When I asked for luck I didn't mean the bad variety!!!

satchmo1

Thanks Robin, she did send the parcel anyway, and has everything crossed. x

please-let-me-be-lucky

Aw that's so sad for your sister Satchmo Fingers crossed the parcels get there in time. Yours too Robin!

So today hasn't been money-making, but it's been productive. I made the charity shop drop off with the donations from the Beavers and took a load of stuff from my bootsale pile too. The eb@yable stuff went up into the loft and then DH attacked the embarrassingly large, dark, mouldy looking mark that was on the wall behind the pile. It mustn't have seen the light of day for almost a year . It's a good job we are going to decorate!

Seeing the difference in our room spurred me on to do some more jobs I've been putting off around the house and I feel like I've accomplished lots (though possibly it's just psychological as I haven't really done THAT much!).

Beavers tonight was good fun. We had 'snowball' fights using scrunched up newspaper balls :rotfl:.

please-let-me-be-lucky

Just did a debt total tot up (try and say that after a few sherries :rotfl:) and we now stand at £11,047.83. This is both good news, as the £10k's are in reach, and bad because it's only a £200 reduction on last month despite making nearer £370 worth of payments. Stupid LTSB interest :mad:.

It has made me even more determined to rid ourselves of them.

grannyx2

Well done you on the debt reduction, won't be long now x

Had OH's B^rcl^yc^rd bill today and its finally gone under £9k, I'm so chuffed. They have also agreed to accept the reduced payments and no interest for another 12 months. Such a relief.

x

please-let-me-be-lucky

Well done granny, fab news :j. Long may the no interest continue! (PS laptop kaput so apologies for lack of good smilies! I'm posting from my phone).

The last 2 days have gone by in a flurry of Christmas activities. Wrapped some presents yesterday and then went to see DS1 in his nativity play which was great, if a little diverse! I can't remember the birth of Christ featuring Hawaiian dancers, cowboys or matadors before :rotfl:.

Today DS2 had a trip to see Santa. It was organised by playgroup but parents had to go too (not that I would've missed it!). It was really cute as they had all 'written' letters to Santa - good luck reading those Santa :rotfl:. The trip was in town so we tried to do some shopping afterwards but soon gave it up as a bad job as DS2 kept getting flattened by the hoards of shoppers but didn't approve of being carried. We managed to get a few bits though so I wrapped those when we got home.

I've covered some cardboard in foil and put it down the back of the radiator in the lounge. The rest of the house is usually warm but the lounge (and our bedroom above it) are usually cold. I think it's a combination of 3 exterior walls (house is a strange shape!), wood floors and rubbish windows. Unfortunately I can't afford new windows so I'm hoping the heat reflecting idea will help.

grannyx2

I love this:



x

Hope the foil works. It is blinking cold at the moment isn't it. Glad you had a good time in the nativity and the santa activity today. Christmas shopping, don't you just love it. Next year I'm doing it in April to avoid the rush.

x

brizzledfw

Another great pic Granny..where on earth do you find such great images??! You're a marvel!!

PLMBL...Xmas shopping is not to be attempted with children of any age...ever...ever..ever! When I tried to do it with my two, thinking yes, will be doable now one is almost a teenager and the other almost 10...but now had to send them into the next shop, on their own to give me some peace to think! It all got too much.

Lovely about the vouchers etc. Always good to get a treat:T

Re the radiator..I would recommend sausage dogs( for all animal lovers I am of course referring to draught excluders ) by all the doors (old tights stuffed with other old tights will do) and maybe plastic secondary sheetings/'glazing' on the windows. To be honest think that will be more effective than foil behind the radiator. Think the jury is out on how effective that is if you see what I mean.

Have a good eve and stay warm!!

Brizzle x

NewLeaf_2

the thought of the navitity with all the cowboys and stuff had me chortling away. What a lovely family time though xx

please-let-me-be-lucky

That picture is fantastic granny . Soooo cute!

Brizzle, I totally agree I need to do more than the foil but it's a start! Draft excluders are the next step I think. I also agree Xmas shopping + kids = nightmare. I thought it would be ok as we were shopping for other people not the boys so only thought as far as not having to hide purchases from him. I hadn't thought about the crowds, the stress, the not being able to concentrate for being too busy watching him, him kicking off as he sees things he wants etc etc. Will be enlisting MIL as a babysitter before we go next time!

NewLeaf I'm glad the story tickled your fancy! Wish I could put pics or a video on here, but we had to sign to say nothing we filmed/photographed would appear on the internet!

please-let-me-be-lucky

Just randomly decided to re-do the snowball calculator. 18 months ago our debt-free date was predicted to be Dec 2023 :eek:. By July I had got this down to September 2018 and tonight it came out at March 2015 :T:T. Feels like I'm getting somewhere now Xx