Christmas 2024

[pixxyy]

My original plan was me & Mum giving everyone a Christmas Dec( with lots of thought about which design beehive for a Bee fan etc) then a homemade advent calendar per family.
Now its just me & i'm not sure how long probate will take so i've had to change it abit. We had bought 3 decorations but everyone else its now a much cheaper decoration. I bought the kids ones from Ebay that are their initial & dragons which i'm guessing quality wont be the best.
they can hang them each Year knowing it's from the Christmas cousin Laura tried lol
I also bought a 15 pack of Gonks from Amazon for everyone else and they are actually really cute & a nice size.
The Advents depend if I learn how to sew

I'm still hoping to have a real Tree this time but for future considering a fake, as nowdays they look nice and would work out better value.

quoting myself as Today I found out the original plan of a Advent Calendar per family is even more likely to happen.
went in Mum's fabric cupboard & she had finished 1 and 3 others are pretty close & its mainly just finishing touches.
Such a lovely surprise

 

[Lalla]

I never had a stocking as a child, I had my first (and only) one the Christmas after my dad died when I stayed with my friend and her family. I don't remember the full content (it was over 25 years ago ) but it was lots of lovely things like handmade soap, pair of earrings, little trinket boxes, other mini toiletries, some socks as well.

I do stockings every year for my sons, typically containing chocolate coins, sweets, a chocolate orange, bath/ shower stuff, a little game, socks, and all manner of other odds and ends. It was easier when they were younger though, the older they get the less stuff I seem to be able to buy.

I used to work with someone whose parents would put stuff like concert tickets and a diamond bracelet in her stocking I felt that went against the whole ethos of stockings being little (cheap!) presents.

 

[Cheezychips]

Looking for opinions on whether or not to take down the huge wreath I made for my front door? It ended up cost me around £60 as some of the bits from the original wreath kit I bought on Etsy only lasted a week so I had to order more foliage from another seller, it a lot of money and I hate being wasteful. It still looks great due to the amount of rain we've had keeping the moss ring damp and it breaks me heart to have to bin it. I'm the only one in the street with mines still up tho and the neighbours already think I'm a nutcase should I take it down or leave it up?

(I've added a pic for reference, it's quite noticeable lol my husband is complaining and saying I should have taken it down last week)

 

[chapterthree]

I celebrate Christmas all the way through until Epiphany but this year I didn’t feel any of the magic and it all felt a big rush. I delayed getting festive and now I regret it and I had a very overwhelming Christmas. When do you start prepping and preparing?

 

[MrsO30]

I love the hallmark movies, they make the run up to Christmas so happy, I always get the tree up last weekend in November, and from then on it’s hallmark movies until new year we generally have croissants, pan au chocolate fruit and picky bits to graze on all morning then dinner starts about 2 with starters then dinner about 4 and dessert later. Every year I say oh let’s get a Chinese takeaway for Christmas dinner and every year I change my mind and cook it’s honestly my fave day of the year!

 

[Lalla]

Not if you eat them quick enough

This reminds of our annual chocolate orange saga. Traditionally everyone in the house gets a chocolate orange in their stocking. I tend to buy them around Aug/ Sept when I see them on offer for £1 each, or 2 for £2 or whatever.
The challenge then is not eating them before Christmas. Or then not eating the replacements.
One year I think I bought 10 in total (replacing the replacements) to end up with the 3 I needed for stockings

 

[Chocolategoggler]

Looking for opinions on whether or not to take down the huge wreath I made for my front door? It ended up cost me around £60 as some of the bits from the original wreath kit I bought on Etsy only lasted a week so I had to order more foliage from another seller, it a lot of money and I hate being wasteful. It still looks great due to the amount of rain we've had keeping the moss ring damp and it breaks me heart to have to bin it. I'm the only one in the street with mines still up tho and the neighbours already think I'm a nutcase should I take it down or leave it up?

(I've added a pic for reference, it's quite noticeable lol my husband is complaining and saying I should have taken it down last week)

It's lovely. My understanding is things don't have to be taken down till the 6th or 7th of January.
You could move it to the back garden. Somewhere you can see it from the window to enjoy whilst it's still alive.
Seems a shame to destroy it because of "what people might think."
ETA. The older you get the less you bother about what people think.

 

[Be kond]

I bloody love Christmas. Come September I am in full Christmas mode. My dad, my brother and I are the most festive people you’ll ever meet. Counting down the days with a text message as we don’t live together. We have our little traditions, we will always watch a certain festive tv episode, go to a local fayre etc. we aren’t religious as such but growing up we’d always go to a carol concert, I’ve not been for years due to having children but it’s something I’d like to begin again.

we have a meal on Christmas Eve with partners family, although we do still visit on Christmas Day for a bacon sarnie brekkie, we have our meal at my parents. As immature as it sounds I couldn’t give that up. It means a lot to me.

we spend 120 on youngest, 200 max on oldest. We try to do more festive days out before hand.
Hes asked for snow this year I do wish December was colder. It’s not very cold in wales in December I find.

