Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Countdown to Christmas 2020. Lockdown: Relaxed (Thread 6)

999 replies

NoWordForFluffy · 03/06/2020 19:26

Here's the new thread, you chatty lot!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
104
FireflyGirl · 11/06/2020 10:31

Are you afraid the delivery man will judge you, Wreck? Wink

Our food shop has more than doubled.

What's worse is having to plan and make lunches for DS every day. He used to get a healthy, balanced meal for lunch at school, and DH and I would just have salad/wraps at work.

We've fallen into a rut with tea - Monday to Friday, we pretty much have the same thing every week now. I just don't have the energy or interest to plan (or cook) more exciting meals...

Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 11/06/2020 10:35

I know how you feel fire! DS has a cheese sandwich, fruit and crisps for lunch every day. At nursery he would be having such a wide range of food but I am already exhausted from trying to keep dinners vaguely varied.

WreckTangled · 11/06/2020 10:36

No I'm afraid I will eat them all before I start baking Grin

I've only got five meals on my meal plan and the shop is already over £100. We've got:

Quiche, new potatoes and salad
Spaghetti Bolognese
Chicken pie, mash and gravy (dds choice)
Pizza
Hot dogs (decent ones!)

Really unhealthy Grin I will have something separate most nights. Dh is getting and cooking steak for my birthday and we will he getting either McDonald's or Nando's for dds birthday. Ds had free school meals previously too so that's another expense.

WreckTangled · 11/06/2020 10:38

Most at the moment my dc are having bagels with cream cheese and ham, some bread sticks, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and a pot of tinned peaches. Oh and a frube (which I keep in the freezer). Once a week they might share a packet of mini cheddars or skips too. I think school have also been giving them biscuits HmmGrin only the key worker class though, they're not allowed to tell the others!

NoWordForFluffy · 11/06/2020 11:08

Don't even talk about samey food. It's like Groundhog Day here with food! 😂

OP posts:
Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 11/06/2020 11:09

Bagels are a Fab idea wreck! Will add some to the next shop thank you :)

WreckTangled · 11/06/2020 11:22

I just got flour in our village shop. They had all types plus all types of sugar.

Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 11/06/2020 11:23

Look what just arrived! I have two now :)

Countdown to Christmas 2020. Lockdown: Relaxed (Thread 6)
TheWoollybacksWife · 11/06/2020 11:23

Same here with same old, same old food. What is starting to grind my gears is people asking what's for dinner when it's been the same thing on that day for months. I try to ring the changes but someone always complains. It's annoying that for most meals it will be 4 out of the 5 of us that like one thing and I'll have to tweak it for the 5th person. I lost my shit earlier this week so DD1 treated us to a takeaway on Tuesday and DD2 is cooking tonight. I like cooking and don't usually mind doing it but it was the negativity about what I was planning to cook that tipped me over the edge.

We've shopped at Tesco for about 10 years now. There are 4 adults and a teenager in the house and I consider myself lucky if the bill is less than £110. It's stayed the same lately but we've been buying our tea and coffee through Amazon pantry and getting bulk deals on loo roll, laundry pods and dishwasher tablets at Farmfoods. This week is a bit more expensive but I have got a joint of lamb for Sunday.

WreckTangled · 11/06/2020 11:35

Woolly I get asked about dinner at breakfast time. It drives me mad. I have got a backboard I used to write all the meals on each week but I don't have the head space right now. I don't know why cooking feels more of a chore than usually, I always cook but right now I'm extra fed up of it. Dh is not helpful at all either which adds to my frustrations.

