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Christmas

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

707 replies

NoWordForFluffy · 13/08/2025 14:03

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

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

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swampwitch0 · 04/10/2025 17:24

My Christmas day box is building up nicely...
Crackers, Napkins, treats, Christmas preserves, condiments like redcurrant jelly...
I started doing this a few years ago when it got to Christmas eve afternoon one year and I realised I'd got no Gravy or Redcurrant jelly 😬
Very stressy visit to the co op ensued!

swampwitch0 · 04/10/2025 20:26

For anyone with teen/young adult boys, the gruum advent calendar is £50
My dn swears by the stuff

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 04/10/2025 22:22

My DS is 26 soon , I;ve tried buying him fragrances but he;s very basic with his self care . He uses Lush for his beard (which I buy for his Dec 1st Box) , Philip Kingsley shampoo , Carbon Theory soap .
The Next gift set ( colognes) sat there sulkily and unused .
I think he'd sooner eat his own spleen than splash on Eau Savage !
He showers twice daily so he's clean but not scent-ey .

I've ordered some things for DD Dec 1st Box and a Christmas mug (of course _

swampwitch0 · 04/10/2025 23:49

My dn isn't a scent fan...but he loves the gruum skin care
One of my dds loves perfume (like me) and one doesn't

NoWordForFluffy · 05/10/2025 07:54

81

Morning!

It's a bit less windy here today (45mph!), and it's moved round so is coming from the north west. This will keep the house warmer, thankfully.

I feel rotten. I think I have Covid. Probably picked up in hospital! It's a miracle I didn't get sodding norovirus, the number of puking people in A&E...on balance I'll take Covid!

I detest strong scents. They make me 🤢 and headachey. Why can verify this one! 😬🤣

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swampwitch0 · 05/10/2025 13:15

Oh @NoWordForFluffy
I hope it's not what I've had 😷
My covid test was negative, but I'm not convinced 🤔
Lots of rest, fluids, and I find a humidifier at night helps
Hope you feel better soon x
Dd1s bf is here until 6pm so I'm currently doing a roast dinner 🍽
Then I'll do the ironing (work shirts)
Then I'm going to watch tv 📺 and generally sloth about 😊

GrannyWeatherwaxsBroomstick · 05/10/2025 17:31

I’m watching the American football on TV with DH so I know what to expect when we go and watch a game irl next Sunday. I hope he enjoys it because I was in the virtual queue for over 7 hours to get the tickets. But he has supported the Denver Broncos for over 40 years and they are finally playing in the UK so we are going.
Edited to say I still don’t understand what’s going on though.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 05/10/2025 19:36

Oooohh you might grow to love American Football if you are subjected to a long enough stint . Though I am subjected to Science Fiction/Science Fantasy/Game of Thrones/Walking Dead and I still detest it .

NoWordForFluffy · 05/10/2025 20:13

I'd have thought that the longer it goes on, the less likely anybody would be to like it?! 🤔

If anybody has any tips for stopping my bloody nose running, please give them to me. It's driving me insane!

I had the worst-timed delivery of bloody plug plants yesterday, as you have to sort them straight away. So whilst I should have been on the sofa, I was putting loads of plants into the garden. Hopefully it'll be worth it come spring / summer next year. Assuming the sodding slugs don't eat them all before then.

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NoCheesesForUsMeeces · 05/10/2025 22:24

Granny my DH is a big American football fan and I’ve been subject to a few live games when we’ve been over there. I’m sad to say, it doesn’t improve the more you watch it. It’s very frustrating because they build up to a bit of action then have to stop to switch players 🙄
The cheerleaders are great though.

Fluffy it’s not glamorous but I hate my nose running so I basically fold one square of tissue in thirds then roll it into a kind of plug and put that in my nose. Doesn’t stop it running but means you can ignore it for a while.
You have my sympathy and I really hope you feel better soon.

I went out to a show last night so had a very slow morning. Have booked in 2 Christmas catch ups with my friend (one with kids, one boozy one without).

Have now sorted the Christmas budget and have several things in wish lists on various websites. I want to maximise any deals and do a few big orders rather than lots of small ones so haven’t ordered yet. Aiming to be ready to order in the next week or so though.

Magnoliasunrise · 06/10/2025 06:44

80

Granny we saw the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley a couple of years ago and although I couldn't concentrate as I'd just driven into a bollard at the ridiculously tight Wembley multi storey I remember it being very exciting and the atmosphere was like nothing else I've ever seen. It was very stoppy and starty though.

Hope you're feeling better soon Fluffy.

Monday again urgh...

NoCheesesForUsMeeces · 06/10/2025 11:25

Checking in as I’ve been a little bit festive this morning. It’s my ‘day’ off (inverted commas as LO is only in nursery for 3 hours so it’s not even half a day off really).

I did some housework then rewarded myself with 45 minutes cross stitching my Christmas card with some old Kirsties handmade Christmas in the background.

