Ho ho ho...here we go round again! Countdown to Christmas 2025, thread 1

[NoWordForFluffy]

365

Evening!

I'm tired after today, but the buffet was a success. Tomorrow it's dinner!

Everyone seems to love their gifts, which is always good. 😊 Bed soon as it's all go again from the morning!

Hope I can join in with the countdown?. I’m determined to make next Christmas as simple as possible, it was so hectic this year visiting family and buying shed loads of gifts, I don’t want to be doing that again next year.

Evening. Typing from my bed next to a poorly LO 🙄

Monkey we had a similar situation here with my sister. Luckily he is now the ex but it's a very difficult thing to handle especially if you're like me and diplomacy is not something you're very good at

Welcome to any newcomers 👋 As long as you're happy to talk about Christmas throughout the year
and share any info you think may be helpful you're very welcome to join

monday which part of the US will you be in? Mostly interested in if you'll be warm or freezing but also if there are any interesting spins on the food you'll be eating?
I have a huge soft spot for the food over there!

Welcome back MrsD

We have a similar charity shop pile 70 🙄

Fluffy don't blame you on the stitches front. And good going on the nectar points!

I was updating my Christmas planner which includes a section for notes and what to remember next year.
I've added to start cleaning early as some of my house was a disaster and I ran out of time.

I also keep a Christmas journal type thing. It used to be my planner as well but I have the proper planner for that now. Instead I write in it what we did towards Christmas in December, how we spent the day, any thoughts/feelings and anything I want to make sure I remember next year.
I haven't done that for this year yet but it'll be an emotional entry so I need to think about what I want to say

Hello all

I have read your threads for a while but never commented.

I was just wondering.. have you ever felt disappointed after putting so much thought and effort in?

This year I planned and carefully thought out gifts etc since the Spring time and couldn't help but feel disappointed with DH's and other family members lack of thought. I just felt as though people didn't know me with the gifts given and then I felt guilty as I know it is ungrateful of me.

Sorry to bring down the vibe of the thread - I want to keep prepping and loving Christmas the whole year round but I feel a bit of resentment this year

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces I'm glad to hear your sister's partner is now an ex!

@edinburghoreo
I didn't feel exactly disappointed this year and definitely not with my gifts as I got very spoilt but I definitely didn't feel as Christmassy earlier on in the year as I usually do.

Culmination of a few things...my Mum's and best friend's health issues...situation with SIL.

2025 will hopefully be different and my Christmas mojo will resume service in early September!

362

We have braved horrendous traffic and thick fog to head to the family Christmas party.

Ah yes. Welcome to the fog zone! It's been like this since Boxing Day. But it's meant to clear overnight, thank god.

I'm glad you got up here safely. How long are you up for?

We're having a lazy day today. I took FluffyDog out this morning (later than usual, as it was gone 9.30 when we left) and have done nothing since. It's lovely after the busy-ness of Christmas.

We're having alcohol and leftover cheesecake right now. 😋 I'll make a curry with the leftover lamb later.

Meeces, I hope that LO is better soon. Toddlers attract germs and muck like no other beings, I tell you.

Hello all, just checking in. Christmas was good, but as ever, I missed the tipping point from 'loads of time' to it's almost here'! I changed jobs in November, so that didn't help. I have written notes re food quantities at the back of my diary- as DC were just staying for a few days instead of living here so far fewer snacks were needed!

We're doing a "What's In The Fridge" Dinner .

Took DD out ( 'cos she wanted to potter round the shops and wear her new shoes like she was fourteen )

Got underwear and petrol ( I know the Glamour ) but I have learned through previous experience that Post Christmas Sales are hard work.
There was a lot of sequins going on in M&S but I don;t actually need any more .

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces I have a Christmas planner, it’s only ever really used for present or meal planning but I like the idea of using it as a type of diary.

@edinburghoreo I try not to have high expectations any more, it’s made Christmas a lot easier over the years.

@TheWoollybacksWife hope you got there safely, the fog has been an absolute bugger here.

We’ve had bubble and squeak for dinner, a crimbo limbo classic. We’ve also had our first family argument about NYE plans. My grandad isn’t very happy that we are spending NYE just the 2 of us at home this year, so he’s been calling me every 5 minutes to complain.

I'm in 😊 Had a fab Christmas Day, nice and quiet and cosy. Boxing Day we ended up at the cinema which was lovely. Hoping that will be a new tradition for us moving forward. Depending on what films are out. Tree is still up. I don't want to take it down lol

Hi, can I join in?
We drove from Hampshire to North Yorkshire yesterday with what felt like everyone else in the country to see family. It should be fun, but hard work because my parents are getting older and need some support.
It’s a beautiful area, but I wish we could see more (lots of fog).

Hi, can I join in?

A busy Christmas and Boxing Day- determined to be better organised in 2025 and less people pleasing.

Would love to know how I bagsy an online Christmas food shop slot. ( I have a delivery pass with Sainsbury's) . Went on 23rd Christmas food shopping and it was complete hell with an autistic child with profound learning disabilities!

I also find wrapping presents difficult and leave until the last minute. Determined to rectify this in 2025 too.

361

Morning!

