A Jolly Holly Christmas - It's the 2022 Christmas Chatter Thread!

mandco

coxy - I'm sure quite a few students didn't get back for uni today with the delays and train cancellations due to the weather does he have long left this term? 

spendless oh no that's frustrating it takes long enough for stuff to arrive at the moment let alone trying to reschedule delivery.
I'm finding they don't even take the time to knock here they literally dump it on the door step and go -guess it saves them having to wait for an answer. if it wasn't for the dog or the your parcels been delivered texts I wouldn't even know stuff had been delivered most of the time.

forgot to mentioned yesterday argos already have clearance offers on a selection of xmas decorations - managed to get a lovely wicker xmas tree skirt for a bargain £9 - little bit gutted as I got it home and realised as I had to duct tape the legs on it wont fit over them and the only other way to do it would be to totally strip the tree back down which tbh it more work than its worth so it'll have to wait till next year - never mind at least I've got one now

I need to go to ikea hopefully today and pick up a couple of folding chairs so we have enough extra seats as we'll have more people around than usual this year. 

Spendless

Day off yesterday and went and got a lot of final bits. Went and bought my Nan her photo frame, as she's now back in her Nursing Home. Couldn't find a 3 frame one and didn't want to risk delivery getting here in time. so bought a 4 photo frame that I originally saw before Black Friday! Was last one too so lucky I picked it up. Now DH's job to sort out suitable photos. I also picked her up an aero selection box of 4 big bars. I'll tell Mum to tell staff to break the bars up to share. I bought her these as she once told me as a child into their stockings went an Aero for her and her sister as it was a new line that year and they'd never seen before (google tells me this would be 1935, so she'd be 11 and little sister 9). Thought that might be an 'old memory' she might remember and associate with Christmas.

On a local FB selling site early yesterday someone was selling a pink basket with handle for £3, so bought it and it's been perfect for putting DD's 'shower stuff' in, so that's now completed. 

Picked up DS fishing stuff from the post office, that just needs wrapping.

Unsure if DD's present for her boyf will get to him before she leaves Essex on Sun evening. She's leaving later than planned, her course finishes today  as wants to go to Winter Wonderland and rail strikes today and tomorrow mean they can't get, so is talking about going Sunday instead and then DH will fetch her back late Sunday. DH is taking the mardy bum meg so in order to make it more of a present and in case other items doesn't get there, I went to the local shops and supermarkets and bought some Yorkshire produce and have put it all in a lidded box (I had one spare due to buying the pink basket), Yorkshire t bags, parkin and Hendersons relish are all in and if he doesn't like them, he lives with his Mum, maybe she will. 

DH and DS are on their separate Christmas parties tonight, so I am taking Dil2b out on one of our own too. 

princesskitty29

Hi all, i've tried a few times to sit down and catch up on here recently but then have been distracted by something and haven't managed to get back to it. It's been a busy few weeks here, i'm on the school PTA and this year we are really low on numbers but have had several events this month so it's taken up loads of my time as well as trying to sort my own stuff out. We had our last event last night which was the school disco, crazy but enjoyable. I've had a bit of a cold this week but ignored it as I had loads to do, then I really felt it on my chest yesterday but had to do the disco so i'm really feeling it today! My body is telling me to rest so i'm doing some jobs I can do sitting down like meal planning and food shopping etc.

I was planning to go to our local retail park one final time today to get a couple of bits I needed but i'm really not well enough for that today so will have to try and do it next week with the children. It's their last day at school today and i'm quite looking forward to the break from manic mornings trying to get out of the door! We're booked to go and meet Father Christmas on Monday morning at a lovely place where they have an elves workshop and Father Christmas comes out of the chimney and tells them a story.  We couldn't go last year as my eldest had covid so fingers crossed we'll all be ok on Monday. We have a gingerbread house to decorate and make and I bought the boys some Christmas themed magic painting and activity books so it should keep us ticking over next week before we take off to my parents. I'm also planning our annual Grinch Night which the boys love.

