It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

D&DD

Cat I love your avatar
I love Xmas and all the traditional bits that go with it old softy me..I've given up trying to fit my food in the cupboards and its all in the bedroom now in boxes

Purple that reminds me got to dig out the templates for the GGbread house yet I always [STRIKE]demolish[/STRIKE] build one with DS3..usually takes me 2 or 3 goes to 'glue' it without it breaking :eek:

Mummysaver I'll have a strong coffee please Yes I know it's weird how when they are ill more seems to get done can't fathom that one out either..

Can't wait to see what they have done for DS1.He's such a great kid and a huge help around the house.He never had the chance to have much of a childhood bless him with the other 2's bits going on but has made the best of it all and we are extremely proud of him.He never complains even when he's balanced on 2" of desk trying to do his studies while DS3 is bouncing around.:A

D&DD

mummysaver I did a roaring trade in the crafty bits like that at school fairs Snowman soup,reindeer food,santa's magic key etc there are some really lovely ideas online
I also did snowman seeds (mint imperials) in special packets. Those were the days :rotfl:

mummysaver

Oh D&DD, snowman seeds, I love that idea, and not seen a Santa's magic key - off to google now!

edit:

wow, these are brilliant! I think snowman seeds would be brill for dd3 to give out next year to her friends, trouble is that there are so many lovely ideas on the site I've just googled that I want to try them all! Will have to sort and wrap the stocking pressies tonight and then see if I can incorporate some of these ideas and bits and bobs as well! Oh, I'm all excited now!

D&DD

Santa tag reads
Dear santa
we don't have a chimney as you can plainly see
we still want you to visit
so here's our Mummy's key!!

I did this on one side and a pic of Santa in the chimney on the other,laminated it and attached an old key with curly ribbon It sits in our tree on Xmas eve..

Snowman seeds I had a readymade seed packet template with snowman on and it reads
After the first frost of a cold autumn night
Sow these seeds in a spot just right
With plenty of room that will allow to grow
Jolly round men made of snow!
These snowman seeds are not easy to find
So plant them well and if you don't mind
Share them with a firend beacause
They come with love from heaven above...:A

cw18

Our local PO has "magic keys" for sale -- in my opinion they're really cheap and tacky looking, and they're not cheap either !!

mummysaver

CW - having seen those in your PO perhaps that's why hm stuff is becoming more popular, at least you can make it look good! I'm off to the celebrations thread again to admire everyone's work!

glendam

Which site was it mummysaver I always love looking for new ideas.

Glenda

mummysaver

It was this one http://www.heartfeltholidays.net/christmascrafts.html

I just googled snowman seeds and found it! It looks great! But our very own MSE celebration thread is pretty fab for ideas, the people on there really have made all sorts of fantastic things, almost any of which I would love to receive (don't really want a nappy cake though!)

itsmylife_2

Wiping runny noses here too... DS is never unwell, so its unchartered territory for us, suppose we will have to get used to it as we are hoping to get him a nursery place soon!

Still waiting to find out when DH's Woolies is closing, now we know they are definitely all closing at least we know what we are up against, but I just wish they would give the employees more information!

Debating over whether to stay at home for Christmas or go to visit family... we had planned to stay at home for the little one to play with his toys etc, but with the way things are not, I just fear that after the initial present opening we will spend Christmas day feeling low and being grumpy with each other, so maybe best to spend it with family who will help us keep our minds off things... going to talk it over with DH tonight.

Its lovely to read of the homemade presents, I love crafting myself and really love making things to give to other people - some people appreciate it, others don't and over the last few years I have learnt who to make things for and who not to... I love making little albums with photographs in for grannys to keep, they love them too... I bought some cheap porridge oats in asda the other day and have glitter in the house, so on Christmas eve i want to make some Reindeer food with the little one - he enjoyed sprinkling it on the doorstep last year, so thought it would be fun to make it ourselves this year.

elizabunny

Hello everyone.

So sorry for everyone who has poorly family or is feeling under the weather at the moment. Hopefully the bugs will all be gone by Christmas, in time for everyone to have a lovely time.

Wow you've all been so busy with your pressie making and Christmas cooking. Have loved some of the ideas I have seen on here. The Snowman Seeds sound lovely my DGS would love that.

I'm really trying to get on top of things now, having got somewhat left behind. Went into Mr T's to look at their Christmas Puds and came straight back out again. Even the half price one's were a horrendous price. I really don't like making the puds -all that steaming, but I won't be beaten. Really, they're so easy to make and I was thinking as I mixed everything in the bowl, why didn't I do this before:o. Have to admit the kitchen resembled a sauna but I can live with that. So the outcome was two lovely puds -cheap as well.

Just a few more Christmas tree pressies to sort and wrap and hopefully we're done. DS1 who lost his job a few weeks ago gave us a lovely HM card last night. It's so true the gifts that are HM give so much more pleasure, because, thought and love have gone into the making of them. The one good thing to come out of this country's financial crisis is that hopefully many more people will learn the true value of life, they will learn that making do and cutting back doesn't neccessarily mean doing without or having a poorer quality of life and above all that giving or receiving expensive gifts doesn't mean that you love someone or they love you more.

When my DM was a little girl, there was not alot of money to spare and at Christmas there was just one big present between all of the 6 children in the family. This one big present was a huge snowball made from cotton wool and as the children pulled it apart they revealed 6 small presents, one each. The individual presents were just some small, usually HM thing. Mum said this one snowball used to cause so much excitment and she stilll loves to tell us about her Christmas's now.

When I was a small child one of my favourite memories is of my Dad carrying me on his shoulders down to the local market. It was usually close to, or may even have been Christmas Eve because that was always the day our tree was put up. We would choose our tree and there would be roast chestnut vendors, carol singing and just the most wonderful atmosphere. Then off home we went, to decorate the tree while Mum made sausage rolls and mince pies and we sung more carols. I have never forgotten it.

I do believe that between the expensive gifts, the Christmas parties and the rush of the sales, a huge amount of the real meaning of Christmas has been lost, but hopefully not forever. I just love to be with the family and to have them around us for some part of Christmas that's what makes it special for me. I'm sure Christmas has special meanings and memories for all of us -what do you think? I bet you've all got loads of OS memories.