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!

@TheWoollybacksWife

Lucky you!
Harrogate is on my bucket list of places to visit in the UK.

Probably because of Betty's and Last Tango in Halifax! I think there's a big hotel set into a cliff (?) where I'd love to stay.

I've been to Betty's in York and ordered their delectables online.
Fat Rascals, Iced Fondants.......

🙄 at the 'grammar pedant.' Imagine being so self important that you comment on a thread just to point out a typo 🙄

I think we're supposed to have our last dry day for a while too so I'll be popping a wash on the line.
We're also doing a final tip run and returning some online orders before doing the food shop this morning and I'm meeting a friend for a much needed catch up over tea and cake this afternoon.

I've had the bonus that is used for the Christmas shopping too so this evening I'll be researching present ideas for everyone as I'm keen to get the gift shopping under way asap

I've been to Harrogate once with my Mum and Dad and the DC when they were little. The TKMaxx had Portmerion Holly&Ivy crockery (I bought a couple of big plates which come out every year ) and Spode (bought a tray for After Eights )

More frequent visitor to York and went to the famous Betty TeaRooms ( pre-DC)

There's Bettys in Yorkshire and Gails round our way , Patisserie Valerie and of course the big London stores . I think about going in but never do .

Come to think of it there's a shop near Leicester Square that had the most delicious looking pastries in the window and one near Tottenham Court Road station.......gets List .

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces, blaming ADHD for the rudeness of pointing it out is a pretty low thing to do as well. I have a degree in Eng. Lit. I also suffer from overzealous autocorrect and typos in my typing. Who knew?! (By the way, it's psychologically difficult to proofread your own work due to your brain reading it how it's intended, not how you've written it.)

Oh, I'm also not rude enough to point poor English out!

Sounds like you've a productive day planned. We're having our haircut, then going to get the dog a birthday present. I need to pop into town briefly for bits which I couldn't get yesterday as DH came back from walking the dog too late and M&S was shut.

One of us needs to go to his parents to get a printed cross stitch pattern for a wedding gift I've only left myself 3 weeks to stitch! 🤦‍♀️ The aida is coming today and thankfully I have some of the colours in my stash, so can make a start while I'm waiting on the rest arriving!

I went to an exhibition in Harrogate many years ago. I have a vague memory of going with my mum too. God knows when. 🤣

Betty's is dead expensive, I think. You pay for the name!

laughing at the grammar pedant. Not really in the spirit of the thread. Stay around and get into the Christmas spirit!

On a Christmas note I’ve just booked a Christmas fair trip here https://hopetoun.co.uk
Always very lovely. Lots of food/drink type gifts which suits our family more as no one really wants stuff so much these days.

That looks stunning, @herecomesthesunyes!

I also did Keats at A Level and didn't notice the typo, better hand my English Lit A Level back 🤣

Am in Stafford and have seen a cross stitch shop so will try and go to it later.

All this talk of Betty's and pastries is making me hungry. Have never been to Betty's and feel I must remedy this.

We are at DH's grandparents and think we are going to invite them for Christmas so will need to up the food orders!

This lurgy is hanging around too long for my liking! I am much better but am so exhausted. This morning I have had breakfast and washed up and now am collapsed on the sofa.

Reading that message back I realise I have just fired a load of thoughts out 🤣

Lovely sunny day here so hopefully everyone has the same and has a great time :)

That looks amazing here.

I've been to Harrogate a few times, it's nice but I prefer York. Betty's is nice enough but there's other places just as good where you don't have to queue for a ridiculous time! That is a lot of nice in one sentence...

Lovely and sunny here too, Hoping

Going to try and take advantage and finish strimming the front hedge - I started last week but the battery died on the strimmer and then it's rained every other time I've had chance!

In amongst going to the gym, taking DD to dance class, swimming with DS, going to the fair and tidying the house... I've given DH a list and DS has chores as well. I am not Wonder Woman!

Ok, I have officially started my Christmas vibes! Dd went off to 1st 2 sessions alone (I'm joining for 2 more in an hour) and I have just had the loveliest wander round a beautiful Dept store Christmas shop...whispers I am have spent a few Euros...will have to hide those in the hotel room. 🤶. I might even come back once I've waved dd off tomorrow if we get separate trains (I need a particular route, she has lots of options and I suspect will choose a faster one for her journey). But only for 1 larger package that the colours are great and very unusual to find that size...

Now having cake and coffee as lunch (will definitely walk it off in the afternoon) and then will enthuse about the campus and facilities. 😁

@BiddyPop
Which Uni are you looking at?
We're going to Nottingham next weekend with DS2.

He's not 100% sure he wants to go to Uni next year so we're doing one Open Day, just to give him a feel for campus life, accommodation etc.

Just got back from a gorgeous dog walk. MonkeyDog has already collapsed onto the sofa, he has lots of mad play with his 3 Alsatian friends.

Controversial Christmas Subjects.....

(I've already covered/disgraced myself re Die Hard so it's not that!)

Tree.....Real Or Artificial?

Growing up, we always had a real tree but, as an adult I've gone xien the artificial route.

