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

Hope you're both feeling better soon @Heroditas and @DvB

I know you mentioned memory H, my husband had covid at the beginning of September and is still suffering with this. Nothing major but often forgets what he's about to say or do. He finds it very frustrating but hopefully it's not a long term side effect 🤞

Bought some Christmas Leigh Tucker Willow onesies for the kids today 😀

Just spotted a red bow on a front door...the season is here 😄

Brought this today from The Range €15 for the front door, think it needs something maybe berrys and remembering to turn on and off.

I just saw a car with a red nose and antlers!

We put the Christmas tree up today... and it shall stay up for 61 days now 🤣

Not my first time hosting by any means. Actually looks more likely I'll be cooking and the physical hosting will be in my parents - they aren't up to the task of cooking at all these days.

Bah!! I was born in the 70s so had the excitement of getting an Argos catalogue every year and wistfully flicking through it wishing an Argos actually existed in Ireland! 😤

Don't get me wrong, I used to love the Argos catalogue. It was such a thrill to flick through it and see everything in one place.

Toy shops for me when I was a kid were Let's Pretend in the Dun Laoghaire shopping centre which closed and then a Toymaster opened up opposite it I. The mid 80s. Also Nimble Fingers in Stillorgan but that was pretty much it when I was growing up. No Smyths back then either 😱

Dunnes in Cornelscourt used to stock some decent stuff, as did Quinnsworth occasionally.

In other news those hours are really dropping!

Jesus remember the big toy sections in the local Quinnsworth/Tesco back in the day

Many a toy thrown in the trolly only to be tossed back out. The tears 😢😆😂

Not lucky enough to have kids yet but seen it from the adult side many a times with the little ones in the family 😆

I really can't understand or quantify how the hell October slipped by so quickly.

50 days wow

First weekend we have lit the stove, looking forward to having the house all a glow in a couple of weeks, I would have loving a mince pie or abit of Christmas pudding for dessert today I’ll try hold off for another couple of weeks

I've had a week off work and spent the time with my daughters exploring the touristy things. My eldest had a pall over from Ireland so we had a ball.

We had too many callers at Halloween and for the first time my youngest didn't want use to walk to houses with her, she is 4.5. She went around with her sister. One house had hired a bloody ice-cream van.

I have ordered marine plywood to make the outdoor reindeer, the pics are from the hardware store. I have also made two Christmas puddings.

I am panicking over presents, my eldest (15) is the toughest. I have bought her a bracelet she said was cool about four months ago, I pointed out a similar one last week and she says she doesn't like it anymore. Stress.

I put on A Christmas Carol produced by Orsen Wells on the way to work, it was too Christmasy so I will wait to listen to it another day at home.

Love the Christmas advert thread.

Looks delish @freshpopcorn! I'm not making a pudding this year - I've one left over from last year. I do need to do my mincemeat next weekend. We've had so much on the last few weekends, between being away for a few days & an awards night this weekend for our GAA club. I did manage to make the Christmas Cake last week - need to take it out tonight and give it a feed. I've gone gluten free recently to see if it will help some digestive issues & have made the cake with gluten-free flour. It looks the same as normal, just hoping it won't be as dry as Gandhi's flip flop 🤞

Two houses in my estate have a Christmas wreath on their door already. I didn't see inside either house to see if they have their tree/decorations up. One of the houses only took down the last of their Christmas decorations outside to hang up some Hallowe'en decorations a month ago, now the Christmas ones are back out!

My plans to make wooden reindeer have hit a speedbump as I busted my finger demolishing the dog house. My OH is talking of putting up the tree this weekend as we have full weekends on the way up to Christmas.

I'm enjoying these crisp morning walks before I WFH, it feels great.

They'll be live very soon actually won't they?

^^@DvB & @Aisling(",) I hear you both, it sucks being a grown up. We are 2.5ish years into a start up and looking at some quiet times (beyond our control) however we have some heavy salary burdens. Plus personal mortgages etc. Oh to have a stress free Christmas, now that would be a present and a half.