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

msgigglewick

Peppapig - im in yeovil... its an activity being run by the local county park volunteers via the local council.. i know a few other councils run activities in their local parks so worth a check. Quite looking forward to it. They have done it the last 2 years but places are limited to 10... this year they are putting on 4 sessions.

Springdreams - did she use temp vinyl and was they placed in the dishwasher? Ive had mugs that i made over a year ago with vinyl on and still going strong. Though a couple that were scrubbed with iron wool obviously got ripped off. Im itching to have a go at etching though lol

One more school trip to pay for, 10 bday peoples bday pressies to buy then i can finish off xmas shopping lol

Hanley25

Think I've mentioned before that Christmas Eve is our wedding anniversary, I normally work in the morning and then afterwards I meet DH and the kiddies at a restaurant in Chester for an anniversary meal. We always go to the same place and last year we had complimentary bubbly and strawberries, they had written 'happy anniversary' in melted chocolate on a wooden board when we got there. It was beautiful!

After the meal we go home and spend the rest of the day/evening doing the things out of the Christmas Eve box that the elves bring (watching dvds, eating sweets, drinking hot chocolate, playing games). Then the kiddies put their new pjs on and it's off to bed.

Santa leaves our stockings on our bed so the kiddies bring theirs into our bedroom and we all sit on our bed to open them. Then I go down stairs to "check he's left more pressies!" So that I can take pictures of their faces when they come downstairs. He always fills our LR with balloons too, not sure who enjoys them more the kids or our 2 dogs! :rotfl:

While DS and DD open their pressies I take plenty of pics and DH wanders off to the kitchen to make bacon butties and cups of tea. Once pressies are open the kiddies and DH play with them and it's my turn to venture into the kitchen and prep the dinner. We normally eat around 2pm and then after that it's more playing and chilling on the sofa watching tv. My Mum and sisters normally pop in as they live round the corner to see what the kids have been given and we normally go to the in laws on boxing day and do Christmas all over again there. However this year DH will be working boxing day so not sure when we'll be going there.

It's lovely reading how everybody spends their Christmas.

Oh and just incase you've not seen it T*sco have a half price toy sale on at the mo I've bought a few bargains for our neices and nephews from there.

p-pincher

Quite a bit of christmas prep going on. Got dd1 the offer for the beats headphones from Tescos for about half of what I was expecting to pay. Yippeee. I love a bargain.

Also ordered dd2's ps4. Got the best dea I could find. It might go cheaper but it's ordered now so I'm going to stop looking lol. Couple more stocking bits bought. Dd1 has friday off school for teacher training so I've had to have the day off. We've decided were going christmas shopping. Dd has planned the morning already. Small breakfast at home. Drop dd2 at school. Go into town. Hot chocolate. Shop and then meet my sister for lunch. She's a planner like me. Hoping when I'm with her she will point a few things out that she wants.

Received a new member card from matalan. It has a £10 off a £25 spend that is currently burning g a hole in my pocket. Hope everyone's preparations are going well x

Peppapig

Kaya, congratulations on your new job - will be thinking of you on Monday.

Thanks MrsG, unfortunately you're def not local to me lol. I'll have a look at the local council websites and also see if there's anything like this happening at our woodland centre. Keeping fingers crossed.

P-pincher, well done on the beats bargain and thanks Hanley for the heads up.

ELC have a toy sale on too at the mo - DD just messaged me a link for the train set she wants me to get DGS for his birthday or Christmas so have ordered it for collection from store on Thursday. Also bought four electronic games from QVC today so that's another 4 pressies done. I was eyeing them up last month on the countdown to Christmas but wanted to wait until the extended guarantee period was in place which it is now so anything bought for a pressie (which is basically anything bought at all isn't it?) can be returned up until 25th January now. At least that means we won't be outside the returns period when they get them.

Poundland have some lovely Christmas bags in at the mo (although our one doesn't have a lot else, it's all still Halloween). They're a good size and brown and are in packs of 2 - one has a reindeer and says 'jingle all the way' and the other has a lovely fat robin and says 'Merry Christmas'. I'm going back for some more during the week.

Not long to go now folks!!!!!

FeistyFidget

msgigglewick wrote: »

Have decided adult family will be getting a homemade gift... irish coffee or baileys hot chocolate for those who don't drink coffee ..shall either attempt at glass etching a latte glass or vinyl them, not decided yet. miniature bottle of the tipple, sachet of coffee/hot chocolate, choc bar and maybe a scratch card... It's just a token gift from the girls to them really, they are all having a tight purse year with my brother going to uni and my other brother decided to cut back his hours so he can spend more time with their toddler.

