A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

ginnyknit

Taurusgb, hope alls well - we are all thinking about you - :grouphug: (dodgy virtual hugs) from all of us.

Icontinueto dream, I so agree with you. I was sat thinking last night - its ok I had a lie down afterwards - people fall for 'The Ad Mans Dream' apparently now we need champagne to drink when we open the presents :eek: I dont know about you but most kids get up at 5 am on Christmas morning and I certainly don't want to drink then. You need to shop for extravagant food to have 'The Perfect Christmas' I personally will be feeling very smug with all the whoopsied meat and veg thats sat in the freezer waiting for Christmas day, my family will oooh and aaah at the appropriate moments when they open their mini hampers and handmade gifts and just enjoy the fact my kids have got a day of from slogging their guts out to keep a roof over their heads. I am mainly looking forward to my DGS's face when he see's the Barbie bike my Mum bought for £3 from the CS which Grandad will have lovingly painted blue for him and if it goes down as well as the £8 rocking horse I bought last year which I made a new saddle from a piece of leather I had lying about for 10 years, with a dishcloth cotton tail I will be a very content woman. :T:T:T

But mostly I am looking forward to the dehydrator the family have clubbed together to get me to complete my arsenal of MSE tools. :beer:

kidcat

I have been very naughty and not MSE at all, all I can say in my defence is that I am struggling to get into the Christmassy mood and am obviously over compensating. I have been out to Mr M today to get the rather good J2O offer and noticed that they had reduced all their real trees, so I bought another one to use in the dining room. OH is not going to be pleased at having to get another tree stood upright at all.:o:o:o

The weather here is cold, oh so cold. Winds are biting and harsh and I have most definitely caught a cold - which I was warned I was not to do by my doctor, not quite sure how she thinks I am supposed to stop it but hey, I have never been very good at following orders.

Its a really busy week with schools this week, we had DD5 Christmas market on Sat, followed by DS7 Christmas fayre yesterday. Today its Parents Christmas lunch at DS school, followed by trip to Panto with Ds tomorrow and Victorian day with DD5.

Some how I need to organise a Christmas hat by Thursday for DD5 for the usual Christmas hat extravaganza. Never a successful one for us as I lack any real affinity with Christmas hats and most of the kids obviously have profesional milliners in the family judging by the exotic creations. So ladies if any of you have any ideas that you could share I would be ever so grateful - mince pie anyone?:D

Softstuff

kidcat wrote: »

Some how I need to organise a Christmas hat by Thursday for DD5 for the usual Christmas hat extravaganza. Never a successful one for us as I lack any real affinity with Christmas hats and most of the kids obviously have profesional milliners in the family judging by the exotic creations. So ladies if any of you have any ideas that you could share I would be ever so grateful - mince pie anyone?:D

What about a Christmas pudding? Brown hat or beret, topped with white sauce and holly....

something like the one on here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sp_sandsteel/page4/

icontinuetodream

rosieben wrote: »

icontinuetodream, what a lovely post, your solstice celebration sounds just right

Thanks rosieben...it really is a lovely event....something I genuinely look forward to every year

ginnyknit wrote: »

Icontinueto dream, I so agree with you.

I am looking forward to the dehydrator the family have clubbed together to get me to complete my arsenal of MSE tools. :beer:

Thanks ginnyknit....I have a dehydrator and they are fab!! :T use mine very regularly and have had it for years with no problems at all...keeps me in 'sun' dried tomatoes, fruit for hm muesli and granola and a variety of other stuff for months

mardatha wrote: »

Absolutely love what Icontinuetodream says, I think that's why I prefer new year to xmas, its the start of a new one, the days get longer, and I start thinking of spring and what can I plant

I do a lot of my plant planning during the solstice period...keeps me busy for hours!! :rotfl:

Kimsmum

icontinuetodream wrote: »

Our solstice celebration at home is a true festival of letting the light back in....we gather around a fire, have a drink and some food while we talk about the things we want to leave behind in the darkness and the things we want to bring into the light in the year ahead... then we light candles to encourage those new things into our lives and to banish the things we no longer want, exchange small gifts and have some more drink and food and continue to talk...not suggesting it's for everyone, but it doesn't cost a fortune and it has real meaning for us all.....:D

Just read this out to my OH and he said what a lovely way to celebrate and I agree.:)

Bobbykins

Been away for the weekend so still catching up but just wanted to wish taurusb all the best. Hope it goes well for you and you are back home "hale and hearty" really quickly.
Right, cup lf tea at the ready, leftover chicken with some mayo on a sandwich to hand. Settling down to catch up with everyone/everything.
Laters!

fuddle

Can you all remember that job that DH went for early last week? We have just found out he got it!!! The area manager has been on holiday so that's why the delay. We just thought he didn't get it!

It won't mean much in a pay rise but what it does mean is that DH gets a van and petrol paid for. No more worrying about the up keep of our car to get him to work and this is the best bit..... no more £200+ each month on petrol!

I can drive but won't be using it much at all, as i'm stingy with the petrol and I have done without it for 2 years now. It will make my life easier knowing it is there though. I'm so excited and so relieved. We now have a little cushion and that cushion will help me sleep that bit easier. I can pay off my gas arrears soon!

ginnyknit

Thats great news - congratulations!!!:beer:

mardatha

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8947470/Eurozone-banking-system-on-the-edge-of-collapse.html


Just terrific at this time of year!!
I am getting worried about the wind up here - is even worse than last weeks, and is hitting the house dead on. The noise is hellish and its so fierce , def worse than last week and was not forecast this bad. Elect is going to go this time for sure.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

congratulations fuddle! What a lovely xmas present come early and after all that worrying too. well done x

I agree about alcohol, its one of the many things we have given up since becoming OSers. I feel better for it and have lost weight and saved money too
I will have a little tipple though on xmas day, this year I am going to but a bottle of (Lidls) baileys and some (Lidls) martini and thats it. Got some cheapo fire water leftover from an overseas holiday years ago to pour over the pud, it nearly 100% proof so have to have an extinguisher handy lol!