Christmas prep

The Christmas Spreadsheet will be opened up on Tuesday evening, to the sound of Christmas music and Christmas planning will start.

Meanwhile, I do already have a collection of stocking presents and other trifles purchased over the last 10 months, hidden in a drawer.

Christmas decorations and the like come down from the loft the last weekend in November.

memo to self........avoid at all costs and let people enjoy their thing.

Tut tut, grapefruitpip … shame on you.

You should have kept that memo, as you said, to yourself.

Especially as you say you want to avoid Christmas, and this thread is clearly under the heading Christmas!!

You old killjoy

mmm, killjoy, yes I will accept that.

If you prefer an Eco Christmas you should avoid glitter which is very unfriendly!

M0nica … well I'm not so organised as you sound, I don't have a spreadsheet!

But I do like a bit of craft now and again, and although it's easy to become jaded with the commercialism of Christmas, I like to focus on the Carols or the history, and traditions.

One day I'd like to make embroidered Christmas cards, but that's a bit too much for me at the mo.

I think its nice to mark the passing of the year with seasonal things.

I'm in the middle of knitting a Christmas cardi for my nephew's little girl.

Ooo Midgey ...You're so right! I should have remembered that it's a problem.
I've got small tubes of it left over from when my children were young.
So I wont be buying it.
So does that make it ok to use?

grapefruitpip… Well so you should, no one is forcing you to comment.

It isn’t really for Christmas more autumn, but I’m going to collect lovely coloured autumn leaves and preserve them in glycerine, then using the long stems from the garden and making a circle the poke the leaves in to make a wreath.

Made Christmas Chutney today

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

midgey … Don't worry, I've just looked up a eco supplier.....if I even get to use it!

More reason to go skandi!!

Thanks for reminding me

namsnanny, that was rather rude. A sense of humour bypass?

Is it too early to put the sprouts on

??? Sprouts should have been on by the end of September - oh dear, that’s your Christmas ruined

Oh dear! Sillygrandma … No not for you, enjoy your dark room bye

Namsnanny, please enlighten us as to your fun filled shenanigans?

MawB …. Yes the traditional slimy sprout!!
Never been a star in our house, with only me liking them.

Everyone in my family is vegan now.
Even so they wont be wanting sprouts if the past is anything to go by!

grapefrutpip … Sorry was I too rich for your blood? As they say now My Bad

Good for you Namsnanny!
Whitewave around here there don’t seem to be many colours...the trees seem beaten and defeated by all the rain, I hope you have better luck where you are.

grapefruitpip …. I'm keeping a type of diary of Christmas crafts and makes.

Which maybe, like minded crafty people may wish to add to, sharing their ideas and makes with everyone.

But its only for Christmas not St. Patricks Day so no leprechauns I'm afraid

whitewave … That sounds really lovely. What made you think you'd like to do that?
Could you send us a photo when it's done, only if you'd like to of course?

I've just made two gnomes from old socks and a piece of fur off an old gillet - they're stuffed with cat litter (unused of course) as I read that rice needs to have the bugs killed by freezing it and I was too impatient.

I've also prepped a ceramic Christmas tree and stand tonight ready to paint over the weekend. I did a Santa train last week and enjoyed doing it so moved on to bigger things.

YouTube has a lot to answer for

Willow ….You've been very busy .
You are quite sure the cat litter was unused, aren't you?
What will you do with them?

It will be summer here of course and many people decorate inside and outside their homes.
I do neither and won't even have an artificial Xmas tree.

I would never, ever kill a tree for Christmas, and this was my philosophy long before we got eco obsessed aware.

The few cards (it's all digital now) I get will be placed on a small shelf in the kitchen and possibly used as gift tags for the prezzies.

But my favourite thing is a family tradition, now carried on with my grandson, of hiding small gifts around the house and garden, and giving him written clues to find them.
Such fun for all of us.

This year, I shall not be at home but at my son's house with dil and dgs.

I've been asked to make and take the Yorkshire pork pie for Christmas breakfast; the brandy butter for the mince pies and the Xmas Pud. For this last I make the milder, buttery version we've always preferred.

At least one major gift this year is a subscription - can't wrap that up!
Not sure at this stage what else will be given.

It makes a big difference when you can't get out to the shops to browse for lovely things and take part in the Christmas atmosphere.

Mind you, there's no impulse buying either

It's only October for goodness sake! Bah humbug.