BiddyPop · 11/06/2020 12:04

I'm having food shopping pain too - we are eating differently being at home, DD is always in the way in the kitchen so I can't do the same meals I used to (I love her dearly but its a small kitchen!), she wants very healthy foods only (no red meat, no potatoes, no pasta, ….) and LOTS of spice (I don't mind some, but want some other tastes too), and I haven't been able to get lots of our normal ingredients. I ended up totally blowing this month's budget already, having done a massive stores shop on Monday night (half of that still in the car boot) but it included things like 4 boxes of cans of tonic, 6 tins of tomatoes and 4 cartons of passata, 4 litres of oat milk, loads of cleaning materials, and some baking stuff. And some spices and seasonings DD had asked for, and healthy snacks for her (nuts and seeds type things). Lots of those though will go into the wardrobe for over the next 2-3 months, and I will try to generally just clear out the downstairs cupboards (like the tin of refried beans that I don't eat but DH and DD were adamant they needed about 3 years ago.....). I think the prices have gone up as well though, as I didn't think I had that much in the trolley (I've definitely had it a lot fuller and paid less before) but it was an eye-watering bill.

Today, DD is gone to do on-land stuff at sailing (too much wind), but happily marched away just after 9. Work is busy, and I need to write a document for Scouts tonight. But I turned off the pc at 5 last night, left my phone beside it, and spent the evening chatting with DD, and then watching the Sewing Bee while knitting a ribbed scarf. I had made some progress on my toolkit XSt over the weekend, the 2 spanners are now done, and all of 1 and most of the black rim on the 2nd tyre, so I just need to finish that rim and then black outlining around the spanners and screwdriver and its done. Mine are nowhere near as complicated as some of yours though!! I wouldn't have the patience, even if the end results are so beautiful. Weekend sewing will focus on some things for pre-teen bedrooms for a DNiece and DNephew, before getting back to the Christmas projects (did I say I made 1 placemat to see if they would work, and have the other 5 cut to complete? They will be for 1 DAunt/DUNcle, and possibly have a set of contrasting napkins to go with them, although I might give those to someone else depending on how much progress I make generally).

Oh well, back to trying to interpret legalese back into English again....

FireflyGirl · 11/06/2020 13:17

I found some posh ravioli things from Tesco in the freezer, so had those for my lunch. I obviously bought them months ago, and as I'm the only one who can eat them because they contain ricotta, I froze the rest. I actually really enjoyed them! DH has wraps for when he can get a break from work, and DS has had cheese and crackers with cherry tomatoes.

He would happily live on fruit, and will eat most veggies (except peppers, which I find odd as they're sweet!), which makes my life easier, although he doesn't want the chicken curry I have planned for tea - he suggested broccoli and ketchup instead Envy. With naan and poppadoms, obviously...

BTW, I can't remember if your DC still need dairy free, Fluffy, but Morrisons do a large naan bread which tastes really authentic and doesn't contain dairy. As you're ordering anyway 😉

I added the pizza/prosecco deal to Saturday's order - will obviously have to save the prosecco for Christmas!

Mrsmadevans · 11/06/2020 16:32

Afternoon everyone, you have all been busy here Grin
Dh wasn't well in the night , he had an awful wheeze and a cough, I gave him his puffers and opened the windows and sat him upright an he was fine thankfully Smile I was so tired this morning l didn't wake till 9 that is unheard of for me! He was fine so we have been to Marks / Lidl/Home Bargains in Monmouth, it's only simply food store but it will do me for now Grin bought some ready meals for Mum & Bob & toad in the hole. Tin of shortbread & some Chocolate for Dh off the girls for Father's day . He loves Marks Shortbread & choc. Still no butter mints though , have not got a clue what has happened to them!
Bought myself a box of Thomas Fudge crackers from Home Bargains , do you know they were well in date by months yet ony 2.49 these are usully much much more than that . Lovely crackers just eaten all the beetroot ones dry Grin
So what has everyone been doing ? WILL HAVE A LOOK NOW Grin

Mrsmadevans · 11/06/2020 16:43

I fell down a rabbit hole of holiday accommodation sites for next year
www.homeaway.co.uk/ Grin

