Safely into a frugal September saving as we go...

[northender]

New thread. Thought I needed to get back on track.

I need to start early Christmas shopping.

I’ve handed in my assignment. Wahooo.

Am
Sat at my desk currently with a hot water bottle on my back. Pilates yesterday pulled a muscle. Should not be feeling like this!!!

Now that the assignments in I can focus on the next job which is sorting our bedroom. New furniture arrived today so need to empty old stuff and re organise. Yay.

Feeling v sleepy today.

I suspected the picker might have missed them. I'll go in store myself as I buy loads for Christmas and usually have to rebuy them about twice I haven't tried the share bar will give it a go.

Mrs how is your neighbour doing? I was thinking about him today (hope that doesn't sound odd)

Christmas do it!!! You deserve a nice treat and every time you use them you'll be glad you did.

em what's the plans for your room then?

evening people.

Love I am so sorry I missed your wedding. I hope you had a lovely day.

Camden love the chairs. And love the beureau girlie so very talented the pair of you.

sea my mother always rings half way through the arguments I have with Dh. It is so unsatisfactory.

Wolf YaY for the promotion pay rise being sorted out. About Bloody time too!

I am going to need your help …. normally we go away at Christmas and before we did that run around like blue arsed flies between IL and my parents houses.. This year it is looking very unlikely that either will happen so I have said we will do a proper Christmas at home. I need your best Christmas traditions because we don't have any despite my kids being 15 and 18.

I know DD will want cocktails. I will look out for Chocolate Oranges as they are always welcome. DD has said she will do the decorations - we are going to be in for a treat with them.

Well done Happier

I've done a tiny bit of Xmas shopping but most of it is for ds's birthday before hand really. I'm getting really frustrated with Ocado lack of stock and substitutions at the moment

£150 joiner

Unescorted- steak dinner Xmas eve with bubbly, stollen wreath for Xmas breakfast, stocking opened in my bed whilst I have a cuppa - even though he's a teen we will always do this I think.

Oo oo Christmas traditional stuff here. Take or leave

Lead up; Santa/ Christmas Day out
Eve Eve Sainsbury's shop and baking
Eve collect turkey, prep veg, christingle as they refuse Catholic service. New PJs, track Santa on google or NORAD, hot chocolate, takeaway for dinner or curry

On the day stocking in our bed, light breakfast pastry toast selection box or suchlike as we lunch early, present flurry and tidy up,
In laws at lunch, post lunch walk, picky tea.
Day after boxing Day leftover, walks, lazing round

Boxing Day is Christmas Day on repeat at DM. Not this year though

£50 hair, £11 Aldi, £££ Christmas thread

Buy the towels

Good point re Christingle Life

Xmas films every weekend in December

Yy to mad Xmas eve eve dash round Sainsbury's at stupid o'clock

Presents at home xmas morning. Xmas lunch and tea at dm's. Presents after washing up from lunch. Friends in the evening for drinks - probably not this year mind you.

Yes Christmas movies especially Xmas Eve but from 1 Dec.
5 ahem Christmas trees, lots of lights twinkling

Evening all, it’s been so rainy and grey today. I’ve put the heating on, I’m absolutely freezing. We had prawn tikka masala for tea, the DC’s dad came over to drop off some clothes he bought for them. He’s going on a date tomorrow, I have no feeling for him but I hate it for the DC. If this works out he’ll most likely stop coming over again and start letting them down like before. Oh well, no point stressing yet. I’m so tired today, I can’t wait to get to bed. DS was back at nursery today so things have returned to normal. I’m going to finish my Christmas buying on the weekend, I think I might just buy it all in one go, or at least all the kids stuff. I’m worried about not being able to get much this year.

That view is lovely em, your room looks gorgeous too.

Great news about being debt free happier!

wolf great news about the pay!

mrs I’m glad mum bob are well, thanks for your kind words about the DC❤️

Christmas traditions!
We always do a drive looking at the Christmas lights, lots of crafts like salt dough baubles, gingerbread house making etc, watch Xmas films, winter walks in the woods, quite controversial but we do elf on the shelf.
On Christmas Eve we do a Christmas Eve box, that has pj’s, activity packs, hot chocolate etc in. That’s left by the elves when they go back to the North Pole. I do the obvious food prep. Will do a walk with the family. Get back, make cookies for Santa. Dinner is McDonald’s. Bath with new bath bomb, get into new pj’s. Hot chocolate in front of the fire, watch some Christmas films. Leave out Santa’s treats and then read the night before Christmas then bed.
On Christmas Day, stockings opened on my bed (about 5am). Presents opened downstairs. Breakfast is always chocolate, then at about 9 will have croissants. Kids play with toys I’ll cook lunch, have that about 2. Then another walk after lunch.

