Open the selection box- Christmas Forum Chat Thread

Dolbert

I'm only back to work today too, had a major case of the Glenroes last night but came in today to find the boss won't be in til at least Wednesday! Coffee and boards it is for the morning so

The dreaded winter vomiting bug hit us last week so I didn't get to do the house clearout I'd planned for my week off. My husband is still off sick so he's gonna do the tree takedown today, we've had the lights off since Saturday to officially mark "the end" of Christmas. It's the least fun job ever!

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Tree taken down and thrown out on Saturday. Decorations put away yesterday. Pine needles hoovered up and sitting room/kitchen cleaned yesterday also. The place looks much bigger now, but it's a bit depressing without the tree!

miamee

We had one last night with the tree and decs on Friday, a Netflix marathon, some chocolates and the lights on. We went to visit the Hole in the Wall for a late lunch on Saturday which still had it's amazing Christmas decorations up - it's like Santa's Grotto in there

Then we went home and took down the tree but I'm glad we got a last Christmassy burst in first

Loughc

Dolbert wrote: »

I'm only back to work today too, had a major case of the Glenroes last night but came in today to find the boss won't be in til at least Wednesday! Coffee and boards it is for the morning so

Ah that's a nice way to ease yourself back in. And I bet it feels like you've never been away now

BDJW wrote: »

Tree taken down and thrown out on Saturday. Decorations put away yesterday. Pine needles hoovered up and sitting room/kitchen cleaned yesterday also. The place looks much bigger now, but it's a bit depressing without the tree!

Completely agree my sitting room looks huge but very gloomy without the tree. The candles and led battery lights are too dull on their own and our side lamp is far to bright. i need to find a happy medium.

StripedBoxers

Have you any cabinets Lough? If you do, put lights on the inside (LEDs) and loads of them, really helps I find.

We have lights built-in to our cabinets but we need extra LEDs to brighten them up, and for the cabinets with no lights, we go mad with LEDs, only thing that works IMO.

Penneys, TK Maxx etc all have loads and I'd say they are reduced at this time too. Dealz have LEDs as well, friends of mine got some, two packs for €1.50 around Xmas and last week too.

Loughc

StripedBoxers wrote: »

Have you any cabinets Lough? If you do, put lights on the inside (LEDs) and loads of them, really helps I find.

We have lights built-in to our cabinets but we need extra LEDs to brighten them up, and for the cabinets with no lights, we go mad with LEDs, only thing that works IMO.

Penneys, TK Maxx etc all have loads and I'd say they are reduced at this time too. Dealz have LEDs as well, friends of mine got some, two packs for €1.50 around Xmas and last week too.

I don't have cabinets but do have some empty clear vases that will be getting the LED lights treatments soon.

xDisneyDivax

Colleague asked me if I want a bag with good few rolls of wrapping paper yesterday as it was her Santa's wrapping paper so she can't keep it in the house! That is me sorted for this year already!ha:D

Loughc

xDisneyDivax wrote: »

Colleague asked me if I want a bag with good few rolls of wrapping paper yesterday as it was her Santa's wrapping paper so she can't keep it in the house! That is me sorted for this year already!ha:D

That's so handy and lucky!

Is anyone else who's been back to work since last week feeling shattered this week or is it just me?

xDisneyDivax

Loughc wrote: »

That's so handy and lucky!

Is anyone else who's been back to work since last week feeling shattered this week or is it just me?

Yep me!! Keeps closing my eyes! Half thinking about going to car and have a nap at lunch! :rolleyes:

Toto Wolfcastle

Loughc wrote: »

That's so handy and lucky!

Is anyone else who's been back to work since last week feeling shattered this week or is it just me?

Yep. I couldn't get out of bed yesterday and today I got up earlier to give myself some time to get ready slowly and ended up leaving later than I left yesterday. Absolutely wrecked! I'm only working 3 days this week though so that's keeping me going.

Loughc

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

Yep. I couldn't get out of bed yesterday and today I got up earlier to give myself some time to get ready slowly and ended up leaving later than I left yesterday. Absolutely wrecked! I'm only working 3 days this week though so that's keeping me going.

I'm working 6 days this week so that is not helping my tired state, even Saturday can't save me this week.

Jude13

Same. I have been back since in work since the 29 Dec (really the 2nd of Jan though). I am shattered and also having really weird dreams.

I am trying to get to bed early but my OH doesn't need to get up the time I do (5am) so she comes to bed later and reads, for a small girl she makes allot of noise. But its my decision to get up early so it shouldn't mean she had to hit the bed at 9pm.

