Saturday 30 November 2013

Dunnit does December.....

OK, so the countdown starts tomorrow...
I'm not attempting a 'December Daily' or a 'Journal Your Christmas' this year..previous attempts have been the triumph of hope over experience. I LOVE the idea of them, and will be watching those of you that do them with awe and envy. You see, committing my thoughts, aspirations and ideas to a journal makes me very self conscious and the writing becomes contrived. Andit's my opinion, probably because I can type as I think, that I can 'journal' better online.  So, I thought that occasionally throughout December you may like to read about the preparations for Christmas in this household. I'll call the posts something witty and familiar so you know to avoid them if you feel it's all becoming too self indulgent! These may reveal things about me that you didn't wish to know, that scare you witless or cause you to reach out in sympathy.  Thank you, it's OK, I know, and don't worry.  It's only for a month and I usually get through it!
So here's the list for this weekend, because it's December 1st on Sunday:
  • Find Advent Calendars.  Bought one each for Miss Dunnit and her Musician Boy, but put them in a special place so as not to be discovered.  For a small house, I seem to have a lot of special places.
  • Change bed linens.  Employ 19 year old Winnie the Pooh Christmas sheets for Miss Dunnit, and yep, Christmas style for our bed. Actually this involves leaving the bed linen in Miss Dunnit's room..how long it takes to actually change the linens is entirely in her hands.  A thing that makes my teeth itch from lack of control...
  • Change loo paper.  Snowman printed loo roll for the first part of the month. But a plain loo roll always hidden somewhere in the bathroom - just in case.
  • Change washing up liquid.  Really.  Festive Berries scented liquid for this month. It makes washing up a really festive experience.  According to the label.
  • Likewise the liquid soap in the bathrooms. When are they going to produce a matching hand cream?
  • Change flannels and hand towels..there are Christmas embroidered ones somewhere in the airing cupboard.  Thus causing the annual cupboard sort out.  Which is why it's on this list.  Or I would't bother.
  • Change tea towels to festive ones.  Likewise oven gloves and apron. Again...they're in the airing cupboard.  See? Last January, I knew it would need a clear out by now and I knew it would take a very specific motivation!
  • Change out mugs, side plates and cereal bowls.  Yes there are Christmas decorated versions for every day usage.  And I know where they are. China is one of my 'things'.
  • Add the Christmas cutlery to the kitchen drawer. Every day eating is enhanced by using snowflake stamped stainless steel.  Well, it is for me, anyway.
  • Match cards to envelopes and start gathering addresses. Yep, finally giving in and using the cards I've made as samples for Christmas workshops.  Too little time and frankly, too tired to think further about it.
  • Go through gift shopping list and update.  Stop relying on  memory.  It never works.
  • Check gift wrap situation.  Remember, whatever 'theme' you think you've got, you NEVER have enough to carry it through. This year, it was going to be turquoise and silver.  The paper is in the same special place as the advent calendars.
  • Find the doormat with Happy Christmas on it.  If it's been in the shed since January, it may need rigourous 'assesment'.
So there, gentle reader, are my 'touches' of Christmas.  All subtle and tasteful.  Well, relatively subtle - when you spread them across this untidy and well lived in home anyway.  Good luck with your first day of Advent.  Check in - tell me what you're planning.  Don't make me do this alone!

19 comments:

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm so glad Art Every Day Month is finally over. Now I can get back to WOYWW. I realized I couldn't do both and like I told Nan, it was like WOYWW (with art thrown in) every day for a month. I'm worn out!

So for Day One of my Advent calendar, I'm going to join my holiday guests and visit a few small businesses in my town. That is, if I can stay awake, since I'm usually ready to sleep when others are just waking.

I look forward to continued notes from Dunnit does December.

Belinda Basson said...

I thought I took Christmas into every corner of the house, but your attention to detail, right down to changing the soap blows me away! I will update you tomorrow once the house decor is done!

Di said...

HA! Am just like you Jules, right down to the washing up liquid :)

You did miss one thing from your list though, no mention of a holly patterned folding shopping bag for those last minute purchases! Snort!

