In preparation for Christmas today I will……

[Beautifulsunflowers]

…….organise the freezer space and get if it stops raining I’ll go into town to WHSmiths to hopefully get the dark chocolate toblerone for ds’s stocking. I’m also going to make a few more Pom poms for my Pom Pom wreath.

Whst are you all doing today in preparation for the big day?

Wrapped 1 present today, plus a birthday present. Grandson, we’re visiting this weekend and his birthday is just after Christmas so taking both presents.

I’ve brought some presents into the lounge in the hope that it will motivate me to wrap them. But I’m exhausted today. Went to Christmas market yesterday and spent most of the day walking around. It was good though 🧑‍🎄

We've also put our Christmas lights up on the front of the house. One of the neighbours has already commented how early it is for the lights to be going up. I just replied that DDs love them and it cheers us all up 🤷🏻‍♀️.

We took delivery of a house warming present today, which is this star. We're moving on 15 December, so it'll be one of the first things we put up once we've completed (thankfully we have overlap before and after the move as we're in rented, so it can go up before we move in).

Today I collected all the bits I've bought for a hamper into one place and stood and stared at everything I have to wrap. There's a lot of stuff. Ordered some Seasalt bags (their lovely hessian ones) so I can get away with stuffing an assortment of presents into a bag, tieing it up and making the bag part of the present (thus avoiding having to wrap).

Looks like the weather might be getting mild and wet again after this cold spell so I'm telling myself there's no point in doing a big clean (dog = mud) and I'll do it closer to Christmas.

Thought I was done apart from animals but just ordered a key ring for DH on Etsy.
Still Hate Thatcher. It’s a gift he won’t expect and it’s nice to give him a surprise.
My cast comes off tomorrow and then I will wrap a present each day. Maybe two depending on how I feel.

I ordered DD a hoodie. It’s a tradition that every year I buy her a hoodie. This year it’s related to Autism as she requested but she doesn’t know what logo or style I picked.
Done shopping now for humans. They have enough. I know I will be happy with their presents.

Bought a 'Christmas throw' I have been hankering after, since this time last year, and a thermos style mug with a lid as a present for DH, as DH has announced we need them if we are going to drink tea or coffee in bed since we got new carpets on Monday! Both TK Maxx.

Also added box of beer to take to family at Christmas to online shop due tomorrow, alongside medjool dates, terry's chocolate orange and Benedict mints for Christmas.

Has anybody ever stuffed a medjool date, and do you have any tips btw?

Yesterday I finished wrapping DS 5's gifts from us, so that is him done. I have already bought too much for his stocking so that is finalised, with his tree gifts wrapped, we are, well all wrapped up with him!

The dates are really nice wrapped in bacon and cooked along side pigs in blankets.

Would you mind sharing what you got, please. My DD is Autistic and lives in hoodies. Last year I got her one about her 'Social Battery' so anything she might relate to is good.

Ooh and yes to dates wrapped in bacon. Not had those in years. Used to be my grandad's favourite. I've bought mejool dates already, so they are being added to the Christmas day menu.

I've just got back from our local Boundary Mills. Very skitey outside! Bought a shark handwarmer for DD and a J Lo perfume gift set for Mum. Earlier today I wasted hours pulling the house apart looking for our sodding elves. Little shits causing me bother already. They have been wrapped up tightly with brown paper and a sticker on saying delivery from the North Pole and they can go next to the advent calendars ready for the morning.

Today I picked up 2 rolls of wrapping paper to finish dh and dd2 gifts. I ordered dh a hoodie and a set of battery operated string lights for dd1 bedroom. I received FILs gift which is a light operated zebra crossing model for his train model set. I also got dd1 two sweets she loves for her stocking.

I found it from a Google search. It’s from Cafe press. Autism hooded sweatshirt. It’s got the words Autism seeing the world from a different angle. There are 4 cartoon style people on it. One turned upside down.

They also have T-shirts. But there’s a range of ones related to Autism. They also have ones saying proud Dad/Mum of an autistic son/daughter.

I haven’t seen the design I chose in the kids range but they do have a fair few Autism ones for kids age 6-11 and then they would be in the adult sizes.

The p&p is £7.99 but they are having quite a good sale at the moment.

I hope this helps. Thankfully our Daughters at least have a diagnosis. There are many women in their 20’s 30’s 40’s even older who now realise they are Autistic. When DD was a pre-teen actually said to me “girls can’t have autism” 😮🤬
I suggested he might want to catch up with current research. I wanted to ask if he’d been living under a rock for the past decade.

I digress. I hope you and your daughter get the support you need. And find cool hoodies to celebrate our neurodivergent girls. 💕
If you can’t find it just let me know and I will try and do a link.

@Pinkkisugarmouse thank you so much for yoir message ❤️ I'm having a browse now.
DD just turned 12 last week, but is taller than me and likes to wear a baggy ladies size.
Sending much love. Totally get what you're saying about girls and Autism and the historic lack of understanding. (I was diagnosed last year at 51!)

Happy December 1st! I'm at home taking parcels in today, I will finally dig out the Christmas duvet, I'm getting the tree out of the loft ready for tomorrow and rearranging the furniture for it to fit in place. And I will search the internet for a snowglobe to put in my youngest's Christmas stocking.

