Open the selection box- Christmas Forum Chat Thread

Toto Wolfcastle

Loughc wrote: »

The 23rd..... I feel faint!!!

I think now's the time to figure out if mods can ban admins tbh.

iguana

So do most people have their Christmas dinner at home or at someone else's house? If you stay home do you have visitors? I was chatting with some other mothers about this and a good few were of the opinion that when they have children it's easier to stay home and let family come to them. But I think that going to family for dinner is the easier/lazier option. We go to my parents' for dinner and my nana's for tea which means that our Christmas eve and morning are super chilled in terms of cooking. I feel sooooo lucky that I have someone else to cook my dinner.

RentDayBlues

Now that we have kids we stay at home. They just want to play with what santa brought so I don't like to take them out, except we go to mass that morning as it's a cute family mass.

My inlaws come over for lunch, then we have the rest of the day to ourselves. We sometimes have family over for dinner but not in the last few years. Stephens day is family veg at home day!

We then visit family in the following days

emmagination

I still go to my Dad's for dinner, but we have to kids yet - we'll see how it works out if / when children come along! I'd like to keep going to Dad's though - he's an exceptional cook!

I was just looking at the #joyofgiving on twitter - looks like The Loop put on a pretty awesome christmas event for media ppl!

Loughc

iguana wrote: »

So do most people have their Christmas dinner at home or at someone else's house? If you stay home do you have visitors? I was chatting with some other mothers about this and a good few were of the opinion that when they have children it's easier to stay home and let family come to them. But I think that going to family for dinner is the easier/lazier option. We go to my parents' for dinner and my nana's for tea which means that our Christmas eve and morning are super chilled in terms of cooking. I feel sooooo lucky that I have someone else to cook my dinner.

We've been alternating between counties, in my home county we visit and get dinner cooked for us in hers we're the chef and we have her family over for dinner. We're in a cooking year this year.

BoJack Horseman

Apologies if already posted.

The M&S food porn sites are up & running.

The Irish site

The UK site

Prices are working out around 20%-25% cheaper across the border!

Toto Wolfcastle

When we were kids we stayed at home and didn't have anyone over. We'd visit relatives in the morning and then the rest of the day would be just us. I loved it and it was much less hassle for my parents.

iguana

I loved the visiting at Christmas. When I was a child we had dinner with my grandparents and uncles and then we all went to my great-grandparents for tea and a big party and sing-song with a big extended family and all their neighbours. I'm not sure how we all fit into what was a pretty tiny house but it was fantastic. And we'd get presents at each house. We'd get gifts from my grandparents and whatever uncles where there in the afternoon. And at my great-grandparents' the tradition was that everyone arrived with their presents and would leave them into the good frontroom while we partied. Every-so-often through-out the night I, my brothers and my younger cousins would sneak into the frontroom where sacks of presents covered every surface. My great-grandparents kept their tree in there (lit with coloured fairy lights that also had pink bulbs) and it was just so magical. We never tried to open them, we'd just let the anticipation build until we either heard a much loved song beginning in the livingroom or one of the adults found us and shooed us out. Presents were only given out as people left, which I guess meant us kids got a last injection of excitement and energy that let us power on to/past midnight.

I'm quite sad that even though S has the same routine of grand-parents followed by great-grandparents, he doesn't have a big super party that goes on until what felt scandalously late to a child. He'd love a big sing-song. Though it's still really exciting for him to see some of his extended family that he doesn't see so often. And as the only small child he's definitely centre of attention. And he gets quite a few presents in each house, so he doesn't miss his Santa toys. I'm curious about whether or not he'll remember that everyone gave him Christmas presents last year as for the last two years he was just in shock every time he got another gift.

beertons

Bought mince pie's earlier for Mrs B in Aldi.

Lovely she says, but I'll be on slimming world at this rate at the start of December!

pl4ichjgy17zwd

Hi everyone, this is my first post in the Christmas forum.

I've been lurking the last month or so, reading all the threads and generally feeling festive. I like Christmas, but for some reason I'm really feeling it this year. Maybe because I've started my shopping and really excited about some of the gifts.

I've spent a fortune too in the last couple of weeks on decorations...I usually just have the tree but the festivities overtook me...or my debit card, at least!

