BOO! The Freaky Frugaleers prepare for Halloween and beyond. All welcome!

[Cagliostro]

:)

Snuggly, that's the diagnosis. Behold my attractive swollen leg and bites, my left leg is just as bad

Oh no Need I had something similar a couple of years ago and also ended up in a&e, they reckoned it might have been a spider bite!! But it was so painful I could hardly walk, you def did the right thing. I remember I was on super strong antibiotics and had to keep my leg elevated for a few days.

Yes I did the ignore but grin to myself thing, funnily enough she has been impeccably well behaved and polite all day today

We are back from fireworks, had a nice time, spent £2 sparklers and £8 to get in.

Not sure if I said earlier but went to Dun Elm and spent £10 in the coffee shop, decided it was easier to get tea there than cook when we got home and £20 on a few bits for the house.

Spendy day here, used lots some of my saved money on a sheepskin jacket. Also £70 on DH's present from DDs. £10 on a Boots order, hand warmers and a Santuary set in the 3 for 2. £42 on M&S web site, warm PJs and slippers, nightdress and a scarf at £5, their on line promotion.

Hope those antibiotics work quickly need, looks nasty.

Hair looks fab wreck, hope are having a great time.

This heating/hot water issue is working out much more expensive than anticipated. £140 for the plumber today and the system is, to use a technical term, fucked. Tank and boiler both need replacing. DH is going out to get oil filled radiators tomorrow.

Lovely dinner out. 3 courses for £17.50. But we were treated to dinner. So no spend evening.

Gorgeous hair, Wreck. Hope you've had a great time at the wedding.

OMG, Need, you poor thing!

3 courses for £17.50 is brilliant value, Em.

Spendy day here, as we had dinner out and had to get a taxi home from the fireworks display. Spends: weekly bus pass £25 (as I've been booked for 4 days work this week, eek!); £6.20 bottle of water and 2 hot chocolates; £34.20 on 2 pizzas, 2 desserts and 2 lemonades at Pizza Express (waited to get home to have a glass of wine) and £3.50 tip, £1.40 excess bus fare for DS and £15 taxi home (jumped out in the village and walked the last 5 minutes home). The fireworks display was good, but disappointing too, as it lasted about 12 minutes. I know it was in aid of a hospice, but £8 entry fees seems a bit steep for what we got. Still, it was absolutely freezing out, so maybe it's just as well.

Ouch Need!

Awesome tractor cake. Le yum! Love the use of chopped up chocolates filling the trailer.

No spends for bonfire night here as we've not been to any displays, Caglets haven't asked and we're all knackered anyhow. DH has moved the sofa and old fridge outside ready for collection, and he then moved lots of other furniture as well. So the living room looks crazy different. Lots of sorting out to do.

Oh and Em don't hold me to this but I've heard that Web-Tex is a good thing for stuff like thermoses. My friend swears by it.

Sorry to hear about the leg Need. Glad your kids are taking good care of you.

Did you get a rest too Girlie?

Thanks for the thoughts on absence Cag. I've been asking around about our local GPs surgery and a lot of people are saying it's good which really reassures me. Also I see they have a lot of slightly older staff, which I think would be great. All the senior people in my current place retired at once recently and were replaced, and I think the new young staff have been under huge pressure since then. Maybe a move would be good.

Also Cag - it's really interesting about your Monday/Wednesday thing. I have the same thing except that I used to work really hard on Monday to get the house straight and then be totally knackered on Tuesday and miss playdates. Now I have the housework rota it's really helping. This week I had very little time for housework but I know I can easily catch up next week with the rota, so I'm sticking to resting and letting the house slide a bit.

This pacing lark rocks.

Thank you. I've woken early as DH was so heartily sick of me last night he sent me to bed at 8.30pm, just before my last post. I'm really awfully bad as a patient.

Wish I knew what exactly bit me Girlie!

Ouch Adora at the boiler. We found British Gas the best price for new boiler and fitting at the old house, plus you got a years free home care cover. Still a significant outlay though.

4 days work is good, or bad Creme? Both maybe?

Already spent a fiver this morning as suddenly remembered a really good book both Mum's would like for a Christmas present. Amazon.

It's DH's birthday tomorrow. We are going to a posh hotel today. It's been booked months without his knowledge and taken ages to plan (he thinks he's working Monday, dogs to sort etc). We've never been away without the DC before! Hoping the leg will hold out for a stroll round the grounds at least.

