* Step into Christmas * & 2020 - It's the 2020 Christmas Chatter Thread

C_J

I do advent calendars for my two grown up daughters, so today was spent happily stamping silver and white snowflakes all over brown paper bags which the gifts will be put in. They’re just cheap bags, a bit like the ones you used to get fruit in in old fashioned greengrocers, but they look very festive now! This weekend I’ll have to do an inventory of all the things I’ve bought to go in them, to see where I am with it and how many more bits I need. I have an online Poundshop delivery due next week, and that order includes several face packs, hair masks, nail polishes etc so I must be nearly there. 🤣

princesskitty29

Thanks for the heads up with the John Lewis and Matalan Christmas stuff, can’t wait to have a browse! I bought what I thought was a small cosmetics bag for my friend in the Next sale for £4.50, it came the other day and it’s more like a big wash bag. It’s fine though, she’ll love it as it’s sparkly and I was planning to get her some goodies from Lush so I can put them inside – what’s better than presents inside presents?? I popped to Tesco yesterday and was really excited to find Good Food’s Homemade Christmas magazine so I snapped that up! I really love this time of year when Christmas ever so slowly starts creeping in and I love coming on here to hear about what people have spotted.

 

I’m sat here feeling all Christmassy now but I’ve actually got to get into holiday mode and start packing today as we’re heading to Haven Hopton-on-Sea tomorrow for four nights. We’re staying in a caravan and I can’t wait, DH and I love them and the boys are going to really love it! I have such fond memories of staying in caravans when I was young and the excitement of when you first arrive and looking in all of the rooms. The weather doesn't look amazing but i'm just hoping it stays dry.

 

Keep up the good work my organised Christmas friends!

 

Treasurequeen I can’t remember all of the names of the Christmas books I’ve read but two Christmas books I really enjoyed were Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley and With Love at Christmas by Carole Matthews.

 

vulpix the concert you’re involved in sounds lovely. Oh vulpix you took me back to my teenage years – my first job was in The Original Factory Shop! I used to like working there as you’d get all sorts in. I haven’t been to one in years, there is one still near my parents but I often don’t have time to go shopping when I go back there.

 

Redrobin I’m glad to hear you’ve got some space from your colleague, hopefully it will make him think about his behaviour, although sometimes with people like that they can’t see what they’re doing wrong.

 

Freespirit it must have been lovely watching your DD trying on wedding dresses, I do hope she’s ok after her op. Yes maybe best to leave the Grinch evening if that was Thumper’s reaction!

 

Stokie yes children’s sizes can be a pain! Or even more random H&M often do sizes like 2-4 or 4-6, in my experience there’s quite a bit of difference in size between a 2 and a 4 year old! I really don’t know why they size like that.

Peppapig

Enjoy your break PRINCESSKITTY, I love caravans too, there’s just something special about being in one. I’m finally in the Christmas game and I’ve wrapped my first three pressies this morning. They’re not completely finished and no gift tags yet but I’m definitely big chief proud face today. CJ I’m going with brown paper and reindeer faces this year. Every year I end up not liking my wrapping paper so this time I’m doing something I know I’ll still like on Christmas Day. STOKIE it’s the same with adult sizes. Why go 8-10 and then 12-14, whatever happened to good old 10-12? I can’t remember most of the Christmas books I’ve enjoyed but there aren’t many of them. I like books (and films) that are actually focussed on Christmas, rather than slushy romances (or worse still, explicit romances) that just happen to be set at Christmas. Maybe it’s my age lol. I’ve been brave and been out for two meals this week. One was a local pub and one a Harvester and happily both were social distancing enough for me to feel comfortable. Hope everyone has a happy Bank Holiday weekend.

