Christmas progress!

[ZIZI]

I only have one more small present to get for Ben (so all the children have the same number of packages), eveything else is wrapped apart from the wire baskets thst I will put the wine in for the grown ups and that is because I wrap them in cellophane with a big bow on top which makes it difficult to move them if they need to be.

Cards all posted and sister in law’s birthday card written, stamped with the date of posting on. Have ordered he a beautiful gift wrapped Cornus in striking orange and red which should arrive next week, it will be before her birthday but that is fine.

As we are away at Christmas we have invited one of husbands colleagues to stay here. He is on shift Christmas Day and Boxing Day and lives the other side of London. He usually uses public transport but there is absolutely none on Christmas Day and it doesn’t start until 6am on Boxing Day. Last year apparently he spent £300 on two nights in a hotel just to be able to work. We are within walking distance of the terminal so we thought he might like the comforts of home and saving money!

[Daisy]

Zizi - your OH's colleague must be delighted with your kind invitation. I don't know what employers expect staff to do in these circumstances, but having to pay that much just to get to work is awful.

[WeeGranny]

Still no further forward with Christmas presents!!! Did buy Birthday cards for DD and DS today though. DD's birthday next Monday, DS on 28th.
Really can't get enthused about it this year for whatever reason.
Will make a real effort to get it done when on Granny duty at weekend. GS has already got plans for us to get HIS shopping done!

[Enfys]

That’s kind of you Zizi, he must be so grateful.

Finished writing the cards this afternoon, not many these days and we have our son theirs to take back when he was here recently. I will go out with DD to get the food and any little extras but that’s it. Just sit back and relax now

[Daisy]

WG - I feel a bit like that, too. I have no inspiration at all for presents for anybody on my relatively short list! We have stopped exchanging pressies with most of OH's siblings, and I bet both GSs will want mainly money (plus a few stocking fillers) so our list isn't very long. I'm sure your GS will have lots of suggestions. Enjoy your week-end, and I hope the shops aren't too crowded.

[ZIZI]

Daisy/Enfys the fact is that when people sign up to work for an airline or similar they guarantee in their contract that they can cover the shifts required. There is a wait list for leave and Ramon is 5th on the list so he might get Christmas Day or Boxing Day but unlikely to be the two days. Quite often those of other religions who don’t celebrate Christmas will swap the shift as it is premium money but that sort of swap is usually sorted by now. For us it is good thst we live so close to the airport which was deliberate planning on our behalf and if we can show some goodwill to someone else all the better.

I have also struggled a little with gifts this year. I feel sad that the boy GC want money/vouchers it kind of reaffirms the fact that they are growing up. Even Sadie did not ask for toys this year but I put that down to her having a big brother. I keep seeing things I would like to buy them and then tell myself they probably wouldn’t want them it is me wanting to give it to them!

I do buy for my two sisters and their husbands and my nephew and niece (the only ones on my side) and we always send a good plant to husbands sister who has her birthday a couple of days before Christmas. Othwise it is the GC, boys and dils. I haven’t biught for the estranged one. I have given his last years presents to a homeless hostel.

[Daisy]

Zizi - a lot of people seem to be struggling with choosing presents this year.

I wonder if it's because there is so much choice, and most of us already have the things we really want. I feel in many ways the money I spend on presents would be more beneficial given to a charity which really needs it.

[ZIZI]

I once bought a goat for an African family at Christmas and gave my hsuband the gift voucher saying that the donations was on his behalf . This was about 15 years ago. My goodness did I hve the rise taken out of me for that.

Our family do not send cards to each other we donate to a children’s heart charity to thank them for the support they have given to Ben’s parents and other parents. Between us it is usually about £100. I do send to those I know expect a card but others I send email messages to.

We were going to work at a shelter for Christmas Day one year but they were so strict about things thst it put us off, we knew there were core times you would have to be there but husband aas working early Christmas Day and Boxing Day but they wouldn’t take that into account which was disappointing. As with my Time to Shine project. If someone is willing to volunteer you should be flexible within reason in my opinion. When we had the shop on Christmas morning we would collect all the unsold points and Christmas type stuff and deliver them to the local church for their Christmas lunch table decorations and gifts. We have even been known to spend a couple of hours peeling potatoes as well!

[Mimi]

As dad got older and more frail he didn’t have any interest in anything and for Christmas he would say don’t buy me anything. So I suggested that the money that we as a family would have spent on him we would donate to the NSPCC .He was delighted with that suggestion as he always donated money every Christmas after my sister died at the age of 16 back in 1968. He said it would have been money he would have spent on her and as she was so loved and cared for he liked the idea that the money went to Children who didn’t have that kind of childhood as she did in her short life .

[Qwerty]

My Oh always says I don’t want anything for Xmas just to be happy bless him 😝

[Gemini]

Mimi, how nice that your dad was so happy about that lovely idea.
My mum doesn't need anything, but woe betide us if we didn't all buy her presents! I remember years ago my ex OH getting a 'tap' or somesuch thing for Christmas, an Oxfam thing. Mum could not understand at all why OH was so happy with his gift. In her eyes it was no gift at all

You have to know the recipient will be happy about those sort of gifts, don't you? Like Mimis dad mine too would have been happy, and always told us not to spend our money on him!

[Clover]

One year I gave my sister and her hubby a gift to help WaterAid as I know it was a project they felt strongly about. I did also give them a small token gift to unwrap on the day.

[Glammanana]

I have finally got everything sorted and finished after a lot of faffing about,as you all know we moved in March this year,in the old place we had our decorations stored in the loft and after some prodding I finally got John to get into the loft here and retrieve said boxes only thing is he couldn't find my door wreath's which I have had for yrs it turns out he had only left them in the other place and missed them when he was clearing out I can't really go and knock on the door of the old place and ask for access to the bloomin loft can I (apparently the chap is not too friendly) so we have had to go and buy a new one this morning but it is up now and all is well again,the lights are all on the trees outside and it looks quite nice to be honest but no one else has dressed their frontage I wonder if they think I am a bit daft ??

[Gemini]

It all looks pretty Glamma, and that half tree is such a good idea!
Do we care what those neighbours think?!
Either they don't decorate outside which is fine for them, its 'personal choice, or they haven't done it yet. You are the trialblazer

We have the Christmas trees up now and when I was out this afternoon OH put up the outside lights
I will take pics at some point.

[Daisy]

Glamm - it all looks very Christmassy, and I love the lights round the window - I bet it looks really cosy from outside as well as inside.

Perhaps your neighbours will put decorations up soon - either way, your house looks festive and homely!

Gem - I think you sound pleased to have got all your decorations up! Yes, please, pics would be lovely.

I'm going to try and get ours done (with OH's help) before Saturday when the GSs come for a sleepover.