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!

Welcome back Hairspray How can your DS be 5? 😳
Congratulations on being able to drive. Can make the world of difference! 🥳
And yes; we bought during covid which was awful but remortgaging etc was way more stressful than we expected it to be! Good luck!

Fluffy most schools here finish for the kids today but DH still has to go in on Monday. He's not happy.

It's grey but warm and clammy here. Horrible, muggy weather.
Have had a random injection of Christmas spirit today though. LO discovered a kids cooking show on CBBC (it's Jamie Oliver's son) and has decided the Christmas episode is his favourite so right now we're watching that. Windows are open so neighbours will think we're nuts as there's non stop Christmas music in the background

Well done on the driving test @HairsprayBabe

DD more than makes up for her chintzy brother when it comes to Christmas involvement .

NoWordForFluffy; I went to give blood today, and the burse managed to stick the needle through the other side of the vein. So my donation got cancelled, and I've got a huge bruise. I have to wait 2 weeks before I can try again.

159
inti the hundred and fifties now

Ouch @sueelleker
sounds painful and disappointing that you couldn't donate your pint

We had rain overnight - after I watered the garden, obvs -
QVC have their Christmas shows yesterday/today , not the 25th as they used to do . There's some sequinned blazers/skirt./tops . I'm tempted by a bronze sequinned blazer but the reviews are it's too small and it is scratchy .
I do like some Liberace style sequins on cruise holidays but I can get loads in Monsoon. Marks and Spencer and eBay

We ate some of our tomatoes fresh off the vine , still warm. so delicious .

Congrats on the driving test Hairspray and as Meeces said it will make the world of difference especially ferrying children around.

The last 2 times i went to give blood my iron levels were too low. :(

I'm wierdly home alone as DD gone on sleepover and DS gone out with DH. I don't know whether to have a party or a nap.

Congratulations, Hairspray! So much better being able to drive.

Magnolia, disco nap? Short and sweet! I've never had low iron, even straight after my c sections (other than as a child, briefly). You need to get eating fortified food (with orange juice) and steak. 😋

70, I detest scratchy clothes. Don't go there!

We've had a little rain, and it feels like it's brewing again. We're in a yellow warning zone for storms. No sign yet, however.

Magnolia I'm not quite home alone too (LO is here but has been in bed since 6:30). I'm so rock & roll I'm watching 24 hours in police custody and cross stitching.

Fluffy I've been refused a blood donation once but that was because I'd been to Turkey and not left it long enough. I wouldn’t mind an excuse to eat more steak!
I need to book my next donation though, I haven't done it in ages.

Weather remains crap here. Grey, drizzly and warm, it's doing my head in.

Christmas wise I've got my first thing booked in and it should kick the season off nicely. At the end of November I'll be going to Bath Christmas market in the afternoon and watching Muppets Christmas Carol (a favourite film here) with a live orchestra in the evening Looking forward to that!

158

We went up that Larndan to see The Comedy About Spies ( It;s from The Play That Goes Wrong - Mischief Theatre .)
We;re going to see A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong later in the year .

It's one of those love it /hate it things , very visual gags but not everyones taste .

I need to watch A Muppets Christmas Carol this year .

Oooh 70 and Meeces great ideas on the bookings, I think I'll also book the Christmas Carol. We took the kids to see the Play that goes Wrong years ago and they LOVED it especially as one of the actors singled out DS before the play started for a bit of banter and DS loves all that kind of stuff. Although DD at an age where she would rather walk over hot coals than come on an outing with the family. DS is through that stage now thank goodness.

I went for the rock and roll option too last night of glass of wine and finished off The Handmaids Tale (bloody brilliant can't wait for The Testaments - and the books are even better).

I've just picked the first tomatoes , waiting for everyone to get up so I can show them off (nobody will be remotely interested).

Steak and orange juice for breakfast then, Fluffy. 🙂

I’m getting ready for autumn now. Collecting jam jars for jams, jellies and pickles.
Also, my new greenhouse arrives tomorrow so that’s exciting, although the rain forecast for most of the week isn’t because I need to put it together. Think I’ll get DS to help, he loves lego and the instructions look like a giant lego set.

Afternoon!