HOWEVER, in some crazy twist of fate, DH (World's Biggest Grinch) has said it would be nice to get a real tree this year?!?!

I'm stunned but quite excited!

*down the artificial route 😝

DH and I visited Harrogate when DS was at Leeds. We didn't go to Betty's though (or when we were in York) because DH doesn't like afternoon tea or queues!

Tree.....Real Or Artificial ?

I was always on the side of a Real Tree but one year we went to PILs for New Year and it was so sad to take the decorations down after what felt like only a couple of days.
We ordered a fake pre-lit tree , it was delayed in delivery so put it up , extra lights , ....it was a Bit Shit .
I tried each year to pimp it up , fluff the branches and load it with so many lights

Then wanted Real Tree. One year though I was unwell and convinced the tree smelled of bleach and was trying to kill me ( it wasn't , it was my sinuses )

We got a really good fake tree , it was lovely , cracked it at last . If I missed the real tree then I was swayed by the ease of putting this up , putting it away , each year not needing to worry about buying a tree and the needles

Then along came the cats ,,,and no more trees , they wreck them.

So now I can feel sad about not having ANY tree

@70isaLimitNotaTarget
That's quite an arboreal (get me!) journey.

One I can understand though, as our artificial tree is a good one.

Decisions, decisions and first world problems etc.

Re pets and trees...we used to put another tree (our Narnia snowy one) in the kitchen but once MonkeyPup has arrived we bade it farewell.
Now he's a MonkeyDog, maybe I'll give it another go!

We are in Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Dd is currently at IN in Amsterdam but wants to change, which is ok with us. She did visit Nottingham and Loughborough last year and liked both, but didn't get offers.

I was a real tree person but DH is not and we are away at least every 2nd year so don't get the benefit of real. We put up a fake (originally a £25 from Primark job, now a £££ version from Balsam Hill) whenever we're travelling and a few years were not. I need a new one this year as it didn't come with me (and no, DH did not put it up last year in my absence...I felt hard done by when I got home on 22nd!). Will have to see what's in local shops in Belgium.

Following, two little ones to make it super special for this year!

@MonkeyTennis34, we're an artificial tree house! We may have 3!

Our pre-lit ones are great. FluffyPup left it alone last year, which was great! Hopefully he keeps the trend going.

We’re a real tree house. Just love the smell, the lopsidedness and the fun of choosing one. I agree it’s a bit sad taking all the decorations off. We chop ours up and put it on the fire.

I cannot think of anything worse than constantly sweeping/hoovering up the needles throughout the house!

My also 3 big ones are all fake, then I buy a 1 foot real one that sits on the kitchen counter and is easy to sweep the needles straight into the bin underneath! I've never been convinced by the smell of Christmas trees - it just smells like dog wee to me. So I fake that as well with the cinnamon-y scentcicle sticks 😂

Touch wood, RCat has never really bothered with the Christmas trees, apart from to bat the baubles at me while giving me the stink-eye if I am ignoring him 🙄

Monkey not particularly helpful but can I suggest both?

I love the look of a real tree and we had one every year for a while however, when we started going away for Christmas we bought an artificial one.

Now I have a real one outside (I bought it potted, put it in a giant pot and have somehow managed to keep it alive for 3 years now).
I add warm white lights to it each year.

Also have 2 fake ones inside. The big one that I decorate - I hate the faff of putting it up and fluffing the branches. Every year I moan and moan about it but love it when it's done
And a few years ago DH bought himself a prelit, slimline one a that he's has banned me from adding baubles to 🙄

I also have a light up ceramic tree and added lights to the cactus last year I do love a nice tree!

I've also told this here before but my lovely ddog (rip) was a bugger for the tree and used to try and pee on it.
We inadvertently solved this when I bought baubles with bells in.
He went under the tree and jiggled the branches which made the bells jingle, frightened himself to death and left the tree alone from then on 😂

I was a real tree person until Dcat decided that she liked chewing the tree and then vomiting everywhere so now we are fake. We have 3 6ft ones, 1 3ft and 1 9ft but sadly that one is too tall for our current house so isn't used. I think I will get another 6ft this year. I like trees in as many rooms as possible.

My Dcat girls ignore the tree now but in younger days I would come down each morning to baubles everywhere.

80

Real, real, real, real!!!

I LOVE having a real tree, the smell, the feel, collecting it and carrying it down the road. We have neighbours that order a lorry load from a farm in Scotland and we buy one from them. The've always been amazing. I even quite like sweeping up needles.

@Magnoliasunrise yay!!! Me too. When the kids were little we used to go to a beautiful farm and choose the tree. Lovely tradition.

We only have one tree and it’s in the bay window. Our ceilings are quite low so we can only get an 8 foot one. So needles aren’t too bad. Also we get a low shedding one. This year we’ve carpeted the room so I’ll need to think how to make sure we don’t mark the carpet with any damp/tree sap!

I love the smell. And no it doesn’t smell of dog wee (maybe yours had actually been peed on by a dog? @FireflyGirl 😂

My parents have a fake one now as it’s less hassle. I get that but I like all the rituals associated with the hassle, even the pine needles 😂