It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Off Topic Chat

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121029346#Comment_121029346

I see what you did there 😂

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030579#Comment_121030579

Perfect excuse to get this for the tree,

Cork Lass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121031266#Comment_121031266

Ha Ha, I love it, will definitely get that.

BK5

The very best of luck @Cork Lass with this next phase of your life. You can't beat taking a positive step. You are really going to enjoy the countdown to Christmas this year.

Sunrise_Sunset

Looking for ideas of how to tell our kids we are going to Lapland this year, if anyone has any ideas?

We don't want to tell them too far in advance because we'll never hear the end of it. We are thinking maybe a week or so before. Maybe the first weekend in December when we put up the tree.

Our ideas so far are:

1. Design tickets/invitations and hang them on the tree when we put it up, and say nothing, let them discover them
2. From the Elves (Although we don't really want this one)

It's going to be quite a pared back Christmas in many other ways, as this trip is expensive.

Cork Lass

Hi @Sunrise_Sunset A trip to Lapland sounds great, you could try this:

https://www.trip-tees.co.uk/shop/personalise-me-lapland-holiday-reveal-mdf-25-piece-jigsaw

BK5

Very jealous reading your post here Sunrise, would have loved to do the whole Santa and Lapland trip when my kids were young. That jigsaw is a great idea or maybe mail them a Christmas card to your house and address it from Santa.

Definitely getting the Christmas tingle today for some reason, wanted to go to the Christmas shop to get lights but have a few bills this week and it was a lot cooler out walking the dog this evening.

Sunrise_Sunset

That looks great! Definitely an option, thank you!

Sunrise_Sunset

Yeah I could post the invitations in a card. I have access to Canva so I can design something nice for free.

My kids aren't that young. We were supposed to go to Lapland last year but cancelled. Might be pushing it this year with my eldest, although they are both still believers, so fingers crossed!

Definitely very Autumnal out there today! I was looking at both Halloween and Christmas stuff on the Dunnes website.

DvB

Last Sunday evening without redzone... once the NFL season starts you know its the BER months!

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121033944#Comment_121033944

My sister got scratch cards made for her kids last Christmas. Similar to these.

https://www.greetingcards4kids.com/personalised-christmas-theme-reveal-scratch-card-5850-p.asp

Xander10

Spotted selection boxes in Tesco today. Ffs

BK5

As some of you know, I work for Tayto and the party boxes are starting to get made tomorrow so you can expect to see them in the shops in the next couple of weeks.

Sunrise_Sunset

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121036162#Comment_121036162

Oh wow, I love this!!! TY

Jude13

I brought the kids to the BT Christmas shop at the week, for the kids... its a small section at the moment and but had some lovely stuff. The dog being my favourite, sadly I dont think it would fit in a suitcase. Added the picture of the tree price, no idea what they will be decorating it with for 3k.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121036939#Comment_121036939

To be fair €3k sounds alot. Those decorations wouldn't be my style. However, my tree is mainly newbridge, Genesis, Waterford Crystal and those ceramic personalised ones.....if I was to tot all the decorations up I doubt I'd have change from €3k. I couldn't justify paying €3k all at once though!

freshpopcorn

We're into the 110's!

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121037195#Comment_121037195

Mad thing about Waterford Crystal is loads of houses have cabinets full of the stuff here in Waterford. With so many people working there down through the decades stuff just got accumulated ha. And the real stuff too from before the last twenty years or so where they changed the process apparently. Sadly no Christmas decorations in my parents house. Must ask them why. My father was a master blower there for years.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040179#Comment_121040179

Open to correction on this. My ones are packaged as Waterford Crystal but I think the glass is Polish. Then other ones have no glass at all, they are similar to fresh popcorns picture, the bauble with the side pushed in and a crinkle insert.

They are recent purchases certainly after factory closed down

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040212#Comment_121040212

Yeah they moved the operation to Poland I think a few years ago and kept a small skeleton operation here in Waterford. It's still valuable (,don't let me take anything away from it) . It's just the older stuff is more sought after as it was hand crafted etc.

You have me raging a bit now that we never had any Christmas decorations like that 😂

SCOOP 64

BBC THREE have a Christmas film on ,Lost at christmas and its not American! and i haven't seen it before.

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121036719#Comment_121036719

I gave my two boarding cards about three days before we travelled. Designs available on canva. They are a bit younger though.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040233#Comment_121040233

The were only bought "recently" as in last 10 years. Picked them up in Arnott's. The baubles were in the 10-20 euro for one price range ...sounds a bit dear but nostalgia and they look lovely...I got a bauble and one that looks kinda like an old fashioned spinning top.

I tried to google them but not getting a hit.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040269#Comment_121040269

I'm laughing here looking at the Waterford Crystal website were single decorations are 55-110 each ......mine obviously come from the budget range 😂🤣

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040234#Comment_121040234

I know I've never seen it, but is that the one where they get lost in Scotland?

SCOOP 64

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040308#Comment_121040308

Yes that's it ,actually isn't to bad for a boring Monday night.

freshpopcorn

Very/Littlewoods have their stock up but the site won't let me add a link.

