Spring has sprung...let's Countdown to Christmas 2024 (Thread 2)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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For the forgetful of thinking AKA me tomorrow, repeating the countdown!

Morning (just)!

We've had hair cuts today, postponed from last week when I was still ill. Then we went to Sainsbos where the kids skanked me for more BBQ food. Thankfully the kids had their own money to buy shit in the toy section!

It's gorgeous here today. We're christening our new BBQ, as long as DH can get the gas canister from his parents' house in a bit. If he can't, it'll be charcoal on the old one!

I need to take the kids to the amusements. I only have to travel about 2 miles though! 🤣

DWH have an event this weekend. We're tempted to go and nosey at all the other house styles on the estate. 🤣🤣

I really like TKMaxx/HomeSense decorations Meeces especially the Hallowe'en ones . So many around are more horror based (clowns /serial killers/zombies) when witches and spiders and ghosts are so much more my thing .

Hallowe'en is on my list of favourite times of year , up there with Christmas ,

I like the TKMaxx decorations, but we still need to decorate downstairs after having the extension done (2 years ago 😳 we just whacked magnolia paint on the walls and then I've not had any inspiration until recently) so I don't really have anywhere for niknaks.

I have finally bitten the bullet and chosen wallpaper for the front room, though. Yey me! Unfortunately I have also been inspired by Facebook videos of people building their own media units and built ins, so this could end badly...

149 - that seems very low doesn't it?

What sort of wallpaper have you gone for Firefly?

One of our friends has bought a house a few streets away that needs complete refurbishment and I'm desperately trying to steer him (single man) away from having everything some shade of grey.

Full heatwave here (27° today). Considering doing some painting of garden stuff after work - I have a potting bench, planter and trellis, 2 chairs and a small table to do still but I bloody hate painting

Also, I can't remember if I said but in the last 2 weeks, instagram has taken to recommending Christmas posts to me

This one Fluffy. I first found it in pink, and really liked it but when I started looking around for offers on it (the first site I looked at it was £57 a roll!! I got it for £23 in the end!) I stumbled across the purple, with the shimmery silver background 🥰 I've been in B&Q today on my lunch trying to find a green and a purple paint to match. I've got a paintable beadboard paper for the bottom 1.5 metres, although it'll mostly be hidden behind the couch, then I'm going to have a shelf for niknaks, then this going all the way up to the ceiling, so another 2 metres nearly. I was thinking I'd do the beadboard in the sort of sage-y green and the other walls in the lilac.

My picture posted upside down, but you get the idea.

I got it from here and they were really helpful. Samples were free and came the next day, my order came really quickly too, and I called them to see how long the offer would be on and a real person answered the phone more or less straightaway. I was very impressed!

Love that paper Firefly, make sure you post pics of the finished wall.

Very hot today here so I've washed lots of bedding but its making me feel very tired, yawn.

Managed to watch a bit of Tom Daley and Noah Williams doing their super duper dives. Love how he knits when he isn't diving.

PS @NoWordForFluffy what is DWH?

Sorry Meeces. I was distracted when I was replying earlier, didn't even notice I'd written Fluffy 😳

I saw TD won silver, his kids looked very excited!

Magnolia - I think DWH is the developer Fluffy bought her house from, who are still building new homes on the estate.

Yes, it's David Wilson Homes.

Lovely wallpaper, Firefly! We have sage walls in our lounge. It's a lovely colour.

Horrific day here today, as you'll have seen on the news. It's incomprehensible, almost. You just don't expect that on your doorstep.

Horrific event in Southport @NoWordForFluffy
and yes when it is on your doorstep it is doubly so . Thoughts to the families of those children who have been killed and injured .

Gosh sorry yes I forgot you are close by Fluffy, absolutely horrific, those poor families. Thoughts and prayers for them.

I did think about you when I saw the news today Fluffy
It's completely shocking for everyone but especially if you're close by.

Firefly do you have a B&Q card? I had an email earlier that said club members will be able to get 10% off everything in store and thousands online starting Friday.

I finally went out to look at the sorry state of my tomato plants when I finished work. 3 of the 6 have a couple of flowers on but they all look very sorry for themselves so I've moved some into different types of pot, fed them, added support and pinched out the little side shoot things. Hopefully they'll get going properly now.

And I've given up on growing my sweetcorn. The birds just won't leave it alone.

148

Evening.