I'm going to try to wrap some more presents later, i'm really getting there now so shouldn't have much like that to do next week.

A question for you all - what are you having for pudding on Christmas/Boxing Day? We always have a trifle on Christmas day but I like to have another pudding for the evening or Boxing Day so i'm interested to hear what you're having!

mandco

Princesskitty hope your feeling better soon - there's so many bugs doing the rounds at the moment 

Spendless glad to hear you managed to get ds fishing stuff sorted - so many reports of parcels suffering major delays or getting lost after failed delivery  

dessert wise so far we have a choc yule log & lemon roulade as they are Gluten free and options are extremely limited - I did see some nice looking xmas desserts in aldi the other day so might pick one up for everyone else if they still have any this week(didn't have the freezer space at the time) and/or maybe a xmassy themed cake of some sort? maybe cupcakes for ease of serving not totally sure yet its mostly for guests as my lot are not really dessert eaters and prefer savory

ds displate came - they sent it priority as well as replacing free of charge which is fantastic customer service and not something that happens very often 
still waiting on taz's pre order its still sat at felixstowe and no update since it got there so guessing that's not coming before xmas 

picked up a few more small bits this week and the kids stockings are nearly finished -Need to sort out some top ups for ds( I get smaller denominations to bulk out his present pile) then I think other than any last minute extras I'm pretty much done so hoping to finish off the last bits I need to get tomorrow. 

Peppa537

Presents are all wrapped now. We went to Aldi to get freezer bits, snacks and alcohol for us as and presents last week. My Mum likes their gin, says it's as good as any other make and cheaper. I still need to get something else for eldest daughter as I've spent more on my youngest but I've had an idea. She likes to get her nails done at a salon in town as a treat when she's had enough shifts from work. They don't do gift cards but I'm going to make and print out a certificate asking her to exchange it with me for money to get them done in February. She went there this week but I expect she'll have a quieter month workwise in January after Christmas and the World Cup (she works in a bar).
Also we're still waiting for 2 parcels in the post from RM that strikes have held up. One is clothes DD2s boyfriend ordered for her, tracking has updated though and fingers crossed that will arrive in time. The other one hasn't updated for over a week but that's just something for me anyway. 

princesskitty29

I'm not feeling much better today and haven't really got anything done, i've still got a set of bunting to make and some presents to wrap, maybe i'll try and do a bit later. I'm just watching an Only Fools Christmas special and having a cuppa, hopefully that'll perk me up!

mandco ooh a yule log sounds good, I quite like having a chocolaty dessert. I also like your idea of cupcakes or maybe brownies as little bites to eat. Fingers crossed your parcel makes its way to you from Felixstowe before Christmas, perhaps there will be a bit of Christmas magic!

Bakey the voucher for your DD sounds like a lovely idea.

Spendless

princesskitty- Sorry forgot to reply to your question re puddings. I already bought a couple of dessert from Aldi because they are ones you can keep in the cupboard, rather than taking up freezer space too far in advance or a fridge one that probably won't have long enough dates on at min. They are a chocolate and orange bomb (feeds 2) and a gingerbread and butterscotch pudding (feeds 4). Aldi had a few other varieties too. The younger generation here aren't keen on dried fruit so I no longer bother buying Christmas pudding. DS is on about making a banoffee cheesecake for us and I'll possibly add a fridge/freezer dessert too depending on what I see in the next few days.

