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.

This year for Christmas I will prep more of the vegetables. It was a bastard trying to get everything peeled, chopped, and roasted while the joint was already done. Luckily I had some sides and sauces already sorted which helped but I want to expand upon this next time.

I loved my tree so will get a real one again next time. And will hopefully find time to make a wreath for my door too. And I missed having an advent calendar this time round, so that is on the list.

Will also buy more from charity shops; some of my best finds were from there recently (glassware, side table, kitchen pots etc.)

Good afternoon and Happy New Year everyone.

@MrsDilligaf I hope your DD is fully recovered soon

@lucysmam I'm planning on starting De-Christmassing the house from tomorrow. I'll put away things like the wreath, the advent calendar and the cushions. After dinner tonight I can strip the dining table and the table cloth and napkins will go in the wash tomorrow. The trees will come down on Friday ready for me to hoover thoroughly on Saturday - DH is back to work tomorrow (wfh) so I tend not to run the hoover on a workday.

@Tommalot I prep and freeze our veg when I have a quiet day earlier in December. Carrot and parsnips just get peeled, cut into chunks and frozen. I parboil potatoes and roast for about 20 minutes before cooling and freezing. Everything gets put in the oven from frozen and cooks perfectly. I trim and blanch my spouts before shredding and freezing. I put these in a frying pan to defrost and then stir fry them in a little butter with smoked bacon. I honestly put the meat in the oven and sat down until about an hour before was due to be served. That hour was full on though!

@TheBucktoothedGirlFromLuxembourg we usually prep our veg after our Christmas Eve walk to the market & Costa - I might try your suggestion of prepping even earlier than that this year.

I spent an hour today merrily putting dates in the new calendar and my diary. Ended up with a list of people to call and reschedule things tomorrow/bookings to make.

Haven't got to transferring my Christmas plan lists yet...maybe tomorrow morning before painting some more peg people, or tonight.

I'm going to start on my next Eras Tour project too - Midnights jacket with beaded tassles 😊

Afternoon all!

That sounds amazing, @lucysmam!

Hi Chips! How are you doing?!

Dd has an appt with the consultant soon, so it's the first step on the road. Not sure what it is, but bless her, she's definitely struggling a bit.

I've cleaned the cupboard of doom out today - was very ruthless, and binned a bottle of fizz that we saved from a friends wedding - they got divorced three years ago!

Just collected these off our last 6 Christmas crackers - I thought they'd look nice on napkin rings maybe.

Dd1 collected the bows off the Christmas day ones before I got chance to look at them 🙄

My house feels naked as all Christmas decs are now in the attic. We haven't done a big clean like we usually would though as we've tackled the spare room instead - we've decided to dismantle the spare bed and just have it as an office for now.
I also managed to break the book case. Not a big issue as they're rubbish and due for the bin anyway but we had to clear and sort the contents today before they fall apart completely 🙄
This also meant DH saw the extent of my cross stitch collection. He was a bit horrified, mostly because he knows how slow I am so the kits I have will keep me busy for years 😂

Chips how are you?

lucysmam what diary did you go for? I love a new diary but always dither choosing one so only ordered mine today (I went for a GoGirl one. Truly awful brand name but it looked like it has most of the things I want and it was cheaper than the Filofax I really wanted).

Our house looks really empty now with the decorations down. I always feel a bit sad for the first day they are no longer there.

My parcel from Boots is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow is it a bit sad I am thinking about wrapping them as quite frankly I left it too late this Christmas.

Meeces, we've only known this house with Christmas trees, so it's going to be most odd when they come down next weekend! 🎄🎄🎄

My extra 120 baubles have arrived, so we are all sorted for all 3 trees to be decorated this year, but the new tree (500 lights and bushy) will come into the lounge and the old tree (200 lights and not so bushy) will go into the hallway.

I ordered a new mirror at the weekend to go into the hall. It'll reflect the tree next year so should look lovely. We're also decorating the hall this year in dark blue. We're undecided how many walls to do, however (either the right side only, or the whole hall and stairway up to the first floor).

All the decorations have been taken down but the Christmas cushions. throw and winter bedding still in use .

The cushions can get bagged up to go in the attic and the old ones put back .

The bedding can stay (its Nordic or Stag ) as it will be cold I reckon.
<y stash of looroll that I have left can go on DS wardrobe in a vacuum bag then I know what I have .
Christmas handtoweks and showercurtain can get washed tomorrrow .
Christmas oilcloth ,
Christmas jumpers to get packed

The tablecover is a green/red paisley so all year round

And that will be back to normal .

why what did you order?

Fluffy I'm an 'all in' person when it comes to room colour however, I'm not known for being very up to date so my opinion may be rubbish!

