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

miamee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121574146#Comment_121574146

I live here and I don't think we've had a dry day in weeks!

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121574315#Comment_121574315

The lads on.bith sites said the sane to me, rain every day for weeks now.

Stopped in Carrick on Shannon now for a coffee on.my way back and it's nice and sunny.

Andrew93

Off to Shelbourne park later for my last festive night out. Secured a new job which I'll be starting in February. I'll make sure not to avoid getting a new job and house at the same time in the future!

freshpopcorn

I need to get around and catch up with the thread.

I know it seems far off but it's not really.

tscul32

Last night with the Christmas tree and outdoor lights. All coming down tomorrow ☹️

Posy

Waaaah. ☹️

L1011

I'm sort of busy tomorrow so they're staying up for the entirety of the 6th.

Nobody had put theirs out with the compost bin today, although I don't know if the bin company actually said they'd take them this year (they did last year). Won't leave it around til the 19th, I'll bring it to the council yard myself

SCOOP 64

Last night for me too indoor and outdoor down tomorrow, will take most of the day and back to work monday☹️.

Loughc

Just outdoor lights left for me tonight and tomorrow then that's it until Nov 29th this year.

My next door neighbors are devout Christians and they even took all of their decorations and trees today, even they didn't see it out to Little Christmas.

PTH2009

Enjoyed the chat

I'll be seeing ye soon

Loughc

Time for a controversial opinion... I don't think the January Blues are as bad as once were.

I'm not sure if it's the extra Bank Holiday in Feb or the way modern society is but I think I struggle with the lack of Christmas more in May-Jul than Jan.

Jan - Still in season for 6 days, lots of Christmas food leftover, tv shows to watch and podcast to listen to that I didn't get time to listen to during the festive season.

Feb - Feels short and Bank Holiday winning.

March - St Patrick Day always nice to look forward to and Spring has well sprung

April - Easter time, always reminds me of a Christmas time from my school days with having the 2 weeks off.

May-Jul - Weather usually warm, Christmas feels a million miles away and if you're not a fan of the muggy heat can be a bad time of year.

Aug - Schools back... a little hint of what's to come creeps in towards the end of the month.

Sept - 100 days and below beckons.

Oct - Halloween... Christmas stock in the shops.

Nov - In season.

Sept-Dec is all one giant blur these days but Jan-Apr all have a distinct feel about them.

DvB

We went for a long walk tonight and the amount of decorations still up was pleasantly surprising, though at about 10% of what it was a week ago. The majority definitely don't wait for the 12 days any more.

Looks like the toy show will be 29th November this year so that'll be our decorating day too for 2024. Be here before we know it.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121576975#Comment_121576975

Don't be a stranger for too long we are here all year long :)

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121576998#Comment_121576998

Yeah it'll fly in, 29th is a better day as well, ChristmasFM will be properly live by then!

antimatterx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121576995#Comment_121576995

September - December really is a blur. My favourite time of year and it goes by so fast.

I do enjoy the freshness of a new year and getting back to healthy eating and stuff, but it's hard to beat Christmas.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121577081#Comment_121577081

I say it every year but once October hits I need time to slow down so I can enjoy the build up more. It's like every year we see the finish line in sight and sprint to it but don;t get time to stop and look around and savor it and take it all in.

DvB

That last 99 days is scarily fast. As soon as we hit DDD its bam... Christmas!

Posy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121576995#Comment_121576995

I barely think about Christmas in May, June and July. I'm just thinking of the summer holidays on the horizon. ☀️

By August I'm getting excited for the BT Christmas shop and start thinking about the run up.

From my perspective January is still perpetual darkness and lasts 74 days! But the new bank holiday is a welcome light at the end of the tunnel.

DvB

Our holiday will be during the mid term in October this year, the summer won't be a runner for financial reasons so I can see that holding off strong thoughts of Christmas as we love our sun holidays!

taxAHcruel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121576995#Comment_121576995

Because one of my partners works so much in Germany - we are really really big into the german "Karnival". Or "Fasching" as they call it there. So we beat the February blues by going over every year and dressing up. Also a good way to avoid Valentines day usually :)

Its like Paddys Day and Halloweeen mashed into each other. We spend months working out our outfits for this one. A great time to go to Germany if you have some time off. The whole country goes mad for it. Some parts more than others.

Loughc

Well @freshpopcorn how many hours are we at in the countdown?

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121578599#Comment_121578599

Well about.

DvB

Brilliant 🤣

dubstepper

I'd agree with @Posy, Jan drags and is the bleakest month of the year for me. When it comes to May I don't think of Christmas at all. I love when the plants and flowers start to bloom and the days lengthen.

I start to get the blues around new years eve. I can't celebrate the end of Christmas, which is how I see it. I much prefer new years day. The extra bank holiday in feb is a welcome relief.

Loughc

Honestly lads that bank holiday in Feb is a game changer. How the hell did we ever go from Jan to March 17th without a bank holiday is beyond me.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121579463#Comment_121579463

By getting utterly depressed mostly 🤣

antimatterx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121579463#Comment_121579463

I'd love one more in July.

freshpopcorn

In my head I'm like.

February Bank Holiday.

Pancake Tuesday.

St.Patrick's Day.

Easter.

