85 Days to Christmas!

When it comes to Christmas Day, what time do you get up?

As a kid I always used to get up about 6am or 7am at the latest, but I know of people who have their kids up at 2am unwrapping presents, I'm like, "you what????" surely to god that's far too early to get up on Christmas morning no matter how excited you are?

I can understand maybe at the crack of dawn as that's heading towards the time of the day when us normal people start to open their eyes, but not 2 hours after midnight, Santa may not have been by then anyway!!

So, what time is a recommended time to get up on Christmas Day?

86 Days to Christmas!

Today the subject on the Christmas Countdown is the actual Countdown Calendar.

When I was young, I created an hour by hour countdown chart to Christmas, which I used to love ticking off the hours on, what i did was basically listed every hour of the clock on a piece of paper, and each day tick off the hours as they passed.

It certainly increased the build up to Christmas Eve, as in the morning when I'd get up, I'd be able to knock about 10 hours off, and that felt like a massive amount of time taken off.

It was the next step if you like from the Advent calendar, as that excitement was only limited to once a day, whereas this was every hour!

Oh it was fun, and one I'd definetly recommend to any parent telling their kids to do something similar!

87 days to Christmas!

The countdown continues as we begin to plough through a new week, and today behind the window on 87 is....

Christmas Cards!

How soon do you write your Christmas cards out?

I used to get mine ready for the 1st of the month, and have them dished out at work, but that sort of died off in the last few years, and now it's more a case of banging them out around the 20th - yes, i do seem to have slackened off somewhat in the last few years, maybe this year, I should aim to get them out again a lot earlier - that's the cards I'm talking about of course!!!

Anyway, I used to have a good laugh with the cards, and be quite creative and cut out things from lads mags, ie FHM, you know that type of thing, and have them as a nice surprise for people on the inside of the cards, you know those ugly pictures that you get - I have to say it did catch on, and quite a few people were upset when I stopped doing it!

I think I'll aim for the 1st again this year, then they're done!!

88 Days to Christmas!

We're now down to 88 days then, and today the one thing in my mind about Christmas is sleigh bells, weren't they just the greatest musical instrument created???

Whenever you hear sleigh bells, it just brings a smile to your face, it's almost as though they are happiness in disguise!!

Not much of a write up on this one today, but just thought I'd mention them!!!

89 Days to Christmas!

As another day is chalked off the list and we drop into the 80's in terms of days remaining til Christmas, it's time to mention another classic thing associated with Christmas, and that's Mistletoe!

Everyone has nmixed views on mistletoe don't they?

Some blokes all get a feeling of hey up, here's a chance to get a smooch with someone they've fancied for a while, whilst the others think if they get caught kissing someone here, even innocently, the news will be fed back to their other halves, and they'll be in for a stormy argument!

Whilst for the women, they probably have the same reasons for looking forward to it, and not looking forward to it, with maybe a differing reason for not looking forward to it, as they may end up with some nerd wanting a quick kiss with them!!

It's always a controversial one, who thought up the idea of kissing underneath a flower anyway???

90 Days to Christmas

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Yes, today, with just 90 days to Christmas, and the nights drawing in, it's time to talk about Snow, and for most of the UK, we don't get to see it on Christmas Day anymore.

Years ago, it was a guarantee that you'd see it, but not now unfortunately, we have to wait until around February or March for it to turn up, so I believe we should in fact move Christmas to then instead!!!

What do you reckon?

Does it snow near you at Christmas?

I wish it would, the place would look so picturesque and Christmas-like, but we have to instead just sit there and watch it rain most of the time, instead of turning the place white!

Snow is great, although it doesn't take long before it all turns slushy and then even worse icy, which is when it becomes a nightmare on the road.

But when it snows for the first time, there always seems to be unrivalled excitement in the office as the first flakes of white drop from the air, it always gets everyone into the pre-Christmas spirit!

91 Days to Christmas

A simple one today...

What to leave on the plate for Santa Claus and his reindeers?