I've been working through my 'sitting down' to do list this evening. Have finished updating the Christmas planner, cut up cards to use as gift tags (being eco friendly and all that), pairing up socks and have spent too much time making the tiny bedding for a dolls house that niece requested 🙄
Going to finish that then call it a night I think.

I'd love to join this year. I've been a lurker for many years, live popping in every now and again, and reading up on your posts.

I'm erring towards all in too actually. It's south facing, but only gets light through the relatively small front door window.

I've been on a lampshade buying mission tonight. I have 6 lampshades to collect from Argos this week: two kitchen, two hall, and one for each of the other two landings. The bathrooms don't have any yet, but I'm not convinced they need them, overly.

358

I have ordered three bath sets which usually cost close to £30 for under half price each and a body mist set for my daughter and a body spray set for my son. I am pleased with that start. I have ordered a music book for my friend's son as well.

Bin day!! Our general waste hasn’t been collected since the 15th December. Our recycling is also in additional bags but that’s another 6 days away.

Last day ‘off’ for the dc and I today. Dd is going to try and go to school tomorrow 🤞🏼

Fluffy have you looked on Pinterest for navy blue hallways? We haven’t painted anywhere yet. They wanted it left a year before we did anything. I really want to do ds’ room for him but he’s at that awkward age where what he likes now will definitely change in a few months as he goes to secondary school so need to have a think…

Christmas decs all away and first Christmas presents ordered!

I don't really look at Pinterest, Wreck. I hate the app, tbh, and don't find it user friendly.

Our house has already been built for a year, thereabouts, so we felt safe in decorating. If cracks form after, we'll just fill, sand and touch up. There were some large ish settlement cracks dotted around though, so I think we're safe.

DD is the same year as your DS and chose quite an adult paper, so you may be surprised.

Our council cancelled our recycling waste last week, so that will have been 4 weeks when it's collected next week. Handy during the busiest recycling period of the year. 🙄 It's general collection this week. We're still getting rid of moving junk; I've paid for a large item collection on Thursday for an old sofa.

We still need to do a tip run with a load of cardboard packaging, but once that's done, the garage will start to take shape. It's rammed with shit at the moment.

I'm intrigued by the rubbish collection issues. Here we have general waste every 2 weeks but recycling, food and cardboard is collected every week and collections have all been pushed back by 2 days to account for the BHs. Going weeks between collections sounds a bit 🤢 especially over Christmas!

What sort of light shades did you for Fluffy?
There was a post-Christmas sale in Dunelm when we moved so we bought ours from there I think.

I hope your dd manages school tomorrow Wreck 🤞🏼
DH isn't back until Monday so we're at the stage of getting on each others nerves because we've been in each others pockets too much.

We're doing more sorting and cleaning today, then I'll be chilling out. I've had awful toothache the last few days and dentist can't see me until tomorrow.

Our bins are both fortnightly, we don’t have food waste collection here. I guess this one has been pushed back four days, the recycling three days, then two days and then one day before back to normal. They do Saturdays to make up for it but not Sundays. Extra frustrating when you consider our council tax bill… they will take additional bags that don’t fit in the bin though we’ve just put any extra in our shed.

Me too, she’s going to find it hard getting out the door at 7, I tried persuading her to let me drive her in but she doesn’t want me to 🙄

eugh toothache is the worst 💐

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces I have loads of craft options in a cupboard at home and I hope DH never finds out how many.
Our general waste was finally emptied today so it's 4 days later then usual because of Bank holidays, we only get a collection every 2 weeks not usually a problem but harder at Christmas.

Meeces, we're every two weeks, alternating general waste and recycling. However, the council initially pushed the days back for collection last week and then, on 22 Dec, cancelled all recycling collections instead. They communicated this badly and loads of bins were put out in 60mph winds, so there's now recycling rubbish all over the place. 🙄

I don't understand how you can start the countdown to Christmas so early and yet take your decorations down before Christmas is over? Is it because you spend so long looking forward to it you are actually sick of it it by the time it actually arrives or is it that the looking forward to it is better than the event itself? Genuinely puzzled.

I've made a start on Christmas shopping if I told family they would look at me funny 🙈it's great to have people to talk to about it.

I've got my DD a good few bits most of them onsale
How to draw manka set it's in a lovely case
Squishy mellow sticker and drawing set
How to make a comic
How to draw kawaii
Pop style bracelet maker
Mememows gold collection
Pusheen teddy
Pusheen pencil case
My Fahlo bracelet finally arrived so will put that away for Christmas. I won't buy anything else for her till she does her list.

I will start this month putting money away for Christmas.
I've also made a start on my niece's and nephews I have 14 to buy for I buy money wallets as I give money to the older ones and buy for the smaller ones I've got 12 out of 14 sorted. It feels great to have a start.