Christmas 2024 #4

[duckdinner]

I've bought me paper.... but I absolutely DETEST wrapping. So I just leave it forever id actually pay someone to do it

I learnt this year that there's actually a place in a shopping centre near to me that offers this service. You just hand everything over. Not sure how much it costs but I am so tempted because I hate wrapping.

I love wrapping presents - even the annoyingly shaped ones!
My brother always gives me the gifts he gets for his wife to wrap for Christmas, their anniversary and her birthday, I wasn't aware I could be charging for such services!

 

[Pinklobster]

I put my decs up early, end Nov usually, and I love it, but by Boxing Day or the day after, I’m itching to take it all down and clean, and I love the clean fresh feel going into the New Year. Don’t know why, always done it.
For those of you buying next years gifts already, my question is how? It’s not a criticism, I’m in awe actually, but how do you know what people will want or need??

 

[coconochanel]

The only Christmas gifts I've bought for next year are for myself

 

[Jojoanne1]

The only Christmas gifts I've bought for next year are for myself

That’s my kind of person

 

[ElektraWintour]

Did my usual weekly shop in sainsburys this morning and they had their packs of 24 pigs in blankets and 24 stuffing balls reduced to something like £1.50 a pack. They’ve gone in the freezer and will last us a good few weekly roast dinners.

I don’t buy next years presents yet as I don’t trust people to change their minds but I have a separate savings pot where I’ve already started saving.

Our Christmas decorations come down on New Year’s Day, I didn’t realise you weren’t supposed to then

 

[Catfan2]

I was very disappointed. Nothing really happened. And I loved Outnumbered

I think it was ok if you watch it as a ‘stand alone’ programme and don’t expect it to be anything like it was when the children were small. It wasn’t laugh out loud funny either.

 

[JustHereForTheAgriculture]

Took down the decorations in my room today. Busy tomorrow but will hopefully get the rest down on Sunday. It’s the same every year. The thought of taking them down hangs over me.
Was going to try to get a new tree in the sales but I bought myself something kind of pricey so that’s the end of me spending for a while now. Tree will have to wait.

 

[g321]

I got a tree in the Homebase sale today for £30. The one I have now I got for £12 about 7 years ago when I still lived at my parents home. Got a 6ft tree to go in my bedroom at my parents house it’s fine but only has around 400 tips so very sparse. The one I got today was Homebase almost 700 tips and they had it out and it looked decent enough. Will still keep the other one and maybe find somewhere else to put it up next year. Felt really bad buying another when this tree is technically fine but I can see the middle pole the whole way through it’s that sparse and I thought sod it £30 for a tree that I can see up and tell it’s semi decent

 

[TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo]

I think it was ok if you watch it as a ‘stand alone’ programme and don’t expect it to be anything like it was when the children were small. It wasn’t laugh out loud funny either.

Oooh, now I did laugh out loud at several bits. I watched it tonight so I'd already seen lots of articles saying it was tit and seem people's reactions on here.

I thought it was really good. Very true to life which it always was. Apart from the doorbell thing which was a bit over done. I like the continuity with the children's personalities. The parcels being slung over the fence as Pete's meltdown was very funny.

 

[Former_Antelopee]

My breakfast this morning was advent calendar chocolate that I hadn't opened

 

[OatMatchaLatte]

Just bought two outdoor, light up reindeer in the sale for £15 each! I wanted to get some a couple of weeks ago but thought better about spending the money, and I’m glad I held off. They would have cost £76 full price.

 

[RandomFrog]

I buy PJs for all the children in our lives in the sales, save around 50% and I usually get a few gift sets that won't go out just to have in. I did go to the lush sale yesterday for the first time and it was 100% worth it!

Does anybody have any recommendations for where to try to get a really nice tree from? Not really fussy on price but would prefer it to be the perfect thing that will last us a long time if not forever

 

[g321]

Does anyone have any creative ways they have fairy lights up in their home/living room? I always miss the tree lights when that comes down and this time of year is still so dark and depressing so I often think I’d love to have fairy lights somewhere but can never think of how/where to put them?

 

[lunarising8]

Does anyone have any creative ways they have fairy lights up in their home/living room? I always miss the tree lights when that comes down and this time of year is still so dark and depressing so I often think I’d love to have fairy lights somewhere but can never think of how/where to put them?

we have fairy lights that stretch across the whole wall and then come down too - google ‘fairy wall lights’ for a much better idea than my poor explanation! We put them up a couple of christmases down and just left them up and we have them on every evening

 

[Spanor511]

Does anyone have any creative ways they have fairy lights up in their home/living room? I always miss the tree lights when that comes down and this time of year is still so dark and depressing so I often think I’d love to have fairy lights somewhere but can never think of how/where to put them?

Wrap them round your curtain pole.

 

[Prince fan 1999]

Fairy lights in a glass vase.

 

[Carefree]

If you have a mirror up in the living room, a string of fairy lights around them look fantastic, in my opinion.

I'm going to venture out of my pit later and see what bargains there are out there. Hopefully there are some cute things out there.

 

[PeneLope111]

Christmas this year has been so “meh”. Just so flat. Got an 8 year old so that magic was amazing but that’s it. Hubby has been working away, had my mum and went out for dinner Christmas Day (which was really nice but seems weird me not cooking as I do actually enjoy it but my mum isn’t bother about bells and whistles so no point going all out like I usually do).
Just thinking to myself what we could do differently next year. I mean I’d like to have it in an isolated cabin in the woods with a roaring log fire but we can all dream! I think as my Christmases growing up were so different - we had all the family at our house Christmas Eve, Christmas Day then the adults would go out Boxing Day then back to ours for a party from tea time - quiet Christmases just don’t hit the same. Unfortunately our family dynamic is completely different now so need to stop fantasising of Christmases past. I love the lead up - the pantos, Christmas markets, the socialising with friends and family - so Christmas Day itself after seeing my child’s face when she realises “he’s been” is all a bit rubbish I suppose.

Taking the decs down today and going to have a major clean of the living room xx

 

[chapterthree]

I don’t take my tree or decorations down until 6th January. Been up from roughly 6th November. I absolutely love them and wish they could stay up all year

I think the reason why people feel so sad at the moment is because people don’t realise that a Christmas lasts until the 6th January. I find it odd that the radios stop playing Christmas songs and music after Boxing Day. We are all so fast paced we forget to truly enjoy the season and slow down. Keep the decs up (if it works for you and your family), continue watching and singing Christmas songs and films, eat the festive food, for heavens sake, EAT, DRINK and CONTINUE TO BE MERRY PEOPLE!

 

[OatMatchaLatte]

I think the reason why people feel so sad at the moment is because people don’t realise that a Christmas lasts until the 6th January. I find it odd that the radios stop playing Christmas songs and music after Boxing Day. We are all so fast paced we forget to truly enjoy the season and slow down. Keep the decs up (if it works for you and your family), continue watching and singing Christmas songs and films, eat the festive food, for heavens sake, EAT, DRINK and CONTINUE TO BE MERRY PEOPLE!

I agree with this, it’s the festive season. I think it was mentioned upthread, or maybe in another, but the shops bringing in their Easter stuff now is so jarring in my opinion because it makes the commercialisation so blatant. Many of us are still enjoying Christmas leftovers and events but they’re pushing the next thing on us. It’s not as obvious when Christmas stuff comes in (still far too early, imo) because its not off the back of another big event.