It's been lovely here today. Biting wind now though; not an outdoor-sitting kind of evening! 🥶

We've had a hard day today, as we've found out that close connections had children involved yesterday. One of the victims went to the kids' school. Just heartbreaking seeing those girls' photos. Those poor kids.

The community is coming together though, which hopefully gives hope that evil can't beat us.

Evening.

I can't remember where I read it or what it's from but I saw a quote about when bad things happen which is to 'look for the helpers, there are always people helping' and it genuinely true - communities really do rally around at times like this.

Sounds like a tough day for you Fluffy

Nothing to report here. Heatwave is ongoing. Work was mad, DH is out this evening and I've been doing little annoying jobs and am now sorting out something to eat,

So sad to hear this Fluffy 💐

147

It's rattling along, isn't it?

It's been quite warm today, but the breeze has gone stiff / chilly now, so I'm too nesh to sit outside! 🥶

@JenniferGreenHat, how many days left to go? Are you all still coping?!

We have yellow warning of thunder tomorrow. 🤞🤞 Hope it happens with lots of rain!

4 nights down, 5 left, and then 1 more after a few days at Center Parcs.

It had been going okay, hard work, but roughly fine. Taken the DC out to National Trust, wildlife park and museums, park etc.

But my Dad just had a huge go at me about how I’m always on at him. The strange thing is I have bitten my tongue so many times so far, I haven’t challenged sexist comments when I really should have, and I’ve given up on pointing out his behaviour towards my Mum. He’ll never change. But right now I’m regretting showing my DD all this behaviour. He sulks when anything is said against him, and just brings this air of negativity. I should be on the Stately Homes thread to be honest. It’s all quite upsetting. Sorry to bring this lovely thread down with my moaning.

My patio still isn't finished, Jennifer. Just in case you need somewhere to hide the body 😉

It's been glorious over here on the East Coast. Spent today at the beach with the kids, DSis and her two and DParents. It was one of those days that you (hopefully!) always look back on as an adult and try to recreate. They played so nicely together building sandcastles, digging holes, hunting for shells, playing ball games, then they tried body boarding, swam and floated in the sea and ate for bloody England.

Meeces I do have a B&Q card, thanks for the heads up!

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Just squeezing the CountDown in while it's still today .

It has been oppressive here the past few hours, there was promise of a storm but we had a burst pf rain about 7pm .

Friday is my traditional take DD to work and buy her a sandwich and a pain au chocolat day
Then I need to have a looksie for some holiday clothes (for me)
Then washing/tidying/driving people about

145

They ruined my day by cancelling our yellow warning of storms yesterday, 70! We're hopefully due rain later on, however. 🤞🤞

When do you go away?

Same here Fluffy, I didn't do washing or water my plants in the morning yesterday as we had warning of storms and lots of rain but neither happened.

Your morning sounds lovely 70

I'm on an early finish today then going out to celebrate mine and a friends birthday with a strange afternoon tea that includes mini cheeseburgers and mac & cheese in place of mini sandwiches.
Then rum, hopefully a bit of a dance and getting the last train home.

I have been kicked out of my office today but I'm not complaining- FIL is here painting it with DH and as I hate painting I've just taken up cold drinks and snacks and left them to it

Very sensible, Meeces. Was that one of the jobs DH appointed for himself over the summer?

I was hanging the washing out and spotted a huge slug so I got a tub and a stick and went on a hunt. Found a tub full of fat f*ers 🤢 I got curious as you do and weighed it. Just under a pound of slugs in 15 minutes!! It's no wonder I can't grow tender plants, is it?!? Anyway, they've all been put in the brown compost slug rehoming bin!

I am definitely too soft on bugs - I bought a little habitat and have put all the caterpillars/eggs I found on my brassicas in there. I'm running out of space, though, so palming them off on my friends with kids 🐛

It is Firefly and I've helpfully added filling then painting various spots around the house

Ew about the slugs though!

The rule about bugs here is generally if they're in the house they get squished unless it's a bee, butterfly or spider that's tucked out of the way and not scuttling around or plonked somewhere I want to sit.
In the garden I ignore them as best I can but slugs are picked up and flung over the fence into the jungle overgrown patch behind us.

Firefly we grow nasturtiums every year for the Cabbage Whites .
Had amazing leaves and flowers .....no butterflies

I had to plant a new batch as the originals died back so I hope I can lure the CWs

I hate nasturtiums personally but they're good for wildlife . Feed them for leaves /starve them for flowers . We're all for the leaves