Boxing Day Friday

[Kittykatt]

Triple Dog Dare!

Pick 3 things
Do them
Post your TaDas!

»»—-Cheers! WTG! Ygg!—-««

Don't think about it. Just do it!
~~ I Triple Dog Dare ya! ~~
Good Morning!
»»————　✼　————««

[Kittykatt]

Boxing Day, also known as Offering Day, is a holiday celebrated on 26 December, the day after Christmas Day. Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part of Christmas festivities. It originated in the United Kingdom and is celebrated in several Commonwealth nations. The attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place on 27 or 28 December if necessary to ensure it falls on a weekday. Boxing Day is usually concurrent with the Christian festival Saint Stephen's Day.

The European tradition of giving money and other gifts to those in need, or in service positions, has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown; it may refer to the alms box placed in the narthex of Christian churches to collect donations for the poor. The tradition may come from a custom in the late Roman and early Christian era, wherein alms boxes placed in churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen, which, in the Western Christian Churches, falls on the same day as Boxing Day, the second day of Christmastide. On this day, it is customary in some localities for the alms boxes to be opened and distributed to the poor.

The Oxford English Dictionary gives the earliest attestation from Britain in 1743, defining it as "the day after Christmas day", and saying "traditionally on this day tradespeople, employees, etc., would receive presents or gratuities (a 'Christmas box') from their customers or employers."

In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,and Trinidad and Tobago, Boxing Day is a popular shopping holiday. Boxing Day sales are common, and shops often allow dramatic price reductions. For many merchants, Boxing Day has become the day of the year with the greatest revenue. In the UK, it was estimated in 2009 that up to 12 million shoppers appeared at the sales.

Many retailers open very early (typically 5 am or even earlier) and offer loss leaders to draw people to their stores. It is not uncommon for long queues to form early in the morning of 26 December, hours before the opening of shops holding the big sales, especially at big-box consumer electronics retailers. Many stores have a limited quantity of big draw or deeply discounted items.Because of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, many choose to stay at home and avoid the hectic shopping experience., especially as many stores now start their online sales on Christmas Eve! Local media often covers the event, mentioning how early the shoppers began queuing up and showing videos of shoppers queuing and later leaving with their purchased items.

[Kittykatt]

Happy Friday, everyone, and happy new Boxing Day / St Stephen 's Day for those who celebrate.

Dogged, I'm glad you had a lovely time with your friends.

Gma, I'm so glad you were able to spend time with your DS and family. Of course it must have been very difficult and strange without your DMum, but glad you're able to start some new Christmas traditions.

Today I'm planning on doing as little as possible! It's grey and cold out, but not raining, so a short walk and a little gardening would be good. And a little housework is never to keep us in a civilised state! But I'm planning on spending some time exploring my Christmas books, and I might even have a look at those curtains that need shortening for the kitchen.

[Kittykatt]

Today's list:

Cuddles on the bed with Matilda, Jude and Freddie
QT
Physio exercises
Up, shower, personal care and dress
All cats fed
Take Freddie out? ( If he wants to go!)
Breakfast and meds /supplements -me
Rubbish down to bins
Go for my walk?
Run hoover round downstairs
Quick dust sitting room
Garden time - a little deadheading?
Lunch
Delicate /wool wash
Clean shoes
Polish bag
Fold laundry and PA
Clean sheets and towels out of the airing cupboard
Start reading one of my Christmas books?
Can I have a look at those curtains?
Cats' supper
Our supper
Bed at a reasonable time!

[FrenchFlybebe]

◕‿◕ * * * Good Morning! * * * ◕‿◕

Kittykatt, thanks for the start and for the information on Boxing Day. The calendar says today is St Etienne, not Stephen, but the inhabitants of the French city Saint-Etienne are called "Stéphanois" so there must be a link with St Stephen at some point? Wishing you a peaceful day.

Gma this Christmas must have been very different for you without your DMum. (( ))

Cold and sunny day. No payroll. I have some tasks I intend to finish in order not to bring them into the New Year. I have some energy. I will see where that brings me. Also, usual tasks like menu planning and the weekly grocery order, and certainly some time with the kids, either for fun or book-reading, or time to settle fights . MrNG intends to do some organizing in DS10's bedroom. Not sure what else.

TADAs
all up, breakfast
DW emptied
talks about organisation with MrNG
the kids started the Switch console, they are allowed one hour this morning.

TODO
self-care
order the replacement present for MrNG
decide if I return the Amazon purchase or keep it
also TODO
prep easy lunch
trip to post office
fold many boxes (parcels)
also TODO
FACE session
weekly menus
online grocery order
also : a family movie for tonight ? some book reading, some sort of exercise, think about 2026 goals, quiet time, family journal updated ?

[FrenchFlybebe]

TADAs
self-care
order the replacement present for MrNG
decide if I return the Amazon purchase or keep it
prep easy lunch, serve, eat, cleanup
weekly menus : started

TODO
trip to post office
trip to convenience store : Destop, zucchini, cheese, pesto
weekly menus - continued
later
FACE session
fold many boxes (parcels)
online grocery order
also :
a family movie for tonight ? some book reading, some sort of exercise, think about 2026 goals, quiet time, family journal updated ?

[L.Ann]

I laid down to read a book at about 1 when everyone left. I fell asleep and then pretty much slept until this morning.

1-dress and pick up bedroom
2-fold laundry
3-go to pick up Target order

Menus
Friday-one pot kidney bean and pepper soup
Saturday-black bean burgers
Sunday-Cajun tilapia and roasted veggies


Events
Friday-DD32 off
Saturday-
Sunday-

Weekly House Blessing-mop kitchen, bathroom, dining room, windex, dust, swish and swipe, vacuum, trash
Extra stuff-

Accomplishments
-stretching and knee exercises
-breakfast for me and dog
-reboot laundry
-make Target order

[helia]

You must have been tired, L Ann!
((Gma)) Glad you could spend the day with family.
I like your also ideas, FFB. Sounds like a generally low-key day. I posted a pic of dd27's star bread yesterday if you're interested.
Did you get some outdoor time, Kitty?

Yesterday, I got in a short jog, 1.4 miles. I'm doing fine; I'll just keep gradually increasing the length. Dinner was very yummy. Dh's paella was scrumptious! I added some extras to the salad to make it more like a Greek salad - also very tasty. And dd27's pumpkin pie was even better than her Thanksgiving one. She tweaked her recipe. We were finished with dinner, clean up, and shoes at 9:45 pm. Everyone was too tired for a zoom call with ds + fam. They were willing but also tired. I guess we'll see them on Monday.

I'm with Kitty - I'm planning on being chill today. I'm hoping to get caught up on deskwork type tasks, including the Mem. thank yous, paying property taxes, and doing my curriculum review for payroll. I'd also like to finish wrapping gifts. Dh and I are not cooking today or tomorrow; everyone is on their own. Dh and I are going out for dinner tonight. I might go to the gym with dd30 today. I was going to try to get in a session with AS today, but I was so busy M-W, I forgot to contact him. He probably could work me in; however, I think I'd rather spend time with dd30 at the gym. M is returning today.

We're supposed to get freezing rain this morning, but there hasn't been any so far. --Oh, dh just walked out the door and said it's a little slippery.

Next:
- back exercises
- dress to exercise
- some qt

Later:
- list for the day
- go to gym with dd30
- s2s and self care
- reclaim kitchen
- make the bed
- resurrect toodledo
- laundry: fold and p/a
- finish wrapping gifts
- pay taxes
- finish charitable giving
- make med appointments
- Mem. thank yous progress
- payroll: curriculum review
- lunch at some point
- dinner out with dh
- duolingo
- update health apps -- need to get back to this
- read
- untangle yarn
- put away puzzle
- start new puzzle?

TaDas!
- up; weighed self
- coffee
- email deletions + weather website
- text greetings to ex-dsil
- asked dd30 when she's going to the gym

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Fri M returns/ date with dh/ shoes night 3
Sat PACK/ make sure we have everything we need for SK/ shoes night 4
Sun special breakfast for 9? / KE arrives/ write poems all day/ make 10 letter cookies with dd27/ KE arrives/ evening - celebrate SK!/ Pannekoeken dinner for 10 people

Mon 10 am - leave for the airport to TRAVEL TO WA to visit ds, F, and baby I
Tue See Ss in WA?
Wed + Thu Visit/ help with baby and cooking
Fri TRAVEL home
Sat NOTHING

December Brain Dumps
This Week - House
- towel laundry
- can I scrub the tile in our shower?
- clean sheets on bed

This Week - Deskwork
- make appointment with optometrist and food doctor
- schedule mammogram
- Memorial thank yous
- reach out to JK?
- finish charitable giving for the year

This Week - Christmas prep
- wrap gifts - wip

This Week - Errands
- get Mom's bags of stuff to the charity

General Brain Dump
- progress decluttering clothes - wip
- new phone eventually

Mom
- go through bag of Mom's knick knacks

[Gma]

Thank you for the reminder of St. Stephen 's day.
It's a very chill day here. DS and his family will be with her Mom and sisters today. No little kids in that family anymore. Youngest are in college.
My first goal for the day (after getting out of bed and dressed ) is to get my flu vaccine. I haven't had time for a possible reaction, but have nothing on the calendar for the next few days.
After that, I'll see what I can accomplish. The alarm clock was rude to awaken me this morning!

[L.Ann]

The star bread was beautiful, helian. I was disappointed that our bakery didn’t have it this year.

1-meds for DD33
2-walk outside
3-add calendar stuff to online calendar

Menus
Friday-one pot kidney bean and pepper soup
Saturday-black bean burgers
Sunday-Cajun tilapia and roasted veggies


Events
Friday-DD33 off
Saturday-
Sunday-

Weekly House Blessing-mop kitchen, bathroom, dining room, windex, dust, swish and swipe, vacuum, trash
Extra stuff-

Accomplishments
-stretching and knee exercises
-breakfast for me and dog
-reboot laundry
-make Target order
-dress and pick up bedroom
-fold laundry
-go to pick up Target order
-long talk with DD41
-help DD33 take tags off clothes and move Christmas theme clothes for storage