greent's mfw journey

greent

Thanks habibiboo & Alchemilla


Courgette cake is yummy - although you need to make sure it's thoroughly cooked. It's quite a wet cake and grows 'fur' within a few days so I tend to freeze half


I also make loads of courgette and tomato soup - it's yummy by itself but also makes a good base for pasta sauce or pizza sauce or I've even been known to throw the leftovers into Bolognese and Chilli I grate or chunk and freeze most of my courgettes to use throughout the following months I've been out to check on the garden this morning and although I have none ready right now there are about 8 which will be ready after the weekend with more to come And I think excess runner beans are going to be made into Delia's runner bean chutney: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/preserve/spiced-pickled-runner-beans.html, some of which will then go into the Xmas present stash I'm also going to make plum and cherry jam, but I'm not sure I shall give any of that away as we like it so much! And I may make compost heap apple jelly as I know we'll have LOADS of apple peel and cores! I made plain and chilli versions of this a few years back. It's nice stirred into a pork dish, used instead of apple sauce on pork or I also use it as a topping on veggie burgers http://creatingnirvanatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/compost-heap-jelly.html

greent

Did the school shoe shopping trip yesterday. One advantage of having 2 teens is that their feet have basically finished growing so they only needed actual school shoes, not trainers etc (although that's easier said than done - DS1 has H width feet (they're like spades!) and DD has between a C & D width feet with very long toes (so toe cleavage is an issue) and bad pronation. The two smallies also have narrow feet (D) with skinny heels and ankles - both needed boots as opposed to shoes when tiny to make sure the footwear stayed on! However, now they're bigger, insoles usually help them Big smallie needed trainers as well as school shoes but smallest one only needed shoes as we bought new trainers about 3 weeks ago (and had fit rechecked yesterday) Was *only* £195 in Clarks - that's a cheap trip for us!!! The one year it was £300 with sports shoes...


DD spent some of her exam *reward* money on a Pandora charm, so my mum will be happy - she wanted her to buy something lasting as opposed to spending it all on her main love (books....) - although the charm was of a fairy tale book!


I still need to get DD a plain black v-neck jumper for school - failed so far with M&S and Debenhams. She informs me there's one in Primark - which will do if nothing else can be found, I guess. DS1 could do with another pair of trousers too (he has 2, but I like 3 because boys will be boys, even at 14!) and definitely needs white sports socks (all of his having been thrown after the end of term!) - but I can pick the socks up in Tesco later Then I've got a teeny pile of ironing to do and naming (quick and easy with a Sharpie!) The smallies have still to do their homework, too.... urgh


No real money saving news here, nor OPs. Will try and list some of my huge bag of ebay items this weekend as there is free listing - although I'm struggling to get the motivation to do it!! I dropped our tax return stuff off with the accountants about 6 weeks ago and I'm hoping for news on them any time soon - DH has to be due a rebate from the 2 months salary he had last year!! My plan is that (depending on the size of it) at least half will be OPd - hopefully more


Can't believe the hols are nearly over I enjoy having my brood at home! When they start back to school is always the (slow) start to my Xmas thinking - there's only 122 days to go, after all!! ;-) :-D - which is just over 17 weeks...


On that note I'm off to make another cup of tea xx

CathT

Although it sounds expensive it sounds like the shoe shopping trip came in well under budget. I bought dd shoes in April and as her feet haven't grown am not buying new ones until she needs them. Just need her to stop climbing on walls etc after school and they will last!

I love a good Christmas countdown, it flies once they go back to school. September 1st usually makes me want to make financial, home, Christmas plans. Maybe it's due to the dwindling paydays left of the year!

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

greent wrote: »

Well DD took 12 GCSEs and passed all of them - 3 A*, 4 A and 5 B - so both she and I are very happy with that and her sixth form place and subjects have been confirmed

Brilliant news x x x x x x x

tootallulah

Many congratulations to DD, great that she can do her first picks for A level and that her hard work has been rewarded. I am taking your 17 weeks comment as fair warning. I am going to get one present every two weeks from 1 September, I only need to buy 7 asI already scooped a present for one of my sister in law's when Emma Bridgewater mugs appeared in TK Maxx earlier in the year.

gallygirl

Glad the shoe shop was so 'cheap' :eek:. Terrifying how the costs mount up. I was lucky when mine were small as my MIL worked at Doc Martens and got them cheap. I'd worked in a Clarks shop so knew how to make sure they fitted, if they didn't there was always an extended family member who'd have them.They were great school shoes - incredibly sturdy and the kids thought they were cool :T. Aw, I miss my floral DM's

newgirly

Fantastic news for your dd doing so well in her exams :T

greent

Afternoon all


Yes - the shoe shopping trip this year wasn't too bad I still need to get DD a school jumper and DS1 another pair of trousers, but that's it (and some naming still to do... argh!)


