Here we go again...Countdown to Christmas 2026 (Thread 1)

[NoWordForFluffy]

365

Evening!

I'm a bit tipsy and very tired, but it's been a good day.

Round 2 tomorrow with the roast dinner!

Im on my way to Abba voyage.

Interested in this day off during lent malarkey. Already desperate for chocolate.

70 did you do the Friday Greggs run? I am thinking of chocolate croissants.

If you don’t take your Sundays I think you do 44 or 46 days. I think you might get saints days off too, so that might help. And the chocolate in a Greggs chocolate croissant is probably chocolate adjacent and not actual chocolate. Ooh! You can have penguin biscuits! That isn’t chocolate any more, it’s brown flavoured covering.

Ohhhh enjoy ABBA Voyage @Magnoliasunrise it is marvellous .
There were a couple of the songs I didn't recognise but even so it is very sing-a-long .I did look up the list of songs after and thought "Oh , I do recognise the name after all , just not the song! "
I wonder if they'll add some new songs to the list ? I'm sure ABBA Voyage will keep on running
EDA - we could tell who was going on the train, some people had some sequins , some were properly dressed up. I wore a sequin top , DD had a merchandise ABBA TShirt .

No Greggs tradition today, DD is WFH and a bit sinus-impaired (she is blaming me for bringing lurgy back from my work !)

The Day Off Lent must be more of a test , if you slip off the wagon it is harder to get back on ? I haven't given anything up though .

I observed lent until I was 18 or 19, some years it was quite random. One yes it was yoghurt. I did not take Sundays off. The yoghurt I enjoyed at the end was amazing.

@Magnoliasunrise Ooh i’d love to go to Abba voyage! Hope you’re having a great night.

Re- Lent, my soon to be 7 year old has given up jellies/sweets off his own back. He’s struggling immensely 😂 You can see the regret in his eyes

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Abba voyage was brilliant. Ditto with the tube 70 you can spot who is going. We got 2 dance floor tickets with Virgin experience for £138 so £69 each which I thought was quite reasonable. We were right up at the front so great view and loads of space to dance. Also there is an Abba before and after party at snoozebox next to the venue which was also brilliant. And they had cocktails on draft!!

I will be lying quietly on the sofa today though trying not to move my head.

Glad you enjoyed Abba Magnolia. That is a show I really want to see.
Just for fun, we are wallpapering our bedroom today.

You need a quiet time after @Magnoliasunrise it is full on DD and I had coffee (I don't drink anyway and DD didn't want anything alcohol , though most people were drinking Aperol Spritz which is her favourite tipple ) .
It is weird that you're watching lights ! But your brain very quickly gets you into believing your eyes .
We did DanceFloor too (been twice for pre Christmas Night Out )

DH will be painting the bathroom soon, but I need to buy paint first (white gloss and some green bathroom paint) . No wallpapering (I don't envy you @GrannyWeatherwaxsBroomstick ) but it will need emptied , cleaned and everything covered . It'll look like a a "Dexter" crimescene .

This week we'll have the second Rudolph Day , there are some mini Christmas Puddings lurking in the pantry that want to be eaten.

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I ended up eating christmas cake out of the freezer yesterday my carb cravings were so great.

I'm impressed you went twice 70.

Good luck with the wallpapering Granny. I did it last year and it was a faff but once i got the hang of it it went up quite quickly. Quicker than the dreaded painting anyway. I did paste the wall which means you don't need a table.

Morning!

Shhhhh...I have a headache! I met a friend in Liverpool yesterday for a late lunch and drinks. It was lovely, but I maybe drank a bit too much! 🍻 🤢

The weather was appalling yesterday afternoon / evening. It's meant to be dry until this evening here today. Time to get the bedding washed and dried anyway.

We’re having a very slow start here. LO woke at 1am and accidentally smacked me in my face when I was picking him up - this kick started a lot of dental pain and I didnt get to sleep until at least 2:30 so DH let me sleep until 9:45 which was amazing.

Am now sat with a drink, having a scroll while LO plays ‘superhero’s and boats’ in the bath 😂 and DH is out doing the food shopping.

Will stick a wash on and tidy up then send robot hoovers around when we go out (ILs for lunch then cinema).
Once home I’m planning to take it easy. This infection is really taking it out of me and I just feel sore and under the weather (but not exactly ill, it’s so strange).

Was thinking about Christmas while I couldn’t sleep last night. Was thinking of giving LO a trip as a Santa present rather than a physical
thing that will take up space but not sure if he’ll be old enough to understand properly (he’ll be almost 5).

Ouch @NoCheesesForUsMeeces that must've hurt ! I've had my share of DC inflicted injuries over the years when they were little . Total accidents but still hurt !

Nearly 5yo is a lovely age for Christmassey trips , their excitement is high but you're not having to think of Mega Trips like Lapland .
I have never been to Lapland UK but something like that , it is all planned out .
Or a short trip away somewhere (mine would've loved CentreParcs or Butlins in the Christmas Lead Up , not actual Christmas itself )

we have finished the bedroom and it looks amazing. Trying to get my head around ice hockey at the moment.
5 is an amazing time for Christmassy trips. They are so excited by it all.

Ouch Meeces - having flashbacks to amazing black eyes following a head butting on the bridge of my nose from DS when he was a toddler.

we have done a post Christmas trip to Disney Land Paris when DD2 was in reception class and a Center Parcs trip over Christmas week when DS was just coming up to 5. Both magical and talked about still and my youngest is 19. We've come full circle now everyone is an adult and are buying experiences rather than things.

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces hope you are feeling better.

Went to a Lunar New Year celebration today and it DIDN'T RAIN!!!

305 I have spent the day worrying about DS because he has his first mock GCSE today

Ooh, I hope it went well or at least he is able to gauge how he needs to make it work for the summer.

Thanks for all the sympathy. LO is usually pretty gentle but I’ve had an infection following dental treatment and he gave me quite a hard whack 😩
Thankfully I appear to be on the mend.

The Christmas present I was thinking of would be a day out somewhere in the days between Christmas and new year so he wouldn’t have to wait (a theme park or something) or maybe a night in legoland?

When will he find out how he did in the exam
Granny?

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Ohh exams/mocks , even worse straight after Half Term.
I remember the angst "Don't bother me/Don't talk to me / Don't offer me dinner/Don't forget to offer me coffee/Don't look at me funny- I have EXAMS " episodes .
I just breathe, think "Yes been there,done that" and they emerge civilised .

I am going to faff about buying paint today , and wander into TKMaxx . That's fitting around the dropping off and picking up people in the household .

Morning!

Meeces, I hope you're feeling better now. I had a head butt to my nose from DS as a baby. No black eye, but dear god it hurt! Thankfully I didn't also have a tooth infection at the same time.

Rudolph Day tomorrow. Not sure I'll be doing anything Christmassy though!

Granny, I hope the mocks go well.

We have dry weather again. I might need to hunt a load of washing out!

Fingers crossed for the exams. At least English Literature is over which is his least favorite.
But, the sun is out and the washing is on the line and my coffee machine has finally been collected for its service.

Plus, I'm ready for Rudolph day. I got a spare Christmas cake out and marzipanned and iced it.

Gosh this Rudolph day came quickly! My Christmas cactus is flowering, so it seems apt.

I have seriously got into the swing of my xmas prep for 2026!
So far we have booked our meal out for xmas day, as this last xmas I found a bit too hard hosting with a toddler and husband being ill!
We have booked our Christmas light walk already (it sells out so fast)
I have even started xmas shopping and bought some presents including lego for my husband that he wanted, that had gone on sale so seemed silly not to get it now!
We are just waiting for the lapland UK tickets to be released as this was such a magical experience for our toddler we want to go again!

@70isaLimitNotaTarget please can you post your flapjack recipe again, need to make something sweet at the weekend to stave off the chocolate pangs.

Not doing anything for Rudolph Day either, I am seeing a friend for coffee on Thursday in a different area of London so might have a mooch round the shops there and maybe get a couple of gifts for the dwindled gift drawer.

I'm impressed with the Rudolph Day flowers/cake.

And YIPPPPEEE too for a drying day tomorrow @NoWordForFluffy I will also be sticking a wash out finally.