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!

Didnt get mine...... Grrrrrrr.... although it says 3 to 7 days. Hmmmmm.......

I use PayPal as my payment method. Are you into your bank?

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Originally paypal but the December payment didn't arrive despite saying sent so I contacted Rakuten and they said better to pay directly into bank so I changed my payment method.

I'm not too bothered as it did feel like it was too good to be true - although you are proof that some people do get paid. Also because of the Rakuten refer a friend offer I bought a Hope and Glory set from Boots which should have been £90 for £45 and DD loves it so every cloud and all that.

Morning!

Back to bloody freezing today! Surprising slippery underfoot in places, so I took the dog on a different route with lots of grass verges so we didn't slip!

I also bought from Boots with my Rakuten referral: a heated blanket for my mum's birthday next week. With the cash back itself and the referral it only cost £15! Bargain!

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Got the Rakuten money - altogether got £125!!! I'm absolutely delighted and a bit shocked as well. Feeling quite relieved as I mentioned it to a few friends and family so I'm glad its not a scam.

Off today so I'll be working my way through the laundry basket and changing bedding so I am praying for a dry day as it would be fab to get the lot dry outside.

Happy nearly weekend all!

Morning!

£125?! I'm wondering how much Christmas shopping you did, Magnolia! What will you spend it on?

It's a bit warmer today. In that it's not frosty. Apparently it was / is 'feels like' 0° though. My hands were cold after I'd done 7km with the dog, so that feels right!

I'm very glad it's Friday. Though we've a few things planned this weekend, so no rest for me!

Morning
Hopefully dry here too 6c and light winds .......might be worth hanging out washing if it moves

Day two back at work and I went into a flare up overnight which is fun. Equally as fun is all the e-learning and catching up on emails.

The weather is grey here but above freezing and I added a couple more things to the Christmas present cupboard the other day. I do miss the fairy lights and Christmas tree lights in this gloominess.

I drove past a house yesterday that still had lights on outdoor fir trees and a wreath on the door whydoes
Either they love the lights or ( sad to think) they might be too unwell to take them in .

I'd never heard of Rakuten. Will have to have a look but assuming it'll clash with shopping via the Avios app?

Sorry you've had a flare up why. Hope it passes/becomes manageable quickly for you.

It is so cold here. 3° but feels like 0 according to met office but it's bitter. My hands, feet and face went numb while out earlier (very glamorous, was in wellies and a big warm coat tramping around the field with LO who was running around collecting sticks 🙄).

DH is out tonight and I'm trying to motivate myself into cross stitching but I can't be arsed 😂

Is Rakuten better than Top Cashback?

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Morning!

Rakuten did a "refer-a-friend" offer over Christmas giving a £25 referral bonus for anyone who used your link to purchase something with certain criteria. So the majority of my cashback was from the referral bonuses. I think they may still be doing it so worth a look.

Still dark and I'm not looking forward to dragging the DC out of bed shortly for their sports fixtures........

I’ll have a look, thanks!

Yep. Pitch black here too. Luckily, we’ve no where to be until 10 so it’ll be blueberry pancakes and an episode of The Gone Wrong Show under a blanket for mine 😊

It’s that last week before January pay day. I’m going to have to be clever with the food shop and make sure we stay within budget.
Roll on February and March where I actually still have a decent amount of money in my bank account the day before pay day!
(Afore mentioned Saturday blueberry pancakes)

I'm in the position now where I'm up before my children at the weekend so no need to make them breakfast. I've picked up a cold bug from somewhere - probably from one of the people I hugged at the funeral this week - so my breakfast this morning was a glass of orange juice, two paracetamol and a strepsil.

Morning!

I had fried eggs slopped onto toast! 🍳 🍞

I hope you feel better soon, Woolly.

It was chilly taking the dog out today. And another naughty dog ripped our treat pouch from my waist lead and buggered off with it in the woods. Good job we have another here to replace it with. I've had other dogs sniff it before, so it took me by surprise when he snatched the bloody thing!

