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!

Afternoon!

Another lovely day today. Two more loads of washing on the line to dry.

Magnolia, I move baubles placed by other people as well! We have pre-lit trees though, so no wrestling with lights.

I still have stuff to do to fully prep for Christmas, but no motivation to do them. And they need doing by Weds. 😬 I foresee making the remaining bits one-handed.

I am out of Whamageddon, they played it on the radio earlier.

I've bought some pate and cheese for Christmas and one of the festive baguettes from M&S so will have that later..... I've been dreaming of it since last year!

I cleared some toys DDs agreed to parting with over the weekend and have dropped them off for the charity shop.

I really need to start some wrapping.

We went to Costco yesterday too, went at 5:15 (closes at 6) so it was much quieter than I expected. Stocked up on freezer buffet food for boxing day!

Did you get your ⭐️, @Webbb?

We now also have a reindeer on the top balcony, so we're very lit up.

I have two working days until I'm having my surgery. Eek! Not sure I'm ready. 😬

So sorry I forgot to thank you! Yes I did- and this one too! Thanks. Your reindeer looks right at home.

Oh, that's pretty!

DH has gone lights-bonkers here. He wants to keep buying more and more! 🤣

The reindeer is brilliant. His installation was delayed by the wind, mind you!

🎄15🎄

Got some more pressies last night and DS2 has finally** given me his list!

Have started listening to Classic FM and the Christmas offerings are really lovely.

Hopefully going to get more wrapping done today whilst watching a cheesy Christmas film 🩷

Morning!

I love a bit of choral Christmas music, Monkey! Which is why I switch to Classic in December that and avoiding Wham!

Felt very productive this morning and wrapped presents all up. Everyone is done now except DS which is a ridiculously big pile (lots of small things this year instead of one big thing) and I'll put that off til closer to Christmas. I'm an empty nester now and he's not coming to join us til new years eve, so I've got time.

Now have to weigh them all and make Evri labels and then haul them all off to the post office. Hate this bit. Have 8 parcels to send! All shoebox sized.

Morning all :) thank you all for your kind thoughts. Am feeling better this week (think because I have passed ovulation). Had a brain MRI yesterday so will hopefully get the results for that on Friday.

Love your lights @NoWordForFluffy!

Have done a lot of wrapping the last few days, need to get some gifts into the post. Only have a couple of things left to buy and need to write the Christmas cards.

I listen to a lot of Agatha Christie @NoCheesesForUsMeeces as well as classic radio/TV comedy such as ‘Yes Minister’, Jeeves and Wooster, Clare in the Community etc. Audible makes housework bearable!

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Fluffy DH has gone a bit lights mad here too - I left him on his own and he put up 2 extra sets of lights around the conservatory and came home from food shopping with a light up gingerbread man on the weekend 😂

hoping I've never tried any Agatha Christie but maybe I should.
I tend to stick to podcasts (mostly American investigative journalism ones or ones about their legal system).

Glad you're feeling slightly better and hope that continues 🤞🏼

LO is having a slightly lazy morning as we saw Santa on his sleigh driving around the streets last night and he was very late.
I am running around trying to get house tidying done 🙄

We have a toddler group this morning, a few errands to run (posting Christmas cards to neighbours and picking up a prescription) then meeting some friends for a cold park play this afternoon. And my exciting evening is to lock myself away in the bedroom, do a proper present inventory to check I haven't missed anyone and have my first wrapping evening (I usually do it all in 1 but am planning one for everyone else tonight and another for LO later in the week).

Where does everyone hide presents? I'm seriously struggling!

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces we have an ottoman bed that is excellent for hiding presents. Stuff goes in our built in wardrobes too.

Now mine are all grown up it's much easier to hide PS games, bottles of perfume etc than the days of trying to find a hiding place for a massive garage or a twin dolls pram. Although DS didn't notice his new bike in the garage for 3 months because it was cunningly disguised with a dust sheet.

I'm all wrapped apart from a few bars of chocolate that are required for after Christmas <smug face> and I'll be writing our dozen or so cards and posting them on Friday once we are back from doing some sorting out at MIL's.

We hide in the garage @NoCheesesForUsMeeces. I have covered the air hockey table in a giant picnic blanket.

God I remember when DC was little- 4 to 8- we were in a tiny flat with absolutely no storage. We had presents hidden everywhere and there was always the worry!

I had to do more work than planned over the weekend, but also dd didn't want spectators at her matches on Sunday (her first one for the team, who are very competitive), so I also finished the front and made a good start on the sleeve of the cardigan I am making for DNiece. And even managed a face pack as the weather was so bad!

