Always Pass on What You Have Learned

in_need_of_direction

Hopeful is worth so much more than any overspend.

wishus

So, I realise I moved my big kilners to the shed on Christmas day, and it's coooold out there.
So, I'm placing this here as a bookmark for later. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/rhubarbvodka_65975

Today I walked past an abandoned doll's house on the way to work. I couldn't pick it up myself due to the fact I was going to work, but I thought what a shame! It had a piece of dowling trim missing and needed a good interior redecoration, but fancy just dumping it on the street! I rallied on Facebook, and a friend went to pick it up for someone who wanted it, but it had gone. Fingers cross it went to a good home. Mind, it was bin day...:(

Another friend found a child-sized Mickey Mouse dumped out next to the rubbish last week. I rescued an Eeyore splashed with poster paint a couple of months back from just outside my door - it cleaned up fine, and it's a proper Eeyore. I haven't decided what to do with it yet, keep, give to charity or to my baby nephew... it is huuuge. I likes him anyway.

What's wrong with people that they would put these toys out where they can get spoiled by the weather, or end up in landfill? We are blessed with good recycling centres, charity shops and Freecycle. :mad:

wishus

Okay... I've started the Christmas stockpile for next year! Needed cat food so went to Aldi. Not everything is in the sales yet, and not all the saes stuff has decent longevity. I think there will be some things that don't get reduced until tomorrow or Sunday... lots of stock movement late in the store tonight. Anyway this is what I got, and it will stay in date for next Christmas.

12 candy canes - reduced to 49p
12 Christmas crackers - reduced to £1.49
2 x Christmas puddings for 4, reduced to 99p each.
5 x Wychwood Bah Humbug, reduced to 99p each... actually I don't think these will last past NYE. :rotfl:

For another day I have my eye on the lovely Spa candles. Just waiting for the price to drop...

wishus

Happy New Year! _party__party__party_:dance::dance::dance:

Hope you had a good Christmas and saw in the year with as much jollity as you could handle.

We started NYE with a crisis... another old friend of OH's died a few days ago very suddenly and though he met with friends for some useful mutual support, he drank too much, which puts him greatly out of kilter with his meds. NYE was looking like it might not happen. He hadn't got a costume sorted for a party we were invited to, and felt too pressured to even think of sorting it out. We were set to repeat what happened last year - staying in and not going where we'd been invited. He was very low.

Well, a local food waste cooperative had advertised an excess of supermarket donations, which they were asking people to come and make donations for, so I asked him to come for a walk with me and we would make our way there, and maybe find some inspiration in charity shops on the way.

On the way, I bumped into a client, and she kindly invited us for a cuppa - after convincing me to go with a dress purchase for that night from the first shop we went into. £8, and it's beautiful, very vampy, so went with the party theme.

Although we ended up missing the cooperative, and instead ended up spending £30 on bits for the house party, we were considerably boosted by the walk and the friendly encounter, so I judge it money well spent. I think we would have spent more had we gone to an arranged venue event, and wouldn't have had the outfits, or been able to drink champagne or eat lots of food, or play games, or hear each other for conversation, or have half as much fun. Yes, we could have spent less... but we are set to continue in good fashion.:beer::A


Two NYD traditions with friends: 1st was going for a run round the park with the girls. It was hailing! :eek:
We did it though! :T

Then, most of the NYE party went to the cinema to watch The Silence. A beautiful film, but very, very long. It didn't need to be half so long. Excellent acting though (well, we forgive Liam Neeson for not being able to do anything other than the bloke from Taken, everyone else was fab). I had free tickets - my last freebies from my bank Lifestyle benefits. And a friend who was working behind the counter gave us discount on our drinks!

Our friends then went off to the pub for dinner, but we went home to eat, saving ourselves a spot of cash for another day.:A:money:

Tiny spend yesterday when we took the nephews out -£5.60. Gave my bro a much needed break - to get on with DIY, bless!

Today, I've resisted the tuck van at work. I took in homemade porridge and soup and availed myself of a slice of spicy banana cake that someone brought in... diet tomorrow, maybe... :rotfl:

in_need_of_direction

You've just dissed aslan!

wishus

Okay, he can do Aslan too! :rotfl: