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

SarahLil

I think we are almost finished just 2 more gifts I think , then wine gifts, Christmas goodies and stocking fillers to be got plus the usual Christmas grocery shop

Still tweaking decorations here just opened a box and found a snow globe leaking anyone any tips or is beyond repair ?

Trying to stay on top of the house here, will have to tackle my mams house tomorrow in preparation her hopefully coming home from hospital sometime soon, we are due to head out to a big Christmas party Thursday night so I need to get the spare room done for my babysitter aka my cousin

I had my Christmas afternoon tea the weekend with my pal it was lovely to slow down and take it all and have a well overdue catch up with my pal

antimatterx

Into my last week of work which is wild. I need to really get cracking of sorting a few bits out but with alot of free time I'll just take it slow and enjoy it.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121451484#Comment_121451484

😂😂

Posy

Got a couple of these gorgeous gift boxes in Dunnes for €5 and €8 (for the small and medium). Just have to stick a ribbon on them, so no wrapping required. They look lovely and festive and they're sturdy enough too. 🙂

SarahLil

Oh my god it’s amazing the amount of steps you can do around the house I am wrecked, seriously between visitors and Santa who do we think is going to be checking our presses are decluttered, neat and tidy 😂 Abit more room around the place though

Used up a few bits from the freezer potatoe croquette's, frozen veg this evening to accompany a roast chicken (freezer still jammed)

Short of batteries though for some Christmas decorations but that’s tomorrows job

noplacehere

Finally getting through the last of the Christmas gifts here and blowing budgets all over the shop 🤯

@CheerLouth we do tayto park on the sensory day this weekend as major issues with crowds for our eldest (autistic/ADHD). Could I ask if you know tayto park whereabouts they are doing the Santa itself? We’re annual pass holders but I usually do up social stories for him and while he knows the park I know it will be different. He struggled initially at Halloween because of that

SarahLil

They are gorgeous @Posy

Declan05

Got a few Christmas music CDs in the local NCBI charity shop for a euro each. Mainly carols and Gregorian chant, was listening to them over the weekend, really puts one in the Christmas spirit. Thinking of playing them in the background when we have visitors over or during Christmas dinner.

Jude13

Not great pics but I finished sanding and staining the reindeer over the weekend, Need lights for the second one.

Feeling the pressure now, need to get the presents bought. My eldest is giving me the "I don't know.." when I ask her what she wants.

Heroditas

Morning elves! Haven't been checking in as much recently because the pressure at work is unbearable at the moment. Barely time to even think and meeting after pointless meeting being shovelled into the calendar with no time to get work done. Hoping it'll ease off after mid week next week when we have the last management meeting of the year but it's absolutely ridiculous at the moment.

Brought the kids to Blanch on Sunday morning so they could do their shopping so at least that's all done. Phew! Place was very busy even at 11am so was glad to leave at 3. Treated ourselves to one of the Lego Christmas scene sets so we'll build that over the next week. They even threw in some Lego Christmas baubles as a nice touch.

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121454555#Comment_121454555

It was actually grand crowd-wise on Saturday; there were several times when we didn't actually have to get off a ride to have another go as there were no queues. I think the Ladybirds had the biggest queue.

It was definitely far less crowded than I had anticipated. The actual Christmas experience is in the Lodge. You go around the back of it & through a covered polytunnel. You check in with the elves & they give the kids a sticker with their name & age on it.

Then you need to wait until your group is called. We were probably waiting about 15 minutes which my kids found hard but they are quite small. You are brought through different rooms then with an elf - toy testing room, dance room, wish room, reindeer barn, another one to check if you are on the nice list & then brought upstairs to watch a film while you wait to be called to see Santa. I found this bit very noisy because they still had the Christmas music playing & the telly as well.

They have a postbox when you start the Christmas experience but our elf asked us if anyone had a letter to give him so it's possible that they could give that to Santa for you. We had ours gone up the chimney ages ago so didn't apply to us. I hope you've a lovely day. My friend did the sensory day last year with her family & she couldn't say enough positive things about it.

SarahLil

Was up at the crack of dawn to get to my mams house in order give it a good clean while my other half was at home with our little one before he had to leave for work, I had Christmas FM on while I blitzed the place another job ticked off the list, usually do my mams decorations around the 10th, (hopefully she will be home soon)

Then onto toddler group with my little one it was a lovely morning Christmas music playing making snow men with cotton wool, everyone chatting 3 weeks to Christmas if only 3 weeks In January would go by as quick, our toddler groups are looking like they will finish up Friday 15th for probably a month

I’ve wrote a final list for one last trip to Blanchardstown it’s only tights and the likes for my little one hopefully in and out one of the days get there first thing

noplacehere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121456446#Comment_121456446

Thanks so much for all that feedback and warnings! I’m actually looking forward to it now. Sometimes when it’s a ‘new’ place it can be stressful but I think he’s so familiar with Emerald Park this year we should do a lot better

PTH2009

Had my Jury Service today and got picked out. Thankfully had my ASD diagnosis cert on me and was dismissed on 'health Grounds'. Very happy with that as it was not a pleasent case and found the whole thing 'intimidating'

Going to a small country gig on Friday night, saw Daoiri in the same place last March and such a great thing to have on a December night. He played one of the TG4 NYE shows

https://youtu.be/7InFLtFXuW8?feature=shared

L1011

Off to Dresden/Leipzig at the crack of dawn on Thursday, but actually staying in an airport hotel cause of the early start / potential for crap weather; so the holiday sort of starts tomorrow morning. Even though I've got to go to work.

Not going for Christmas Markets, only ever really buy mulled wine at them too but do really enjoy wandering around them and I believe Dresden's are meant to be quite good.

lcstress2012

When are you all finished up work for Christmas? I’m done the 19th back in 5th January! Can’t wait to flake out eat drink and relax.

DvB

We finish up at noon on Thursday 21st, head out to our work Christmas lunch and drinks then I'm not back until Wednesday 3rd Jan. So 12 days off altogether. I normally try to take 2 full weeks but don't have the spare leave days this time.

So 2 weeks left.... which given my workload screams at me as oh oh!!

BK5

Place closes on the the 21st (Thurs) but I'll be in for a few hours on the 22nd and will have to call up for a few mornings over the break to check over some things. I only live 5k from the job so it's just a case of tipping up for an hour or two and back home by 10 or 11 in the morning but never am 100% off over Christmas.

DvB

Well this is terrifying!

Heroditas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121460200#Comment_121460200

Finishing up on the 19th hopefully and intend to stay off until the 3rd. Could not face going back in on the 2nd 🤮

tscul32

Finish up on the 21st and back on Jan 8th😁

aligator_am

Am over in Pattaya, Thailand at the moment, the feckin' Christmas tree they put up in the mall seems to leave our efforts in the hapenny place!

There's actually a fairly well organised number if Christmas dinner outings for expats here, although I'll be honest, it's a bit weird eating Christmas dinner when it's about 30C outside 🙂

miamee

We are finishing up on the 15th Dec, back on 2nd Jan.

The 15th is our Christmas party which is a lunch so I expect no work will be done on the 15th. I work remotely so will have to travel from Sligo to Dublin for it, I suppose I could whip out my laptop on the train if I had to 😀

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121460200#Comment_121460200

I'm finished on the 20th back Jan 29th as my paternity leave is merging with Christmas and annual leave. Will suspect I'll log on for a bit over that period to keep an eye on things. But going to be the longest break from work, although with a toddler and newborn at home I think I'd rather go to work haha.

Same as DvB I have so much to get through between now and the 20th it's going to be a rough couple of weeks!

antimatterx

Christmas lunch is on Monday. I'm finished work Friday but I'm sill going in for the lunch.

CheerLouth

Technically finished on the 21st but we have a go live so might have to work the 22nd. Have to go back on the 2nd, thanks to the aforementioned Go Live 😭 Will try to take the 5th off to be at home with the kids for the last day of the hols. Defo going to take the Friday of the St. Brigids BH off too. Must sit down & plan my AL for next year actually. I take parental leave on a Thursday so if I can take the Friday of a bank holiday off, I get a nice long break!

ClaudeVercetti

Hope everyone's doing well and enjoying the build up!

Finishing up on the 21st until 2nd Jan, sounds like a lot of us are in the same boat in that there's a mountain to get through between now and then - but it'll fly in like it always does!