It's an age old tradition as a kid, that you should leave something out for the big man and his reindeers on Christmas Eve, so that when he pops down the chimney he can have a bite to eat, as well as a drink for his overworked escorts Rudolph & co!

What we used to leave as kids tended to change a little bit as you got older, I think from memory, it was a case of biscuits and milk, which I think soon developed into cakes, and then possibly a glass of wine, I don't know, drinking and sleighing at the same time, tut tut.

The police would surely pull him over if he had a few of those in the houses that he visits!

So, think ahead, maybe a Lucozade for energy, and some Jaffa Cakes....mmmmm Jaffa Cakes!

92 Days to Christmas!

It's the time of the year right now, where office staff across the land start booking their Christmas office parties, and there is always the talk of some dodgy goings on that people just love to gossip about!

It's also the time where plenty of us blokes worry that something will look out of place when really it isn't, and that a rumour will start and all of a sudden we become the target of affair talk or something like that!

But still, Christmas parties are always funny affairs, I remember one where I was that drunk, I poured a bottle of wine over my desert, and began sinking that down my throat!

Mind you, it did make a re-appearance later thanks to the excessive drinking!

93 days to Christmas!

Today, we chalk day number 94 off the list, and welcome in day 93, and what's the subject today?

Carol singers.

Do they annoy you, or do you love it when they come round to your door, and upon opening sing a nice little song about Jesus being born?

Well that would be the ideal of course, only you're more likely to get a load of little shits round your door waiting to sing you something that Simon Cowell would more than likely retort "that's the worst thing I've ever heard" back at them.

Anyway, the lovely images you see in the films where people go out all wrapped up in their winter scarfs with a hymn book just does not happen around here, it is normally kids who are thinking of a quick way of taking a quid out of your pocket, and eyeing up your car tyres if you refuse to give any money to them.

Does anywhere in this world have carol singers that you genuinely open the door to to, without thinking is someone trying to get in my back door right now, as you stand there listening to Jingle Bells or We Wish You a Merry Christmas?

Hopefully there is somewhere, just not around here!

94 days to Christmas!

Another day chalked off the Christmas Countdown, and it won't be long before we are into the eighties, it'll fly round pretty quickly, I can guarantee it!

The topic today is decorations, and when should you put your Christmas tree up?

Now we all know that the pubs & restaurants tend to get ahead of the game, and start sprouting their trees up in the middle of September, and shops tend to do the same, just to get you thinking about buying presents from their shop, but when should we put our decorations at home?

There is an age old story and tradition that your Christmas tree should go up on Christmas Eve, and should come down on the 5th January - well I'm sorry but tradition goes out of the window quicker than a present being unwrapped from underneath it, as we tend to get in the loft / attic, whatever you want to call it, and get the boxes down, blow the dust off the tops, and open them up to reveal those classics that you put away just less than 11 months ago!

We tend to put up our decorations on either the first weekend of December, or if we're feeling really up for it, the 1st December, if it falls on a weekend!

I have been reading around and a few people in the US tend to put their up after Thanksgiving, so is that before you hit December, or just after?

Either way, it's always good fun putting them up, and getting the Christmas CD on is a must, that gets you totally in the mood to get going and you feel that "Santa Claus is coming to town" - oops sorry got into it a little there, but you know what I mean!

So, when do you get your baubles out then?

96...no hold on...95 days to Christmas!

Well unfortunately, I was nowhere near a pc yesterday, so I missed out on the 96 days to Christmas post, so very briefly, here it is...

96 days to go, so what should we concentrate on, well, how's about those Calendar shops that sprout up for a few months just prior to the festive period - they should be coming to a town or city near you, very very soon.

They must have a short term lease or something similar on their location, as they always seem to disappear come February after the January Sales have finished!

Now moving swiftly onto...

95 days to go...

Another day closer then, and today, let's think of the Queen's Speech.

