Melting from the heat, yet still Counting down to Christmas 2025 (thread 2)

[NoWordForFluffy]

OK, so you all went on a bloody posting frenzy!

Can someone add the countdown from today to make it easier tomorrow? Thanking you!

Hope you are past the colonoscopy @70isaLimitNotaTarget not had one yet but I did have a lovely CT scan on Tuesday.
I'm at screwfix live early opening today so that's all good

Yes, thank you all it is done , just need to have food now and I'm drinking coffee .
Wait for the results to come through then a follow up to discuss them.

I can spend my recovery time browsing Christmas things and writing my lists .
Time Not Wasted

Sorry to hear about that 70 and hope you're now fully chilling out. (and fed).

I had an interesting day after realising just before I had to leave for work that my email account had been hacked and consequently bank account. Grrrr.... thankfully the fraud squad stepped in before anything actually left my account. I do admit to being terrible with passwords so lesson learned today.

I'll do a belated rudolph day order as soon as new card comes through.

As I happened to be passing Fortnum & Mason today, I popped in and bought a bauble for the Christmas tree as a Rudolph day tribute. Feeling poncey as well as Christmassy 😁

It's all gone VERY goosey round these parts!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19vqZtmNZp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

(You should be able to watch even if you're not on Facebook.)

90
Ohhh those geese are noisy @@Fluffy!
I'm not a fan of them , I'm in awe when they fly in formation but I don't want to get too close to them. We used to take DS to see the geese and took DS and DD to a swan sanctuary years ago. He slipped through the gate to join the people who wanted to feed them . I'd quietly moved away ,next minute I see my 5yo son sprinting towards the feed barrow and someone gave him a scoop of grain.

I love the geese around here. There’s a lake about 10 minute walk away that has ducks, swans and geese and they’re generally pretty good. Did hiss as LO when he was quite determined to touch one but aside from that they generally sit next to the path and mind their own business.

It is cold here today, not sure on exact temp but I’ve just been out to pull the bins in and it was a bit of a shock!

We we’re all rushed this morning so there was a bit of snapping/stress from me and DH so that was nice.

Nothing festive happening this end as we’re away this weekend. Planning some cold beach walks and terrible kids entertainment then will be 100% in to Christmas stuff when we get back

89
Into the eighties

Ordered some winter bedding for DS -not Christmas but nice and wintery
I sent DS off to get the croissants today as I was recuperating CBA going out , my insides feel a bit meh and crampy after the colonoscopy ,

I was tempted to jump on the scales to see if I've lost weight but I'm sure I haven;t !

I have some clothes for the Charity Shop to go out and catch up with some washing tomorrow .
I'm planning in taking some ivy cuttings to go in a tall pot then I can put a solar light in the middle to make a garden Christmas decoration . If it works , it;ll cost nothing as I have everything . I might put it in the front garden for December as apart from the door wreath I don't have lights out the front .

80s already?! Rattling along so fast!

We have plenty of lights out the front, 70! The wreath is lit; the two little (getting bigger!) trees have lights; we have lights on the first floor Juliet balcony; and a reindeer on the top balcony with a star on the building apex above it! We R Christmas have a HUGE Nutcracker, but we can't justify the expense!

Funny you mentioned jumping on the scales...I was going to ask if you were lighter now you're empty! I hope you feel better soon.

Morning. I hope the crampy feeling goes away soon 70.

We don’t have any lights outside yet. I did buy a set of large, multi coloured lights to put along the porch roof last year but DH hung them inside the conservatory instead 🙄
I also used to have lights on a real, outdoor tree but I’m pretty sure the heat this summer has killed it off, and I have got a set of star lights that go in the living room window.

This year I’m planning to add a small set of lights to my wreath and I added an Acer to my garden this summer so maybe I could do something with that too…

We’re away at a caravan park for the weekend. LO used holiday money from grandparents to buy an awful sword thing that has bright flashing lights and plays dance music and he’s happily playing with that right now. My poor head 😩

Plans for today are swimming, a wander and lunch in the nearest seaside town, walk along the beach then back for a chill before enduring watching the kids evening entertainment.

I've bought 2 small little ceramic robins for my tree 🎄
I try to get one new tree decoration per year
I need to find decent plastic free crackers (8) and recyclable gift wrap - any recommendations?
I looked at typo but they only have one I liked and I need 2 x different patterns

88

two fat ladies in Bingo Lingo . Not that I play Bingo , tried once and I was rubbish at it .

