On your marks, get set, go...it's the countdown to Christmas 2020. Thread 1!

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

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Afternoon.

Here we go again! It feels slightly bonkers setting off again before today is over, but it's tradition, so who am I to argue?!

Em, we did one of those events At Dunham Massey the other year. Beautiful, aren't they?

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Morning! I'm having a little lie in as I don't have to be at work until 10 today! I'll be there just after 9.15, so I'll do a little extra, but not much.

My cold is still lingering on. Work yesterday was like a doctor's waiting room with all the coughing and sneezing going on! 🤧

It was incredibly beautiful fluffy. Although I did have a bit of a cry as my Grandma would have loved it. Hope you feel better soon fluffy.

Will let you know crazy.

Wow crazy that looks awesome! I have serious envy I'm desperate to go to Edinburgh. I want to go at Christmas but DH in summer.

I just got up

DH is working today so the dc and I are having a lazy day. I'm going to do some more cleaning and tidying and maybe watch some films. I can't believe I didn't get a chance to watch polar express all Christmas

Morning!

M and I are still in our Pyjamas and are watching Brave (for the hundredth time )

It doesn't feel like NYE, we've got to pop out to Tesco for a few bits and then we need to tidy up because my house is an absolute midden and I am not seeing the new year in in a mess!

Question of the day.... Chinese banquet or Indian feast for tea?

Morning everyone 😀
Binge watched Silent witness, the sewing bee and project runway yesterday after coming home from Mum's at 2. Taking Dd2 & her DD to Cardiff today for NYE celebrations, she is staying in an air bnb tonight and we will pick them up tomorrow 👍. We used to celebrate NYE when we were young , went to dinner & dances/parties but haven't bothered since we had the Dds 25 yrs ago. Bah Humbug 😂🎆🥂
Fluffy didn't realise you were back at work , that's a bgr!
Trains are just awful here, expensive, filthy , crowded and smelly. I don't envy you having to travel on the Liverpool Express Fluffy! Needs must though I know 🙄.
Crazy you have had a wonderful holiday I would have loved to go to Scotland too! Last night on channel 5 they was a steam train going through Scotland it was taking in all the scenery and it was absolutely fantastic, it was called the,.... God I forget what it was now but did anybody else see it?
If you did then put me out of my misery please 😄
Jo they are frugal threads on here regarding savings and budgeting I think they are on the credit crunch talk groups. I have been observing them for the past couple of weeks thinking I might join in somewhere. I seriously need to get my budgeting sorted!😂
Em what a lovely property. I don't recognise it though was it Duffryn gardens in Cardiff or another NT property? I didn't recognise it as Tredegar House but the lights might have disguised it! 😄
Wreck that is brilliant for your son to have done so well at the football , bless him he has done so well. 💐
Fanny I hope you didn't take the skin off your DH when you ripped the plaster off 😂
Better go bath and get up, my DH is wandering like a lost soul, he doesn't like us to lie in for too long of a morning 😋🙄😂
He has his faults 😄
🎆🥂💞 Happy new year Everyone 🎉🎉❣️
2020 has a great vibe about it somehow. I'm sure it will be eventful whatever happens. I haven't got a resolution it's all l can do to just exist 😂😂
Have a great day everyone 😀

Mrs D Happy New year to you and your family. I am having an Indian takeaway with a peshwari naan 😋😋😋

Mrs, it was 'World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys' on Channel 5. We watched it too (we did the trip in 2017 when I worked in Scotland for the year). Wasn't it soothing?!

And yes, I prefer to be off before Christmas rather than after. I had 10 days off for the price of 3 days' leave, so it's OK!

We'll stay in and have a few drinks tonight. If I make it until midnight it'll be a bloody miracle! 😂

Work is thankfully quiet. I've no motivation!

Thank you Fluffy 😍, you actually went in it of my that must have been amazing 😍.
Glad work is quiet have a breather🤗

It was Dyffryn Gardens Mrs :)

Ahh I am so going to go there Em , thank you m'dear 🤗

mrs I’ve been lurking on the budgeting threads but they move so bloody quick I can’t keep up!.

