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!

257

We are on our way home - i am quite looking forward to getting back now.

We did Kew Gardens lights a few times but thought it went downhill and it wasn't cheap. Havent been for years though.

Went to Blenheim Palace lights a couple of years ago and that was brilliant.

We did Lapland when the kids were little and it was amazing. I will try and remember the company name Meeces

I am finally ready to join you all - last Xmas was very emotional and stressful for me as we had a house fire end of November which resulted in us being out of our home for 4 months whilst it was completely renovated, so we spent Xmas in a Travelodge. Thankfully all the presents that I'd bought throughout the year were undamaged as they were in the garage but all our plans for Xmas went up in smoke literally. Son and DIL saved the day by inviting us to theirs which was lovely but I wasn't really in the right frame of mind as we were worrying about everything that was happening and where we would be "living" after the New Year whilst the work was done on our house.

We are now back home - about 90% unpacked and starting to let ourselves draw a line under it all (still have some things left to do but getting there). I have been following this thread and bargain thread 1 but not ready to join in until today when I just bought my first 5 stocking fillers 😀its early even for me but this year is going to be as special as I can make it.

Morning!

It's lovely and sunny here today. Bit windy though, still, but 10 mph less today than yesterday (30 vs 40). The bedding is being buffeted on the line and should dry quickly!

We've done the usual dog walk and I'm now contemplating cleaning the carpet (I couldn't do it the other day as the cleaner had a loose seal which meant water got inside it, so it needed to dry out). It desperately needs doing, so I should get my act together really!

@Gracesquirrel, I'm sorry to hear about the fire. Do they know what caused it?

I hope you enjoy planning your lovely Christmas throughout the year. I imagine it'll be a huge celebration for you.

@Gracesquirrel it sounds like you’ve really been through it.

I hope you are able to have the Christmas you deserve this year and it’s super special.

Battery fire - but not one of the lithium ones an ordinary household 9v battery in a recycling bag ironically the ones used in smoke detectors 🙄 we got "lucky" as the fire burned through the water pipes so it was being put out as fast as it was burning but that caused toxic smoke which got into everything. Just a totally fluke accident.

The family always teases me about my Xmas planning and shopping early but it paid off to an extent as I had nearly all the presents bought and wrapped before the fire as after it I was not in the right frame of mind to deal with it my whole focus was on what was going on with the house and with our living arrangements and trying to keep cheerful in public so as not to spoil anyone else's Xmas.

256

Morning! Very bright sunshine and bastard cold here. Hard frost round about the estate / in the woods. The dog loved it!

@Gracesquirrel, bloody hell. We have a bag of bloody batteries ready to be recycled. You just don't think about standard batteries going rogue.

Smoke damage is horrendous though, isn't it? It just permeates the fibres of everything.

I'm very glad you're back in the house and can make big plans for this year!

Morning. Bright and cold here. It’s back to school almost everywhere but LO has an inset day and it’s my day off so we’re at his favourite farm park. I didn’t realise it opened at 10 so we were a bit early and he was the only one here for half hour so he had free rein of the soft play.

Squirrel what an absolute fluke! I’m glad no one got hurt and your Christmas was ok but bloody hell!
I used to be very nonchalant about disposing of batteries but someone in the house insurance dept at work told me a few horror stories which has made me a lot more careful.
Here they take them with the recycling thankfully!

I really need to start on my baby blanket for SIL. I think she’s forgotten I said I’d make her one but I haven’t! Picked the pattern last night and am hoping as it’s repetitive it won’t take too long.
Plan is to start tonight, do some each night and use the weekly commute and solid crocheting time.

255

Morning!

It's my first day back after 11 days off. And I'm in the office. If people don't just leave me TF alone so I can catch up from being off, I'll be seriously annoyed (I am usually persistently badgered in the office).

I also have a headache. We were woken by the dog at just after 3 this morning as he's taken against the milkman for some reason. I had a headache when I woke up then, and it hasn't really improved since, despite taking paracetamol. I'm not sure the office will help it go away!

Morning!

Hope your headache goes away Fluffy

@Gracesquirrel awful to hear that - I had no idea batteries could do that. Hopefully you will have a doubly fabulous Christmas this year.

I'm not back till tomorrow and I'm invigilating for the next 2 months so it will be a nice change. Off to the gym shortly and hoping to get through the rest of the holiday washing by end of day.

The battery was in the recycling pouch ready to be put out with the collection 4 days later - needless to say we no longer store "dead" batteries inside the house.

Hope your headache has gone @NoWordForFluffy

Had the electrician here earlier to install a double socket in my "office" ready for full fibre install on Monday however I am now worrying about how they intend to get the fibre cable to my house without digging holes in my drive, just have to hope the existing ducting has room for another cable.

Also just got a call from one of the kitchen fitters who is going to call in on his way home this evening to tighten up the fancy tap we went for in the new kitchen and which seems to have loosened itself.

The headache went after the second dose of painkillers at about 10am. Thankfully!

We really must get rid of the mountain of dead batteries, wherever they are. Maybe in the garage.

