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

mandco

storkie what a pain with the watch fingers crossed this one is right - I'm having a bit of an issue with online orders to lately either not turning up, being cancelled/wrong thing sent or damaged :mad: oh the joys of online shopping

04624181 what bad timing with the surgery possibly right on top of xmas hopefully you'll get a date soon

the tree still isn't decorated as ended up with dgd all weekend to give her mum a break as she's being a little madam at the moment

pretty disappointed with the black friday deals this year though I did order a few bits for stocking filler and some trainers for ds which were 1/2 price.

need to sort out the bits ready for our elves to arrive on Saturday

radioactivepig

Hello all, hope everyone is ok
Not much to report, made use of Asda having discounts on clothes at the weekend and got quite a few presents sorted so well on the way here.
Going to have a wrapping session tomorrow and sort out the decorations to see what we've got (secretly hoping we need some more :rotfl: )

Edit- Asda George website still has 20% off menswear and some dressing gowns and pj sets have an extra £6 off as well, also they have a discount on toys 10% off £50+, 15% off £75+, 20% off £100+

kerri_gt

Treasurequeen wrote: »

I have booked my mum, my gran and I onto my local residents Christmas themed afternoon tea at the flats. a FREE event meant to bring everyone together, we shall see.

xx

Ahh that sounds nice, good on your for going. I hope the neighbours take a long hard look at themselves and the way they acted and 2019 is a fresh start.

Well Xmas is picking up pace here - I still haven't written cards but I have made progress on my DN santa sack, just a little more blanket stitch to do now and then final checks / adjustments.

Got some photos printed off as part of a friends present, started writing on the back with what I thought was a permanent marker, and turns out it wasn't :mad: so I've reordered those as i'm not happy giving them to her with smudy writing, and I'll keep the ones I'd written on myself (they are pics of both of us...I'm not just being weird keeping pics of her :rotfl:)

One of the pairs of OH trainers has arrived (found his size on Amazon W'Hse - just a damaged box) the other size is in the Hermes network so they may / may not arrive. Also delivered was a voucher for next door (who mows our front lawn) and a gift for my SIL so that's all done.

Another SIL is now finished, just need to wrap and post up to her.

Ordered a couple of canvas' from photobox in the BF sale, one I quite like how it's turned out - one I'm not sure about. It was a bit of a spur of the moment thing and in hindsight, although I love the pic / memory, I'm not sure it translates onto canvas very well (it actually looks bit like a cheap 80's print IMO) not really goes with any of our rooms. Not sure what I'll do with it :huh:

It's just a bit 'blokey' I think - would look lovely with some black tubular and black ash furniture - IYKWIM

Our local independent craft shop has a tree with tags on it, the idea is that someone is named on the tag who is struggling and may not receive a present this year. People are invited to choose a tag, buy for that person and then return the gift (tagged) to store to be delivered on Xmas eve. I'm thinking of doing that as I have quite a few bits that are brand new that I'm either not going to use or don't really need. Does that seem a bit 'tight' though not to go and buy something specifically for a person but rather try and choose someone based on what I have in my box of tricks already?

StokieBecks

I think the tag tree sounds a lovely idea Kerri and no it's not tight to use something you already have available - if it fits for someone then make use of it.

I spent four hours wrapping today and still it isn't finished. I'm sick of wrapping paper and sellotape now :rotfl: :rotfl:

Feel like have so much to do still - but know really the bulk is done, just for some reason feels never ending. Got to finish wrapping hopefully at the start of next week and then make the family cards too.

Bought some bags to move presents from our house to where they need to be so will sort them so they are just ready to pick up and go when we are ready to deliver.

Hope everyone is ok. It's been a very wet and cold day here. Heating and lights have been on all day

kerri_gt

StokieBecks wrote: »

I think the tag tree sounds a lovely idea Kerri and no it's not tight to use something you already have available - if it fits for someone then make use of it.

