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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
With only a few days left until Christmas what do you still need to do?
I decided to trim my tree with angels this year. I had 12 to make and I have only made 2. I have a cake to make for hubby and one gift left to finish and wrap. House is neat but needs a good sweep and mop before the big day.
 

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Posted by Lucia (# 15201) on :
 
Lots of food stuff. Prepare candied peel and mixed spice. Make Christmas cake and the almond paste to go on it, then ice it. Make a Christmas pudding. Make mincemeat and then turn it into mince pies. Order a turkey. Make some kind of substitute for cranberry jelly. Try to find somewhere that sells bacon! (Not so easy in a Muslim country!)

Oh and wrap all the presents, send some kind of emailed greetings to friends and family far away. Send some sort of gift to the nephew and godchildren, probably an Amazon voucher to be honest! I suppose I ought to get some kind of present for my husband to unwrap on the day. We've already bought each other something but it is currently waiting to be retrieved from the UK. Along with the other christmas presents we ordered online there.

Hubby was originally expecting to travel to the UK before Christmas to help his mother move house. House move now delayed so we will have to wait, probably to sometime in January for all that. I had also planned for him to bring a load of the Christmas food back, hence my having to try and make it all myself now!!

Did I mention that I'm a bit of a last minute person???

[ 20. December 2013, 19:25: Message edited by: Lucia ]
 

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Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
I've finished making the presents I have time to make, now I'm ironing. After this I shall finish wrapping and start packing; we're going to my Dad's and we're taking the small car because we don't take the dog in the big car so it'll be like playing Tetris.

Tomorrow I need to deliver the presents to my in-laws and hopefully I'll get time to finish the curtains I've been making for Dad since his birthday.

How do people do all this with children and jobs?
Cattyish, disorganised.
 

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Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Wrapping. And one last present to pick up. Aside from that I think I'm done. Well, I could decorate the house more, don't know if I will or not.
 

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Posted by HCH (# 14313) on :
 
I have about 11 or 12 cards left to send. I still need to put up my Christmas tree and decorate it. I have various Christmas readings (Milton's "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity", a couple of stories by Damon Runyon, etc.) and some seasonal music to enjoy as well. There is a Christmas Eve service to attend.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Nothing much. Produce stunning lunch tomorrow. Sunday, do major Costco shop, accurately foreseeing our domestic requirements for the next 6 months, produce gourmet dinner. Monday, collect pre-orders from butcher, sneak in some pressie-buying, conjure up exciting nibbles/drinks, make excellent cheesecake, produce another stoating dinner. Tuesday; party. Wednesday; recover from party, provide succession of exquisite meals. Thursday; ditto. Rinse. Repeat.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
1 card left to send. Not sure if recipient is still alive. 1 e-card to make.

Some presents to wrap. Some can be done tomorrow morning to take with me to deliver later that day, the rest can be done the day before they're due.

Food will be bought on Christmas Eve depending on what's available and what I fancy. Just some vacuuming and tidying to do, but that can be done at my own pace.

And I need to go through the Radio Times and make a note of the various things I definitely don't want to miss.
 

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Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :
 
I can't afford to buy presents for coworkers this year (although I'm not sure anymore who I should be giving presents to, since our structure rearranged, long story), so I'm making gourmet caramel corn to offer everyone instead. I've got a lot of the popcorn popped, but could probably still pop some more, and then I have to make the batches. I still haven't narrowed down exactly which flavors I'm making. I have today and Monday, really, unless I also do some of the work on the weekend evenings (I work on the weekend).

I figure if it doesn't turn out well, I'll just keep it and eat it. No harm done. Plus it's pretty much all made with ingredients I have around the house (I eat popcorn a lot, and use brown sugar on my oatmeal). Not much extra shopping has been involved. I have a good basic recipe around somewhere (oh, yeah, that's one more thing - finding it; it wasn't in my recipe box, and it's different from the recipes I'm finding online), which I just need to tweak by adding flavors in.

First I need to clean up some clutter in my tiny kitchen...
 

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Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :
 
Hooray, I found the recipe!

I've posted it over in the recipe thread if anyone's interested.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thanks - I was going to ask.

Huia
 

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Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :
 
Oh crap, I still have choreography to learn before solemn midnight Mass on Tuesday. I'm the guy in Yellow this year.