I have changed buying christmas gifts for exercise stuff, the christmas stuff will get way more use.

baby and crumble

Ye, totally wrecked these days. I dunno if it's just getting back into a work rhythm or if it's what I'm eating or what but I am so exhausted all the time these days.

miamee

baby and crumble wrote: »

Ye, totally wrecked these days. I dunno if it's just getting back into a work rhythm or if it's what I'm eating or what but I am so exhausted all the time these days.

Although Christmas is great fun, we do tend to eat all the wrong kind of foods and give up a bit on the exercise and moving about so I think that contrinutes a lot to the Janaury slump. That and having to get back into a work routine!

Dolbert

I was *shattered* this morning. Luckily my husband was still at home so could do the toddler's breakfast and get him ready, I found it hard enough to get myself out the door let alone someone else! I've also cut out the junk for a while so mainlining coffee instead. January's hitting hard, lads!

Loughc

Dolbert wrote: »

I've also cut out the junk for a while so mainlining coffee instead. January's hitting hard, lads!

Same, no junk for me either so I'm missing the quick Sugar hit. January is absolutely hitting hard this year.

Jude13

Ditto and a new gym scheme. Also been on the dry so far, not saying I will make a month but we will see.

I will be commuting from next week, possibly, for a few weeks to the KSA so I get a day and half weekend. I will be pretty wrecked and will be very tempted by hotel food and take aways.

bladespin

Same, missing the Roses/Heros etc but enjoying the 'normal' food.

Gym's not an issue, trained on Christmas night eek! (a great time for a bulking phase).

Plenty of decs to come down, I've been up and down to Cork since starting back to work so time/energy/will are a bit weak.

Mystery Egg

Same re: the junk.

I made some bready pumpkin muffins to grab for breakfast with coffee while heading out the door if anyone is interested. 10 minutes prep, 30 mins baking, sorted for the week. (Adapted from http://cookieandkate.com/)

INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
½ cup maple syrup or honey
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup pumpkin purée (if you can't get this - although Tesco does have it - you can use carrot or squash puree)
½ cup milk (keep an eye on this as you might need slightly more or less)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon brown sugar, for sprinkling on top
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice or cloves
1¾ cups brown flour
½ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
Handful of nuts/seeds/raisins/choc chips (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius. Line ten muffin cases with paper cases, or grease and flour them.
2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup or honey together with a whisk. Add eggs, and beat well. Mix in the pumpkin purée and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice or cloves.
3. Fold in the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined. If you’d like to add anything additional, like raisins or dark chocolate chips, do it now.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the ten muffin cups. For these muffins, it’s ok to fill the cups a little higher than you normally would. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a small amount of oats, cinnamon and a pinch of brown sugar. Bake muffins for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
5. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack. These muffins are delicate until they cool down, so it’s best to wait until they have cooled down to remove them from the tin. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan.

Mystery Egg

PS I added raisins to mine and I recommend this. Also they freeze well.

Crazyteacher

Loughc wrote: »

That's so handy and lucky!

Is anyone else who's been back to work since last week feeling shattered this week or is it just me?

I was called in unexpectantly today. Of course I had stayed up far too late last night and by this evening I was in my pjs by 5.30. I was shattered anyway never mind going to work.

Loughc

Glad it's not just me! Be gone January, be gone!

iguana

Super Christmassy day today. I bought loooooads of Christmas craft packs and games for 50c each in Dealz. Started my Christmas shopping by getting some small gifts and stocking fillers for S in Debenhams. And then went to see Collateral Beauty in the cinema, which is lovely but definitely a weepy.

donegal_man

It's still Christmas in Letterkenny Retail Park

Posy

Ah, of course.

You're nearer the North Pole up there.

donegal_man

Certainly feels that way this morning.

xDisneyDivax

donegal_man wrote: »

It's still Christmas in Letterkenny Retail Park

Think I will stop by there on way back from work then so!

Loughc

donegal_man wrote: »

Certainly feels that way this morning.

Stop it Baltic this morning. That wind out there would cut ya. I love it though. I love proper wintry weather.

Jude13

Yeah it was 18 degrees this morning.....I was actually cold. So dark though.

Toto Wolfcastle

Jude13 wrote: »

Yeah it was 18 degrees this morning.....I was actually cold. So dark though.

How did you cope? #Pray4Jude :pac: