Countdown to Christmas 2024: And So We Begin (Thread 1)

[NoWordForFluffy]

366

It's a leap year next year, so an extra day to wait!

I've ordered 120 baubles today, as WeRChristmas sent me a 50% code for today only. Annoyingly I could get our new tree way cheaper today! 😭

I'm exhausted now I've finally had time to sit and relax. Tomorrow is a chill day.

Men always need socks and underwear don't they??

And then they never know when to throw it out and ask for new.

Or is that just mine?

297 we have clear blue sky but it's freezing here.
We're going out for lunch and have to leave soon. If the weather holds up I'm going to plant some seeds when we get home - I finally got around to buying some (just chillis (one hot set and one sweet), tomatoes and sweet corn.

70 I wouldn't dare buy DH boxers. He's the fussiest man alive when it comes to them, and I never buy him socks.
Years ago my dm bought him socks and slippers from M&S for Christmas and he loved them so much she's done it every year since. It's quite sweet - it's their little tradition and the socks don't really wear out so he has loads.

Afternoon!

Yes, Spencer, that's the page I'm on re undies / socks for DH!

It's bloody gorgeous here today. If chilly outside. We've turned the heating off though, as we face south, so we actually need the windows open so we're not bloody baking to death in here!

I've been partially productive today, in that after walking the dog, I've cleaned all the bathrooms / woodwork / doors etc; touched up the navy hallway paint on the bits which needed doing after it dried; and planted our new tree in the garden.

I still need to wash the cross stitch I finished for Mother's Day (mad rush yesterday!) and clean the French door windows in the lounge (dog nose prints!). I'm getting there. 🤣

I'll need to make the beds soon too, else they'll get forgotten, which will be bloody annoying at bed time!

I do the socks/underwear/loungewear as a Christmas Tradition.

Dec 1st he gets the new ones and I round up all the old ones to recycle .

DD likes pyjamas, (usually 2 pairs in Dec 1st Box)

DH buys his own , I throw any out that look shamefull and tell him "You're three pairs short now "

Nice here , cold but no rain <hurrah>
I'm doing washing and cooking (multi tasking)

I've given up with DH and clothes. I buy his entire wardrobe for him now. But I always show him before I pay, so he only gets things he wants. To be fair, he has a brain injury. So I do everything I can to make it easier for him. There are some tasks I can't help with! So I do what I can, so he can focus on what he must. If that makes sense?

He really enjoys housework. Although I now have to buy a new mop because he broke our steam mop this morning. By using the cup thingy to measure out laundry powder, and you can guess what clogged up the mop..,

Will you go for another steam mop or a normal one this time Spencer?
We're on our second steam one as I somehow managed to snap the old one as we were deep cleaning the old house before giving back the keys 😳

I haven't been at all productive today and I'm ok with that. We didn't end up getting home until 5 and I'm back in work tomorrow so I feel doing a load of washing, unloading and reloading the dishwasher and watching 'assisting' DH make a pasta sauce is enough for today.

Watching an old Silent Witness and trying to summon enthusiasm to crochet

Our first steam mop was ace and lasted a good few years. None since have lasted OR been up to much. I've gone back to a mop and bucket for this house. Seems to work ok!

Meeces, I wasn't productive on Saturday. It's nice not being busy all the time!

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces and @NoWordForFluffy

I don't know. DH wanted a steam mop again.

But I think a regular mop with changeable heads would be fine. But is it hygienic?

I use a wheelchair, so it needs to be fairly robust. I try not to bring much mud in, but I'm not always successful.

Because of this, DH always wears his shoes in the house. His balance from his brain injury is bad anyway, so proper shoes is a must.

I also had a lazy day!

296

Another day with a frozen start! 🥶 The dog loves a sniffari through frozen woods, and it was just light enough to go straight into them today as well. So he had a great time!

@Spencer0220 we have rubber-backed mats at entry points and spot clean mud from the dog, which is never-ending! I then just mop through once a week (plus we vacuum daily). I'm happy enough hygiene-wise (though I'm a slattern by some on MN's standards!).

@NoWordForFluffy sounds like dear dog had a great walk!!

We bought a mop and some extra heads.

Why is Mumsnet so fussy about cleaning?

We ended up at 4am this morning. Guinea pigs decided that was an EXCELLENT time to have a fight. So unlike them. DH tried everything we could think of and it didn't help. So in desperation, we bubble bathed them both. Changing their scent worked!! They are now curled up together, the best of friends.

Spencer Lol @ the Guinea pigs fighting because one/both had BO 😆

You're all making me want Christmas themed socks now.

It was really frozen here this morning too.

Dd has a paeds appt later. Hopefully our last one for a bit as nothing they can do really and it’s expensive just to be told to keep going as you are… I reckon a puppy would help but Dh isn’t keen keen at all 😅 plus I can’t afford one but that’s only a small issue…

@Spencer0220 when DD and I had piggies a Bonding Bath was often the order of the day , especially with boar pairs .
We had a nice selection of shampoos from Gorgeous Guineas

When I was bonding a boar(castrated) and sows we used Lemongrass and Cedarwood as it was the strongest scented and suited for all coats .