 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Most pressies bought and many already given - e-card is prepared but now needs sending, which always seems to be a chore but I know won't take long. Have to go into town to find Equal™ sachets so the diabetics don't all gang up on me for having nothing to put on their porage. Also have to arrange to meet an old friend [we haven't met for 2 years] who is back in the country for a short time BEFORE he heads off back to his job in the Gulf.
 

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Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
Gosh you're all so organised. I haven't written or sent a single card yet and still have presents to buy for quite a few folk. Wrapping will appen on Chistmas Eve.
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
A lot of family gifts were done for last weekend when we had a meet for lunch at a median pub. Then there were my cousins who came round on Wednesday for coffee, mince pies and bag swapping.

I've a friend coming round today for a dinner with all the trimmings, for which I have done mince pies, trifle, stuffing and put the small turkey to thaw. No gift yet.

I'm about to do cards for people I can't deliver to - I don't know why this gets left so late, as I have no excuse like end of term doings to keep me from such tasks. I think it's the absence of prompts like classroom decorating that doesn't trigger it - despite Advent services.

I haven't decorated yet - the past few days I've had a complaining back which has made moving around a bit thought provoking, but I might be able to get the trees and wreaths out later, in between setting up the automatic settings on the oven, getting the veggies ready, and putting the pudding and the giblets on to slow cook (not in the same cooker!)

Next I'll have to do local cards, a gift for a nephew, and get the makings of proper trifle and pudding icecream to take to my sister's place where she is squeezing me in somehow between her sons and their girlfriends. Possibly in the cellar on an airbed. Which is brilliant of her, despite my saying that I quite liked being alone now* - the first year after Dad died when I wasn't doing Christmas for him, and no-body rang was a bit grim. (*True.)
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Wrapping. That's today's job, after coffee with a friend this morning. I'll then be able to see whether the number of stocking fillers are pretty equal for each person or whether I need to have a little foray on Monday to get a few more bits. Also thought of one more gift for Nenlet1 which I may buy this morning.

Food is purchased. I'm always relieved when that's done.

Nen - stocking fillers, anyone?
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
If it's not done it's too late. On train heading north.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
If it's not done it's too late. On train heading north.

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John O'Groats again, eh?
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Cards mailed a week ago. All presents shipped to my daughter and her family in Texas. All presents wrapped for my daughter and her family in Washington.

I take the bus up to Washington tomorrow, and today I'm doing laundry and packing.

Moo
 

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Posted by Signaller (# 17495) on :
 
Got the presents. Sent the cards. Bought the tree.

Polish the silver, she says. I know my place- and it's in the kitchen, covered in Silvo.
 

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Posted by The Undercover Christian (# 17875) on :
 
Behold, Wifey's seasonally-confusing advent calendar .

A counting malfunction means that not all days are catered for.

She hasn't noticed yet, as I have (in a magnificently Derren Brown-esque campaign of sleight-of-hand) been moving it all around to mask the absence.

I have to get it sorted by tomorrow morning...
 

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Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
E cards sent to friends and family round the world.
Flowers ordered on internet for my elderly mum.
Money transferred to my daughters' bank accounts.
Tiny tree we squashed into our bags last year up
Tomorrow we'll buy a chicken to roast.
Christmas Eve, I'll attempt baking in tiny kitchen.

We're ready here in Kenya but missing our UK home!
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I had family pressies sorted ages ago, the only one missing is my eldest's main present which my husband ordered and the shop messed up so he is buying a replacement tomorrow. The tree went up last weekend.
Now the main thing that is left in the frantic cleaning before we entertain guests later in the week I'm looking forward to some baking too. Today we have been making stained glass biscuits and tomorrow we'll be making homemade jammy dodgers and a chocolate log. I've also decanted some liqueurs for friends.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Should be finishing the carol sheet for Christmas Eve in time to get them printed out, instead I'm sat here reading SoF. It's the perfect work avoidance tactic.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
This evening I thought of someone else I probably need to buy a present for. Otherwise I am done. Presents all wrapped and under the tree.

Nen - pleased to report that the stocking filler situation is satisfactory.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Feeling very virtuous

E-cards all sent - took about 20 minutes to get the lists done and all posted and gone!


 

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Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :
 
for me: Three different lessons to teach today. Cookie dough is chilling, ready for slicing and baking in between lessons 2 & 3. The major holiday cook-fest begins tomorrow.

