It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Off Topic Chat

Loughc

Deleted User wrote: »

I was 11 when I was officially told by my mam, I remember feeling so sad, but I was lucky that I had younger siblings and my mam asked me to help Santa set up on Christmas eve. I loved it.

My parents still talk about when one of my siblings started having doubts, they were quite young at the time. They had been found searching around the house a couple of times, and asking not so subtle questions.
My parents arranged for some elves to help out and they pulled off a bit of magic on Christmas eve. It was brilliant what they did, and my sibling was left without any doubt that it was all real. There was a huge risk that my sibling would catch one of the elves but what they thought they saw only added more to the magic.
Fairly sure the elves were all having palpitations and still remember the trauma of almost being chased by my sibling

My favorite Christmas belief story (and I'm being biased) was when one of my nephews was having doubts so he did his letter to Santa as normal gave it to his parents to post to the North pole for him.

Then weeks later his Mam found another letter hidden in his wardrobe going Santa if you are real you'll know that I really want this for Christmas... and it was a completely different list than what he gave his parents. Thankfully they hadn't started his present shopping yest so they were quickly able to switch it all.

Apparently on Christmas morning he was left speechless when he realized that Santa MUST be real as he found his real list.

Loughc

Loughc wrote: »

My favorite Christmas belief story (and I'm being biased) was when one of my nephews was having doubts so he did his letter to Santa as normal gave it to his parents to post to the North pole for him.

Then weeks later his Mam found another letter hidden in his wardrobe going Santa if you are real you'll know that I really want this for Christmas... and it was a completely different list than what he gave his parents. Thankfully they hadn't started his present shopping yest so they were quickly able to switch it all.

Apparently on Christmas morning he was left speechless when he realized that Santa MUST be real as he found his real list.

I love it!

Jude13

What a save by the parents. I remember not getting what I wanted from santa and being told it was to ensure that santa had enough to give all kids something. We had my and my brothers shared bedroom and the living room carpeted and lino in the kitchen, all other rooms were without finishes for years. Our folks would tell us that santa had a budget of X. Seemed completely normal to me but would have been tough for the folks when we moaned.

Loughc

Jude13 wrote: »

What a save by the parents.

That was the Irish mammy coming out in my Sister-In-law, some say an Irish mammy can sniff out an unopened letter from 10 miles away....

Jude13

and ironically an unexplained phobia of stamps.

otnomart

SarahLil wrote: »

Anyone do Christmas afternoon tea in the run up to Christmas ?
I have... I love heading in with my bestie soaking up the atmosphere in town last minute gift shopping then heading for a lovely afternoon tea, last year we went the Westin it was decorated beautifully and a choir appeared later in the day for Carols

Thanks for your post, it brought back memories of a lovely Christmas afternoon tea I had at the Gresham in the either the late 90s or early 00s.

Mutleyboo

I just went to smyths to get a few stocking fillers just in case shops will be closed. Turns out everyone had the same idea. Got to the car park saw the queue and turned around.. was crazy!

DvB

DvB wrote: »

I have to say that (even as someone involved with the organisation, albeit at the v. bottom) that the GAA's handling of this has been appalling. The amount of county finals that have shown people in the stands not wearing masks, not socially distancing is totally unacceptable. By all accounts let 200 people in, but spread them out, dont let them sit in one big cluster in front of a tv camera, its basically asking for criticism.
.

Someone in the GAA hierarchy must be a secret elf... they just annunced that all club games have been suspended for pretty much exactly what I had written in my earlier post above. That & the crazy celebrations afterwards by winning teams.
All about saving the championship as even behind closed doors thats a huge moneyspinner that the GAA wont want to lose.

Loughc

Lads the panic buying on toys in Smyths at the moment is actually shameful, the government won't agree to a level 5 lockdown no way. Retail will need to remain open this is as bad as the time the toilet roll got pillaged.

freshpopcorn

Loughc wrote: »

Lads the panic buying on toys in Smyths at the moment is actually shameful, the government won't agree to a level 5 lockdown no way. Retail will need to remain open this is as bad as the time the toilet roll got pillaged.

I think people are afraid to be honest. Especially with Dr Tony being back. I think people get the supermarkets are fine but they are worried about the non essential shops.

I'd also wonder will shops stock a lot of Christmas stock if they are worried they might be closed.

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

Lads the panic buying on toys in Smyths at the moment is actually shameful, the government won't agree to a level 5 lockdown no way. Retail will need to remain open this is as bad as the time the toilet roll got pillaged.

Agree. This is scaremongering at its worst. That 'leak' last night has a lot to answer for.

TRS30

Loughc wrote: »

Lads the panic buying on toys in Smyths at the moment is actually shameful, the government won't agree to a level 5 lockdown no way. Retail will need to remain open this is as bad as the time the toilet roll got pillaged.