I did some shopping while up in Amsterdam, but vitamins I can't get here, shorts and a suitcase for DD (travelling to South Africa today), a d a set of "beard baubles" to hang in my hair instead of a Christmas jumper tomorrow night (work night out and my old Christmas jumper doesn't currently fit 😮).

Plans for the weekend include doing food shopping, laundry and cleaning. Buying a Christmas tree. Writing eleventy million cards (only bought 36 this year). Buying 8 more presents. And having a driving lesson (with a friend - to get comfortable on the "wrong" side of the road again). And sleeping.

I've got a tall cupboard in the utility room that I can hide presents in coz nobody except me ever goes in the "cleaning cupboard". In fact I'm not even sure they know it exists. Other stuff is wrapped and stored in bin bags in the wardrobe behind clothes with a note on it saying "you're only spoiling this for yourselves".

Busy old day today. Last day before my op, so I worked til 6.30 to get my final bits done (inc things I've been putting off! 🤣). I hate leaving my files with other people. But needs must.

We had a wicker basket on top of our wardrobe we put presents in, as well as various stunt cardboard boxes! Plus some in my wardrobe generally. Now they're in a stunt box on DD's wardrobe and the top of the fitted wardrobe.

Although DS didn't notice his new bike in the garage for 3 months because it was cunningly disguised with a dust sheet

When DD was young we bought her a Sylvanian Family Regency .Hotel , the huge box sat in our bedroom covered up , I told her it was 'something for your Dad's computer' so she wasn't tempted to peek

Good luck for the op tomorrow @NoWordForFluffy - let us know how you get on, You can relax knowing you're very organised.

I've had a busy day but as DH is out with DS and DD is in bed I'm treating myself to a few glasses of wine and The Royle Family Christmas special 2008. Very old but still hilarious.

'D'H has just royally pissed me off. I did my wrapping in the bedroom instead of downstairs with the lights on like I usually do, partly to save me carting them down and back up again as we no longer have the luxury of being able to store them downstairs and hand them out whenever we see people, and partly to give him peace as he has work to do.
He gave no warning, came upstairs to go to bed and was moaning that there was "Christmas shit everywhere" and asking why did I get everything out and where is it all going to go 🤬

I've been hiding stuff absolutely bloody everywhere since November, I can hide it even though it's a PITA, but not in 2 seconds flat when I'm part way through wrapping something and with no warning. Gah, I'm going to be too pissed off too sleep now even though I'm knackered

Anyway, now you're all saying it, I'm pretty sure my dad threw a tarp over a pool table in our garage when I was a teen and as a result, neither me nor my sister noticed that he'd cleared his crap out, fitted lighting and some heat and put 2 sofas in there. The teenage hang out space was a total Christmas surprise to us 😂

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Morning!

Your DH was a bit grumpy last night, Meeces. Surely he knew what you were doing, so should've known it would've been rather grotto-like? I hope you slept ok and the mood is better this morning!

Thank you for the good wishes, Magnolia. I'm on the train heading to hospital. I'll be a bit early, but I prefer that to cutting it fine! I have my cross stitch to keep me occupied until the op!

I've got an eye test and massage booked next week, trying to use as much of my work Simply Health allowance as possible before the end of the year. 🤣 Plus I have two lunches arranged in Liverpool too. I checked with my manager if I was allowed to do stuff like that, and she said it's fine! Good job as one is a work lunch! I also need to sort an appt to get HRT as well, before the night sweats and insomnia finish me off. 😩 I did call, but there are no pre-bookable appts for the nurse who prescribes it, so have to call on the day.

Good luck today Fluffy!

All done in surgery. Massive bandage on for a couple of days. Just need the local to wear off as I have a dead index finger and thumb.

I'm hoping they discharge me soon!

Glad surgery is done and hope it's all gone well. Fingers crossed you've been discharged and are being waited on at home by now!

Things have thawed considerably here. LO woke with an upset stomach at 4:45am (constipation) and I took the sleep hit. DH brought me tea and toast, did a stint so I could shower and apologised for last night.
He's also messaged today with a plan for an evening off for me next week (just a nice meal out with a friend) and a Christmas market with tea out tonight.

I feel a bit bad - I think he thinks I've had a hard day but LO has been lovely, and we went for a drive so they've had a nap too,
We've played, chilled out, walked to deliver neighbour Christmas cards and post others and when we got back, the Royal Mail Santa letter was here along with their cope of the Snowman snd the Snowdog book so we've been reading/looking at that for ages.
I am tired though!

I'm home! Only just though as I stopped for a well-deserved pint on the way to the station!

Fingers are still dead, but the incision site stings. I'm also tired!

Sounds like you've had a lovely day, Meeces.