This little girl looks like she's trying to murder a little polar bear!

A cup of te

I can't unsee that now 😅

Jude13

I don' think we have any Waterford tree stuff. It's mainly Tipperary or newbridge, most are gifted. In BT's shop was a weird Reindeer which I absolutely loved. If I could get him home I would have gotten two for the porch.

With all the messing around with flight cancellations last night half the attendees at my meeting in London couldn't make it so I get off flying tow days in a row. Though I will not be able to recreate lovely actually in Heathrow! Fly back tomorrow to Dubai, hoping my newbridge decorations arrive before then.

Loughc

Morning all, been an eventful few days for me since Saturday, woke up sick as a dog and had to visit the porcelain god several times, but had tickets for the college football game in the aviva that night and was determined to go to that.

Had a 6.30am flight the next day to the UK on Sunday morning which meant I got a whole 4 hours sleep before having to get up and get to the airport. Had a train cancelled yesterday to get me back to the airport and with the chaos in the UK airspace we were delayed coming home but thankfully got home. Still battling a bug I no doubt got from my little boy and exhausted from a long day of travel yesterday.

Weather feels so much cooler this week already and so cloudy that it definitely feels summer is over and Autumn is well and truly here. Won't be long before Christmas stock is readily available everywhere.

Jude13

Yikes, hope you're on the mend @Loughc, hot milk and pepper should stop the trips to the jacks.

I fly tomorrow at lunchtime and am hoping the back log is cleared by then.

CheerLouth

Back to work after having a week off & this forum has well and truly come to life - 109 unread posts for me in this thread alone!

@Cork Lass many warm wishes on your retirement!

@Sunrise_Sunset we need a full trip report on Lapland, it's something that me and Mr. CL actually agree on; we'd love to do bring the kids.

Last day of the summer holidays here, our gang are back to reality tomorrow. Listening to them playing here while I'm working and know I'll miss the sound of them in the house tomorrow in spite of me being glad to have them back to normal!

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121041877#Comment_121041877

I think it cleared quite quickly once the issue got resolved, the biggest problem they had early afternoon was they weren't sure of the issue so flights had 3-4 hours delays, I got way with just under a hour delay.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040791#Comment_121040791

Honestly looks like a murder waiting to happen haha.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121037697#Comment_121037697

Convinced it was only last week we went into the 130's!!

Last 20 days flew by!

DvB

Sunday fortnight is DDD (99 days to go) and we all know what happens then...

Cork Lass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121041903#Comment_121041903

My daughter and her friend were due to fly back to Cork yesterday and they got a message saying that flight was cancelled and they were rebooked for tomorrow evening. They contacted Aer Lingus customer service and were told that they would cover their hotel for the 2 nights and meals (within reason). She's not back to college until next week so it's a bonus few days in London.

Sunrise_Sunset

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121041900#Comment_121041900

Will do!

We're going with Sunway, but a lot of people go DIY. And now Ryanair fly direct to Rovaniemi.

ClaudeVercetti

Working from home this morning and it's the first time in a long time I've thought about putting on the heating! You can really feel the change the last week or so where I am in the South East.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121045748#Comment_121045748

Same up here definitely much colder at night and in the mornings.

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121045880#Comment_121045880

And how quickly it is getting darker in the evenings. I went for a walk just after 8pm last night & when I was crossing our road at 8.40pm, I was conscious of how dusky it was...was very glad to have my hi-vis on!

antimatterx

I'm happy with the weather getting colder. I can finally sleep well again. I've struggled all summer.

BK5

I can remember having to turn on the heating in July just to take the chill out of the place to be honest.

On a more positive note, August has flown by about 3 times quicker than July did.

DvB

Had the heating on in the car this morning, was nippy enough.

PTH2009

Had a great time in London even with the Flight cancellations, got home eventually last night and will hopefully get something back from Ryanair. AEW was amazing and is returning next summer

Waterford Winterval have updated all there social media platforms 😛

Heroditas

Yep definitely feeling a chill on the air. Still in flip flops and shorts when I'm working at home but my feet have been decidedly chilly the last two night. 😅

Soaking up the last couple of minutes with the kids before they go to bed ahead of their first day back in school tomorrow. On the 30th in June we were on the ferry to France at this time. Seemed to go by in the blink of an eye 😭

BK5

Wife had two bags of Summer clothes that she wanted put up in the attic about an hour ago. When I was up there I looked across at the Christmas decorations and thought to myself, won't be long now. 😄

Smell the glove

Condensation on the windows of the house this morning. It's coming 😄

freshpopcorn

Well some of say it Autumn now others say it's on Friday.

I didn't get any trip to the seaside/beach this Summer. Between work and just the weather. I might get one in September but working a lot of it.

Another thing about this Summer was we didn't have much of those endless Summer days. I love going out later in the evenings for walks/etc.

Just saw an ad saying The Great British Bake Off is coming soon.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121049193#Comment_121049193

Tuesday week, 12th September it starts on channel 4.