* Driving Home for Christmas * - It's the 2021 Christmas Chatter Thread!

Redredrobin

    As a family we have decided not to put up a tree or any type of decorations anymore, to be honest I didn’t feel like it last year but the others actually said this year “ how would I feel if we didn’t bother “? So next week it’s all coming down from the loft and almost all will go to the charity shop that our dog loved going into ( they always made a huge fuss of him ) The only decoration we will keep is one with his name on . 

Kerri -ouch ! I hope you are feeling better soon x
  

kerri_gt

@Redredrobin I'm sure someone will appreciate your decorations if you're not going to use them any more. I must admit I seem to put fewer up each year and am always quite pleased when they come down but the last few Christmas' haven't been very good for various reasons so maybe this year it will feel less of a chore.

Was planning to try and do some shopping this weekend, I think quite a lot of what I bought last weekend will need to go back - breathe and start again. Unfortunately leg (now plural as the rash has spread to the other non stung one) is still pretty itchy even though some of it seems to be healing, I still can't wear trousers or socks so no shopping for m yet. 

princesskitty29

We’ve been struck down by this really bad cold virus and it’s really lingering! We’ve had covid tests done which were negative so it does seem to be some bad strain of cold. I have managed to do a bit of shopping, online I got a ‘Flying Scotch Dram’ whiskey set with the box shaped like the Flying Scotsman and 4 mini types of Famous Grouse whiskey for my FiL and a chunky knit jumper for my brother half price in the Next sale. I also picked up a large bar of Dairy Milk for DH (his favourite chocolate) when I popped to Tesco. Also when I was in Tesco I noticed the boxes of Cadbury’s Festive Friends biscuits were on offer at 75p so I bought a couple to put away for the boys to have nearer the time and I bought some Roses and salted peanuts on offer to tuck away for Christmas.

 

I did manage to pop to some shops the other day but like others didn’t do as well as I thought and was really disappointed when I went to Primark, they literally had nothing I was looking for. I did pick up a few bits and bobs including the boys advent calendars, I bought the Raymond Briggs ones from Poundland again.

 

mandco sorry to hear you got shingles, how awful! How are you doing now? Well done to your DD for passing her driving test!

 

GTQ do you know if the Only Fools and Horses show is any good? I’d like to see that. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could roll the red carpet out just for us mere mortals?!

 

kerri that sting sounded nasty, sorry to hear it’s still bothering you, you can’t believe how bad these things can get or how long they can take to go. How dare it interfere with your Christmas shopping?!

 

Peppa so good to see you again, please don’t stay away! I like hearing from you. It’s really good to hear about the extended returns policies thanks, there’s a few things I didn’t want to buy until I knew the extended returns had started. I believe Matalan are also doing it now. So it’ll be a busy day on your house come Christmas day! Well done on the food prep I need to think more about it too, all being well we will have our in laws for the day.

princesskitty29

I was thinking about present opening the other day as I heard someone say that they don't open their presents until after lunch, what do you guys do? When I was little and in our house now we always open the stockings upstairs on our bed (or my mum and dads when I was little) then go down and do the rest. I think it's just the excitement of the morning, opening the door to the tree with the presents underneath and then the boys can play with their toys whilst I prep things in the kitchen. I try not to let it be too much of a free for all though, I do try to get everyone to open one at a time so we can see and appreciate what has been bought. I also understand why people wait too, different approaches work for everyone.

chanie

We’ve always been an open presents as soon as you get up type of family.  Stockings on the bed first, then presents under the tree.  We see family members on Xmas evening and Boxing Day, so that involves more present opening.  I think we have a decent balance.

Peppapig

We’ve always opened pressies the minute we get up - I always woke up really early and have vivid memories of having to wait for my sister to wake up before we could start. There were a couple of years when we had presents in pillowcases at the end of the bed instead of under the tree but that stopped when I opened all mine in the middle of the night one year because I thought it was morning. Since I’ve had my own children (and now grandchildren) we open the pressies from Father Christmas first thing and then when all the family get together we open our presents to each other after lunch - best of both worlds lol.

kerri_gt

Growing up it was always Santa's stocking presents in my room when I woke up in the morning,  then tree presents would be done after Christmas dinner. I guess probably because we'd usually go out for dinner with my grandparents,  then they'd come back to the house after,  and as their only grandchild they liked seeing me open some gifts.

It was always the same when we had Christmas with my cousins in later years too.

Now OH opens his presents from me in the morning because he doesn't like waiting (they always opened gifts after Midnight Mass, which we did once and I found a bit disappointing to then wake up on xmas day with them all opened). We then do any other gifts and presents with DM after dinner. 

Legs are still far from good. Another visit to Out of Hours Doc yesterday,  who basically couldn't fathom the issue of how / why the rash has spread to my non stung leg, but thinks if might be an allergic reaction...possibly to the antibiotics. So have stopped taking them (had done 5 days anyway) and alsp stopped one of the antihistamines as its not one I often take and I wonder if it might be that also. 
Had quite a good day overall yesterday but has really flared up again today, ankle swollen and really itchy when I went into town for more antihistamines and a tube of Aloe Vera so retired to bed feeling sorry for myself.

3forholidays

Hello everyone 😀

I’m still reading along but not posted for a while.

I’m not an online shopper but do use the internet to try and narrow down where to get items locally - saves some shoe leather!! My mum was looking for Christmas tea towels and I spotted some in Matalan so we will have to go there to see what they are like. She wants to gift them alongside some biscuits to a friend and a neighbour.

bit_by_bit

Hi all. Just popping by as trying to think about Christmas now.

On present opening these days we open one or two in the morning but usually wait for the in laws to come for sharing of out gifts and take our time waiting in turn to open.

When my borrowed boys were small (5 and 7 years) there were sacks full of gifts. The first year I had them it was an awful orgy of opening and throwing down of presents. After that year we saved enough presents to open one a night between boxing day and new year.The boys are now in their 30s and still remember it fondly. 

I already have some presents. I am looking for special things all year in lots of places. Items may be from a craft fair but equally be from a charity shop or home made. I have blanket to crochet for my SiL and seat covers for a friend for when she sits at the footy with her season ticket to make. An excellent idea from the crafting threads. ( thankyou greentiger)

For another friend its plants in old teapots in memory of our holiday this year in the peak district. I have also picked up a few unusual books for DH from the CS. He doesn't mind happily.

One year I did get a present thrown back at me from a 'friend' at work. I had actually got it from Harrods while I had been on a trip to London. It was a book mark with a small pencil case. As I thought it was a great thing I bought one for each of us. She asked me if I had got her a cheap joblot.  Never again. 

skogar

When I was a child we had stockings in the morning. Then usually a dog walk. Then christmas lunch starting somewhere around 12-1pm. Then the presents under the tree after that. It's funny isn't it - I think it depends what you are used to doing. As a child I found it very strange that other people opened their presents in the morning and wondered what they did in the afternoon.