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)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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(Saves us checking the old thread tomorrow!)

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

Thanks everyone! @70isaLimitNotaTarget That intro to the poncetastic thread is the stuff of legend. Killing myself laughing

I’ve got the Chronicles too. I was a bit overwhelmed by everything last year so didn’t get far. But now I’m on HRT I seem to be be able to cope better with it all so hopefully I can enjoy the run up a bit more. I’m lucky that my husband does all the cooking. I’m sous chef.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget We use the “posh” bisto granules in this house, so I feel the poncetastic thread isn’t for me either then. Nor do I have the time, or the skills!

Thanks for confirming what NVN meant, I couldn’t work out all the abbreviations.

It said 9 degrees in rhe car first thing this morning!
It's now crisp but sunny too..a beautiful Autumn day.

I LOVE that intro to the Poncetastic thread and it's definitely confirmed that apart from a bit of peeping Tom behaviour, it's not for me!

Just made a Dorset apple cake..first time so I hope it comes out ok.

Picked up the M and S Christmas food magazine which includes food hall items. A very soothing read.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget You’ve never seen Muppet Christmas Carol?!! Omg it’s the best x

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces

Hold on a minute

I know , I hang my head with shame on the Christmas Threads , simply not goood enough

Evening all. I am not doing Poncing this year, too much going on work wise. But I'll have 3 for Christmas, European style. So I need to find a tree (I have some decorations and they're always easy to get more), when they appear in shops. I did try for a flat back Balsam Hill but the transaction failed, which I took as a sign.

I was wondering today why there were so many police escorts around for a Saturday- I'd forgotten the Pope is in town. But I found out, while trying to figure that put, that the airport security workers strike on Tuesday is actually a massive strike of service workers including a big march to the square beside my apartment...I don't know if our office is open but I think I need to be ready as if it's the farmers back again.

My oven dried and stored in olive oil tomatoes decided to ferment - I realised when there was oil all over the counter. 😩😩😭 I should have just had more salads - but the plants have suddenly decided to throw out lots more side shoots and flowers so I don't know if I'll get a final flush before the weather really turns (it had a distinct autumnal turn overnight temperature wise).

Biddy I have a similar tale from today. Road closures and detours during my visit to Edinburgh = the king and queen are in town. I didn't see them though.

87

Morning!

Beautiful sunrise this morning - i thought the kitchen was on fire when i came down first thing but it was just an incredible orange glowing sun. Its all gloomy now though.

I'm hoping for a day without rain, its been bloody awful.

Off to Home Bargains later - I am going to try and sneak out without the DC coming otherwise it'll be "can i have this" "and this" "and this" etc.

Then the garden centre for some bulbs.

Nowhere near good enough I’m afraid. Do watch it and enjoy every minute x

I'm very tired. It was cleaning day today, so I decided to include gutting and sorting DS' room in that, which took ages, considering his room is tiny. 😩 It's all been thoroughly cleaned during the tidy, and he seems very happy with it.

Need to do their lounge soon. That's a killer!

I've also been gutting and fumigating DS's room since he's just left for uni this weekend.

That's all the adult DC now out of the house 😂

I aim to do a deep clean and then get the Christmas stuff out

I have just seen the post above that the M&S Christmas food book is out. I was in there today and didn't see it 😱 I went in for some of their Christmas tins as presents for my friends who looked after DCat while we were away.

And I have DC/DN matching Christmas PJs already sorted. DMum thinks I'm mad, but I'd rather buy now and know I can get all the sizes than have to spend a fortune nearer the time!

It's been rather crisp the last few days, I think I'll be digging out my woolly tights soon!

I am definitely moving into the Christmas zone this weekend. I have placed my M&S and Sainsbury's orders, watch a CCF (Perfect Christmas), ordered DGD's Gruffalo advent calendar and switched the heating on for the first time! I am now making notes in this year's Christmas book for DD's advent calendar.

86

Morning!

I am got very wet on the dog walk today, as did the dog. Chucking it down!

I can't place my Sainsbos' order yet as they've not got the salads I want as showing available yet (tabbouleh and an edamame one). It's annoying.

No heating here yet. It was 16.4° in the lounge yesterday, but the window was open. It warmed up sufficiently without heating once closed! (It's like magic that it heats itself as our old house didn't!)

Lashing it down here too for dog walk!

Monkeydog is not of the mind to give his walk a miss....cue chewing and destroying items.

Nothing Yuletide-based planned this week. We're going on our family holiday in late October and I've still got to get quite a few bits for that.

We get back on the 3rd of November by which time I'm usually in full throttle Christmas mode!

FluffyPup would not miss a walk either! So we just get on and do it. You can tell it was wet as I had to undress in the hall on a towel, because I was sodden and refusing to trail through the house!

The good news is that the dog had a brilliant time! 🤣 (His job is to take me for a run / walk in the morning; he chooses the route and speed, god help me!)

@NoWordForFluffy

Ha! I had the hallway change situation last week.

"Waterproof" shoes and gloves were not!
I splashed out on a North Face coat last year on Black Friday, very spendy for me but, it IS 100% waterproof!!

As I'm writing this, the rain has just turned torrential 🙄

I get too hot in a coat due to running, so I was in a long sleeved top, which clearly isn't waterproof!

I just walked DD to school and am now wet again. 🙄

I've popped on to the Poncetastic thread (under a different name).
I join every year even though I can't bake, am not in charge of cooking Christmas dinner, don't make flavoured booze and don't make a homemade wreath. I haven't been thrown off it yet!

nocheezes 😱

Fluffy I find I can control the temp in this house by altering how far open the door to the conservatory is (it's cold out there).

Hope you're warm and dry now!

No Christmas plans happening here really. Too busy with work and I'm not feeling 100%. Stress I think!

I've bought some Dec 1st Box things ( clothes for DS)
Some make-up for DD

She's done a list of things she wants but I'll need to get her to send me some links so I buy the right ones

I wore my M&S waterproof on Friday and thought "Arse this isn't keeping me dry" but it was just me feeling the cold as I was only wearing a blouse under it , I was in fact dry so great

I need to buy some thermals for when we're away in December .

Where are you off to @MonkeyTennis34 It;s nice going somewhere hot/warm in October but then you get back to winter !

Well, I've turned the thermostat on to trigger the heating (ground and middle floors). Apparently it's still too warm in here though, obvs! The air did feel cold earlier, but is better now.

I've still not turned the heating on but as everyone is sitting around with hot water bottles I may well cave in to the pressure soon,

I planted the Paperwhites yesterday but had to put them in a dark cupboard so I put them in the shed and will most likely forget they are there.

I like the idea of a Dec 1st box 70.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget
We are going to the Maldives. Never been before, very excited!

Sitting under my heated throw right now, very cosy....(DH is)trying to delay heating going on...