I managed to get a couple of little heart shaped sweetie dishes (Ainsley but pottery rather than china) yesterday - down from €10 to €3, which will be lovely presents for teachers, neighbours etc. And I am sorted for my 5 siblings and 4 OHs stockings as well.
Handheld vacuum is a great thing - we got one when DD was small, and it is just about dying so are considering it's replacement (we're actually thinking about the wall-mounted chordless dyson and getting rid of the big one along with the hand-held). It's also extremely handy for cleaning crumbs from the back seat of the car (even still, now that DD is 11, we STILL have that problem!). But DD had loved using her small brush and pan, and child sized sweeping brush, that we got in Mothercare - they were decent enough to actually work. I just wish I could get her to do it again (she lost interest in most housework jobs at about age 7).
I need to curtail my spending seriously though - we need to redo one room (it needs flooring, shelving, blinds, paint, removing the artex from the ceiling - a LOT of work!), we need a holiday with sun this summer, and my poor savings have been wiped out before we even start those.
After a bad week in school, we've decided that DD will not go to DBIL's 40th this weekend, DH will stay home with her and I will travel alone. We said it was because DH is tired (and he is) but it's really that DD is waaay overtired and unable to regulate herself. So she needs a calm weekend (although saying that, she's going to a swimming party tomorrow instead - but will then have a quieter time and an early night- if she travelled, she would stay with Nanna and Grandad and probably get to bed about midnight!).