May Bank Holiday.

Eurovision.

June Bank Holiday.

August Bank Holiday.

Brown Thomas Christmas Shop.

I know I'm wishing my life away.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121579663#Comment_121579663

You and me both 😂

Loughc

While there is an element of wishing my life away I do make sure to make the most of any time off work during the year. Making memories and enjoying the time.

Christmas is just the big one the season finale as such as most people are around and it’s a time of year rich in traditions and memories that get chatted about each year.

Smell the glove

Back from a few days in Nantes for work. Although I didn't see much of the city or get time to take many photos, they seemed to have their decorations up and a lot of flats/houses had lights inside. The first thing I seen when leaving the airport was a tree and then when I got to the hotel the second photo is what greeted me. I was pleasantly surprised! Nantes from what I seen looked like a really nice place to spend a weekend break. 75 mins in the air as well so no bother at all

SarahLil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121579687#Comment_121579687

Me three

Add July for my birthday it breaks up the month nicely

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580126#Comment_121580126

Oh July is a lovely time for your birthday. Nice half way to Christmas marker.

SarahLil

The weather is glorious woke up to white roofs this morning so gorgeous to look out at and to take a walk in

Spent the day taking everything down, probably get everything up the weekend before if possible, I have everything labelled, labelling worked so well in 2023

Homemade meatballs for dinner made a big batch yesterday garlic bread handy after a day of putting Christmas away and cleaning

Heineken zero and lemsip shortly infront of the fire emptied some gift bags earlier found fruit pastilles and Lindt chocolates

just have to put away remaining Christmas clothing Christmas stockings going to put the Christmas story books with them too in a day or 2

Heroditas

Everything is down now bar the tree. All the decorations and clothes are in the spare room or on the floor in the attic and I'll somehow muster up the strength to pack it all away tomorrow.

I'm absolutely shattered. The three days back in work this week nearly killed me 😅

DvB

We have every trace of Christmas packed away, was nice to see 2 houses on our Road with all their lights still up and lit this evening though.

My last nod to the most wonderful time of the year was to crack open a couple of my Christmas ales as a direct 'no ta' to dry January!!

A Happy little Christmas to all.

BK5

Well said DvB, Happy little Christmas everyone.

Everything taken down and stored away in the attic for another year. To be fair it wasn't a massive ordeal as we have grown up children and they lent a hand but hate the day the decorations come down. Wife delighted of course "the house looks so big and clean", my answer to this was it looks sh**e total sh**e ):

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580477#Comment_121580477

Genuinely laughed out loud as I said almost word for word the same to my Mrs when she said something similar.

If I could click my fingers and go back 2 weeks I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Posy

Most of my decorations are boxed and in the attic now. Took longer than I thought, wrecked now! Just the tree to do tomorrow, glad the bulk of the work is done now at least.

I normally throw a €50 note in one of the boxes to order a Chinese with on decorating day- with the way the prices have gone this year though, I might need at least €70 this time. 😄

SCOOP 64

That's a great idea posy🙂

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580578#Comment_121580578

Always loved that idea Posy, you're the only person I've ever heard do it and it's something id love to remember to do each year.

Heroditas

I'm ordering Indian for dinner tomorrow. I was asked a short time ago what I was cooking to which I replied "I'm throwing money at this particular problem. Not a chance in hell am I cooking tomorrow"

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580508#Comment_121580508

God same! I’d love to go back two weeks and do it all again but this time with the frosty cold weather and clear skies.

I would also make use of all the sleep from 2 weeks ago. 😂😂😃

Posy

I'd rather jump forward 2 months and be gearing up for Easter! Yumm. 😋

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580808#Comment_121580808

Hear me out. We just back 2 weeks in time now but with the Easter eggs from the shops that are on the shelves already and have Easter eggs by the tree 😂😂

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580508#Comment_121580508

If I did that I think my liver would just leave my body somehow!

pigtail33

Took all my decorations down between yesterday and today. I still have a few Christmas tea towels and my favourite new Christmas hooded blanket to wash, so nothing has made it as far as the attic yet. Carting all the boxes up that ladder is my least favourite part. This was my Christmas Tree's 10th year and some of the branches are getting a bit thin. Might be time for a new one this year.

I love that idea Posy of putting money in one of the boxes for a Chinese next Christmas! Might just slip a €50 in and surprise myself next year!

Loughc

Just the outdoor lights and wreath left for me to come down. The wreath will be brought in tonight before bed and the outdoor lights will be plugged out tonight but won’t be taking them down until Monday.

There is a serious whiff of Christmas is over in the air tonight and it almost feels like it should be Sunday night and Monday fear incoming 😂

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580944#Comment_121580944

My tree is 8 years old now and I really noticed ALOT more needles on the ground this year when packing it away. I’m hoping to get a few more years out of it. To allow wiggle room if the kids smash it up. So far it’s survived 2 dogs and a toddler.

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121580944#Comment_121580944

We always have leave the Christmas tea towels out all year round, along with a few cups and we sneak in a candle or some other ornaments that we can get away with. There is two Merry Christmas cushions on the couch that I am going to see how long I can get away with having them there for.

Does anyone else keep Christmas items out all year?

P.S I also use a Christmas mug all year round for my tea in work. 😊