive until the end of Sept. Or maybe swimming, the way it's going. 😬🤣

I bet FluffyDog just moseyed off to his bed once he was dry

We got rain about 11am no sign of stopping but I don't need to water anything . (bonus)

Some Hallowe'en stock in TKMaxx/HomeSense , nothing at Costco yet .
I'm keeping an eye on the QVC Christmas in July shows and ordered some chocolate .

I've booked ABBA Voyage (again) for DD and my Christmas Night Out .
I'll leave DH to look for films or theatre for all of us .

It's been decidedly wet here today.

I'm hoping there are going to be some good films realised for Christmas/New Year 70. I keep forgetting about TKMaxx for Christmas stuff. I've had lovely serving dishes and tea towels from there in previous years.

Buck I have a spy working in TK Maxx so will post here when she tells me she's starting to put our Christmas stock (although I know it can vary store to store).

The rain here is ridiculous, it has started when I woke up at 9 and hasn't stopped. And it's quite cool too - very wintery

Had a hard day today dealing with family stuff so DH arranged a little at home date night type thing (just a nice dinner, some rum, a film). Very sweet of him.

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Humid and claggy here, not warm but just meh

Next Rudolph Day in a couple of days ....

How was your date night, Crazy?

I cannot believe how much rain we are getting! I've had to take some of my plants out of their pots because they were drowning!! It's crazy!

First day of the school holidays tomorrow. DH and I are at work and DD is at nursery as per usual, but DS is being farmed out to our friend, as the summer camp I booked him onto cancelled (probably because they're mostly based outside!!). They're going to the cinema and having his favourite food for dinner, so he's just going to be in his element!

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Morning!

Firefly, they forecast one month's rain over the weekend. We had the worst rain yesterday afternoon / evening / night. It was heavy but intermittent to that point, at which point it was monsoon. 😬 Luckily, I'd walked the dog in the morning, so DH had to brave it. 🤣

It's DS' 9th birthday today. We're surrounded by Minecraft Lego now!

I'm back to work tomorrow. First job: set up new laptop, delivered while I was off! Marvellous. 🙄

Morning everyone. @NoWordForFluffy loved the Lego years, so much fun (until you tried on it).
Going garden furniture shopping today cos DH sat on ours yesterday and his bum went straight through. He folded up and was sat on the patio with his legs in the air 🤣.
I didn't laugh, honest.

Happy Rudolph Day Eve My plan for tomorrow is to spend some time sorting out my Christmas craft list so I can get started when we go away.

Firefly the date night was lovely. It wasn't anything huge but with the way we're always busy and stressed (and my dad lives with us so we get almost no time just us), it was exactly what we needed.

Happy Birthday to your DS Fluffy 🥳

Granny oh dear - is your DH is ok today? I'm not laughing at that image either, honest 😂

I had completely different weather to all of you yesterday - I managed to dry 2 loads of washing on the line and wore shorts as it was so hot!

@CrazyBaubles he's fine, just a bit of a bruise on his back.
Glad your date night went well, is it a regular thing you do?
We had nice weather yesterday too. I managed to wash and dry bedding!

We've got 3 loads of washing on the go today. The lighter bedding which went out at 6 has been put on the airers so the towels can fit on the line! The darks also went out at about 6.

We've caught up a bit now as it was starting to take over. Funny how missing a wash dye to bad weather can tip it into a Widow Twanky situation! 🤣

153 Happy Rudolph Day
I have a hectic day at work (what's new) and am probably going to my mums for tea to check in on her. Then I'll be home and making/finalising my Christmas craft list.

Good luck on your first day back to work Fluffy, I hope it goes well.

Granny the date night is something we used to do every other week or so. It was sometimes us going out to do something and have a nice meal and sometimes just having a quiet night in with a nice tea, a film etc. Main thing for me is that its phone free.
We haven't done in it ages and it's hard because my dad lives here and I don't want to tell him he needs to go out.