I attempted etching a few years back, nightmare! In fairness it may have been because I attempted such an intricate design for a first attempt. I found the biggest problem was when washing the etch from the design, the cream was getting inside the glass and marking it, or it was getting under the vinyl despite being really well stuck. I think I went through 7 glasses as it was for a wedding gift! Also getting the vinyl centered on a curve was a nightmare, but I'm guessing you're pretty good at this already

Free, well done for getting straight back up on the diet horse!

I am feeling a lot better about our money woes as sat down with DH and put all the bills for the new house on an updated spreadsheet. With child benefit it looks like we will only be a few hundred pounds out a month, which with one of our businesses being run by a family member on a volunteer basis (consists of just a few texts/emails over the week to staff) we may just scrape through

mandco

need to read back and catch up as been away so will try and do that and a proper post tomorrow

bagged some lovely floral storage boxes A4 size reduced to just 50p in sains so will use them for the girls hampers. They also had some really cheap stationary & colouring bits which I got for the kids stockings
ikea have pre cut gingerbread house kits for £2.49 only small but ideal for kids
picked up a couple of the 1/2 price shortbread tins from M&S will keep an eye open for 1/2 price deals on the others as they have some nice themed tins this year
asda have curly candy canes this yr £2 for 8 in 4 fruit flavours which would be great for candy sleighs http://groceries.asda.com/product/christmas-sweets/asda-christmas-8-fruity-curly-canes/91000210.2492

p-pincher there are a few good deals on the ps4 at the moment its hard to know wether or not to go for it. I say get it when your happy with the deal and then don't keep looking. I got the boys one today as I was asked to pick up fifa16 while I was out so picked up a deal including that making it even cheaper :j so that is their main present sorted

freespirit66

Evening everyone, ooh everyone must be busy its definitely quiet on here today! I had to drop DD1 off at the station today in town so popped into Aldi for a couple of bits and they had their stollen so for £1.99 i bought one to put away it looks lovely! Then i popped into the range and got my stag head to decopatch, i didnt even look at the christmas stuff :cool::cool: its the end of the month in our house so i knew i would see loads, so will wait when i have a bit of cash. When i picked DD1 up tonight from the station she had got me a Boots christmas catalogue so spent a nice hour or so poring through that and circling bits i fancy haha never buy them but hey ho :rotfl::rotfl:We have had to put the heating on tonight its flipping freezing :mad: im still trying to not have it on all the time yet!

MSGIGGLEWICK yeah i almost forgot i have 2 birthdays before christmas too oops!

HANLEY oh what a lovely day to get married i love your christmas traditions! Thankyou for the tesco tip will have a look see what there is

P-PINCHER oh sounds like you have some bargains i love DDs plans for your day christmas shopping and that matalan offer would be burning a hole in my pocket too lol

PEPPAPIG ooh i will have a look at elc too thankyou. I have just had an email from poundland with a preview of their christmas stuff, it just says coming soon!

Peppapig

freespirit66 wrote: »

I have just had an email from poundland with a preview of their christmas stuff, it just says coming soon!

Ha ha - not soon enough lol :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

mrsinvisible

Feisty, glad you are feeling better about the finance situation, hang in there.
Christmas prep? bought some knickers in the M&S final sale, they will go in the 'silly bag' with a label along the lines of 'Christmas isn't always pants' (to be confirmed, if there are better ideas out there, feel free to tell me)
Got some of the 342 chocolates there too, but the little choc balls (sprouts and tangerines, at £2 each are just stupid, even at 342 they are way too expensive!
Our Christmas routine is I buy the presents, l wrap the presents, They unwrap the presents. Then l buy the food, l cook the food, they eat the food. No not really.
Christmas eve the nibs get a parcel from Santa and Mrs Claus, with new jamas and slippers and dressing gowns, a game and a sweety treat,. Mince pie and sherry for santa, carrot and reindeer food(bird feed sprinkled on the path) then after they are asleep we bring the presents out and arrange them in heaps with each name on. Then a glass of fizzy stuff for us and bed. When the other biguns are asleep l deliver their stockings and the nibs to their beds then l go to bed.
ln the morning it is open presents, in a rota set by the nibs, and dinner prep, quick visit to DB andDSIL home for dinner, the rest of the day is over to the kids. Boxing day is the Pantomime.. oh, no, it isn't! and left over Christmas food, and the day after is 'eat up' day, Fave cous and family bring their leftovers and we make a buffet with theirs and ours, it was a cheap way to extend the festivities for an extra day then it is over for another year, boo hoo.
It will be a bit different this year, as we will have fave neice her DH and baby staying too.

FeistyFidget

Ooo MrsI, a baby in the house at Christmas, how lovely!

Free, I love how the poundland christmas section seems to always look a lot pricier than it is iykwim