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Post by ffiscool on Nov 14, 2021 18:40:25 GMT
Gosh so well organised. I’ve not even thought about it.
I like most carols, Christmas songs. I’ve never been a fan of the old classic films. I’m a sucker for the ones on normally like Love Actually etc
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Post by ariella on Nov 14, 2021 19:27:40 GMT
Gosh so well organised. I’ve not even thought about it. I like most carols, Christmas songs. I’ve never been a fan of the old classic films. I’m a sucker for the ones on normally like Love Actually etc I have to be ffiscool. It’s like I’m a bit OCD as I ask everyone for their list in August! The family are quite used to it by now and know if I haven’t got it all bought by the end of October I’ll be on edge. For me, December is all about baking and decorating and singing along to music, watching festive programmes and having a chilled time. I’m flat out all year but although I’m busy still, not least with my little zoo to look after, I get to have more me time in December and I spend the entire year looking forward to it. I can’t cope with crowds and so Christmas shopping in December would be like torture to me. I get very hot and flustered and panicky in large crowds. I know people love it for the atmosphere and it helps to make them feel festive, but I get that being at home with the house decorated, the dogs in their Christmas bandanas and the films, baking, etc. Love Actually is a good one. I like The Holiday too. Probably because it has Rufus Sewell in it and I think he’s rather easy on the eye. I love all the Christmas songs but I really like Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas. I’m sure it was the theme to an advert many years ago (possibly Iceland?) and I loved the scenario of a Dad coming home to his family in the car, and the other vehicles are doing the same, loaded with Christmas trees on the roof and so on. That imagery has always stuck in my head. I have quite a few Christmas CDs, a double one with all the favourites - Slade, The Pogues, Band Aid, Wham, etc.; Michael Buble’s Christmas one; one with the old crooners like Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby which is so 40’s/50’s sounding; a gorgeous one by Frank Sinatra and then a double one of carols from a choir in a Cathedral. I’m not actually a churchgoer and I’m very eclectic in my beliefs so think there’s something beautiful in every faith or belief system, but the Mediaeval Baebes almost send me back to another life. Their version of Gaudete is so beautiful.
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Post by criswell on Nov 14, 2021 21:20:20 GMT
ariella I think it's marvellous that you home schooled your children and your Decembers sound amazing. I'm not a fan of crowds either and never go into town in December. I do most of my shopping online nowadays. I do like Christmas songs. I have Now 70s channel on TV for the budgies when I'm not in the room and I also watch it with them too. This morning they had an hour of Christmas tunes and we had a lovely singalong. It included lots of favourites like David Bowie/Bing Crosbie Peace on Earth/Little Drummer boy and, but also a few things I'd never heard before including The Kings - Father Christmas. One of my favourite Christmas songs is Jonah Lewie - Stop the Cavalry but I like most Christmas songs and Carols. I love have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. We watch Carols from Kings on Christmas Eve and when living in York we went to the Christmas Eve Carol Service in the Minster. A couple of years ago I bought a Twisted Sister CD - Twisted Christmas and it is surprisingly good and very funny. tweetiepiesmom I'll look out for 'It happened on Fifth Avenue'. I've not seen that one.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Nov 14, 2021 22:17:02 GMT
Ahhh, now I'm in the mood for an old Christmas movie.
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Post by ffiscool on Nov 14, 2021 22:34:49 GMT
I watched one today, rubbish but easy viewing.
Songs I like fairytale of New York
I don’t know how you did it, Ariella, I don’t have enough patience, I’d lose it quickly with a few weeks of one child
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Nov 15, 2021 21:26:47 GMT
I'm feeling a bit brave and a lot fool hardy! One of the yarn companies in the US is sponsoring a virtual knit-a-long. You buy the kit for a shawl and follow the pattern day by day and by Christmas, you have a shawl. They have a group on Facebook and on Ravelry so if I get stuck, I can post a question/picture. Today is day 1 - pull out the knitting needles and review the pattern. If I don't make a complete mess of it, I'll post pictures!
