TOMM Christmas Countdown

[StrictlyAFemaleFemale]

Hello
Is anyone else doing TOMM this year? There weren't any takers on the prep thread. Would anyone be up for keeping each other company or holding each other to account?

I've ordered myself a crossword advent calendar! Live in Denmark so the expectation is that the elf brings a small present every Sunday in advent. This year our elf is a scout or guide and will be bringing appropriate badges for camp blankets, and a unicorn woggle for dd. 😀

I'd like to join! Will seek out the Tomm Xmas checklist.

I used to be really organised around Xmas but the last couple of years I've not been, AND have spent most of the last two Decembers feeling like death. So I want to get back to being Uber organised. Then if I'm poorly in December again it won't matter too much, and if I'm well I can just relax and enjoy.

I'm reluctant to book too many things as I've lost sooo much money the last two years due to either me or the kids being ill. 😭

I can report the first 'all finished for Christmas' post on the OMM Facebook page, complete with pic of mounds of wrapped presents.
I know we all like to be organised, but I am at a loss to understand why anyone would want to have finished literally everything three months before the big day.
Do these people not actually enjoy the run-up to Christmas?

I don't get it either. I do like being sorted for 01 December. But for me that means all presents and non-perishable food purchased and tickets for any Christmas events/dates in the diary already sorted. That means I can enjoy the festive things like wrapping presents/writing Christmas cards etc in December feeling like I'm prepared for the run up.

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale could you link to the crossword advent?

Sure thing!
https://mindmade.com/crossword/index.php

I am wanting my presents wrapped end of November/beginning of December so I can enjoy a bit of relaxing and enjoyment and less rushing around.

Doing it all already even wrapping seems extreme. 😳 Plus what about what the kids actually want? I thought it was pretty standard for kids to ask for something totally random from Santa in December ha ha.

I've just sat and booked our Santa visit. So that's one bit of admin done. I don't want to book lots of activities this year but that's a must and it does get booked up so I'm glad it's sorted.

On the freezer theme, does anyone batch cook in prep for Christmas Dinner? I haven't before but wondering if it'll be a good idea this year.

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale thanks

Yes I batch cook a lot before Christmas and freeze just to make it easier for myself on the day. I'm starting to try to clear the freezer out this week to make space for it all!

I assemble and freeze my own pigs in blankets as that way I can choose exactly what sausages and bacon I'd like to use. Freeze flat on a tray first and then bag up so they don't stick together.

I also make my own stuffing balls (I cheat and squeeze the meat out of sausages and mix that with a packet of dry paxo stuffing). They freeze really well.

You can also make your own Yorkshire puddings, freeze and cook from frozen and I usually do red cabbage and freeze that then just reheat in the microwave on the day.

I know others freeze roast potatoes and the gravy too but I tend to make them fresh.

Hello, I'd like to join in. I have joined the FB group but found some of the posting a bit extreme! Love the concept of remembering all the jobs and doing it early/a bit at a time so I'm thinking of ticking things off but not necessarily in the right order. My supermarket shop slots are released tomorrow so I've just put some stuff in a shopping list online so I can quickly checkout a sensible shop tomorrow (instead of the 3 bottles of fizz that I usually reserve it with 😂)

I make and freeze (when I am organised) stuffing balls, cranberry sauce, the red cabbage and used to do bread sauce too, although I often make that on the day now as I like the smell!

I would love to join please... started September with great intentions, DC back at school, time to get cracking on TOMM Christmas! Promptly went down with Covid just about getting over it now after three weeks...

I only discovered TOMM over the summer holidays when I despaired of the state of the house was looking for ways to be more efficient... had mostly got on top of the housework when DP decided a spot of redecoration was in order. Aaarrrggghhh! Cue days of him faffing around, painting veeeeeery slowly, moving bits of furniture and promptly getting in a foul mood that we aren't all rushing round to clear up after him.

Thank you @StrictlyAFemaleFemale for the list, I will be doing some catch up over the weekend!

Welcome welcome one and all!

Week 5 is checking Xmas decorations, lights etc.

I don't normally bother but I reckon if you want to have lights up on your house it's probably a good idea to think about that.

Our decorations are buried under a pile of junk in the garage so I think that will be a later one for me. I intend to spend the week sitting back and looking at all the goodies I have bought to decorate the house this year.

I’ve got the TOMM book and dip in and out regularly… first time of attempting the Christmas ideas….
Just bought a new under-counter-size freezer, as the fridge-freezer couldn’t store much last year and the ‘normal’ food stuff got chucked to make room for the Xmas food!
Wrestled the bloody thing into its space… but need to swop round what’s plugged in where…. Grrr😠 Should be up and running by tomorrow though.

Living room colours changed from creams, gold, brown, beige this summer to stormy blue/grey suite, grey walls, silver mirror and vases so the gold & bronze decs for the 🎄 will need changing or spraying silver😱

Amazing how one change here and there leads to loads more bloody jobs you never thought of at the time!

@TakenUpTheOxoTower We've changed to grey and cream, this year but I am sticking to red and gold decs as I think you can get away with the classic Christmas colours regardless of your colour scheme.
I have just invested in £300 of Balsam Hill stuff so am expecting it to last for many, many years!

@Katypp

Shhhh!!🤫 I’m going to get some new gorgeous ones from garden centres… the colour clash is my excuse…😉

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale I dread finding the decorations - our loft is small, crowded and impossible to stay in for more than two minutes, it's so bloody hot - I cleared it all out a couple of years ago, would happily stay on top of it if it was a bit more accessible! Although I never bother about colour schemes, the DC decorate like a couple of colour blind magpies anyway

@MissLucyCarlyle I've never checked a decoration ahead of time! Don't blame you for skipping that part. Plus we pack them away very carefully the year before.

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale I quite enjoy getting all the decorations out once I've wrestled them out of the loft and reminiscing about where they're from etc, with the sound of DP gently moaning about mess in the background

However, I really wish we had a handy cupboard or shed to store everything in, it would make my life so much easier!

Oh I like this idea. I’ve tried to be more organised in recent years as December is always very busy and it is more enjoyable to do things in a peaceful and slow way. I’ve been there desperately wrapping piles of stuff on Christmas Eve after finally getting the kids to sleep, watching the clock and wondering how tired I would be when they woke, and it just felt awful and spoiled the fun.

last year I had all my decorations in place by 1 Dec and it was lovely. I put them up but by bit through November so it was never a chore, and I could see,spot and choose new bits in the shops and make little extra things here and there.Then when December came I could just enjoy the cosy twinkly house during advent.

I’ve been quite on top of gifts as well, but I’d like to be better with food and event prepping, so will follow along!

Our decorations are neatly organised in the attic but if I pull things out to see if lights are working, I’d have to bring them downstairs and then I’d not bother dragging them back up again so I’d just trip over them for the next two and a half months.

I’d rather deal with any issues in December or manage without.

I'm thinking of going up to the attic to just bring out the tree lights that I have boxed up. Then just test them.

I'm a bit behind now (DS has an October bday). So we should be making plans for nye, booking babysitters etc. And start buying presents, ask for requests from awkward bastards (I'm paraphrasing).

I bought DH tickets to Bill Bailey last night.

I feel like I'm behind by three weeks but each of the last week's I've still ticked one if that makes sense? It'll all come together! My DD birthday this week so like you it's taken over any planning for Christmas.