We had 2 brothers who could get a bit snippy , then one of the boars was matched with a tiny piglet (who grew huge) they occasionally had a dominance rumble . Worse in hot weather

The bath makes them bond in union of disgust at you for washing them. They forget they're angry with each other if they have a common enemy .
They look like tiny lions with their slinky bodies and dry manes round their heads
Two of ours were like Goretex they dried as soon as they were on a towel . The others tolerated a low hairdryer if we ruffled their fur and kept our hands between them and the dryer .

We did a bath before there were any Weddings (to make them Smell Neutral)
A bath before they went to Boarding ( to look cared for)
An ill piggie got a quick bum dip tidy to freshen them .
Our Teddy had a coconut oil rub on his skin before bathing , helped if his skin got dry . Posh'n'Go shmpoo

It's a Plan Ahead , Get Everything Ready , More Towels Than You Think event
I'm not sure I've ever done a 4am bath unless it was an ill piggie dip .

Absolutely fascinated by the bathing guinea pigs stories and very gutted that despite having guinea pigs for many years when I was younger I never ever bathed them. 😭Epic fail on my mums part. We will be having words.

Trust me @Magnoliasunrise these are animals that really don't appreciate being bathed

We put mats or towels on the bath base to stop them slipping , they aren't known for being agile but we could see them bunching themselves up to jump .
If they slip or went underwater its not good for them.
They are Very Judgey throughout the whole process . And they give the old Yes I'm a gentle rodent but I do have TEETH look

And of course , a nice bath of clean warm water , they;ll pooh in it and expell a cloud of pee .

Unless they fight , get married or have mucky behinds they can go without a bath
You have not missed out

Spencer that's so weird - I watched a random video on Instagram the other day about a woman who had rescued a GPig and was bathing him with another rescue in the hope it would stop them fighting.

70 your post makes me realise they're high maintenance pets!

I never had any interest in small pets but we did end up with a rescued hamster a few years ago and she got right under my skin. After moaning about having her, I found myself saving random bits of my lunch for her and chatting to her throughout the day

I miss having a pet around the house. Ddog would have been 16 last week and he's very missed here.

First day back in work was manic to say the least. My head has been fried (and aching) all evening

Oh no!! What have I started??

Boys are still best friends today!!

The hairdryer story made me chuckle. One of our sadly departed boys LOVED the hairdryer.

But only when his Grandma was holding it.

But then she is magic with kids and animals. She turns my sister's hissing monster of a cat into a playful kitten. 🐈‍⬛

they;ll pooh in it and expell a cloud of pee .

You have not missed out

Yep - I've definitely gone off the idea now 😂

295

Morning! Another chilly start here. At least it was dry for my walk to the station though. And also light!

Office day today, but it means I can run some errands in the city centre at lunchtime, which is good. It's just a very long day. 😴

DH has that skill Spencer. He was brought up on a small farm which explains it but it's kind of amazing to see, especially when he's around a skittish/scared rescue.
MIL rescues all sorts - chickens, horses, dogs, cats etc and both her and DH have the ability.

I'm tired for you Fluffy!

I slept for almost 10 hours last night 😳
Planning to use my lunch break to plant the seeds I didn't get around to on Sunday, partly because they need doing and partly because it's clear and cold and I need the fresh air.

Ooh what seeds did you want to plant @NoCheesesForUsMeeces ?

I'm curious about growing stuff. But we live in a rented flat. DH managed to kill a cactus 🌵 once.

😳😳😳

Yes I know.

I didn't get to plant the actual seeds. I ended up with a 20 minute lunch and used 10 mins to dig out the propagator and some small pots and fill the trays with soil and the other 10 eating down a ham sandwich.

I'll be planting chillis, tomatoes and sweetcorn for now I think. They'll start in the propagator, then the conservatory windowsill before I put them outside.
I'm going full on lazy for the tomatoes this year - I'm going to just make holes in a bag of soil and put the plants directly into that.

I'm finishing work now so will actually plant the seeds (then watch them obsessively several times a day until I see a shoot) 😂

How did he kill a cactus?
I have one and quite how he's survived over the years I have no idea but in the 12 years (ish) I've had him he's grown just over a foot. I love him

I'm going to grow tomatoes on our south-facing balcony. I've ordered the same type I had last year, but won't have as many plants thank god; waaaaaaay too many fruit!

I'm wondering about chillies too, but not sure it'll work too well.

We were moving. To protect his hands, DM wrapped the cactus in cling film. Intending it to be unwrapped when he got to the new flat.

Anyway, he was moving in 3 days before me (I was staying in a care home post hospital discharge). I didn't know about the packing arrangements.

When I moved in, asked about cactus because I couldn't find it.

Cactus dead in box. I'm assuming the cling film killed it.

We now have 3 live ones and two fake ones.

I'm hoping for to repeat the chilli success I had 2 years ago as they were the first thing I grew and they took no work at all. Just conservatory until end of May then abandoned in the garden.

Glad you have a cactus collection Spencer