Poorly chicken

[Sarelis]

I have made my first ever christmas cake this weekend (an amaretto one ) and it's got me right in the festive mood. I have a couple of craft projects to commence as gifts next weekend, what is everyone else up to in the run up?

[Cat tails]

I'm having a christmas battle with the teacher in the classroom next door. so already have a little christmas tree and some small decorations.

Also discovered chalk pens! With which you can draw on windows!

[soapdragon]

I won't feel festive until 4th December when I shall spend the afternoon, with my trusty team of four other parents, making Christingles in the staff room ready for the service on 6th. My 9th year and the heady mix of orange juice and jelly tots always does it for me! A good gossip and copious quantities of tea help!

 

There is always a sense of panic, albeit lessening slightly as the boys get older; the chances of being in the right place, at the right time with the right child and the right kit diminish as December wears on. I'm still traumatised by managing to leave YS beard at home when he was playing a wise man at nursery....had to go back and get it! Roll on 19th!

[Valkyrie]

My favourite quote ever - "Bah humbug!" Does that give you a clue? Always get totally down at this time of year. I just hate the run up from July (in shops here this year - crazy!) because it's too soon and it takes the fun away, so I just stick my head down and ignore it all. Actually I think I need some grandchildren to bring the magic back because Santa doesn't get to visit here any more. This year I've decided to make things because it's just too commercial now - which I have yet to do - and the panic is setting in. So saying that I love my tree and my lights round the front door. The cladded oak pillars now look better than the old scabby white ones - because the ribbon and lights looked like a barber's shop! But pretty. I love the lights going up the stairs and the lights around my fireplace.

But this year MIL and FIL are sleeping over Christmas Eve and I'm the designated driver to spend Christmas day with DD and her OH. Exciting for them but yuk for me (not the bit about being at DD's - the driving and the MIL yuk) because we are going up in the morning and coming home in the evening. I may just pop round to Redders to hide from MIL!

 

Ooh I forgot - we have our annual neighbours party (no, not reruns of an Aussie soap) but where we dive across the road with drink and in my case dessert, and we have fun.

 

When the solstice arrives I'll perk up because summer will be coming. Hah! Opposite to GOT!

[Sarelis]

Loving all of the festive activities going on and planned i'm fed up with the commercialism of christmas too, but I love the deccys / tree / food / drink i'm doing lots of making this year rather than buying. I'm making something for my mum and she is doing me a painting, I will be making some chocolate truffles as gifts too, and always make my own wreath for the door.

 

On another note, my pullets laid their first egg this morning! So it's like christmas for me already lol

[Willow]

I hate the commercialism and thinking of presents. My FIL is the worst, I have to think of something to give him (and he's well off so buys what he wants), and think of present ideas for him to buy us and our boys. He wants to buy us all something we'd like which is nice but actually the hard work of thinking up the ideas falls to me

 

My boys are both at uni and between monies earnt, both have bursaries, student loan and don't have expensive tastes are ok for money and fully up to date on electronics so especially hard to buy for this year. Actually everyone over 10 is hard to buy for

 

This year as I'm recovering from an op I'm not working so I am enjoying starting preparations early. Decided to take part in the village advent calendar and since the house is set back from the Rd with small panes of glass it will need to be a display in the garden so have been happily tidying the front garden and thinking up ideas for the display.

 

Not done any Christmas baking yet. I think I still have an unused fruit cake from a few years ago I should make a Christmas pudding though.

[Luvachicken]

Not yet, but I did make my Christmas cake in half term which made everything smell nice.

I popped into a card shop last week to get birthday cards for December - not much choice this time of year - and they had Christmas songs blaring out.

It's not even December.

Why can't all of the shops wait until December to put Christmas stuff up, out or on ?

 

I think it would be much more exciting for all the little children too, especially when they ask how long to go until Christmas ....... er, another 3 months dear

Actually, I'm surprised someone hasn't made an advent calendar for a longer countdown

[Cat tails]

Actually, I'm surprised someone hasn't made an advent calendar for a longer countdown

 

I bought a Ikea Advent calendar

[mullethunter]

I love Christmas (unfortunately for me, unlike my OH), but I refuse to do anything to do with it until December. I'm actually finding it quite difficult to wait this year though and keep getting little bursts of festive feeling! Also don't decorate until the 21st for two reasons - out of habit from living at home - because my sisters birthday is the 20th and so we always waited until after that - and 3 years ago my OHs dad died also on the 20th.

[Alis girls]

No sorry not feeling the love for it yet. This year will be spent with friends not family. My ederly aunt doesnt want to come to us despite being happy to pick her up from East Midlands and bring her to London and back. She will go to neighbours. OH and I will pop up before Christmas and see her. I said I cannot face another Christmas there - 2015 my uncle died and last year dad was in hospital.

I have bought a few presents = OH seemed to think I would enjoy not having to entertain but i am so used to it now. My friend is doing a turkey my OH is doing roast beef and I am doing puds. We will have brunch here with bucks fizz and I will try and drown out how blooming awful this year as been. On Boxing day another friend has asked us over - will do more puds and her husband lost his step dad this year so we will wallow together.