Was just over in the Pavillions in Swords and was very quiet. My OH did comment though that Children's Allowance is tomorrow so will probably be a lot busier.

DvB wrote: »

Agree. This is scaremongering at its worst. That 'leak' last night has a lot to answer for.

Was saying just that on a work call earlier. This kite flying to prepare people is starting to ware thin at this stage!

freshpopcorn

The Smyth's Catalogue from the year 2001!

Loughc

Level 5 lockdown rejected as expected by the government. Now the panic buying can stop

Neyite

The kids around here generally find out later than their counterparts in more urban areas. Elf here is 8 and still fully starry eyed, and will hopefully get another couple of years out of it.


Last year a kid in school went around telling kids and a text went out by midday to warn all the parents. One of the mammies had a great save for her lot so I just repeated the same to my lad and all was well.

freshpopcorn

Loughc wrote: »

Level 5 lockdown rejected as expected by the government. Now the panic buying can stop

I feel sorry for the people living in counties with very little shops!

Loughc

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I feel sorry for the people living in counties with very little shops!

Why's that?

wes

Loughc wrote: »

Level 5 lockdown rejected as expected by the government. Now the panic buying can stop

I fear it just kicking the can down the road. We have to go to level 5 in November or December if the government have gotten this wrong.....

freshpopcorn

Loughc wrote: »

Why's that?

I live in Cork county if I go the city I can got to almost any shop.
However if I lived in Roscommon, Leitrim, etc you’d have far less places to choose from.
If that makes sense.

Batgurl

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I live in Cork county if I go the city I can got to almost any shop.
However if I lived in Roscommon, Leitrim, etc you’d have far less places to choose from.
If that makes sense.

I understand your thinking but those counties have plenty of shops too

In fact, sometimes the less choice you have, the easier the shopping is. I also find you tend to support smaller local businesses in these places, which I think everyone is keen to do this Christmas.

freshpopcorn

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I live in Cork county if I go the city I can got to almost any shop.
However if I lived in Roscommon, Leitrim, etc you’d have far less places to choose from.
If that makes sense.

I can verify this

Loughc

wes wrote: »

I fear it just kicking the can down the road. We have to go to level 5 in November or December if the government have gotten this wrong.....

Lockdowns don't work and only cripple the economy the minute everything opens back up cases go back up. We need to keep businesses open and going.

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I live in Cork county if I go the city I can got to almost any shop.
However if I lived in Roscommon, Leitrim, etc you’d have far less places to choose from.
If that makes sense.

But can people not make a day of it and go somewhere else to shop if there isn't enough in the town they live? That's what I did growing up.

freshpopcorn

Loughc wrote: »

But can people not make a day of it and go somewhere else to shop if there isn't enough in the town they live? That's what I did growing up.

If your locked into your county you can’t really.

Loughc

freshpopcorn wrote: »

If your locked into your county you can’t really.

Lockdown has been rejected though?

Loughc

Loughc wrote: »

Lockdown has been rejected though?

The big grocery shop we go to is in a different county so if we were to go from level 2 into level 3, we'd have to travel further than normal to stay within our county. It would just make it awkward
Generally we don't actually mind, but it can be a pain if one shop doesn't have something, and you've to travel to the next village or town to see if they have it. For example, I still haven't been able to get the orange buttons

freshpopcorn

Loughc wrote: »

Lockdown has been rejected though?

I must be mistaken then. I was under the impression level three meant you couldn’t leave your own county.
I’d know if I was stuck in some counties I couldn’t access the shops I’d like to visit for Christmas!

Loughc

Deleted User wrote: »

The big grocery shop we go to is in a different county so if we were to go from level 2 into level 3, we'd have to travel further than normal to stay within our county. It would just make it awkward
Generally we don't actually mind, but it can be a pain if one shop doesn't have something, and you've to travel to the next village or town to see if they have it. For example, I still haven't been able to get the orange buttons

Grocery shopping is an essential so travel to a different county even in level 3 is allowed for that.

Loughc

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I must be mistaken then. I was under the impression level three meant you couldn’t leave your own county.
I’d know if I was stuck in some counties I couldn’t access the shops I’d like to visit for Christmas!

No you're spot on about Level 3 but essential journeys allowed for work, school,etc some shops would be considered essential journeys as well but I know what you mean.

freshpopcorn

Loughc wrote: »

No you're spot on about Level 3 but essential journeys allowed for work, school,etc some shops would be considered essential journeys as well but I know what you mean.

I think an essential journey should include shopping for Christmas Decorations!

Loughc

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I think an essential journey should include shopping for Christmas Decorations!

As do I!