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Christmas planning and chat


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On 25/11/2019 at 11:55 AM, Onion Budgie said:

 

My secret is that I don't have that many people to buy for!  :D  I've always started my Christmas shopping early, ever since I was a kid.  It's ingrained in me now!  I really love the build-up to Christmas.

I have four sisters, two nephews and a niece, so that pushes my number of presents to buy up quite a lot! I love the build-up too. I don't wrap things as I buy them, I like to make a pile and wrap them all in one night, with Christmas music on :D.

 

Has anybody got any Christmassy ideas for a carafe? I basically bought it because it was on sale for £1 and looked pretty. I had vague ideas of filling it with something for a secret santa I'm taking part in, but I don't actually know what. I can't spend more than another £4 on the secret santa either...

 

 

23 hours ago, Talisman said:

The only people I have to buy for are my 3 staff - and its easy to do that, must get them all a bottle of wine! 

Aww that's really nice of you! The great thing about alcohol as a present is that nobody expects you to wrap it either :lol:

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On 01/12/2019 at 4:36 PM, Hayley said:

 

Aww that's really nice of you! The great thing about alcohol as a present is that nobody expects you to wrap it either :lol:

 

You have to look after them as they work hard all year, and I know how much I appreciate it when my boss does the same for me.   

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Actually got a new tree yesterday, bit difficult finding a small one - only wanted a 3 footer due to space restrictions - but finally got one in Wilkinsons for a fiver.  Have decorated most of it, I might also put up my old tatty one, we'll see.  Have also finally started doing some Xmas shopping as well.

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We requested a few years ago to stop receiving / giving presents. It had reached a stage where the total reached almost 40 people to buy for, which was stressful rather than joyful!

 

So now I get a small present for my grown up son, and a sharing hamper for my parents with a small (usually useful or daft) present to them each.  I do bake biscuits and make peppermint creams and such like as token gifts if we visit anyone over the Christmas week. 

 

 

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21 hours ago, Chrissy said:

We requested a few years ago to stop receiving / giving presents. It had reached a stage where the total reached almost 40 people to buy for, which was stressful rather than joyful!

 

So now I get a small present for my grown up son, and a sharing hamper for my parents with a small (usually useful or daft) present to them each.  I do bake biscuits and make peppermint creams and such like as token gifts if we visit anyone over the Christmas week. 

 

 

Wow, that is a lot. It sounds much nicer and less stressful now though!

I love peppermint creams, home made ones sound like an excellent present! How difficult are they to make?

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15 hours ago, Hayley said:

Wow, that is a lot. It sounds much nicer and less stressful now though!

I love peppermint creams, home made ones sound like an excellent present! How difficult are they to make?

 

The peppermint creams are a doddle (and very rich!). I make mine with using condensed milk, rather than egg white. Here is pretty much the recipe I use - although not the glitter! I leave some plain, and others half dipped in chocolate and I have also made colour ones using food colouring. They are fun to make. 

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1 hour ago, Chrissy said:

 

The peppermint creams are a doddle (and very rich!). I make mine with using condensed milk, rather than egg white. Here is pretty much the recipe I use - although not the glitter! I leave some plain, and others half dipped in chocolate and I have also made colour ones using food colouring. They are fun to make. 

Oooh thanks Chrissy! I'm really not a good cook, but these sound pretty safe so I might give it a try!

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 10 months later...

It's getting near that time of year again, I have a question which I suppose could be described as a Christmas Etiquette dilemma.  It is this - for many years now I've been buying xmas presents (usually in the form of gift vouchers/cards) for an old school friend's 3 children, however as they live quite a long way away and the eldest has now left uni and the youngest has just started, I feel the time might be  right to stop buying the children presents, and go back to just buying for my friend, or maybe no presents at all.  My question is - how do I put this to my friend without sounding mean/tactless etc?

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I would either be completely straightforward about it, and just say that this felt the right time to bring it to a close. If you are matter of fact in your approach, any potential offence is likely to be minor.

Or, you could take a slightly different approach and buy for one last year, and ask  "As this year will be the last year that I planned on getting them a present, is there a particular little something they'd each like?" That gives notice, and is a nice way to round things off. Good luck with sorting it. :)

 

As an  aside, I remember years ago asking my then ex mother-out-law what she would like for Christmas, and she said "Something small and pretty". I thought it was such a lovely answer to give - and have used it myself when asked. 

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6 hours ago, Chrissy said:

As an  aside, I remember years ago asking my then ex mother-out-law what she would like for Christmas, and she said "Something small and pretty". I thought it was such a lovely answer to give - and have used it myself when asked. 

 

Careful you get that request right, I once ended up with a spiteful dwarf...

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Thanks Poppy, I usually  get  them gift cards but that's harder this year not knowing if the shops will be open in Jan or even still trading, sadly, though I know most are on line now anyway - I've had a couple of close shaves in the past when HMV were in trouble!  But yes I think you're right, saying that after  this year we should go back to just buying each other something sounds a good idea.

 

 

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Well I've put up my Advent tree, and also my new miniature tree made from Venetian glass which is gorgeous but I am of course petrified of touching it as it's so fragile!  Have also put up a new small metal tree which I will try to decorate, the larger tree will probably have to wait until the weekend.

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On 25/11/2020 at 10:55 PM, Raven said:

 

Careful you get that request right, I once ended up with a spiteful dwarf...

 

Oh, you've met my sister?! :giggle2: 

 

On 26/11/2020 at 4:43 AM, poppy said:

A pretty, spiteful dwarf huh? We need photographic evidence.

 

I choked on my cuppa at the thought of photographic evidence! :lol:

 

We will be digging out the decorations this weekend. I love that I can never quite remember what we actually have, since it's been so long since I saw them. 

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6 hours ago, Chrissy said:

 

Oh, you've met my sister?! :giggle2: 

 

 

That was your sister? I must compliment you on her mighty fine beard!

 

Quote

 

I choked on my cuppa at the thought of photographic evidence! :lol:

 

 

Never touched her, guv...

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I decorated the small tree yesterday lunchtime, as it's metal and a bit gothic looking I thought I'd stick to a theme and have decorated it with blue, white and silver baubles.  Work permitting, I will try to get the main tree out today, and maybe start decorating it.

 

You're right about the decs Chrissy, when I was looking for the blue/silver/white baubles I came across some others that I'd forgotten about!

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I'm over putting up our artificial tree or paying ridiculous amounts for a scruffy pine pruning, so I bought a little Norway spruce this year and planted it in a container. It can live on the veranda during the year and come inside for Christmas.  The only trouble is it's way too small for all the decorations I've accumulated over the years and the Xmas lights.  I'm going to try pegging the decorations to strings and hanging them round the place. I can always go back to the artificial one if it looks too silly :lol:

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I put our little Christmas tree up yesterday and I’m starting to feel a bit Christmassy already. I’ll probably put some other decorations up in the living room at some point next week because it’s looking a bit plain at the moment. I really love Christmas l even if I do have to work on the 25th and 26th this year. 

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