Peppapig

No idea why that has all come out as one paragraph, I did put spaces in, honestly. 😡

freespirit66

Evening everyone, I hope you have all had a lovely bank holiday. SEPTEMBER 🍁🍂🍁🍂 tomorrow!!! I actually went inside a shop yesterday, 1st time this year, and almost had a full on panic attack, I had to leave DD1 with my card and the trolley and get to the car before my legs went. I think it was the combination of wearing a mask, people coming near, and touching things that started it! Anyway I did get some stocking fillers and a game for Thumpers birthday, so not all bad 😂 I got an email from The Range saying their Christmas shop was open, have already found this years stag 

PK can’t wait to find that magazine! We all love sparkly!  Hope you have a lovely break, I also loved caravan holidays as a kid, and taking my kids when they were little. DD2 is fine Thankyou, it was a minor op just in for one night, hopefully it will work this time!

PEPPA ooh go you!! Already wrapping presents. Oh I love romance books but especially based around Christmas lol

vulpix

Well that's it then,full speed towards Christmas now.
Free you have broken your duck with shops now,next time lets hope things are better for you.xx
I am another fan of a caravan.We had lovely holidays when I was  achild in the 60's.As Pk says I can still remember the smell and exploring when we first arrived.Also being woken by sea gulls on the roof and my Dad cooking bacon.Mum n Dad bought a tourer in the 70's and I hated it.So uncool when you are a teenager.Mr V has never been in a caravan.I have been trying to persuade him for years.
As for Christmas books I have only ever read The Grinch and The Little Match Girl,and plenty of childrens Christmas stories. I always imagine like Peppa that Christmas books are like many Christmas films a romance that just happens to be at Christmas.Perhaps I am wrong.
We went for a meal last night and got talking to an Irish guy who is here on holiday.I gave him loads of places to go walking that are not mobbed with tourists.I have NEVER known the area be so busy EVER before.That is great for the local economy BUT... why come to somewhere beautiful and leave rubbish???????????????? grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
My son and GF start back at schools today as teachers,they are nervous as to how it will pan out.I dreamed I was first day back at school last night.I often dream that I still work at school.It was always nerve wracking after a six week break never mind six months.Good luck all pupils and teachers this week.
My Christmas stash is comming along nicely.I think Christmas prep will be extra special this year.Time together seems even more special.
Vx

freespirit66

Morning everyone 

VULPIX you have brought back a few memories there, waking up to bacon, exploring the place. We also had a touring caravan, when I was a teenager and myself and exH, we belonged to the Caravan Club, so you knew everybody and that the kids were safe to run around, they had so much freedom, everyone was looking out for all the kids. I hope school goes ok for your DS and GF, Thumper goes back this week and cannot wait!

GTQ quick question you know you mentioned the Avon advent calendar, can you remember which one it was? I’ve caused a bit of a stir in the Avon reps FB group 🤪 because no one has seen it or heard about it! 

Treasurequeen

Finished my Mums christmas present just her stocking to do now. Took advantage of an offer promotion so treated myself to some beauty stuff and got her christmas gift free. I have got to get some more hot chocolate as i opened the bulk box this morning. Went for a lovely walk yesterday  with my mum and took a thermos of salted caramel hot chocolate, was gorgeous. i found out from a friend  the orange hot chocolate uses monin orange curacoa triple sec syrup as it doesnt curdle the milk. 

C_J

This week I have been making some progress with a beauty/pamper hamper which I am putting together for my eldest daughter (she's 32, and a SAHM with two toddlers, so she definitely needs some pampering!).

I bought a white plastic storage crate from Poundland to put it all in - they're not terribly robust, but a good size and I'm sure she will get some use out of it around the house afterwards.

Edited to add : the crates look just like these  (not my photo)  -

 

I've been collecting bits and pieces for a few weeks now - hand cream, luxury talc, body lotions, face packs, hand packs, hair masks, exfoliating gloves, foot soak, Yankee wax tarts with an electric diffuser thingy etc plus this week I have added 2 x 200cl bottles of Prosecco. I have an order due for delivery tomorrow from poundshop.com and they currently have some good deals on Pecksniff's shower gels/body lotions/talc in a number of nice sounding fragrances, so I chose the peony one for her, and the lavender set for her sister as it's her favourite.  I plan to get a couple of nice new towels and flannels to go in the hamper too (possibly from Dunelm), and some posh chocolates and a couple of magazines nearer the time.

rainbow_791

I was just looking on Boots and they now have their Christmas section up, can't wait to have a good look through it tonight