The Friendly Frugaleers - Furtively planning Christmas, as August arrives

[StoogingOn]

Welcome one and all!

Got a load of stuff to take to the tip today. Few jobs to do round the house. DS needs swim shorts.

Argh, the kids are really winding each other up today. I’m hiding in the bedroom while DH takes a turn at juggling them! DM leaves tomorrow and we’re really going to miss her

We’re foig to a christening in a couple of weeks, just after we get home. I have literally nothing suitable to wear... I’ll need to panic buy something. I also need to get a christening gift - any ideas? I wouldn’t want it to look too cheap but ideally don’t want to spend a fortune! My thoughts are a piece of jewellery (for when she’s older - I’m not a fan of baby jewellery), a special edition of a book, er....

*going to a christening

Nice book sea, like pooh or wind in the willows, cash for bank account. I usually give £20. Doesn't need to be overly dressy for church.

Some cards do knock refunds off the min but I wouldn't rely on it as it depends on processing times for the refund and claiming the dd. Payment claiming can start 10 days before the cash goes out on some cards.

I am having a day by myself today. I am on holiday but dh has got a couple days of work. He has taken the kids. DS to sort out bikes they are borrowing for the Belgian cobbles and DD to re do the shop signs - she did one last time she was in to stave off boredom, which has highlighted how bad the others are. I am deciding between binge TV, sorting the washing, making a shirt and skirt or doing a draw. Maybe a combination of all of them. Decisions decisions.

On a total tangent... you know the bit at the end of a pasta recipe where they say to put some of the pasta water in the sauce and you never do because it will make it too watery like what happens when you drain the pasta in a rush. Well do it..... It makes a huge difference. Just a small scoop - 100ml stir it in and let it cook in while you drain the pasta properly. The spag bol has been elevated to the last meal before being executed status by dh.

seacow have you seen the lost my name books? There's loads of different ones that are personalised. I bought one for a christening we went to a few years ago. You can also add a personalised message in the front.

Spent £40 on gap last night thanks to the Christmas bargain thread. Had a code for 50% off including already reduced things. Got both dds boots, trainers, t-shirts, jeggings and a jumper for dd2. The code is NOWGAP if anyone's interested 😁

I love clothes and have far too many, my weakness is character t-shirts, I have at least 50 different ones! QWERTEE is my favourite website 😁 haven't bought any for ages so doing well!

I'm also finding these holidays quite isolating, dh works alot and my mum has a new boyfriend so I'm not seeing her as much, so I can go all day without any adult conversation, sometimes a couple of days if dh gets home after I'm in bed. Dds are arguing constantly too, and the constant attitude is grating on me. Mine are 9 and 6 this has been the hardest holidays yet as friends all seem to be holidaying or busy so not seen many people. Also been torrential rain here so haven't got out anywhere to burn off energy.

I would be thrilled to find I had a box of brownies for my lunch Wreck.

We'vejust got back from another blackberrying trip. Another half kilo and we picked up a few windfall apples. Free food!

Spends today.

£2.25 on a coffee (I know I know) and a Danish for breakfast.

I wandered across the road to work then dropped my coffee while I was hunting in my bag for my pass for the door 😭

Ffs.

Morning!

Just catching up. em sounds like you’re almost there! I love decluttering, and have often thought of making a small business out of it. My friend is a self employed cleaner, so maybe we could offer a package? Hmmmm...

Had such a lazy day yesterday, we all just dossed about, doing nothing much, it was lovely.

Today got to get a few bits of food to keep us going til we go away on Thursday. Got to nip to the travel agents to load up our cash passport with money, and I’ll take our passports to check in as well. Then catching up with a friend, not seen her for a couple of weeks. But that at my house so just need to buy a nice cake while I’m out.

Full of a cold too. Shovelling ibuprofen down my neck and decongestant up my nose to stop it from bothering me.

Are you sure that was accidental wreck :o mmm brownies. As long as they weren't magic brownies I'm sure he will cope :o

I was isolated when I had the Caglets too. I had DD at 20 and in fact most of my college/school peers still don't have kids (I'm now 31) even though I am on my second go round as it were! I didn't have 'mum friends' until I started home ed 3 years ago, it changed my life as much as the Caglets'.

I think a beautiful book would be good as a present, there is a stunning version of Narnia, all the books in one big hardback, fully colour illustrated and the text is in two columns. Can't link on phone but it has a huge Aslan face on it.

