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Christmas

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Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness...and ramping up those Christmas preparations! Countdown to Christmas 2024 (thread 3) (title edited by MNHQ @request of OP)

844 replies

NoWordForFluffy · 25/09/2024 13:51

91

(Saves us checking the old thread tomorrow!)

Here goes, folks. New thread to see us through autumn!

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DanceWithYourBalloon · 20/11/2024 11:41

Pyjamas for Christmas Day - I like to dress up but you do you!
Christmas Pyjamas - On the kids yes
Dec 1st Boxes/Christmas Eve Boxes - Not for our house but I don't oppose them
Elf On The Shelf - Just no
A Christmas Carol - Muppets
Presents- Stockings on waking, quick breakfast then to the presents
Christmas Cards- Lovely but I never get round to them
Quality Street - They use to be but the new wrappers hurt mt christmas heart

DanceWithYourBalloon · 20/11/2024 11:45

Can you actually have too much cheese? Never!
Stay home or go on holiday? Since I've had children I don't like travelling but I will go if needed. Never anywhere hot though!
White or coloured lights? Both
Colour coordinated decs or mish mash collections? Miss mash for sure
Is Elf great or awful?Great! I watch it on Christmas Eve

FireflyGirl · 21/11/2024 03:53

34

DS's temperature turned into full-blown flu/COVID and I'm currently awake with DD who is now running a temperature. We're in for a rough couple of days 🙄 Going to have to cancel the weekend plans I think, which the DC will be gutted about as we were having DS's friends over/meeting up with DD's friends and we're not going to be able to rearrange until after Christmas now. I was also organising a Christmas crafting afternoon for my hobby group but I am not going to have time to do all the prep for that.

On the plus side, while DS was feeling sorry for himself yesterday I completely blitzed and rearranged my family/dining room, which I've been wanting to do for ages. Filled a bin bag with rubbish, another bag for the charity shop, I know where everything is now and I have a new space to decorate for Christmas! So, silver linings and all that!

Hopingforno2in2024 · 21/11/2024 06:12

Pyjamas for Christmas Day - I don’t but whatever works for you :)
Christmas Pyjamas - once again I don’t but go for it
Dec 1st Boxes/Christmas Eve Boxes - we do a Christmas Eve box
Elf On The Shelf - creepy!
A Christmas Carol - Muppets
Presents- after breakfast
Christmas Cards- lovely
Quality Street - Christmas essential

it is physically impossible to have too much cheese.

Hope you are all better soon @FireflyGirl!

Did a load of online Christmas shopping last night so feeling more prepared now :)

Magnoliasunrise · 21/11/2024 06:54

Sorry to hear that @FireflyGirl and wishing DC speedy recovery. Just keep going into your family/dining room when you need a boost and the results of your hard work will cheer you up.

NoWordForFluffy · 21/11/2024 07:15

Morning!

Dear god, it's bloody cold out there! The paths are covered in frozen hail as well, which is fun with a galloping hound!🐕

Firefly, I hope everyone in your house who's ill recovers quickly. Well done on the sorting. I love the achievement of that kind of thing!

We put our hall tree up last night. It's twinkly and beautiful! 🎄 So many houses are decorated already. It's brilliant!

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JenniferGreenHat · 21/11/2024 07:27

Morning.

I’m massively unwell still - on maximum painkillers, huge temperature, banging head, don’t know what to do with myself. The shaking and shivering seems to have stopped, but not sure if that’s a good sign or not. I’ve been in bed practically all week so far. There’s no way any decorating will be done here anytime soon. We’re meant to be off to Lapland soon and doubting whether I’ll be able to go 😓

FireflyGirl · 21/11/2024 09:05

When are you supposed to be going Jennifer?

Does your insurance cover you for illness?

JenniferGreenHat · 21/11/2024 09:28

Yes our insurance covers illness. But the trip involves my parents and MIL too, I doubt my illness will be covered on theirs. The trip has been booked for over 18 months, so disappointing.

We are meant to be going in one week.

Hopingforno2in2024 · 21/11/2024 10:16

One week is a while yet @JenniferGreenHat. You are unlikely to feel 100% but you might be up and about and largely back to normal by then. The fact that the fever symptoms have gone could be a good sign.

