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What do you on on your NSDs?
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We aim to have 15-20 NSDs each month, depending on what we have planned.
We have kids, so it's easy things such as picnics and BBQs at home, picnics taken out to the parks (1 is about a 40 minute beautiful walk away, and we have 2 others that we can drive to in 12 minutes or so)...
I always think it's easier staying local/at home now as we live in the sticks, and also because the little folk are so much happier when we're near their toys/friends and have easy access to outdoors.
We have lots of 'go to' activities for at home: baking, making play dough and adding colours, scents, glitter etc, painting (with brushes, on the outside of our patio doors so we can hose it off, with our fingers/with our fingers), riding our bikes, kicking a football around, playing some swing ball, local woodland walks and den building (we live in the woods), lots of time listening to music and playing with toys, general playing outside (slide, tree-play/climbing, collecting things, making little 'worlds', mud anything, water anything, gardening/digging)...
Wow, won't bore you as the list is a bit endless and I love setting up a bit of small world/construction play!
For tired or relentlessly rainy days we also enjoy some time outside combined with a family DVD, sharing extra stories, writing to penal cousins, visiting a local library or playing some favourite games (our 8y/o loves UNO, Monopoly, Guess Who and Yahtzee)...and our 2 y/o likes thinking she's joining in by holding her own cards and saying colours/numbers etc. :rotfl:
At this time of year we also often go out collecting blackberries, etc. to make our excessive baking/eating and freezing more seasonally relevant. :T
Our youngest is too young to want little friends over at the moment, but our 8 y/o def. thinks every activity is the best int he world if we have a friend over.
Both also love having our grown up friends or the family over for dinners/Sunday roast/special occasions and BBQs etc.
Locally, we are very lucky and have lots of wonderful free woodland walks, country parks, beaches, harbours, areas to see seals, farming markets, churches, lifeboat museums etc. These are great as stand alone activities, but also often have special events that are free (fairy fairs, open events, bug hunts etc)...the coastal towns also have lovely bonuses. One of our local lighthouses has open days, a local lifeboat launches on a certain Sunday of each month...this is a favourite of ours and we often go and take a picnic for after we've enjoyed watching the launch. We enjoy this in the colder months just as much as in the summer...walking in the freezing cold knowing there's a flask of tea/hot chocolate is in the car is my idea of bliss.
Goodness, I love family time. Is it Friday yet? :j0 -
It seems to me that NSDs are simply a budgeting tool - you should make it work for you, not impose it unhelpfully.
Most of my days are NSDs in terms of cash - we go to the pub once a week, our shopping is planned weekly (if I go over 2 days for organisational reasons, I don't spend more). Our 'spend' outings are budgeted for, and we always take drinks & snacks. I budget annually for membership of one of the organisations that allows me free parking and access to wonderful walks & amenities, including education days.
If I have budgeted for an item I want to buy on the internet, I'll look for it to be reduced, or part of some other bargain - I won't say 'oh, it's a NSD, I can't get it today'
Even in 'stingy' council areas, it is amazing what is on - I have been in the habit of scouring local papers & now, council websites since my kids were small to see what is on. Our local, cash-strapped library still puts on tremendous events or free. I help them raise money when I can.
Also think about making the most of your volunteering time. One of the best known is the National Trust who give you free membership in return for a certain number of hours.0 -
Oh goodness vfm4meplse...glad the c/card co stopped it!
I'm amazed at how many people this happens to. We had a call because a man was in a bank in Autralia with a copy of our c/card asking to get cash for it for an 'emergency' earlier in the year. The nerve of the criminals! :eek: The company was calling me to confirm that no cardholder (just me and hubby) was there/in a bind as they had refused the transaction.0 -
YAY, a NSD yesterday, and it was a lovely full day which included a Pilates class (prepaid ages ago), visit to the gym, lunch with friends. DH and I contributed salad stuff from the allotment, cheese we already had in the fridge and homemade sour gherkins.