We also braved the fog and drove up North on Friday (I think - not sure what the days are anymore) to see family and I spent the whole drive going "look at the fog" to the DC who were like "mmm yeah" as they were glued to their phones. We stayed one night then drove back through the fog "hey look at the fog again" etc etc

So now I'm just debating whether to have yule log or mince pies for breakfast.

Can't decide whether I like "Twixtmas" or not, although I did like the look of Jamie Oliver Black Forest Pannetone trifle which will use up the pannetone that I haven't even opened.

Sorry twixmas not twixtmas 😂, and the panntonne recipe was on Jamie Oliver Ch4 betwixmas.

@Magnoliasunrise
I thought it was 'betwixt'???
Betwixt means between.

Anyhoo, we're not having a super relaxing, do nothing betwixtmas as DS1 arrived home with his new (and very first!) girlfriend last night.

They're adults so I'm hoping they'll entertain themselves a bit as I'm exhausted!!

Twixmas break: Why is it called Twixmas and what does Twixtmas mean? - BBC Newsround

Everything we need to know 😂

Hope you get a bit of peace @MonkeyTennis34

Ah thanks @Magnoliasunrise
Good old Newsround!

So it can be either.....Twixmas makes me thing of a week of gorging on Twixes so I'll stick with Twixtmas!

I like "Twixmas" and if I say "Oh , I work the Twixmas Week" I am sure to get run out of town with pitchforks .

I;m at work next week , DH is on A/L so he can give himself a hernia doing the bins .

And I have half a panetonne in the pantry and a jar of Waitrose Lemon Curd so that will be breakfast sorted .

Afternoon all,

DH and I are back to work tomorrow, so we're on "mission tidy up".

Decs will all come down next weekend, so in the meantime I'll go through the fridges and reorganise them, we haven't got much Christmas specific food left, but the freezer is full of sensible ordinary things, and so my plan of not needing to go grocery shopping until the end of January is looking good,. We only need to get fresh fruit/veg, bread and milk.

DD is feeling a bit under the weather so is curled up reading, DDog is hunting for treats.

I'm planning on using the boots recycling scheme to part fund DD's stocking next year, and, I'm decluttering so may as well recycle empty toiletries and use the points for that!

Afternoon everyone, the fog has cleared here and I’m a little bit disappointed about it, I thought it was quite magical. We’ve took a walk into town today, had some lunch in the cafe and a look around the shops. DH has gone to spend some of his Christmas money and I’m sat by the river, I don’t have it in me to walk around looking at tools for the next hour.

Will give the house a good tidy when we get home. Our tree is still up, I don’t know if I want to take it down. I’m expecting our first child on NYE, so don’t know if I should take it down before then or if I should leave it up so that I have something nice to look at when I’m up doing night feeds. Then again I don’t think the tree has much life left in it, a week and a half tops!.

I enjoy this time of year, lots of slow days, at most we venture out into town or into the woods. I can see why so many people want to get back to normal though, sometimes it can feel a bit oppressive being stuck in.

We went to Grassington today. They have a tiny all year round Christmas shop, fabulous. Also, an amazing outdoor shop selling Barbour, Schoffel and a sale 😀. I spent my Christmas money on a tweed 1960s-style dress.

We had the lovely post Christmas spread of cold turkey, stuffing, chips and pickled onions and beetroot last night and finished the Christmas biscuits this morning.
Still absolutely overloaded with chocolate but apart from that the Christmas food is almost gone.
I do have a bottle of Bellini left though...

I'm on day 2 of keeping a migraine at bay and it's hard going. Blaming it on broken sleep thanks to LO and possibly hormones 🙄

Am just home from a visit to my mums for lunch. Decorations are sadly coming down tomorrow but I think the sooner we get back to normal the better for LO.

Online sale shopping only here - looking for dressing gown and cross stitch Christmas cards for me, trainers for DH and a yoto cards and a bike for LO (as birthday is approaching). Will do that this evening if the headache clears

magnolia I've never liked twixmas at home (away it's totally different and just lovely) but this year it's been really nice to chill, mooch about and just not do much.

We're having sprouts , carrots , roasted parsnips and cau;iflower with sausage roll (vegan sausage in ready made pastry ) some pickle on the side .
Some Aldi skin on chips ( I am out of potatoes )

We ate the Christmas Pudding on Friday , it was "ok" but I wouldn't buy again. It was BBD March 2025 so still well in date .

I have decided I'll stick with online deliveries over supermarket IRL for big shops anyway . There's no manned tills and the Self Serve ones do my tiny head in.
I'm fine to do a small shop (shallow trolley size )

Afternoon!

I just ate far too many peanuts...they're so very tasty though! 😋

We have a lot of food we need to wade through still. The cheese will keep us going a very long time. 🧀🐷😀

I'm very glad that the fog has lifted, as we can now dry washing outside again! The wind levels are ideal. It's very much catch up time.

We've had to bin a box of family biscuits someone gave us. Opened them yesterday and they were all soft. Checked the date and it was fine, but they were awful 😖 Still got loads of chocolate left over. We gave a lot of chocolate to the local food bank but still have loads left 🤷‍♀️ Funny things is, they were all gifts as I never bought any 🤦‍♀️ I need to take the tree down - begrudgingly before New Year. Luckily we have another week off work to sort it out.