Fledglings Continue Carolling - December thread 2: the one with Christmas Eve Eve and beyond!

[SingToTheSky]

Hello all, here’s an overflow thread as we’ve all been a right bunch of chatterboxes. I’d love to pretend that’s because we’ve all been doing even more housework, but, well... no. I think it’s probably because we’ve all found support with each other - I’m taking this opportunity to thank you all for a lovely December, it’s got me through a lot of stress and boredom and loneliness during isolation especially! 💖

Any newbies or lurkers - do join in! We are a long running thread with lots of regulars and we might seem cliquey but we honestly love having new Fledglings join us. I’m posting FlyLady links for a couple more days and then we will be back to Proper Flying Resolutions in January!

Morning(I think )
It is so dark here so I am still in bed.

Hazel certainly sounds like a relaxing couple of days.
I need to concentrate on the boudoir today.
Cheery waves🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋👋

What ho my lovelies!

Happy Christmas! (I managed to wish you all a Happy Christmas on the wrong thread on the day itself! Apologies for that!)

Haven't caught up properly so hope everyone ok, despite these strange times? I hope you and your lovely dc have managed to have a passable Christmas despite these current strange circs.

I did whizz past some splendid memes from Sing which made me chuckle, a few lovely photos of spectacular baking projects and shots of totally gorgeous dc all excited for Christmas and gorgeous trees of course! Well done everybody! Adding my own in here rather belatedly ... .

I love the way your tree goes down to the floor Bowerbird btw - very stylish!

Zoo I hope you are ok?

It's been full on here although I must confess to having one complete day off yesterday which was spent largely in bed in pjs, reading Christmas books and stuffing cake 'ole with cold Christmas pudding and eating clementines ... ! Haven't done that for a while! I don't know why I felt so exhausted when it was such an easy "minimal" Christmas this year with no guests, and we haven't seen anyone save for a couple of doorstep waves, but I think it is just the fact that we are winding down from a December that was a bit stressful in various ways, and of course dh traditonally "collapses" (hopefully not literally) at this time of year! Heading off to rural pastures soon to see he of the long face ;) but wishing you all a very happy holiday and very much looking forward to catching up with the thread and all of your news over the next few days ... .

Also must get myself back in to mindset of dieting/fitness/house-cleaning routines again shortly!

Tally-ho peeps and take care all of you. Remember to ring-fence some time for yourselves because no one else will do it for you! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh no Woolly horrible to have leaks over Christmas! Hope you get it sorted soon!

Tidy if it makes you feel any better we've had rodent problems on and off over the years here so we have an annual visit from the lugubrious "Mr Vermin" who puts poison down out of way of dogs (we have tried humane ways of control which didn't work and we try and keep on top of the issue as I detest the unhygienic aspect of them running around, and wield the Dettol bottle regularly, but really difficult in this old house and with a front door straight on the pavement) anyway, a mouse (or something larger) had obviously succumbed just before Christmas because we had that distinct aroma of decomposing mammal wafting around for a couple of days. We searched and searched everywhere in every coal hole and cellar but couldn't find it! Delightful for the festive season eh? Happily, the smell disappeared just in time for Christmas day itself but it was a close call ... . [barf emoticon] Hope you managed to get yours sorted soon! The main thing is having no food or water available for them to drink (apparently if they are really thirsty they will drink from drops of water on the sink draining board) and as Hazel says, block up all holes with wire wool! Good luck!

That I hope your littlest feels better soon poor little lad! Hope he feels better soon!

Fox I know what you mean about yearning for fresh veg - I have the same feeling today!

Welcome to all newcomers btw - sorry - should have said that at the beginning!

Must go away now and read the entire December thread instead of posting piecemeal

Humungous waves to all in the meantime! xx

• how is Ddog now? You mentioned a vet visit the other day I think.

Woolly - aargh, hot tap leak, smoke alarms etc.

Bower - trifle is one of those things I wish I liked, they always look amazing, but sadly I don't like it at all, I don't like alcohol in puddings, cold custard, any of it really. But they do look glorious.

Well, I've just been putting away all my Christmas recipes, making notes for future reference. Despite trying to keep Christmas dinner minimal we ended up with the dreaded leftovers. The turkey has been shredded and frozen, no idea what we'll do with it, probably soup. I'm not keen on cold roast meat even when it has been incorporated into another cooked meal. Potatoes and parsnips ended up composted (there weren't enough for bubble and squeak and no one likes it except me). Pigs in blankets got eaten for Boxing Day breakfast. We've got uncooked parsnips and sprouts left too, need to think abut what to do with those.

We were forecast snow here but it's pouring with rain instead - a few snowflakes mixed in at times, at least it's not windy. Not very enticing for a walk though.

Morning all. We are all being very lazy here! I think this is the worst we’ve ever been in terms of sleep as even DS is staying up really late now. But I’ve decided not to stress about it and just embrace the chilledness for now - it’s almost new year anyway and obviously we will all stay up then, so I don’t see the point in worrying for a couple of days. I feel so much more relaxed.

