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

Princess Calla

Boots have sent out their advent calendar email and Smyth's have the Lego ones on their site (might still be pre-order but they are coming)

A cup of te

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121004141#Comment_121004141

Exact same here in Kildare over the last year. The phone signal goes when the power goes. Have had to go into the office a few times when I was meant to be wfh and was grateful I didn't have an electric car that needed charging to get there. We are also regularly without water here over the past year. This year it goes probably once a month for at least 24 hrs . Absolute joke. So I have lots of supplies of batteries, power bank and bottles of water!

Speaking of places in Tramore, I had a big bag of chips from Massimos. I am convinced everything is better value in Waterford.

It was a toss up between Tramore and The Range for me today. Good to know they have some stuff out :) I'm loving the pics from BT. That's also on my list to have a good day out in Dublin city centre and call in there. I was looking at their site and I'd like those Canterbury lights for my tree but I'm thinking they'll appear in Lidl or Aldi for cheaper in a few weeks. I am liking some of BTs stuff this year though.

I'd love to visit London again. I appreciate their love of pies in England :) never had a pork pie. I'll bet it was nice. I will make it my business to visit when the Bowie exhibition comes back there in 2025. I bizarrely started following Aston Villa during the lockdowns to keep myself amused so I'd like to see them and I believe Birmingham has a great Christmas Market so always fancied getting to a winter match to take in the market. Anyone ever been to that market?

Edit: liking the assorted baubles behind the crackers in freshpopcorn's post

freshpopcorn

Some stuff from M&S!

https://www.marksandspencer.com/ie/l/christmas/baubles-and-christmas-tree-decorations

gidget

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121004630#Comment_121004630

I was in on Saturday, was wondering if any other Christmas boardsies were in close proximity to me 🙂

I got two of the little fluffy owl decorations that were €6 each & doggie crackers for my dog that I thought came in the box when I saw them on the website, but came individually & were also €6 each.

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121005266#Comment_121005266

The fox decoration is gorgeous.

DvB

Back in the office after our camping trip away over the weekend and its great to see so much life in the forum again with multiple threads active. A real sign that the most wonderful time of the year is nearly here.

Not sure I'll be around as much for the build up this year, with work being the way that it is (& will be for the foreseeable) its not looking like I'll have much time to spend perusing the internet, but will try to check in when I can. We have a lot going on at home too at the moment so time is in short supply, but I suspect I'll be drawn to here when I do get a chance.

On a side note, couldn't believe how dark it was when I got up at 5.45am today, nice clear morning but was practically night time... give it another week or 2 and I suspect I;ll be driving in to work in the dark.

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121005696#Comment_121005696

And before you know it you'll be "Driving Home For Christmas" 😁

freshpopcorn

Our Brown Thomas purchases. I think it looks better in reality.

Vintage

The rest

Loughc

Oh wow I love them all. Great buys!

ClaudeVercetti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008803#Comment_121008803

Wow they're done really well! When I heard they'd have a vintage collection I found it hard to imagine how they'd put their spin on it

DvB

Couple of those vintage baubles look suspiciously like ones we had when I was a kid.

Princess Calla

Lovely haul @freshpopcorn .

We had those baubles with the "dent" in them growing up.

I think Waterford Crystal brought out a version a few yrs ago as I picked up one for nostalgic sake.

I'd say the originals are still in the parents attic, what's left of them.

Cork Lass

Came home last night after a week in Sardinia with my daughter. Wow, absolutely loved the place (we stayed in Alghero) but it was crazy hot, 37 degrees on a few of the days. Thankfully I completely missed storm Betty but it is nice to be "cool" again. Just catching up on all the posts I missed and I'm loving the vintage baubles from BT @freshpopcorn, as @DvB says - they are just like the ones I remember on our Christmas tree growing up. this is the first tie I didn't make it into BT on the Christmas dept opening day but I will be in the city on Saturday so will pop in then. Hope all is well with everyone and that apart from power cuts, no-one was too affected by storm Betty.

freshpopcorn

100 days until December 1st/Advent calenders.

leahyl

Some lovely stuff in Next Christmas shop https://www.next.ie/en/christmas

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121016702#Comment_121016702

I never know to click these links or keep them as a treat!

freshpopcorn

They might come here!

freshpopcorn

Ha, I'm really posting here a lot. This meant to be my local Tesco. It looks like it because they got Prime in last week.

DvB

https://rxtvinfo.com/2023/exact-launch-date-for-christmas-movie-channel-revealed/?s=09

Great Christmas movie channel launching September 7th!

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019487#Comment_121019487

In the last few years the first channel to change was the Trace Music channel to Trace Xmas and this would happen around the 7th or 8th of September. Great are just going to show Hallmark movies really?

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019579#Comment_121019579

Yeah, b rate (at best) Hallmark style movies. Have never watched one in its entirety, they're just not my thing really.

Jude13

Woke up this morning to a foggy christmasy setting in rural Limerick. Leave here today after work back to the big smoke, then London till Tuesday, back to said goodbye to Dublin for 12 hours then back to the sandpit. Airports always make me feel Christmasy due to 1) Love actually memories 2) flying home for Christmas each year when I first left about 15 years ago 3) having a drink in the longue at an hour where I would never usually consume alcohol.