Looking forward to reading more posts in my new favorite forum

SarahLil

Bruce Mushy Tapestry wrote: »

Hi everyone, this is my first post in the Christmas forum.

I've been lurking the last month or so, reading all the threads and generally feeling festive. I like Christmas, but for some reason I'm really feeling it this year. Maybe because I've started my shopping and really excited about some of the gifts.

I've spent a fortune too in the last couple of weeks on decorations...I usually just have the tree but the festivities overtook me...or my debit card, at least!

Looking forward to reading more posts in my new favorite forum

Welcome feel free to post pictures of your decorations purchases😬

RentDayBlues

We were discussing decorating for Halloween this morning when my husband casually said "it really feels like it's christmas in this house already"

I'm so happy the subliminal messages are getting through

Posy

Welcome Booters!

lycan238

Welcome Booters,

I was out delivering some leaflets today this afternoon evening and I noticed an interesting doormat at one of the houses. A reindeer (it could have been there since last year house looked empty but it was there)

WittyNameForMe

Took some pics of stuff I came across today when I was out and about

Jude13

Welcome booters.

I just bought a wooden advent calendar, it comes empty and me and my OH are going to fill alternate days with gifts as a new tradition. Any ideas welcome!!

I preferred a chirstmas fire scene calendar however I got over ruled for this one https://www.fortnumandmason.com/products/fortnum-mason-wooden-advent-calendar?taxon_id=695

I also got a nice little wooden snow globe and some tea caddys as little pressies.

Our Christmas day rotated between my Fathers two siblings each year. First thing in the morning we would visit my mums side of the family in her mothers house. Then Christmas day and dinner would be in our house, or my fathers sister or brothers house. Now though all of the kids (me and my cousins) are coupled up or married with kids so there is a bit more logistics involved but we still have dinner in alternating houses. My fathers sister lives around the corner from my folks which is handy as there is no driving. She also does guide dog puppy walking so its all the kids (and adults) favourite house as there is always a puppy there.

I am such a glutton at Christmas that I prefer to gorge on food and am happy not have any booze till Christmas night so I end up doing quite a bit of driving during the day. I get boozed up the 23rd and am allowed to wallow in my impending hangover the 24th but of the 25th I need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

RentDayBlues

Booked Santa visit! We're going back to the same place as last year (they were later organising this year). I'm so excited

Whispered

Slowly slowly getting my husband into the Christmas spirit. He didn't roll his eyes when I squealed "it's a Christmas treeeeee" when we passed Argos. Plus we were in heatons and I pointed out a little toy our boy would love in his Christmas stocking. So he bought it. Unheard of! He's usually a bah humbug sod until Dec 20th then rushes about stressing about gift buying.

We are away for the night for our anniversary so i grabbed a few catalogues from smyths and Argos for some light reading (and circling) while himself goes to the gym for an hour.

cinnamony

Hey guys I was away for a while,
Unfortunately some things happened that left me feeling not so Christmassy.
But I'm back in business now!!

I didn't get to watch Elf last time I was here so I took the time yesterday after doing some christmas shopping to make a hot chocolate and watch it, it was hilarious!
I died at the part where he send his dad that special gift aahahah
Also, I got a packet of chocolate Santas from Lidl today, the cheer in my heart right now...

Anyway I'm super happy and excited, we're almost at Halloween already and then we're in full swing to Christmasssss

Glitzgirl

iguana wrote: »

So do most people have their Christmas dinner at home or at someone else's house? If you stay home do you have visitors? I was chatting with some other mothers about this and a good few were of the opinion that when they have children it's easier to stay home and let family come to them. But I think that going to family for dinner is the easier/lazier option. We go to my parents' for dinner and my nana's for tea which means that our Christmas eve and morning are super chilled in terms of cooking. I feel sooooo lucky that I have someone else to cook my dinner.

We have christmas dinner at home. We used to have in at family's and there was always an argument and a rush over getting small kids to one set of grandparents and then to the others so no one felt left out.

As my eldest got a little bit older I noticed how upset he got when he got to open his santa presents then we had to tell him he could play woth them later and rush off to get reday.