In the spirit of market research I bought a bag of the Terrys Mint Segments - they brought out the mint version of the chocolate orange a couple of years back , I bought it once and never again, so thought I;d give these a try . They're nice , worth a re purchase I reckon.

DD dressing gown arrived , she is very pleased and nabbed it , not waiting for Christmas ( I have raised such a bossy little madam here ! ) .

I took some things to the Charity Shop , trying to plough through my Christmas- Clean-a-Long .

I'm not a fan of mint chocolate, it has to be said!

Our garden is the focus this year after finally finishing the decorating inside. I have so many plants and bulbs coming, so I need to crack on with it.

I made the Christmas pudding yesterday, so that's a job done. 7 hours of cooking later, it was done!

Morning!

I saw some mint Terrys chocolate oranges in Lidl but didn't buy any as it feels so wrong - a Terrys chocolate orange needs to be orange!

I've got a wash out and I'm off to yoga shortly but planning to make a VAT of plum jam this afternoon and I may add some mulled wine type spices.

PS any recommended infused vodka recipes? I've got christmas pudding vodka and wild damson gin brewing and have some spare vodka left for something else.

I was sure they did a lemon chocolate , I had to search up , there's a 1979 advert on YouTube so I didn't dream it .
Not a fan of fruit/chocolate ( chocolate orange is the exception) but chocolate -lemon and even worse chocolate -lime is the work of Satan.

There's a Hotel Chocolat truffle that has: dark chocolate , ginger, lime, rum <urgh>

@Magnoliasunrise, I have strawberry and blueberry, blackberry and I've just set raspberry off. I just add a little caster sugar, my fruit of choice and the vodka.

Ooooooooh sounds fabulous @NoWordForFluffy

Skittles Vodka
Werthers Original Vodka
Sherbet Lemon Vodka
Mars Bar Vodka

Disclaimer : I have only ever made Skittles Vodka , it is a fun thing to do but I wouldn't do it again. I didn't have to put the bottles in the dishwasher as they dissolve nicely . I did red and purple as two separate (and we ate the rest ) Used loads , probably too many Skittles . It was cloudy till I put it through a coffee filter paper then it went clear . Kept in the fridge it was syrupy . Did this for a NYE party .

Mars Bars and Werthers you might need to do the dishwasher melt .
Apparently Werthers and American Cream Soda tastes like HarryPotter ButterBeer but I've not tried either .

DS said he'd rather just eat the Sherbet Lemon sweets

There's tons of "Dishwasher Vodka " posts on MN .

I've ordered some gift wrap which is 10m long and double sided so I can wrap two lots of gifts with the same roll ☺️
This has pleased me greatly 😀
Also added some crackers to my grocery order.

swamp Costco does brilliant wrapping paper , they did a double sided one which is really good , thick paper .
I used to buy the 4 rolls that were different in the same colourway , and grid squares on the back for easy cutting .

I bought bags this year that I can re-use and I won;t have the I need a roll of paper as I;ve bought DD a Superdry coat and I need to wrap it I had a few years back.
DS has the same giftbag for his Dec 1st that he's had for years now . And his main present is money so a bank transfer / gift card to let him know .

Back in the day there had to be The Big Box Present

Thanks 70, I think I might need more vodka! 🤣

@70isaLimitNotaTarget
Ah, sounds very similar to what I've ordered ☺️
I need to peg some washing out today, and have hoovered downstairs.
I think that's me done for today tbh...I'm still feeling quite ill 😷
Dh has washed the cars (he complains how tiring it is, but refuses to pay to use a car wash so I give him short shrift..)
I've cut his hair (a covid lockdown job that I'm still doing 😖)
I've had a shower and washed my hair so I look slightly less frightful 😬
I think I might do homemade puddings for Christmas day and boxing day - the M&S offerings this year are ££££££

Collection Dashing Through the Snow (Serves 8) | Christmas Food to Order at M&S

This offering :

There were eight original reindeer in 1823
Dasher
Dancer
Prancer
Vixen
Comet
Cupid
Donner
Blitzen

Rudolph didn't roll up till 1939 , a hundred and sixteen years later
And when you look at the photo he's front nearside , so one of the eight has been booted off the sleigh so this lazy little git can take their shift !

(It's not vegetarian so not on my To Buy List , )

Yes, I saw that!
The prices are mad
A few years ago I got some star shaped chocolate mousse deserts from Morrisons and they were fab but they haven't had them since ☹️