50 days to go and counting...time to get organised as the big man is on his way soon! Countdown to Christmas 2025, thread 3

[NoWordForFluffy]

50

Here we go...time to go go go all the way to the big day.

PSA: you need lots of batteries and sellotape, plus tin foil! #yourewelcome

I found this in Aldi earlier. I decided it may be a reasonable substitute for the M&S one which isn't happening this year!

Thanks for the new thread @NoWordForFluffy
50 days! 🎄
I bought more foil this morning! 😊
I'm also going to get some foil trays (to cut down on the washing up..) from lakeland next time I'm in town

Chiming in

Ooh thanks for the new thread Fluffy and for the Aldi find. I spotted their orange and cranberry mulled wine the other day and wondered if they were going to be doing a Buck’s Fizz version.

I’m almost done, just some photos to print and a few small things to get. I feel very accomplished

Hello! Can I join you? I think I was on these threads maybe in previous years…

Fifty days! I’ve got the Christmas cake in the oven. I made the gravy yesterday. And I’ve done a boots order for stocking fillers for the boys in my life.

im having surgery next Friday so I need to go and do some in person shopping for Santa bits tomorrow if I can manage.

It was DH's idea to pop to Aldi for Christmas stuff hunting, so we can thank him for the Buck's Fizz find (I mean, I physically found it, but wouldn't have been in there if it wasn't for him!).

I'm very very close to being done too. I've everything for the kids and DH (birthday and Christmas for him as his birthday is 23/12), and only really need to sort my dad out now. I'm considering getting stuff wrapped!

👋

Was it you who made the Jamie gravy? Do you swerve the star anise?

Good luck with the surgery. I hope you won't be out of action for too long.

I have made my Jamie gravy! I was brave and put half the star anise it it and took it out before the boil. DH declared it delicious. I have three tubs in the freezer, two to us and one for mil.

my yorkies and carrots are in the freezer too. I’ve got red cabbage to make and sprouts to peel. I’ve book Ocado, m&s and farm gate turkey. So Christmas can happen even if I’ll be on crutches!

I had carpal tunnel surgery on 12 Dec last year, and Christmas still happened. Not exactly as I wanted it, but close enough!

It’s going so quick!! 😱😱

I officially started buying Christmas presents yesterday (I already had a few but I purposefully went in charity shops looking for them yesterday and got a few things) 😁

What sort of things did you get in the charity shop?

@NoWordForFluffy I got a very serious chest infection last Christmas and barely avoided hospital. I hadn’t done anything! No gravy, no delivery booked. It was a bit of a damp squib. We know what we like in this house 😆

Thanks for the new thread Fluffy

I think I'm pretty close to organised for presents. I need some stuff for the stockings that I'll pick up when I go shopping with my daughters later this month and some sweets that I'll add to my supermarket list over the next three weeks so they'll all be bought by the end of the month.

My butcher order has been sorted for about a month and I'm buying a voucher every week so it should all be paid for by the time I pick it up. I've got a click & collect shop booked for the 23rd for a few bits. I'll start my make ahead food in December once I've made space in the freezer. I have bought a chocolate panettone already and I've got some novelty ice cream shapes in the freezer. I'll probably ask on the Poncetastic thread about freezing cranberry sauce - I'm planning on making my own as only half a jar gets eaten so I did think I could make some, freeze it in an ice cube tray and only defrost as much as it needed.

FurForksSake I've had a couple of Christmases recently where we have been bereaved in late November/early December. The year my mum died it would have been a poor show if I hadn't been an early planner as I was pretty much floored from when she was hospitalised on Remembrance Sunday to the funeral in mid December so unexpected events like that are always in the back of my mind when people roll their eyes at my organisation.

50?! Really? That makes me slightly panicky as I so far have absolutely nothing and haven’t even started planning

Thanks for the new thread @NoWordForFluffy and Happy Birthday.
I have made the mini Christmas cakes and bottled the damson gin and apricot brandy plus the fig chutney is made.

I got a vintage magazine, ornaments, a plant pot, plushies/teddy bears, craft kits, a stress ball and cushion covers 😁

Happy Birthday @NoWordForFluffy

We have:
Costco roll of foil
Batteries in the snazzy battery storage box
ScotchTape on a heavy dispenser (that grows legs and wanders off into DS room ....)
Good supply of The Snowman Loo Roll

I need to get
Costco BinBags
Paramol
Cough Sweets

I'm leaving the sprouts till the beginning of December , I'm going to put them in the microwave then the air fryer then a bit of a simmer in the slow cooker till Christmas morning. I'm going to live dangerously and go for not quite raw this year .

Planning a weekend Costco trip to suss out bargains -and binbags

Seven weeks time it'll be Christmas Eve

We didn't get through a huge amount of Snowman loo roll last year. I think we have about 2/3 of those packs left we all got last year!

You're late with the sprouts, 70, mine are already on!

I have almost finished the Christmas present shopping and we have stocked up on Pringles from B and M as they are currently under £2 a tube which is unusual these days.

I will probably cheat with frozen Brussels and carrots this year as I am working Christmas Eve so less time to prep and my arthritis isn’t very helpful for peeling currently.

I can’t decide if I want snowman toilet roll this year. I’ve got robin kitten towel and might go for the same toilet roll.

I need to buy foil, I’m going to pop to b&m and the range tomorrow to pick up some bits so I’ll check their turkey foil.

49

Did you have a nice birthday @NoWordForFluffy ? Well done on the bucks fizz find, I still haven't written back to the M&S customer service man to moan for giving us false excitement!!

Going to copy you with the making and freezing of the Jamie gravy @FurForksSake I hate making gravy on Christmas Day.

Still got (tonnes) snowman loo roll here.

I did, Magnolia, thank you.

I don't mind making gravy on the day itself. A massive vat of it! 😋

I got the Pringles in Tesco a while ago as they were £1.75. No more £1 Pringles, sadly!

No snowman toilet roll here - I’m the poster whose niece was beyond upset at the idea of wiping her bum on the snowman so I haven’t bothered with it for the last year or so.

I have never been in charge of making Christmas gravy. If it was just for me, DH and LO I’m sure it would be fine as I make great gravy but if I had to make a lot for hosting I think I’d be a bit stressed - we all feel like good gravy makes the dinner!

Yesterday I received the message from school confirming the date of LOs Christmas show. First one - I’m not ready. I’ve warned DH I’m going to make a complete tit of myself and cry 🥺

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces
My oldest dd has her postgrad graduation 2nd week of December...I will be emotional 😊

Oh!
It's me...swampwitch

I went Christmas shopping! Limped round the shops very slowly but I have acquired stocking stuff. I’m feeling a tad festive! I need to get dh to help me wrap the Christmas cake; I sub luxed my shoulder last night so can’t lift anything!