Lovely to see you SC :)

Can’t remember what else I was going to say 😳

Plans today are to get loads of clean laundry put away (caught up with the actual washing except DS needs to do his) and hopefully sort out DS’ room if the ikea order actually shows up today

Glad we went to the park yesterday as it’s hammering down now

Ooh and I also need to make a massive sausage stew in the slow cooker for the freezer as our favourite gluten free sausages (Heck) were on offer.

Also reading and now I’ve submitted my assignment I can actually start setting up my bujo!!! Exciting!

a relaxing day in your PJs sounds heavenly, we have had several very lazy days and it's been really nice, makes me realise how much I'm usually rushing around!

Have to say though that it is proving difficult to get back into housework, exercise, proper meals, but I'm trying! I've got salmon out of the freezer for tonight, I've taken more toys upstairs, sorted some washing but haven't made it as far as putting it in the machine yet 🤦‍♀️. As for exercise I don't see that happening today as I'm feeling a tad delicate after drinking a little to much wine last night on our friends zoom night. Whoops.

ED I've also put the last of the turkey in the freezer now, we ate the rest of the leftovers yesterday but I just want something different tonight!!

Bower and Sc I love your Christmas trees! Beautiful.

Woolly the marble run looks impressive. Sorry to hear you have leaks!

Tidy hope you catch the mice.

Ed thats a good idea. I think I should start doing a control journal thing to do with Christmas....as everything falls out of my head.
This year I walked past Pannottane cake thing, my brother bought it and it was delicous.

I am so done in. I cant write. I cant think.

Main ta das

-Got Dh to cook Christmas dinner on Christmas eve so we enjoyed the food without the extra stresses of Christmas day.

• gave Dh his Christmas presents of a million different hot sauces. He was really happy and surprised. He said it was very thoughtful. Yay!

• endured Christmas day late night and i just wanted to go to bed.

Christmas day it was wonderful to see the kids love it so much. -extra enduring stuff

• sob....got to be at home and watch Christmas films yay!
• endure more stuff.
• hooray I am at home today and i could lie on the floor and hug my carpets. (Just happy to be home.)
• mission today is to have a easy friendly day.

-lol no.1 in dryer

🍒🖐everyone

That poor mite. Have you tried the egg white trick?

Woolly truly amazing marble run. Good luck with the rest...video?

I completely agree about YOUR trifle. I would tell him to make his own and you make yours. I am not supposed to eat it re dairy intolerance but sometimes it gets too much. I had a small bit of DHs and it needed more alcohol otherwise lovely.
I made DF sponge and put raspberry jam in the middle place in the bottom.Pour brandy over. Ratafia biscuits around the edge( eat the chopped off bits)standing up. Then fresh raspberries layer, make jelly and when starting to set pour onto raspberries meanwhile make custard from egg yolks ( left over from pavlova) when cold put custard layer on and then whip cream pipe on decorate with cherries and Angelica.

Yours sounds delicious and will make it for DH sometime. My mum found above recipe in a holiday house book. The only time we went away for Christmas and my toddler sister fell down the stairs and had to go to hospital on Christmas Eve. Mary Berry has one with tinned peaches I might try. I wouldn’t put banana in unless you could guarantee it was eaten in one go as they would go brown.

Annoying about leaks. We had trouble years ago and discovered it was the boys swimming in the bath! It spilled over and ran down the inside wall to kitchen where it ran down the wall. Hope you get it sorted quickly.

SC great to hear from you. We have missed you.
Ed Do you like Pavlova? Our boys have decided that is the Christmas Day dessert now. I had pigs for breakfast too. I had porridge this morning.
Sing alsohaving a lazy morning. I had a terrible nights sleep including a nightmare where someone was trying to kill me! I turned over and he was there and tried to strangle me. I kept waking up on and off after that. DH isn’t doing anything so now we are watching A shot in the dark. My dad loved Peter Sellars.

Foxes I think we are having turkey curry I would rather have salmon. I have a couple of small pieces in the freezer I might make DH the curry and I could have the salmon.

I have vacuumed downstairs and about to put a wash in.

It is so foggy here we can’t see the house across the green from us. Very heavy frost and sky looks snowy.

Sc it is an artificial one from Hayes Garden World Ambleside. It was the nearest to a real tree I could get. DD wasn’t impressed last year. It is the first time I had bought an artificial since the silver 70’s tree we had.

I love your tree. Your whole room looks lovely. I bet you were secretly glad that you had no visitors this year.

Thank you Dancing sounds like you need some wind down time. Could you sneak a nap later?

I am lost in what feels like a quogmire of study. I am on the 2nd of 8 chapters i need to work through. the first chapter I have already done half of but that took nearly 3hrs to complete. This is going to be never ending...

No sign of, or word from, ikea yet 🙄😬

I’ve done nothing but reading and watching telly so far and I got DS to do his washing. Oh and ordered a birthday present for my friend - we don’t normally these days but she is the one who sent me the cake! It’s been weird barely seeing her this year.

