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!

I understand what you mean. I don't have dc but a few years ago I remember getting to 27th December and feeling irritated that it felt Christmas had passed me by as I'd kept myself so busy I didn't actually give myself time to enjoy it.

We changed few things here and they helped - feel free to ignore though!

Use a physical calendar put in anything booked/arranged and write in 'evening at home' or 'film night' etc so the time is literally blocked out.

Look at buying 'experience' presents rather than things that need collecting/wrapping although I am a weirdo who loves wrapping and finds it relaxing
This year for example, I've bought tickets to a favourite musical for my mum, auntie, cousin and sister.
Past presents have included cinema vouchers, restaurant vouchers, gig tickets etc. May not work with your dc if they're very young but could help with others?

Aim to have the majority of the shopping complete in November.

Now this one is a tradition for me and is not everyone's cup of tea but I have a 'wrapping evening' when DH is out. I put the Christmas lights on, get something nice to drink, something to eat (can be as nice as a turkey sandwich or as basic as a chocolate orange) and set up the table with my sellotape dispenser, various rolls of wrapping paper, gift tags and pens.
Stick a Christmas film on and work my way through the presents until they're all wrapped.
I used to get through a fair few films but it's lessened over the last few years - my only rules are that the first film must be Muppets Christmas Carol, annoyingly shaped presents are tackled first and all presents must be done by the end of night

Lapland sounds very exciting - it's on my bucket list of places to go How old are your dc? Assuming they'll get the full Christmas and Santa magic experience?

My parents get them a chocolate advent calendar each, so they’ll get them anyway. But wooden animals looks lovely. Last year he had a bath toy one and it was really nice. But as a child we had the chocolate one only, and it was great. Maybe I’m comparing to what I had, and it seems more nowadays. I had the most wonderful time as a child at Christmas, and maybe I’m trying to recreate that. Wondering if too much is a bad thing too.

I’ll aim for November wrapping, due to Lapland all our decorations are going up mid November. Imagine if I was smugly all wrapped before that trip 🤶🏻🎄🎅🏻

I already have a heavy duty tape dispenser, absolutely love it! Saves so much time doesn’t it.

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces They will be 9 and 4. They don’t know we are going, although FIL asked in front of them “when are we going to Lapland” so DC9 probably knows something. Our elf, Noel, might appear with a ticket or something. Not sure on that yet.

I’ve never seen the Muppets Christmas Carol - will add that to my list. Great idea to actually add “watch tv in front of the Christmas tree” into the calendar. It really felt like I didn’t spend one evening reading next to the tree. And the tree in one of my favourite things!

I’ve never seen the Muppets Christmas Carol either!

Is that a “leave this Christmas Thread immediately “ offence.
2nd only to adamantly denying that Die Hard is a Christmas film

Your trip sounds lovely jennifer - and yes, schedule in some time at home. Honestly, you'll be surprised how much you look forward to it (and you can prep by getting in good snacks etc).

70 Fluffy hasn't kicked me off the thread yet and I still think Die Hard isn't a Christmas film 🤫

But I do think everyone should watch Muppets Christmas Carol. It's the only muppet thing I like but it actually pretty close to the book but with lovely songs as a bonus and Michael Cain as Scrooge.

I watch it on my wrapping evening and often send videos to my sister - I think it was the year before last she FaceTimed me and we watched it at the same time in our separate houses while wrapping presents

Jennifer you could get the wooden animal and then pack it away on 12th Night(or other convenient date) and then re-use next year, so it becomes a tradition.
I love the sound of your wrapping evening Meeces. DH and I usually end up wrapping one afternoon when the DC are out/ working.
Unfortunately I must confess that I haven't seen A Muppet Christmas Carol- even though I love the book and have organised tickets for A Sherlock Carol this year ( having done the Old Vic and Alexandra Palace the last two years). I haven't seen Die Hard either - can I stay in the thread???

Oh we saw A Sherlock Carol last year , @ConstantlyCooking , it was a small theatre near Baker Street. No big names actors , good fun play

I am looking forward to it. I like to some version of ACC every year. V tempted by the Old Vic because it was excellent last year and John Simm should be good..,

I used to wrap when DH took the DC to his work Christmas party. Now they are all (just about) adults I either wrap when they are at work & school or announce that I'm going upstairs to wrap presents and they may only disturb me if the house is on fire or Colin Firth has come for tea.

DH and DDs have gone to visit MIL. DS has stayed home and is catching up with his ALevel reading list. I've been out for a catch up with a friend and found a fantastic new greengrocer in the next town. I bought delicious cherries, a ripe mango and some giant carrots that I have already peeled, chopped and frozen ready for glazed carrots when Sunday roasts return. I've also rearranged the freezers in the garage and I'll do a bit of ironing this afternoon while the house is cool and quiet.

I now have Sherlock Carol envy and may see if my DDs fancy a theatre trip in December.

Am excited I've got the heavy duty sellotape dispenser that Fluffy recommended for this years wrapping and will be using 70's ironing board idea too.

I'm following the sideorderofchips christmas bargain prequel thread and have just done a studio order which is full of cheap stuff. I do advent numbered "pouches" for the DC attached on a rope thing that I hang on the stairs that I fill with stuff like chocolate stirrers, lottery tickets, lip balm etc one for each day and I reuse the bags every year.

DM gets them a traditional advent calendar normally something religious and definitely no chocolate.

And Die Hard is a christmas film (sorry Meeces).

The sellotape dispenser is a game changer isn't it. Me and DW have a nice tradition of wrapping in front of The Holiday with nice snacks. She cuts the pieces to size and I wrap them. An excellent system, practised to perfection over the years.

I love the muppets Christmas carol. I'm not a muppets fan at all but it's just so silly with nice songs and a good feel.

I don’t like the film “Elf”. , nothing against Will Ferrel but I watched it eating Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Salted Caramel Chocolates a few years ago and felt really sick from them so the memory is tainted.

Last year we watched “Spirited” at home ,made DS watch too . It was funny and very silly. And you cannot go wrong with Ryan Reynolds ( if you like him that is )

Delurking, hello everyone 🖐

Whatever you do with wrapping, don't be me a few years back. I decided the best way to efficiently tackle the large pile of presents was to do one task at a time, assembly-line style. So I diligently wrapped every last present. Only then did I turn to the gift tags - and realise I had no idea which present was which...

Die Hard is a Christmas film. #gavel Muppets is ace and I've grown to like Elf recently!

DD is likely to want money. They're at an age where cash is becoming king. Though DS loves Lego still too! Both take no / not much wrapping. Thank god!

A Sherlock Carol seems to have passed me by but it looks like a great festive evening.

Magnolia I've treated myself to a picture only advent calendar the last few years and I've enjoyed them although niece and nephew also like them and want to open every door at once

getting I have a system - I cut the paper to size for 4 or 5 presents, putting the paper under the present on the table. Write the 4/5 tags. Wrap a present, put tag on, move aside and do the next. When all 4/5 are done I put them to one side and repeat.

I don't mind Elf, I never choose to watch it but always enjoy it when it's on.

I watched Noelle on Disney with my niece a few years ago and really enjoyed that.

I'm tiptoeing around the Die Hard argument and sticking to the agreement that we agree to disagree and when I finish the thread I post a pic of Bruce as a peace offering

Just back from a rain in the pouring rain during which I was mentally planning festive get together with friends. Can’t wait until the Christmas food starts getting released.

Die Hard is a Christmas film! I couldn’t finish Elf, I really didn’t like it.

I was thinking about the food at the weekend, Hoping.

I already have a massive side of salmon and a beef brisket in the freezer bought with Nectar points from Sainsbury's! We're going to do them on the BBQ for the buffet. I'll get a gammon too, and that will be the meat selection. (This is the brisket: www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-slow-cooked-hickory-smoked-bbq-beef-brisket-taste-the-difference-188kg)

The rest will be the usual mix between Booths, the cheese shop and Morrison's.

I need to clear out the freezer in readiness @NoWordForFluffy and the garage in general as I will start buying long life bits once term starts again.

Arghh. Shit link. www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-slow-cooked-hickory-smoked-bbq-beef-brisket-taste-the-difference-188kg

I have lots of long life stuff already, Hoping! I'm very organised!

Looks nice @NoWordForFluffy!

That brisket looks lovely Fluffy. I haven't bought any food yet but might start collecting a few things soon.

Marking my place. I bloody love Christmas - my eyebrows are sweating, but I want to think about My Christmas or Yours.

@Gettingannoyednow sorry but that really made me laugh, I can imagine how you felt!

Our freezer is pretty small but has a beef joint in there from last Christmas which will be for this year. I'm hoping for a new fridge freezer soon although not sure it'll be before Dec.

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We have two small freezers in the shed usually one gets filled with pizzas and garlic bread when I go to Aldi and the other is Costco food

The fridge freezer inside gets things moved about from there to the shed.

I am nowhere near organised enough to have bought food for Christmas yet but I’ll buy chicken for DS and the cats about a week before then I know I have it.

there are large Toblerones in the gift shop in fancy wrappers so th6 might be new fangled flavours or they might just be fancy wrappers . If they’re good value then I’ll buy a couple for DS and DD .

Costco will start their Christmas range soon , usually a couple of weeks after school starts back