Woooooooahhhhh, we're half way there! Countdown to Christmas 2026 (thread 2)

[NoWordForFluffy]

183

Phew, it's a scorcher!

Happy birthday to 70's DD. Best date for a birthday ever!

That is gutting news Fur
Hopefully he'll find something, out is a daunting task in the job market at the moment but between now and March he can be searching out colleagues, even competitors and through the grapevine .

Bank Holiday Monday , the last Bank Holiday of the year always feels a bit Autumnal to me . I think I should be cooking something spontaneous and healthy like Nigel Slater would do after sifting about in his garden .
But it never works like that 🤔

It is a daunting task. ( I'm on my pesky tablet so it keeps autocorrecting)

117

Morning! Somehow the countdown went awry again! I saw something yesterday while out drinking, so it's a miracle I remembered it! which tipped me off that it had gone wrong.

Lovely morning here, after it hammered down overnight. More rain and thunderstorms due from early afternoon. At least the plants will be happy!

Fur sorry to read your news. I hope your DH finds something quickly.

116

Morning.

I agree with you 70 re the last bank holiday, I feel like I should be doing something serious in the garden then baking an apple and blackberry crumble with wild foraged apples but in reality I will probably stay on the sofa with some crisps and yesterday's papers.

DS went to training quite early so I did manage to lever myself out of bed to make him a packed breakfast.

Morning, thank you for your kindness.

we had rhubarb crumble from the allotment yesterday, that felt autumnal.

ive got a free trial of readly and there are some Christmas magazines on there I might browse on my iPad. I prefer physical but these aren’t ones I would buy.

Morning. I'm back from a rather wet dog walk. It was that really heavy rain that starts without warning, with a whoosh! Then it kept pretending to stop, before going whoosh again. 🙄 I was wet through to the skin by the time we got back. FluffyDog had a brilliant time though, with lots of sniffing and puddles to drink from.

I'm off to the parents briefly to put the plants we got on Friday into pots. Apparently they couldn't do it without a trowel 🙄, which is baffling to me! I'll just do it for them, as it will be quicker and less painful. 🤣

It definitely feels autumnal out there today. 🍂

To be fair @NoWordForFluffyour parents are often baffling.

Not doing much today, I really can't be bothered. So may watch one of the two series I am watching or read. I need to do some washing as well.

115

Morning!

The weather ended up being dry and breezy yesterday, after my soaking, so we got a load of washing nigh-on dry. It finished off in the downstairs loo on the wall racking we have for the task.

It's sunny but chilly today, and definitely not 100% light when we set off for the dog walk. We go a different way when it's not light, and the clever doggo knew to turn left not right today (right takes us through the woods, which I tend not to do when it's dark(er)).

Back to work today. Boooo! So disappointing.

Hope you have a nice back to work day Fluffy.

I am back at the gym today, yuk, haven't been for a month as I froze my membership for August. I did plenty of swimming on holiday and a few weights when I got back but that was it so this morning will be punishing.

Got a wash on the line and there is a definite slight chill in the air so it is starting to feel more autumnal.

I got my order from Rex in a big box but I am not opening it till the end of November.

September 1st !
So into the final third of the year .
Late Summer, possibly another last kick at a heatwave then there's always what they call an "Indian Summer"
I start eyeing up my winter clothes , saying 'no not yet' for the winter coats and boots.

I'll go up to That Larndan because Bluewater is a pain to get away from ( roundabout to the tunnel) and I'll get FOMO if I stay away from London though Oxford Street is a bit rubbish .Plenty other places though.

I think we have our Christmas trips all planned so I don't need to worry there ( Christmas lights trip and weekend in Leeds)
Don't want to overdo it !

I’ve taken today off work as school have an inset day meaning DH is in but LO isn’t. We’re having a final Mammy and LO day of fun before it all changes 😩
In reality this means I let him choose what to do this morning and he chose soft play. After this we have a dr appointment then he’s going to help me prep veg for a roast (he loves this as he loves ‘stealing’ the raw veg and eating it while I pretend not to notice).
Then it’s bath, get uniform and bag laid out and bed.

