We set off for our planned date with John Lewis yesterday with a packed lunch and flask, a bit later than intended – not even sure why, I think I had a lot to get ready – vouchers, list of requirements, carrier bags, some bits to drop off at my brothers on the way home – so it took us longer than I thought to get out of the door. 
 What a surprise when we drove up the road and onto the moor that takes us over the tops of Saddleworth to Greenfield, Mossley, Ashton, Stockport and finally Cheadle Royal our destination – there was a covering of snow. 
On the way home it was thick fog too and a bit hairy coming over the winding moor road but at least it was still open as often when there is any snowfall it is soon closed off and we have been stuck getting home a few times, you really have to watch the weather here if you venture far when it snows.
We had a lovely day looking at all the gorgeous things in the John Lewis store – these were my favourite (apologies for the mobile photo) – 4 champagne glasses by Waterford Crystal Mixology a mere £255 for the four! Obviously they will be on my Christmas list and obviously I won’t be getting them! But I can admire them.
We bought a gift for Little L (reduced by 20% in the Black Friday deals), a Magic set for my nephew (which wasn’t reduced but still in budget) and a couple of small gifts for Little L to put in the Christmas Eve box I am filling with her mum. We won’t see her at Christmas and I have decided to buy a short 3 monthly subscription from Toucan boxes for children starting after Christmas, to see how it goes, rather than a ‘main’ present so the Christmas Eve box will just be a little extra and I quite like the idea that not everything has to be opened on one day.
Her mum has some new flamingo pyjamas which will go in the box, I have bought a 99p pack of plasticine, a small pack of Christmas joke cards (for some reason she loves telling jokes but so far only remembers two), I found a lovely Emma Bridgewater spoon with coloured spots on the handle for her too. I will add a book and some felt tips etc which I will get from the Works or Sainsbury’s and one or two other inexpensive bits.
With my gift card from leaving work I bought a cosy brushed cotton duvet cover for the colder winter months in large grey check so now I have to decide between this and the Dorma one I bought from Dunelm. I won’t be keeping both but needed to see them in our bedroom to decide.
Sainsbury’s is attached to the John Lewis in Cheadle and we had a drink in the afternoon in their cafe (really to save a bit of money) – the difference in service between the two shops is notable! We waited 15 minutes to be served at Sainsburys and we were only second in the queue, we had arrived when they were changing shifts – the person leaving just down tools and left and I can honestly say in no way does it resembles the very precise hand over at the changing of the guard. We had a look around the small Habitat section on the way out – I loved the old Habitat stores and really miss them now. This small stand they have in the corner of Sainsburys looks quite pitiful to what Habitat was in its heyday.
The selection bags were all ready to be delivered today – I had quite a production line going so in the end they didn’t take very long to finish.
I intended to get back to making my cards this morning but I ran out of time so it will be tomorrow; I saw some lovely cards yesterday on display but homemade are fun to do and so much cheaper as I already have a stack of blanks and all the printing gear.
Because I ran out of time to soak my fruit for the cake yesterday it was the first task on the list this morning. I just love that smell of brandy mixed in the dried fruit with the peel from the citrus fruit. I wil bake it on Sunday and make Lemon Curd at the same time to use up the lemons.
Saturday morning is the Crisis coffee morning at church – I am going with a friend for a coffee, a chat and a look at the Xmas goodies to buy on the stalls.
Back soon x
where the journey takes me 2 
your post has made me feel so festive with the snow and the Christmas goodies! Snow is so gorgeous, but really, only if you can stay home and admire it from within. Travelling in it is not fun and more than a bit scary.
Those champagne saucers are gorgeous, but the price tag, not so much!
You are right with Habitat. It’s a shame to see them shrinking down so much. Back in the day I was a window dresser with the branch in Ipswich. It was a very large store (now Waterstones), and the stock was good. I think it was working there that gave me such a love for changing seasons, they always had a new theme or look to the season with stock to reflect. Now it’s rare to find an actual, physical shop, just concessions here and there. It is sad.
Have a lovely Saturday. xx
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Ahh I should have realised you were a window dresser, your love of merchandise and displaying and the way you can pick out eye catching pieces – you are so brilliant at it. After Art college I went for an interview in Cheltenham on the Promenade to a very upmarket and fashionable jewellers who did wonderful eye catching window displays for a job as a window dresser – sadly didn’t get it – no experience – but I think I would have liked doing it, but maybe not been very good – on the other hand you would have done a brilliant job there. If ever you see some similar but much much cheaper Champagne saucers on your travels through Poundland and B&M give me a shout – I loved the jewel like quality of them and that each was a different pattern of glass.
The Cheltenham branch was 3 floors I think – we spent many a Saturday browsing the shelves. We saw a lamp in the Sainsburys Habitat on Thursday that would have been perfect but it was out of stock – shame it was only £15 – with these days of dimmer light bulbs we are having to use more lamps just to see each other at night LOL! xx
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Your selection bags look great. I have opted to use bags for my selection ‘bags’ too. They have rather a lot of chocolate in them, but it just shows that you get so much more for your money doing it yourself, as I probably spent the same as I would if I’d bought a decent sized selection box, but they have a much broader range of chocolate and brands too.
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Yes even selection boxes are shrinking these days or there is more packaging and fresh air around the chocolate bars! They are so quick and easy to make and if you can’t make the bags you can buy them from cheap shops or the craft scetion in the Range and just fill them.
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Sounds like you had a very full day. Love your selection bags. Very creative.
While I don’t have to travel over moors to get places, drivers around here don’t seem to handle even rain, or worse, snow, very well. Happy to be retired and no longer facing horrible commutes during bad weather…sometimes taking two to three hours to get home. Don’t miss that!
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I am looking forward to not having to struggle into work and then worry if I will get home this winter.
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A lovely post. I use to work at John Lewis Cheadle! Most of my wages were just handed back as it was hard to resist the lovely merchandise ( the discount helped of course!) its great you are getting ready for Christmas, I’m just rubbish! Xx
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Maybe I should think of getting a job there – but then again I am trying to shed our stuff to simplify our lives so perhaps not.
I can’t believe you are rubbish at the ‘getting ready’ you always appear to have things in hand and I am looking forward to seeing where you go to over the next month or two. Because you are local (to me) you give me ideas of places to visit.
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