Open the selection box- Christmas Forum Chat Thread

French_Girl

1 month from today, I'll be in my sleigh, delivering presents for Christmas Day!!!

Santa Claus

Star Lord

At the Christmas markets in Cologne, love it here!
Not 100% sure this will work, but...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNNUl15DYkQiv3X28T3UiOYzZdGAvgBW0ZgLBQ0/

Toto Wolfcastle

Finally managed to walk by the houses on our street that have lights up and they have their trees up too. They're beautiful and colourful and they're kind of making me feel like I should have bought coloured lights in Homestore and More the other day. I thought they were a bit too blue so I didn't buy them.

lycan238

Well this week has had its 'ups' and 'down' I got told on Monday that the placement I was on was not successful so no job for me on this occasion. That sounds like a down and that is because it is a down. Now for the ups... I get to watch the Late Late Toy Show next Friday night instead of on the Sunday. Today I put up my second tree the small 2ft one I got for the office desk and I put a set of lights on it white ones (from dunnes stores) and I put the second set of red lights up in the kitchen. Still my second tree to put up but I will get there. Ah well the happiest place on boards will keep me happy plus the new 3DS games.

Posy

ONE MONTH TO THE BIG DAY!!!!!!

Loughc

Posy wrote: »

ONE MONTH TO THE BIG DAY!!!!!!

We're through the looking glass people

Toto Wolfcastle

Loughc wrote: »

We're through the looking glass people

I can't believe it's so close!

I think I'm Christmas psychic. I was walking to the bus singing 'the snow's coming down' in my head while opening my Christmas playlist. Guess what song randomly played first?

SarahLil

First Christmas night out tonight listened to my first Christmas songs yesterday while out for a stroll, Christmas music just makes everything better, need to root out cds for my car until Christmas fm arrives

For anyone that didn't get elf pjs in Penneys check these out http://www.dunnesstores.com/elf-pyjama-set/nightwear/dunnesstores/fcp-product/1641154?colour=charcoal

Shoe Lover

I've rooted out Love Actually to watch tonight. I was looking for my "Arthur Christmas" DVD but it's disappeared! Hopefully I put it in the box with the Christmas decs.

Alicat

I was belting out 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town' this morning in the shower

iguana

Taking a quick break to post that S and I are drinking mulled (non-alcoholic) punch and dressing the tree while listening to a Christmas music.

French_Girl

Just came home after a truly special day.
Spent second half of it Christmas shopping and I'm absolutely maxed out but over the moon happy.
Had a salted caramel hot chocolate earlier on, yum! And will make some more at home tonight.

Christmas songs are on, going to start unpacking and admiring all today's purchases shortly.
Also, later might put National Lampoons Christmas Vacation DVD on while... Wait for it...
I'll be putting up my Christmas tree!!!

StripedBoxers

I am pulling out my decorations this weekend and putting them up over the next week, only have the evenings to do it so I am looking forward to that

Going to a Christmas market on Sunday too which should be fun

kitten_k

Woohoo decorations are all up!! I will post pics in the thread on Monday

Posy

Oh how exciting!

Mine are going up tomorrow and Sunday- I can't wait!!

iguana

Being an insane Christmas person is sooooooo much work! I spent all of Thursday night building the tree and putting the lights and tinsel on. I have a system that the white lights go on first and are sort of tucked into the branches, then the tinsel gets tucked in and some the white lights are pulled around it. Then the coloured fairy lights go on but are left quite loose so they really stand out. And then the fairy lantern lights go on to give it an extra retro feel. I added it up while I was doing it and I have 800 lights on the tree. I nearly fell intp bed on Thursday night once it was done.

Then yesterday S and I got to hang the decorations which involved him randomly sticking his favourites on the tree and me fixing things later. All the character ornaments need to be put on first and then the baubles. Because of the way my room is the tree is a focal point from different angles, so I have to make sure it looks interesting from all over the room. I keep forgetting that, so I have to go stand all over the room and look at the tree to make sure it is even. And because the tree is in a corner that has a french door on either side, I need to keep it far enough away from the doors so it's possible to open them if I need to for some reason. So that means that I need to have baubles all over the tree because you can see all the way around it when you go in or out of the kitchen. So I have several hundred baubles on it. I also got my great-grandparents' retro foil baubles from my parents' attic and have put them on. They are a bit worse for wear but I've sort of cradled them into the tree, so they have their best sides on display. Unsurprising S got bored after an hour or so and sloped off to his bedroom with a pile of books and his me-reader. He came back up when I set up the wicker-lights Rudolph and gift boxes and set up the little Christmas train around them.

Last night I got all the Christmas cushions and fleeces onto the couches and the Christmas teddies are out. Still have to set up the boughs and lights on the bookshelf and fireplace, find the tablecloth for the coffee table and set up the ornaments on the bookshelves. Then the livingroom will be finished apart from the Tomte on the tree, his advent calendar and my toy Christmas village and crib, which the Tomte will bring on various mornings. Once the livingroom is done, I'll have to get on with getting the lights set up outside, I didn't do most of them last year because the storms were so bad and constant but this year seems promising. I need to do the kitchen on Tuesday night once S is asleep as the Tomte arrives with a special breakfast for Wednesday morning. And that leaves the kitchen, porch, bedrooms and bathroom to do. The playroom and S's bedroom are fairly minimal as they are so full of toys they look like Santa's workshop all year round anyway. Though I have ordered a felt wall hanging Christmas tree for the playroom and I do need to sort out the window in there are it's front facing so I have lights for it. It will all be worth it once it's done though.

Loughc

Mine is hopefully going up tomorrow. Don't forget to post in the show is your trees forums!

Mystery Egg

iguana wrote: »

Being an insane Christmas person is sooooooo much work!

