What are you doing for Christmas this week?

[Deliveroo]

Disclaimer - yes I know it’s early, but this is the Christmas Board.

Over the years I’ve worked out a 12 week plan for myself so I can get it all done a little bit at a time. Last week was for reading back over my notes, starting my lists, putting aside money for gift cards (I don’t buy them until December but I put the cash in a card now), and dropping off a bag of unwanted Halloween bits from last year to the charity shop.

This week I have to have the who’s going where conversation so I can get stuck into menu planning. We typically host or visit one set of parents, and then have another family get together on each side too. I need those dates on the calendar so the teens can fit their much more exciting social lives around them.

What will you do for Christmas this week?

Just been to buy the last of the stocking presents. Another job ticked off.

I’m considering a highland cow theme for my cards, I’ve never drawn one before and it probably looks like I’ve never seen one before. I’m considering just doing a stylised outline and doing a folk art style. I usually water colour but might see if I’ve got some acrylic or gouache knocking about.

Finally finished knitting one Christmas wreath, now started on a different one.

That’s fabulous!

Thank you! It was a bugger to knit, took me about 6-8 weeks in total. The one I'm working on now is so much easier in comparrison!

I have been shopping and got new decorations and a small 3ft pre lit tree from M & S for only £20!! To go in my living room as my big tree is in another room😆 I got the DSS and DS wrapping paper and some stocking fillers for them both as well as some socks and a stocking filler for partner🤗

I have ordered two presents this morning. I am feeling quite unwell with a long term condition and this episode could last for a number of weeks, so if I don’t make a final push, things will not get finished. I really need to get the gift buying out of the way as its taking up too much headspace.

Sorry to hear you are unwell @Allthings. I like to be organised early too as a flare up can wipe me out for weeks or months at a time.

I ordered DD’s main present yesterday as on offer and now only need to think of one more gift for her. I need inspiration for DS and SIL.

@Openmouthinsertfood - that is incredible! Hope you’re not going to place it on top of a postbox? It’s a trend I’ve enjoyed but I always feel bad that these beautiful creations are left exposed to the elements.

@SkinnyOatFlatWhiteForMePlease that is exactly as to why I now feel I have no choice other than to start early. It’s a case of having to do things when I have the energy or I am physically able.

For a lot of years I wanted to make sure I was finished by the end of this month, but that was out of choice so I could kick back in December, but those were the days when I could do things quickly. I am getting fed up of having to chase my DC for a list/ideas. I also want to make sure I get DGC something that is wanted/needed and I am not duplicating or stealing thunder. It’s annoying the life out of me that I still don’t have said list. I also want to be able to look out for offers which was the kick to order a couple of things this morning.

I am going to an outlet village for a jaunt today - partly for clothes for me, and I have my eye on a casserole dish if the price is reasonable. But I will also have a look for presents while I am there.

@Allthings similar issues here, long covid sufferer and have to be really careful in managing my energy levels. I've been doing too much over the past two weeks (half term here in France) and need to rest this weekend otherwise I won't be fit for work on Monday (teacher). It's very very frustrating as there are still so many things I want to do in the house to get slowly ready for Christmas (clearing our cupboards, sorting through clothes and stuff that needs to go to the charity shop etc.) but I have to choose carefully (I've already used up a fair amount of energy this morning by having a shower 🙄). I'm torn between finishing organising the veranda so I can bring the plants in when it regularly drops below 10⁰c (soon), or dusting and hoovering the sitting room so I can snuggle down and read.

@AlicePottery I feel your pain and totally get the having to choose well. I have ME/CFS.

I am normally able to manage my energy (or lack of it) reasonably well by pacing and resting, but I had some unrelated issues, requiring meds and treatment, which has completely floored me. All I can do is go with the flow and rest, rest and rest.

Thankfully I started some sorting out, organising and shopping back in August and September, which is just as well as most of October has been a write off! Although the charity bag is still sat there, along with other things which I was going to sell.

@AlicePotteryand @Allthingsi think that’s all we can do sometimes, I am often my own worst enemy, my condition is autoimmune and overall reasonably well managed if I am sensible.

Today is a rest day where I have lots I could be doing but no energy to do it, I have sat and worked on Christmas lists instead.
@Allthingsmy kids know all requests have to be in for the end of September or they run the risk of Dad being deployed to finish the shopping and no one wants that 🤣.