Over here in the UK, we have the Queen's Speech at 3pm across all of the major channels, although a few years ago, families would gather around the tv sets to listen to what the monarchy had to say, now it seems it's a quick 10 minute slot to go and put the kettle on for the world famous English cuppa!

That would be the case as many would make use of that 10 minutes just after the Top of the Pops Christmas Special had finished, and settle down for the big movie - well it used to be a big movie, as they'd get something like a world premiere of a recent film, but now since the introduction of satellite tv, it's now one that is probably about 5 years old, that you'd have seen lots of times before.

So, does anyone still watch the Queen's Speech in the UK, and do the US get treated to the President's Speech?

Let me know!

97 days to Christmas!

Another day is chalked off the countdown, so what is behind door number 97 on the specially extended advent calendar today?

Well, in true tradition, it's a yummy piece of chocolate!

I used to love getting advent calendars when I was little, but I think they may have become a little too commercialised now, with virtually every tom, dick, and harry getting their out in the supermarkets come September - yes, over here they appeared on the shelves last week, that's what inspired me to get this blog on the go!

The best advent calendar I remember though, is a recent one, and features a Homer Simpson voice box in it, which is pretty cool, although I do have to admit that Homer is a legend as far as I'm concerned, and I just love watching The Simpsons for his classic lines!

So, for 96 days to go, I would like to champion the Advent Calendar!

98 Days to Christmas!

As we continue the countdown to Christmas, how's about we take a look at what is your favourite Christmas song?

There are plenty out there...

Band Aid - Do they know it's Christmas

The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick

Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime

There's 3 for starters, one of my favourites is Chris de Burgh - A Spaceman came travelling, just have to sing like mad to that one in the car on Christmas Eve.

One of my all time favourites for Christmas, is Freiheit, with keeping the Dream Alive, absolutely love that one, as I love Frankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power of Love, another brilliant tune.

What's your favourite Christmas tune then?

99 Days til Christmas!

Yes, amazingly, it's only 99 days to go now til the big fat man in red flies down the chimneys around the world to deliver lots and lots of presents to everyone.

But what makes Christmas special for you?

Is it the fact that the family are coming round? Surely that could be a nightmare!

Is it the lovely Christmas Day meal you're looking forward to?

Is it the opening of presents that floats your boat?

Is it the giving of presents that floats your boat?

Is it the fact that the feel good factor seems to come round when Christmas is here?

Is it the Christmas lights that you enjoy so much at that time of year?

There are lots of things that make that time special, I love Christmas, as it just enables you to be inventive with presents for people, and the looks on their faces when they open them!

So, what makes it special for you?

100 Days to Christmas!

Today is the beginning of a new blog, and it's only 100 days to Christmas!

What's that I hear you say, "we're only in September!!" - well yes, that's true however, the worrying thing is there are only three more proper pay days to go (for those that get monthly) until the festive period - remember that one you get just before Christmas, you normally have to spread over 5 weeks as you always tend to get paid that little bit earlier than normal.

I went into a supermarket the other day, and noticed that they have Christmas puddings, wrapping paper, and selection boxes on the shelves - it's on the way ladies & gentlemen!

So, the Countdown to Christmas starts here, and this is the time when you start to think of what presents you can get people, and secretly, what they might be getting you also!

Last year, I bought the wife a holiday in the Maldives, this year, I'll be lucky to get her a postcard of the Maldives given the financial climate!!!

What are you asking your better half for Christmas then?

What are you planning to get them for Christmas?

Share your thoughts and ideas on here, as it may give inspiration to others as we build up to the big event in 2009.

We blokes always tend to struggle, so please let us know what you ladies out there would like off us fellas!

Now, finally, I have a secret line into Santa's Hotline, and he has granted you all a weekly wish for a present, so let me know what weird or wonderful gift you would like to receive, and Santa will do his best to deliver to you all!!

The purpose of this blog is to have some festive fun as we approach "the most wonderful time of the year", as the build up to watching Home Alone for the 84th time starts here, so let's have some fun with it as we countdown from 100 days to Christmas Day!