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Post by ffiscool on Nov 15, 2021 21:40:55 GMT
Wow, great idea and I’m sure you’ll do it well and I look forward to seeing it
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Post by ariella on Nov 15, 2021 22:45:01 GMT
That is a lovely set tweetiepiesmom. My friend in Australia has done the same in the past and enjoyed it. Hope it feels all nice and festive making it. I think because I’m so organised I found routines that worked well for us and stuck to them ffiscool. It was a really busy time but I enjoyed it and it hasn’t held the kids back. They’ve all gone on to do very well in their careers. They had their timetables and knew once their work was completed for the day, their time was their own. When they were young, we’d spend the afternoons on art projects, crafting, going for walks, meeting with friends, etc. As they got older they would make a coffee to drink as they worked, grab a snack and without the breaks they have in school, no registration or assemblies or moving between classrooms. It’s surprising just how much they could get done in 4 hours and they could spend as long as they needed to on their work, without a bell interrupting them and having to move into the next lesson. They also learned a lot of life skills at the time and are all competent cooks and learned how to make their own lunches from a young age. I really have marvelled at times just how much I did and how I ever managed to find the time to sleep, but if people said the same to me at the time I’d always brush it off as it was normal for me and I never felt overwhelmed. I’ve always had an excellent relationship with the Elective Home Education team too. I know many people who homeschool are very autonomous in their approach but I’m a structured person in all areas of my life and so I’d plan the next school year a year in advance and the textbooks have been handed down from child to child and been well-used! One bonus is it has kept my brain cells working! Where those 17 years have gone is a mystery and I’m shocked every time I think that I only have a further 5 terms left with my youngest, though he won’t be attending college but will continue to be at home and I have some online courses and other things in mind to keep up his further education. I’ve been watching Christmas Makeover with Mr Christmas on Netflix this afternoon. Wow, it’s a nice way to start feeling festive. There’s no expense spared although so many decorations are cheap and easy to make. They flocked a tree on it too, the first time I’ve seen it done on TV and it really is so simple and yet so effective. I love all those songs too criswell. I remember Twisted Sister but had no idea they did a Christmas album. I’ll see if any of it is on YouTube.
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Post by ffiscool on Nov 15, 2021 23:15:57 GMT
That’s the thing, I’m not structured or organised, lol. Still an amazing achievement, and as you say, not loads of time lost moving around, registration etc. Also as they weren’t an only child, they had other children. Plus your afternoons. I think there is so much to be said for that social, nature aspect too.
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Post by ariella on Nov 16, 2021 7:13:40 GMT
Socialisation is something everyone gets hung up on but it wasn’t an issue. They had their own friends, we attended HE groups, met with other HE families, the kids of my friends still came over regularly, they had friends from their sports clubs, one son did a lot of volunteering, another was a cadet, my daughter had pony club…plus they spent time with kids of all ages not just their own age which doesn’t always tend to happen in school. I think it helps to make them more rounded, but yes, they had one another too and were very close.
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Post by suesbird on Nov 16, 2021 15:41:56 GMT
How reserved you all were on Christmas day, me up ay 3a.m. and into mum and dads room after waking my brother up. Mum had to hide presents because I used to search for them. I was terrible, I had loads of aunties and uncles so loads of presents. When mine were younger, 5 a.m. was the time they could get up. Then my mum, his gran, my sister in law were on their own so they stayed the night and at 5 a m everyone was in our bedroom around the bed and me and oh in the bed opening presents. I do miss them all now they have gone, they were such lovely fun times. I hate shopping so do everything on line, I have 5 home made advent calendars to fill with chocolates and liquors, I have all the chocolates bought and some presents but will now start in earnest. I do tend to go over the top and buy lots of little things for everyone but now give them money so they can buy what they want I have seen a nice ring for myself about £5000.00 but couldn't persuade him to buy it me. Takes me 5 days to decorate the house. It's lovely to see how different everyone is.
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Post by criswell on Nov 16, 2021 19:46:29 GMT
Your Chrismases sound lovely suesbird. When we were all young we'd get up very early but once my sister was a teenager she got more strict with me and wouldn't let me get up before it was light. I did used to feel what was in my Christmas stocking in the dark. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone decorations once they are up. Do you think we should have a separate Chrismas thread or keep going with Christmas in this thread? tweetiepiesmom Your knitting advent calendar is a brilliant idea.
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Post by ffiscool on Feb 10, 2022 14:30:08 GMT
I needed something for my bathroom wall but couldn’t find much. I love Dunelm anyway, but the floral wall art I’d already bought and painted, was too big. Then suddenly spotted this, really odd it is in pink only. If it had been cream, it would have been easier as I would have left some petals cream. Anyway, bought an opaque acrylic paint and voila… I’d have liked contrast and it’s not as flat looking close up. I did streaks. The centre is silver Only £10, so very good value My bathroom is teal themed
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Post by ffiscool on Feb 10, 2022 14:41:55 GMT
scrap that.. decided it didn't do enough and needed more silver. So now it is in the hall and the one that was in the hall, I have gone over the main petals in the teal and that will be in the bathroom. This is how it was, even though it looks like teal, it was more of a lighter blue pics of them both in their settings, to follow when dry
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Feb 10, 2022 16:49:29 GMT
I do like them both but you can tell which goes best where. Nice to find décor that can be customized to your home!
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