For Mr. Cliffdweller: finish renovating bathroom and put together new futon probably minutes before dashing to the airport to pick up daughter and son-in-law.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Costco a suburb of Hell this morning and Sainsbury's another. The only refuge is knitting - but for that I needed to bus to the only shop stocking the Peruvian alpaca which I MUST HAVE. I am not now currently planning to step outside the door for the next 51 hours.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
The weather forecast is set to be terrible from tomorrow on. I'm assuming that most of the shopping hell will have taken place today, so the next two days should be safe to go out.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Writing loads of Christmas cards as we type, while chatting away in the Ship Cafe.

I've got myself about 50 stamps this year for various destinations around the world, some cards of course will inevitably be late, or finally be sent as e-cards... - a somewhat traditional procastinatious habit, I'm afraid. But I like designing the cards myself, with pics taken in snowy, festive times, and printed out at home. Much more satisfying I find than buying stuff off the shelves, so I hope recipients will be only moderately miffed at any delays...

Most presents traditionally sent for after Christmas only, silly me. Just too hectic before, as others here have observed. But then it's like it's Christmas twice.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Ah! And I've just put the original soundtrack to 'Tim Burton's Night Before Christmas' in the CD player. Refreshingly unsentimental.
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
I'm finally sitting down and planning all the meals… and making a shopping list!
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Tomorrow is local cards, taking two defunct fibre optic trees to the the dump, looking for possible replacement, getting the makings of trifle, bread sauce and icecream to take to my sister's. Packing. Finding the timer plugs for the decorations that have not succumbed. (Not one fairy light bulb gone this year.)
Finishing copying stuff to VHS from my TV decoder recorder which BT are going to wipe - hopefully I'll get it all done. (Fuming that they can do this - at least they gave me 28 days warning.)
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
And bagging up the turkey stock (did the meal for a friend yesterday) for the freezer. And finding out if my car can be fixed before my run down to my sisters' through the weather. (The seat belt refused to come out of its housing on Friday, the part needs special carriage because of the attached pyrotechnics, and I have a courtesy car. It's very lucky that what had been intermittent and resolvable went permanent then, close to the garage, and not while I was on my way to Gloucestershire.)
 

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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
Wesley J wrote.

quote:

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Most presents traditionally sent for after Christmas only, silly me.

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"NO NO NO not silly you. You are just being faithful to the celebration of the 12 days of Christmas. " says, graven image who always spends the evening of Christmas day preparing her cards.
 

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Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on :
 
We're just about to go out in gales and driving rain to buy the booze and a couple of other bits an bobs .

All a bit crazy really.

PS. Is it just me or are some people calling Christmas "Crimbo" this year ?
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Epic fail. Sat down with Mr Nen yesterday evening, after going to the local Nine Lessons and Carols service, to enjoy a glass of wine and a few savoury nibbles. Only to realise that the number of bags of such nibbles chez Nen is precisely zero - apart from pretzels, which Mr Nen dislikes.

Nen - off to the shops today after all.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by rolyn:
PS. Is it just me or are some people calling Christmas "Crimbo" this year ?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:
The weather forecast is set to be terrible from tomorrow on. I'm assuming that most of the shopping hell will have taken place today, so the next two days should be safe to go out.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

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Originally posted by rolyn:
PS. Is it just me or are some people calling Christmas "Crimbo" this year ?

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That's a blast from the past. I remember that from the 80s.

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When we lived in England (1990-1993) Jimmy on "Broadside Close" mentioned "crimbo prezzies" and we thought it was amusing and have been saying it ever since. That's the Twilights, keeping alive British traditions that were over before we got there.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Succeeded in baking an impressive-looking cheesecake for a Christmas Eve dinner party at friends. I think there are about 7 or 8 guests; cake could comfortably serve a dozen.
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
Can you email us some or at least the recipe?
 

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Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :
 
It's best not to be overly organized. I had the decorations up and the presents all wrapped weeks ago and yesterday I did a meticulous cleaning so that today I could bake and tomorrow cook for the big day. -- At six this morning the cat banged on the just washed front window with his muddy paws, someone opened the door for him, the dachshund got out of bed to exert discipline, they rolled together under the tree, messing up all the ribbons and wrappings, then the cat jumped on the freshly brushed dining room chairs and grabbed at the tablecloth. He's in the garage now, waiting for me to get it all straightened out for his next pass. I haven't even started baking.

