Christmas prep

Probably a nice thread to share ideas

Yes, it probably was. Now apparently we're all up to our eyes in debt, gluttony, stress and plastic tat. And Brexit. How the heck did that happen?

Why on earth do people who don't like any mention of the C word in October, read any C-word topic posts now?
Just because they enjoy a moan?
The topic is Christmas - if you don't like it, please stay away!

As for prep, I don't do a lot until November, but do like to have all my cards done and ready to post by 1st Dec - we have a lot of overseas ones that need to go in plenty of time.

Nothing as sophisticated as spreadsheets - I just have an exercise book, where I make loads of lists, what to do or buy and by what date. Works OK for me.

Decorations usually come out of the loft shortly before 1st Dec, so we can check the lights are working.

However I have been knitting Christmassy things - a Nativity set and a huge Advent calendar - since the beginning of September. Would never get them finished in time otherwise.

I have my frozen sprouts as I love them stir fried with onion and bacon. I have heard that there is a shortage because of the hot Summer.

Goodness Witzend. I hadn't realised you were responsible for telling people whether they can or can't post on certain threads!

Too early and I love Christmas!

Never too early - I sometimes pick up odds and ends in January!

No, not too early for the crafters. I used to make my own cards and began in June. Only make 4 now, so November it is.

We have to order our turkey in October from our local butcher so that’s the start of it for me. I’ve had a big blue book for years and everything gets written in that. I quilt and knit so yes, I like to start early-ish with those projects.
Christmas is a time of comings and going’s and never quite knowing who will turn up when so the food needs planning too, though not quite yet. Except for the mincemeat which I shall make next week with DGD.
But yes, it is about Jesus’ birth and I too hate all the commercialisation and materialism but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a happy, fun time or that we can’t enjoy the preparations!

Bradfordlass Buying online is a killer for my budget..or would be if I had one.I buy things all year,forget what I've bought and buy more things .Everyone gets far too much .Impulse buying from TV channels is the worst ,today I bought some Hotel Chocolate hot chocolate sachets and a "velvetiser " for my daughter ,thats the same ,the only daughter I already have about 5 things for .I know she'll love it though and anything that makes her smile is worth it .

New GD only has two things so far ,but she's only 5 weeks old I'm sure I'll find some more .
I have said this is the VERY LAST TIME I'm spending so much .We'll see .

@Namsnanny we all forage from our gardens. I have a lot of Ivy and 2 holly trees, my other sisters all have some greenery and 1 sister a nice variegated holly tree which is very old and so she can pick a lot from. We buy the wreath bases from garden centre. I will try to upload some images and of hand painted baubles form my phone.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201910/medium-212818-wp-20151223-002.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201910/medium-765058-wp-20141129-005.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201910/medium-758918-wp-20141129-004.jpg

Hoping they upload ok.

Please do not laugh at my poor painting.

Christmas is quite low-key nowadays, thankfully. We don't have turkey because we don't like it. I don't have to cater for many, between three and six people. I don't go mad with decorations although the kitchen table is nicely dressed. It's mainly about nice things to eat in a relaxed atmosphere. I do have a tree, mainly because my adult kids would be horrified if i didn't. There are family decorations that go back to when my grandparents were kids and ones my kids made etc. I have a nice artificial tree now that I bought secondhand in a charity shop about ten years ago. It looks like the real thing if you don't stand too close. I love real ones but it's too difficult getting one the right size that I can get home on the bus unaided. I make do with greenery from the garden instead.

If anyone is looking for a really quick and easy Xmas activity to do with young grandchildren popcorn angels and stars are so easy.
1. I buy a bag of ready made popcorn but you could do your own in microwave.
2. Put a piece of grease proof paper on baking sheet.
3. Make a toffee sauce in saucepan melt butter, sugar and 2 teaspoons of golden syrup until gloopy.
4. Get metal Angel and Star shape and place on grease proof sheet.
5. Mix popcorn into hot toffee sauce.
6. Spoon into metal shapes and push down with back of tablespoon.
7. Leave to cool and get hard.
8. Make a hole in top of popcorn shape and thread with coloured ribbon. I use red and green.
8. Repeat 6-8 several times until all popcorn used up.
9. For extra special stars dip tips of star in melted chocolate.
10. Eat or decorate the tree.

