Boring pasta tonight I think although we do have chorizo to jazz it up a bit. All other fresh veg other than onion and carrot was used up in (delicious) risotto. Why do we always have too much veg and waste it, or too little and run out? Hopefully after christmas I can find the time and energy to get back to batch cooking. Tonight however I suspect I will have to stick Cagletini in the sling in order to cook. Very much resonate with lonely about food being my biggest frugal struggle.
Had been really pondering a main gift for DD1. She is at that in between age, still a young ten I think but much much harder to buy for this year. Anyway on a whim I searched for something I have wanted to get her for years but couldn't afford. Prices have dropped significantly so she's getting that. It's a floor beam for gymnastics practice, unfolds to 8ft! She is on her ikea gym mat all the time so she will absolutely love it. She did ask for a new leotard but she knows she isn't getting one just yet as when she starts doing competitions next year she will need the official one and I'm not buying twice! So this gym related gift will be unexpected. DS has a few smaller toys but they are things he is desperate for like a domino rally and he will definitely love them just as much. Cagletini has barely anything obviously, she doesn't even need clothes at the moment really so just a couple of rattle/teether type things and board books. Just need to allocate everything between givers (money from parents and grandma, they much prefer this way and I'm happy with it too) and double check what fits in stockings.
Still need to finish DSCs and my parents and post things to a little nephew but not much stress involved there as DH has taken it over. I have struggled with the brain work of it all this year whereas normally I enjoy planning it all months in advance! The advantage though is that it has been much easier to cut down. I would still be twitching this time each year no matter how much I'd already spent!!!