[ 24. December 2013, 11:27: Message edited by: Twilight ]
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Back from visiting some friends in Big City, have decided I shall forego all own Crimbo festivities for today. Phew...!

So no evening or midnight service, just some relaxed shopping for food (when most people have gone home), and a quiet and peaceful evening with Radio 4 and Carols from Kings and comedy, and doing stuff around the house. Should be good.

Graven Image, thou hast spoken well - why all the rush and fuss for one single day indeed! The period of 12 Days of Christmas sounds rather more alluring and actually quite refreshing.
 

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Posted by leo (# 1458) on :
 
I feel like i never want to go shopping ever again.

Decorations won't go up until it gets dark this afternoon.
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

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Originally posted by rolyn:
PS. Is it just me or are some people calling Christmas "Crimbo" this year ?

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That's a blast from the past. I remember that from the 80s.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:
Apparently, "The OED cites the first printed usage [of 'Crimbo'] to 1928." [...]

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quote:

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Etymology: Humorous alteration of Christmas n., perhaps reflecting childish speech; compare -o suffix. Compare Crimble n.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:
Apparently, "The OED cites the first printed usage to 1928." I don't have a copy to hand so can't confirm this, but it's obviously a lot older than we all thought.

And digging around on the internet, of course it is. Here it is in Dickens:

"In half a minute Mrs Cratchit entered — flushed, but smiling proudly — with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quartern of ignited brandy, and bedight with Crimbo holly stuck into the top."

And indeed it even appears in Shakespeare:

"Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth Crimbo carols all night long."

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Nearly got me there ....

 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Sir Kevin:

I... have to finish clearing off the dining room table so I can put up our small stained-glass nativity scene. It will stay up until at least the sixth of January.

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Done that and finished the last of the grocery shopping except for swapping sugar-free cherry pie for sugar-free apple and retrieving some articles that did not make it into my order but went with someone else instead. In an hour from now, I will have walked to the mall at the top of our street and begun shopping for my lovely bride! No call for driving when it's only a 15-minute walk!
 

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Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :
 
My molar just broke in half during lunch and of course the dentist is closed. I was, mainly, disappointed because I had planned to eat continuously from now until the New Year's resolution began, but I just tested it with a piece of fudge and it seemed to do alright.
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
Yay! While you eat, I shall drink: I'll had more than two pints of ale and a glass of wine before Christmas Eve Mass in five hours....
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
The first course was cocktails and canapés: then we had the trio of soups, followed by game pie, then cheesecake, then cheese. And wines of course, too numerous to mention - except possibly the Cremant de Limoux with dessert and the Chateau Musar, with several things, not least the spaces between courses.

Outside the gales are getting up: however, there is no particular reason to go outside again this year.
 

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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
The house is clean. So now trying not to dirty up the kitchen again. Mr Image and I will open gifts and have a fun big brunch together in the morning. Then it is off to church at community Christmas Service at 2 in the afternoon. This will be followed by a friend's birthday party. Yes he was born on Christmas day. No meal planned just snacks though out the day to keep us going. Might heat up some soup from the freezer that evening. Children and grandkids arrive two days after Christmas for feast, gifts, and fun. I might make one or two more angels for the Christmas tree and I always do my cards on Christmas day evening. My attempt to keep the idea of 12 days of Christmas alive and well. Merry Christmas to all and the hope that you got everything done.
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I left the custard until I got to my sister's, doing it on the Eve. My other contribution was Christmas pudding icecream, which depended on a) the leftovers from a meal on Saturday, and b) buying icecream on the way.

I forgot the pudding, and had to go back to fetch it. Fortunately only 15 minutes into the journey.

Then there was an interminable jam on the M25, which my satnav knew nothing about, which made reaching the correct shop for the good quality clotted cream icecream unlikely (I had allowed an hour and a half leeway for that, 30 minutes lost for the pudding). Fortunately I went past a supermarket while missing the jam on the M4 and could buy some reasonable substitute. Sainsburys doesn't have the stuff Waitrose does. Even without the time in Sainsburys, I wouldn't have made the Waitrose. The icecream survived the longer journey, wrapped in space blanket inside a powered coolbox.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Either it got done for Christmas Day or it didn't. Time no longer.

Firenze
Heaven Host
 

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