We all took the dog for a walk today. Can't remember the last time we did something as a 4 like that as they're miserable tweens now! It was too hot to run with him, and he won't sodding walk with me, so DH had to go with me as a bare minimum!

I've been making an afternoon tea for DS' teachers as he leaves primary this week coming. I made lemon curd, scones and lemon drizzle cake. I have strawberry jam and clotted cream to go with as well. I'm trying to get DS to write cards for his teachers, but it's a challenge! 🙄

@GrannyWeatherwaxsBroomstick, is it glass or plastic? We had a plastic one which almost led to divorce building it! 😬🤣 I hope yours is better than that!

@NoWordForFluffy it's a Yardistry wood and plastic one. It looks lush in the pictures that is 😄

This one
https://www.gardenbuildingstore.co.uk/products/yardistry-meridian-greenhouse-6-7ft-x-7-8ft-2m-x-2-4m?currency=GBP&variant=49162887528713&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=7ecd3dfa780a&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22602420410&gbraid=0AAAAAq8O3u_LvZ0_8UQ26on70icSQ9m3d&gclid=CjwKCAjwp_LDBhBCEiwAK7FnkjWJCCbCGpH1h7umplL8jU9wtzztBiJcwK-GkVyZLvveYaIEcy15jxoCZTEQAvD_BwE

That looks way more sturdy than the cheap one I ordered, so 🤞 the build will be fine!

157

Rain here - good for the plants and the waterbutt -
Hopefully the roads will be quieter his week now the schools are closing for summer .

Our forecast rain didn't come, thankfully, as our washing was out and we weren't at home!

It's meant to shit down overnight / in the morning though. All through the dog walk / run! 😩

I took our end of term present to DS' teachers today: an afternoon tea in a bag, with scones, lemon drizzle cake, strawberry jam, lemon curd, clotted cream and a bottle of 0% Friexenet fizz! Apparently it went down well, DH was told when he collected DS after their leavers' party this afternoon. 😁

156

I bought nought from QVC Christmas in July ( well I bought some face cream but that's an ongoing thing not a Christmassey thing )

I need to start looking for things for the Dec 1st Boxes but avoid The Twitch !

155

Fluffy that sounds like a really lovely end of year teacher gift. Well done you.

70 is the QVC Christmas thing for the whole of July?

I just got back from a last minute 24 hour trip up north to see DM, DF and DSis. Kids were really doing my head in so I threw my toys out of the pram and said I'm going up North, I have form for saying this but never actually going so I think they were all shocked to wake up yesterday to find I'd scarpered. I feel ready to face the Summer holidays now after being looked after by my mum for 24 hours 😂

It used to be on the 25th July every year , just one day . Started a midnight .
I used to book the day off work and bag the telly

Then they started adding a half day in the 24th .
Then it got a bit meh not so many new things , more re-named tat from the sales .
I stopped booking a day a few years ago , I could see the CiJ online .

I really loved a range by Lindy Bowman , gift bags , boxes wrapping paper . Found some on eBay so I'm off to peruse ..

Evening!

It's DS' birthday tomorrow, so I made a cake tonight and will do the piñata and chocolate buttercream tomorrow morning.

Sounds like a much-needed trip, Magnolia.

After tomorrow, I can think about Christmas!

Good morning 154
good luck with the party today @NoWordForFluffy hope it all goes well.
we are building a greenhouse at the moment. Front, back and side walls built now we need to join them together. It’s going to be a long day. Reall Enjoying working with DS though.
edited to say Rudolph day tomorrow

Happy Birthday Fluffy DS!

And well done Granny and Granny DS on the build.

That range sounds good 70 I might try and track down online. I need to think of something christmassy to do/buy tomorrow.

Happy Birthday FluffyDS

Tomorrow is Rudolph Day
And typically , now the schools are on holiday the weather has taken a dive .

153

Friday ................ Yay

Load of laundry in, hoping I can hang it out !
Yesterday there was an unholy stench , DH searched up local Insta page , there was muck spreading going on . I have never noticed it as bad in all my many years !
At least it;ll vanish and it's not drains !

Happy Rudolph Day everyone. DS and I will be fastening the base for the greenhouse to the ground and making sure everything is square this morning. Not very Christmassy I feel.