Festive frugaleering - Merry Christmas, and a happy 2019 to you all.

[AutumnLeaves12]

Welcome to the new thread!

FIRST

Thanks for the new thread!

Yay! That was really fun. Thanks for that.

Yay, new thread!

Beef, pork pies and bacon collected from butchers. Presents collected from my parents house and now hidden in the boot of the car. Red cabbage, pigs in blankets and stuffing all currently defrosting.

DH is working, hope he’s back soon. We are meeting friends at the pub for an early doors beer or 2.

Ahoy! Cheers for the new thread and merry Christmas Eve to all.

Quiet day here. I did a last dash round Asda yesterday which was crowded enough to last me a year. Just doing housework and wrapping last few bits (mostly for Boxing Day when DSCs come over but I’d still rather get it done)

Thanks autumn
And sneaky

Veg mostly prepped. Must get cabbage from freezer and make piggies later

Woo hoo new thread thanks autumn

List of chores for the afternoon

• steam potatoes for stuffing
• cook ham
• make stuffing
• wrap last few items for ds
• communicate with h
• attend mass
• buy trifle milk & sliced pan
• put dc in bath

Some of these things can be done simultaneously

Thanks Autumn and Happy Christmas Eve to you all

Thanks for the new thread.

Have been out and bought stuff. £40 in lidl, £28 in tescos, but that included 2 pairs of very reduced pj's for me (£5 each). And £50 in pets at home. Snake food, biorb filter kit and cleaner thing. And a roll of vet bed for the dogs to eat

So, the girls are doing their room (and just about not falling out, I have only threatened to cancel christmas once so far), I have done ds' and have the living room to go. A trip to the tip will be needed shortly. Will stop for a cup of tea at my parents when we go.

I've been watching 'A Christmas Carol' on C4 and ironing bedding for the guest bedroom.

We've made it through the sound of music nearly until Maria comes back to the house, which means I have also explained the whole history of the second world war to ds, and also which people are flirting with who. It's a complicated story to explain.

Also sat in the sun in a t-shirt, and played three things from the nice grade 3 piano book my neighbour gave me.

The horn section are playing the switch. It's a full time job apparently.

Sounds like an ideal use of Christmas Eve to me! I am very excited to play the PS4, just need to decide whether to play Crash or Spyro first. The Caglets don’t know we have also bought Minecraft, they have wanted this for aaaaages (we are very behind the times) so will be ecstatic.

House gradually getting cleaner though, I forgot to take my tablets on time AGAIN 🙄 so need to sort some kind of food before taking them. DD has wrapped some presents, she’s getting quite good!

When history looks back on this era, they are going to find a nation with very strong thumbs.

We have minecraft for the ps4...all 4 dc play together on it! Which is very, very unusual!!

Just 2 games new this time, lego world for ds (he cried when he didn't get it for his birthday it's cheaper now ) and scribblenaughts for dd3, the girls all play this on their tablets. Great download games have been 'overcooked' and 'gang beasts' much hilarity until it inevitably goes wrong.

I have a feeling my present is a ps4 controller. If it is, it had better be a cool colour. Just saying.

Three bin bags filled (sigh). Just packing the car for the tip, while my epic little gtech charges! Simply the best little hoover I've ever had. Have 2 filters for it though, one to use and one to wash.

Which Crash game Cag?

Hello from the 😁

Ahoy! Christmas has just started for me. Lots of rushing around this morning tidying up and putting things away (piles of clean laundry, also the to-be-returned-Boden Mountain). Then I checked my email and saw that work had emailed me a document that they wanted to send out today but needed me to edit so I did that. Took less than an hour thankfully. Then baked peanut butter cookies for Santa. Then took the kids out for a cheese toastie while the Cleaner cleaned the house (Monday is her regular day but I’ve never appreciated it more than today!)

Spends today: £60 in tips (Cleaner and milkman) and £6 on bananas, butter and orange matchmakers (the essentials ) .

48-hr suspension of diet has started a little early with some very runny cheese and biscuits and a small chocolate Santa from my advent calendar. Happy days indeed.

I’ve half assembled the trifle, now just need to make pecan pie and Yorkshires (my slow oven struggles to get back up to high enough heat at the end of a big roast marathon so I thought I’d make them today and then warm up at the end tomorrow). I know people have posted Yorkshire advice on here but I didn’t make a note of it... I am going to do what James Martin tells me unless anyone else jumps in persuasively .

Fancy fish pie for dinner. No doubt I shall watch DD throw her scallops and king prawns on the floor in disgust 🙄

Merry Christmas everyone 😘🎄🎉🥂

We've been playing Hungry Hippos for at least an hour

Thanks for the thread Autumn

We’ve been playing Fifa on the Xbox this aft. My defence is very good. Can’t score for toffee though.

Orthodontist was nice and ds has a big enough issue to both be covered on the nhs and avoid the four year waiting list so in some respects that’s not good news whilst also being good news at the same time.

£27 Sainsbury’s, £15 Starbucks for lunch (the independent chicken shop was closed), £5 ice cream shop. I need to stop spending things

I’ve had a nasty bang on the head due to carelessness (3rd in two weeks and second since Friday) and I suspect I’m going to get my second facial bruise this week from it. Feeling grim and somewhat stupid!

Bathroom cleaned again, kitchen swept and mopped, inside of all windows cleaned and a quick vacuum round. I’m done now just need to make dinner later.

The new trilogy one :o looks proper “old school” as does the spyro. They were the sorts of things we used to play when we had a ps2 pre kids.

Great news re braces although of course I get what you mean about it also not being great that he needs it. Still as an adult with dreadfully wonky teeth I say bite their hands off with enthusiasm :o

DH is braving the dentist for the first time in errrrm... no idea. He was going to anyway now that I’ve confronted my fear myself, but his filling has come out or some such so it kind of forced him into it.

Ahoyhoy! Didn’t have to go into work. Boss sorted it and we can do everything via email and I’ll do the paperwork on Thursday. Phew. However...the client in question has seemingly forgotten that a) Christmas and b) office closed. As I’ve had about a million emails suggesting I do xyz and redate documents we signed last week as of yesterday. Can’t do that as no one was available to sign yesterday.... I’ve ignored them and will deal on Thursday.

We’ve picked up the meat £43 in total (pork, fancy cordial, herbs two lemons and some oatcakes) had lunch with dparents and dsis (Dm paid) and have done a booze run (£63).

Now home. Ds was an absolute superstar in the pub. Smiled at everyone ate all his lunch (bits off of everyone’s plate) didn’t make a fuss etc. He’s napping. I’m contemplating a nap.

All I've left to tick off my list is wrap ds presents which I'm about to do.
Have added

• get turf in
• clean bathroom
• clean dining room table
• put on a wash
• make butternut squash soup in instant pot for maiden dish ✅ it's very garlicky
• shower

Dc went to h's hopefully he'll shower ds
Sounds like you're all having good days too.

Thank you for the new thread Autumn.

A bit like you wolf and seacow, I've gone into a bit of a frenzy of sorting, cooking and doing today. House is spotless, table laid for Christmas dinner tomorrow (very pretty too), all veggies prepped, tea made for tonight (homemade pizza), dogs walked, last cards distributed, quick dash to M&S as I'd forgotten brandy butter and it will be noted by DSiL.... Hope the head is okay.

A night in and family games. The Christmas tradition of cinema and meal has gone out of the window as no one can decide which film they want to see. Cheaper and less stressful anyway.

I'm having a G&T!