Old Style Diary Archive - DEC 05

frugglewump

Well yesterday was that 13 dish feast I mentioned a month or so ago and today we roasted chicken, lamb and beef. The leftovers now everyone is leaving are enough food to last 10 days and the stock shoudl be the base of 3 good soups.

This was actually a very hard weekend because we have have no heating or hot water since Friday morning. I have never done that much washing up before when the only hot water source is the kettle and a pot on any spare hob. The heating engineer was supposed to arrive 9.30am saturday morning, but will not now arrive until 6pm tomorrow because his van broke on friday. It would have been nice if I had been told that before 4pm saturday, but by then everyone was here and the cooking had been going for 4 hours. Still it was a good time and that many people in this small flat warmed it up considerably.

calleyw

Well today has been wrapping presents. Well husband did, best not let me near them if you want them to look halfway pretty :snow_laug

Tree up. Gift tags made.

Did a finish off of shopping this morning and returned something to B&Q forgot I had some sugar soap left in the shed. oops.

Anyway just did a total of christmas present spending and it is :j

Including BOGOF's, vouchers, freebies and extra boots points acquired while buying presents etc. The total is £58 for 11 people. Just need to write two cheques for my stepchildren of £20 each and then we are done. I worked out if I had paid full price for everything it would have been a stagging £168. So once cheques written less than an £100. Of course that does excluded our presents to each other but as they come out of personal money don't count them.

So well happy and because of my bargain shopping it looks like everyone has loads.

Shame it starts all over again in Jan for the first birthday and another two in feb as well as valentines day.

Ho hum. Never mind.

On and need to get the turkey of some sort and a few bits and pieces of a buffet tea and we are done. Plus I have £4 Luncheon vouchers and £2.50 in clubcard vouchers as well so that will keep the price down. As the joint account is rather bare at the moment.

Also got accepted (on friday)for a 9 month 0% credit card so that means our freezer will be bought after christmas. No more standing in the supermarket debating if I can buy that item because I have no room in my freezer on my fridge/freezer. :snow_laug .

Might even pop out to the pub for a half later.


Yours


Calley

Sweet_Pea_2

I've been missing MSE. Been really busy both at home and at work so not able to keep up with all the gossip.
Anyway - all Xmas cards are posted. Trees have been up for a couple of weeks. 99% of Xmas food is bought. All pressies are now bought, and nearly all wrapped (OH does this) He bought the last pressie, DD2's loft bed, from Ikea on Friday. I've broken up from work for three weeks! Yippee!! :snow_grin
DD2 had her nativity on Thursday, it was fantastic, but aren't they all? Managed to avoid crying like a baby this year (so embarassing!) DD1 has her choir carol concert on Tuesday night. Has anyone noticed there is always one parent, (same parent) who gets front row seats in all school productions, so have a fantastic view? There is a parent like this at DD's school. She has one in DD2's class and one in DD1's class and it's become a standing joke in our family that she is always there on the front row. I'm sure she pays the teachers to save her a seat or something. :rolleyes:
Both DD's were in the church nativity this morning. Felt eyes welling up but managed not to make a total fool of myself. DD2 was Mary, everyone said she looked angelic (miscasting, totally) but its amazing what mischief blonde hair, blue eyes and a downcast expression can hide.
I told OH not to buy me anything this year because I really cant think of anything I want, and we have run out of money. I realized just how MSE has changed my attitude to money. I would rather stay in budget and have something next year if I can think of anything, rather than withdraw money from the savings. I dont feel Im missing out either, I'm really happy with all Ive achieved with my Old Styling, and Im so looking forward to the New Year when I can put more Old Style/moneysaving plans into action.
Have had some bad news though, we have a leak in the hot water tank, :mad: nothing major, but it means draining the central heating and hot water tank. This means OH will have to dismantle half my kitchen to get to the necessary pipes - in his wisdom he decided to box them in and tile over them a couple of years back when we had a new kitchen, despite pleas not to. Its tempting fate isnt it? Anyway, at least OH and FIL have the know how between them to sort it out without the need for a plumber (fingers crossed) so it could be worse, will just feel miserable every time I enter my previously nicely decorated kitchen to view the devastation within.
Never mind eh, I've got three weeks off work, think I'll have a fake baileys to celebrate. :beer:

kiwichick

Blimey, starting the thread 2 days in a row..............where is everyone???

DS (2) has been up since 5, dd2(1) since 4.30, I didnt go to bed till gone 1am so feeling the strain today.

Going to call the doc as soon as they open and get my apt for tomorrow changed to today. Need to get myself sorted sooner rather than later.

