A Very MSE Advent 2025

beanielou

I have pulled out some Christmas stuff today with the help of wee lodger. Can’t get the wreath to stay on the door. Now going to write some Christmas cards. 

beanielou

Loving that card @Suffolk_lass. 

suprisinglynice

I'm loving this thread, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share.
I've finished wrapping my presents today!

PennysIntoPounds

Welcome @suprisinglynice, my goodness well done on finishing wrapping your presents, that is A-star organised!

suprisinglynice

@PennysIntoPounds I have never been this organised, it's usually a Christmas Eve slog. I couldn't face that this year so have been doing a few every few days, as time allows. The relief is huge.

Cheery_Daff

Wow, well done @surprisinglynice that's super impressive! 

I made present bags a few years ago, and I'm never going back to paper for most things (although if they're going in the post they get paper). Yes it was a faff making them, but I can do that through the year, and then wrapping just becomes VERY easy, just shoving things in decent sized bags. 

Of course, I can't do that yet because I've barely even started shopping, let alone finished 😬😂

A small cheerful thing though - made some lavender room spray for the bedroom 😊 had some in a gift set a while back, but it had run out. I kept the bottle, but never got round to putting anything in it. Spotted some in a gift shop today for £12 😱 so just looked up a recipe. Mixed half and half vodka and cooled water from the kettle, and stuck in a few drops of lavender oil. Cost extremely negligible, took less than 5 minutes to make, and it smells delightful. 

So delightful that I'm going to make other scents for different rooms 😊😊

Sun_Addict

I’ve been to a local Christmas Fayre today sporting a snowflake jumper dress and bauble earrings. Earlier in the day listened to Smooth Christmas Chill and did Get Fit With Rick’s Advent Challenge Day 7 🎄 

Cherryfudge

Thank you for the link and the photos of the card, @Suffolk_lass. The recipe seems to have been copied again on the thread I found, so it must be a good 'un! I'm nearly there with quantities of peel now and have another citrus peel recipe to try afterwards, so eventually I will have a use for all the vast amounts of orange peel that DH produces!

What lovely calligraphy on that card.

greent said:

Morrisons and Asda do some BF hot choc - but it is awful according to a colleague. Much better rated was Options cherry choc instant hot choc - which is half price with T3sc0 clubcard

I wonder if that's the same Options as I bought in a limited edition last year? It was really nice. I'll have to buy that as well as the Asda one and do a comparison. (Any excuse).

Cheery_Daff said:

 the rat seems to have disappeared of its own volition now (fingers crossed) so he can just rewire the plug and we should have a functioning fridge. !!!!!!.

You have a rat that can rewire electricals? That's very useful!

First outing for a Christmas jumper and Christmas scrunchie today. I borrowed DD's fancy dress wings and made a tinsel halo for the 'scratch nativity' at church. Nearly everyone joins in ('all angels over here... all shepherds gather at the back, all Josephs come past the innkeepers and the last one shake hands'). It's a lot of fun and works for all ages, because even those who don't dress up get the entertainment value (a child couldn't reach the manger from where they were standing so the baby got thrown in from a distance) but it's done after the main carols and the talk so there is a serious side too.

Eating up the freezer is going to slow down as we get through the obvious meals, but we had lovely liver and bacon for dinner - more space is now clearly visible. I've another portion of melon sorbet for supper, but no more available space till the other three portions are eaten.

I found a lip salve in the black-hole-of-toiletries drawer, which is by the computer while I battle the remains of last week's cold. It's one I don't particularly like but I can use it while I can't smell it!

Cheery_Daff

Cherryfudge said:

You have a rat that can rewire electricals? That's very useful!

Ha, yes that would be very useful, especially as Mr C isn't going to get round to it tonight! 😂

I thought you said 'scratch and sniff nativity' there for a second! 🤭 that sounds like an ace event 😊

greent

Well done, @surprisinglynice! 

That nativity event sounds fantastic @Cherryfudge - what fun!

Wrapped another xmas present before bed tonight - and (more importantly) started sorting/ wrapping presents🎁 for DD's bday later this week . Might also have eaten a whole share bag of Xmas haribo whilst doing that... 🤢