I've never added pasta water to the sauce, good idea! What I have done recently is cook the spaghetti in with the tomato based sauce and added more water to that. Utterly gorgeous as the pasta itself was really tomatoey!

Helping my friend with notes before mediation. Do not look forward to it.
Dh is home with dd2. He's doing thethe house ect today with her so we are ready for work tomorrow. Dd1 is at kindergarten, she really wanted to go so ended her holiday a day earlier.

Nocuts sounds like we are quite similar in our geekery! Do qwertees tumble dry ok do you know? I'd like to get some when I finally add to my wardrobe. DH has lots of geeky tees too but I find it difficult, normal tees look crap on my giant boobs . My DD recently got rid of a tiny top as she could no longer fit, it was totoro flying on a background of van gogh's starry night, perfect for her!

Good luck scandi you're a great friend helping with this.

DSS is here for a board game day, I am resting as much as possible. TBH I have been failing at pacing myself as I am so happy and excited that I have pushed a bit too much getting stuff like unpacking and cleaning done when I really should have rested more. It is very frustrating!

Hope you feel better soonCurls. Colds are rubbish!

Having a better day today actually. I think getting outside first thing really makes a difference to our day. DD1 burns off some energy and we all have some fresh air.

Dts are now asleep but I can see the bin lorry coming down the road to no doubt make a huge racket and disturb them. I don't know why they come so late. When I was a kid they'd have been and gone before we got up.

A lovely children's book would be a perfect Christening gift. Alice in Wonderland?

curls i know many ppl who would buy a service like that.
Here in Denmark for christening it's common to give books from Hans Christian Andersen or a little silver cross for when they are older. Dds also received a pension fund which I found funny and quite useful
Lsd today. Bought dh pack of cigarettes for the week and my friend and I have just had a kebab for lunch before going so 10£ in total.
I've ordered dd1 a new spider dress, found a sawing lady( no idea what they are called in English sorry) that can sew after her size and in the print she wants. And found a 2nd hand molo with safari animals on for 8 £ that Im going to get her aswell

cag your pasta dish sounds like my onepot pasta dish that we often make. Where we add all the component in one pot from the start and then it cooks itself in to a yummi easy pot of pasta.

Soft play this morning. It is a world of hell for me but they boys ran around like loons for an hour and a half. £8 including parking, we took our own drinks. Need to think of something free this afternoon....are blackberries ripe yet? Hmmm.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/one-pots/best-ever-one-pot-pasta-recipe-collection/amp/

scandi sawing lady = seamstress. Or in my case sweary lady. I made a beautiful top this morning only to try it on to find the sleeves are too narrow. It is an old pattern I had in my box - I had forgotten to read the note to me to make the sleeves wider. DD now has a top. All French seamed and neat.

I am sulking.

no just ordered a windbreaker from Gap for £8.49. Should keep DS2 going until winter coat time. Thanks for the tip!

Hi all
A busy but successful morning.
Have done all the washing, unfortunately it is raining here so couldn't put it out on the balcony, so used the dryer and the airers.
Have cleaned the bathroom and kitchen.
Have culled DD2 clothes again and have a bag that is to small, I only culled them in June, she is growing at an alarming rate!

Just having some lunch then will tackle her toys, which she will be helping with and has already said that I can take some to work (I work in a nursery) and the rest we can drop off at the charity shop during the week.

Ds was given a copy of the complete works of peter rabbit and friends as a christening gift. It’s beautiful.

Potential big spend alert. We offered on the house we saw at lunchtime. It has: 3 double bedrooms, nice living room dining room. Big garden. Nice kitchen. Garage (with washing machine dryer fridge freezer storage inside washing line...), downstairs shower room. Newly decorated. “Round the corner” stairs and a round the corner under stairs cupboard. It’s in a built up area but this is good as no one can build up around it. Parking for 3. Scope to extend out back if needed.

Eek. Just waiting now. The sellers are moving into a new build. And need to be gone by the end of October. We are now cash buyers. So hopefully that works in our favour.

Today I have done nothing except play (read: kick butt at) ticket to ride, and finally downgrade my bank account.

Also Cagletini took her first step unaided. Just the one mind!

Pork belly for lunch. With potato waffles :o

Oooh xpost em!!! Exciting!

Yay!!! cagletini xxx clever girl xxx