Get excited about Christmas 2024!

[UTH]

As seems to be becoming an annual tradition, once the PHD Secret Santa thread appears, I take that as my cue to get this thread going.

I will caveat as usual saying I am fully aware that lots of people hate Christmas, or any mention of it before December, so please feel free to totally ignore this thread until you're ready

This year I again find myself with quite a lot of days off to use and the year is running out.
Last year I had nearly 3 weeks off, which was nice, although the first few days everyone else was working as usual, including Mrs UTH, so although it was nice not working, I did waste it doing very little.
This year I'm hoping my company might change policy and let us take some days into 2025, so I might book the first days in Jan off instead of loads in December.

In terms of actual Christmas plans, Mrs UTH is keen to be 'in and around home' with some friends and maybe her two sisters plus kids. So I'm currently trying to work out if I'm with her or if I'm going to be with my parents, brother etc. Really not sure what the plan will be yet. But as usual I'm very much looking forward to the whole of December, best month of the year (apart from any months in Summer that actually turn out to be hot and sunny!)

[geeks]

YES UTH!!

I am back on the hype train with you and have been waiting for the thread, Christmas light show sequencing is underway, 2024 will have more pixels than last year but still not as many as I would like!

[geeks]

P.S for those wishing to join the 2024 Secret Santa you may find it here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[UTH]

geeks said:

YES UTH!!

I am back on the hype train with you and have been waiting for the thread, Christmas light show sequencing is underway, 2024 will have more pixels than last year but still not as many as I would like!

Oh dear.....you've just given me an idea.

Last year I surprised mrs UTH by decorating the ceiling in the living room with loads of those stupidly cheap, tacky, bad for the environment foil decorations. This year you've made me think maybe I switch those decorations for loads of string lights.......but being a Hue addict this is the only thing that will do: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-gb/p/hue-white-and-...

[Dan_1981]

I love Xmas too.

This year is a good one, we're hosting at ours so no need to travel on Xmas day / Eve / Boxing day which I generally hate. Love being at home with the kids in their own environment.

13 for Xmas lunch I think, currently perusing the Turkey catalogue. And also working out where they'll all sit.

Also super excited as we're going to Lapland mid December, the kids don't know, I can't wait!

[geeks]

UTH said:

geeks said:

YES UTH!!

I am back on the hype train with you and have been waiting for the thread, Christmas light show sequencing is underway, 2024 will have more pixels than last year but still not as many as I would like!

Oh dear.....you've just given me an idea.

Last year I surprised mrs UTH by decorating the ceiling in the living room with loads of those stupidly cheap, tacky, bad for the environment foil decorations. This year you've made me think maybe I switch those decorations for loads of string lights.......but being a Hue addict this is the only thing that will do: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-gb/p/hue-white-and-...

Wowser those aren't cheap, we have some of these that I sync into the light show (about 1300 of the 4000 or so on the house), cheaper and you can scan the layout with your phone for the effects from the Twinkly app. Rate them very highly, you can control them from Alexa/Google and homekit as well

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/twinkly-strings-...

[UTH]

geeks said:

Wowser those aren't cheap, we have some of these that I sync into the light show (about 1300 of the 4000 or so on the house), cheaper and you can scan the layout with your phone for the effects from the Twinkly app. Rate them very highly, you can control them from Alexa/Google and homekit as well

Yeah, stupidly expensive, but I'm a brand we and Hue have their claws deep already.
I've got one set of those lights already outside in our rock garden, plus another set that goes in the Christmas tree......I do think they would look good covering the entire ceiling......although after December would they then go and live in the loft for 11 months....

[geeks]

Dan_1981 said:

I love Xmas too.

This year is a good one, we're hosting at ours so no need to travel on Xmas day / Eve / Boxing day which I generally hate. Love being at home with the kids in their own environment.

13 for Xmas lunch I think, currently perusing the Turkey catalogue. And also working out where they'll all sit.

Also super excited as we're going to Lapland mid December, the kids don't know, I can't wait!

Probably 10 for us this year I reckon, need to work out where to get our Turkey from this year as it looks like my usual is closed now though I need to double check.

Good work on Lapland we are waiting for my nephew to be old enough to enjoy it properly so probably a couple of years I reckon then cool uncle geeks will show up with plane tickets

[Tango13]

Dan_1981 said:

I love Xmas too.

This year is a good one, we're hosting at ours so no need to travel on Xmas day / Eve / Boxing day which I generally hate. Love being at home with the kids in their own environment.

13 for Xmas lunch I think, currently perusing the Turkey catalogue. And also working out where they'll all sit.

Also super excited as we're going to Lapland mid December, the kids don't know, I can't wait!

Do you actually have children of your own or are you going to kidnap some random kids off the street and drag them to Lapland so you can justify going?

[Truckosaurus]

I've booked off 30th and 31st, so will have a 5 day run of non-work days over the New Year.

I quite like working the odd day like the 27th/28th as it breaks up the holiday especially if you are just loitering around the house and scoff Quality Streets.

My other Xmas quirk is I don't decorate my own house, as I always visit family for Christmas so I get the Christmas spirit as I arrive to a decorated house on the Big Day, rather than having got bored of tinsel and pine needles if I'd been surrounded by it all December.

[Puggit]

Is it time to roll out the 'is it Xmas' flow chart?

[wildoliver]

I'm looking forward to this year too, last year was a complete nightmare with a barely habitable house, the treat last Christmas was having a roof (which needs to come off again) and having electricity and heating. We were in the middle of a building site with no kitchen and didn't have any decorations up. We are still in a building site but a bit more normal so this year looking forward to having tree and decs up. Who knows next year we might actually have the ability to have guests over and eat on a table!

[geeks]

Puggit said:

Is it time to roll out the 'is it Xmas' flow chart?

Sorry wrong flow chart lol

[Antony Moxey]

UTH said:

This year I again find myself with quite a lot of days off to use

You could try finishing off your Himalaya thread...

[UTH]

Antony Moxey said:

UTH said:

This year I again find myself with quite a lot of days off to use

You could try finishing off your Himalaya thread...

Currently hamstrung by the fact I can't use my external drive on my work laptop anymore, so all the photos are stuck on a drive on my cupboard!

[Antony Moxey]

UTH said:

Antony Moxey said:

UTH said:

This year I again find myself with quite a lot of days off to use

You could try finishing off your Himalaya thread...

Currently hamstrung by the fact I can't use my external drive on my work laptop anymore, so all the photos are stuck on a drive on my cupboard!

That’s a shame. So are they stuck there forever without you ever able to view them again?

[UTH]

Antony Moxey said:

UTH said:

Antony Moxey said:

UTH said:

This year I again find myself with quite a lot of days off to use

You could try finishing off your Himalaya thread...

Currently hamstrung by the fact I can't use my external drive on my work laptop anymore, so all the photos are stuck on a drive on my cupboard!

That’s a shame. So are they stuck there forever without you ever able to view them again?

Well, until I work out how to get them off there. Might be a case of buying a cheap second hand laptop just for this job

[sherman]

I found out today that my new workplace gives every employee in the company a fresh 5kg turkey with all the trimmings about 2 days before christmas.
The company owner has a part share in a poultry farm as another side line.
Looks like thats dinner sorted.

[Shnozz]

I have a long-standing hatred of Christmas - proper scrooge. To make matters worse, this year is our turn to visit my Dad (and not the in-laws in Denmark) and marks the first Christmas with him since my Mum died so its not looking much of a celebration.

I have somewhat countered the situation only yesterday by booking a one-way ferry for Boxing Day evening down to Spain. The ferry port is only a few miles down the road from Dad's so we can drive down in the late PM and have 2 nights at sea before arriving in Northern Spain and then roadtripping down to my place in the Costa Blanca. The roadtrip on the back of Christmas has somehow given me more to look forward to now so no buyers remorse on the ferry.

[The Gauge]

I love Xmas but the one thing that spoils it is the feeling of obligation to see, visit or receive relatives on Xmas Day.

I hope when I’m old to have an understanding with my son that he should never feel obliged to have me over at his on Xmas Day if he genuinely doesn’t want to, and to spend the day exactly how he pleases.