Building The Burrow!

Pearla*Merle

No rest for the wicked Only just managed to get out the house after mammoth search mission for Mr M's lost £10 voucher (didn't find until Operation Massive Tidy Up after I got back). Complete waste of time going out to look into work thing as it looks like it's not what I thought it was thanks to inept advertising, pfft. Did pick up much needed anti-viral hand foam in Boots though (free with points), must keep myself nice and healthy to be able to make some monies. :money:

So home again, straight into clearing up, barely sat down for five minutes then it was suggested we pop over to Wilkos and check out their sale (mostly decimated) but did find a few presents for people and all at the £2.50 mark! :j They had some seriously nice ceramic vintage-style cakestand/cake slice sets, they hadn't made the prices very obvious so I imagine that's why there was still a whole shelf of them. Brought two the till just in case, and yep, £2.50 each! (Tried to find them on the website to show them off but they don't seem to be there, alas). They easily look like they'd cost £10-15, and should be good gifts for the baking lovers I've got them for, so seriously chuffed with that. Tempted to go buy more. If only I had a lot more satellite social circles who wouldn't confer. :rotfl: Can't believe how many fab looking presents I've got this year around the £3 mark, I don't usually get this lucky! Also picked up a cheap bird feeder, money well spent if the greenfinches come back this year, endless hours of entertainment.

Never made it to Ald! in the end, realised veg drawers were fit to bursting so will use up as much as possible tonight (roast veg with leftover pork) and tomorrow (slow cooker sausage casserole) and then maybe head out and buy some more at the weekend.

Hoping to actually sit down and catch up with everyone's diaries this evening. Still desperately need to do some loads of laundry though, meh.

Pearla*Merle

Narrrgh. What is going on today? It never ends. Mr M managed to spill stuff in the cutlery drawer so have had to scrub that clean (decluttered an excess pizza cutter in the process though), and have just done the energy switch. Should work out roughly the same as we're on now (£35 pm), maybe a tad more. Never fails to irritate seeing what these energy companies get away with eg. their daft pricing/weird price 'explanations' on bills. Might put on a laundry load of socks on the cheap tariff tonight just to spite them.

Righty, if I get my wish, and I get to stay at home tomorrow (I think the weather is going to help me :j) then...

• Laundry blitz
• Some worky bits, boooo.
• Update presents list
• Update storecupboard list
• Declutter/sort freezer
• Empty wardrobe/drawers and do some serious clothes sorting
• Update address book with xmas card addresses
• Crafty presents post
• Thank you cards (at least make a list!)
• Find big knitting needles
• Cancel TV DD
• File CC paperwork
• Read books & drink copious amounts of tea
• Bake cookies

Pearla*Merle

Worky bits pretty much done, TV DD cancelled, present list updated.

I started to consolidate some menu/recipe lists I had kicking about, think I've worked out a system that should help with longer meal planning so will try and bring that all together today as well. Seem to have run out of A4 lined paper though. Can hardly function without a pad of paper.

Another one to add to today: try and get some bits on eBay.

Oh flipping heck, have forgotten I was going to do the sausage casserole in the slow cooker! Might whack that on now, should still be time... :eek:

pennyforthepot

Wished I'd got to Wilkos -sounds like you grabbed some real bargains.

Cooking is the bain of my life - I do enjoy it but hate that everyday cooking for 5 people when one is gluten intolerent, one doesn't like mash or pasta, one doesn't like fruit or salad and one doesn't like onions, mushrooms or pepper - my only saving grace is that they all love bacon!

PFTP x

Pearla*Merle

Oh dear Penny, I feel for you, I come from people with some major food quirks, it can be quite a business! Hurrah for bacon though... that's a major food group in this house as well. Mr M found a bacon and ice cream sundae out in the world somewhere and now it's all I ever hear about. :rotfl:

My day yesterday got kind of hijacked. In the end I spent most of it chasing up work stuff, I'd planned to do that on Monday after the holidays but hey ho. At least I've realised that I need to polish up my CV, so will probably schedule that in for Monday.

Did a fair bit of tidying and sorting out yesterday as well, so at least that's something. Definitely going to have a chilled out day today! And crack on with that list (am doubling the quantities of tea & reading though!). I found a couple of bits to add to the ebay pile yesterday, all awkward clunky though so need to find boxes that'll fit/work out if it's even worth putting them on with the postage.

Got three extra meals out of the sausage casserole yesterday, all tucked up in the freezer now. :j

Pearla*Merle

Oh! I've been blessed by the MSE badger! :j Second time I've got in Martin's email :money:... FAME! Will try not to let it go to my head :rotfl:

edinburgher

Argh - food quirks!

I will be working *very* hard to disabuse any future Edinburgher children of the idea that they can choose what food they eat :rotfl:

gallygirl

edinburgher wrote: »

Argh - food quirks!

I will be working *very* hard to disabuse any future Edinburgher children of the idea that they can choose what food they eat :rotfl:

That's a bit harsh Ed. I always gave mine a choice - eat what you're given or do without .

littlegreenpeas

Hello


Well done on your Christmas shopping, well planned. You should put your badger award on your CV


LGP x

Pearla*Merle

Gallygirl, Edinburgher - my grandmother used say to mum that if she didn't eat what was put in front of her there and then it'd be her next meal until it was all gone... cold leftover veg for breakfast anyone? :rotfl: I'm so glad my mum was a bit nicer to me(!).

LGP - now there's an idea

I've forgotten most of yesterday now... it was mostly ticking off the rest of that list. Went through my clothes, found almost nothing to throw out but at least everything is more organised, a few random bits ended up charity/ebay bag but not quite the mountains I was hoping for, ah well. We ended up having to take apart a flimsy chest of drawers and rebuilding (read: whacked some nails in) it so at least another drawer now opens properly (kind of) now, bottom one still done for. Egads. The poor thing has been moved/shoved into so many residences it's quite given up. Will keep my eyes peeled for a cheap chest of drawers henceforth... hopefully a nice chunky wooden one and not an !kea can't-handle-some-jumpers one. At least I should be getting better use out of the clothes I have now, I don't need any new socks for about ten years!

Mr M went to Costko yesterday, which ended up helping greatly with the reorganisation as they had vacuum bags on offer, what a difference they've made! They make living in a small space so much easier. He found a set of them that had some roll up space bags in it, I can't believe they work! They'll be amazing for when we take trips to my parents at this time of year... it's always a bit of a faff trying to squeeze woollens into tiny suitcases.

Freezer and cupboard inventories all up to date, and with it we've found a few things lurking that will stretch things out meal-wise for quite some time. Popped into M&S today with a £5 off voucher, managed to get a £40 shop for £20! :j (Might have timed it for end of Sunday trading ) Loads of reduced goodies, bought a few too many that needed used up today without realising it though... slightly full now. Though mostly bought things for the freezer and meat that'll stretch for miles.

We took our tree down this evening, so now there's finally some room to put up the extra clothes horse. I'm going to be a right Mrs Tiggywinkle for the next few days trying to catch up with all the laundry. I keep finding Christmas ornaments dotted about the place though, this may go on for some time. :rudolph:

In other money news, Mr M donated a penny to my piggybank I also found my J Lewiss coffee & cake vouchers that had gone walkabout, hurrah!

Not overly excited about this week, lots of sorting out accounts/chasing up money to do. Will be glad when it's all done and dusted though. Found a possible new work lead to follow up, that'll be the main focus of tomorrow.