DH is now up as I sent him back to bed when I got up, he’d been up with Cagletini. He’s now doing the washing up.

Wow glittery you've been so productive today! Can you send some of that motivation this way please?!

Sing reading and watching TV is about where I am at the moment, I am struggling for motivation, it's so weird not having work / routines etc I feel adrift!!

Dh has started knocking walls down so it's starting to get dusty in the kitchen, although not too bad yet, he has stopped for the day now.

I've spent a ridiculously long time meal planning but that's now done and the food shop is updated.
I've also done the washing up, put a few more of the kids presents away, done a LOL and took some cardboard out to the recycling box.

The kids are video calling our friends kids now so it has got very noisy in our house 🤦‍♀️

Hills sounds hard work. I don’t think my brain could take it.
Thanks for the links to bullet journals. I am nearly persuaded to have another try.
Woolly ⭐️ Can she fix it yes she can! Great work
Foxes I made a start. Vacuumed downstairs, LOL then bf and bf DH arrived to say hello they had a cup of tea outside. Collected a dropped off present. It is bloody freezing here 1C was as warm as it got. Fog never lifted all day visibility is about 20 m.

So our Ikea order still didn’t show up. DH is still on the phone to them and it appears the woman he spoke to last time made a mistake and so it wasn’t on the system that we’d paid. Back in November. By the sound of it they’ve rebooked for January 4th and are sending a £20 voucher, will have to note that down as I doubt we will use the website for a while. I think we will have to focus on sorting our room in the next couple of days.

Slow cooker is full to bursting with tomato sausage stew, actually think I may have over filled it? Doesn’t matter if it takes longer though TBH we can have something else tonight.

I’m going to take the iPad upstairs and power through the clean laundry sorting, DS’ is almost done in the dryer.

bower we are all getting used to having to stand outside in the freezing cold in order to socialise aren't we! Glad you got to have a catch up and well done on the flying 🌟 my mum has said she will come over and go for a walk with me one day this week, looking forward to that, you have made me think I should take a thermos of tea!

Sing how frustrating about IKEA, a £20 voucher? I think they could have done better than that but I suppose better than nothing

I found a little bit of motivation and managed to get more toys upstairs, washing away, dh has hoovered so it looks almost tidy in the living room now which has made me feel so much better. The kitchen, however, is a disaster zone, the dishwasher is on which means the dinner stuff is piled on the side ready to be loaded next, there's play doh bits on the floor and piles of random bags of crisps and sweets 🤦‍♀️ I could declutter those

Also, my mum and dad got me glass dessert bowls for Xmas, but because the first lot that arrived one was broken my mum complained and they sent another box , she then gave them all to me so I have 12!! Which I don't really have space for, need to shuffle stuff around in the kitchen but seems a little pointless when soon (hopefully!) the kitchen will be ripped out...I'm wondering whether to just take 4 bowls out for now and store the rest somewhere (but then I will probably forget about them for years 😂)

It's not like I'll be hosting any dinner parties any time soon!

Right, kids are currently making a huge mess in the bath (Christmas bath bombs and bath slime anyone!?!) so I'd better go and help dh...

Thank you for all the support on the mouse hunt. All food is in airtight tubs, jars, fridge-freezer now. Downstairs has been hoovered relentlessly, surfaces wiped down. On the plus side the place smells great. Especially after the spraying and wiping of today's supermarket delivery. Will they disappear without a food supply? Will they run about all over the house eating soap?

All I need now is a plan of action. Most likely field mice, which have nested in our garden in the past. This is an old draughty house, shared subfloor with next door. Holes and gaps everywhere. Will get steel wool and mastic from garage tomorrow.

One piece of advice online is to cut back back foliage around the house to prevent them jumping from tree to roof. I did some of that this afternoon, before being defeated by the cold.

WIP is tidying the living-room shelves. Much to LOs' delight, found two toys that had disappeared weeks ago. Now trying to allocate shelves to each child, with a general area for toys in common.

Recycling bin has gone out, paper section full.

Away to declutter some kopperberg cider.

Beer traps. Not the best way for them to go, but they kinda die happy...

Brain is fried. Still got half a topic to complete tonight so i am on track for being done when needed. This is the problem when you have a compacted course and you get behind. Takes a lot of effort to catch up. my own bloody fault but still

Keep on keeping on hills it sounds like a whole lot of work! My course is only really basic and it’s tricky to fit that in, I really need to think about further study and actually qualifying for something but I’m so worried I won’t be able to manage it.

Laundry is pretty much away now, got to hand the Caglets theirs but having the sausage stew for dinner first. Smells yummy. Late due to having the annual family quiz, wasn’t quite as good via zoom tbh but glad we still got to do it

sing thank you for the explanations of the abbreviations

glittery I have to say that sounds like a very impressive day of ta da work

My ta das

1 x LOL
Hoover downstairs
Unload and reload dishwasher
Tidy downstairs
Went food shopping

Need to do more ...will start also compiling a list for the next week