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

aimeemum

I wear my reindeer jumper I've had forever....I don't mind if it gets splattered or covered in glitter, it's warm and comfy and the kids say it's not Christmas without me in my reindeer jumper. It's stretched from wearing when I was pregnant (my youngest is 6!) but I love it!

I'm struggling at the moment. I want to get everything sorted, but I'm trying to save the pennies up then spend them rather than just spending and then working out if I can afford it. I'm going to do a stock-take today to see what I have actually bought to make myself feel better lol. Looking forward to my Christmas shopping day....Monday 16th is my Day to get everything done I have my final list and I do need to order a couple of small things next week (kids have asked for a new camping blanket each and ebay is full of fleeces for £5-£7 so will go for that) so hopefully that will give me my fix! Also saving a little bit by spending a lot (backwards but it's going to pay dividends in the future) - my hubby has bought me my present early. We're getting a puppy! He's ready to come home next Tuesday and I'm so giddy....but we have plans that he's going to come through our elf-box and destroy it in the process (obviously we'll destroy it! Not let puppy chew on it) so we will be free of the magic box forever! It has served us well but it was beginning to get a bit silly since the elves sent a widescreen TV last year, and now a puppy - we're never going to be able to top that unless we go to Disney or something!:eek:

mandco

Princesskitty I do like to wear something a little festive or dressier than normal but its usually just a pretty top or xmas jumper and comfortable bottoms for me and the boys get a nice shirt/polo top which they usually end up wearing with joggers so most of the photos are waist up
We normally do stockings and 1 gift before breakfast in pj's then they have to eat and get changed before opening the rest of their presents.
School PTAs can be rewarding if you have the right people working on them which it sounds like you do hope the xmas fayre is a sucess.

aimeemum yeah topping a puppy wouldn't be easier so sounds like a good plan. You must be super excited for his arrival and I bet the kids will go crazy when they see him. Do you have a crate for him?

managed to get taz's controller £15 off and as argos had the colour he wanted in stock I was able to part pay with nectar points so it only cost me £2.48 :j

I have a couple of parcels ready to collect and a few bits I'm still waiting to be delivered. Anyone else finding delivery is taking forever lately? I know the black friday sales are one but most things are taking a week plus. I ordered some bits from boots last week and the earliest click and collect slot anywhere local was 9 days normally its 48 hours.

I do need to get everything together ready for the elves arriving Sunday and the plan is to get the decs up tomorrow

aimeemum

mandco - We have a lot of stuff leftover from our previous pooch including his crate (which while not big enough for him when he's big, will be plenty big enough for the time being), beds, bowls, brushes. We've also looked after Bracken (she's a lab) quite a lot so the house is full of dog toys! lol I'm beyond excited - counting the hours until I can go and get him and to be honest I'll spend the whole of Monday pacing in all liklihood! lol. The kids are going to go crazy - well, 1 of them will, 1 will be petrified as he's always afraid of hurting baby animals, and eldest will be as non-plussed as he always is (he's a nightmare as the 'bigger' the surprise, the less excited he seems to be) - but they're all desperate for a dog so I know they'll be super happy. My current conundrum is how to get everyone to see Santa with a 3 month old pup in tow :rotfl:

re: gift opening - I stagger gifts. Anything we get in the run up to Christmas goes under the tree, plus the ones that hubby and I buy each other, ones for pets etc. 'Santa's' gifts get put into piles and their personalised stockings go on top of the stack so they know who's is whose. They tear into these first then once that's done we get changed, have breakfast, tidy up a bit, then we open the tree presents in a slightly more sedate way lol....I find it easier to keep tabs on who has got what and it stretches out the fun. The boys also get more gifts on boxing day when we visit family.....it's endless!!

And I've caved. I found a bargain on ebay that I know I can't get any cheaper (Been searching for weeks!) so I've snapped it up. That's one of the main gifts for this year sorted!