Hopingforno2in2024 · 21/11/2024 10:17

When you are ill it is so hard to feel optimistic though. I always become very down and convinced I will be ill forever 😭

JenniferGreenHat · 21/11/2024 10:22

Thanks everyone.

I’m the same @Hopingforno2in2024, I’m convinced I’ll be ill forever. Obviously nothing packed, and no washing has been done since Saturday, so now some of the stuff we need isn’t even clean. Complete nightmare. House is a mess, as poor DH has been doing everything as well as working, so loads has slipped.

I seem to have really bad earache today, so wondering if this is the problem. I’ve booked into the doctors at 11, really hoping they spot something today.

GameOfJones · 21/11/2024 15:08

Pyjamas on Christmas Day - whatever people want to do. I get dressed but have to be comfortable so it's normally leggings and a Christmas jumper for me.

Christmas themed pyjamas - definite yes and we wear ours year round as nobody else sees them anyway! DDs have definitely been wearing Christmas PJs to bed in July before. I was wearing fluffy Christmas pyjamas last night.

Christmas Carol - Muppets version

Yorkshire puddings - Definitely, they're my favourite part of a roast (any roast) and it wouldn't be Christmas without them!

Brussels Sprouts - I actually really like them but they're divisive in my house so we tend to just buy them at Christmas.

Lights - warm white or coloured lights, just not blue as they remind me of emergency services!

Elf on the shelf - absolutely not. He's banned from this house and the same with Christmas eve/1st December boxes.

Decorations - mine are a complete mish mash with no theme whatsoever and I love it! We buy a new decoration for the tree each year and there is no rhyme or reason. Some as memories from holidays, some linked to things that have happened that year, some salt dough monstrosities that DDs made at nursery 🤣.

Presents - stockings before breakfast, then a pause to eat something and then main presents after breakfast.

Christmas cards - I mainly send them to people I won't be seeing on the day. The list has definitely become shorter, I probably only send 10 or so each year but still think it's nice to do.

Quality Street - hard pass. They are absolutely disgusting nowadays which is a shame as they always symbolised Christmas. They've got rid of the shiny wrappers now too so are even worse!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 21/11/2024 18:21

Ahh sending out The Healing Vibes to FireflyDS and JenniferGreenHat it is rubbish being ill but so rubbish when you have plans .

I noticed when I;m driving that loads of places have the decorative lights round the lamp posts but not where I live
Part of me thinks "Good idea to save , our borough is facing bankrupcy, spend money on what;s needed"
Other part thinks "But I want liiiiighhts "

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 22/11/2024 00:05

33

I need to get my Sainsbury Christmas Order sorted out , DH booked the delivery slot ages ago so hoping everything goes ahead and is in stock .
I'll buy DS chicken and freeze it -a couple of chicken breasts , only him and the cats eat it .

I think the winter/Christmas bedding needs to go on this weekend , it is so bally cold here . No snow but icing up .

Magnoliasunrise · 22/11/2024 07:07

We got down to zero degrees but its starting to warm back up again now.

Christmas bedding on next weekend I think.

@NoWordForFluffy I did think of you wisely putting your Christmas balcony lights on when it was a reasonable temperature and thought "damn I wish I'd done mine too". Definitely doing it at the weekend when the temperature should be in the teens.

NoWordForFluffy · 22/11/2024 07:18

Morning!

It's 4° this morning, so way better than yesterday's -4°! 🥶🥶 We have 11-12° forecast for the weekend.

I won't lie, the lights have even been turned on this week to brighten the gloom. DH will put our star up this weekend too (it fits nicely into the apex at the top of the house, above our bedroom's French doors).

I'm going to see if Tesco have their little Christmas trees still as the ones I bought to grow haven't achieved the type of growth needed to have them by the front door! 🎄

I already have almost everything I need for Christmas Day. Just need to collect our cheese and the Booths order on 23 Dec!

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Hopingforno2in2024 · 22/11/2024 08:27

Morning all. DS' main gift (air hockey table) should be arriving today and quite a few bits from my online shopping arrive tomorrow. Almost at the stage where it is only food to sort.