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019124#Comment_121019124

You beat me to it! Spotted these in my local Tesco this morning. This was the only place in the shop they had them and they didn't have any selection boxes. Still plenty of back to school stuff in the seasonal section.

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019596#Comment_121019596

I have tried to watch them before, but they're just not for me either. I think I did see one with Sabrina, the Teenage Witch a few years ago. And so many long ad breaks too.

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020320#Comment_121020320

Tubs and a few selection boxes generally start.

Things will be phased in the next few weeks.

Once the school stuff goes. Some schools are back Today.

We'll have Halloween stuff in.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020516#Comment_121020516

Our kids started back yesterday!

BK5

One nephew and two nieces started secondary school today. Only one nephew left in primary school now, getting old.

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121022941#Comment_121022941

Time really flies. You won't miss it until they'll be twenty something.

I'm currently watching all these nostalgia videos on TikTok of the 90's/00's an I honestly don't know where the time has gone.

They make me very sentimental.

I don't know how that's relevant to you.

matchthis

On dunnes website this morning https://www.dunnesstores.com/p/paul-costelloe-living-ft-spruce/2291130

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121023466#Comment_121023466

I also have nieces and nephews who are in their early 30's and can remember them when they were kids so as Ferris Bueller said "life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

If any of you don't know who Ferris Bueller is then this old fogey can't help you 😄

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121023718#Comment_121023718

Seeing the said same 'Ferris' appearing in Painkiller on Netflix & him looking so old was a real reminder as to how long ago that film was made... life does indeed move pretty fast....

Posy

The 'eyebrows' McDonalds ads are trying to ruin Ferris Bueller for me.

SarahSparkle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008803#Comment_121008803

Hi @freshpopcorn , I couldn't help myself grab a few Christmas tree decorations while passing Newbridge Silverware 🎄. I know it might be a bit early but I couldn't help myself. I haven't had a chance to visit brown thomas just yet but might do in the next few weeks.

freshpopcorn

@SarahSparkle Lovely pieces.

Regarding Brown Thomas they had lovely stuff but I felt they were a €1 or €2 dearer for items compared to last year.

antimatterx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121024272#Comment_121024272

Like everything else except wages unfortunately 😬

Jude13

@SarahSparkle lovely bits, just jumped on the website and got a piece or two to gift to people. Hopefully they arrive before I depart next Wednesday.

Cork Lass

@SarahSparkle love the sewing machine one - welcome to the forum 😀.

tscul32

Where did that storm come from?? I was out walking in a tshirt earlier and now there's thunder, lightning, hailstones and torrential rain!!

BK5

Called to my parents after work today and my brother and his wife called in about an hour after I was already there. My parents came to my house last Christmas Day for dinner and I told them they were more than welcome again in a few months. When my brother and his wife called in after about 15 minutes my sister in law invites them for Christmas dinner as well 😄

To be honest I'd say they'll go to my brothers as he lives much closer to home than me.

Posy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121026637#Comment_121026637

I was walking along the seafront in the sun at about 5pm, by 5.45 I was home and it was dark with thunder and lightening. Mad!

Edit- two houses in Blanchardstown were damaged when they were struck by lightening yesterday evening, eeeep.

Posy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121024248#Comment_121024248

Oh I love the one with the robins on it. 😍

Smell the glove

Was in around the shops there and all the clothes shops now are selling the wooly hats, jackets, gloves etc. It's getting close 😬

Posy

Did you smell any of them? 😁

Cork Lass

A bit of an emotional one for me today. I went into work to return stuff from my home office and clear out my work office as I'm officially finished now. After 16 years there I felt a little bit sad but not too sad 😁, I'm loving having time to go swimming every day and being able to travel when I want to. One of the things I had to bring home was a big box of Christmas decorations including beanie toys that I used to have on my kids tree when they were small. I had been using them to decorate our work tree for a number of years but couldn't bear to leave them there so I guess the staff will have to buy new ones this year 😀

Posy

Are you starting a new job, or becoming a lady (lass) of leisure? 🙂

Cork Lass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030413#Comment_121030413

Becoming a lady of leisure - early retirement on health grounds. No more Monday blues for me 😂

Posy

I'm sorry to hear it's on health grounds @Cork Lass, but still can't help being jealous! 😂

Just think of early January when you don't have to drag yourself into the office after the Christmas. 😁

Cork Lass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030525#Comment_121030525

Nothing to be sorry for @Posy this is a very positive outcome for me and I'm very happy about it. Looking forward to spending lots of time away and will definitely have a smile on my face as I turn over in a warm bed on the cold winter mornings thinking of everyone getting ready for work 😂😂.

freshpopcorn

Good luck @Cork Lass. I wonder will your former colleagues be wondering why you took the decorations?

Cork Lass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030579#Comment_121030579

Thanks @freshpopcorn, no - they know I'm taking them as there are too many memories attached to them to part with them. They are mostly Christmas beanies and decorations from Disneyland that the kids collected when they were young so they will want to hold on to them.