Bright light, bright light!!

Northern_Lassy

:wave::wave::wave:

*Waves hello from a particularly dreary northern seaside town*
Nice to see you back x

Knit_Witch

Are you still around Nora?

Knitting_Nora

Knit_Witch wrote: »

Are you still around Nora?

I'm still very round What can I do for you Sweetie?

Nora.x

Knit_Witch

KW shuffles the Galaxy Minstrels across, grabs her needles and yarn and sits down ............... "aaaah! that's better!", now I was just getting worried as you disappeared for a while and [STRIKE]nosy[/STRIKE]interested parties want to know how you are doing

Knitting_Nora

Be honest, it really doesn't matter what I write here - I had you at 'chocolate buttons' didn't I?!

I'm in the mood for a ramble, so I've sat down with an unopened (soon sort that) bag of giant Cadburys buttons - currently on offer for £1 at Tescos if you're interested. On a ramble-related point, don't you think the 'advanced post' button should be renamed 'grab yerself a cuppa, it's gonna be a long-un'?

So, how is everyone? You at the back there - can you hear me ok? Gotta warn you, you're probably not going to get any of the choccie if you skulk in the shadows...come forward a little, that's it. Now, if you are all comfortable I shall begin.

My name is Nora (sort of) and I am not prepared for Christmas. Phew! *wipes sweat off forehead* So glad I got that out there.

Has anyone else seen the note in Martin's weekly email about prepping for the holidays? Now I'm an all year round Santa's little elf and I love all of the organising for Christmas. I even love the odd Christmas movie marathon at inappropriate times of the year. But Lordy am I a bit in awe of the people on the other thread and how many of them have not only already bought their gifts but have them wrapped and stashed too!! :eek:

Don't believe me? Check it out yourself:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/62067419#Comment_62067419

I actually started my gift shopping in January and I buy the odd bit here and there as the year progresses, but I do no more than that until the last few weeks (when usually I panic, decide I don't like anything I've previously bought (or forget where I've hidden it all) and repeat the entire process...).

While reading the 'how prepared are you?' thread, I'm reminded of my sister who buys for quite a few people, and each year sets up a birthday and Christmas spreadsheet which she completes throughout the year. Because she clearly got all of the sensible genes in our family, she buys her gifts and cards in the sales and keeps it all in the same place she hides the growing gift collection.

In all the moving over the past couple of years (five moves...count 'em), I really haven't had the time, space or stability to do anything as useful as that (though arguably, when you are essentially living out of a suitcase, it's probably when you need that sort of process most..*suspects she's missed a trick*), but I guess I don't have any excuses any more. Curses!

In the meantime, life here potters on. I've been in the house since December and have just had that 'simply nothing is in the right place' strop. So all the pictures are down at the moment while I decide what should actually go where - and rather than buying a load of new tat, I've been rummaging around pinterest for inspiration on home-makes to make the place look a little more colourful and homely. Afterall, I have yarn and fabric and all sorts of other stuff coming out of the woodwork here - about time it earned its keep!

Oh, and I'm gardening! Not overly well you understand - but I've got pods on the peas, the carrots have gone bananas and the sweet peas are taking over the world.

The job is fine. Though I do need to either pick up more hours (unlikely) or find something else as I'm currently subsidising from my redundancy money which won't last forever. So I've decided to look into temping and there are a couple of perm. positions in companies I would dearly love to work for, so there are opportunities all around, which is exciting. I've also started my own non-money savings blog as I've enjoyed writing to you all so much that I wanted to be able to continue away from the money savings site.

So what's everyone else up to?

Nora.x

Knit_Witch

Wow Nora! That was a sit down with a cuppa post

Hmm what am I doing? Well knitting, trying to lose weight (can I pass you another packet of choc?), determined to bust my debt and get clear!

RosaBernicia

Currently grumbling about having to make grown-up type decisions about whether or not to try and buy my flat. And cooking (partly due to going gluten free, which has its downsides but has finally forced me into indulging my wannabe Nigella fantasies). And not studying

Glad things are good with you

Rosa xx

scubaangel

Busy doing very little towards moving out of my place! 4 weeks to go.

Igamogam

Carrots morphing into bananas:eek: You could be onto something there Nora;)

Knitting_Nora

Knit_Witch wrote: »

Wow Nora! That was a sit down with a cuppa post

Hmm what am I doing? Well knitting, trying to lose weight (can I pass you another packet of choc?), determined to bust my debt and get clear!

See - that's what I think there should be some form of warning for people *wonders whether she should just warn people via the post heading*.

What are you knitting? And fingers and toes crossed for the debt and weight things. I'm sitting here with fruit and diet pop having had counters for breakie I followed it with muesli though, so that's pretty good, right?!

*looks the other way but opens bag for Knit Witch to slide choccie into*

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Currently grumbling about having to make grown-up type decisions about whether or not to try and buy my flat. And cooking (partly due to going gluten free, which has its downsides but has finally forced me into indulging my wannabe Nigella fantasies). And not studying

Glad things are good with you

Rosa xx

If you can afford it, and you like your life there, then buy it. I am in no way biased about this *wipes off dribble at the thought of owning her own home* but you always seem such a lovely 'home' person that I imagine you might sometimes get fed up of having to ok everything with a landlord. Though I do get that there are pluses to renting.

How's the gluten free thing going for you?

And should you be studying? I'm off to your diary to check, Missey....