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

[NoWordForFluffy]

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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.

Because not everybody has to comply with an outdated tradition which isn't compulsory to adhere to? 🤷‍♀️

It's individual preference and everybody is different.

Coming into this thread to snark is very, very bad form. And the faux naïveté of 'genuinely puzzled' when there have been many threads on the same topic covering all of the many reasons why recently is rather ridiculous.

@ilovetea14, I put £65 away each month for presents generally (birthdays and Christmas), but also buy little bits here and there from my bank account, not the savings account.

This is a mumsnet tradition that goes back about a decade now I think. No one is forcing you to comment on it or get involved.

We like it.

The same way as some people count down to their next holiday straight after they've just got back

@LillianGish We always take them down on the 1st. Mostly because they can go back into the attic while my husband is still off work. I am disabled and can't manage these days alone. At the end of the day does it really matter what anyone else does. We all have our own traditions and how we do things.

’genuinely puzzled’ poor dear. I’m not religious so don’t really care what arbitrary rules others have in place and wouldn’t judge them for doing whatever they wanted. Loved my tree, wasn’t sick of it at all and can’t wait for this years, but Christmas is over for us back to school and work.

@LillianGish We have a family birthday in early January so the decorations are down before that - otherwise the birthday gets subsumed into Christmas and that's not fair when everyone else gets a stand alone day.

In this house decorating for Christmas is a gradual process and taking down the decorations is also done gradually.

@LillianGish I am religious and will celebrate the 12 days of christmas. I also love Christmas so much that our tree goes up last weekend in November as we have family stay the first weekend in December so by the 28th December the tree has really had enough and needs to be shredded and spread on the borders. The other decorations come down gradually between 28th and 31st not because we are sick of it but just because I like to start the new year with a clean house.
I would also like to say Happy New Year to everyone on this thread and also thank you as you got me through some down-in-the-dumps times over 2023, so thank you X

Happy New Year to you too @Magnoliasunrise
I hope the down in the dumps days are behind you now.

The cushions are changed, the table cloth and napkins are in the washing machine and I'm just about to unload the dishwasher and put way the white and gold plates we use for special occasions. That'll do for today!

@TheBucktoothedGirlFromLuxembourg @whydoesitalwayshappentome and @Magnoliasunrise thank you for your explanations. Not intended to be snarky at all. I live in a country where Epiphany is a big thing with parties, cake and celebration and I love the fact we keep the lights twinkling and the decorations sparkling for bit longer. I really like these quiet days after the hustle and bustle is over when you can sit quietly in the glow before embarking on the big clear out. It's so dark here at the moment and the tree and the lights and are definitely giving me a lift.

I had to wash our tablecloth twice as it had a stain on it. Should've got a non-white one!

I've done nothing productive so far today. Maybe soon...

Happy new year, @Magnoliasunrise!

Our waste day is also today. It's been a long fortnight. We had to put some of our food waste in my neighbours food bin (with permission, of course 😂).
Our recycling and food waste is picked up on a weekly basis, general waste every 3 weeks.
Thankfully, BIL went to the local recycling centre on the 28th, and we parted with most of our wrapping paper, cardboard, and plastic on that day.
I'm looking into saving properly for Christmas this year. I always say I'll start saving, but I forget and start panicking by August. I'm hoping this group will keep me on track with planning and saving.
I'm enjoying the last days of our Christmas decorations. We take down our decorations during DH's first day off of the year. This year, it lands on the 4th. I'll be sad to see them go!

@MaraMar, you can barely get into our recycling centre due to the number of people trying to get rid of the stuff the council didn't collect last week! I think DH is going this week though.

Good job you asked permission re the food waste. You'd have a thread about being food waste bin CF! 😬🤣

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces I have an 18 month one from The Works - bought it when appointments started coming in that were waaaaay off in the future & I had no page to note them down on. I like to know what's coming.

I've just spent the entire morning on the phone altering appointments & declining one from the GP surgery - receptionist was huffy when I pointed out that they want to do exactly what the cardiac nurse does, and that she copies them into every update letter sent 🙄.

Her -We still have our different tests to do
Me - what are they please
Her - height, weight, bp, adjust meds if needed
Me - no thanks, that's what the cardiac nurse & clinic do, they can update
Her - I beg your pardon (in teacher voice) you need ours too
Me - no thank you, cardiac specialists will update as needed
Her - we want our own records
Me - we're talking in circles, I'm happy with what's already in place & you will be updated as needed so no thank you, bye

🙄🙄eyes rolling out of my head

I've de-Christmassed a little bit more this morning so going to head up to (finally) get dressed, and put away those bits, now. Dd1's off sale shopping with her friend, 2 is tidying her room (again 🤣, she's a messy fucker!), so I'm going to book parents evening appointments for dd1 next, then spend the afternoon painting more peg people.

@lucysmam I have the same thing except for diabetes. I know more than their nurses do and have open access to the nurses at the hospital. It’s all about money as the surgery get paid to do these checks. I went to one last year as it was a new drs surgery but I won’t go again it’s a complete waste of my time I’m very busy you know 😅

Granny I've just pulled out all my craft stashes and sorted them.
I have so much random yarn There's no logic to it, I've clearly been gifted some and bought random balls of colours I liked with no plans for it whatsoever.
I need to pull my finger out and clear it this year!