Im being productive in soft play - I’ve got a notebook and am trying to come up with present ideas for the kids I need to buy for. They’re at PITA ages and they all have lots so it’s hard (girls 14, 12 and 8, boys 16 and 8).

Also, just checked the calendar and December looks very light right now. There’s my works do and a theatre trip booked but that’s it.
Nearer the time I’ll arrange a visit to the Christmas shop as the Santa is amazing, and maybe the harvester Santa breakfast. Plus I think the cinema will be showing Christmas classics so I’d like to take LO to see one (I’m thinking we’ll both wear Christmas jumpers and take Christmas snacks). Plus the traditional putting up the tree day which is nice in itself.

Need to not overdo it though, it’s going to be busy in work for me and DH!

Also, forgot to say, I went to Morrisons yesterday with my mam. Wandered off to buy spring bulbs, came back and she’d bought LO a bloody advent calendar.
They had half an aisle of Christmas snacks and stuff

When I did an Ocado order last week they were already selling Advent Calendars and Xmas stuff.

Hope your first day back at work goes well Fluffy

I went to Lidl today and they had Celebrations for £3.95 (3 per customer)

We are starting to put out the Christmas decorations in work now! Some people have grumbled but I’m excited. I love working in a garden centre!

Are you at a chain of garden centres, Pearl, or is it independent? I got a £10 voucher for my mum's purchases on Friday, and I want to get some Christmas bits with it. I'm wondering when to visit again (I have to spend it before 30 Nov).

Just saw Sainsbury's are doing the same. Don't think it was celebrations though. Might be Quality street but you need a nectar card to get the offer.

Did the back garden today. Struggling a bit mentally at the moment so I think it did me some good getting outside.

Still wearing my summer dresses but now with tights and doc martens.

You came to me! Dobbies. After halloween the full range of christmas launches, but it's being introduced now already. Enjoy your voucher, get something nice!

114
Which means in a couple of weeks we'll be into the hundreds !
My DD used to love watching the schoolchildren going back in their new uniforms , the Reception start a couple of weeks later . She says they are so tiny , carrying massive great book bags ( well, massive compared to them ) in bright red for our school.
Less keen on the secondary pupils who barge onto the buses , don't queue , yellow and shriek and block the stairs when people are trying to get up or down .
Looking back through my bleary rose tinted glasses, I'm sure they didn't behave like this when ,one were school age ( probably did)

I'm doing the housework and beds today, it's never ending but I have unearthed some blank pretty notebooks and when I sit down to have a coffee I think I will start planning the Holiday Grand Plan.

I think you do it 70, I started once but fell off about the 3rd week.

Excited to see the garden centre decs

I do the Christmas Clean a Long .
I do some lists of things I need to do then it looks good and very cathartic to tick them off . Of course a lot of them are not a one off .
I have a Fakey -FiloFax to do lists, write ideas as I think of them , meals and shopping lists.
I was thinking of buying some small cake tins but I won't use them again and they'll just clutter up space , so empty,washed and lined small baked bean tins . We eat baked beans anyway and I have baking parchment . So I can do maybe six small cakes and decorate three of them .

ooooh yes it was the Christmas Clean along I was thinking of.

I actually really just want to take my entire house to the tip then start again. Might be better to just do it room by room though.

I did the baked bean mini cakes a few years ago and lining the tins made me want to eat my own head. Then when I finally decorated them they looked really shit and nothing like the ideas I had at the start.

😆 IKWYM
The lining of the tins always seems to be a geometric puzzle , I measure and fold a neat crease , decide where to put folds and corners, then because it is non stick , it won't stay in place !!
It's only me that eats Christmas Cake and I don't like shop bought . I might just try Stollen . I'll get the marzipan and fruit but it won't hang about the kitchen getting moved from one counter to another .

DH and DD might try it , they don't eat the cake but might convince them with this .