* Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas * - It's the 2019 Christmas Chatter Thread

vulpix

Hiya,

Did another car boot sale yesterday to make the most of the break in the rain. Only made £50 odd pounds but brought a lot less home.So money made to date is £2,553 and some pence.

Feeling much better foot wise so will try to do a bit of DIY this week in preparation for selling the house.I have ruined all the paintwork through out the house with the wheelchair. At least its all at ground level and I can sit on the floor and sand to my hearts content!

I have been knitting.Baby jumpers,no reason just fancied knitting.My Mum has been doing the neckbands for me.I asked her to show me how to pick up the stitches but she just says it's easy. Yes it is for her,she has been knitting 80 years.She keeps phoning and telling me what I have done wrong!lol

SIL seeing the consultant today.They will operate next week.She has never been ill in her life,she thinks all will be ok and she will carry on as if nothing has happened.Don't want to bring her down so have said nothing.I think she will get a shock.She is having reconstruction of the liver and chemo and radio therapy.She is very positive.Atta girl.

Today is the day I cut out biscuits,cake,ice cream,and anything else suggary and fatty! Watch this space.Tried to put my best trousers on,oh dear,oh dear.I will be travelling round Turkey in a big sheet like Demis Roussos.

Nothing Christmassy yet.Will turn my mind to it more after the holiday and after the house decorating is done.

Love to all Vx

chirpychick

Hey everyone.
@Peppapig I hadn't realised how comical I had made everyone sound LOL.
We don't have a Home Bargains nearby, It's about 30 minutes away but if i'm going near one I shall keep that in mind thank you.
@Vulpix well done on your making ££ that's so impressive, I'm so sorry about your SIL wishing her and you all the best.

Since I last posted I have taught myself to crochet LOL I used an amazon voucher to buy some wool and hooks, I have been really poorly for the past week so I took the opportunity. I have made my little pickle a hat and a scarf - though he's telling me he wants a hat with 2 pom poms like ears so I may gift his to someone else and make another.
I made my niece a hat and used some half price alphabet buttons and attached them. She has an unusual name so personalised stuff is rare. It is all purple, pinks and cream. I have a stash of Christmas boxes in the loft which I've saved over the years so I shall wrap it in some tissue paper and pop in a box with a ribbon to make it seem more special. The total cost really was free but actual cost was £3.50. I am going to get her a selection box and that's it.
I then won myself a sewing machine off ebay for £16! I brought some fat quarters from hobbycraft and tonight made my Goddaughter (12) a pen wrap. I remembered I have some really nice gel pens already which I will fill it with and get a teenage colouring book from the works.
I have never used a sewing machine in my life before so what was recommended as a 30 minute make took me 6 hours LOL. However total cost was £2.40
I have also brought my best friends son and youngest daughter a nerf gun and a tea set in the argos 2 for £15 so i'm coming in at under budget all over the place right now and feeling really quite chuffed with myself.
My MIL gave hubby her old tablet and some dvd's the other day to sell on and he is taking them to CEX along with some of ours in exchange for a voucher which I shall use towards video games for Pickle which means I should get 2 for no cost to myself. 1 will go for his birthday and 1 for Christmas.
We go away Friday for 6 days, 3 days mini break and 3 days to visit my nan. I think I shall keep an eye open for anything from the museums for FIL while away. He told me the other day he is going to give up gardening now as he hasn't the energy or the time which makes me feel sad but I totally understand.
If I don't pop on before we go away have a great week ahead.

Peppapig

Wow CHIRPYCHICK I’ve been saying I’m going to learn to crochet for years and not done it and you’ve managed it since you last posted. Did you use YouTube or some other tutorial? Well done on your pressies and have a lovely few days away and visiting.

VULPIX hope things go well for your SIL. A positive approach definitely won’t hurt, plus she’s got you too.

I hope the forecasters are right about the weather changing next week, my poor garden is looking very battered. Mind you, the bad weather does make me think about Christmas so it’s not all bad....:D

Treasurequeen

Bought a few bits this week towards my present stash: after shave balm for brother, a stress gadget for him too.

hope everyone is ok xx

mrsinvisible

sorry for being MIA for a while. Back now with a vengeance. Peppa, l was shown how to crochet by my gran when l was about 11-12 but l taught myself how to read patterns and how to increase/decrease etc. there are loads of u tube self help tutorials online too. l find it more relaxing than knitting. Lots of small crochet Christmassy things online too.
My friend with the brain haemorrhage died last week, and her funeral is Wednesday this week.
Still trying to get PPI sorted out for fave niece, and DGS1's aunt wants me to do DLA forms for her son who has ADHD and autism. Happy days!!
Nice things happen too, spent yesterday afternoon sitting on the patio (aka yard) drinking coffee with friends and their nearly 2 year old niece.
Today l hope to plant up another friends front garden put some colour in her life too. Although as her 10yr old son has just been given a puppy of unknown parentage, how long before it gets dug up remains to be seen.. Also on the Christmas front l bought a bottle of port for my big bro from DD. special offer in M&Spensive + my discount real bargain. That l also bought myself 3 unneeded but rather nice T shirts doesn't count. So there. have a lovely Sunday, all. xxx

freespirit66

Hi everyone I hope you have all had a good weekend x

MRSINVISIBLE so sorry to hear about your friend sending you lots of hugs x you do such a lot for people, if there were more people like you in the world it would be a much better place