I spent four hours wrapping today and still it isn't finished. I'm sick of wrapping paper and sellotape now :rotfl: :rotfl:

Thanks Stokie, know what you mean about never ending wrapping...and I haven't started mine yet :eek:

murie

DDs office are doing a wish tree too where children who are in a difficult situation write what they would like for christmas then you pick a leaf tag and get that gift. the age ranges are newborn to 14 . We've got a couple of science kits and some lego and The Hound is donating (although she doesn't know it ) a huge pink unicorn that we bought in Asda a few weeks ago. (The dog just loves cuddly toys). I will get a few families of bath ducks for the babies (my kids loved those when they were tiny).
We've been to see The Nutcracker film this evening, tbh I didn't really enjoy it that much but it was planned as part of our christmas festivities so I enjoyed that bit of it.
All presents bought , wrapped and cards written- I have officially finished! Roll on The Big Day!

mandco

kerri_gt wrote: »

It's just a bit 'blokey' I think - would look lovely with some black tubular and black ash furniture - IYKWIM

Our local independent craft shop has a tree with tags on it, the idea is that someone is named on the tag who is struggling and may not receive a present this year. People are invited to choose a tag, buy for that person and then return the gift (tagged) to store to be delivered on Xmas eve. I'm thinking of doing that as I have quite a few bits that are brand new that I'm either not going to use or don't really need. Does that seem a bit 'tight' though not to go and buy something specifically for a person but rather try and choose someone based on what I have in my box of tricks already?

its not tight its mse seriously though whatever you donate someone who would otherwise go without will get a gift and that is what matters most. Every year here they do a local collection for toys to donate to kids at xmas and so I pick up bits in the sales throughout the year so I can gift more items and that way more kids benefit. I'm sure they really don't care how much I spent or if I went and picked it specifically they're just happy to have a gift.

Ordered something off ebay and then got a message to say ebay had withdrawn the listing and if I don't receive the goods in 2 weeks I can get a refund.

Got a few parcels to collect tomorrow and a few more waiting to be delivered once those come I think that's most of the main bits done then its just vouchers & some stocking fillers to get.

kerri_gt

Thank you everyone - I feel better about re-purposing something now.

Just checked my xmas list and much of it is green :j Just a couple of personalised / homemade things to sort and the rest for OH, and my DM.

Going xmas shopping (of sorts, basically out somewhere) with OH next week - we usually do it each year but recently it's become just a day out as I have mostly done the shopping online these days or over the year (we used to actually do the xmas shopping on this day out) so I will hope he sees something then.

I also need to do DM. She doesn't really 'need' anything so I have 'borrowed' one of her garden pots to put some bulbs in (must do that this weekend or they'll never come up :eek:) and i was going to get her a new PAYG phone, and couple of bits. BUT she mentioned a specific item she saw in town with a 'if XYZ was decorated I'd buy it' ...I am now thinking of just buying this as a gift (its a little ££ so would be the 'only' gift bar the bulbs and some chocs) but thinking it might be good motivation for 2019 to decorate, and she has said she really likes it. :think:

Thrice

Morning all!

I'm >this< close to being finished (apart from DH who still hasn't picked a gift!!). Going out on Thursday night with a friend to get the last on my list, a few bits and bobs to finish off the family :-)

Managed to pick up two Yankee candles on amazon last week for £11.99 each, large sicillian lemon ones, my favourite! Bought one for the MIL and one for meeeeeee lol!

x

nic2075

Morning,
I'm getting close to cancelling Christmas! My kids just won't stop fighting, moaning, being general little so and so's! They seem to get worse on the run up to Christmas. Not sure if they are just testing me. My my eldest dd (13) is pretty moody and fighting with her brother. Sometimes it seems nothing nice comes out her mouth at all when they are together. He can be just as bad. My little one hasn't been too bad fighting, but she keeps moaning and crying at everything. They just make life a misery sometimes. I wake up in a good mood, or look forward to seeing them after school. Then they start and I'm in a bad mood, or feel sad because I wonder what I've done wrong.
Sorry for being so maudlin. But it's affecting how I feel about doing anything nice with them on the run up to Christmas.


My sisters birthday was yesterday. So Christmas now starts :rotfl: will put the tree and decs up on Saturday. Our village is having its first light switch on. It's a celebration of the regeneration of the village. There is a new trust that has done loads. It's on sat between 3-5pm. So the plan is to spend Saturday putting the tree up. And decorating the whole house. Then at 3pm we will walk down to the cross and browse the stalls and shops and wait for the light and tree switch on. Then come home for hot chocolate and watch a film. Sounds perfect to me. The kids have been warned to behave and be nice or nothing will be happening!