How's everyone's xmas / yule preparations going?

[nick the grief]

...........I will cook a decent meal with four or five veg, three stuffings and all the trimmings, if only to give me something to do other than watch tv. .......

You need a heated propagator & a greenhouse Madderbat, then rather than slaving over a hot stove to save boredom you could sow your onions for next year I always tell Mrs Grief that I have to take cuttings of the chrysanths on Christmas day other wise she won't ahve any next year ....... ah, even after all these years she still believes me

[Lesley Jay]

Oh Nick your poor wife! You are wicked!!

[Earthbabe]

I've just got my table decoration to do. Fresh each year with evergreens (bay, sage, holly and ivy) and candles. We have invited a lot of people round for the saturday before new year on an open house thingy so decs etc need to go up and stay up. It's got something to do with my birthday!!

Agree about the internet, HM, it's made getting the presents espesh for Miss E very easy although the wait at the post office if you are not in when they deliver is a tad long.

[madderbat]

You need a heated propagator & a greenhouse Madderbat, then rather than slaving over a hot stove to save boredom you could sow your onions for next year I always tell Mrs Grief that I have to take cuttings of the chrysanths on Christmas day other wise she won't ahve any next year ....... ah, even after all these years she still believes me

Sorry to disappoint you, but have got two beds of onions already growing, along with spring cabbage and broad beans to keep the garlic company. Parsnips and leek seedlings might be an excuse to go out, but I actually enjoy creating good food that is appreciated. It's the washing up I hate!

[Snadger]

Christmas shopping starts and finishes today for me! I'm off to the Metrocentre which enjoys ny pressence one day every year ( Hate the b****y place!)

I'll come back with a pile of crap that no-one wants and chucks in the bin on boxing day or flogs on eBay!

Ah!!! Such is life! Humbug!

[lyndap]

Used to do xmas when the kids were little,but apart from christmas dinner we dont really'celibrate' xmas any more. We arn't religious,and just think the whole damb thing is just to comercialized. My daughter as she has got older has become really anti-christmas and wont take part in anything to do with christmas!,so we get our little grandchildren a small pressy and give it to them as a happy new year pressy!Been abit awkward this year as grandson started nursery,and school automatically do xmas parties etc,which mom has decided hes not going to!!!

We not putting up decs this year,and only hubby,myself and youngest will be at home for our 'traditional' dinner of roast tatoes,Brazil nut roast,veggies,cranberry sauce,and apple sauce.yummy

We will exchange a few small gifts(if I ever get around to buying anything!!!)

Hopefully will get daughter and son around sometime over xmas period(prob boxing day) as normally see my two grandchildren 5/6 days a week and really miss them if any longer in between!

So we are quite boring at this time of year.

[sewer rat]

House cleaned top to bottom
Christmas pressies all bought, still to be wrapped.
Christmas tree and decorations up and lights twinkling away merrily
Daughter rehearsing like a thing possessed for her starring role in this years Nativity Play (all in Gaelic so should be interesting )
Going out for Christmas dinner, then to her grans near Glasgow from 27th to 30th Dec. (more presents for daughter and more food and more drink). See my family.
Going to Belfast to see the Out-laws for the bells - back on 4th January.

[Alison]

Oh Nick your poor wife! You are wicked!!

What do you mean he's wicked, LJ, surely Nick's wife deserves a break on Christmas Day!!!!

[Bex]

I don't go in for the whole christmas thing really, I'm not a religious person but I do buy the kids and my parents/grandmother gifts but I'm not going in the the whole commercialism, no tree or decorations and I'm not sending cards. I think I'm becoming thrifty in my old age as I just find the whole thing a waste of money. There is only going to be the two of us (me and youngest son) this year and I am doing a christmas dinner but neither of us like the traditional christmas fayre. We are having a big chicken with the usual trimmings but a tiramisu for dessert as we don't like dried fruit.
Most of the gifts are bought just got to buy for my mom as she is most difficult.

[Mrs Dobby]

I too dont do xmas cards, not only expensive, but a waste of resources that ends up in most folks bins after xmas! For friends far off they get a virtual card, and for the staff at work I get them a big tin of chocs, it goes down better than 21 cards would anyhows!

[rustylady]

KInow the feeling, Snadger - I hate Xmas shopping, especially in those "Malls" with piped carols and hundreds of people.

[rustylady]

Used to like seeing the children's faces Xmas morning - I never used to put up any decs until Xmas Eve when they were in bed. Used to work late shift at the pub, come home, put up the tree, lights and put presents round, do stockings and fall into bed just as they were waking up shouting "He's been", sometimes with my clothes still on. It was worth it to see the look on their faces.

Not the same now!

[kirsty b]

Got the kids pressies bought and wrapped. I only really put the tree up, because any other decs will only get pulled down by my daft cat.
The boys will be over to see us for a couple of hours on Christmas Day,but once they have gone it will be just the three of us, most likely being lazy buggers and eating our dinner as a kind of picnic on the living room floor.
Won't be buying loads of extra nibbles etc as I'm working christmas eve and boxing day.
Won't be seeing much of my family over Christmas, one of my sisters is going away, Dad, like me is likely to be working and my other sister will be taking care of my nephew who is receiving cancer treatment and will be neutropenic over those few days. Will probably see my brother at some point.
So a quiet year this year, but once my nephew gets the all clear next year, we will have a big party to give thanks for that
Will take the hound for a walk on Christmas afternoon, down to the lottie and probably have a potter around in the fresh air.
Kirsty

[BayViewPlot]

Have ordered saltmarsh lamb for xmas day to pick up from cardiff indoor market next week

had a taste of summer fruit infused rum last night that I was saving for xmas, which knocked my cuffin socks off last night, haha

[Birdie Wife]

Miss E would like snow but we have had to tell her that is extremely unlikely.

Try this! http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/whitechristmas.asp
You can tell her the chance of a white christmas to the nearest 5% probability!

Strangely, I'm the only one in my family who is religious any more. I love the carols and candles and such, but I don't get to church on Christmas any more because I get little anough time with my family as it is. We drive down to the Borders for Christmas with my family (6 1/2 hours drive ) then off to OH's family for New Year (another 6 hours even further south ) and then all the way back up again.

This year I've been spectacularly organised. Presents are bought, cards are written (only for those who I won't see - not for local friends/family), got a goose from the local keeper which came with head, feathers and all, that was fun, sorted out someone to look after the hens while we're away and we're taking the cat with us on holiday!