The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

nursemaggie

Actually this year is the first year for about 20 years I have not seen supermarkets full of stuff for Christmas by September. There is no sign of Christmas locally. I am delighted.

[Deleted User]

We always wait until the 24th to put up the tree and decorate it, we don't use ceiling decorations any longer but go out gathering fresh stuff to 'Bring in the Green' and then we decorate the house with holly, ivy, bay leaves, fir cones, evergreen conifer branches, holm oak, rosemary sprigs, anything we find on our walk that will stay fresh for a few days. We also use white candles in clear glass votives and if there's cash enough I buy a bunch of white lillies to make the room smell wonderful. We have some german christmas decorations including a wooden candle powered pyramid with the nativity made from wood in the centre and the heat from the candles turns wooden paddles on the top and the whole thing revolves. For the tree we have well loved decorations that we've had since the girls were babies and for the window sills some little ceramic houses that house a tealight that lights up their windows. It's all pretty and we don't need any top ups, we've enough. I love to have it all decorated and the candles lit as Carols from Kings comes on the TV, that's the real start of Christmas for us.

Possession

Good news on the car Kidcat. I've just been pleasantly surprised by the settlement agreement on ours, it will allow us to get some new carpets instead perhaps.
DS has been sent home from school, got the call just as I was leaving my new job. I hope he can go in tomorrow, can't take time off in my first week! He's nearly 13 now so I would consider leaving him but he hasn't been on his own for that long before. Depends how poorly he is I guess.

Pooky

I love christmas so the earlier the better as far as I'm concerned!

Hope DS is ok Possession - I'd imagine he'd be fine left for the few hours you need to be at work. I do appreciate it all depends on the child but I'd have been happy to leave mine for a short period at that age - as long as they weren't in any danger with their illness of course.

Lovely trip over to France - we got put on an earlier train going out so go there nearly an hour earlier than planned, did the big wine supermarket out in the industrial park where the wine I like was £1.76 a bottle - got some others I like too at 3 bottles for £6 - at that price I can afford a glass or 2 at the weekend. The beer that DH likes was 24 cans for 16 euros, it's £5.50 for 4 cans in the UK so a big saving - he can't drink much on his meds but does like a nice beer now and then. Cava for christmas was £2.49 a bottle (and it's lovely - we've had it a few years now) Popped to the big shopping centre for a mooch and some lovely lunch in a pub and then hit the big supermarket for cheese and bread and some pain au chocolate - all very Christmassy and lots of lovely twinkly lights. The advantage of living so close to the eurotunnel is being home less than 10 minutes after getting off the train.

Now need to unload the car (needed a cup of tea first) and sort the washing, unload the dishwasher, cook for DD's..blah blah blah.....

silvasava

Mrs L - DH's Granny was German so when he was little there were NO Christmas decorations until Christmas Day - he said it was like coming down to wonderland in the morning. DMiL said it was horrendous trying to get all the decorations up AND all the cooking done on Christmas Eve but the look on the childrens faces was worth it!
Our decorations get put up the weekend before Chrismas & they come down the weekend after - if I'm lucky they're only up for a week! DS1 was born on 12th night (I always said he was a changeling!) so the decorations have to be down before his birthday.
Must admit I'm with you on the greenery. I also have some lovely christmas arrangements that I place strategically around the house. I have a friend who'se Christmas Tree is kept in the loft fully decorated & she just brings it down every year & tweaks it a bit!

shanks77

Possession fingers crossed for the mortgage
Kidcat well done on the new car will be nice for you to have something reliable and cheaper to run especially with the amount of miles you put in in a week
Pooky so jealous of your trip I
Am too far away to make that trip worthwhile costwise but sounds like you did really well with some great bargains. Hope you manage to make them last til Xmas xx
SQ hope your trip to the dentist was pain free. I had to get a filling today which I knew about but still not nice. Have got several sessions with the hygienist to look forward to as I have the start of gum disease so desperate to do anything to keep my gums healthy.
Got some great reductions at Mr T last night Monday seems to be a good night for them so will eat quite well this week. Back to work tonight so has better start getting myself organised.
Hope you are all well xx

savingqueen

I'm another one who doesn't like Christmas too early and yes I would ban adverts til 1st Dec - in fact I would happily ban adverts full stop! We wait until early December before any cards go up to allow time for DS7's birthday cards to get a proper airing and don't want to overlap the two events. Don't usually put up a tree until mid December. Traditionally boys and I decorate the tree whilst DH makes mince pies to be eaten warm at the same time with the same Xmas music CD on. DS10 doesn't like mince pies so DH also makes some jam pies. The same tree decs come out every year, an assortment of old and new, most given as gifts or hand me downs, bought second hand or home/school made. Boys request the same music and decs which I am glad about.

off to finish boys tea and our dinner for later
SQ x

camelot1001

Always used to wait until the evening of Christmas Eve here as that's DS2s birthday. It was nice for him to have a day without decorations but the excitement levels were through the roof by the time they went to bed!
There is a house near to a school I used to work in that puts the decorations up (including scary blow up snowman in the garden) on 1st November. Apparently the fire brigade have called round in the past as they have things hanging from the ceiling, even in the kitchen which is a very scary thought.

We will have a few decorations up this year but we are going away to friends for christmas and then to Holland for new year so not so sure it's worth it.

Pooky, sounds like you had a good trip and the wine so cheap. Unfortunately I can't drink wine any more as it upsets my stomach but there was a day ............!

Possession I hope you get the mortgage sorted out, what a stressful time for you and I hope you enjoy your new car kidcat, I have just bought a new one and it is nice to know that it will start in the morning!

Just going to make tea, macaroni cheese for DD but I'm not feeling like much so will have a look to see if anything takes my fancy.

chickens11

Kidcat.....So glad you have finally settled on a car , even though you have another 90 miles to go collect it, I know what its like looking for a vehicle , it takes so much time up, especially when you travel miles to find its a heap of crap, what model is it..?....
Possession.....I hope the mortgage through smoothly for you, so much stress with house moving , im definitely never moving again , whats the new home like ?...

Im another one thats dont do christmas in November , well in fact Im not that interested in it as I get older , I did use to put the tree up around 16 th ish of December when the boys were small.......I always give gift tokens or cash at christmas as I really cant be ars*d to walk around shops all day , plus this year with having the feet out of action I wont be doing any shopping ......
AOL.....How are your wrists doing since the op.?...
Greywich.....I hope your hubby makes a quick recovery from his hernia op .....
Hugs to all the poorlies with coughs and colds , its that time of year......
I love watching Obsessive Compulsive Disorder , its on at 8 tonight on channel 4 thats my best prog for a Tuesday night.......Simple things and all that ....:).....Sheila

stiltwalker

I quite like Christmas, but I like it last a relatively short amount of time - say Christmas Eve til the day after New Years Day!! Sadly this year DD is becoming a little Christmas obsessed so while we haven't put anything up (not for lack of trying on DD's behalf - lol) we have been doing lots of making and buying little bits since the beginning of the month. So we have spoon angels and tinsel wreaths and DD is being allowed to get 1 decoration each week, if she has been good, to go towards making up a village scene.


Good to hear about the new motor Kidcat - hope it makes life easier for you.


Hope you all well - hugs all round - X