 

[coconochanel]

Without wanting to sound overly harsh it really doesn’t matter what anyone else spends. It is all relative to their life/income and everyone should only spend what they feel able to or want to. Comparing is not helpful to anyone and can, inadvertently, add pressure to people.

We are not comparing we are being nosy.

 

[MagpieTree]

Since I got with my partner, I feel obliged to spend Christmas Day with their family as it's also FILs birthday. I absolutely hate us all being cramped into their tiny house, TV blasting with a film no-one is watching and everyone drinking buckets of alcohol. Most years I've cried when I've got home due to being overwhelmed all day. Is it bad I'm hoping my partner is working Christmas Day this year, so I can spend it with my family instead? My parents actually have space for everyone so I wouldn't be stuck sat on the floor all day and none of us drink, I much prefer the atmosphere there.

 

[MrsO30]

First post on this thread and I love seeing everyone budgets etc. there is no right or wrong way to do Xmas usually we do about £400/500 on our only child but instead of the usual gifts we do trips etc, this year she’s dying to go to Sephora (pre-teen!) so we’re thinking a trip to Manchester between Christmas and New Year other years have had theatre trips to London and DLP so I suppose we both benefit from her gift we also do £50 per sibling couple (we have 5 between us!), £100 for parents and £40 per niece/nephew. We usually host Xmas day or go to our in-laws, we also don’t expect the same in return ever

 

[CinnamonSwirl]

I'm still deeply depressed from finding out last year that the majority of you do stockings after the age of 18
We're cut off early in my family apparently!

My Mum has always done us a stocking and I’m turning 32 this year I’m sure one year she didn’t do it for all of us (adult I might add ) children and we were outraged so she does it every year now and I do her one too

I normally put in a mini Prosecco with a bottle of elderflower cordial as she loves that. Fluffy socks, chocolates she likes and a little cute present, like last year I got her a “hug” which was a tiny little bear with a note saying it was a pocket hug if anyone has seen those

I think I’ll do that every year as she is just one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know and she deserves it. I will also be doing our new puppy a stocking this year and not ashamed to say I will be spending a lot on him

 

[ATV2021]

How's everyones Christmas shopping going?

Finito

 

[jackolantern]

Funny story you've all just made me remember about Christmas paper, I picked some absolutely beautiful rolls up in the sale last year for mere pence and I was walking back to my car thinking to myself "wow, so beautiful, so pretty" and a woman smiled at me and went, it really is. That's when I realised it wasn't actually in my head and I was the crazy Christmas lady walking down the street admiring her purchase while talking to herself

 

[Carefree]

My dog is ageing, quite quickly, and I'm now tempted to get a personalised bauble of her. I don't even put up a tree because of her so the irony is not lost on me. But I think it'd be a lovely thing to have for the future.

 

[ATV2021]

Just leaving this here

 

[Honeystar]

The weather this week has made me feel soooo Christmassy. I've also had a bit of a health issue hanging over me which meant I was convinced this Christmas would be rubbish or my last (how dramatic of me, it wasn't even that serious) and have had the all clear which has for some reason put me in full Christmas mode and I'm already thinking about plans for Christmas 2024....

 

[pixxyy]

My original plan was me & Mum giving everyone a Christmas Dec( with lots of thought about which design beehive for a Bee fan etc) then a homemade advent calendar per family.
Now its just me & i'm not sure how long probate will take so i've had to change it abit. We had bought 3 decorations but everyone else its now a much cheaper decoration. I bought the kids ones from Ebay that are their initial & dragons which i'm guessing quality wont be the best.
they can hang them each Year knowing it's from the Christmas cousin Laura tried lol
I also bought a 15 pack of Gonks from Amazon for everyone else and they are actually really cute & a nice size.
The Advents depend if I learn how to sew

I'm still hoping to have a real Tree this time but for future considering a fake, as nowdays they look nice and would work out better value.

 

[coconochanel]

It may be warm outside and it is the middle of May but yes I am watching Christmas vlogs on youtube.

 

[CinnamonSwirl]

Is it bad (I don’t care if it is) that I think my main amount of money this year will be spent on my puppy’s Christmas presents? I don’t care, he is my baby 🥹 I have ordered him a personalised Christmas stocking to match mine and my husband’s and best believe he is getting spoiled this year (and every other year lol)