Frugal 1st Christmas

[Always4Brenner]

If all goes well I’ll be in my new home by Christmas in fact October November so plenty of time. I won’t have much money but need ideas how to make 12 days of Christmas special I’m putting tree up Christmas Eve and doing the 12 days, I don’t drink loathe pantomimes can’t drive or skate etc. so homely ideas please.

I moved in to my first home as a single parent on Bonfire night 2010, I was skint but managed to scrape together enough money for a Christmas tree & decorations, ds spent nearly 3 weeks before Christmas snowed in snuggled under blankets watching television & reading.

I’ll definitely be doing this🤗

Baking. Easiest ever biscuits swap hazelnut for cranberries - check out Aldi and Lidl fruit and nuts

xmas movie day with Aldi Irish cream and hot choc marshmallows

simple Xmas crafts from tiktok

Slow cooker hot chocolate with a film.
Board games.
A winter walk to gather bits of greenery.

Thanks but no alcohol.

I’ll be on my own no children but can’t do board games visually impaired.I wish I could I’d love to play the old version of mouse trap and build the board (might do this even if it’s only me playing) .just to build it.

Get a nice christmassy audiobook. I listened to Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pitcher last year and really enjoyed it. A bit cheesy, buy nice.

As there is a long time till Xmas you have lots of time to get prepared. Would you be interested in volunteering or joining a Carol singing group??

Id be scouring recipe books to find some lovely Xmas food recipes to make.

The xmas audio book idea is brilliant. Podcasts too. You’re dead to me is a history one and they will often do themes around the time of year. They have one about medieval Xmas that is good.

Id start buying Xmas treats now - special drinks that you like that can be popped away. Also some pamper stuff. It’s nice to have some pamper time over the break.

Id plan a few different walks - some at night to look at the Xmas lights

There will be lots of activities at churches.

Do you have any friends you would like to catch up with over that time? Anyone who has difficult families might appreciate the chance to escape for a cuppa or a walk.

howtohyggethebritishway.com/2021/12/22/touch-and-other-senses-mindful-christmas-day-22/

Some lovely ideas on this blog, maybe particularly enjoyable for you as a person with visual impairment as it's focussing on engaging other senses.

Channel 5 Christmas movies, fluffy socks and a blanket, Christmas lights on, hot chocolate and nap whenever you want.

We’ve got a very old, very pretty church just up the road from us and they do an annual carol service each year. It’s beautifully decorated and smells very festive because of all the oranges with the cloves in them. All ages attend and they invite people to stay for a mince pie afterwards. It’s something we always enjoy doing.

We’ve made a list of all the treats we want and are picking some up with each shopping trip, to help spread the cost. We plan our menu for the three days in advance. When I do the tree, I like listening to Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole and home made sausage rolls and a Christmas film is usually planned for Christmas Eve.

Do you have everything you need in terms of warm bedding, blankets etc? I think that would be my priority for a cosy Christmas.

Christmas book/audio book.
Chocolate orange hot chocolate.
Walk to collect winter foliage then make a table centrepiece/wreath.
Lots of candles/fairy lights.
Jigsaw.
Make air dry clay tree decorations.
Pre Christmas pamper day.

Love the medieval podcast idea no way am I join a choir can’t sing but love carols the audio books as well and I have loads of Christmas themed novels on my kindle as well. Cookings out as crippled with arthritis but want bedding throws etc pjs and Christmas Day in pjs. For once. Chocs etc to be be away hot chocolate bombs as well.

Oh yes got my Tudor music cd as well go when the tree brought tree a couple of years ago a beautiful 7ft snow capped one goes up my beloved advent calendar each day is a nativity figure. And I love it that’s coming with me.

for 12 days we do an item every day:

for DH its beers
for older DS its pop
for my younger 2 its sweets
for me a mix of alcohol/pop

costs less than £12 per person for us, you could do it with anything though maybe different snacks (like popcorn etc...) or type of cheeses or for other ideas maybe meals from different countries etc...

Lovely ideas no booze in any shape or form snacks treats might be nice especially if history themed.

Im going to look up treats from history top of the list marchpane or marzipan as we call it now. I can buy a tiny fruit cake non iced put a bean into it for 12th night. Whoever found the bean at Tudor banquests was lucky for a year. Waisaling cup hot Ribera . Pork with cracking tiny joint for boar pig part. A Yule log cake 24th December. Thank you brilliant idea. Holly garlands everywhere rather than tinsel for Tudor look.