Sorry I haven’t replied to everyone, I’m so tired.

Always carrot mince pie and milk for Santa

Oh and un frugality the house is now on the market

I have just come upstairs to bath the DC and have been met with this heap of washing I forgot I had left out to sort. Please can somebody send an extra pair of hands as I do not have the energy

Aww orange I'd lend a pair of hands. You sound shattered can you leave it until tomorrow?

Unescorted I don't really have any Christmas traditions either as being a shift worker has meant not always being available to carry them out. If I were you I'd enjoy the first year where you get to relax without a schedule - eat drink and be merry. I think that's what I'll do this year 🤞

I can’t really think of many Christmas traditions. We always go for a scoot/walk early evening to see the neighbours Christmas lights.

We don’t make our own gravy for Christmas dinner after DH made himself ill one year after trying to make it (after a really stressful time at work too) .

We normally go to a big family day on Boxing Day, so that will have to be rethought this year.

Finally! Great news on the pay wolf

Well done on the credit cards happier

I questioned DH about an insurance payment that went out on our credit card. Turns out he meant to cancel it and went with another company. Reminded him today to get it cancelled, so he finally did and getting our refund £150. Good thing I noticed!

Sea hope you bought those towels well done on the early Christmas shopping too !
Em your room looks lovely as it is imho , far nicer than my tired old stuff hope your pulled muscle feels better too love
Born I noticed you are a shift worker are you a Nurse? I did my fair share of Christmas Eve/Day nights so l really sympatise with you it's horrible having to leave the Dc to go to work at Christmas
Love that was a stroke of luck
Orange bless you love, it is all the washing from Ds vomiting is it ? l can remember those piles of washing very well too !
We have the heating on now glad Ds is getting there too
Your plans for Christmas sound lovely too
Life yay to house on the market
Lovely Christmas plans too Wolf well done on the Christmas shopping !
Unescorted you have got lots of plans to chose from the girls here have come up with loads
We have just watched the Repair shop and The Blitz on BBC2 it was excellent .

Born That is so kind of you to think about my Neighbour , very sadly he died on Monday night , his wife and daughters were with him. He never regained conciousness so he didn't suffer or know anything about it but very upsetting for his wife and family. He was a really lovely man l liked him very much

born I’ve emptied the old dresser. And have filled tallboy with my things. If I file fold I can fit everything in. Just. Maybe some purging needs to happen.

I want to sort an ottoman bench thing for under the window (my side) for more storage. And need to get more storage baskets for my drawers (for make up, bras pants and socks). The ones I have only just fit.

Need to declutter under the bed. And make sure things are stored properly.

Charity shop are picking up old dresser and tv stand on Friday. Yay!

I love Christmas traditions. We always used to stay up late on Christmas Eve when I was a kid. So we’d have a late lunch then a supper of French onion soup and cheesey bread. And after supper we’d be allowed to open one present. Like a stocking gift.

Then at mum and dads it’s always coffee and croissants for breakfast. With black currant jam butter and Buck’s Fizz. Always.

Last year dsis gave the dc a Christmas Eve box.

We did stocking presents in our bed in the morning then santa presents downstairs after.

This year is going to be the first Christmas ds really gets. He totally got his birthday so Christmas will be super fun!!!

My complaint to John Lewis resulted in a £5 gift voucher so that was nice! Went back online and ordered exactly the same blinds again, see if they turn up this time!

I'm now looking at rugs and coffee tables!

Dd made me cry a lot tonight, I know it's the ED but God she can be so selfish. It's really hard to accept she cares more about the ED than she does about me 😢

Thank you lovely ones... Thank you lovely ones... Born thankfully for the last 4 years I have not had to do anything, beyond booking time off and being a lazy lounger.
AnOrange I can feel salt dough decorations happening. wolf breakfast in bed and absolute definite.

Santa socks.... I am thinking sweets, colouring book (ironic style), socks, underwear, jim jams and an alarm clock set for 11am. What are the chances of people not being able to get home.... I am thinking a drop in for friends. Long buffet?

Girlie of course she love you but she is not well , bless you lovely,
I can ony imagine how hard you are finding it to deal with
Em your Christmas Past sounds just lovely

Unescorted they have done you proud haven't they

Mrs yes I'm a nurse. I also make up the off duty for my ward which over the Christmas period is a nightmare. No one wants to work Christmas and this year with COVID it's going to be much worse. We always had a nice day with lots of sweets and treats and none of that will be possible and god knows what will happen if the patients aren't allowed visitors.

Your poor neighbour. I hope his family find some comfort in being able to spend time with him and say goodbye. That's down to you Mrs if you hadn't been there they might not have got him back. My dad had a cardiac arrest and although he didn't survive we got to spend a few days in ICU with him and to say all the things we wouldn't want left unsaid.