Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

Hardup_Hester

This Christmas I'm paying towards some new kitchen flooring for my DD, she has bare boards at the moment. Even the money I would normally spend of the DGC is going towards the floor. The other grandparents go mad, competing to see who can spent the most, so the children won't go short.

flowertotmum

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

This Christmas I'm paying towards some new kitchen flooring for my DD, she has bare boards at the moment. Even the money I would normally spend of the DGC is going towards the floor. The other grandparents go mad, competing to see who can spent the most, so the children won't go short.

Thats what i mean..its a thoughtful gift that your dd needs...and it will be appreciated so much...my dd's inlaws compete..i let them get on with it..foolish people..

goodgodthatonesevenbigger

I know all about the Grandparents going mad. i remember a few years back having make 3 runs back from the Grandparents house just for the pressies they bought my 2 kids, what shocked me even more was i found out later they were still paying off the loans they had took out from the year before for the xmas pressies. even tho we insisted they didn't do it they still did it. and the kids didnt even play with most of the stuff it just sat in their toy boxes until they had out grown them and they got passed on to the charity shops

flowertotmum

Yep my parents do that too..lots of things that the girls won't play with..much rather they gave one gift that i know will be loved and cherished..instead of the huge amount that won't even get looked at..

joslimmer

Like the Ikea throw idea, will have to add those to my ongoing Ikea list - needs to be long enough to face the queues.

pagangirl

Thanks for all birthday wishes, feeling more upbeat today, specially since I studied the so called 'medical' report and found out it was a load of b*llsh*t, including two things that were blatant lies as I hadn't been asked to do them. Have decided it is now war, and friend is taking me to advice centre in morning with all paperwork. jaxx46- thanks for financial advice.

Frugal & Katholicos - big hugs to you both and your families - my thoughts are with you.

Northwest1965 - congratulations hunny - may you have a long & happy married life.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


[FONT=&quot][Quote Mrsvegplot - [/FONT][FONT=&quot]I can remember my dad picking up a phesant from the side of the road that had not been there when he had driven along it half an hour earlier, he threw it in the back of his car whilst he was at work for the day. The only problem was it had only been stunned and had rallied around. Phesant poo takes some shifting[/FONT]]

Thanks for these LOL:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Hugs to all
xx

JoJoB

This is a great thread! Haven't been in OS for quite a while but it's probably time I brushed up on bread baking and the like, what with the winter of despair on its way.

OH very luckily got a higher paying job last year (about 6 months after he was facing redundancy) so while we still have to budget we have more leeway than for a long while. Only just got on top of paying off paydayloans from that skint time though and now have Christmas and travelling expenses to see family coming up..... it never ends!

Next month is going to be especially tight because of some extra bills coming in - worked out that we'll have about £70 per week for groceries etc, which isn't bad as there are only 3 of us. But I do like to take DD swimming and soft play centres/playgroups etc to keep active in the winter so that's an expense. I realise that what I am seeing as a "tight" budget is quite a lot for some people (the mind boggles at the "feed a family of 4 for £40" thread :eek:) so actually I should just get used to living on this anyway.

With the news about mortgage interest rates likely to go up, and rail fares increasing by 40% my family's situation could go from ok to completely unmanageable very quickly. OH's commute bill is already £500 per month - if that and the mortgage goes up then we will be REALLY struggling.

I'm panicking! Almost wish I wasn't veggie so I could take advantage of roadkill lol.

As for Christmas, we shall be buying ourselves little/nothing. DD will have one present from ourselves as she will be spoilt rotten by relatives. We will have quite a few rellies presents to buy though as we are staying with them for Christmas. Started well this week by using a couple of old New Look gift cards I had in my purse that had a couple of quid left on them and got a few trinkets/bangles/handbag things in the sale (all down to a pound or two) - perfect for teenage girl pressies. I have a £5 Argos gift card too so am waiting for something bargainous to pounce on.

I just need encouragement, and ways to cut down unnecessary expense - which in our case involves alcohol and associated rubbish. If we drink too much we end up buying a pack of fags, and the next day we just eat pizza and the like instead of all the nice healthy hm stuff in the fridge. We don't drink every night or anything - but this was the first week we've managed to not drink for more than 5 days in a row, which is a bit embarrassing! So must keep up with cutting that down and hopefully the rest will fall into place.

I have rambled. As you were.

sammy_kaye18

Afternoon all

crumbs you pop out for a few hours and look what happens!!