(The dog is known for being a bit challenging with other dogs, as he doesn't know when to stop jumping at them, and his owner seemingly has no control over him.)

I need to go to Sainsbury's soon. See if they've any of the Finnebrogue streaky bacon in stock as DS loves it and it's on offer! (Which means it's hard to find sometimes!)

We had croissants this morning -bought from Aldi

I'm not a massive Aldi fan but I go in about once every 6-8 weeks for detergents and washing up liquid and dishwasher things .

DS likes their pizza , our nearest Aldi is about a 10 minutes walk so he often wanders along to buy some .

I need to go and buy some catlitter and do some tidying .
That's my excitement for the day there .

Morning all, Also down with a cold here too - in solidarity with Woolly. DD bought me some daffodils to cheer me up 🏵

Still in PJ'S here, going to tackle the bathrooms today, and then I'm Curling up with a book!

Have a lovely day

That's the type of Aldi shopping I do too, 70! I much prefer Sainsbury's, and there isn't enough price difference to make up for the money I make by collecting Nectar points each year to swap to shopping there (I can't get a full shop in there anyway, thanks to DS' restricted eating).

Hope you feel better soon as well, MrsD!

Omg there are others out there 😂 I absolutely love Christmas , when I was a child it was absolute magic. I love lights , the colours , the decorations, the beautiful cribs. I’m a big fan of the lead-up more than anything. I hate after Christmas. I work in a challenging area of education so get school holidays off am I’m always exhausted by Christmas. I always feel very down when it’s over tbh …

Breakfast here was jam on toast and a cup of tea and a custard cream dunked in when LO wasn't looking

😲 at the naughty dog Fluffy! When our much missed dogs were puppies we were firm believers in letting other dogs tell them off and teaching them how to read 'sod off, I don't like it' behaviour but that's apparently very old fashioned now.

We do Aldi then Sainsbury's, but backwards to you 70 - I can't use Aldi cleaning stuff, washing stuff or toiletries as I have an awful reaction.
I do love their cheeky dupes though (the anchor butter in particular).

Absolutely freezing here again today but I made myself walk to the park to stretch my legs and I feel so much better. There's something lovely about cold air in your lungs.

Welcome apologies

When my DC were school aged I used to love driving along the streets lined with decorations . Then after Christmas it felt a bit Oh that's it over for another year then after 12th Night , very flat .

Though there are some places <Looking at you , town centre shops> where they were still up last Saturday ! They always do this and every year I think "We'll go to Hell in a HandCart it's after 12th Night"

The sales are drab. Chinese New Year and Burns Night fleets along .
Skint .

We always planned something , taking the DC up to London one Saturday in January . ( Pudding Lane and the Monument (311 steps <ouch> ) when DD was doing the Great Fire as her school project .

I work between Christmas and New Year so it didn't feel too bad when I went back to work

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Nice round figure .
I bought some white chocolate Malteaser Bunnies for DS to try (they are very sweet ) I think he prefers the milk chocolate ones .

DD was looking at some online reviews for HotCross Buns . I have barely wiped the MincePie crumbs off my 'tasche .

Like Mince Pies ( only the Sainsbury Bakery Shortcrust thank you ) I have done my searching .
Only the Sainsbury TTD Mini HotCross Buns . No new fangled flavours thank you . Toasted with Waitrose Lemon Curd .

I’ve been so unwell the last few days, I volunteer at school a couple of days a week and there is a horrible sickness bug going around that I’ve managed to catch. Touch wood nobody else seems to have got it and I’m hoping it stays that way. I thought I’d managed to avoid the school bugs this year as I’ve only been going in a couple of days compared to when I worked there full time, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case!.

DH is taking DS out tomorrow for BIL’s birthday meal, so I’m planning on getting the washing done and having a big clean when they’re both out the house. I’m hoping it makes me feel a bit fresher.

I hope everyone else who is under the weather feels better too!.