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!

I've no idea where my hot water bottle is. In the garage somewhere, as I've not needed it since moving here!

Our heating kicked in today. We have it set to come on when it drops below 18 in DD's bedroom.

It didn't feel that cold downstairs but DCat got very excited because DH has banned him from his most recent favourite place on top of DH's gaming PC and I didn't have the heart to turn it off...

Maldives is somewhere I have always wanted to go Monkey. Just looks so idyllic!

I nipped into Primark today for some of their fleece lined tights, and have spent the evening clearing out summer clothes from the wardrobe/drawers ready for the next couple of months! We don't swap clothes for seasons, we're not posh enough to have summer and winter wardrobes, but I prefer having fewer clothes if I can so they can hibernate in the loft until it gets warm enough I don't need tights/cardigan.

@FireflyGirl
Fleece lined tights sound fabulous!

I have their fleece lined leggings which are super cosy.

The tights are exactly the same as the leggings, but they have feet in them. The feet aren't fleece lined, they're just normal (thick) tights iyswim

I lived in them last year!

The apartment is still quite warm and there has been sun to keep it warm (and not quite enough wind to blow all the outside cold in through the window gaps) so I have resisted so far. But they turned on the ability for people to heat their offices yesterday and I was an immediate beneficiary! It's north facing and cold in here even with a thick cardi on!

Warmer clothes switch needs to happen at the weekend though, and my summer jackets are going to dry cleaners today before winter storage.

But I am getting the one radiator with a leak fixed in the apartment as I think I will be needing them soon!!

85

Still wet and miserable here. Off to DS's Harvest Festival service in a bit. They didn't tell us what they needed until after I'd done the shopping last week so I raided the cupboards last night. Chickpeas, corned beef, tinned fruit, a pack of spaghetti and some Biscoff spread 🤷

DD's preschool were going to walk down and join them but the teachers have decided not to...

Biddy I've a feeling you will definitely be needing them on! Our nighttime temperatures have dropped massively - it was 2 degrees over the weekend!!

The Maldives sound lovely Monkey. We've had October holidays in the last couple of years and it's nice to have a burst of sun before settling down to Christmas prep! (I feel I can officially begin preparing after Bonfire Night). This year we're staying at home because we have had a new kitchen!

Evening!

It was office day today. Always a long, tiring, day. 😴

The heating hasn't been on yet, despite being allowed to now! I'm sure the house will drop below 18° at some point soon!

Morning all :) Sorry have not been around. Have had the dreaded lurgy and not been up to much at all. Still pretty rubbish but definitely on the up.

Absolutely nothing to report as have spent every day in my PJs 😂

84

Morning!

Heating not on yet here either. I'll probably put it on at the weekend and then spend hours bleeding the radiators.

Absolutely sick of this rain.

Sorry to hear you've been unwell Hoping. Fingers crossed for speedy recovery.

Morning!

Our weather is warming slightly for a few days, so I don't think the heating will be needed for a while still. I'll turn the thermostat off again!

We're dry today. Thank god. I was beginning to get webbed feet. 😩🤣

Hope you feel better soon, Hoping.

Still raining here, will have to build an ark soon the rate it is going. Our heating is on but set to come on under 18 degrees which it has been several times since Sunday when we switched it back on. Morrisons Christmas delivery slots opened today and I have one for the 23rd so that I have time to buy anything that doesn't come.

@whydoesitalwayshappentome
Oohh I might have a look at Morrisons.

Waitrose food to order opens today too I think.

Placed an order with M and S to collect on the 23/12 after my big Sainsbury's Christmas shop (bit of a tradition)

Can't believe it's October!!

I've ordered:
Yule log
Salmon for Christmas Eve
Dauphinoise Potatoes
Nutroast ...so delicious last year.

DH has switched part of our winter heating schedule on as it's been freezing here. Means heating is on in the morning for an hour.

Sorry you've been ill Hoping - fingers crossed you're on the mend now

It was always going to be a nutty week, then I met a stranded colleague for dinner last night (strikes here meant outbound flights cancelled) and this afternoon I got 20 minutes notice of my broken fridge being replaced (I had only managed to get registered for the morning session of the conference I was going to).

Now, with existing food back in a frozen freezer and slowly chilling fridge, I am going to the supermarket as I wasn't there last weekend and DD arrives Friday morning so needs foooood (and laundry capsules to wash her hoodies). We're going to a uni open day on Saturday over the border, and staying until Sunday for a match. And I am away next weekend, and 2 different places the following week, meeting a different colleague for dinner the only night I'm here. October was supposed to be quieter!!!

Sorry you have been poorly hoping.

No heating here yet but I did use the dryer today. DH and I were away for the weekend and have come back with our laundry to overflowing laundry baskets. I've cleared all the pants & socks and towels plus a load of T-shirts that went on the heated airer.

Hope you're doing better hoping

Morrisons Christmas slots booked for me, DM and DMIL this afternoon. I managed to get mine for 23rd, which will give me time to pick up anything that doesn't get delivered, but we're at DMIL's for Christmas dinner anyway so it'll just be Boxing Day nibbles. Have reserved the slots with bottles of fizz 😊

Thanks all for the good wishes :) Am definitely on the road to recovery, currently in the stage where most symptoms are gone but even the lightest activity wipes me out.

Well done to everyone who has secured Christmas supermarket slots! I will be going into M&S and Sainsbury's the morning of the 23rd to get the food to order so while one of us queues for that the other will grab anything left to get. Worked well last year so hopefully it won't be too bad this year either. Tbh with having got the long life stuff in already and the food to order there isn't a huge amount of other stuff to get. Mostly just some veg and cheese.

Morning!

I'm having a 'mare with Christmas food ordering. Morrisons have changed their good to order, so it's just part of click and collect. Which means I don't trust it.

Sainsbury's haven't yet got the salads I want from them.

M&S' offering isn't great either.

I hope Booths' offering is better!

Oh that's annoying @NoWordForFluffy. I'm sure Booths will come through for you though :) What salads were you after?

Tabbouleh and they used to have an edamame bean one which I think they've stopped totally.

@Hopingforno2in2024
Glad to hear you're feeling better.

Don't forget to check the opening hours of your M and S on the 23/12.

I also do a Sainsbury's shop and get there when it opens at 6.
Last year, I waited in my car till 8 for when I thought M and S would open, but when I got there it was already really busy at 8, it had opened at 6.

The opening time wasn't online for some reason and I presume it was the same for Christmas Eve.
So, ask staff in person.

This year, I aim to be home by 8:30 ....and will go back to bed 😂

PS, have you tried Waitrose for the tabbouleh?