*The Holly and the Ivy* and the You Know What 2013 Chatter Thread.

stephyt23

Quidsy: For us on Christmas Eve it seems to have become a tradition for my DF to cook a spag bol. We used to go to my nan’s Christmas eve where my DM’s side of the family used to go and we all had a buffet but my nan started to find it too much work as she got older so now my DF makes a spag bol and then the last two years we’ve been to sing carols outdoors in Ironbridge (Shropshire) which has been lovely.
The last two years on Christmas day my DB has made us egg and bacon muffins for breakfast. We then have a traditional Christmas lunch which my nan and BF join us for. Usually in the evening me and my BF visit his brother and then go to his DM’s Boxing day for another Christmas lunch or a buffet.
Mandco: Never heard of that film either. Didn’t see the Snowman and the dog but I remember it being on TV last year.
Crowdpleaser: My DB bought me Arthur Christmas last year for Christmas (He knows me well still loving animation films, I’m a big kid at heart). Still haven’t watched it yet as it seemed a bit odd watching it after Christmas so shall be watching it this year.
Junior_J: That sounds like an awful experience! I hope you are feeling better today.

Well I no longer need to look for gingerbread cutters. My wonderful BF must’ve read my mind that I wanted some as he went and got some yesterday for me, without me knowing. A set of 3 different sized metal ones for £1.50 from Wilko.

princesskitty29

Corwdpleaser you don't have to have turkey, my parents seem to have a different meat every year! Last year it was pork with all the trimmings and it was lovely.

picknmix great job saying £100 Tesco stamps! They'll definitely come in handy.

Nanamia i'm so happy and relieved to hear about your DH, what magical news. I bet that's all you wanted for Christmas! DH and I spent some quality time together cleaning the glass out of the oven than I managed to put my feet up and look through the Studio catalogue! Really liking their LED outdoor blossom trees.

Junior_j what a hard and tiring time you're having. I do hope you are over all of this soon and can fully concentrate on getting better. Good going with the Christmas shopping!

stephy that is so lovely of your OH, what a nice surprise that must have been! It's also lovely because he's obviously listened to you and it's something you really want.

princesskitty29

We alternate staying at each others parents on Christmas eve as we don't live near our families. My family don't do anything in particular to eat on Christmas Eve, it's also my brothers birthday so I spent many years just eating anything then going out for a few drinks. At DH's parents they tend to have a takeaway, we're staying there this year so we'll probably have that. When we do start having Christmas at home I like the idea of a buffet, the M&S idea sounds good snugglebunny!

stephyt23

PrincessKitty: It was a really lovely thing of him to do. Glad I didn't order the ones I saw on Amazon now! They had a set of 4 for ".49 but I had a feeling I'd find them cheaper somewhere else.

I like the buffet idea too, definitely something I'd like to do when I move in with the BF.

Having a day making birthday cards today as I have a couple coming up. Also got rather excited this morning about having some prizes arrive for a charity event I'm having next month. Went a bit mad writing/ emailing to as many places as I could think of expecting a lot of 'sorry but we can't help you' but instead have ended up with 50 prizes and some are still arriving. :T

noodles86

Babyboo - Hi & welcome :hello:

mandco - Snowman & the snowdog is £7.70 Amzon pre-order thats going in our xmas eve box this year

Crowdpleaser - We loooooove Arthur Christmas! It's more expensive on Amazon currently than we paid for it last year when it first come out :undecided

MrsHayes - Well done on the clear out! My dd1 has been very co-operative this year in getting rid of things, I'm wondering who has stole her and when they are bringing her back :rotfl:

CupofChai - Handbag? Jewellery? Scarf?

junior_j - How awful for you! Nice to hear you have made way with some presents better to feel a bit productive than you've done nothing at all.

murie - I've always wanted to try reindeer but then again I'm an eat anything kind of girl!

