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!

How could I have missed the countdown number was "111"
That is palindromic plus 😆

Bucks Fizz isn't on my To Buy List as none of us drink it . I'll be looking for a nice whisky for DH though.

110

How remiss of you, 70! We'll have to save 99 for you!

It's shitting down here right now. It's set to stop and be dry / windy by about 12, so we are planning our washing around the - hopefully correct - forecast (combined with our half price electricity starting at 11!).

What is pleasing about the weather turning us that our bedroom got to 17° last night...I even had a point where I was cold! Whoop whoop! 😁😁 Finally. I much prefer a cool bedroom.

We're going to take the dog out shortly. We aren't going to bother taking the kids in this weather as I can't be doing with the whinging.

We did get out yesterday, to the wetland place locally. Where we had the most adorable encounter with 7 ducklings who'd clicked we had food and came charging towards us for it (proper bird seed you buy from the place)!

Oh the duckling are beautiful Fluffy.
I'm looking out for the flying geese that will soar across our skies in a "V" shape.
I don't know if this year's goslings are big enough to fly yet ?

Half price electricity Sunday too.
So tomorrow we'll be into the 'hundred and single figures'for the Countdown.

Any day now for geese flying. We get loads up here as they migrate to the marshland surrounding us. We did see some incoming at the wetlands place yesterday, but they may have been the ones which live there all year.

I love it when the skies get goosey. We have what looks like tens of thousands overhead at once. And the noise is unreal! HONK HONK HONK. 🤣🤣

Geese overhead was new to me when we moved to our current house (there’s a lake nearby that they fly from). They’re so loud! I enjoy them now though.

The countdown is speeding up. Once we get to 100 it’ll zip along.
Finances are a bit tighter than usual this year due to us doing a lot of work here the summer so I’ll be joining the bargain thread when I start shopping properly.

Im at a giant farm and softplay for a birthday party. Will be here until 2ish then home where im hoping LO will chill for a bit and I can get on with a few tasks.
I need to put another load of washing on, tidy the conservatory and go through the freezers to make a list of what we have and meal plan accordingly (I’m determined to work our way through it rather than continually top it up every week when we go food shopping).

Meeces, we need to work through our freezers (all 3 - three! - of them) to make room for Christmas stuff. We've got loads in there to keep us going!

Oh thats a coincidence I just told DH that the next couple of weeks will be freezer meals to make room for the Xmas stuff we have 2 fridge freezers and theres plenty in there to cover us for a couple of weekly shops which in turn saves money to buy the Xmas stuff.

Although I want to make a big deal of Xmas this year after the fire last year, I'm also realising that I have to accept my limitations and cooking for 4 different tastes/dietary restrictions has always been challenging (and expensive) but now just fills me with dread. I have always done a Turkey and a Ham and 1 other roast, twice the amount of veggies so theres lots left over for bubble & squeak boxing day, and then having to do separate plain fried mash for DS and DGS and a 3rd dairy free one for my best mate plus if shes coming for a hot meal all her stuff has to be dairy & egg free so I cant butter baste the Turkey etc so I end up looking for vegan options as alternatives just for her and I spend both days in the kitchen getting hot and bothered.

I'm giving serious consideration to just doing Turkey sausages and giant Yorkshires this year; so much so that todays Sunday dinner is Chicken sausages, giant yorkies, roast pots and green beans as a trial run kinda thing.

@Gracesquirrel today's lunch sounds fab!

The first geese just went over. I'm not sure that bodes well for winter. Might be a cold one! 🥶

109

Back to work today Urgh. Can't believe Summer went so fast.

Those ducklings are so cute - hope they will grow quick enough to survive the Winter. I don't know if we have geese flying over here.

DS tells me it is going to be a cold Winter. I have just bought some warm hat Christmas presents in the Ellis Brigham sale.

Have a good first day back, Magnolia!

Apparently ducklings take 50-70 days to fledge, so hopefully they'll be big enough before it gets too cold. They certainly know how to get food from the visiting public! 🤣

You'd know if you have geese flying over as they're super-noisy! Even the small number yesterday that we saw made their presence known. 🪿

We were kept awake by a storm off the Liverpool coast last night. We could not work out what the rumbling noise was, as it sounded vaguely mechanical. It was only when DH got up and the lightning started that we clicked (and we checked a lightning tracker too).

Busy day today. Best get going!

Grace I’m not sure what to say re:your Christmas dinner. I would definitely ask you friend to bring a few bits for herself if she’s coming.
Could your DS provide his own plain fried mash?
In your shoes I’d either simplify everything or get everyone pitching in - although I will say, I’m a fan of trying something different for Christmas dinner - steak with dauphinoise potatoes was a firm favourite of mine - but I know that’s not an option for everyone.

Hope your first day back is going well Magnolia!

Today was supposed to be my day off but I got roped in to driving to a builders merchants 40 mins away to pick up some stuff DH needed. It’s for my office so I can’t really complain but between that and a few other little errands, it took a big chunk. So I’ve had no down time, just ironing, kitchen clean, washing on, builders, Aldi, dr’s and posting a parcel. And now I’m sat in my car waiting for LO to finish school.
No big plans for today. Am trying to slow myself down a bit here and there, attempting some mindfulness type stuff because I still generally feel a bit off.

First day back was great thank you. I've been put back in reception and we were just welcoming small groups for two hours with parents so easy peasey. Most of the kids, though initially wary, were all desperate to stay by the time they had to go home!!

I've just been to M&S on way home though, no bloody C&C bucks fizz. I think I will order some.

I've just tweeted M&S to ask when they'll have it in store!

108

Go @NoWordForFluffy !!! Please report back as soon as you hear. DH works very close to a massive M&S and even though he keeps rolling his eyes when I talk about this thread he is now quite invested in being the one to bring home the M&S C&C bucks fizz 😂

I got two of those benefit mascaras from the bargain thread so the box has gone next to the REX London box ready to be opened end of the month. I might even start wrapping so nobody can peak.

sorry peek even

Ha! Loving that. If he was a caveman he'd want to bring you an animal he'd chased down and killed. In these modern times, he wants to bring you M&S fizz! 🤣🤣

In case any foraging husbands need a photo to identify it 😁

I’m doing well off the bargain threads, got quite a few presents already. Helps to spread the cost! Got the Benefit mascaras for all my nieces.

No Ocado here in Scotland so I’ll keep popping into M&S. I go there every week to get my Longley Farm cottage cheese anyway!

Oh yipppeee, it's nice to see a pic so thanks for that.

I'll probably be so excited if I actually see it in store that I will end up dropping it or something.

107

Morning!

There is a definite autumnal chill in the air today.

I am not working today so lots of housework and cooking.

I got tickets for MamaMia! the musical for after Christmas. DS liked the film but he might think the musical is a step too far. I will have to bribe him.

Just the words “ massive M&S” has sent me all Christmassy! 😁🎄

I’m actually jealous of him!! I’d be in there all the bloody time!

Don’t usually bother too much with them during the rest of the year, but their Christmas food stuff is particularly 💓

Magnolia I don’t like abba and had never seen the film but a few years ago I took MIL and dm to see the show (they’re both fans) and it was really good. I’m sure your DS will enjoy if you can convince him to try it.

Im on my way home from the office. I don’t know why I bother going in, it’s always half empty.
Went to M&S on lunch but no luck on the c&c Buck’s Fizz. Will keep trying.

No response on TwiX yet. Bloody M&S. I had book club today though, so couldn't go into the one near work to check. Sounds like it wouldn't be there anyway yet!

106?