* I wish it could be Christmas every day * - It's the 2017 Christmas Chatter Thread

sammy_kaye18

FeistyFidget wrote: »

Can I just say that I really loved reading your post about the planned Elf antics - you clearly go above and beyond to make it magical, and it is something to aspire to! No help on the name front I'm afraid, but could you use one of those elf name generators using the first letters of your children't names? You know the ones you usually see on facebook in December?

Good idea Feisty - actually didnt think of that......
I have had a rotten last two years for Christmas with my Menieres disease playing up and was in a really bad bout again about 2 weeks ago but I saw a locum doctor at my local surgery a few weeks ago really took an interest and when I said I was taking my pills 3 x a day at 8,12, and 4 --- he told me I was taking it all wrong - I was taking 3 in 12 hours ---- not 3 in 24 hours which is how its meant to be taken........ not once in 4 years has anyone explained that - changed how I took my pills and feel so much better. The dizziness and nausea has all but stopped and I feel functional and calm for the first time in a long time and no more headaches. :T
Anyway its horrid and has meant I have struggled through the last 2 Xmas days, not done much with the kids for fear of fainting or being dizzy or sick so I am trying my best to plan things to do - just cheap/free things but with an added treat here and there to give them some magic back. I will write a list of my plans up on here at some point :-)
Although I did find out yesterday that our Father Christmas arrives on the 18th November and his Grotto theme this year is Elves and Unicorns........and then on the 1st December at 5pm our Christmas lights will turn on so I think I will make some tickets up for the Elf to arrive with if I can get off works late shift that day :-) They've never seen the lights go on in our town so that will be something new for them too and then we might go and get the Dogs shopping done and pick up a few decorations since the centre is open late. :)

sammy_kaye18

GIAYD - hugs hun I hope it gets sorted soon for you.
3forholidays - I suggest Rocking Around The Christmas Tree if we havent had it before.
jakes mum - thanks for the tip on the chocolates. I need to buy some more. Hope your daughter doesn't mention the second picture. they sound lovely. x
GTQ - well done on your weight loss. I seriously need to get back to slimming world
Coxy11 - its not Christmas without some awkward gift to wrap is it? lol hope your toe is ok
Mrs Ryan - that sounds fab and I am sure she will love it.
Rae123 - where in Wales are you visiting? Its a lovely place but Im slightly biased :-)

Xmas plans for today are to see if my 2 Christmas forums has posted there Christmas card list yet - it was at a more manageable 56 on the bigger one when I looked yesterday! Cant wait to see all the different cards though!
And for tea tonight I am trying stuffed courgette on my nans recommendation and since my mother in law has grown some monster ones and Im slowly running out of ways to cook them so will try something new - its meant to use marrow but I think the courgette will hold up alright

StokieBecks

Hope everyone has had a great Saturday. Bought three more baubles for the tree - had to hurry other half out of shop as the young girl on the checkout didn't scan three of my items - they were sat on top of a wicker hamper basket i bought and she just scanned that and my baubles.

Also bought some wind up racing snails for last part of my nephews present - he wasn't having anything else haha but couldn't resist as for some odd reason he is obsessed with snails

StokieBecks

Ohhhh and other half has put me a light in my Christmas cupboard

FeistyFidget

girlinayellowdress wrote: »

Just popping in to say I'm still here and thanks for the messages. Still on a downer, another week has passed and paperwork for the new home nowhere in sight. So at the moment cannot join the card list as I have no clue where I will be living. Instead of present buying I'm winter clothes buying as everything is packed away. Looks like this will be the second year running I miss Christmas.
I am collecting bits for DS advent calendar and got him the boots offer a couple of weeks ago. Nothing else though, I shall see what's what in a couple of weeks. Oh and I did buy today's special value on qvc as a keepsake for both my neighbours for when I do leave, but that was because I had a twenty pound voucher code.
I think this weekend will be Christmas movies and chocolate, see if I can get my sparkle back.

I'm not sure what the back story is, but I'm so sorry you're going through this. Moving is already stressful enough as it is! We had to move in with in-laws for 4 months whilst I was pregnant - everything was in storage as we were only supposed to be there for a few weeks.
I hope your neighbours like their keepsakes - enjoy the movies and chocolate.

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Good idea Feisty - actually didnt think of that......
I have had a rotten last two years for Christmas with my Menieres disease playing up and was in a really bad bout again about 2 weeks ago but I saw a locum doctor at my local surgery a few weeks ago really took an interest and when I said I was taking my pills 3 x a day at 8,12, and 4 --- he told me I was taking it all wrong - I was taking 3 in 12 hours ---- not 3 in 24 hours which is how its meant to be taken........ not once in 4 years has anyone explained that - changed how I took my pills and feel so much better. The dizziness and nausea has all but stopped and I feel functional and calm for the first time in a long time and no more headaches. :T
Anyway its horrid and has meant I have struggled through the last 2 Xmas days, not done much with the kids for fear of fainting or being dizzy or sick so I am trying my best to plan things to do - just cheap/free things but with an added treat here and there to give them some magic back. I will write a list of my plans up on here at some point :-)
Although I did find out yesterday that our Father Christmas arrives on the 18th November and his Grotto theme this year is Elves and Unicorns........and then on the 1st December at 5pm our Christmas lights will turn on so I think I will make some tickets up for the Elf to arrive with if I can get off works late shift that day :-) They've never seen the lights go on in our town so that will be something new for them too and then we might go and get the Dogs shopping done and pick up a few decorations since the centre is open late. :)

That sounds terrible! I'm so glad you've finally gotten some advice on how to take your medication and hopefully this will help you to manage your condition so much better. I never really remember the pricey gifts I was bought as a child, I do however remember the precious memories we made (that looking back were probably quite cheap to do!).

StokieBecks wrote: »

Ohhhh and other half has put me a light in my Christmas cupboard

You lucky thing! I know it sounds like a little thing, but it really makes life so much easier! I had one installed in our under stairs cupboard pantry and it's AMAZING.

You guys are really rubbing off on me! I've booked little My in to see Father Christmas at our local posh garden centre (their usual Father Christmas is both rotund and has a real beard! Sod's law we got a stand in last year when we went :rotfl:) and today I took her to a neighbouring town shopping for Christmas presents - it was our first time together in this one and a little stressful (she wants to walk everywhere but mean Mummy took the pushchair, which people either pushed in front of, or I couldn't manoeuvre down the narrow aisles) but I managed to tick another 2.5 people off the list :T

Not sure if this tip is of any use to anyone, but I use the amazon wish list for me and little My. People used to get really annoyed with me saying "just surprise me" when asked what I wanted for Christmas, so now I add things to my list throughout the year and can then send them the link to my list if they ask. There is a way for them to mark it as purchased (I don't check it once I start giving the list out as I don't want to see what I may be getting :rotfl:) so there is no fear of duplicates - even my technophobe Mum loves it. You can add items from other websites too, not just Amazon.

alja

I've just caught up with all the posts again, wow it's moving quicker than I can keep up with in here. But lovely as always to read through and hear all your plans.


I've put a load of beauty gifts in my M+S basket to keep an eye on...still holding out for those 50% off weeks they do.


Currently spending the evening looking around for presents for my parents, really feeling quite stuck for ideas!

mrsinvisible

Got nearly all the rubbish out of the garden, just some bits of tree to go, and fave coz needs to come and collect the astilbes l dug out for her.
DD had her annual Av*n sale on Friday and made over £100 for her Christmas shopping.
Booked a Premier lnn for fave coz and me to go to York (just for a change!) in a couple of weeks to Christmas shop. Although if DSIL doesn't send me their wish list in time l am going to be stymied.
Stokie, wind up snails sound wonderful, your nephew is a lucky lad.
Sammie Kaye here's to a dizzy-less Christmas day for you, such a simple solution, but easy to miss.
What a good idea about the wish list, Feisty, my problem would be that l couldn't find anything to put on it!

Spendless

Hi

Just popping in. :wave:

It's been half term here and my 17yo son has been on his first hol without parents. His friend from America has been over and they've been to London, York, Cambridge and a midweek stayover back to us. 'Bemused exasperation' is the best phrase I have to describe what I've thought of the week

My favourite has to be waking up for work at 6am Tues morning to find a string of texts sent at 2am saying because they had more money than they'd expected (They'd been on hol for 1 day at this point and had spent it 'mooching around'):D they'd decided instead of coming back to us at the weekend as previously planned, they'd decided to got to Cambridge for 2 nights and had paid for 2 nights in a hotel and a train ticket to get there. The following day they went back to London, spending a fortune on return tickets everywhere as they wouldn't listen to us trying to explain they needed an all zone day pass and forgot the vouchers I'd got them (from my Tesco clubcard) to get them in for naff all into the Tower of London.:doh: so needing a cheap day out they went to the museums (yes, good) and then DS bought a cream tea, which cost £17. :eek::rotfl:

But it will have been a good experience and is light years away from the boy who earlier this year wouldn't even catch the train from our village into the town centre (a 6min journey) to college as he didn't have the confidence.