StokieBecks

I've run out of this year's wrapping paper :rotfl: definitely a sign I have bought too much. Am now using up whatever odds and ends are left over fron previous years. Bit annoyed but it's a minor hiccup.

Trying to resist looking at anything online or in shops today. Had an expensive few months and I need to reign it in now so I have some money to treat myself aftee Christmas.

Hope everyone is ok. Can't believe we are down to the last few weeks now. I have dug our our refillable advent calendars, our christmas fleecey throw and cushions and my christmas bedding. Tree will probably go up next weekend

Gettingtherequickly

Well, I am all done, bar one gift. Not sure what to get my uncle (they are like second parents to us and ours to theirs). We were hugely shocked when he was taken into hospital a few weeks ago & started on chemo. Still in there and hoping he will be out for Christmas, so need to think about something that could be useful while under the weather.

Clumsy42

Hoo boy I can't believe it's December tomorrow! :eek:

Sorry I've been AWOL again.

We went to York at the start of this month. Weather lovely and cold (and wet) - think it might have tried to snow as we were packing to leave! The German Christmas shop in the centre is still magical (we visited in January too).

I'm usually more organised than this year present wise. I still have a few people to buy for. But I'll get it done! No idea when the decs will be going up as we have a lot going on. But I might do my bedroom tomorrow.

Hope everyone is well.

Peppapig

My outside decs are up! Our next door neighbour did theirs today too so our little corner looks lovely and festive. I’ve hung all the ceiling decs in the front room too - no tree or decs lower down this year because they’ll just be irresistible to the kittens. I want to put fairy lights indoors but I’m not sure where although I’ve ordered another pack of the command hooks so I’ll decide once they arrive.

I’ve had delivery of most of my frozen stuff for Christmas today so once the shopping comes on Monday I should have everything except the last minute things, like fresh cream. Still no idea how I’m going to seat everyone but I’m sure inspiration will strike soon.

kerri_gt

Peppa how about instead of bring a bottle you ask every one to bring a chair to sit on :rotfl: I left OH to sort out extra seating one year we had more guests than chairs...he ended up sitting on a towel on a rusty garden chair :eek:

If anyone is looking for Xmas paper, Matalan are doing packs of three wrap for half price at £2.50 a pack.

princesskitty29

Well the school Christmas Fayre was a success, I was in the kitchen serving refreshments and everyone seemed to have a good time so it makes all the hard work worth it. It’s definitely started my festive feeling. I did a North Pole breakfast yesterday then we put our decorations up, I normally do it a week into December but we’re hoping to go to my parents at the weekend as my dad is turning 70. Although to be honest I don’t think I would have made it another week as the way Wiggle was going on at me EVERYONE in the world has their decorations up apart from us! I’ve also booked our Christmas food slot so that’s another thing off the list.

Instead of going out with my friends this year I’m having them all over for a dinner party on Friday night. When I used to live in Gloucestershire before I had children I used to have a dinner party for my friends at Christmas every year, and this year feels like the first year with the children when I can do it again so I’m really looking forward to it. My menu is:

Starter: Potted ham, smoked salmon pate and baked camembert with toasts
Main: Turkey and ham pie with roast potatoes and vegetables
Pudding: Chocolate tart

Most of the things I’ve chosen I can make ahead so will make my life much easier on Friday!

kerri my midwife once told me to keep my maternity trousers for Christmas day! :rotfl:

aimeemum ah it’s nice to have a jumper you wear every year. Wow how exciting getting a puppy! I bet the children will love it!

mandco same here, we like comfy on the bottom! So I bought my boys a nice polo shirt each but they’ll be wearing joggers with it. I ordered Squeak a toy car on Amazon a week and half ago and then realised it’s coming from Japan so we’ve still got a week or two to wait!

GTQ I hope your uncle improves soon so he can get out for Christmas.

Peppa wow you sound super organised over there! We've got a couple of light-up trees that we need to put out in the front garden.

princesskitty29

This is my hot chocolate station (if you can see it behind the logo!) I really love having this out, I just can't have a festive season without hot chocolate!