I imagine there is room in the duct, @Gracesquirrel. (I do some work for a telecoms company.)

254

Morning!

It's really quite warm out there this morning. I was regretting my clothing choice while running with the dog and decided that shorts would've been better! 😱

My bulb lasagnes are looking lovely now. One of them is still a bit too rammed with stalks / leaves, but it has a load of grape hyacinths in there, with some unidentified white flowers and 1 lonely red tulip! The other has fewer stalks in it, and some pretty purple and pink flowers. Will they come back year on year? I'm assuming so.

Morning. Am on the train as its office day. Not in the mood in the slightest today and I have a training thing for a few hours. Will struggle to keep my eyes open.

I read somewhere that tulips are only good for 1 year and the next year all you’ll get is leaves. Not sure if it’s 100% true but it seems to be here. Some of My daffodil bulbs are probably 5 years old and come back each year but this year my tulips have been rubbish.

Same with my tulips @NoCheesesForUsMeeces , I was looking at pics from this time last year (I had planted them the previous autumn) and the little border was full of flowers. None at all this year so I’ll dig that border out in a few weeks and resolve to replace tulips every year if I decide I want them there still.

I know some do come back year after year, but it seems to be luck! I have some in pots that do well for more than one year in lasagnes like yours @NoWordForFluffy so I’ll maybe just stick to pots in the future.

Well, only one has appeared so far, so I may not notice any difference next year! 🙈🤣

@Gracesquirrel !
That is scary . We have a bag of batteries too , they will be put somewhere safe now.
I always take the batteries out of my Christmas lights and wreath before storage , and my Easter chicken lights that are still waiting to be put away <sigh>

I'm going to try making Monkey Bread - sweet dough like Cinnamon Buns but rollled into balls and baked in a pile . I need to look at the various flavourings , one had caramel syrup , another had butter/sugar/cinnamon . So Cinnamon Buns in another shape

I haven't planted bulbs , there were a couple of half arsed snowdrops a few weeks back then nothing more .
The DogWood has gone from twigs to full on leaf .

Please report back on the monkey bread!

it was mil funeral today, my ds13 cried so hard from the second we walked in until I got him back in the car. Ds10 didn’t know what to do with himself. We strongly suspect he’s neurodivergent and emotions mystify him.

I can’t believe we are nearly a third of the way through the year. Easter done, summer next.

I really have to do some planting at the allotment for Christmas.

253

Morning!

Another nice morning today. Bit cooler than yesterday, and still breezy, but we had a nice dog walk / run. I was taken to the woods where we bumped into another Labrador we know so we thankfully slowed down for a while so they could say hello!

As ever, we have washing to do, so that's in the machine to go out in a bit. Should dry quickly.

Fur, the funeral sounds like it was emotionally draining. It's always a relief to get past that bit, I find.

252 Morning. Nothing much to update here. Weather is grey and wet, work is work, life is busy. Am not progressing particularly well with any of things I should be as I have no motivation 🙄

70 I am most definitely not a baker however, I bought DH a mixer for Christmas and am thinking it may mean I can try baking some basics like bread and monkey bread (but def not cinnamon flavoured for me). Any hints or tips please?

Dame I’m binning my tulips on the weekend and I’ll do some research on what bulbs will come back repeatedly. My aim for flowers is to basically top them up each spring but have a lot of things that take care of themselves.
I have 2 evergreen something or others out the front (different but pretty year round), daffs, a little tree and I’ve realised that some of my hanging baskets that I abandoned in the autumn because of building works blocking th garden are coming back to life on their own now.

Fur I’m sorry your DS’s are having such a hard time (and you and DH but I think it’s extra hard for tweens/teens as their feelings are so big and muddled).

what will you be planting for Christmas? When I started my attempt at gardening I had visions of growing the carrots, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower etc for the day but haven’t actually managed any of it seems yet.

Palindrome Number today !

FurFork funerals are surreal , you can plan for them but once you are there it feels unreal . You see people you haven't seen for ages and it isn't in circumstances you would want to meet up . Takes a while to come to terms with .

Meeces , I used the Paul Hollywood recipe , I have never watched BakeOff but he's a Baker so why not !

I use soya milk it makes it more bouncy and puffy . I froze half last time and baked them at Easter , provided they have time to defrost slowly , they work really well.
I might do some Monkey Bread and some Banana Buns (like a Chelsea Bun with those crispy banana chips and pecans )
I'll report back how it works .

Thanks for your kindness guys.

@NoCheesesForUsMeeces I’m going to plant spouts, two varieties of cabbage, pumpkins, parsnips and carrots. Not sure I can be bothered with potatoes this year.

Potatoes are the only ones I'm doing. I've got 3 grow sacks for them on the go. They've not sprouted yet, however.

We've had rain again briefly today. But it's now lovely sunshine.

251

Morning!

Beautiful day here.

Off to the gym shortly then meeting friends in town for lunch and drinks but it has been such a busy week I can't be arsed. I know I will have a good time once I am there but just fancy a day pottering in the garden. Hopefully the weather will be nice tomorrow so I can potter then.

It’s really lovely looking today, but chilly!