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?

We had a productive weekend and put the Christmas tree up.

Today I took advantage of a quiet moment when DDs were at school and wrote out the Christmas cards ready for putting in the post box. There are far fewer cards than I used to send, mainly because elderly relatives have now sadly passed away so it was quite poignant seeing a smaller pile.

On a less melancholy note I bought a huge joint of smoked gammon for Boxing Day as we're hosting family.

Tomorrow I need to post those cards, plus make a start on some gift wrapping now the presents can go under the tree.

I bought ingredients to make marzipan and some chocolate tree decorations.

I gave the last present to someone not in my family: my singing teacher.

The last presents are on their way. Just two. One each for DH and DD.

Very little left to do now. Need to think about Christmas dinner. Will probably have a Wellington with all the trimmings. We don’t like Christmas pudding so also need to consider what if any dessert we will get/make.

I've got the ingredients for marzipan in, too. Probably going to make it at the weekend. There appears to be two camps, recipe wise: one that uses raw eggs and one that doesn't.

I really need some nice chocolate tree decorations. They were the thing I was most excited by as a kid. Had to be hollow ones like bells, though. One year, I added dozens of Lindor tied on the ends of branches with sandwich bag ties. Just plucked one off when the fancy arose.

I finished wrapping and labelling dd2 presents and they are in the Santa sack. I finished wrapping dd1 yesterday. I have wrapped 2 of dh’s but need to wrap the one in loft still.

Today I’ll be nipping into Asda to pick up a few sweets for dd1’s stocking. Like a pack of hubba bubba and Parma violets which she loves. She also is hoping for the red fruit pastels and I know they do the pack of reds and purples so I’ll get to that. I also need a tube of glue for dh’s stocking. Don’t ask 😂

Decorate the little Christmas tree I bought yesterday for outside the front door. Had a job to find a small enough real one (potted) but eventually found one in Asda, £12.

Will probably finally get down to the major annual job of polishing an antique chest, originally from Zanzibar, which is largely covered with ornamental brass and copper. Plenty of Brasso wadding needed! I usually do it with a CD of carols playing, probably King’s College.

Make a list of Christmas cards I want to write this year. Only have about 15 with me and no address book so list may be radically culled compared to my usual 60 or so!

I also need to make a realistic gift list for shopping trips. As I am severely limited on shopping opportunities and luggage space this year.

By next year, I'll have this expat thing licked - but this year, I'll be moving out of aparthotel to permanent apartment (for 3.5 years) on 20th December and flying home on 22nd leaving chaos of a half unpacked and sorted truckload behind me!

Not quite Christmassy, but my new diary has arrived, so I'll be finishing transferring info from this year's to that.
And generally checking what's going on in the Christmas hols after Christmas Day itself until the start of term (and working out how to fit in a visit to the ILs)

Also checking where I am with present buying. I think I'm all done except for one friend (who is easy to buy for) but also one DC (who I'm completely out of ideas for, so may well be scouring threads here for inspiration)

I am feeling extremely unmotivated at the moment. I should be making spicy red cabbage, and apple sauce, to freeze for Christmas day, but I honestly can't be faffed.

I have, at least, managed to write the menus from now until the end of Christmas week, and have done the online supermarket orders.

Later this week, dh is going to help me get the stuff I want to cook ahead and freeze done, and the labels for the Christmas cards (always a fun job - not), and we will pack up the presents that need posting.

I also want to get the Christmas cake made before we head south to see ds1, our lovely dil and our granddaughter for the weekend.

Not Christmassy at all, but I've had my car MOT'd. I'm just waiting for the call to pick it up. (Might be tonight, might be in the morning) It failed on washer jets, so they are replacing parts at a very reasonable price. Will be pleased to get this out of the way then the dreaded PIP assessment tomorrow. Once that's out of the way, I think I might be able to breathe a bit and enjoy the remaining build up to Christmas.

Today I have wrapped DD2's presents, made breadcrumbs for the bread sauce, and put the wreath up outside.
I also spent and hour and a half rehearsing Christmas songs which has definitely helped me feel more festive.

Posted some Christmas presents that need to go overseas today.

