Don't kick yourself over not putting decorations up yet. We only put ours up last weekend, because the day we normally do it (tomorrow) will be too busy.
My neighbour has had external lights since mid-November, and they're on until dawn each day. That's too soon. I'm glad we don't directly overlook them.

The only reason that I didn't get one is that we don't have kids, and Mrs periscopes would just laugh at me buying it for myself.

I had no idea that Baynham was involved with it (although I have laughed lots at it), but you can usually sell a cast like Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie, James McAvoy, Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy quite easily.

The sequel is really rather good, too. Well worth the half-hour or so.
Another Briggs adaptation, Ethel and Ernest, is on BBC1 this Christmas.

Aled made himself an institution with that cover (Peter Auty sang it in the film).
Have you seen Father Christmas, another Briggs adaptation great for this time of year (although it may be a bit too "British" for some tastes)?

I appreciate the value of recommending an Advent calendar half-way through Advent. They're usually very cheap by now (although the Lego Star Wars ones do often sell out).

The Muppet Christmas Carol is the #1 Christmas film in our house. Has been for years. Mrs periscopes and I sing the songs (badly) at each other at this time of year.

It already is in our house. My nieces love it: it's rare for the two of them (6 and 8 years old) to sit through a feature-length film, but they will for this.

The mad thing I read in my Sunday paper (on Monday) was that Swift was the world's highest-earning musician in 2016. However, she has not released any new material for about 18 months. Concerts and endorsements are more important to the earnings potential of musicians than they have been for a long time.

Thanks Obama!

I honestly tune it out most of the time.
What gets me, though, is the same advertisements being blared out between tracks. When they start drilling into my conscious mind, I pop headphones on.

Sister-in-law does it. Sometimes, we "accidentally" leave something a bit kinky lying just out of plain sight but still in our bedroom. We know she's seen it because her behaviour changes, but she dare not raise it because she knows we hate snoops.

Exactly. I may disagree with my in-laws about certain things (including politics). However, they are polite and intelligent enough to respect that our views are different but that our values are shared.

It is in my house.

Mrs periscopes celebrated her 40th birthday less than two weeks ago.
She also asked me to record "Aristocats" because it was on TV at the same time as her party.

'e norsed it up so bad, I've go' a proper cob on!

Thanks. I really am in a much better place now.

With regard to sex toys, and a nod to the season, has anyone here ever bought sex toys as a gift for a partner, or received them?
If so, has it been well-received?

Mine is for Mrs periscopes and I to have enough proper down time, because that is when we feel sexiest.
Oh, and for our families to be discreet enough to leave directly after breakfast on Boxing Day.

Re the bi woman and your wife: I cut myself off from my father two years ago, a week after my 40th birthday.