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

Hello!
I have come to join as i have no one in real life to talk chirstmas about, hope you dont mind! I usually hang out on the bargains threads so recognise a few names on here! 👋

I've just attempted a sort of my wardrobe and airing cupboard where the presents are kept. My goodness, it looks no better after an hour of sorting. I give up!

I've got a week off in December so I shall wrap everything then whilst DS is in school and DH at work. Peace and quiet, Christmas film on and a glass or two of Baileys with my rapesco tape dispenser!!😁

I booked cinema tickets for Xmas eve the other day which I cant wait for! We've never been on xmas eve so looking forward to hopefully something that can become a tradition. I'd looked for Home Alone tickets but they only had single seats, I was showing my son later on the same day and a new time had been added so I quickly got them booked!

Decorations don't go up until second weekend of December as we have a birthday before then. I've got an Asda voucher i'm eager to spend on some new baubles but holding out as i'm sure they were reduced early December last year.

Elf on the shelf this year im being brave and starting 1st December, he usually only comes the week run up to the big day but son was asking last year why his elf hadn't come yet but his friends had 🙈 Kind elf in our house, no naughty antics here thankfully!!

Today we were meant to go see Santa, also booked an event for next Saturday but both cancelled as son really doesnt like Santa. DS is asd and adhd so Xmas time can be quite difficult and meltdown inducing. I thought this year might be the year that he would be up for a Santa visit but never mind, its not a necessity!

Me and DH did the local Xmas market yesterday, Liverpool, and was disappointed. Lots of the same stalls and very expensive! Whats the need for 3 Yorkshire pudding places, 4 of the same hot chocolate stands, 3 brownie stalls, 2 hash browns stalls?! A bit of variety and no repetition would have been better.

Making my way slowly through this thread and am getting more excited now! The flavoured bucks fizz looks delicious! Gutted I missed out on the gammon as I was only in Sainsburys yesterday! Ill try again next time i'm in there.

My goodness im waffling on now sorry!

Oh, and I bought my bargain turkey a couple months ago, £3! Same one is now £20 in Asda. Also still got foil from last year after running out the previous year 🙈 Managed to pick up some extra large stuff heavily reduced and still have alot left. So I feel a little more organised than what I probably actually am!

I'm only waiting on onr more gift (for dh) to be delivered 🎁😊
Just been to tesco (not my usual shop) and they have some lovely christmas homewares

I have genuinely got my sprouts on! I bought a big bag with this week's shopping so I'm blanching them for the freezer while I'm preparing dinner. I also bought foil @ILoveCatsAndKittens and baking parchment and cooking salt.

Hello @ILoveCatsAndKittens
and welcome .
I need to get some more baking parchment but I have a new box of Costco foil so that should last me several lifetimes !

I was in Aldi for my Washing Powder/ Dishwasher Tablets stock up . I was >< this close to buy a door wreath , they were nice but I have a prelit outdoor one already .

Got my update from Cat Protection ( I sponsor a pen) they were promoting older cats .
My CPL moggies are sibling black cats , he is shy , she is bolshy . I did try telling them they were lucky to have us as black shy cats are hard to home and as they get older ....... well he's giving me The Look now parked next to the cat door (it is tipping down) telling me that he only stays because it suits him and they are saving another cat from living with us .
Little swine , he loves us really . Female Cat is on my bed tucked into a fold in the duvet .

We all went up to London yesterday , (Pompei Virtual ) then DS headed home and the rest of us pottled along Oxford Street .

And I got the Good Housekeeping Dec issue so I'm going to have a hair mask/face mask.shower and read in a while .
Just watching some flapjacks cool down first

My ds is also autistic with PDA profile. Christmas for him looks very different than most. We can now wrap his presents. But he must know every single one. No surprises. Therefore at 8 there’s no Santa. Though he keeps it alive for his younger siblings. He doesn’t quite understand why we “pretend”

some years he can tolerate a Christmas tree even one in his room. Other years we can’t have a single tree out. Same with lights some years are ok some years not at all.

we are attempting to go away for Christmas this year. Which will be interesting

That'll be good to try somwthing different by going away. Do you have to prepare your son for change or does he take it well? My DS likes his routine and any change we have to prepare for. Something unexpectantly happening caused alot of distress and anxiety.

My son is nearly 8. Hes never liked Santa, hes very aware of stranger danger so I think he links it to that. Its confusing when children are told not to talk to strangers, but then Santa comes along once a year and theyre encouraged to speak to him and even sit on his knee......but realistically hes a stranger!

This year ive put alot less pressure on xmas things, like I said I cancelled today and next weekend. We've got the cinema for Xmas eve which son loves the cinema and he really cant wait for this! Our Xmas dinner on the day is usually sons favourite, pizza! This year we are having a breakfast as hes enjoying a cooked breakfast.

I've slowly learnt to do what works best for us as a family, not what everyone else does. He really struggles with school in the run up to Xmas as routine is completely out of the window and he relies heavily on his routine.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget how were the flapjacks?! I love flapjacks, I haven't made any for ages though! What flavour did you make?

Yes i need baking parchment too!!! Thank you for this!

@70isaLimitNotaTarget oh I love the cat chat! We had our boy pts a few years back and im still not properly over him, he was only 3, he had a heart problem. It all happened so suddenly, within the space of a few hours. I would love another cat one day, I miss him slinking into bed at night and curling up to me purring down my ear!