Happy December 1st!! I gave DP his advent calendar this morning which he was delighted with. I've decided against getting one for myself this year as I really don't need an extra piece of chocolate every morning. Instead I got myself an advent candle but will wait until this evening to light it.

This morning I've bought a beautiful pet remembrance tree bauble for my mum as she lost her wonderful dog this year.

I'm writing my cards today. I don't usually send any but I always feel bad when we receive them from others. I'll go to the post office and get stamps and also send the overseas ones today. I'll also buy a thinking of you type Christmas card for a relative whose partner died quite suddenly last month before I send off the uk cards.

I'm going for a day out with my mum to the quaint little village where she and her sisters grew up. There's some nice gift shops there so will hopefully pick up small gifts for my aunts, if not I've seen a few things online I could get.

We'll also visit the graveyard where my gran and papa are buried. Usually I'll take something Christmassy later in the month but I've decided to do it a bit earlier this year so I've got a small Christmas tree and a poinsettia.

Today feels a little sad thinking of those I have loved and lost. Sending so much love to everyone missing their loved ones for whatever reason ❤

I've distributed the Advent calendars, and really do feel the start of getting excited!

But it's not a full on start, as there's a birthday coming up and we always wait until after that.

Happy December everyone! Elf arrived during the night so very excited children this morning. Just been to the butcher and ordered my turkey etc and plan to put up the tree when kids are in bed tonight (or elf will) 7ft monster that takes about 2 hours just to get it up so will put it up and get the lights on tonight, then kids will help put on the ornaments tomorrow. Will probably crack open the Christmas Bailieys.
*@RainbowZebraWarrior "skitey outside" brilliant, so long since I've heard anyone say that (looking for a Scotland flag on my emojis but there isn't one)
*@onlyhereforthechristmaschat sending ❤It's a bit bitter sweet isn't it, also thinking of loved ones no longer with us this time of year

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius Apologies for the late reply. Here is some info about the homemade tinsel.

One ball made about 8 metres/ 24 foot of tinsel, which seems good compared to shop prices & the fact that it's all in one longer-than-normal piece for arranging round the tree etc is very useful. Of course, you can make as much or as little as you need.

It's also a different texture than decorative tinsel: very soft & more like a soft fur than something plasticky or metallic. It feels really nice against the skin & drapes well, hence being suitable for wearing as a scarf if you loop it round you 2 or 3 times.

Photo attached.

Instructions next.

Brilliant, thank you, @ifIwerenotanandroid. 🎄

Instructions for homemade tinsel, invented by moi...

You will need:
1 ball of King Cole 'Tinsel' yarn (see Wool Warehouse for the range of colours, which is huge)
a 9mm crochet hook

It's a very simple repeating pattern. The tricky bit is working the yarn when you can't really see the stitches! What I do is to locate & hold the loop/stitch part I'm about to go into with my left thumb & index finger (I'm RH), open it out a bit & work the crochet hook into it by touch. Mistakes are at least hidden by all the sparkly fluff.😀

The end result is a series of chain lengths joining blobs of trebles. You could just do chains for a much thinner tinsel, or do rows of trebles for a solid, thicker length - but I found this pattern to be a good compromise because it's quicker & easier than doing all trebles, & it drapes well while still having some bulk & masses of glitz.

(For US crocheters, I'm doing UK terminology so I think that's ch & dc to you.)

My first pattern (there's a later variation) was this:

1. Make a slip knot.
2. Work 9 ch & hold the 9th loop in thumb & index finger.
3. Work 3 more ch (while holding loop).
4. Work 2 tr into the 9th loop you're holding.
5. Turn & work 3 ch.
6. Work 1 tr into the top of each of the previous tr's (you'll have to root around in the glitz for them).

Repeat 2-6 until it's the length you want & then either finish off there (at the end of a blob) & sew the end in, or add more chains so you can tie it to something, or whatever. Then go along your tinsel, fluffing up the strands on each blob with finger & thumb i.e. freeing the strands from the stitches a bit, & pulling the blobs into shape.

Alternative version
Just change step 6 to make a slightly better shaped blob (maybe), by doing the first bit of a tr in the middle strand (the first tr from the previous row) & going on to the next previous tr with 2 loops still on the hook & doing a tr in that previous tr, finishing it by going through the 3 loops left on the hook. There's a name for this: tr2tog (videos available online).

I made some using the alternative method but went back to the first method for speed/ not having to think too much.

There are other tinsel yarns but I haven't tried them. It seems to me that loose thread length is important, & the King Cole one works. I assume eyelash yarns wouldn't work as well as the strands are longer & get more caught in the work. If the strands are shorter than KC, I think the stitches would probably show more. If anyone tries it with a different yarn, I'd be interested to see how it turns out.

As this is MN, I feel I must add that looping stuff round your neck could be dangerous, user's risk, be careful etc etc...

I like the idea of a "soft" tinsel, I don't like the modern plasticky stuff on sale nowadays

I’ve just realised I didn’t clarify it wasn’t DD who said girls don’t have autism. It was a GP. My jaw nearly hit the floor.
With ignorance like that it’s no wonder you weren’t diagnosed until you were 51.

I’m not surprised your DD is already taller than you aged 12. I’m sure kids are getting taller. Perhaps they pop them in grow bags at school. 😆