Christmas

It sounds good. I'm way behind this year. The plan today is to write some cards and order some gifts.

I have put Christmas bedding on this morning (two guest rooms along with GC’s beds) have put Christmas teddies out in the playroom. (It’s only DH and I in the house, but GC are here most days as we live next door but one to their school)

Will decorate the house at the weekend, put the little artificial trees up and DH will put up outside lights and reindeers.

We have a real tree in the sitting room, that will be done in a couple of weeks.

Christmas baking nearly finished, as is the gift shopping.

I absolutely love Christmas 🎄🎄🎄

Well done GG13 Christmas is your house sounds fab!

*in!

Christmas presents all bought and stashed under beds!
Turkey being delivered this week, gammon bought yesterday, now in the freezer.
We’ll have a drive out in a couple of weeks to choose and bring home a real tree and then MrJ will decorate the house, I’ll go out for foraged greenery.
Grandchildren are here overnight on the 20th, we should be all systems go 🎄

I have made seven mini Christmas puddings all ready for distribution.

Presents all done and wrapped.
Booths Christmas order done to be collected nearer the day.
Bottles of Whiskey for our gardener and handyman to be sorted by my husband…….when he gets around to it!
We are going to our daughters so no decorations here but we will go and put a tree up in our holiday let for the Christmas and New Year guests.
Feeling quite smug but smug often comes and bites you on the bum!

Why does reading these threads make me depressed?
I think it is because it is still November...

Some people feel happier to be organised - their choice.

DH decided we should be organised this year - I'm confused already.

I once had major surgery in October so didn’t know how well I would be in December, our children were young and my husband is lovely but not someone who could organise Christmas!

So I got all the presents bought and wrapped before my hospital stay, mince pies in freezer etc.

It was a revelation as it turned out I made a fairly speedy recovery and enjoyed the run up to Christmas because everything was done.

I have continued this.

I like to be done by the time I put up my decorations, then I can enjoy my home and all the festivities, carol concerts, meeting up with friends etc.

(Our children call the last Monday in November ^Mother’s manic Monday)

I love to see threads like this. Only one negative comment but most filled with fabulous descriptions of such a happy time of year.

And could you send me one, please Grandmabatty!

Louella they're all spoken for! 😂 Thank you to escaped for starting the thread. I've now ordered two more gifts to arrive tomorrow. I'll check my list. Maybe even twice 😂

keepingquiet

Why does reading these threads make me depressed?
I think it is because it is still November...

Sorry, but I did say next month which is December. In 4 days' time.
It was meant to suggest a thread for keeping on track with Christmas preparations. And hearing how everyone is organised. And being prompted or reminded if anyone mentions something on the list we'd forgotten. Or just something interesting. Like a sort of group countdown.
Sago reminded me, a gift for the gardener. And also money in a card for the postman.

I have only ever posted on the Good Morning thread but when logging on, I saw this. Having just ordered a Christmas present for our youngest grandson,I was intrigued.

Although I have made our Christmas cake and am about to feed it again with brandy,I’ve not done much else but will soon.

As for putting up a tree,when the children were little(now all in their 40s, they used to go with my husband and choose one which he would dig from a local grower. It always stayed outside til Christmas Eve when it was brought in and decorated with their help. They then sat underneath it and always had banana sandwiches and lebkuchen. Afterwards the nearest 3 families would host a drinks evening where the children could burn off some of their excitement and energy. Magical days. Youngest daughter still follows the Christmas Eve tradition but the others have succumbed to pressure from their children to put up their trees earlier’ because all of their friends have theirs up.

Well, I’ve just ordered my S and BiL’s gift, so we can take it with us when we go to see them some time during the season. We don’t buy as many gifts any more as we agreed amongst the wider family to not bother, but my sister and I still exchange a small gift.

Yesterday I cooked the red cabbage and froze it and parboiled the parsnips and froze them. I’ve also bought the smoked salmon and put that in the freezer.

I’ve checked the pudding over (made 2 last year) and it looks and smells ok. I will be making a cake in a few weeks time (it’s not a rich Xmas cake, so can be made closer to the big day).

DH gifts are bought, but still to be wrapped, which will also be done in the next week or so. I’ve not written any cards yet, but have a couple to send abroad very soon. I’m actually cutting back on cards as postage is ridiculous.

The meat is ordered to be picked up either 22nd or 23rd Dec.

The trees won’t go up until mid Dec, but the Advent candle wreath will be set up on Sunday.

So, things are reasonably well on track, I think 🤞.

A lovely festive thread, thank you escaped, I’ll join in as soon as I’ve made a start!

Thanks for the thread to spur me on and keep me on track!

DH has put lights up, but they won't be turned on until Dec 1.
I have gifts for 2 of 5 GC so far, and 2 of 3 adult children couples. I tend to do something for their house, and then a gift certificate each for them.

I realized I still had some Christmas cake from last year, so have been enjoying a slice while I brows on-line for gifts. I wont' make another one for this year, since I'm the only one eating it!

I plan on making some sugar-cookies in Christmas shapes so I can have a icing/sprinkle decorating evening with the in-town grandkids. It's always fun and messy.

A lovely idea for a thread escaped!
I’ve written all the Christmas cards this lunchtime (2 dozen in total). I’m feeling smug …. 😁

I’ve bought quite a few gifts but nothing is wrapped yet and I’ve lost track of what I’ve already got so going to be doing some sorting tomorrow to see where we are. Cards bought but not written. We’ve been to JL to get some new baubles ( something we do every year) and have some planned things with friends arranged for between Christmas and New Year.

We have to be more organised this year as we are going to New York 14-21st Dec and it all has to be done before we go , hope we are not too jet lagged!

Oh and just to add to it all fingers very firmly crossed that our renovation work keeps going to time and we have a new living room to sit in on Christmas morning.

I still LOVE Christmas!

Hi. Christmas seems to come around like lightening these days. I don’t know what happened to October or November, but I certainly haven’t been preparing for Christmas.
I have given the house a good clean and had a new lounge carpet fitted but don’t think it took two months 🙄
This week I have ordered six presents for two adults and DGC so that’s a start. I’ve ordered my beef from the butcher and also bought a few treats from M &S.
The tree will go up in a couple of weeks when my DGD can help out, we’ve made it into a bit of a tradition now, but it’ll depend on when they’re free, they have much busier social lives than me.

I have to get all presents for DS and family ready and wrapped by 12 December when we make a pre-Chrustmas visit. This is their year for spending the Big Day and Boxing day with DDiL's mother, so wont be with us until the 28th.

I suddenly realised we are away next week so on Monday I had a morning of ordering presents at a rate that nearly made my credit card melt. The idea is that they will all be delivered before this weekend and nothing will arrive while we are away.

Today the items ordered started arriving and are stacked in the hall waiting to be opened and checked.

We have 3 trees. Only one real though. The rest are Balsam Hill which are incredible. I still am amazed that I went down the artificial route but their trees are amazing.

So my youngest daughter came to decorate the hall tree before Halloween. I know, shocking.

And this weekend we'll be doing the others. I love it. The pretty lights lift the spirits. Life is a bit grey at present with one thing and another.

Wrapped 3 presents today! Hoorah! Lot more to get through but we're starting.

I've also watched a few of the Christmas films on Channel 5 in the afternoon.

Got all the advent calendars ready to give to the grandchildren.

I can't wait!

Grandmabatty

Louella they're all spoken for! 😂 Thank you to escaped for starting the thread. I've now ordered two more gifts to arrive tomorrow. I'll check my list. Maybe even twice 😂

Aw, shucks! 😀