Going to update my signature!
Have a good day.Finally I'm an OAP and can travel free (in London at least!).0 -
Sorry to hear what happened to you Vf4m - eek!
...and my astonishment for the day is the very mild way people refer to those who've stolen from them.
Me - I'd be hoping they were lying somewhere feeling very ill right now in your position....(errrm..nope...not joking.:cool:...).
Hope you're sorted for being back to normal soon.
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Re stingy councils - really....some honestly are that stingy/broke/prefer to spend money on luxuries for themselves personally - and the library doesnt do events either.
**********
Re the children living in the woods - I guess you also get the books out and teach them nature identification (plants, birds, etc) as something to do? I'm fairly okay on plant identification personally - and got the books and learning more. Must learn about birds at some point - as the only ones I recognise are seagulls, wood pigeons, robins, blackbirds and that is the extent of my knowledge....and there are a lot more birds round here.0 -
Have joined the movement to save our local library! The staff are lovely and they put soooo much on with limited resources.
The council, however, are twinned with 3 places in Europe and have, of course, representatives, to go and visit these places, each year, and then have return visits with food and outings laid on. It is supposed to encourage businesses to trade with each other. Hummmmm ...... I might well pay for a Freedom of Information request (£28) to ask for evidence of which specific local businesses cos those I have spoken to round here dont even know with whom we are twinned ! Interesting use of my council tax!
Campaigning - somat else to do on my NSDs!!! Cant claim it will keep me outa trouble tho!!
Nite allAim for Sept 17: 20/30 days to be NSDs :cool: NSDs July 23/31 (aim 22) :j
NSDs 2015:185/330 (allowing for hols etc)
LBM: started Jan 2012 - still learning!
Life gives us only lessons and gifts - learn the lesson and it becomes a gift.' from the Bohdavista :j0 -
Lyn, that is interesting.
Where I used to live, we had an active twinning association, and I know that the councillors paid for their own trips (they usually stayed in peoples' homes, a reciprocal arrangement that was part of the whole idea)
I knew some councillors didn't go because they couldn't afford it, and I did feel that was a shame - but the general feeling of the association was that as long as there were enough people to make a decent show, it didn't matter exactly who they were. It was preferred that the money we raised was used to subsidise young people. We sent our kids, and enjoyed hosting in return. The 'work experience' placements for older teenagers were especially useful. Fifteen years on, one of my sons still feels that those weeks were a great springboard for his current job, as it gave him a European perspective.
We did fundraisers ourselves, and we did apply for Council grants, and were generally supported by the Council (in, for instance, enabling kids to spend time in each others' schools, sort out work placements, and use venues for social events). But nothing such as you describe.0 -
moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »Sorry to hear what happened to you Vf4m - eek!
...and my astonishment for the day is the very mild way people refer to those who've stolen from them.
Me - I'd be hoping they were lying somewhere feeling very ill right now in your position....(errrm..nope...not joking.:cool:...).
Hope you're sorted for being back to normal soon.
Thankfully, Amazon were very helpful, and refunded the stolen vouchers with no trouble, so full marks to them for that.If your dog thinks you're the best, don't seek a second opinion.;)0 -
Evening all
Glad Amazon were helpful Lame Wolf - that is just dreadful! The swine! What goes around comes around is all I can say!
jackyann - you sound like a very good and useful self sustaining organisation. I am not sure yet, so am throwing no mud yet, but the local one does not appear to work that way.
Like I said - it won't keep me out of trouble but .....
Also gonna find a charity to volunteer for - thinking Macmillan or Cinnamon Trust. That will occupy NSDs!!!Aim for Sept 17: 20/30 days to be NSDs :cool: NSDs July 23/31 (aim 22) :j
NSDs 2015:185/330 (allowing for hols etc)
LBM: started Jan 2012 - still learning!
Life gives us only lessons and gifts - learn the lesson and it becomes a gift.' from the Bohdavista :j0
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