Part 0800.0005

[beach chick]

I feel your pain. I have a notepad with all of the presents that i have bought in it and who they are for.

 

oh chickencam, I thought I was the only person in the world anally-retentive enough to do this!! my records go back to 1986.... it's a very private notebook tho, and if anyone else so much as looks at it I come over very territorial

[Cinnamon]

I feel your pain. I have a notepad with all of the presents that i have bought in it and who they are for.

 

oh chickencam, I thought I was the only person in the world anally-retentive enough to do this!! my records go back to 1986.... it's a very private notebook tho, and if anyone else so much as looks at it I come over very territorial

 

I have lists going back years for Christmas & Birthdays,but on my computer

Its all passworded,to prevent sneaky peeks by the children

[Seagazer]

I write my present list in my filofax and write them down as I buy them to save any problems - or so I thought until I came to wrapping up the nieces and nephews presents today. Somehow I've managed to buy an extra little girl present. I know I can save it for one of their birthdays during the year but the trouble is it will just join the 'extra' presents that I've got in my wardrobe from past years, that I've bought and I keep forgetting to give out.

 

Some of kids are now too old for the presents in my wardrobe - ie fuzzy felt etc. My eldest niece is having a baby in the New Year - perhaps I'll remember the fuzzy felt in about 5 years time and give it to the little one

[Cinnamon]

I had 8 or so of those sorts of gifts lurking this year too,so I bunged them all on eBay at the start of the festive season.

I couldn't give them the space they needed in my house any more

[Seagazer]

So glad I'm not alone in this

[chickencam]

I have several such presents in my cupboard too

[CatieB]

Yes I have presents like that too. Wonder if the light bulbs are in there too

 

Re colours, our tree is uniform colour too, the one in the lounge is soft white lights (if they worked) and silver / glass baubles - no tinsel. Our tree in the kitchen is soft white light too but candy colour decorations red / white/ green

 

Can I just say too that on top of the light fiasco we paid an extraordinarily high price for our tree this year. (£60 - I'd been told the prices had gone up so like a fool didn't shop around and now find I went to the most expensive place in the history of trees oooops) And I have to say that whilst i thought it was great at the time I'n now not so sure. Please don't tell DH

 

Was just wondering why I feel so stressed today and now reading this thread I think I've worked out why

[Alis girls]

We only argue re the catering - OH who fancies himself as a cross between Delia,jamie and Hugh insists on starters before Xmas dinner - I find it all too much 2 courses is enough - might do some canapes bits to shut him up (I'll stuff one in his gob) Hes studying Delias Christmas book as I speak - bah humbug

[Olly]

Re the notebook - my mum had a Christmas List book, and when we were clearing up after her death we found it - it went back years, and she'd written prices down as well. I could remember the year she knitted jumpers for everyone - and the books and so on - it was lovely to read it, she really enjoyed Christmas and spent weeks planning for it.

 

I have tinsel! lots of it, and I have tree decorations in all sorts of shapes and sizes, some of which were also my mum's - Christmas is not about good taste, it's about tat, bling and excess and the more lights, baubles and shiny stuff the better!

 

I draw the line at an inflatable Homer Simpson in the garden, but I love seeing lights on people's houses and my friend and I have a traditional drive round the local houses in the week before Christmas to look at them all.

[chickencam]

I have re-written my lists, they are now totally upto date, my cupboard is stacked very lightly and tidily and I only have a couple of bits to buy

 

I hope that you find your bulbs.

[Alis girls]

Oh pur-lease no more of this organised melarky - cant cope (or spell ) actually I only have to get a few bits - I think i will write a book on how not to kill OH on run up to Chrimble - it will be a best seller and I will include a section for those people who find that bulbs and nativity bits have gone astray

[Cate in NZ]

Move down under...then you can forget them entirely!!!

I have a Christmas tree. This is my 3rd summer Christmas, and so far my tree has only been up one Christmas & I'm seriously debating whether or not to put it up this year. So far into December I can't be bothered....far more useful ways of spending my time than putting up Christmas trees. It's all about time, being with people, sharing with people, doing things that are important with people who are precious to you. I'm not sure where fiddling with Christmas tree lights & blown fairy light bulbs fits into that. BUT it's daylight until well nigh 10pm here, so my comments don't necessarily translate well to cold, dark, damp, wintery Britain & I know it....I did spent over 40 Christmases in Britain so I do share your pain. Just gained a different perspective over here where Christmas lights are a waste of space....who needs lights when it's not dark until late? But, don't sweat the small stuff...if you can get the lights to work...great...if not, light a candle & laugh. It's Christmas!!! Whatever you do, fairy lights or not...enjoy

[CatieB]

SUCCESS... after going round the whole of town without success I decided on desperate measures. I thought at least if I can get something similar, that will join the connections, the circuit will complete and the lights would work even without the particular bulb so I bought a few packets of the nearest looking bulbs in Wilkinsons and one of them worked. YIPEE

 

Now have a completed tree and twinkling soft lights, the odd bulb is not working but the vast majority are.

[Blackrocksrock]

I think its dangerous for some bulbs not to be working on these circuits as it puts a higher load on the others and can short them out - I think I am right on this - might be worth checking! safer anyway.

[chickencam]

Glad that you got them going

[CatieB]

I think its dangerous for some bulbs not to be working on these circuits as it puts a higher load on the others and can short them out - I think I am right on this - might be worth checking! safer anyway.

 

I think you may be right but I have three sets and only the odd bulb not working on each set. Anyway if they short out I'd be no worse off than them not working at all we are quite careful with them and only have them on when we are around. Thanks though