The whole thing only takes under 15 mins and about 15 mins for cooling time.

My only prep is making a pud, making presents (low key, nice chutneys, home-made chocs in a nice box, that sort of thing) and getting one of my kids to lug things down from the loft like the tree & decorations. We have a good local corner shop and I make my own bread so I don't have shopping panic or anything. We won't die if I run out of anything.
A neighbour of mine works in a big supermarket and says Christmas Eve is mainly deranged shoppers believing Christmas will be completely and entirely ruined forevermore if they run out of a particular brand of cheese biscuits and it's her personal fault.
I swear I'm not joking. She's had people coming close to hitting her like it's her personal fault and she did it deliberately just to ruin their Christmas.

Newnanny, how much butter and sugar in that recipe, please?

@Witzend I put 4oz butter, 3oz sugar and 2 teaspoons of golden syrup to make it a bit gloopy. Just boil and stir popcorn in. I just keep adding popcorn until all toffee sauce mixed in. Put into metal shapes quickly.

I`ve been making christmas presents over the last few months. I got some white wood boxes and heart shaped wooden plaques from The Works....very cheap, but have decorated and painted them with gems and Posca paintpens. I put trinkets and pebbles I`ve painted inside.

They dont cost a fortune, but look quite pretty and are all original. Hope they are liked.

If anyone can get hold of a wooden crate that the fruit comes in and paints it red or green they make fabulous hamper boxes as so strong. I put one piece of Xmas paper with picture side facing up and fill with dd and SiL's favourite eats.

newnanny …..lovely ideas there, I'm sure someone will find them useful.

Its so nice to see the photos of your makes! As for your painting, you haven't seen mine yet .

Boodymum … the boxes sounds pretty and useful.
When you say you paint pebbles, do you write messages or paint pictures?
Either would be lovely, but I see some people on ebay, paint words in an artistic fashion on pebbles and they look good.

Londongranny … Do you make your own bread all year round or just for special occasions?

I love getting other peoples chutney and jam for prezzys!

Your poor friend, fancy people getting so hot under the collar about shopping!
Mind you I could understand it if it were a special present for a child, and that was all they really wanted. But not about cheese biscuits!!

newnanny … using holly to make wreaths is hard on the hands, all the prickles I mean.
I use quite a few things from the garden including fir, but leylandii is soft and flops about a lot, quite fiddly to work with.

Sometimes I buy a fresh wreath just covered with ivy or eucalyptus, and then add more foliage and baubles of my choice.

paddyann … your daughter is going to be pleased with her hot choc velvetiser I'm sure!

My husband is always difficult to find something for, but as he likes hot chocolate I thought he would like one.
He liked it but continued to make it the way he has always done! He is a man of habits!!

I liked the drink it made, it was very smooth, no powdery taste as can sometimes be the case. Frothy too.

Today at my craft group I made gift-tags from old Christmas cards. So easy and very satisfying - I used a single-hole punch and a little device which clips "round corners", so they look quite classy. (Now I have enough tags for about the next three Christmases......)

Allotmentlil …(love your name BTW) That's the thing isn't it? Some things have to be done early, there is no getting away from it!

Yes I don't like the commercialism surrounding Christmas, but its there for any and every occasion now isn't it?

I think it's just a case of avoiding it as much as possible.

One thing I have noticed is how the Christian message is being marginalised in favour of a secular one. 'Happy Winter Holiday' is one that is popular. Polar bears on cards, that sort of thing.
I suppose each to his own.

(ducking behind the laptop for cover!!)