Picked up biscuits from M&S for DS’s sports coaches using the sparks discount.

I feel like I’ve hit that wall where you have most presents etc but then the idea of wrapping and organising then just seems too overwhelming. I seem to get this every year at some point!

I need to find a small snow globe to go in ds's stocking. I thought he had outgrown the tradition but apparently now he's excited to see this years. So, that might be tomorrow's job.

@MrsWhites thats a great idea with the Sparks biscuit discount! DS has multiple teachers so maybe a big box of biscuits will do the job. I can also get some for our neighbour. I’ll pop into M&S tomorrow.

This evening I need to get DS’s stocking presents out because I keep buying odd little bits and have no idea if it’s enough or if it’s done.

We plan to get the tree this weekend but the forecast is horrendous so I’m not sure what to do about that. I don’t really want to wait another week but the tree farm will be naff in torrential rain. DH and I need another plan because DS is very excited already. I think I’ll just keep my fingers crossed for the forecast to improve!

Been fairly productive the last two days. Got some more people checked off my Christmas gifting list (including DDog). Went to M&S yesterday eve and got wrapping supplies, some Christmas meal ingredients that will keep into 2024, cards etc. I also nipped into Hobbycraft and got some pieces that I wanted to jazz up our existing wreath for the door and garland over the fireplace with.

This morning I had time to sit down and do the wreath, so that’s been put up and the autumn one has been taken down.

Tonight I need to sort out my mum’s present and order a few things online for her that she’s asked me to.

Tomorrow I need to buy stamps (not an issue as my work is literally a stone’s throw from a Post Office) but I can’t imagine I’ll do a whole lot tomorrow as I start work very very early.

Hoping to wrap some gifts at the weekend or next week. And the lights on the outside of the house need to go up by the end of the week. I also want to do a window display but it’s just finding the time to do it which is difficult (and also when folk aren’t on the street staring at me…)

If it's just a little stocking tradition, and doesn't have to be expensive, we picked up some of these in One Below last week for £1. No doubt the other pound type shops will also have them.

Oh, that's very cute but we don't have that shop nearby, I don't think. I'm going to try my luck at TK Maxx and maybe the card shops? Normally I get him an IKEA one - but that shop is a trek from here and I usually grab it during a much bigger and organised haul.

There doesn't even seem to be one on the website this year??

I managed to get my behind into gear today, and I’ve made the spiced apple sauce, and the red cabbage is gently cooking in the slow cooker.

Even just doing that left me shaking with fatigue - long covid is such fun.

I wrapped the final presents today (except 1 that is still en route).
Also bought the constituent parts of a trifle.
Next job is write the cards which I aim to do by the end of the weekend.

I've been reading & enjoying this thread for a while now!

Today I managed to find Curly Wirlies for DS1's stocking which I think is the last of the stocking fillers.

I also bought the last bits to make up 4 hampers (first time doing them) so will lay it out tomorrow & see how they look in the baskets.

I have just done battle with DH's present and it's now wrapped.

I've also cleaned the oven and wrapped three more presents.

I've got my own wrapping battle tomorrow when I have to wrangle a bike mud guard into submission 😁

I completely gave up on a snow globe mission as I'm still full of cold so I have an overpriced one arriving from Amazon.

Yesterday I also bought some of the 20% off M&S biscuits as a little present for our cleaner.

Plus while I was in M&S I bought stuffing balls and pigs in blankets for the freezer.

Today I have done a two hour wrapping session. I love buying the presents but I hate wrapping them up! So that's DH's all done plus nieces, nephews, parents and other family that we'll see over Christmas. I've not yet done DD's but I'm thinking I may just put theirs in the various Santa sacks that we've accumulated over the years!

In January I'm going to buy a load of gift bags in the sales so I don't have to contend with scissors/wrapping paper/sellotape next year 🤣.

Grandcat's present was delivered today, so I think that's everything in now. Just need to buy and post two Amazon giftcards for the distant GC, and that's all the present buying done. Did some more wrapping today, whilst watching old editions of Crimewatch (I don't know either...) and did a bit more sorting of 'stuff'.