TREASUREQUEEN your Christmas stash seems to be coming along nicely

PEPPAPIG glad you had a lovely holiday even with the rain. I can’t knit or crochet, tried when I was younger but just couldn’t get the hang of it, actually this has made me think of my Nan, she wasn’t a knitter either

CHIRPYCHICK hi, I remember you from a long time ago, hope you have a lovely holiday

VULPIX so sorry to hear about your SIL illness, I hope her positiveness stays strong. Well done on all the selling and raising your spending money

GETTINGTHEREQUICKLY I love that your Christmas cakes are all made. Hope you are well

Peppapig

Nice to see you FREE. Hope all is ok with you and yours.

MRSINVIS I second what FREE said.

TREASUREQUEEN you’re doing well with your pressies - slow and steady wins the race. I haven’t bought anything yet but I don’t usually start til July so I’m not panicking yet.

I was thinking about starting some Christmas cards (I know some people will already have all that in hand) but I can’t decide if I’m actually going to send any this year. Part of me thinks no because the postage is so high but then I think how I would feel if I didn’t get any cards, not that we do get many now. I’m one of those sad people who puts the cards up that come from businesses we’ve bought from:o I’ll have to give it some more thought.

vulpix

I cut back drastically on cards years ago .As I worked at a school we were overwhelmed with them.We only send and get a few now,from people we don't see but like to remember.Family don't send cards to each other.I am much happier as they are lovely and a lovely thing for children to do but a dreadful waste of resources.I sound like the grinch!

No Christmas prep here at all.All my energy is going into decluttering and little DIY jobs on the house before decorating and putting it up for sale.

I have sold my Polo to my son and got my old mini back.We will give it some TLC and DD2 can have it.It has been just the best car ever for me,DD1 and DS .DS is unable to get a bank loan because he lived in Canada for 2 years.He is also presently unable to do a range of jobs including being a fireman or join the RAF which he really wanted to do.Not just Canada btw,just out of the country for more than 3 months.

On the list today is cancel Polo insurance,make hair app,garden tidy,dismantle and cut up old garden furniture,( some done last week and made into a new floor for the wood store)Put up new light fitting in the bathroom etc, etc.Some sewing to do,anything except decorate which I HATE.

Cats continue to be entertaining but can't see any progress with the gorgeous Idris Elba,Goldy Hawn is a fuss pot now.

Nice to hear from you all. Vxxx

Treasurequeen

MRSINVISIBLE I’m sorry to hear about your loss, sending hugs.

Got a shower gel for brother- lynx was reduced in Tesco this week so got him one.

I only buy cards for people I see, stopped cousin cards as I don’t see them very often and they tend to buy the cheapest budget card they can get hold off. (They are all well-off). I only post cards to the elderly family members who live further away. I try to hand deliver most of the local ones. Cardsare a family tradition (we out do one another’s cards on words and traditional pictures).

chirpychick

Hello! We're back! We had a wonderful weekend away, visiting was hard but still nice. We got back last night with a new Chicken LOL!

PEPPA- I completely just followed online videos to learn what to do. Though I have to admit, I am finding so much more joy in the sewing than the crochet. But Hubby will kill me if I don't use up this wool I brought :rotfl:

MRSINVISIBLE- I'm so sorry for your loss, sending you love.

FREESPIRIT66 - *waves*

I did take my crochet stuff away with me but I didn't manage to get any done. I have however today, avoided all housework and sorted my airing cupboard hunting out fabrics I can upcycle!
My Mum has started doing pyrography (something I'm dying to try!) and I have put in an order with her for a bookmark and coaster for my FIL. I said I wanted to pay for it as a customer even though she said she wouldn't charge me anything because that way the same logic can be applied if she wants me to make her something :T Father in law always has a book list as long as his arm so will get him one nearer the time to go with those and then he is done.
I made a start on some stocking stuff today. Hubby and Pickle went to town on the bus today and took some dvds and games to CEX, I then used that voucher to buy some games on Pickle's list for Birthday & Christmas. That way they cost me effectively nothing. Then I noticed that Am@zon has a £5 off a £10 spend on toys and I had a £10 voucher so I order £20 of stuff for £5 "cost" I got some top trumps, uno, gelli baff and are we there yet game these will all go in pickle's stocking.
Hubby and I chatted for at least 3 of the 4 hours in the car last night about christmas :rotfl: