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!

Really enjoying reading about how everyone else does Christmas.

My Mum visited recently, and stayed for longer than my Dad. It meant that we had some good chats between just us, and she told me that she doesn’t remember a single Christmas from her childhood. She can remember getting a specific item one year, but has no other memories of Christmas - she can’t remember what they had for dinner, who was there etc. She is the youngest of a lot of children, and although my Grandparents did their best, she doesn’t have many happy childhood memories. I’ve known for years about her childhood, so I tend to go overboard at Christmas for presents for her. Especially as my Dad doesn’t make an effort. My Mum always looks so excited with a few presents in front of her.

I wonder if a stocking would be a nice change - her presents are usually smaller, so they would fit in. I wonder if I could find a beautiful embroidered one somewhere, which could make part of her gift too.

@JenniferGreenHat I'd try Etsy for a stocking. They have some beautiful hand knitted ones or some needlepoint ones. You're looking at £60-£70 or more though.

I have now fallen down a rabbit hole of handknitted Christmas stockings. I can knit socks - would this be a poncetastic step too far bearing in mind my (just about all adult) children already have stockings? 😂

I've been down that rabbit hole Buck and there are some amazing ones around. I've had these (pics) pinned on my Pinterest board for years.
You're a great crafter - get knitting

I did make one for my niece but it was just fabric cut out and sewn on my machine.

I have considered crocheting stockings for me and DH but we don't really do them (and he'd think I'm bonkers).

Jennifer I think my parents were similar to yours. My grandparents had more mouths to feed than they had money so celebrations were minimal and that definitely fed into their OTT approach when I was small - they definitely felt more is more and there is no room for less at Christmas!

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Morning!

Hand embroidered stockings sound marvellous but I am definitely baulking at £70 for one!! It might be one of those things that I think "I'll just make my own" and 4 months later its still sitting there half done and looking shite.

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Morning!

I love those stockings, Meeces. The photo with multiple ones in has my favourites.

The weather seems to finally be improving here, which is good news! Loving the long days too. 😍

Morning!

Or this one - its quite reasonably priced at £290. Eeeeeeekkkk!!

Check Wool Stocking in Ripple | Burberry® Official

Definitely paying for the name on that one!

That Burberry stocking looks tiny as well. Very cute mind you.

I’m not going to lie, these pictures of stocking are filling me with joy 🎄 and I’ve got washing on the line! It’s going to be a good day. Hope you are all finding little moments of joy too today x

Sunshine here for our Liberation Day Celebrations - today is a bank holiday where we celebrate the islands’ freedom from the German Occupation during World War II.

I love the stocking to the right of the sloth stocking. I’ll be keeping an eye out for reasonably priced ones similar to that! Thanks everyone.

That's my favourite too, @JenniferGreenHat.

'Scandi Christmas stockings' is a good google search.

I just ordered two mini potted 🎄🎄 It's not even a Rudolph Day! 🤣 But at £15 for 2, I decided to go for it.

Ah we all have the same stocking

Fluffy my Christmas tree isn't looking too bright right now. It's so random - some branches are bare and look terrible but there is new growth on others
Let me know how you get on with yours please!

Where are you jennifer?

I've had another busy day in work but it was good. I pulled off an idea no one thought would work so (for today at least) everyone is happy with me. And I finished on time.

And in the spirit of enjoying the small things, I'm very happy as I emptied the wash basket today (2 loads) and have just folded them off the line, my strawberries are starting to flower and my thyme that I thought was dead has started blooming too. And to top it off I'm now drinking a fruity cider in the conservatory and thoroughly enjoying listening to the birds chirping away 😊

I found new flavours of fruity cider in a local garden centre today Meeces - they stock ciders and gins from local breweries. DD2 is currently sitting in the garden and enjoying the passion fruit version. I also picked up a personalised outdoor mug for DH that I've put away for Christmas and I'll probably fill it with some of his favourite sweets. We have a lovely sweet shop in town that still sells sweets weighed out from jars.

It's been a lovely day here and I got two lines of washing dry. The downside of this is that I've added to my ironing pile.

Mmmmmm fruity ciders sound like the way forward now the sun is finally here. 22 degrees today - I'm just about to crack open the rosé!

I just bought some of these cards - 4 tins for £12 and there are 15 notelets in each one. I thought they might make nice christmas gifts.

The Whistlefish Sale - upto 80% off!

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We're into the Two Hundred and Twenties

I bought stockings for mine as their presents tend to be small and £ now ( or in the case of DS , not actual physical . Maybe a card that says Check your Bank Account )

No need to give 5am stockings , they roll of of bed at an unholy hour on Christmas Morning - DD usually in search of coffee - but rarely before 9am

I remember being horrified when my sister told me her mid teens were having to be dragged out of bed at 9am on Christmas morning and thinking how sad it was that they weren't coming in at 4am asking "has he been yet" but now sadly I am that parent. Last year it was 8am and it was me making loud noises outside the kids bedrooms and shouting "has he been yet?"

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces I’m in the Channel Islands. Originally from SE England, but moved here after uni.

I keep finding myself humming Christmas songs, and I just read the DC a Christmas story - they picked it! I get so much joy from looking at any Christmas photos - trees, decorations, anything Christmassy really. I’m going to go through the thousands of photos my Grandparents took each year when we were younger, and make a photo book for my sister and Mum. And one for me!! Feeling pretty excited about it. I should have Christmas photos from each year. My Grandparents had about 100 huge photo albums - they took photos and videos of everything. My Grandad decorated their whole ceiling with tinsel and other decorations each year, hopefully I’ll find photos of it in the albums.

There's a nice few years when they're young enough to appreciate everything Christmassey but not so young that they want to be awake at 5am (though that is quite sweet listening to them)

DH could go downstairs and put coffee on and we had a quiet hour before they wanted to tear downstairs .and they were okay with the idea that pancakes was a better start to the day than a Selection Box .
That's a passage into adulthood Oh thank you , I;ll have pancakes , syrup and milkshake thanks

Morning everyone, loved the end of the last thread!
Hope everyone is ok and enjoying the sunshine. Wishing I had a balcony like you Fluffy

Snowman loo roll has gone up since we all piled on in Jan, still worth it though imo 😂

Sorry I named changed for something then changed my mind 😬

Snowman loo roll has gone up since we all piled on in Jan, still worth it though imo 😂

It is so difficult to get hold of too , at least I have one Christmas Essential ticked off in my list

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All important Countdown

If anyone is watching Eurovision tinight then enjoy !
(I cannot remember the last time I watched it , probably in the 80s )

Yes, I was chuffed to get it in bulk like that because it's a pain hunting it down at Christmas.

We won't watch Eurovision as it's not our thing. We missed the northern lights last night though, so we're hoping we can see them tonight.

I might have to get the snowman loo roll ,,