Quickly want to say thank you to ceridwen - popped socks and hot water bottle over to lady earlier and she loved them. She sat playing with Holly and had a nice cup of tea. Bless her she literally keeps enough food in to keep her going so think I might whilst Ben is making some biscuits for his teachers presents - I might sneak a few aside or add extra to the mix and give her a little Christmas present. Her family moved form our village and I'm not sure if she's going to be seeing them at Xmas now but still - thought that counts
Popped a note through friends door - it was her son who sadly passed and the charity was set up by the local community in his name so have told her about the little lady and will see if I hear anything back. Will keep you updated.

LITTLE OWL -- Owen had a scratch on the lens after a motorbike accident that blurred his vision, he was coping fine with it for about 2 years and suddenly woke up one morning and was blind in one eye, eye was swollen and light sensitive so he was rushed to A&E. He had the partial graft after that but it rejected although did restore part of his site albeit very blurred, the second was a full corneal transplant which rejected and the graft started shrinking so he was lucky not to lose his eye and he has a third one in now which is severely inflamed back in July and he was told last week it rejected so he'll be back on the transplant list again now.

HELLSBELLS -- I agree I don't see the point of a Christmas dinner overload - I tend to buy enough to make a roast dinner - meat, carrots, swede, broccoli, potatoes, gravy and for pudding we have sponge cake and custard (none of us like Christmas pudding) but then the most I might get in extra is a tin of sweets, a biscuit barrel selection box and I might get mini sausages and sausage rolls. That's basically it. Owen might get a bottle of Jack Daniels as a treat in which case I buy coke but that is the only time of the year its on my shopping list. My mother in law goes all out and spends about £300 on a Christmas shop - I've no idea why though - mine might be £20 more than usual but thats it.

NUALA + MISSYMOO --- Just call me saint sammy, :A :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I like to help others - always have done and am teaching Ben to be as compassionate. Bless his socks we have a robin who visits us everyday and Ben has nicknamed him 'Red' - we know its him because he has a distinctive patch on his red breast - Ben has been worrying about him in winter and has asked to put a bird table out so red will be ok. So got an old recycling box and turned it upside down to make a flat platform but need to get some seeds etc and put a tub with water out there too.

PRIMROSE / YOUNG MUMMY --- My Christmas tree is about 5 years old now. For our first Christmas with Ben and by ourselves (ie me and Owen only) we have a little 3ft tree. Owen shows no interest in Xmas whatsoever but I love it. If it wasn't for me we'd have no decorations - that was fine our first Xmas but I saved up the next year and treated us to a big 6ft tree. I love it and have used it since. My mum is exactly as bah humbug as Owen and if it wasn't for the fact my sister lives with her again now and has a young daughter of their own she wouldn't have a tree either! Hoping this year to make a lot of our decorations - Owen makes candles in his spare time so I use a lot of those in my decorating and have been saving egg cartons so Ben can make glitter bells, paper chains, etc and he wants to make Christmas cards for family this year too.

Northwest --- congratulations on your wedding. Hope you and you OH will be very happy. :beer:


Anyway - would you believe Ive just had my first roast dinner of the year! :eek::eek: thansk to my fab mummy in law. :T

Still ant find safety pins :mad:

Its still cold but I have a rather full tummy so think a nap is in order.

Should I find them before tonight I will line my curtains ready, got Bens uniform on radiators drying at the minute and need to take Holly Bump to doctors in morning - rash on her cheek seems to be getting bigger - think its because her cheeks are so chubby and she's dribbling but better to be safe.

Apart from that - rest of my eveing will involve Bens spelling homework, baths for both kidlets, Aiden a la X factor and Jersey Shore before bed.

littleowl

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Afternoon all



LITTLE OWL -- Owen had a scratch on the lens after a motorbike accident that blurred his vision, he was coping fine with it for about 2 years and suddenly woke up one morning and was blind in one eye, eye was swollen and light sensitive so he was rushed to A&E. He had the partial graft after that but it rejected although did restore part of his site albeit very blurred, the second was a full corneal transplant which rejected and the graft started shrinking so he was lucky not to lose his eye and he has a third one in now which is severely inflamed back in July and he was told last week it rejected so he'll be back on the transplant list again now.

Thanks Sammy. I am not sure if there is a difference in treatments given depending on need. I have Fuchs' Dystrophy which kills cells in the eye and renders the eye incapable of moving the liquid which is normally there. This results in blurring of vision and eventual blindness. The only 'cure' is a corneal graft.
I wish Owen well and hope his sight improves and he doesn't have another rejection.
Keep strong - you are coping so well!

parsonswife8

Got home safely from Norfolk, have managed to unpack most things and get one load of washing done.:j

By, but it is getting chilly, travelled home for 3 hours in warm sunshine, but now the sun has almost set here in Kent, it is chilly.:eek:

Love our caravan, but it is nice to be home!:T

Have a lovely, cuddly evening everyone.:kisses3::rotfl::rotfl: