* Walking in a Winter Wonderland * - It's the 2015 Christmas Chatter Thread

freespirit66

Evening everyone, its been so warm here today, i didnt sleep well last night so i havent felt like doing much, but if picked up tomorrow i have just sold another item on facebay another thing to declutter and even better something of exH carp :D

GETTINGTHEREQUICKLY that sounds like a good chunk of christmas pressies sorted your handbag treat sounds fab! Yes, yesterdays news was awful wasnt it?? It just seems to be getting worse and worse all over the world, something really needs to be done

PIXTOTTS you havent opened your trap at all, it was very brave of you to put it on here and i am sure PINKNFLUFFY will appreciate your views, as you have personally suffered from this. I know i definitely would find it very helpful my lovely

FeistyFidget

Pixtotts I think it was very brave and honourable of you to step forward to try and help xxx

Thank you to everyone that advised on the moving situation. Luckily our EA is fab and a very honest chap. When he said the chain would fall apart I believe him. Very tempting to ask about a discount, but I don't have the confidence lol. The in laws are as wonderful as ever and as we are having to force them to accept any kind of house keep (for added electric etc) we will probably be saving money over the few weeks, even after paying for storage and double removal charges.

We've finally started packing and it looks like we will be out by next Sunday.

mrs-moneypenny

popping in with hugs for all that need them, really busy weekend so haven't really had a chance to catch up but there are some lovely people on this thread yes all of you take a bow. It's so nice to be involved in this thread.

freespirit66

Evening everyone, i went to watch Thumper at his swimming lesson today, aww he is doing so well, and has really come on since i last went to watch him, he now knows and gets ready when he is going to go underwater, its so cute! DD2 has had a photoshoot done under water and the photos are blooming fabulous, such a lovely thing to treasure when he is all grown up Love and hugs to everyone going through rough times

PIXTOTTS i have finally done the unthinkable and sold my set of Harry Potter books for a paltry amount but it is 7 items decluttered from my house

FEISTY glad you know when you will be moving out finally and it is all going through finally

MRSMONEYPENNY and you are one of us lovelies too

LannieDuck

Hi everyone :j

I know it's a bit early, but I can't help starting to get excited about xmas this year. It'll be our first xmas in our own house Previous years we've been in our little flat and have gone visiting relatives for the actual xmas day. But we've moved house this year and our children are 3yo (will be 4 by xmas) and 1yo, so we think it'll be a nice time to bed down and start some xmas traditions of our own

I also have a huuuuge mortgage (see above about new house...!), so I'm going to try and get a bit creative and crafty this year for gifts. I'm thinking of making yummy food hampers with some help from the 3yo who has just discovered how much she loves 'helping' in the kitchen. I'm going to have a look through the hamper links at the beginning of the thread, but maybe you friendly people could advise when I can start the actual making of things for hampers - is it waaaay to early atm even for chutneys etc?!

FeistyFidget

Hi Lannie I think a lot start making chutneys, pickles and jams in September, but I'm sure someone experienced will be along shortly x

newthrift

Evening
It's been all go and change in the newthrift household (with my redunancy day having arrived and starting working for OH's parents) but everything is good and I am looking forward to the extra bit of time and being able to do so much more - including keeping up with cleaning and tidying ect haha!

I hope everyone is well, we can't be long until Christmas in July now??

Tea is a cooking so I will catch up soon , hugs all round

Peppapig

Welcome LannieDuck - there's no such thing as too early when it comes to thinking about Christmas! Can't help with the chutney question - useless with food except the eating part.

Pixtotts - you were very brave to speak up and hopefully it will help Pink to hear from someone who's actually been there.

Feisty, great news about the move - hope it all works out well staying with the in-laws. You might be losing a bit of independence and privacy but if it helps you put something back in your savings it will have been worth it.

Anyway, this is really just a quick post to say thank you again to everyone for your lovely thoughts and your support, you're such a caring bunch. The funeral has been arranged now for Thursday 9th July and we've been thinking about the flowers. DD has arranged the flowers for us (me/DH and both DDs) as her friend does them so beautifully and we're keeping them delicate and pastel - I've got a horror of the tiny coffin being swamped by oversized floral tributes and some of the ones I've looked at on the internet are far too 'big fat gypsy wedding' for me.

I went to HB today and bought the biggest part of my sister's Christmas pressie (£7). We're doing a £10 per person limit and I've got her a garden ornament that's a pug (she's besotted with pugs so not sure why her own dog is a border collie) - it's obviously tacky but strangely sweet at the same time and I figure she can always hide it in a bushy plant if it looks awful.

pixtotts

Thanks for the support regarding my last message x

Free - how could you !! I'm not sure if it's decluttered or a massive hole in your home lol.

Peppapig - I love the idea of a garden pug! Remember the show the Good Life? Well my gran and grandad were like Tom and Barbara and their friends were Margo and Jerry...lots of funny stories over the years believe me... but a few years ago Margo and Jerry bought my gran and grandad a nodding turtle for their garden with a mosaic back not small by any means bigger than a dinner plate! Their faces, the I don't get it.... it was hilerious! Sometimes utterly pointless, tacky things are just brilliant and treasured for years. In fact it never made it to the garden it lived by the fire in their lounge lol. I've told my friend for her house warming present/wedding present, I am getting her either a honey pot, or a garden gnome, neither are things I've ever felt have been missing from my life, but noone else will think to get them them ! I always aim for presents like that. Got my other friend tickets to bounce below for their wedding

I'm not onto Christmas totally yet, but I am onto birthdays, have dad aug 13th, uncle aug 25th, aunt 1st sept, sis 9th sept, boyfriend 12th sept and mum 14th sept..... AAHHH!
Bought boyfriend a robot tea infuser today from Clas Ohlson reduced to £1.99 fab little ditty that would make a good stocking filler... lots of their other tea infusers reduced too x

freespirit66

Evening everyone, i can see me being a big, sweaty, ratty, irritable, moaning mess by the end of this week with these temperatures :o

LANNIE hello and welcome to our thread, no its never too early to get organised and decide what to put into food hampers, i also think chutney is made towards the end of the season, i know i used to make it then with lots of green tomatoes, most food things i wouldnt do until at least 3 months before christmas, you can make cookie/biscuit dough and freeze and then bake nearer christmas so they are fresh, you can also freeze fudge, biscotti freezes beautifully, then you arent up to your eyes in it at the last minute

NEWTHRIFT aww glad the changeover has gone ok and you are settling in your new job, how is the wedding prep going?

PEPPAPIG sending you and your family lots of strength vibes to get through these next couple of weeks, it must be so hard choosing the right flowers for this very sad occasion, how is HDD and DH holding up? HB do some lovely things pug wise, we have bought DD2 a few pug things out of there and they have been lovely, she is batty about them too

PIXTOTTS haha :rotfl::rotfl:omg that is a big clump of birthdays all together!