Happy Rudolph Day!
Radio presenter this morning pointed out its only 5 months to Christmas Day 🎅

I have been busier than ever at work since I got promotion last year, but Lady Bracknell (of "The importance of being Ernest") could use her cutting "to lose one could be considered misfortunes but to lose both looks like carelessness" remark as I got rid of 2 big parts of the job last month (a full time role in effect) - I still have a busy full time role with what I kept. But that's why I haven't been on here much.

I haven't done much crafting - after I'd finally finished the bookmarks last Christmas, I did nothing for months. I sewed 2 zippered pouches for dd recently (using hockey themed fabric, a little purse with a clip and a slightly larger pouch for cables and bits) before she went to hockey camp this week. And I picked up the cross-stitch picture I started when I went mad shopping in Belfast on a sailing event weekend in 2019 and had done the bottom of the snowdrift - now the tree trunk is taking shape (still lots of snow, greenery and a 🦌 to add).

DH refuses to say if we will travel this year (but I think we need to) - so I suspect we will take 2 cars but stay in DMIL's house rather than rent somewhere.

At the moment I am starting to clear things for holidays coming at the end of next week, (3 days in Berlin and a lot of sorting out the house!), and trying to get the garden properly productive (some tomatoes, 2 dinners of peas, some salad but waiting for most bits I hope will come good). But need to start my Christmas preps in earnest.

I've booked off a day A/L in early December before the shops get too busy (they will be busy but its a weekday so hopefully better than a Sat/Sun)

Most of my shopping for presents will be done by then or online .

I watched some of the QVC Christmas shows but they aren't the same as they used to be [fsad#

Evening!

Work was godawful. As was to be expected! It will improve though. Eventually!

I haven't done anything befitting of Ruldolph Day, it has to be said!

I did manage the conversation with DH, so I now know we definitely will be travelling and definitely will be staying with DMIL. So he now knows we will definitely be travelling in 2 cars 🤣

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I didn't manage to finish my Christmas craft list, but I narrowed it down so I'm taking that as a rudolph day win.

This week is stupidly busy with family birthdays today and tomorrow, plus another bigger celebration on Sunday.
Also DH is going away for a few days and work is insane.
Can't wait to get away!

Welcome back biddy - and congrats on offloading the second full time worth of work from your workload!
Is your MIL far away?

70 thanks for the reminder - I need to book off my 2 Christmas organisation and relaxing days - usually one in November for finishing shopping/writing cards/whatever's left to do and one in December for cosying up on my own with Christmas lights on, PJs, blanket and Christmas films until DH comes home from work and ruins it

Evening.

Work is chaos. It's killing me! Ah well. One day I'll catch up! 😬😩😭

It's been tipping down here tonight. Grim weather. Again.

@NoWordForFluffy oh no, it's Thursday now, so nearly the weekend (hope you have weekends off). Do you have any plans to look forward to?

Rained like mad here last night as well, but I'm happy because DH and I laid turf yesterday morning so it doesn't need watering.

Also 151

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One Hundred And Fifty Days
I will delight in telling DS this glad tiding though I'll get the face and a look of pity .

This week had zero chance of hanging out washing but it's all systems go as Friday is alleged;y a good day .

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Into the hundred and forties now

I made some Chocolate Chip Cookies (used the Martha Stewart recipe but no salt as once I followed the recipe and they were inediblely salty . I use unsalted butter too ) They were very nice even DS was complimentary . DD prefered homebaked to the Millies Cookies which tend to be softer (IMO undercooked) . The Martha Stewart ones are chewy and crispy .

I've bought a Christmas Present for DD (well it'll be in her Dec 1st Box) some nail polish.

I need to crawl into the attic roof space today before dd gets home from her hockey camp (flight delays of an hour so far...) for my regular wrapping paper as DHs birthday is next week. Otherwise I am mostly gardening, sewing and cleaning.

DMIL lives about 2.5 hours drive away, Crazy, next door to DBIL and 5 miles from where I have 2 DSis living next door to each other, and a further 10 miles to my DPs. DH and I also each have 1 other DSibling living about 90 minutes from parental homes, in opposite directions, who may also be "home" for Christmas this year.

I really ought to get started on my lists properly.