We had our Christmas party early this year last Thursday - great night but took the weekend to recover 😂

SarahLil

Wow so dark out there this afternoon had to turn the big light on at 2 pm

Got to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre this morning the lights were beautiful in the centre, my little one was ohhh and ahhh at the lights, little ones clothing all boxed off now for the season, we have a Christmas party tomorrow night looking forward to it, first date since I don’t when 😂 planning to leave the house at 6 pm

gidget

In town for an appointment this morning and had a bit of time to spare so popped up to Dublin Castle to check out the Christmas market, which opened today. Picked up some nice wooden Christmas tree ornaments, which were €2.50 each. If anyone else is planning to head to it in the run up to Christmas, keep an eye out for the Christmas guards on the upper balcony beside the carousel. They also allow complimentary access to the inside of Dublin Castle as well, so made the most of that and saw a few Christmas trees in there too.

PTH2009

It's student Xmas down here today. 10am drinking won't end well for a few I reckon

Got ticket to David Gray in Whelans in Feb dis morning

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121462135#Comment_121462135

It's been so dark all day today! Awfully gloomy day out!

miamee

I've had the lights on most of the day here, it's wild and windy out there. Oh and very rainy. I'd prefer frost and ice to this please, at least that is pretty to look at.

DvB

Drove to westport and back today, didn't stop raining for the whole day. Miserable!

Cork Lass

First Christmas outing today which was lunch with a few friends. Thoroughly enjoyable but bloody hell - the weather. Don't know about the rest of the country but down here it's weather for ducks.

A cup of te

I'm only off Christmas Day and Stephen's Day but I took a few days over the last week and in between going to Winterval in Waterford, I made about 30 sausage rolls and 70 mince pies while i was off ;-) so 40 of the latter have been either given away already as gifts or eaten and 30 are frozen. Most of the sausage rolls have been frozen for Christmas Eve so anyone who calls in can have one. I caught sight of The Snowman and The Snowman and The Snowdog the other day on Channel 4 which was great because I don't always get to see them on Christmas Eve or Day anymore. The latter made me really sad. I lost a very special doggie 2 years ago and it was a bit unexpected how it made me shed a tear. I think when I finally get my own house I will be getting myself another little dog. Made me think about what I've been missing from my life. I'm not far off 40 and this is the longest I've ever been without a dog!

Off to Belfast Christmas Market this Saturday and finally putting the tree up on Sunday!

tscul32

My eldest turns 18 tomorrow which makes me feel old. We'll try to decorate this weekend around his friends over on Saturday.

@A cup of te we're off to the Belfast Market Saturday week so dying to hear how you get on. We go up with the kids every year and stay overnight. All looking forward to it again this year.

Looking like tomorrow will be another miserable day. And I'm accompanying a school team to a match. The waterproofs will be coming with me!!

DvB

Weather looks wet and miserable for the rest of the week... very unchristmassy indeed!

So glad our season is finished, hate training and matches when it's like this.

freshpopcorn

Well it's a bit of shopping for Christmas!

Heroditas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464680#Comment_121464680

That's no trifling matter... or is it? 🤪

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464695#Comment_121464695

Yep.

Also, remind me not to buy anymore crisps.

tscul32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464746#Comment_121464746

🤣🤣looks far too familiar

Heroditas

I'll be over later this morning to help you work through those 🤪

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121462428#Comment_121462428

Copy and paste for today as well.

8am this morning looked and felt like the middle of the night. I miss the sun 😪

miamee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465750#Comment_121465750

Snap, I haven't turned the lights off yet this morning.

Andrew93

Myself and my other half both tested positive for Covid this week. Long few days ahead with the little elf trying to keep her safe and entertained.

both of us seem to have a bad dose too. I can’t get out of bed today with aches and a thumping headache.

BK5

Hope you feel better soon @Andrew93 . Is it your first time getting it? I felt worse the second dose. Best wishes.

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464746#Comment_121464746

I work for Tayto, well over a million of those party boxes made this year.

Cork Lass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466374#Comment_121466374

I'd say @freshpopcorn is making a fair dent in that 1,000,000 😂.

DenMan

Get well soon Andrew to you and your OH. Off work tomorrow so going to enjoy the Christmas build up in town and the retail outlets.

Smell the glove

Finishing up the 15th and meant to be back the 3rd but I've to go abroad with work instead for 2 days so I won't be actually back in the workplace until the 8th. 😁