Mrsmadevans · 11/06/2020 17:13

Food costs have spiralled up so much, Aldi seems to be okish but l find if l want to get things that are my normal shop they aren't there so l have to buy the more expensive brands, like shampoo, anti perspirant, bubble bath , toothpaste etc. I can't seem to get my normal cheaper versions which aren't just cheaper l like them too. Aldi do a pepper bubble bath that l love l haven't been able to get it for ages now! Hmm
Most love the elephant x stitch Smile
Groundhog day here with the meals too especially having to do Mum & Bob as well , it's awful. He won't eat chicken , pasta, rice, lasagne , lndian or Chinese dishes it is very difficult.
I did them quiche, mash & baked beans ,
a meat salad,
roast pork dinner,
cod n chips,
cottage pie , peas, Gravy
toad in the hole & new pots
Bacon, egg, sausage , toms, fried Irish soda bread Grin Bob's fave
That has been this weeks but it is so hard to give them different food. I did them steak but they couldn't eat it because it was 'too chewy' for their bloody dentures! So that rules out pork, lamb chops steaks , belly Pork Hmm

Biddy I see Scout leader/founder Baden-Powell statue is being taken down , l didn't know he had done anything Shock

WreckTangled · 11/06/2020 18:28

Anyone got a recommendation for limescale remover for the kettle?

NoWordForFluffy · 11/06/2020 19:47

I've never found one to be better than the other, Wreck. These look OK.

OP posts:
NoWordForFluffy · 11/06/2020 19:50

Firefly, the kids are up to about step 7 of the milk ladder and have been stuck there for years! They do eat normal naan, but good to have dairy free recommendations too.

My Morrison's delivery came: no normal whole milk (they sent Cravendale) and no cooking chocolate. We got the 2 x pizza / prosecco deals though!

OP posts:
NoWordForFluffy · 11/06/2020 22:37

I have another butt update: the downpipe and pipe between the butts was full of sludge, hence no filling. DH has now sorted this and hopefully they'll fill over the next week as we have rain forecast on and off.

Has anyone heard from @pussycatinboots? I've messaged but had no reply and I'm getting concerned. Sad

OP posts:
Mrsmadevans · 11/06/2020 23:38

No l have not seen Boot now you come to say Fluffy but l have noticed it's not so busy here lately which is normal l think. Hopefully she will be back soon Smile
Great news re the Butts yes!
I better get to bed DH is on t'warpath Grin
Night everyone have a good night sleep Smile

Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 12/06/2020 06:31

Hope boot is ok! Perhaps she is not currently in a Christmassy mood.

We had a lovely walk in a local nature reserve yesterday afternoon and today is Friday!

WreckTangled · 12/06/2020 08:10

Fire dd doesn't like peppers either which I agree is odd.

My shop is £102 for 72 items plus another £5.50 delivery. I would go back to Aldi but unless I go on a Sunday (our only day as a family and it's 20 miles away so would take all morning) I can't go as I have the dc and dh is at work. I got rid of all the ingredients to make the tiffin or anything.

The dc have bickered all morning it's constant at the moment

It's a lovely morning but meant to rain later. I've got a hip X-ray this afternoon and don't know if I should wear a mask? It's mandatory from Monday but it's almost Monday and I would hate to make anyone uncomfortable

NoWordForFluffy · 12/06/2020 08:13

197

Morning!

Mrs, I knew there was a butt problem and had asked DH to look at it (as I work FT and he doesn't; I'm not incapable!) and his first look came up with nothing. When I complained again about lack of filling, he looked again last night properly this time and found the fault.

I did search Boots and she's been on a little, so she's alive! I'm a little less worried, but still concerned about her.

We're going to a wetland on Sunday, Most, and I booked Dunham Massey for next Sunday at 2 this morning!

OP posts:
NoWordForFluffy · 12/06/2020 08:17

Wreck, do Sainsbury’s deliver to you? Their per kg price (not pack; they mostly sell bigger packs) is very similar to Tesco and their delivery slots can be as little as 50p. Plus if you have Nectar you can get extra bonus points on loads of stuff. We've got an extra £11 of points in as many days recently! Which then go towards Christmas.

Ooh, tell you something else I struggled to find: glacé cherries! I got 2 pots yesterday as they were available.

OP posts:
WreckTangled · 12/06/2020 08:31

I find Sainsbury's way more expenses than Tesco. I've just had a quick look and most things are more money. They don't have any slots either.

I'm going to do some yoga and then maybe some weights. Dd wants to bake a chocolate cake. I haven't heard a peep since I lost my shit with them a minute ago Grin