Before anyone thinks what a miserable old cow rest assured I am booked up with various outings before Christmas and was persuaded to go to works do as it was pointed out to me we deserved our stingy bosses to spend a bit of dosh on us.

I am back at work the wed after Christmas so will have to make sure not too hungover.

[Alis girls]

Forgot to mention Christmas ads - I havent see John Lewis - I enjoy the Tesco one which they moaned about - the vision of the woman trying to get a very large turkey in a very small oven cracks me up . Also the kid asking for ketchup is classic - mine did that when little.

[Sil-El]

I like the Christmas ads too

 

A friend and I have this sort of a thing every year where we say it's not Christmas until we have seen the Famous Grouse turkey advert - I saw him last week, he's curling this year it seems, so that means it's Christmas. (and yes, I know he's a grouse not a turkey, but I call him a turkey to wind up hubby )

 

We both like the Waitrose one where everyone is snowed in a pub and they all create a wonderful meal together using Waitrose stuff from the freezer - it feels really festive despite being in black and white.

 

But what annoys me is all the "order now and have it delivered in time for Christmas" ads for new sofas, beds, carpets, fitted kitchens etc, etc. And the catalogue companies which pretty much encourage people to get themselves in debt. Buy, buy, buy, spend, spend, spend because your Christmas can't possibly be perfect unless you've got yourself into more debt than the average Third World country!

 

Bah!

[Sarelis]

Nope I refuse to be drawn in to the 'if you haven't bankrupted yourself buying tons of tat "Ooops, word censored!"ody wants you are not doing it right' mindset. I will buy / make gifts for hubby and close family (grandkids only, grown up kids can sod off - we have 5 kids between us and 6 grandkids already so it gets silly) and I always buy for the dogs and cats, just treats & toys because they open their own prezzies and it's cute. I'm not bothering with the works christmas do, I have to put up with that lot all day every day (and my company makes me pay £30 for a "Ooops, word censored!"py meal if I want to bring my hubby!). Christmas day is watching the dogs open their squeaky rats and cats their catnip, walk to the pub with the mutts to see friends, then home for a massive dinner & watch the telly with a few drinks

[The Dogmother]

NOT

 

YET

 

 

I love Christmas, but not this early.

 

I also hate the consumerist tat and spending a fortune - we don't really do presents, which is a relief as I hate shopping.

[chickencam]

Christmas will be a weird one this year for me. Just emerging from chemo cycle 3 and number 4 is due on 6th December so I will do some Christmas baking either later this week or at the weekend then have to get some shopping done. We talked about when to decorate the house today and have decided to wait until offspring are home which won’t be until 16-19th which is quite late for us but I should be feeling a bit better by then and I’ve postponed my 5th chemo for a week so I’ll get an extra good week all being well over Christmas. Really looking forward to having our 3 grown up children home and together for a while. We all get in really well and it’s been a horrible year which started with us all being totally stricken with flu last Christmas and new year so hopefully this one has to be better! We are also hoping to get together with our parents, at some point, who’ve all had serious health problems this year. Fingers are still very much crossed on that one but it’s looking more hopeful than it was a few weeks back.

I love the family and food side of Christmas but the commercial aspect I hate. The gift side is magical for little ones but apart from the odd little treat most adults don’t need much and if they do they would rather choose it themselves. I loved the very simple Christmas’s of my childhood which involved the tree being decorated while listening to Carols from Kings on the radio on Christmas Eve, a few small gifts on the day, a good dinner and chocolate and cheesy Telly in the afternoon followed by a few days of laziness and a big jigsaw

[Valkyrie]

Actually, I'm surprised someone hasn't made an advent calendar for a longer countdown

 

I bought a Ikea Advent calendar

 

Is it flat packed? Second question - how big is it and are there tables and chairs to be found inside the little doors?

 

I'm afraid I have now bought everyone stupid Christmas jumpers that they will hate me for - and a pretty sparkly one for myself. I've been smirking for days now. I do need the sparkly jumper for our neighbours do - the request is to wear something that sparkles even if it's just a tinsel boa! I'm having DD's glitter hairband because I feel the heat - and 8 bodies in the house seems to make it unbearable and that jumper has to come off pretty much as soon as I walk in the door. Or maybe that'll be the mulled wine. (Yayyy Christmas cheer!)

 

I intend to do the Christmas cards now because I always leave it to the last minute and I get stressed. I'm sure the ones abroad arrive in the new year! But this time I'll also be sending a "thinking of you" to elderly (and recently discovered in the last few years) cousins in New Zealand. Also having chemo, mastectomy, chemo and more chemo - both of them (although Fred the husband isn't having a mastectomy - he has pretty much everything else, poor man)! Not fun.

[Willow]

I don't usually like the Christmas ads, mystified why we're supposed to anticipate them as their purpose is to fuel consumerism. but I must admit to being charmed by the Heathrow ad with the bears and I do like the Tesco ad.