Todays plan is xmas party for DD1(3) at school then home to make a cheesecake - YUM YUM. A nice chilled one not baked (yuck). Cant wait to eat it, just have to track down some gelatine first. DH yesterday asked me if it was the same as gellegnite(sp) - DUH, as if I'm making it with explosives!

Off to make some more coffee and get on with BM.

Chat later,
Al.

Penny-Pincher!!

Morning Kiwi & All

Not a good night and in alot of pain today :mad: Never mind!

DW on and will get OH to empty when done. WM half loaded but not enough to put on yet. Toilet cleaned. House pretty much clean and tidy.

Have SIL coming today to do some bits and pieces around the house. OH is currently painting (since 6am) the woodwork downstairs Have a parcel being collected via courier today and have a huge shop coming from Asda between 3-5pm. Includes all the xmas stuff and small amount of booze

Suppose to have a rhumy appointment today but really not well enough to go, so will call and put off till january. Really need to take it easy today, so am just going to lay on sofa with pillow and quilt and chill :rolleyes:

OH is going to clear some of the back garden as its still quite a mess with stuff from his office and looks like a builders yard! Think he may do a tip run if theres any big items that are past its date..lol.

Breakie:chicken, may, sweetcorn sarnie :rolleyes:
Lunch:Baked Spud with chicken curry
Dinner:Lamb (from last night), mash and veg

Will cach up later. Have a great day everyone!

PP
xx

kiwichick

Hugs to you PP, I hope you manage to curl up somewhere warm and get a proper rest.

Caterina

Hi

I can't believe it, I am just the third to post today, have I fallen off the bed or wot!

KC & PP, sorry to hear that you both had bad nights with unwellness and pain, I hope you will feel better soon! Esp. with children around it is ever so difficult to be able to look after ourselves and give ourselves time to heal properly! (((((((((HUGS)))))))))

My *extremely difficult* mother arrives tomorrow and I was up at the crack of dawn today trying to tidy and clean and scrub - useless pursuit as she ANYWAY will find holes to pick and defects to criticise - she is just that way. Have I made a tremendous mistake in inviting her? Wish me luck, I have her from tomorrow to 11th January....

Anyway, today is total springclean day, my cleaner is coming too even if it was not her day (more money to spend *grrrr*) and I am going to beg her on my knees to give me a few hours during the Xmas hols to give me a hand and to keep the house to a reasonable standard (not that it would ever achieve Her Majesty's standards, mind you!)

Off to scrub now,

love to all

Caterina

ancasta_2

RARGH, morning mateys. :j

Today is the start of my 3 weeks of hols. wooooo.

Not got much planned except wedding planning, wedding planning and more ... wedding planning.

Hopefully should be able to save a £ or two if i dont leave the house, cant spend anything if i dont go anywhere to spend it.

My wedding planning website is up and running and looking cool. Will post the link later.

Gotta do a bit of a mammoth shop today as i have been putting it off for about 3 weeks now. ha ha.

Will post back later <<huggles>> to all those who need em.

Katie

Ticklemouse

Morning everyone. (((hugs))) to PP and kiwi and hello ancasta, good to see you back. Not forgetting you, Caterina, I can totally sympathise with you over the impending royal visit :snow_laug

Today I have to take Mr TM to Liverpool airport - he's coming back on Friday evening on the same flight as MIL (I had to sort this, he wanted to come back on a different one Like I have time and money to do 2 x 100 mile round trips)

Anyway, DS1 off to school, DS2 monkeying around downstairs and Mr TM snoring (I made him get up and give the boys their brekkie so he's had to go back to bed ) Before I leave for the airport, I want to put WM and TD on, and stick a chicken in the SC for tonight. I need to vac downstairs again as we had to tree 'swapping' ceremony last night - the new one looks totally fab. The star nearly touches the ceiling and we have tall rooms. I've had to put 460 lights on it too :eek: :xmassmile and yes it looks like this :xmastree:

Ok, I've just seen lots of grubby finger marks on my newly cleaned windows in here, so I'll give them a 'buff' while I think of it and go and feed the brekkie monster aka DS2 some more weetabix.

Have a good day :rudolf:

TM

BWZN93

Morning!

Another day off today and its lovely, but I so need it, as ive come down with a stinking cold. My dad is coming to visit today though, so that will be nice. He hasnt seen the flat yet so I get to show off! He will be here in about an hour though so I need to get my skates on and have a quick shower.

I dont have much planned for the day as ive done my shopping, and all I need is a few bits of food. I got a home phone from argos as they reduced it by £20, and I had £23 of vouchers left over so it only cost me £27, and then bought myself some benefit make-up, taking full advantage of the 500 extra points offer and getting some facewash etc with the points for nothing.

Anyway, must dash, hope you all have a nice day!

Jo xx