Anyway back to Christmassy stuff. I really need to crack on. I picked up some bits yesterday for the kids stockings. The ladybird books 'How a brother works' and 'How a sister works' for DS and DD. Some computer cleaning items for DS from £1land. I also got a tin of fudge from poundstretcher for DH. They had 3 designs, Beano and 2 Dandy ones inside the tins are either vanilla fudge or different flavoured fudge. It was the Dandy different flavours I got, cost £3.99 and it's a lovely tin which would be appreciated from someone from that age of comic books.

What I haven't got is any 'main presents'. My MIL surprised me yesterday by revealing she'd like to watch a ballet. I only wish I'd known this. A friend of DD's has just got a place at the royal ballet school instead of going to the local secondary and we've got tickets to go and watch early Jan him in the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House. I didn't crack on with buying tickets when his Mum put his show dates up (think I was paying for my car's MOT) which is how we've got seats up in the gods. :eek: but on the plus side they did only cost £20 each. If I'd known MIL was interested, I'd have sorted this out sooner, got better tickers and included her.:(

I've got a week off at the end of the month. I booked it on purpose to wrap presents etc and now I find in filled with dental appt, mum wanting me to go and look for present ideas for her to buy and DH wanting to set off on our mini break a day earlier due to a presentation he needs to be at. Next year I'm telling no-one I've booked the week off

alja

Feeling a little better and slightly more organised after more buying today.


I picked up the Hotel choc dipping set for OH's brother and his girlfriend, vouchercodesCoUk are doing a 10% off code for instore (and online I think) if that's helpful for anyone? I picked up a couple of the cheaper selector packs for my parents too (festively packaged mulled wine, orange & walnut and then a standard pack of their dark chocolate) whilst I had the code to make use of. My parents think their stuff is expensive and probably wouldn't want me to spend a fortune in there on their presents... they are good with not wanting me to splash my cash on them!


I'm trying to not buy too many sugar filled things for them this year as dad does have type 2 diabetes, not that it stops him from eating puddings etc when we're out and the odd cake/biscuit here and there. But I heard hotel choc stuff is not so high in sugar content compared to other brands and dark choc is better, so I've opted for that. If anyone knows of any other treats that are on the better side I'd love to know some more


Today I also got some ales for my dad, some chutneys for both parents to enjoy, some of the new Green+Blacks velvet chocolate for them to try, sparkly Prosecco conserve from m+s and also a nice bag of crisps to also pop in their foodie hamper I always do them.


Still lots to buy, but getting there a bit more now


Have a lovely week all!

sammy_kaye18

Good grief what a morning.......Ive come to my chirstmas happy place........need to breathe..........:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Husband decided to bang every door this morning at 5am as he left for work to go to Gloucester. He then came back in to get water to defrost the car and let the puppy out in the process. So Ive been running round the streets since 5am trying to catch her whilst he left to go to work so had to leave the kids asleep in bed to get her. Finally caught her 15 minutes later.

Laid out all my sons uniform on the sofa ready for him at 7am since its the first day back.

Got him up.

In the process of walking downstairs I caught a step wrong and came down 4 steps with a thud, in the process knocking one of my pumpkin tea light holders and smashing it - I wanted to keep the set out to have a bit of an autumnal feel to the living room. Guess not now.

Son went to get dressed to tell me then that his tie smelt funny. Whilst I had been upstairs waking him up the pup had decided to tinkle on his tie - thankfully everything else was missed. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
lukcily his little friend has taken her spare one to the bus stop for him.. ...

now have to wait in for my tumble dryer thats coming between 8 - 10, I have to leave for the school run at 9am though and be in work for 10. Then finish at 2, to catch the 2.30 bus home, to then collect daughter at 3 and take her back to town to have her glasses fitted, and my son needs a hair cut. Then home and rearrange the kitchen and back porch to accommedate said tumble dryer!

CHRISTMAS HAPPY PLACE, CHRISTMAS HAPPY PLACE!!!!!!!!! They need to make a twitchy stressed smilie......