Yesterday on my way in to the supermarket just for some bits, I got side-tracked by the charity shop a few doors down. It's the same one that had the F & M hamper I passed on a few weeks ago, anyway they had another hamper a lot smaller, not F&M but really nice with tie ribbons for £4. I bought it. DH had the idea of going to IKEA and buying some food they'd looked at a few weeks ago when we went there, so hoping one evening next week we can pop over and get some bits to fill it. At the till as I was waiting to pay I spotted a small brown Radley handbag for £7, I bought that for myself! The dog on a string bit has come unattached and there's possibly a slight discolouration on the bag, not noticeable till pointed out, so I'm not sure it could be given as a gift but fine for me. I do own a brown handbag but it has a winter scene on it (beautiful bag, Yoshi and draws lots of comments) so I get stuck in  warmer months for one. This made me think of an earlier pledge I said on here. next year I am going to see if I can get everyone on my Christmas list at least 1 item of something pre-loved, can be from a charity shop, car-boot sale, on-line etc. Am not expecting 100% success because I have to take into account that I have grandmothers in their late 90s who are difficult to buy for, my Dad isn't easy and I pass the buck on FIL over to DH, but am going to give it a go and I will count buying 'packaging' such as the hamper as counting. I think this could be a fun challenge. Shame DD doesn't live in Edinburgh anymore their charity shops were incredible! She wants to visit again, had to point out to her hotels this time of year are incredibly expensive and a day trip would be very long and tiring. Hopefully we can go some time in 2023 though. 

DS had his first ever Xmas night out in his new job with a meal and several rounds of drinks paid for (a more generous Xmas party from the bosses than I've experienced in my jobs - lol) and raved about some shots that were similar to baileys but weren't quite the same and voila I have a recipient for the 'rola cola' flavoured baileys minis I'd initially bought for DH, hahahaha. I am gradually finding homes for all my left over bits and pieces from the present cupboard. I shouldn't have to forward a great deal on till next year.

DD is home very late tonight, DH travelled yesterday after his works party on Fri night to her and stayed o/n in a hotel. Today she's due to go to Winter Wonderland with her boyf and when she returns, DH will drive her home for the festive break. Unknown to us her classes went online on Friday, I suspect this was so the students could travel back Thursday after classes finished due to the strikes. DD wouldn't have managed with everything she was fetching back on the tubes, plus 2 trains , but if we'd known we could have perhaps gone and collected her stuff a different weekend and just left her to catch the train rather than DH spend the whole  weekend away. Her and boyf exchanged their gifts last night due to her coming home. Unfortunately the bodyspray hasn't turned up yet, she resorted to showing him a picture -lol

My Dad's present hasn't turned up yet either. It's not something I can source elsewhere either or buy similar. It's a mug with 5  dogs on including the current one that he's had  since I was a child, with their names.  You select the dog breed from a selection of pics and choose the background. Think it was £15, expensive for a mug but very personalised to him and he's not easy to buy for. Should it not turn up in time, I think I'm just going to have to explain that he's got an item coming in the New Year. 

Yesterday I bought Christmas cards! I stopped buying them for people in our house years ago due to cost, but due to DS now having his own place got him one, could only find girlfriend though, not fiancée, they must have gone fast. I bought DD one cos I'd bought DS one even though she's still at home. Need to write them all out over next couple of days along with local ones. No point sending further afield this year as I missed last posting dates.   

 

 

princesskitty29

It seems I have a chest infection so need to take it easy for a few days - not easy with two little ones about the place! I was planning to go to the local retail park one last time this week to pick up a few bits I needed, I don't think i'll be able to go now so have resorted to buying them online this morning which has unfortunately cost me more but needs must. Both retailers I bought from don't use Royal Mail so fingers crossed it will all arrive in time.

Spendless I like the idea of cupboard puddings as the fridge and freezer always get a bit full, the chocolate and orange bomb sounds amazing! I don't ever go to Aldi or Lidl as they're a bit of a trek and not that convenient but I think i'll make a special effort next year as I always hear of great things people buy in them. Although there has been a Lidl planning application put in on a piece of land literally around the corner from my house, it has been ongoing for a couple of years but you never know by this time next Christmas I might be able to walk to one! I am with you on the challenge of buying pre-loved gifts, i've bought several for the boys this year, just recently I picked up a great little wooden table football game for them for £5. I also found two lovely brand new Laura Ashley hand creams recently that I bought for my best friend and MiL, at just a couple of pounds each. I'm definitely going to try harder to to do this for more people next year, I started it a bit late this year.

