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!

144

I did skirting boards too ! The most awkward one is in the bathroom where the gap between the wall and the loo and the base of the radiator makes for a :sit on the floor , reach around with the cloth and scrub' experience .
I got DS to steam the floor in the downstairs loo and do the skirting boards - his back is younger than mine !

I made Cinnamon Buns yesterday for breakfast -delicious .

I may make a bundt cake later on, but the bathroom needs doing today so that's job #1

DD was asking me what else could be done with the cinnamon buns , I put pecans on some , but no claggy cream cheese frosting , just glace .

Monkey Bread in similar I think , in small tear'n'share buns and a caramel sauce .
<<Adds 'Bundt Tin' to shopping list >>

The bundt cake has become a regular thing in our house since our holiday in Europe last year...dds face when she realised there was cake for breakfast was a joy to behold 😃

I made the Nigella Lawson Vanilla Bundt Cake* a few years back ( didn't have a Bundt Tin but I used an empty tin wrapped in foil and greaseproof in the middle - it works )

It was okay the day it was made but the next day not so good , like a leftover flabby pancake . Certainly not worth the effirt and the number of eggs .
Proper Cake is nicer the next day , this wasn't .

*It's the recipe she does in the forest/trees tin

I use the BBC good food recipe (at least it think that's where its from...)

I’ve suddenly come over all Christmassy and have started turning my thoughts to the festive season.

I’ve finally moved my beautiful Welsh dresser into the dining room from garage storage and have repaired it and touched up the paint. I’m thinking how I will decorate it for Autumn and then for Christmas.

I’m also going to be making Nigella’s chilli jelly after watching her Festive Kitchen series on YouTube over the last couple of days. I’m on the tail end of making various jams from our garden fruit, so another batch wont hurt. 😂

I also want to make some re-usable crackers as living in France ears finding them is a pain in the butt every year.

I need to sort out the charity shop stuff and finish painting the lounge too.

143

@DanceWithYourBalloon, Nigella's chilli jelly is a bugger to set. This one is more reliable.

Just been round to local Tesco Metro , they had some tubs - Celebrations and QS- out .............
Bought a Celebration tub , my DC don't like Roses or Quality Street as much ...but the tub has shrunk , it is 550g , Back in the old days you needed 2 hands to lift the tub ......goes off muttering about Shrinkflation

Thank you @NoWordForFluffyShall check it out.

I’m also sending solidarity for those potty training. We are on day 3 and it’s going well but she still has her moments! 💩

I tend to start putting things in my prep box from September...mint sauce, cranberry sauce, cheese biscuits etc
I am going to try and bake more this year

Christmas Shelf in the pantry here @Whoooo

DS pokes his little face in and goes "Muuuuuuuvvvver are these Matchmakers Christmas or Eat Now?" with a hopeful look about him.

😅😅😅
I get called "mother dearest" when mine are on the scrounge 😀

We are on holiday and whilst it’s not boiling, it is warm. Its been a busy few days so Christmas thoughts but I’ve bookmarked the chilli jam recipe, maybe for next year if I grow my own chilli’s (didn’t bother this year and am glad as LO literally picks anything edible in the garden and eats it when he thinks I’m not looking so chilli’s could be a nightmare).

I can’t bake at all so my Christmas efforts are more geared towards crochet, cross stitch and decorations but I may attempt pickled onions this year. Me and my family (parents and siblings) love them and have been relying on FIL to provide them but he stopped last year and has already warned me he’s not doing them this year either.
I have a few recipes etc saved but happy to take recommendations.

I do have a master list on my phone (in a Christmas folder obviously) and have been jotting down present ideas and films etc but that’s about it. Will start planning properly once all the holidays and birthdays in August are done, around 25th.

I get "mummmmmmy" when my (adult) children are on the scrounge.

When I had my youngest I was having a home birth and he was due just after Christmas. I read all the blurb and bought biscuits specifically for the midwives and my other children were primed not to touch them under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES despite asking "are they for us or the midwives" at least once a day. Obviously the midwives left without touching the biscuits and my DDs fell on them like they had never seen a biscuit in their lives 😂

My DDs have bought theatre tickets that I've offered to pay for as a Christmas present and I thought I'd cracked it with concert tickets for DS but he's got alevel results due shortly so has helpfully suggested that they could be a reward then 🤦🏻‍♀️

@NoCheesesForUsMeeceswe are all done for birthdays by Easter so Christmas planning started then. I do bake but I don't think I'll make a Christmas cake this year. I make mini ones - usually one big square cake and then I cut it into 4 to make the smaller cakes. I used to make one for my mum until she died a few years and then MIL died just before Christmas last year so I can't really summon the enthusiasm for this year. I'll make a chocolate log and probably some biscuits.

@TheWoollybacksWife 😀

Oh I’m ever so excited!!! I’ve been looking at recipes to figure out any Christmas bakes I want to do. I think I might start early this year and venture out into some festive cooking rather than just baking.

I really wanted to make the wonder crackers but I’ve found this alternative on YouTube that looks a bit easier to make and the pattern is free if you follow the video.

142 nearly missed the countdown today. I spent the day taking DS and a friend to Lightbox to watch the dinosaur show and have lunch.
Still had them both when I got home so that's a win.

141

Morning!

It was my office day yesterday so I battled the winds to get there and back!

We are in the process of looking for a new car as ours needs a fair bit doing to it, which just isn't economical on a 16 year old car, so we've been stalking Autotrader these last few evenings! We think we've found something now (Skoda Superb estate). It's still an older car, but it is what we need to get the dog into it and we barely do any miles these days either. Some of them have 200k+ miles on them which is madness!

Morning :)

I was super lucky when we got our car its 15 years old but it only had 35k miles on it, I bought it off my great aunt who was giving up driving, she did crash it into the neighbours garden but it was cosmetic damage - but that's why her son said she needed to give up driving bless her! The timing worked out that I bought the car 3 months before I passed my test and got a bunch of extra practice in.

DS birthday was lovely at the weekend - I can't believe he is five! so grown up now my baby!

Hope your DS had a lovely birthday @HairsprayBabe . They are so lovely at that age. I just waved DS off to the gym and he has his own house key. 5 feels like a long time ago (and also just a few minutes)

How old is your DS, @GrannyWeatherwaxsBroomstick?

Happy belated birthday to @HairsprayBabe's DS!

Your car sounds good, Hairspray. We've had our appointment confirmed with the garage for the car, so we're looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. We're hoping they'll take ours in PX, but if not we will WBAC it, or similar. I'm wary though, as they always knock you down there, I've heard. We shall see though!

DS is 16 @NoWordForFluffy . Sometimes he wants to be a grown up and others I still see the little boy.
We got him some sessions with a PT over the summer so he can learn to work out without injuring himself.

Happy Birthday HairsprayDS

I am gradually gathering Dec1st Box presents for DD and hiding them .

We have loads of pears on the lawn now ....and wasps !