@ILoveCatsAndKittens

My DC are 26 and 23 so visits to Father Christmas are a long distant memory - though I saw an advert for a Steam Railway doing special events , we took our two a couple of times and they loved it . Less hanging about as the waiting was on board the train not standing in a queue .

None of the photos (except one ) I have of them were sitting on Santas knee . even back then , children stood beside or sat beside . Sad how this had to change but I guess there are risks out there .
Only one photo was of my DD sitting on Santas lap at Nursery but she was a tiny girl and the Santa was one of the (female) Nursery staff

They are delicious , I use SoupDragons recipe , (condensed milk one ) no flavouring . Though bloody Alexa didn't set my alarm so they had a minute too long but still squidgey and delicious .

Cats definitely add their own home ambience but wreck your furniture and carpets .
On a MN post a few years back , I saw the idea of the Badly Wrapped Present From The Cats . Ours will "spend" ( not their own money obvs for they are tight fisted little swine) £10 on DD and DS . DD has a Baby Guinness set ( two glasses , Baileys and Tia Maria )
She's also got a Baileys gift set I bought her earlier . I wrap the present as cack handedly with enough tape to hold it , then stick a lump of fur in. I'll move the coffee table and there will be enough to knit a new cat .
DS will get £10 and be happy .

There's a thread on LitterTray about aged cats , (my old girl was 17yo) it is tragically sad when like your boy they die so young . You really don't imagine that a young cat can become so ill at that age .

When you feel the draw of a new cat , I can heartily recommend Black Cats .

Definitely prepare him. Social stories, pecs. We have a half term pecs board and he has to see what’s happening every day. Ie home, trip etc.

my boy is also 8. But he’s my 3rd to be diagnosed. So far 4 out of 5 have been diagnosed with autism. Though the 5th is our 11 week old baby.

I think that’s part of the issue we experience. He doesn’t like strangers, with the stranger danger side of things. I couldn’t say hello to someone in the street being polite because he would freak out as they are strangers. Trains etc we have to make sure no one is sat next to him. So window seat only for him.

we go out for Christmas dinner. We get our traditional dinner. He gets his pizza they make just how he likes. And they serve bread and butter for my other one whose diet is limited. I find it takes the pressure off everyone more.

we also don’t need family over meal times during the period because of the “oh try this” “just a little bite” thinking they are being helpful.

32

@70isaLimitNotaTarget I love your badly wrapped present from the cat and am going to do some from our cat.

Its absolutely tipping it down here - it was yesterday as well but I still braved the shops and did a bit of IRL shopping. Am making cheese hampers for the in laws so had to go and purchase baskets but I didn't want to spend a fortune so I got some cheap storage trays from Ikea. I've made green tomato chutney and raspberry vodka and christmas pudding vodka to go in with the cheeses and crackers.

I'm waving to everyone who is visiting London this weekend or in the next few days,👋

Morning!

It's wet and windy today. We're on a breezy dog walk!

Our trees are up. I decorated the lounge one yesterday and I'll do the hall one today. I do love the twinkly lights of it! 🎄

I need to pop and see the parents later, then do some cleaning. Exciting times!

Forgot the photo.

Lovely tree! @NoWordForFluffy 🎄😊
Ours will be up next Sunday 🙌
I've just lobbed the chicken in the oven for lunch
I've washed the xmas Ralph Lauren table runner I got from tkmaxx
I've got two more gifts to get (voucher and some wine) and I'm waiting on one more delivery

@sunshineandrain82 oh it really annoys me all the "just try him" then acting shocked when he doesnt actually eat what ive said he doesnt like!

Loving the cat wrapping, that's so funny! I actually properly laughed at you sticking cat fur into the wrapping as well!

@NoWordForFluffy your tree is beautiful!!

@ILoveCatsAndKittens, don't start me on 'Just try him'! DS is borderline ARFID, so no, actually, I won't 'try him'. 🙄 He's also selectively mute, so that's another battle ('Aren't you going to speak to me?').

I've just decorated the hall tree now. 🎄 Time for a sit down and a Baileys!

Lovely trees @NoWordForFluffy

Note with <envy that you have more than one tree .

DD and I wafted along to Bluewater probably won't go back pre-Christmas as it it so busy at weekends and anything I need I can buy online . I just had FOMO and wanted to see the decorations .

There was a really nice Christmas Shop there ( I don't need any wrapping or boxes but they had really lovely ones )

We have 3 trees, 70! The kids have a far less tasteful tree in their lounge! 🎄🎄 (They also have little trees in their rooms, but I don't count those!)

I am considering a trip to somewhere to buy a very fancy decoration on Friday. Just need to think where is close to me (staying at Tower Bridge, travelling home from Euston). If any London-ites have ideas, shout out!

Omg yes the lack of understanding around ARFID. Ds is diagnosed but I also suspect my youngest girl. She eats a pack lunch 3 times a day. But of course it’s just fuzzy eating. They don’t have to deal with feeding tubes etc.

I’m bracing for lakeside tomorrow. It’s our final Costco trip till after Christmas. Hoping being a week day it’s somewhat quieter

It's not too bad on a weekday , I went a couple of weeks ago on a Friday .
Bought a jacket , socks and Phillips beard trimmer for DS which bumped the bill up !

Shes lucky to get an ARFID diagnosis! Don't take that the wrong way, I'm in Liverpool and they don't diagnose here. Same with sensory processing difficulties, son is SPD and again not much understanding from people around that either. "Oh its only a spot of water on his hand, whys he crying" yes but he feels that as burning hot lava that affects his entire body and can not tolerate it and hasnt got the understanding either!🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️