Spendless

The first Christmas present has left the house. My Dad is visiting my Nan today so I dropped her presents and card off at my parents yesterday. My other Nan. DH needs to sort the photos out this week. My Mum will be visiting her back in her Nursing home on Christmas Eve. 

DD is now home. I am going to get her to help finish off DS and DIL2b stocking presents and then I think other than the cards and her bits to wrap up I'm done. Yesterday I bought a smaller light up wooden Xmas Eve box for DD from HB think it was £7.99. Thought this an ideal compromise, her her to have smaller bits in there. I have got her  a nightie that is in a 'dress' style that I picked up in America earlier this year. a Lush bath bomb, hot chocolate sticks. I'd have liked a bomb but each one I looked at contained marshmallows, which is a vegetarian she can't eat due to the gelatine. Some chocolate drops from Hotel Chocolat though these may get moved to her stocking instead and some chocolate toppers in the shape of unicorns. I bought these in Aldi.

princess kitty - there's now an Aldi walking distance to us, took several years to go through, though the pandemic didn't help, don't know if Lidl have the same strategy but if there's already been a new  Aldi opened not too far away they then give that store a couple of years to establish a customer base before opening another. That might be a further reason for the delay near you.

Whilst out yesterday I also popped into another charity shop. This time I found a dress for me for £5. There was another brand name same price, but with no changing room to try on and knowing I struggle to get zipped back dresses to fit, I reluctantly left it!  Also being late to the buying pre-loved items, I have realised that I have still bought 3 packaging hampers this year. The one bought off SM to put DD's 'shower stuff' in, the picnic hamper bought the other day and the basket with a poinsettia on I've bought to put Mum's items in. 

Spendless

Dad's Mug arrived yesterday - phew. It is truly beautiful. Recommend for anyone who has a difficult to buy for person, but likes hot drinks. British company 
The Little Print Studio - Instantly customised gifts made in the UK – TheLittlePrintStudio.co.uk

A notification also suggests that DD's boyf present has arrived but at her student digs in Essex whilst she's back in the North with us. Will have to wait till she returns.  Wrapped that and Nan's aero selection box yesterday. I was on the brink of wrapping the dogs presents too, DH having bought him some whilst collecting DD at the weekend. I was under the mistaken belief that the dog was having an afternoon nap with DD upstairs, moved my wrapping paper etc into the conservatory  , put Christmas carols on was about to start when the dog charged in from the bottom of the garden, his spaniel nose must have sussed out what I was about to do, so they currently remain unwrapped.

I am working in the city centre later today, being dropped off by DH who is going shopping for my Christmas present with DD. He did say he could have already bought me if she hadn't insisted on accompanying him. DD gives a different viewpoint that her Dad does try when buying presents, he's just useless at it  so I suspect she doesn't trust him and wants to make sure anything he buys is under her watchful eye. When he picks me up from work later, we have planned to head to IKEA for items for DS and Dil2b food hamper. 

DH also has the task of sorting out the photos for Nan's photo frame today. Once that is done, it is purely write out cards and wrap up stockings. 

Forgot to say, we went and bought a lot of our Christmas shop last night, bar the meat products cos dates not currently long enough plus we buy from local market. We usually struggle with the cost of this shop because DH doesn't get paid early for Christmas. He still gets paid on last day of month (so NYE) - which makes Jan very easy but is a pain for the week before and after Christmas. Though I'm working I'm still playing 'catch up' with wages  from when I was off ill. Anyway DH had collected some loyalty points via a hotel chain he stays in when he works away, he was able to convert them to a £100 Asda gift card and our shop there yesterday came to £96! Result!