Preparing for Christmas

DreaminOnAStar

fishy fishy wrote: »

hi dreamin - do you only have the one design of Christmas card( happy snow day) or do you have a selection - would love some alternative cards to the usual ones.

Hi Fishy Fishy, I'm sending you a PM.

Also I would just like to let people know, as I have had a few enquiries, that my shop is still down and hoping to have it up at the weekend.

Anyway I still haven't down much preparation for Christmas but I'm delighted there's so much stuff in the shops. It's such a treat window shopping!

Cunning Stunt

I just unwrapped my christmas cake to feed it with some sherry. I was actually nervous and hoping it wouldn't be gone off or something, but the lovely smell of Christmas hit me as soon as I took off the wrapping. It smells just like a Christmas cake should It still looks lovely and moist, so I think it is preserving OK down in the cellar.

Am chuffed with my first xmas cake

chickenbutt

Just put in an order for some Christmas gifts online (I hate the mad rush in stores)... Getting excited now for the holiday season!! And making a list of Christmas related movies to watch leading up to the big day - It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, Die Hard, Rocky IV, etc... :pac:

byhookorbycrook

Christmas gift bags, tags, wrapping paper and cards in Aldi this week. Some cards that you can be your own photos into as well.Nice Winnie the pooh, Tiggers and Eey-ores for €6.99.All stocked here!

hdowney

Thanks for the recipe Posy. I'm the same. I vary things like fruit, nuts and peels to peoples preference.

Alicat I would LOVE to be cooking for all them people

Posy

I STILL haven't got all my presents.
*hyperventilates*

suomi

I guess I've started my Christmas preparations too, I ordered Christmassy curtains online yesterday and also I've made chili jam that will be a part of a hamper I'm going to give my parents on Christmas. :cool:

Cunning Stunt

suomi wrote: »

I guess I've started my Christmas preparations too, I ordered Christmassy curtains online yesterday and also I've made chili jam that will be a part of a hamper I'm going to give my parents on Christmas. :cool:

Hey Suomi, is it the Nigella chilli jam?
Was thinking of giving that a go - my father in law loooves chilli - puts chilli sauce on everything! Was thinking of making some chilli jam for him.
Do you know how long it keeps? Am dying to try it soon, but not if it won't keep for Christmas...

suomi

Cunning Stunt wrote: »

Hey Suomi, is it the Nigella chilli jam?
Was thinking of giving that a go - my father in law loooves chilli - puts chilli sauce on everything! Was thinking of making some chilli jam for him.
Do you know how long it keeps? Am dying to try it soon, but not if it won't keep for Christmas...

Yeah it is, I got the recipe here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056110995 If I remember right, it keeps in the fridge unopened for up to a year and a few months after it's been opened. It's a bit sweet and and more like a sauce than a jam, although it does get thicker after a while. But it'll definitely keep until Christmas, in fact I don't think you're supposed to open it for a few weeks after making it so the flavours will develop properly or something. It's very easy to make too!

ibarelycare

Alicat wrote: »

Lisa, you're making me feel very inadequate! :eek:




Doesn't it fold really well at the edges? Everything looks so much neater wrapped in a stiff, good quality paper!

I've been wrapping professionally (:p :pac:) since I was fifteen and got a part-time Christmas job in a pharmacy as a gift wrapper. That was my job for 3/4 days. Wrapping presents. AMAZING. I got paid by the pharmacy and got tips from people, sometimes as much as a fiver for one present :eek:

That's my dream job :eek: I LOVE Christmas wrapping and have a different theme every year!

I've posted about my wrapping in here a few times. 3 years ago I had black shiny paper with gold bows and ribbons of all different shapes and sizes. Two years ago I had plain brown package paper with red ribbons and tied on old-fashioned wooden Christmas tree decorations instead of gift tags (idea robbed from tfak85!) Last year I had silver paper with beautiful green ribbon, and I tied on a few little jingle bells to each gift. (Inspired by this idea. I didn't bother with the sheet music but the silver paper was nearly as lovely!)


So once again I'm looking for ideas to blow my family away (They're starting to copy me with fancy wrapping but I don't want to be beaten )

chickenbutt

ibarelycare wrote: »

That's my dream job :eek: I LOVE Christmas wrapping and have a different theme every year!

I've posted about my wrapping in here a few times. 3 years ago I had black shiny paper with gold bows and ribbons of all different shapes and sizes. Two years ago I had plain brown package paper with red ribbons and tied on old-fashioned wooden Christmas tree decorations instead of gift tags (idea robbed from tfak85!) Last year I had silver paper with beautiful green ribbon, and I tied on a few little jingle bells to each gift. (Inspired by this idea. I didn't bother with the sheet music but the silver paper was nearly as lovely!)


So once again I'm looking for ideas to blow my family away (They're starting to copy me with fancy wrapping but I don't want to be beaten )

I like the jingle bells idea I'm a horrible present wrapper. I end up getting bags and throwing balls of tissue paper on top. Come to think of it, every time we have Christmas at my grandmother's there is a box or two of tissue paper, bows, ribbons, tags, etc, that we've saved and reused over the years to keep costs down... lol, it's seriously the same bows from ~15 years ago.

Posy

I love the plain paper look in Christmas gifts. Like plain green with a red bow, red with a black bow etc...