So I put my foot down. We have dinner here. Any visiting is all done two days before christmas eve at the latest, santa visit is the day before christmas eve and christmas eve to be honest is quiet busy here and a special time we like to spend with the boys doing some family traditions. Best decision I ever made to put my foot down. We can actually relax and have a nice day and the whole family gets to have a memorable christmas eve

RentDayBlues

Lidl have christmas decorations on sale from next Monday. How do I know? Well I opened the app this morning to check, was so excited I made this very loud guttural noise, frightened the life out of my husband and then pulled something in my back I laughed so much! It's definitely Christmas season!

Glitzgirl

Feels like I have been away for ages ! Love seeing how active this thread is becoming again. we have been super busy putting up halloween decorations here have to say I'd nearly skip it and go straight to christmas this year !

As for the when do you start decorating post earlier , according to my christmas binder :pac: we always start in the middle of November. Bathrooms towels etc get put out November 1st, christmas candles go out too. (But not lit til the 1st December ) outside lights are up by last week of November and lit on the 1st of December , and the tree is up by the last week of November but not turned on til the night of the toy show.

Not sure how I feel about the toy show being on the 3rd this year , I may have to turn on the tree on our usual date before this year's toy show

Loughc

RentDayBlues wrote: »

Lidl have christmas decorations on sale from next Monday. How do I know? Well I opened the app this morning to check, was so excited I made this very loud guttural noise, frightened the life out of my husband and then pulled something in my back I laughed so much! It's definitely Christmas season!

I laughed so much at this. Thanks Rentdayblues I needed that this morning

iguana

Glitzgirl wrote: »

Feels like I have been away for ages ! Love seeing how active this thread is becoming again. we have been super busy putting up halloween decorations here have to say I'd nearly skip it and go straight to christmas this year !

I never know when to put up Halloween decorations because it's just not a tradition we've ever had. Last year was the first time I really decorated and I decided on Back to the Future day (Oct 21st). S has been mad to decorate for Halloween since last week when my dad gave him a Halloween projector torch but I mainly decorate the porch and have a fantasy about painting it first. So I think we'll stick to next week. We compromised by cleaning the Star Wars pictures off the blackboard panels on the back door and drawing Halloween pictures. That and playing Do They Know It's Halloween on a near permanent loop.

Glitzgirl

iguana wrote: »

I never know when to put up Halloween decorations because it's just not a tradition we've ever had. Last year was the first time I really decorated and I decided on Back to the Future day (Oct 21st). S has been mad to decorate for Halloween since last week when my dad gave him a Halloween projector torch but I mainly decorate the porch and have a fantasy about painting it first. So I think we'll stick to next week. We compromised by cleaning the Star Wars pictures off the blackboard panels on the back door and drawing Halloween pictures. That and playing Do They Know It's Halloween on a near permanent loop.

Unfortunately I have my eldest used to such routine that he gives out if I don't start to put them up in time ! We start early here because there is a lot of decorating to do although i don't do the garden til the week of halloween! I remember when I was pregnant with my youngest and I litterly couldn't put up the decorations and the other houses had put them up and my eldest guy was going mad that we hadn't started ours ! The complaining I had to listen to !

Toto Wolfcastle

We're not Halloween people in our house (we actually hate it ) but a house near us has been full-on Halloween since the start of October and it's really nice to see.

kitten_k

Dolbert

I just realised it's probably our turn to host Christmas dinner this year! I've never done a full Christmas dinner before, best get planning the menu, no presh! 7 adults and 5 children, should be manageable enough*

*I'm grateful for this safe space where I can openly say that I'm planning the Christmas dinner menu in October

Mystery Egg

Dolores if I can give you a word of advice, other than prepare as much as possible in advance, it'd be to ask your guests to bring a side dish or dessert. When I'm coming for Christmas dinner I love to be asked to do this. Makes life so much easier and everyone feels invested!

Glitzgirl

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

We're not Halloween people in our house (we actually hate it ) but a house near us has been full-on Halloween since the start of October and it's really nice to see.

It's Mr glitz favourite holiday :pac: think it has something to do with scaring the children

And he always says I love any excuse to put decorations up its my filler until Christmas