It absolutely doesn't have to be.

Mystery Egg

Well we've figured out our Christmas plans at last (we'll be in Ireland with the in-laws :pac:) so we're going to have a Christmas lunch with our friends here on the 18th a few days before we go.

I've just done an online shop so that everything for the lunch arrives on the 17th. We'll be spending the 17th a bit tipsy while we drink wine and wrap up our gifts, and watch Christmas movies and do all the prep for the lunch (smoked salmon pate and crusty bread to start; ham in coke, potato dauphinoise, maple roasted carrots and sausage and apple stuffing for the main; ginger and orange trifle for dessert, chambord prosecco cocktails to keep everyone well lubricated). I'm buying chantenay carrots (no prep), peeled spuds (which I can lash in the processor to slice up for the dauphinoise), fresh shop-bought custard and a nice ginger cake as the base of my trifle to reduce hassle. I aim to do all my prep in under one hour!

Christmas is officially coming lads.

StripedBoxers

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Well we've figured out our Christmas plans at last (we'll be in Ireland with the in-laws :pac:) so we're going to have a Christmas lunch with our friends here on the 18th a few days before we go.

I've just done an online shop so that everything for the lunch arrives on the 17th. We'll be spending the 17th a bit tipsy while we drink wine and wrap up our gifts, and watch Christmas movies and do all the prep for the lunch (smoked salmon pate and crusty bread to start; ham in coke, potato dauphinoise, maple roasted carrots and sausage and apple stuffing for the main; ginger and orange trifle for dessert, chambord prosecco cocktails to keep everyone well lubricated). I'm buying chantenay carrots (no prep), peeled spuds (which I can lash in the processor to slice up for the dauphinoise), fresh shop-bought custard and a nice ginger cake as the base of my trifle to reduce hassle. I aim to do all my prep in under one hour!

Christmas is officially coming lads.

This sounds amazing.

Have you a recipe for the Chambord prosecco cocktails please? They sound divine.

otnomart

Am easing myself into the spirit: brought mince pies to the office last week, first mug of mulled wine yesterday, and today was looking at Christmas earrings - did not find a new pair I liked, but that reminded me to dig out my own, once I got home.
Don't have space for a tree in my flat, so loving reading about the others going up !

Mystery Egg

StripedBoxers wrote: »

This sounds amazing.

Have you a recipe for the Chambord prosecco cocktails please? They sound divine.

Chambord cocktails could not be easier. Chambord is a raspberry liqueur. You don't need to use Chambord at all - any fruit liqueur that you fancy will be delicious. Put the prosecco in the fridge, and the liqueur in the freezer to chill, for a couple of hours. You can drop an ice cube or two into your champage flutes if you like. Pour in a shot of Chambord or other fruit liqueur over the ice - 30ml or however much you want - and top up with Prosecco. That's literally it!

Last year I got a ginger and raspberry cordial and used that with Prosecco, and they were a complete hit. Zero effort and all the fun.

kitten_k

Sitting here watching Strictly and the only lights on are all the Christmas ones, it's bliss!!!

StripedBoxers

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Chambord cocktails could not be easier. Chambord is a raspberry liqueur. You don't need to use Chambord at all - any fruit liqueur that you fancy will be delicious. Put the prosecco in the fridge, and the liqueur in the freezer to chill, for a couple of hours. You can drop an ice cube or two into your champage flutes if you like. Pour in a shot of Chambord or other fruit liqueur over the ice - 30ml or however much you want - and top up with Prosecco. That's literally it!

Last year I got a ginger and raspberry cordial and used that with Prosecco, and they were a complete hit. Zero effort and all the fun.

This sounds amazing. I can't wait to try it. I've a friend coming over next weekend so I might see about rustling some up, thanks a million ME!!

Shadow1983

otnomart wrote:

Don't have space for a tree in my flat, so loving reading about the others going up !

Argos have a 6ft half Christmas tree suitable for apartments for €27.99. Got it myself but haven't put it up yet (I live with Mr Anti-Christmas who can't fathom why I'd even consider putting up a tree in November).
I can't post the link but if you search for "Green Flat Backed Tree" on the website it should come up for you!

denis160

Anyone see an iced mince pies? Tesco carlow use to do them but don't see them this year 😕

StripedBoxers

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Chambord cocktails could not be easier. Chambord is a raspberry liqueur. You don't need to use Chambord at all - any fruit liqueur that you fancy will be delicious. Put the prosecco in the fridge, and the liqueur in the freezer to chill, for a couple of hours. You can drop an ice cube or two into your champage flutes if you like. Pour in a shot of Chambord or other fruit liqueur over the ice - 30ml or however much you want - and top up with Prosecco. That's literally it!

Last year I got a ginger and raspberry cordial and used that with Prosecco, and they were a complete hit. Zero effort and all the fun.

Quick question - could I use this liqueur?

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=255989018

I'm not familiar with liqueurs so sorry if this is a silly question

Mystery Egg

StripedBoxers wrote: »

Quick question - could I use this liqueur?

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=255989018

I'm not familiar with liqueurs so sorry if this is a silly question

Yes definitely, although your cocktail will be a little sour rather than sweet. I like sour drinks but you may not! If it is the only one you can get, and you are not mad about sour flavours, you could sweeten it up with some syrup. You can make a simple syrup by boiling one cup of water with one cup of sugar until it's all dissolved, then let it go cold. Or you can use maple syrup if you have it.

You could also pop in to Aldi/Lidl and have a look round. You should find a range of liqueurs that will be pretty cheap.

Loughc

Sitting room is decorated all bar the tree. That's tomorrow's job. Sitting window lights are on along with all of our mantelpiece ornament lights.

Alicat

My mum just sent me this.