Slightly warmer here today and tomorrow it should be 13 degrees and torrential rain all day. Much prefer the freezing cold but sunny!

Hopingforno2in2024 · 22/11/2024 17:56

Had an update from our insurance company today, it looks like the van that drove into me wasn’t insured…

FireflyGirl · 22/11/2024 18:55

Well, that sucks Hoping. Does your insurance cover you for uninsured drivers?

Was it a van associated with a limited company? Just wondering if it would be worth pursuing the company directly!

It's been a rough few days in the Firefly household. DS slept until 12.30pm today with me checking his breathing every half hour after 9am and DD crawled into our bed at around 7am and alternately watched rubbish on the TV and dozed while I worked until 3.30pm. She'd never normally sit still for that long, or refuse to eat crisps! Kept her hydrated with ice lollies, though. So if anyone has any tips to get red and yellow stains out of white flannel sheets...

NoWordForFluffy · 22/11/2024 18:55

Oh bugger, Hoping. It's been ages since I did uninsured vehicle claims, but do the MIB pay out for just vehicle damage? Your insurer needs to submit to them if so.

Have you searched the reg number yourself to check it out?

I went to Sainsbos and Tesco today. Sainsbos has the 2.3kg gammon for £9.33 (not as good as 2022's £6, but it's still good), so I got an unsmoked one, and I got two more litre bottles of Baileys for a tenner each in Tesco. Plus two small Christmas trees to put on either side of the front door!

ETA: the MIB only deal if you're not fully comp. They say to claim through your insurer.

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Hopingforno2in2024 · 22/11/2024 19:18

So it’s all a bit confusing at the moment. The system our insurer uses told them the insurance company of the van but the insurance company are denying all knowledge. Hopefully it is an administrative error on their part and they have actually insured this van. Fortunately DH used to work in insurance so is on top of things :)

NoWordForFluffy · 22/11/2024 19:23

Oh now that is weird! AskMID should sort out any issues. I doubt any driver can game the system, so it must be an admin error somewhere!

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FoolShapeHeart · 22/11/2024 22:43

Pyjamas for Christmas Day - we always visit family so it's a no chez-Fool but I only ever choose comfortable clothes. No judgement for those who like PJs, I usually live in them at home!
Christmas Pyjamas - I kinda like the idea, maybe coordinating rather than identical? Haven't done yet but it's not a hard no.
Dec 1st Boxes/Christmas Eve Boxes - CE box here, but it's just new winter PJs, hot chocolate & snack, and an activity for MiniFool so no tat
Elf On The Shelf - big Not A Fan from me. No such thing as a Naughty List here, MiniFool knows that Santa comes irrespective of behaviour.
A Christmas Carol - another vote for the Muppets
Presents - stockings during morning coffee, lazy breakfast then remaining gifts spread throughout the day (& potentially Boxing Day) to avoid overwhelm
Christmas Cards - I love the idea of them & still send some but definitely cut down
Quality Street - Nestlé 😡 (babymilkaction.org)
Die Hard - one of the all-time best Christmas films
We have The Snowman loo roll 😁
Yorkshire Puddings belong on a Christmas plate - how could they not?
Brussel Sprouts are a delicious and under rated vegetable. Mmmmmmmmm
Can you actually have too much cheese? I'm really fussy about cheese (I'm aware I am a freak of Mumsnet nature) but no judgment on anyone else's consumption
Stay home or go on holiday? Home.
White or coloured lights? Bright white as the twinkly base with coloured wound through for prettiness
Colour coordinated decs or mish mash collections? A beautifully eclectic mix
Is Elf great or awful? I'm not fussed but haven't seen it in donkey's

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 23/11/2024 00:29

32

Hopingfor I'd be wondering if VanDriver was using the van without authority , maybe he wasn;t mean to be ?
It is annoying that you have to keep pushing , they probably want you to take it out of your insurance . Insurance Companies don;t make things simple do they?

I washed DD brushed cotton duvet cover so she has that on her bed now all cosy . She does feel the cold .
DS is ready for tomorrow , I would usually wait for Dec 1st but heck no , need this now . (It;s a Nordic style ,for DS , stags for DD so not Christmas )