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!

Fluffy; I've got a cooling mat I had for my last dog, but I don't dare bring it out. My new rescue is a terrible chewer, and I don't think the gel filling would be good for her!

I don't think ours is gel, it's just material. Not sure where it's from though.

Thankfully FluffyDog isn't a chewer, so it's not a concern.

He was 'helping' in the garden earlier. 🐕 🤣

Here's a

...no gel mat that should say. Links aren't working properly!

Awww the liberal application of canine slobber on your garden implements really helps you with your horticultural efforts I've always found

He's a gorgeous colour .

When our ddog was here he used to lie next to the cooling mat 🙄. He used to lie in the garden until he was stupidly hot then come to work with me in the spare room where I’d put a fan on him (as full disclaimer I should say he was an OAP and he also had his own hot water bottle in the winter )
When we had a heatwave and had the hamster she decided the weather meant she should burrow deep into her bedding. I had to put a damp towel in the freezer then put it under her cage (and remove some bedding which she hated me for).
Bonkers really but I still miss them.

Temp was 27° here today but we handled it by going to a lake and swimming. Was lovely and cool there. Looking forward to it cooling down a bit tomorrow though!

My two contrary little ladies have eschewed their new cooling mats and are currently curled up in their new furry beds, interspersed with laying in the box everything came in 🤣

And in an effort to be slightly on topic I am already thinking about Christmas coats for them because they will be super cute

Our contrary female cat is outside , just basking on the patio table .
She knows her dinner is waiting but she's not bothered .
It will be there when she wanders in , if her brother tries to eat it she'll marmalise him.

186

It's still sooooooo hot. I'm really not a fan. The northern rain is definitely still in my blood despite now being a southern softie.

Went to Ascot Friday then took DD and her mates to Dua Lipa last night and special mention must go to tfl for spectacular failure on most lines, took us 2.5 hours to do a journey of a few miles. Ended up on a bus in a million degrees for an hour. The girls who never normally walk anywhere were delighted when I said right let's get off the bus here and walk the last mile and a half.

Welcome Stompy and yes Die Hard is a Christmas film. His wife is called Holly even.

I think I would like a human cooling mat!

Ddog feels the companionship of lying on my feet outweighs the heat issue, I am less sure.

Silentnight Restore Large Cooling Blanket - QVC UK

Stompy I am thinking about this for DD , she always complains her room is too warm.
We've all gone for quiet fans and a top sheet rather than a duvet ( even the very thin ones are too much at the moment )

That might be the sort of thing I need! I'm terrible with the heat!

I'm just sitting down to do some report writing and my background TV to keep me company is Stacey Solomon's Crafty Christmas. Maybe I'll get some ideas!

185
We had over night gale force winds (OK , slight exageration there ) it was pretty wild though . I thought everything in the garden would get thrown about .
Putting the bins out today was like Jenga , making sure the huge bag of shredded paper was wedged at the bottom.

Need to go and water Things In Pots as they're looking a tad wilt-ey and sad .

184

'Tis ver' ver' quiet on here

Tomorrow is the June Rudolph Day and my DD Birthday .
I am making some Paul Hollywood Cinnamon Buns with pecans at her request .

Unfortunately half of our household (DH and DS ) aren't well. I;m hoping not to catch whatever lurgy they're incubating !

Evening!

I've been quiet as a) yesterday was DD's birthday, so I was either working or making cake / doing birthday things and today our parents moved house, so we've both been involved in the legal process and the move! I'm knackered. Why is more knackered!

@Magnoliasunrise, happy birthday to your DS today.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget, happy birthday to your DD with the perfect birthday date tomorrow!

I had to make Victoria sponge for DD. Could've been worse! 🎂

I had to make Victoria sponge for DD. Could've been worse

Indeed I took inspiration from Badly Made Hedgehog Cake for my DS cake a couple of years ago .
There's loads of photos online (not my cake obvs -it was epic ) but I feel it would be cruel to single one out !

I've seen those photos 70. Makes me feel better about my lack of baking ability.
Happy Birthday for your DD tomorrow.

Glad the move is done Fluffy

I've been quiet for a variety of reasons. LO is going through a new clingy stage. Obviously fine, even good as it shows attachment is getting stronger however, it's meant almost no time to do anything. This includes sleep as they have been climbing into bed with us in the early hours and needing to be touching me in order to get back to sleep.

Have also been trying to get house and garden jobs done, been arguing with my dms home insurance over a claim she's made (including submitting a complaint) and discussing my return to work with my manager 😳

No festive plans for tomorrow however, I have got a good few hours by myself (thanks to nursery) so may shoehorn in some work on my Christmas card cross stitch. I'm being beyond rubbish at them at the mo

183

Happy belated birthday!! @NoWordForFluffy DD, hope she had a lovely day. Glad the move done.

Happy birthday @70isaLimitNotaTarget DD. hope she has a lovely day. Hope your gang are feeling better.

I also did a Victoria sponge with a lemon curd, fresh cream and strawberry filling. DS doesn't eat much cake and DD, my fellow cake eater, is on school residential so I thought I would do something semi healthy. I might have just had a piece for breakfast.

Enjoy the clingy stage @NoCheesesForUsMeeces - there may come a time when they want to be anywhere else but near you like the current phase of my DD who spent the first 5 years of her life glued to me.

Happy Rudolph Day everyone

I had kind of not realised it was Rudolf day. I am not doing anything Christmassy today. I am trying to recover. If I ever mentioning moving or helping someone move tell me not to do it 🤣 I am totally exhausted and in pain. I think Fluffy and I have unpacking jumpers to a fine art. Who knew our mum had so many!!

Happy Rudolph Day everyone. Happy birthday to @70isaLimitNotaTarget and @NoWordForFluffy hope you have amazing days.
@NoCheesesForUsMeeces I miss the clingy stage. DS was basically made of Velcro for the first few years. Now he's 15 I get the odd hug (but never in public.
I tried to add a picture of my Christmas cross stitches for cards but the image is too big.

Did it! Had to turn the resolution right down

Halfway to Christmas! Exciting!

Happy birthday to @70isaLimitNotaTarget and @NoWordForFluffy !

Happy Rudolph Day

I'm enjoying the clingy stage to an extent but I also find it hard. In the day it's fine, I just have a shadow and give jobs to do next to me so I can get on but the nights are hard. They're coming in to bed at 4 or 5am then fidgeting and climbing on me before going back to sleep, by which time I'm fully awake and boiling so am just lying there. I'm so tired.

why you have Fluffy have my sympathy if your dms jumper collection is like my dads sentiments stuff collection. When he moved from here into his new house the sheer amount of it was bonkers!

Nice cross stitching Granny. I wish I'd picked cards with big blocks of colour as they're so much faster. Instead I've gone for the Wrendale animal ones - currently working on the penguin but it's basically 5 shades of grey and 5 shades of white/cream with a blue scarf 😳

LO is in nursery now and I've been out to B&M to pick up a few bits I needed. Have finally tackled the utility room and once I go in and clean the skirting boards and mop it'll be done.
Then I have a long list of crap jobs that need doing. Sigh

June-gul bells, June-gul bells, June-gul all the way!😍 Half way there now! 😁

Whoa we're halfway there!

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