I also popped into town as I had to collect my sunglasses after they’ve been repaired and had a bit of free time so wandered around a bit, enjoyed the Christmas section of Matalan and the range and picked up some of the name Christmas cards. I’m abandoning the mum/dad/sister ones and replacing them with nan/grandad/auntie so no extra money.
Selections were vast considering it’s only the start of October which I’m glad about because in a few weeks the card shops will be hell on earth! Xmas Grin

Plan for the rest of the day is home for lunch, playing, park, swimming then meeting my mum for tea.

swampwitch0 · 06/10/2025 11:47

I've ordered a book for dd1 for advent - I tend to buy winter themed books for us all to read during Advent 🎄 📚

GrannyWeatherwaxsBroomstick · 06/10/2025 11:59

Oh, that reminds me @swampwitch0 I need to find the copy of letters to Father Christmas by JRR Tolkein

swampwitch0 · 06/10/2025 12:00

GrannyWeatherwaxsBroomstick · 06/10/2025 11:59

Oh, that reminds me @swampwitch0 I need to find the copy of letters to Father Christmas by JRR Tolkein

Ooh, that sounds fab <runs off to awesome books>

NoCheesesForUsMeeces · 07/10/2025 09:49

79 🎄 That’s really not a big number now is it!

Morning. I’m posting as part of my procrastination as I have a big project in work that I need to start planning today and my brain is hurting at the thought of starting 🙄

When I couldn’t sleep last night (LO was having nightmares I think) I spent some time making a playlist of Christmas orchestral music as an alternative to the normal one as there’s only so many times you can listen to it.

swampwitch0 · 07/10/2025 14:05

Started dhs advent hamper - still need port, coffee, and more treats 😋
I've ordered my mums 80th birthday gift (1/1 birthday so nothing is ever open ...)

NoWordForFluffy · 07/10/2025 19:00

Meeces, I love orchestral Christmas music. Classic FM is lovely in the build up especially when you're trying to avoid Wham. Xmas Smile

I've been buying lots of plants recently. I'm trying to get the garden nice for our third spring / summer next year. It's a bit of a mission though. New build gardens aren't amazing to deal with (so much rubble in the ground!).

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NoCheesesForUsMeeces · 08/10/2025 14:56

78 I’m on the train back from my office ‘day’ (I finish early, get home and log back on to avoid the rush hour madness.

Fluffy how are your bruises now? Hope you’re healing!
How many plants have you been buying? I’m still trying to figure out what to put in the big pots we’ve got out the sunny-ish north facing front garden that won’t take much maintenance from me and have at least green colour all year long.

Classic fm used to do a playlist of orchestral Christmas film soundtracks that was lovely but it was missing last year and the year before.

swampwitch0 · 08/10/2025 16:55

I need to decide on which winter bedding plants to get 🪴
I'm not doing pansies this year - last years looked awful
I'm still struggling with post viral illness and getting fed up 😔

NoWordForFluffy · 08/10/2025 18:43

Meeces, I look like a Simpson now: yellow and DH says I'm puffy too. Hmmm. The cheekbone is still SO sore to touch as well. So is the knee, and the finger, tbh. The shoulder is faring the best of them all (mainly, as that's my 'bad' shoulder!). I can't lift my 4kg weights yet (physio), but the pain at rest has gone.

I bought a load of plants suitable for north facing gardens from F Parker, plus a cordyline (put out the front as toxic to dogs), some grasses, a rudbeckia and an aster from Gardening Express. I'm also spending a small fortune on Cotswold buff chippings to put round the plants. I'm hoping they deter the army of slugs! I still need to paint the fence, as I didn't get it done last Monday due to my fall.

I have bought two big pots to do the ever-so-fashionable bulb lasagne in! I may have too many bulbs though, as the pots aren't as big as I thought. 🤣 Better than not enough!

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NoWordForFluffy · 09/10/2025 08:21

77

Morning!

It's Booths day today! 🎅🏻 🎄 🎅🏻 🎄 I have placed my order to get my collection slot booked. Once we've been later to get our hard copy book, I shall no doubt amend it!

I've gone for a late afternoon slot as last year they had Too Good to Go bags available for £30 which promised £90 of food. I'm hoping they do it again this year, as I'm up for that! 😁

It's quite mild here at the moment, which is nice! Meant to be overcast today though, but that's OK as it's dry!

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NoCheesesForUsMeeces · 09/10/2025 09:05

Morning. I was reading on here that it was ‘ladybird day’ in more southern parts yesterday and the day before so I’ve just been out to spray around the windows 🤢

expecting a horrible day here. Dentist for a filling, work, LO has a slight cough and DH is out for tea so I’m going to have to do bedtime on my own. Oh and neither of us slept much last night due to LO.
It’s days like today that make me wish I was rich enough for no work and a great, private dentist who would give me good painkillers!

Fluffy I’m attempting a pot lasagne too. I did it last year and it worked fairly well although I think I was a bit tight with the bulbs and they looked a bit sparse.

GrannyWeatherwaxsBroomstick · 09/10/2025 11:19

I was getting DS Beano annual today, and it just occurred to me that they look a lot thinner than I remember.
Had a look at my old Shiver and Shake annuals (I know, I was a wierd kid) and they have shrunk by a third since the 70s/early 80s.
Has anyone else noticed this? I feel a bit ripped off tbh.
In other news, I spent an hour trying to explain to my Mum why she can't order a Christmas too good to go bag from Booths now on their website.🙄

swampwitch0 · 09/10/2025 12:52

I've wrapped all the gifts I've bought so far today (I'm still feeling rubbish so decided to be useful instead of sofa rotting..)
Dh only needs a gift from the dds now
Dd1 really doesn't need much else aside, from pjs maybe
Dd2 needs something "big" so maybe theatre tickets 🤔
She wants to see Hadestown in London, but I'm not sure on dates etc so might just do a voucher and then book when we fancy? 🤔

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