Morning. I ended up going to bed at 8:30 last night I think Cag and creme will understand; I was just so knackered I couldn't do anymore. Felt really bad.

Mammy the cake looks fab!

Need that looks painful - make sure you rest!

Spent £20 on food as had friends for dinner last night. I made Nigella's Choc Chip Chilli in the slow cooker (adapted slightly) and it was amazing.

Wrecked

Mmmm Nigella's choc chip chilli is divine! Haven't made in ages. Must do so.

Moral question of the day is whether I take all the little showers gels and body lotions from the hotel or not?

need yes. Take them. You've paid for them and they'll get thrown away once you've left.

Need that's not even a question. Take them. Have a good night.

Crème pace yourself for 4 days work.
I went to bed early last night too. Rock and roll Saturday nights.
Bad news on the boiler. Not an expense needed at any time.

Thanks all. The 4 days work will be fine, as it's my normal 1 full day and 3 half days. I'm booked for 3 full days in my normal school the week after though, so will be worn out that weekend.

Have a lovely stay at the hotel, Need.

Planning an NSD here, as most Sundays are. Veggie roast dinner and 2 loads of laundry and that's all.

Planning an nsd here too. Currently curled up on the couch with tea and toast watching Netflix.

Kittycatface snuck into our room again last night and slept under the bed.

Have been browsing Amazon for flasks and other such whatnot.

Morning all

Enjoy the hotel Need can't believe you've never been away without the kids before! I have had a few child free holidays although tbh after the last one i missed dd so much I swore I'd not do it again, that was about 4 years ago!!

Did you mean ystd or when the spider bit me Cath?! Ystd I managed to sit down for about 20 mins before going out to the fireworks and when my leg was bad I think I had a few days off work so I guess I rested then.

Wheres italian gone? Any baby news?!!

I'm still not dressed yet but have had a fairly productive morning, had a lovely cooked breakfast, helped dd with her homework, washed up and have done a load of washing. Not sure if will make the discount village as time is getting on, will see.....

£51.51 lidl
£9.75 poundland
£38 tk maxx

afternoon all.
Wreck your hair looks great. Hope you enjoyed yourself.
Need, that leg looks painful. DP had cellulitis and ended up in hospital so take care of yourself.
Glad you enjoyed dinner Em
Just spent a good hour hoovering up leaves. I was raking them up so DP went and bought a new leaf hooverer upper. It's brilliant as it chops them up as well. Good for leaf mould.
NSD yesterday and again today.
Off to feed the bees now.

Yesterday I meant Girlie. It was just meant as friendly sympathy tbh. No specific meaning intended.

JUst started to rain heavily. Can't feed the bees in this. Have to stay in by wood burner and MN

I've just got dressed. I am ridiculously sleepy today.

Dinner last night was lovely and was super good value. We're in "tennerfest" season here. A lot of local restaurants do special menus for October November. It started out as £10 for 2 courses but the price has crept up over the years.

A lot of the really lovely Michelin started places have really good value menus. Last nights was one of my fave places too the food is great the decor never changes the menu never changes the staff are friendly.

Great great great evening.

I would love to go to Jersey, I'm sure Dh would love it.

Yesterday was £5, Guinness, colour catchers, batteries, fabric softener.
Today £6.50 parking & £5 JL cafe in Birmingham. Dh paid petrol.

Today £63 sainsburys = £54 after vouchers, £14 swimming, £20 lunch, £81 matalan = £47 after vouchers.
Started on the toys to and have a load of stuff to sell and a beginning of a Christmas list for dc

We had a good day. I've been working on rebuilding my RL support network and have been bumping into old friends right and left (partly through ringing their doorbells admittedly). It's nice to see friends I haven't seen for so long and they all look just as much five-years-older as I do, which is a relief.

We had a nice walk out today and got caught in freezing cold rain. It was lovely and fresh but we are glad to be home. We spent almost nothing as usual. Haven't spent much for ages to be honest. It's the house repairs that seem to do it and I haven't been fixing things.

I hope things are going well there. Well done on the recovering need. Do you get better faster because of your impatience? I'm getting a course in "recovery skills" soon and I'm full of curiosity to see if they will just teach me to be impatient.