You could go with a red/green theme- or use tartan wrapping paper with big red or green bows? Or plain red paper with big tartan bows? Or plain white boxes/paper with different coloured ribbon for each person.
Or a silver and blue theme can also look lovely.

I'm sure you'll come up with something great, ibarelycare- your presents sound amazing!

ibarelycare

Posy wrote: »

I love the plain paper look in Christmas gifts. Like plain green with a red bow, red with a black bow etc...

You could go with a red/green theme- or use tartan wrapping paper with big red or green bows? Or plain red paper with big tartan bows? Or plain white boxes/paper with different coloured ribbon for each person.
Or a silver and blue theme can also look lovely.

I'm sure you'll come up with something great, ibarelycare- your presents sound amazing!

Aw thanks I won't get to show off so much this year as we're doing KK for the first year ever and I've only a handful outside my family to buy for More money for wrapping paper and ribbons though

I agree about the plain paper, it's so much nicer! I'm the same with birthdays, I usually get a plain coloured paper, then a bow with a design.

One of my ideas I was thinking of for this year was to get some cream or brown paper and make my own stamps with sponges or potatoes so I could design my own paper...seems kinda messy though. But it would be cool to personalise everyone's! I'll have to get my thinking cap on

lisa_celtic

Today I ordered my 7ft Christmas tree and two sets of kitchen plates a set of deep red and black my old 6ft one can go in the kitchen so two trees this year so excited!!

omb0wyn5ehpij9

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Christmas gift bags, tags, wrapping paper and cards in Aldi this week. Some cards that you can be your own photos into as well.Nice Winnie the pooh, Tiggers and Eey-ores for €6.99.All stocked here!

I might drop in tomorrow and try get a few bits. I always leave the wrapping paper, tags, etc. til the very end!

Toto Wolfcastle

I bought a star for the top of the tree in Ikea the other day. It's not bad for €2. My first Christmas purchase of the year. I don't think it will fit on top of the tree but my husband reckons it might.

touts

Cake made. Cut a slice in it to see if it was good and it looks to be the best one I ever made. It took some willpower not to eat the test slice and just put it back so the cake can stay whole for decorating in a few weeks.

DreaminOnAStar

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

I bought a star for the top of the tree in Ikea the other day. It's not bad for €2. My first Christmas purchase of the year. I don't think it will fit on top of the tree but my husband reckons it might.

OMG IKEA have their stuff in already? I bought a lot of Christmas stuff last year from there. Had really lovely stuff. Got a Santa Advent calendar:



And some funky lights that look like falling snow when you put them in the window! (Not the best photo, but I had mine at the window and they looked so cool!)

Lucyfur

I did not know this forum existed :eek::eek::eek:

I love it in here already.

*gets mulled wine and makes oneself comfy*

Posy

Lucyfur wrote: »

I did not know this forum existed :eek::eek::eek:

I can't believe that!! :eek:
This is the best forum on boards! (or maybe the second best)

Lucyfur

Posy wrote: »

I can't believe that!! :eek:
This is the best forum on boards! (or maybe the second best)

I clearly haven't been stalking you well enough:D

Posy

Must. Do. Better!

ibarelycare

Started on the Christmas shopping last night

OldNotWIse

Anyone agreeing with friends and family to cut down a little on budgets this year?

OldNotWIse

BDJW wrote: »

I might drop in tomorrow and try get a few bits. I always leave the wrapping paper, tags, etc. til the very end!

Every year I say this and yet I always end up blowing a gasket Christmas eve afternoon when I finish work, trying to buy stuff for the pets (:rolleyes:) and last few bits and bobs for people :mad: And it seems everyone else leaves it til the last minute too (or at least it feels that way when the HMV queue is halfway down henry street lol)

strawberrytart

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Anyone agreeing with friends and family to cut down a little on budgets this year?

Budgets reduced last year to €30 per parent and sibling x 2, will stay the same this year, no kids to buy for this year.Have agreed similar amount with partner, i usually tell everyone what i want though so i get good stuff

ibarelycare

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Anyone agreeing with friends and family to cut down a little on budgets this year?

Yeah. My family and I are doing KK between all the adults this year (my mam, my brother, 2 sister, 1 SIL, 1 BIL and me). I'd usually spend on average €70 on each of them so Christmas always costs a fortune. Now we're just spending €150 for KK. I'm sad I won't be getting all the presents but it's a huge relief not to have to spend so much. I've 3 nephews who have birthdays in November/December, and a niece/nephew due on 14th December so even without Christmas, November and December are expensive enough anyway!

I'm also cutting down on the amount I spend on my nephews. I feel like I'm competing with some members of the family to get them the best/most presents for them but I'm giving up this year, it's too much!!!

My boyfriend and I are also putting a €150 limit on each other's presents.

hdowney

I don't have many to buy for. Just the mammy and the best friend, but I guess I always go as mental as I can afford on the mammy's gifts as she raised me and did her best for me on her own when I was growing up. I want to treat her to thank her. But this year we has no monies so I think we might plan it a little better. Perhaps a big present (price to be decided) a couple of little bits wrapped under the tree that don't cost much and each others sock

lisa_celtic

Not sure i left much in pennys for the rest of ye!

hdowney

May just come and rob it all of ya so!!

I haven't made a Christmas shopping trip to Dublin in a few years, must at least go to DL in mid November to buy the few Christmassy bits