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

[NoWordForFluffy]

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Phew, it's a scorcher!

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

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Happy Birthday FluffyDS

We are going to brave Costco , the highlight of my day is selecting loo roll and bin bags
Washing in the machine , I have taken my DS to work, bought a Greggs pain au chocolat for DD ( she's WFH but still likes to keep up with Traditions ) then I might throw the vacuum about .

Morning!

So far today, I've walked the dog and constructed DS' birthday cake. Thankfully it's much cooler today than it has been recently, so I don't need to find fridge space for it!

We've had deliveries from Abel & Cole, Sainsbury's and Morrison's today, and spent a bloody fortune in Booths yesterday as DS wanted their Cumberland swirl sausages for a BBQ later on! You can tell pay day was yesterday. 🤣

We're going to have to play freezer Tetris at some point with what was delivered today. Fun and games!

Sneak peek of the cake attached. I'll try to get a photo once cut open too (he's not chosen the best sweets for tumbling out, so I'm not sure how it'll go!).

Cake looks fab!!

153 and Happy Rudolph Day everyone.

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Lazy start today. Need to get out with the dog soon to try to dodge Parkrun (run through the finish while most are still running, then come back through the woods when it's mostly stragglers still going!).

Here is the cake. I was right that he'd chosen the wrong sweets, so it didn't work very well on the piñata front!

I did deliver to brief though! So I suppose that's the main thing. 🤣

Your cake is amazing @NoWordForFluffy . I'm on a diet so very jealous

Lovely cake @NoWordForFluffy

I watched those YouTube videos where they decorate cakes , sometimes they cut out a disc of the cake and fill with soft chocolate icing so it's like a Lava Cake . Other ones have multi coloured sweets like M&Ms .

Glad your DS enjoyed his cake and birthday

Happy Rudolph Day
I need to pick up an M&S order and have a potter round town for a couple of things .
Washing is out on the line

Ohh I could just fancy a slice of that cake @NoWordForFluffy it looks lovely.

I'm back in the swing of things following our DGS staying with us for a weeks holiday its been great fun. Air Museums, Castles and Historical sites visited and I even got to go on a big ferris wheel for the first time in probably over a decade at least. We did have one hiccup on our first night where we had to check out of our Travelodge and drive home at 2am due to the room being unbearably hot and airless (no air con and couldn't have the windows open due to flies) wasn't best pleased but it didn't spoil things and we still were able to keep to our plans. GS has very much matured and gained confidence over the past year since starting secondary school so much so he asked if he could join my husband at his open mic night and played the Cajon to accompany him for one song. I am however now knackered lol Iceland delivery due shortly and todays plan is to vegetate in front of the tv or pc.

M&Ms would've been a more sensible choice. Or Smarties. Anything with a hard shell really. Hopefully he's learned this for next year. 🤣

I'm back from taking FluffyDog out. Best laid plans went awry as I bumped into a dog owner I know and was chatting to her, at which point Parkrun was in full throes. So we went a different route which meant the dog got to flirt with a couple of girl dogs he knows which we then bumped into! 😁

Sounds like a fantastic week, @Gracesquirrel. It's nice to do those types of things.

We aren't doing washing due to the alleged incoming rain. I'm still not convinced as it's currently sunny!

That cake looks lovely Fluffy!

Happy Rudolph Day. I’m away this weekend in Edinburgh so am hoping to celebrate by having a little nose around the Christmas shop (assuming DH is happy to wait outside as there’s no way he’s coming in a Christmas shop in the summer)

I am sure there will be lovely Christmas Shops in Edinburgh . There's one in Stirling , I went for a nose about but when I went back to buy something it wasn't open yet .

Even if you don't find anything Christmas you will find loads of tartan, that can look quite festive .

Hello everyone, I'd like to join as christmas is my favourite time of year. I spent last christmas away from my family in hospital so I really want to make the most of it this year.

@NoWordForFluffy excellent looking cake!