Didn't get anything listed on ebay over the weekend, so must make a start on that, I guess! Not today, though - house resembles a bombsite after the BH weekend. We went to the cinema yesterday - saw 3 different films between the six of us! (Inbetweeners 2, Lucy and How to Train your Dragon 2) - I got to sit in the cinema all by myself (for Lucy) - it was great!!! (being by myself more so than the film, which was ok) The films started within 20 minutes of each other and ended within about 10 minutes of each other, so it worked out really well


It's my wedding anniversary today -19 years (although we've been together for just over 28) No presents, just cards to each other. Not planning a meal out either, as we did that last week anyway and we're also off out for night out by ourselves on Fri (80s night lol) No idea what to do for dinner though!


Weather has really changed over the weekend - it's constantly drizzly and definitely chillier - we've now got a summer weight duvet back on our bed (we'd had just a throw on) and I've gone back to long leg clothes Am seriously thinking of getting one of the 3 tier Lakeland heated drier thingys...


Must go and feed the tribe! Will try and do some catching up later x

unhappy_shopper

Happy anniversary, Mrs and Mr Greent :-)

greent

Thanks u_s x We didn't go out in the end, but did have a yummy takeaway


Not much to report here in the last week. Posted my Aug OP on the 2014 mfw thread. Have decided to leave OP at current level (£850/pm) until January - (although will also still be OPing 'extra' monies like cashback, £2 coins, [EMAIL="eb@y"]eb@y[/EMAIL] etc) and then put it back up to the level we were OPing before DH's period of no work. That should then take us to £1750 off our ultimate target of repaying by end of 2015 - which should be achievable from [EMAIL="eb@y/"]eb@y/[/EMAIL] cashback/ NNS/ £2 coins etc - plus DH is due a tax rebate. That gives us a little more flexibility over the next few months - we're off to Portugal in Oct half term (flights and villa & car paid for, just euros left to get) and it's DH's birthday in Oct, DD's 17th in Dec - and then it's the 'C' word (113 days to go, I believe! ) - and DS2's bday the first week in Jan....


Two of my brood (the smallies) went back to school yesterday (Y4 and Y1) and the teens go back tomorrow (Y12 and Y10) DS1 is finishing off painting the new bit of fence for me today. DD is still plowing through stuff for school (she didn't want to start too much of the holiday prep for her A levels before she got her grades through!) I've enjoyed the holidays - it's been relaxed. Whilst I love having them home, I'm also now looking forward to getting some sort of routine and order back together, especially in the run up to Xmas!


Flapjacks have been baked today ready for lunchboxes (the smallies have been having cakes) and I've most of the prep done for cottage pie for dinner tonight - there's a definite Autumnal feeling about this week. I've just spent some time in the garden - the courgettes are basically over (I've picked lots of small ones - they're not growing now, just rotting if left) with just a few teeny ones I'll see if come to anything. There are still onions and potatoes in the ground and beans growing (and a HUGE pumpkin) and the plums are also over. The pear trees and apples are abundant, so I need to make some chutneys and freeze some fruits for use over the winter months As a result, we're having a freezer-food month where possible - I need to create some room for the garden produce!!! It'll also hopefully keep down grocery spends - I've set a target of £300 for the month (just our food (not household stuff) and guinea pig food) - let's see how I get on lol! I'm also back on the SW wagon, so need to take that into account.... Food spends so far for Sept total £49.17 - but I did a HUGE shop at Aldi to use their £5 voucher and some of the other vouchers in last week's paper). Hopefully this weekend should just be milk/ bread/ f&v/ sandwich stuff.


Right - off to tackle my lovely ironing with catch up tv and a cuppa!
xx