* Rocking around the Christmas Tree * - It's the 2018 Christmas Chatter Thread

mandco

CHRISSYG wrote: »

Morning all,
Does anyone have an idiot proof recipe for gingerbread ? Dd wants to make gingerbread men Christmas eve.

I find homemade gingerbread really hard to get right esp when I add the kids in to the mix so now I cheat and buy the ikea gingerbread dough.They only need to roll it out and cut whatever shapes they want to make. Its quick and easy plus most of the fun is in the decorating anyway.

Sorry your still having problems with your ear

ds has mentioned he'd like to get a nintendo switch but aside from the fact they are expensive I'm not sure he'll really use it that much?? anyone else have one?

Boots have a yankee candle gift set 1/2 price as one of this weeks star gifts plus bonus points on £50/£60 spend till monday

Gettingtherequickly

mandco wrote: »

I find homemade gingerbread really hard to get right esp when I add the kids in to the mix

:eek: How do you have a bowl big enough? :rotfl:

girlinayellowdress

Chrissy I have sent you a recipe that we use without fail every year but I would halve the ingredients if I was you. It is from Kirstie Allsopp book.

This link might help if you cannot read the photo on my book.

Btw it is lovely

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KXgPAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=kirsti%20%20e+allsopp+gingerbread+recipe&source=bl&ots=io1Qe0l%20%20ua1&sig=uDGZ0xR21L3k3YmW1WN3UrZmX6E&hl=en&sa=X&ved%20%20=0ahUKEwik8rmv-vDOAhUJCcAKHUwbBzU4FBDoAQggMAE#v=onepage&q=kirstie%20%20%20allsopp%20gingerbread%20recipe&f=false

pavlovs_dog

just seen my first Christmassy ad. Aldi have a Kevin the carrot teaser trailer

Peppapig

PAVLOVSDOG I just saw that too - I thought it was the Coke Christmas ad early for a minute.

MANDCO my two young grandsons (6 and 5) have the Nintendo Switch and do play it quite a bit but they are both very keen on computer games over all.

GTQ oops, deepest apologies. Looking at the post again I should have realised

On the gingerbread theme, is it supposed to be crisp like a biscuit when it’s cooked or more chewy like a cookie? I might try the Ikea dough as I’m a bit challenged in the cooking arena (as you might have guessed from the question).

Treasurequeen

Belated birthday wishes peppa.

Aldi have some lovely Christmas themed craft gifts instore and online. Some are kirstie allsopp priced from £6.99.

Bought my nut free advent calendar and it arrived yesterday. Also ordered my organic Christmas filter coffee which came yesterday too. Christmas cupboard is looking full already but still got a few more bits to buy.

kerri_gt

Help! I need some Florentine recommendations. We used to always have Tesco finest but they've stopped doing them now. The Thomas J Fudge ones I'm sure are nice but hideously expensive. Any suggestions (btw, I like white choc and dark choc ones)

Speaking of choc, Choc Oranges are £1 again in Sainsburys - milk and dark. Did they once do white choc oranges or did I imagine that?

nic2075

Me and the kids seen the Aldi Kevin the Carrot advert. Thought it was a bit cheeky on how much the truck looked like the Coke truck, even the C in the carrot. But loved it. The kids were mad on Kevin the carrot last year.

Treasurequeen

kerri_gt wrote: »

Help! I need some Florentine recommendations. We used to always have Tesco finest but they've stopped doing them now. The Thomas J Fudge ones I'm sure are nice but hideously expensive. Any suggestions (btw, I like white choc and dark choc ones)

Speaking of choc, Choc Oranges are £1 again in Sainsburys - milk and dark. Did they once do white choc oranges or did I imagine that?

My grandparents love the Aldi Florentines and marks and Spencer’s ones too.

Spendless

Hello everyone.

Popping in for the 1st time this year:o. My last (and probably only) post was made back on Xmas Eve last year.

This year has been full of changes for us. DS1 turned 18 and went to Uni in Sept. He's had to go on a foundation year of his degree due to poor results at his FE college (I warned him not to go, he wouldn't listen!). However he is happy and growing up fast.

DD, had been having mood swings and the odd issue at school, we realised eventually this was a hormonal monthly issue and got her to the Drs and on medication. In the meantime school put her on a p-time timetable which made her worse, she started refusing to go to school. When she returned in Sept she hid herself away in an inclusion unit and attended only 1 class. We tried private counselling - she refused to talk. She started threatening to kill herself if we continued to insist she attended school. We ended up with camhs involvement. Eventually she disclosed widespread bullying. It had become so bad she couldn't get thru a day without negative comments towards her. Finally it all made sense and she's moved schools, which isn't ideal in yr11 but she just couldn't continue as she was. She (mostly) likes her new school, she started at last month and is recovering if not recovered yet. I'm sure the new 17yo boyfriend (she's 15) complete with a tattoo is part of her gaining her own confidence back, but I'm aware any objections about it will make him 10x more attractive than he already is (and he is good looking -lol!)

As for me, well where I work will close at Christmastime. I'm not looking for work straight away. The situation with DD came (to us) out of the blue and I don't want to put myself in a situation where I'm trying to concentrate on learning a new role whilst worrying if she's ok. So I'm going to be having a few weeks/months off at the beginning of the year and use that time to do some household jobs (tidying organising etc).

You must all be thinking she's only just popped in and is full of Christmas cheer. :rotfl:

On the Xmas front. SIL has at long last suggested we drop adults from pressie giving and concentrate 'on the kids'. This does mean I am still buying my adult Niece in her late 20s in a professional job something, because strictly speaking DD is the only child, but hey ho baby steps. I do have a wriggle out of it plan for in a few years when the respective 'children' all hit 18, 21 and 30 in the same year and then I'll call 'time's up'

Meanwhile I did get said Neice a bracelet when it was reduced to a fiver earlier in the year, that will do with a bottle of wine.

Not sure what my own sister will do, but I'll take my lead from her if she buys for DS this year, Her twins are 17 this Christmas, so either they will also be dropped after this, if not I'm going to suggest 21 as the age to stop, as the interim years of 18-21 are likely to be them being skint students and/or in low paid jobs.

As for my present stash. I went looking recently convinced I'd find stuff I'd forgotten about. There's barely anything there. :rotfl: Some of Lush's snow fairy for DD and not much else.

My parents presents are taken care of. We're going to see Les Mis at the beg of the year:j It's a surprise to them. Me and DH had discussed doing this before and with me about to lose my job decided it was a'now or never' situation. We can go to a midweek matinee due to how DDs school hols fall and obv I'll be off work and my parents are retired, just DH needs to take a day off.