Live on £4,000 for a year - 2009, Part 4

Kittikins

Mr T charged me for fresh yeast recently....5p per 20g, so not a budget breaker

I started setting up a 101 things in 1001 days and one of my tasks is to write a meal planner each week. I did it this afternoon, then we popped round to a friend's to return something and ended up staying for tea and yummy vino.

I've just decanted one bottle of blackberry vodka for brother and his gf for christmas and had a drop - it's DIVINE I was planning on giving the second bottle to friends on Sunday, but am now thinking of keeping it.....or maybe I could dilute it a little to fill 2 bottles, as I'm sure it's more syrupy than it could be, and that way I get some too. Slurp!

jtb2412

Ohhhhhhhhh blackyberry vodka !! Might have to have a go at that next year

Busy day ahead here. It's the Guide's Xmas Fayre tomorrow and usual meeting tonight (although we'll be setting up santa's grotto, tables etc). 20 various cakes are out of the freezer (DH made, i'll be glad to get the space back in the freezer!:rolleyes:) and I've got 100 gingerbread men to make today :eek:. There's a major event on in town tomorrow so I'm hoping we'll get a lot of 'footfall' and make loads of money . Bit disappointed as neither the local radio or local paper have said anything about it (despite me pleading and them saying they would happily advertise :mad:).

I'm looking forward to it, but also looking forward to when it's all over so that I can concentrate on the fun Xmas things over the week ahead.

My first lot of Ebay sales went really well (few more things to finish but no bids yet) - made just over £50 :T. That'll be going in the holiday spending fund for now (next year's holiday already paid for, got a great deal if we booked again so we did ).

Right, lunchboxes need making (must get into the routine of doing them the night before :rolleyes::rotfl:). Catch up with you all properly later xx

Kittikins

Yummy, gingerbread men - I made a similar amount of gingerbread xmas trees last weekend, I feel your pain, lol. Hope the fayre goes really well

jtb2412

100 Gingerbread Men = Pain ???? :eek:_pale_ Is there something your not telling me? Something I should know? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:.

Thanks for the good wishes, I always get nervous about these things - nightmare is that no one comes through the door ! Might have to go and steal the town centre's real life reindeer to attract the customers :rotfl:(hmmmmmm now there's an idea !!! - joke !!!)

Kittikins

I felt like a one-woman production line that night....it was fun really

I was worried noone would turn up either, but our school fayre was heaving and we made nearly £2k in 2 hours! I'm sure your's will be great, especially as the girls will all want to come and bring their indulgent parents/grandparents, it's for a really good cause after all.

jtb2412

Wow ...... 2K ! That's great - really well done !!

Right, school run time .......... might pop back on a bit later for a bit of sanity (I think I'm going to need it :rolleyes: )

FrankieM

Morning,
Gosh you ladies are so good. I tend to quietly back away when it comes to baking for the general public...no one would want to buy my child like efforts! I ususally just buy something or get one of my daughters to make something, people don't expect to look any good then.

DH back at work today, DD2 off sick. Quiet day planned. A bit of tidying but thats about it. I've got another veggie meal up my sleeve for dinner....roasted onions, mushrooms, cherry toms & spaghetti & grated cheese. No one has mentioned (at least not to me) the lack of meat!
After reading about all your baking, I may do some flapjack.

Have a good day.

shaz_mum_of__2

mama67 wrote: »

Have had a marathon baking session today; started at 9am; 1 loaf of bread, 36 mince pies, 24 coconut tarts, 24 maids of honour, , 2 quiches cases, 36 s/bread biscuits, 36choc chip cookies, 24 fairy cakes, 3 victoria sandwiches, 1 coffee victoria sandwich butter creamed and iced, 2 fruit loaves, 12 choc choc chip muffins & 12 gingerbread muffins, hopefully this will keep the boys satisfied for the next few weeks.inished, this will hopefully keep the boys full over the next few weeks.

I didn't have to be in work at school today so thought it the best day to do this.

Most is now packed away in the freezer to be pulled out bit by bit as needed.

Whoa you could start a shop there .......................i could pop in..:rotfl::rotfl:


Shaz

jtb2412

Oh my lordy! It was nearly a disaster ! The mix was far too crumbly and I couldn't roll it out for love nor money ! :eek: I was just about to come on here and cry but googled it and found the answer - more water :rolleyes:. Mix was fine after that (phew !)

50 made, another 50 to go but I'm thinking I might do plain biscuits cut into stars, xmas trees etc as not everyone likes gingerbread (she says rather hoping that there'll be a few left over she can buy as they are rather scrummy - cooks perogative to test her wares ! )Just the one had mind, don't want to be ruining my diet .

Tea break at the moment (much needed, I know what you mean by production line now kitti :rotfl:.)

mama67 I was wondering what a 'maid of honour' is? Never heard of them before - can you enlighten me please? :beer:

xnatalie81x

OMG and amazing super duper wonderful freecycler gave me this today

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511PA850QBL._SL500_AA280_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com/Little-Butterfly-Island-Adventure-Playset/dp/B00080VM8G&usg=__765hkngDGuGdd6zRGeF6twt271w=&h=280&w=280&sz=16&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=xggGmkYmzIJLNM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmy%2Blittle%2Bpony%2Bbutterfly%2Bisland%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26hs%3DsEk%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Absolutely amazing condition and now will be daughters main xmas pressie and the dolly set i have bought and wrapped will be saved for b'day on 1st July - i am soooo pleased and my daughter will be absolutely delighted!

Also collecting some paint your own items today - a plate and egg cup (santa pressie for eldest son) and picked up a cordless answer machine phone yesterday! Wonderful wonderful freecyclers!

I asked my partner to leave. I cannot believe it! I finally did it and he took all his clothes and went back to his mums! I told him he needed to change and he saiid he cannot see that he needs to - so we are on our own. WOW - will change all tax creidts and HB again! But easier to remove rather than add thank god!

Budget for next yr b'day pressies looking good already as i have got:

sister a lovely expensive designer set (jan) from cheapie website for £4
a fizz bomb set from asos, a bug luxury bottle of vanilla creme brulee bath stuff (for other sis in sept) and 3 jelly belly lipglosses (will split for xmas for sisters and one for neighbours' daughter 4 b'day in sept) £1.60 -

All coming off 2009 budget he he so 2010 looking gooooooooooooooooooooooood