It doesn’t feel like NYE here either, we’ve got some nibbles for tonight but that’s as far as we’re going on the party front. It’s crazy to think at the end of this decade I’ll have 3 teenagers and an almost 11 year old. I hate to think about it😂

Just booked the cinema for tomorrow and booked a table at giraffe for lunch. Shouldn't really as we can't afford it but it'll be our last treat for a long time I'm sure.

Have you got Meerkat Movies and Meals Wreck? Even buying a one night UK travel insurance policy qualifies - the cheapest I found was £1.01 for a one person policy. We've only had Meerkat Meals for just over a week - used it once and saved £35.

Yes I have. Can't use any offers for meals tomorrow though because it's a bank holiday. Cinema was £17 for the four of us

That's a bugger. I keep forgetting tomorrow is a holiday - I've lost track of the days.

My DH won't go to the cinema; he hates all the chatter and crunching, especially when you've paid quite a bit to go!

I'm going to see Shaun the Sheep on Sat with the kids. I don't mind paying for Mini Mornings! 😂

Giraffe sounds good, Wreck. Enjoy yourselves.

I got a £1.01 insurance policy too, Woolly!

We've been allowed home early, so I'm waiting for the train. Hopefully it won't be as busy today. The station was very quiet, but the platform is getting busy.

I didn't get enough done today. Ah well, Thursday is another day!

Our nearest cinema is about £12 each but if we travel further they're £5ish each.

We have a £5 any time Vue. It used to be way more though. DH wouldn't go if it was free due to the noise! We've been once in almost-12 years, to the Dark Knight at Manchester IMAX.

Yes this ones a vue. It's 25 miles away though will be taking snacks with us!

That's a trek! Mine is about 2.5 miles and that's enough. And yes, snacks get taken here too.

Actually got that wrong! Nearest is 22 miles and this one is 39

Afternoon everyone 😃
Ikea was no good for a sofa. We tried them all 🙄
It will need a little bit of research before we get one l think 👍
Wreck your plans sound lovely 🤗 enjoy them 🥂🎆
Fluffy that's a lucky Break going home Early yay!!
Woolly not got meerkat movies it sounds like a good idea though l must investigate 🤗
You can join me on the budget board if you want Jo , they can't be any quicker than here 😂😂😂
On our way home now 😊 will pop to see NDN and settle down for the evening in front of the telly, The Sting the is on, DH is in seventh heaven 😂😂😂
Happy New Year everyone 😀❣️🎉❣️

Wreck Edinburgh in the winter is better imo because I love the cold however, it's is £££.

MrsD welcome back! I would always opt for Chinese banquet but DH would have an indian feast so we're not much help, sorry!

MrsMad book your Scotland trip ASAP. If you book flights as soon as they come out they're really cheap (we booked this in May and flights were only £60 each return). Accommodation can be ££ but if you arrange in advance you can get better deals.

Jo I follow the budget threads too, some of ideas are great.
I used to have credit card debt and those threads made me change my direct debit to a standing order - made the time to pay it back so much shorter!

Emrys I've never been to Duffryn Gardens. Do they often do events?

We don't do cinema often either because its so expensive however we're halfway between Cwmbran and Blackwood. Cwmbran is between £5-£10 a ticket but Blackwood is £3.50. It's not as fancy but it has comfy seats, big screens and a bar so we go there now. Also has free parking after 5pm.

We've been out today, we had a steak dinner (NYE tradition for us) then went to the whiskey experience for cake and tastes of new whiskeys. DH is a connoisseur so he thinks while I just enjoy a drink or 2 as long as it's not too over powering.
Followed up by a walk up to the castle and back to where we're staying to feel less guilty about how much we ate!
It's freezing here now so tonight is going to be 🥶

I've posted some more pics of today's food, I hope you all don't mind?

If I don't get chance to post today - Happy New Year! 🥳

Was that the Harry Potter train mrs?

Crazy I agree re Scotland in the winter. I love going to Edinburgh in January. It's a bit cheaper than normal but it's so cozy when you come in from a cold day.

We also went to the cinema today too. We went to kids club. It's £1.50 each but the films are a few months old. We saw adams family and it wasn't great but the wee ones had a good time. My dh would watch paint dry if he got to go to the cinema. His dbro got him a 6 month subscription to our local cinema for his birthday.

I don't think I'll even stay awake to midnight tonight. I think I'd prefer the sleep.