I can now start thinking about shopping, as DS's birthday is in July so the first half of the year I'm collecting things for his birthday and the latter half of the year for christmas.

Hello PearlsTeapot

Welcome
I am similar with planning , DD is a June Birthday so now I can think about her Christmas presents .
DS is December but he's very Bah Humbug and apart from the Compulsary Dec 1st Box ( which I make him have ) he has money by choice .
If I gave him £100 and said "Buy yourself new socks'npants" he'd pocket the cash and run about in underwear with holes till they fell off his body
DD likes to be bought new things - pyjamas (Cyberjammies /M&S/Chelsea Peers) , Calvin Klein for underwear , nice toiletries .

You probably have an opinion on"Die Hard" is it a Christmas Movie so I;ll skip that one .

Who makes the best mince pie ?
Who is your favourite Bruce ?

( Sainsbury Bakery Shortcrust and Dickinson for me )

Thanks for the welcome! I don't eat mince pies and it's Bruce Willis of course for me. You've reminded me that I bought me and DW some christmas themed Chelsea Peers pjs in the Boxing Day sales from m&s which I'd stashed away and promptly forgotten about. I always give DS pjs on Dec 1st too, even though he's 16 now and sleeps in boxers mainly.

Just ordered panto tickets for December 1st for us and my sister in law and family, which will be a great way to kick off the season.

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Watching QVC , last few Christmas in July items but there's a few more shows on Sunday <hurrah>

HomeSense had some Hallowe'en stock in , lots of cushions and throws which I must say I was quite tempted by especially the one with the Tarot Cards pattern .

I haven't bought anything Christmas but ordered some new white towels . A few years back DH and I stayed in a hotel with gorgeous white bath sheets . Ultimate luxury . I bought a couple when I got home they are so nice to wrap up in, so I feel shortchanged by a bath towel . Unfortunately my DS also likes the bath sheets !
Two new ones will give us enough not to fight over and I;ll keep the bath towels as spares .

I am multi tasking .
Bread in is the bread maker .
DW and WM on .
I'm watching tv and supervising them

Managed to convince DS to come out for a Christmas Trip up That Larndarn in December .
He doesn't like Christmas Shopping ( though TBF how many people do ?)

There's the " Play That Goes Wrong" plays but we've seen them already .( Peter Pan , TPTGW, Spies, Christmas Carol)

I was looking at Dennis Severs House but it has no toilets ( nearest ones at the railway station) and looks quite physically challenging to get round . So I might put this one on the back burner .

151!

I saw a tutorial for making felt paper chains and I’m considering going through my stash of fabric and giving it a go. Just using a cutter and glue gib.

I like the idea of felt paper chains! I might pop to the fabric shop and pick up some christmassy material. I also need a glue gun, I've never had one before, will the hobbycraft cheapie one do or is it better spending a bit more?

Forks was the video the lady making a mahooosive chain to go up her bannister and along a galleried landing? When she was making the chains I thought the strips were a bit wide but it looked perfect for the setting once it was finished.

@TheWoollybacksWife yes! That’s the one.

I liked her colour blocking.

@PearlsTeapot I think glue guns are much of a muchness. I’m considering digging out some Velcro dots I’ve probably got to make it de xonstructsble

please share the video link! :)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ66ay6EdKm/?igsh=enJoMnh1ZmF6bWUz

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A bit late here as I've been visiting the northern rellies but happy birthday FluffyDS and that cake looked AMAZING.

Also loving the idea of felt chains and plenty of time to get stuck in.

My tomatoes are so disappointing and I am sure its the heat, although a friend said its still too early to tell and I might have loads by end Summer.

We've not had many ripe fruit yet, Magnolia. We do have a fair few green ones, as well as loads of flowers, which I go round and tap every day to try to make sure they're pollinated! Yours might still pick up yet.

I have made a note not to buy any plants until May next year though! A couple of the plants have never got big, though they are flowering and fruiting. I think because they got too cold.