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

kerri_gt

@Spendless tell us about your visit to DD when you get time. Thanks for the heads up about the pillowcases - hopefully I will be 'Cool Aunty' with that part of the clan, even if I might become 'out of favour Aunty' when my brother see's I've bought his girls a Slushie maker (I'll have to mention to them they can also use it for adult cocktails as I specifically chose one you add the syrup to after the ice crush) So basically the kids have a big Mr Frosty 

I still have a pillowcase from a child - not one I use but somehow it got kept. It wasn't handmade or anything, but it was a Paddington bear one - now the films have come out I might have to get it out again...that would be a 'surprise' for OH to find that on the bed 

C_J

I'm looking forward to next weekend, when I can at last put the Christmas tree and decs up - we're on hold with that at the moment as we are having new oak flooring being laid in the hallway on Wednesday, and new carpet throughout the living room, dining room, stairs and landing on Friday and furniture is being moved around between rooms in a slightly chaotic manner while all that happens. And all the doors and skirtings etc are being re-glossed, so I'm having to try and steer clear of wet paint. Easier for me than for the clumsy dog

Hopefully all the disruption will be worth it, and I will have a nice fresh home by Friday afternoon. I'm thinking of getting a smaller Christmas tree this year - a local independent plant nursery is selling lovely pot-grown ones which are only about 4ft tall, but which we can wheel out into the garden in January to grow on a bit more for next year.

Beshki

Does anyone know where I can get a Cointreau gift set/miniature set please? Limit of £10. Thank you.

kerri_gt

This also just popped up on TKM 

https://www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/women/beauty/wellness/tale-of-a-cosy-christmas-gift-set/p/16396683?istCompanyId=7ea190a0-7589-46f9-b2a7-f92eb6272bad&istFeedId=f6b3b011-b2bb-4851-af78-122ca8355826&istItemId=prtirxmwx&istBid=t&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social+&utm_campaign=StitcherAds_TKM_DABA_Pros_All-Products-Value-ROASMin-Test_12-03-2020&utm_term=Kl3MvSgL__-1qelU&utm_content=StitcherAds_TKM_DABA_Pros_All-Products-Value-ROASMin_14-05-2021&fbclid=IwAR009yF8keHdmhTSi2G6E7YI3Hky72fSXnE3-B_v1UxkKF_y5PdWYDgM1t4

Spendless

Beshki said:

Does anyone know where I can get a Cointreau gift set/miniature set please? Limit of £10. Thank you.

I'll have a look when I'm out and about. Online the sets look  a little bit over budget and I know when I was searching for a miniture last year (can't remember what), I struggled to find one in Asda that usually has more choice than other supermarkets because they'd turned the space over to Christmas stock. You might get more joy with as mini in the corner shops instead.

kerri_gt

Just noticed i wrote a long post earlier and it's missing  

@Beshki do you have a corner store that sells miniatures near you pethaps?
You could even maybe pick up a nice tumbler from a charity shop and wrap them as a set with some cellophane? 
I bought some new champagne flutes in one at the weekend to replace my fav glass i broke last xmas and haven't been able to replace. Got 3 glasses for £2 as the 4th had a tiny chip. The lady said it was still a bargain...until i told her the one i was replacing was free from a skip 

This popped up on my fb feed from New Look today on the subject of satin pillowcase sets. I'm still going to give my nieces the set that just had two pillowcases as i think long term it will be most useful but FB is clearly listening to me...

Spendless

Enjoyed my trip to Scotland though stressful getting there. Train delayed and then because it was so late, I got off the train without my case. Only realised as I rang DD. Went back to get it, next load of people were getting on, got it quickly and then went to the exit only to discover DD had got on the train to look for me and we couldn't find each other for another 30 minutes!

Anyway with bags dropped off we headed for the shops. Got a Hershey chocolate bar gift set from a sweet shop near DD's. She says her brother loves it though that's news to me. Then we went to TK Maxx. Now I'm back working and earning, I could buy some additional stuff to replace the suitcase and items that I've now moved to DD's birthday next year. She ended up with some Moschino fur lined boot trainers which I've let her have early and a Juicy couture bag which she's aware of but is being saved for the 2nd Xmas when DS is back. It means both DD and DS girlfriend will have bags as their present on that day, which I think will be nice. DD also loved her yoga mat which she opened. She's at college still this week and next, so thought she might as well open now and use. DH has proved really difficult to buy for this year, everyone has been struggling. Also in TK Maxx I picked up for him a dolce and gabanna luggage label. He travels overseas for work a few times a year so thought he'd appreciate that. At Edinburgh xmas market which was heaving on Saturday night I also picked up some flavoured moonshine for him which I thought was different. The following day we hit Primark and got DD some much needed PJ loungewear. The clothes she took (far too many!)  she owns  items suitable for college, nights out, going out during the day to get shopping and then next to nothing for lounging around at the weekend or at night time. She does have a few items like this coming her way at Xmas but needed more. I returned home with an empty purse! 

kerri_gt

@Spendless it sounds like it was a lovely trip away, albit your case nearly went on a journey itself, good job the train was still there!
I am sure DD enjoyed seeing you most of all too. 
Missing travelling with work, haven't done any since jan 2020 and no sign of doing any yet either. Well don't actually miss the travel part but I do miss the cheap lobster 😕 

Thank goodness BoJos latest 'I'd better do a press conf to divert people's attention ' hasn't scuppered any social plans again this year, still if all else failed I'm sure there'd have been a party at #10 we could've all gone to 

mandco

Spendless sounds like you had a lovely if expensive weekend despite the initial stresses 

Kerri Bojos announcement seemed pretty much to be we'll add a few extra small things to make it look like we're doing something but really we're saying just carry on as normal - the last mask mandate seemed to make little difference here as the majority of people still aren't wearing them in shops ect so can't see the latest making much difference.

things are not going to plan here do they ever    dd's car management light came on and it lost power - £150 bill to get it sorted which she didn't have as she's been moved to monthly pay and has to go 5 weeks with no money. 

I have a couple of bits to pick up(click & collect) then the grandkids are finished. Waiting on a couple of parcels from last week that are stuck with hermes - "we're expecting your parcel" all of which should have been here by now so hoping they turn up at some point Its making me very reluctant to order anything else for delivery.

kerri_gt

@mandco yes you're right, it was just a tactic to divert attention yesterday. So long as they don't shut gyms, shops and hospitality again it doesn't make a great deal of difference to my daily day to day (OH has a site based job and I wfh anyway). The rest nearly sent me nuts in the last lockdown (and I'll never believe another post apocalypse film where everyone's hair doesn't look !!!!!! yet none of them are hairdressers)

Presents for DN and DN * 2 wrapped and boxed to ship across Hadrian's wall tomorrow. Hairdressers collective of gifts also bagged for the wekeend.
Few more to wrap still but getting there. I also like them out of the house asap when wrapped rather than lingering about. Actually got another prob to ship so might wrap that and post out at the same time.