Last Saturday I may have forgotten to mention I bought another Christmas magazine (possibly GH?) It was £9.99! DH borrowed from the library a swaithe more yesterday including one showing Xmas decorations... I like their spreads with suggested bits & bobs, and bought some gorgeous wrapping paper and tags from Emma Bridgewater and cards from Cambridge Imprint.
Last Sunday I decided to make some vegan suet puddings and found 2 old Xmas puddings which I chucked to use the pudding bowls!

I bought the good housekeeping, £9.99 feels very expensive. But it’s got some fun extras and I did some of the quiz book.

I made my Christmas cake using a time-honoured Stork recipe leaflet dating from the 1970s. It handily gives amounts for various diameters of round cake tins and measurements for square ones.
I use butter though not Stork, throwing monetary caution to the wind.

Thank you. 😊 I'm not going to yarn bomb it no. I also wonder about the rain and knitted items on street furniture. I have mine on an internal door, the front room door. Don't know where my next one is going to go! I think my brother might want it. It's complletely different to that wreath. I'll post a photo of it when it's finished too.

I bought a small (3.5 ft) Christmas tree yesterday, to take to our holiday cottage over Christmas. In the future, it can either go on the stairs or in my bedroom. I'm going to start making lists to prep for a little family Christmas party we're having a couple of days before we go on holiday.

Once DD goes back to school this week, on my non working days I'll be filtering out some toys and books that are too young and she no longer plays with to make room for the onslaught.

Her birthday is just after Christmas so the amount of stuff that comes into my house from relatives/friends at that time of year is very generous, but can be a bit overwhelming.

When I was a child, we used to have Indoor Fireworks at Christmas. I have occasionally bought them them for my family. Amazon have sets for around £14.99.

The trouble is the sets contain mainly rubbish items. For example Bengal Matches, just big bright ones.

The only good ones are the Mambo Snakes, sometimes with different names. They are like a volcano which spews out a spectacular long black snake.

I know it is possible to make your own, instructions on YouTube etc. but I really can’t be bothered nor would I trust a home made version.

So please does anyone know where I can buy just the mambo snakes without all the unwanted mouse-fart items?

I’ve got a bit behind where I planned to be by now honestly, we were away for half term and I’ve picked up an ear infection, plus focus has been Halloween for DD.

However last night I had quite a successful online shopping session, there’s a new baby in the family and I always get the new babies a little personalised robe from My 1st Years, noticed they had 50% off at the moment so I’ve ordered that for him. Also saw that the giant bars of Dairy Milk are in stock on Tesco online and on club card price so ordered those for the older nieces and nephews who tend to just want money these days - last year we gave them one of those and gave them a tenner in a card and it went down well so will be repeating, there’s 8 of them plus 3 little ones plus DD so a lot to buy for and if we can make it as simple as possible that’s the aim!

Booked tickets for a little kids theatre production at the local theatre on the Monday before, going with DD’s best friend and her mum as we did last year.

Saw an amazing gift for DD that I’d had on the list to get her at a seriously reduced price (this was week before last!) - just a couple left in Sainsbury’s so grabbed that.

I need to get wrapping paper and make a start on wrapping as that’s the thing I always leave till last minute and hate doing all in one go.

As we moved house this summer we need a new tree really - been dithering about a real one or a really nice, bigger fake one. Previous one is really tatty now and will look a bit lost in the new living room but I might put it up somewhere else where it can be a bit better disguised! I really love a real tree but artificial would mean I could get that sorted and ticked off the list sooner, plus put it up sooner and I’m hankering for an early one this year!

I managed to get 2 presents and some stocking fillers yesterday. Today, I plan coffee with friends and then working on crafts for a few hours.

Like several others we went to Sostrene Grene this week. We got tiny presents to go into table gift boxes (tiny cardboard boxes, wrapped in japanese fabric)... we used them as an alternative to crackers for one of the Christmas meals (crackers for the main dinner, this year from RSPB with pin badges in).

I’ve started sorting out the kids Christmas Eve hampers & stockings. I’ve bought some sweet and savoury snacks that have gone in the cupboard. Crackers for cheese. Mint sauce. Stuffing…

Today I bought Yorkshire puddings, and have put them in the freezer. Oh, and Nutella for the pancakes on Christmas Eve morning 😋

Today I made the gravy, I always make the Jamie get ahead gravy and I have to stop dh drinking it. It’s basically chicken soup 😆😆