Going to put away the boxes so they're neat and tidy so DH has no idea what's in them then consider what to do for lunch. DH has run away for a breather so we don't kill each other gone out for lunch with his mate so I'm on my own.

Lilian I don't know what Epiphany is - presuming it's religion based?
Here decs come down as a way to see in the new year, and because it's easier to do it before we go back to work.
I don't think you can look forward to Christmas too much tbh!

Happy New Year Magnolias - here's hoping for a lot less down in the dumps days all around this year!

Lucysmam I don't know why the receptionists are such a PITA sometimes!
My last interaction with ours was them refusing a prescription without an appointment but also refusing to give an appointment. Ended up with her literally saying "what do you want to do, complain?" 🤬

I didn't know they got paid for things like that Wreck. That's very interesting...!

@WreckTangled I had the same thing at the pharmacy the first and second time I picked up these meds

Pharm - are they new meds
Me - yep
Pharm - we'll ring in a couple of weeks to check everything's ok
Me - no thanks, the consultant who prescribed them is going to do that
Pharm....<tumbleweed>

Second time

Me - confirms name/address. What's that attached to the bag
Assistant - oh, new meds form so we can take a number to call and check how you're getting on
Me - no thanks, I declined last time, don't want asking every time I collect them
Assistant - it won't take long
Me - still no thanks
Assistant - oh <looks put out>

Does. My. Nut. In.

There are enough people wanting to prod, poke, listen, and take blood, as it is! Cardio wanted their own bloods at one point - taken on the same day as oncology, at a different location, on the same site & they can definitely access the ones taken at the chemo suite 🤔 That's also a waste of time & resources, so also a no 🙄

Happy New Year everyone

@ilovetea14 re your fahlo bracelet. If you have a birthday it is suitable for it may be worth using it for that instead. I only say that as I've seen a few saying that their tracking hadn't been updated for a while. Last thing you want on Christmas day is any upset and someone thinking their animal died 12 months ago (apparantly any issues with tracking you can contact them and request a new one)

My wrapping paper has been delivered to a neighbour who has now gone out. Couldn't find any in the shops here just after Christmas. Normally manage to stock up on Boxing Day or 27th so I had to resort to ordering sale rolls from the range (but did mean I had to pay postage and do prefer to look at it before i buy it so hope it will suffice)

@Justhereforthechristmasthreads I had paper from the Range this time & found most of it quite thin/see thru. No-one noticed but I did as I was wrapping.

@Justhereforthechristmasthreads I saw that I was hoping to have it for Christmas 2023 but didn't arrive till the 29th. Her birthday is not till Oct. I bought 3 of them one for my son his birthday is April so will give that to him.

Our pharmacies don’t do that thankfully. They seem unable to cope with the volume of prescriptions they get without doing any additional checks. The GP one is called QOF and they get points for different things and then paid per point (in very basic terms, I think this is correct) it included chronic illness and things like smoking, bp checks, imms etc.

I’m not getting very far with anything today.

@lucysmam ah thanks for that. I'll double check when neighbour is home before putting it out of the way

Epiphany is 12th night @NoCheesesForUsMeeces - the arrival of the three kings/wise men/Magi (whatever you want to call them). Celebrated here in France (a secular country by the way, but with Catholic roots) with a galette de rois - a cake/tart with charm hidden inside it. Whoever gets the charm is the king for the night and wears the crown (which comes with the cake!). The bakeries are full of them and it's quite an event (even in offices and workplaces - not just with children). It keep the celebrations going right to the end of Christmas - even back to work - which I think is rather nice as it fends off the post-holiday blues.

I always take the 2nd Jan of as my own 'self care day', so far I've taken the kitchen apart and deep cleaned, washed the bedding, blitz the front room, dyed my hair, shaved my legs, dermaplanned my face, plucked my eyebrows, been to Sainsburys.... Its so nice to have the house to myself and going back on the 2nd is sooo depressing! DH is wonderful but I don't miss being asked where I am going every time I get off the sofa!! I might treat myself to a baileys coffee with the last of it!

Sounds lovely, @girlmeetsboy!

We have 4/6 lampshades with the others arriving on Friday. They're all up, so it's just the hall which is without now.

Other than them being up, I'm not sure I can tell much difference. I imagine the lighting is softer though! #wastedonme 🤷‍♀️🤣

Evening all,

Productive day here 😁 Have sorted out DD'S drawers and wardrobe - 2 big bags to go to the charity shop.

Popped to M&S and bought some more Christmas Cards so I'm restocked for this year. Also nipped into Dunelm and got some bits for DD's room.

Thanks to @Sideorderofchips prequel thread, I've got a few bits for DD and some gifts teachers/aunties.

I've washed all the Christmas cushion covers, ate the last of the After Eight Mints 😆 and hidden the mince pies because if I eat anymore I will pop.