Hugs, Di xx

Di said...

Ooops, I meant JulIA of course :)

xx

mamapez5 said...

I'm impressed! I do the table linen and some special plates, but I've never gone as far as the bed linen! I'm ahead of you on cards as my UK ones are written and have traveled to my son with a courier friend. Now I just have to hope he gets around to posting them for me. Still have to make a few more local ones though. Pudding and cake are made and I have the first big lump of dough resting in the fridge ready for the start of the mince-pie marathon this afternoon.
I shall watch our for the dish-washing liquid. that sounds nice.I look forward to hearing how much of that list you have covered by the end of the wqeekend. Kate x

pearshapedcrafting said...

Dedication indeed - but wait for this one! Hubby came back from fetching the papers with a heavy looking bag this morning and out of the bag came...with a big grin on his face - Christmas 'Comfort'! I'm going to have to search for my Christmas kitchen bits soon - as it was our first Christmas here I really have no idea where I stored them! Look forward to seeing what else you get up to, Chrisx

Nan G said...

Wow that's some list, Julia! Your house sounds like a fun festive place to be this month. Now let's see where did I put my suitcase and boarding pass lanyard?!

Kirsty.A said...

Wow. Christmas bedding? I bet your house looks so festive

misteejay said...

Well, just seeing that you have a list puts you ahead of me straight away.

I have ginger sparkle soap & toiletries as it reminds me of gingerbread and I have the Christmas mugs out...I've even bought some apple/cinnamon fabreeze room spray and put out the Christmassy scented candles.

However my biggest contribution to the Christmas festivities has been to buy some PJs with reindeer on **grin**

Toni xx

voodoo vixen said...

I'm super impressed! I have some of those things but never get round to doing most of them because I wait till Christmas eve! LOL Think you have the right idea, if you start now it should be looking darn festive in a couple of weeks! Look forward to Dunnit in December updates!

jill said...

It all sounds like it's going to be very festive in your household & you've got it down to a fine art with the forward planning.

Helen said...

I love your list, and am impressed and amazed in equal measures at the things on it... I love the sound of lots of them and may have to adopt some myself... soon.

Art Joy of Sharing with Peg and Shel said...

It all sounds so festive. With my children grown and gone, I am having a hard time getting in the mood.

Mary said...

Love Dunnit does December, I just finished putting away Autumn, darn the artificial pumpkin that attacked me as I forced it into the closet. Then I fought with my 3 foot tree as I pulled it from the box the stand fell off. One purple toe, one decorated tree.....moving on. Happy almost Christmas!

JoZart Designs said...

Festive loo rolls, towels , face cloths, festive cutlery and crockery, Festive berries washing up liquid( that's the first I've heard of it!)oven gloves, apron etc., etc.,.... I'm getting more and more depressed that I've let my family down all these years. Does everyone, bar me, have all these things for Christmas, honestly? I'm seriously worried I've slipped up somewhere.....
eeeek! just read about the DOORMAT, where's my nearest Dunelm shop?
Love Jo x

Cardarian said...

Wow you certainly have it all planned out and so much Christmas stuff! Ha, ha the thought of Christmas loo paper! Well I think I better get the few Christmas things out too - will have a look around shops if they have that loo paper and washing up liquid! :-)
Lots of hugs
Cardarian

Artyjen said...

Ooh er Julia!!! Good luck with that little lot! ;)
It is amazing I agree with how many special places we have and how easily we seem to forget just where they are!!! ROFL Me thinks I need a little list for this now too!!
xoxo Sioux

Jackie said...

You made me laugh and smile:)
It was a great check list to ensure I had done all those things except I don't have festive cutlery and loo paper all got used up so need new!
Did u have festive kitchen roll on your list I didn't mentally check that one off!
Jackie
Scrapbangwallop

Mrs.D said...

Julia, you have made me feel like a complete anti Christmas. I have none of those things. The only thing on your list that is also on mine is the matching cards to envelopes. And of course doing the pressies.
I will get decorations out by 20th or 21st or maybe 22nd.
Not that I don't like Christmas it's just that I don't want it for all of December.