Not done much for Christmas prep this week, I've decided to quit my job & spend more time with my girls, money will be tight for a bit but something's not worth it if it's making you very unhappy! We're trying to sort out our debt & I paid off two more yesterday, 3 more to go (though one is paying off the rest of my car ins instalments so not really a debt!) But by 15th Nov I shall be debt free :j as long as I dont dip into my overdraft! I'm just trying to ignore the account! :rotfl:

I still need to get;

DD1 Minnie mouse dressing gown in the traditional red, white & black for xmas eve hamper (I checked her dressing gown the other day, I knew it was too small but even I was surprised to see age 2-3 in the label, she'll be 7 in 6 weeks:eek:)

DD1 Minnie mouse pj's again traditional colours

Xmas colouring book, I'm sure hb or poundland will have these soon!

Lush bath goodie - Will get this when we go into B'ham end of Nov

Reindeer food

Christmas presents

DD1 has hardly anything so far, though she has made an amazon wish list which includes lots of Lego & playmobil so will be getting some of those end of nov/beg dec. She has been persuaded not to pursue the robo fish.

Need a few extra bits for dd2 stocking, she has so far (She will be 1)

Christmas bib
Board books
Cutletry
Handbells
Pooh bear flannel
Toothbrush
Poor bear bath scrunchie
Bath boats

And there is still room for a bit more (but I dont want to put food in) I did think socks & a christmas bowl but not sure if I would find these things?!

As far as other people are concerned my dh is receiving a stocking with bits in, i have a next Christmas t-shirt which was reduced to £6 early this year, burts bees hand cream, choc orange, a table crumb cleaner (he likes this 'feature' if we go out for an indian!) and then the 12 dates for next year.

We may have eaten all the chocolate for the candy sleighs :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: I know! It wasn't just me :rotfl: Wondering now whether to stick to the original formula of kit kat, poppets, choc orange, mars & freddo or going up market :rotfl: and getting a thorntons little square box thing & something like a cadburys christmas wishes and then something else, hmmmm need to think but this time wont be buying unit the beg of Dec!!!

noodles86

Oh baubles, that post was a bit on the long side, sorry!! And On my own & quidsy - I havnt even started on your lists

Snugglebunny8

Noodles - Sainsbugs have the bags of Cadburys Wishes on offer £1 (RRP £2) I think it may be until 24th Sept though?

noodles86

Snugglebunny8 wrote: »

Noodles - Sainsbugs have the bags of Cadburys Wishes on offer £1 (RRP £2) I think it may be until 24th Sept though?

Oh I've never seen them in bags just ind in the shops 2 for £1! Will have to see if I can get to a sainsburys on a weekend.

Random question - Can you still buy a roll of Cadburys eclairs? Well like a tube, you know a roll like fruit pastilles, God I hope someone knows what I'm on about lol! Me and dh were on about last night that we havnt seen them in the shops for years!? They used to be wrapped indv in white paper?

picnmix

stephyt23 wrote: »

Picnmix: Don’t tell me you had a near breakdown, wondering how hard gingerbread houses are now. I’m not the most patient of people sometimes and if things don’t go right when I’m baking I can sometimes easily give up.
Looking for some gingerbread people cutters, does anyone know if pound shops may have them? I don’t want to spend too much.

I think it was more of the fact that I attempted it with a 3 year old who kept destroying the structure, something that I had in my mind as being a wonderful xmas bonding experience on a cold afternoon, I had visions of myself as a character from an american feel good film, but turned into a construction fiasco with us both nearly crying and myself as a raving lunatic :rotfl:

quidsy

The problem I would have with the buffet idea, which is lovely is finding room in the fridge to put it all

Once the main day is out of the way we tend to have a lot of ovenight visitors for the week up to new year so do do buffet styles dinners then, more parma ham/olives/cheese & crackers also oh's cooking skills come into effect & we get a sort of asian/english menu (OH is from S.E. Asia)