Sashybo - Back Again

sashybo

Hi all, have been rubbish at updating again.

Willow I saw the 1st of December box on another thread and thought it was much better too. I have the boxes organised for the kids, have painted the names and stuck them on the other day and the stuff is in them. I just need to find the advent calendars, pretty sure I know where they are.

SA, that's a good idea thanks. I made some pumpkin cake but will think about trying a stew next time.

Last night I managed to make my Christmas cake - I actually made 4 mini ones as I'm the only one who actually eats it. 😂 I have fed 2 with cherry brandy and 2 with amaretto, will get the marzipan and icing on in the next couple of weeks.

Got some survey money through so paid £20 off the 0% CC and £10 off some dresses I ordered during black friday. I returned one as the material was weirdly clingy and gave me a pot belly. 😂 So will only spend £16 with the refund and extra £10 paid off.

The kids camera I was looking at for DS had £10 off for BF and I had £20 in vouchers so it cost £10 in the end. 😁 I have finished the kids' christmas shopping now so need to start wrapping. I have also ordered a Christmas sack each and a wooden initial to attach to it so we know which is which and I'll store the wrapped presents in them too.

We also got our robot hoover, it's amazing, I love setting it off while I'm getting the kids to bed. One less thing to do! I still need to work out the mopping but it's been a big help so far. 😀 The £100 survey money I saved up has been paid off already but still the rest of the balance to go. Of course DH got the fancier version so it was more expensive than the one I was looking at but we will get it paid off asap.

boxofpaws

Well, I am catching up on 3 years or more of diaries. There is no chance of catching up on everything so I’m having to skim but, blimey! you’ve been busy. Not just tidying your whole house but creating a whole new human! 

Congratulations, you sound like you have a lovely, door-painting family.

I am always impressed by people who are organised enough to make a Christmas cake

Paws

sashybo

😂 Thanks Bop, good to see you posting again. The kids are up to something naughty pretty much every day now. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’ve never made Christmas cake before so wanted to give it a try. I have cheated and bought ready to roll marzipan & icing though! 🤭

Today I’ve changed all the bedding over to Christmas bedding - DS has gingerbread people & houses on his, DD’s has yetis and Santa (random!) and mine has some sort of Scandi reindeer/snowflake red & white pattern going on.

The fabric advent calendars are hanging up ready for a wee sweetie to go into the pockets tonight. 

I gave the kids their December boxes today as well since DS was off nursery for St Andrew’s day. They were pleased with them although DS managed to pull his name off within 5 seconds. 🤦🏻‍♀️ DH has reattached it twice already!

sashybo

DS has been a nightmare the last 2 mornings getting up for nursery, he has been screaming & crying saying he doesn’t want to go and even locked himself in the bathroom! 

When he got to nursery both days he walked in no problem and smiling. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

He is definitely not a morning person plus he has yet another cold so obviously must be feeling a bit rough. He has also been waking up in the night and carrying on for ages so is probably tired.

I was working late shift yesterday and back again on Saturday.

My car is in for its MOT & service today, can see online that it has passed the MOT so hopefully the car fund we save into every month will pay for everything with some left over for DH’s MOT & service in January. Spectacularly bad timing for MOTs and car servicing though.

I have put up my Christmas gel clings & window stickers on the doors between the living room & kitchen and DH helped me hang lights at the patio doors. He has also put half of the lights up in one room.

We can’t really do much decorating yet as the new flooring is going in next week. Will need to move as much as possible around to give the joiner access.

We need to go through the big cabinet in our living room to empty it so might be able to rehome some of the things in it - mostly drinking glasses that we don’t use as we have loads!

sashybo

Car MOT & service came to less than we have saved in the car fund and we still have £95 left over towards DH’s in January. 🍻

Today was peak MSE 😂 I noticed that something I had bought for my sister for Christmas had been reduced to half price so I took it back, got a refund then bought it again plus a pair of slippers for her. So overall it only cost me £2.50 more than the original price I’d paid to get her some slippers as well.

The price in the shop was also showing £3 more than online so I queried it and they agreed to sell it for the cheaper price. 🥳

Pleased with myself because I wasn’t going to bother. Glad I did now.

The bad money news is that I bought a new artificial pre-lit Christmas tree plus rattan tree skirt. There was 20% off plus another 20% off with a voucher code but still money I probably shouldn’t have spent. I’m collecting it tomorrow morning but won’t be able to put it up until the end of the week once the new flooring is down.

Tonight is my last shift at work until next weekend as I’m using up owed annual leave. I’ll do one shift next Sunday then off again until 22nd December. 💃🏻

Hoping to get most presents wrapped this week. Also want to do a bit of baking as having family round next weekend for the day.

Willowtree222

That’s good you taking it back and getting a refund. You got an extra present so worth it!
The vouchers will at least make it a lot cheaper, which is better than full price!

I’m in need of a car fund as well as emergency fund! X

boxofpaws

Good work.

An artificial tree should last years so don’t feel bad. A lot cheaper than real in the long run, and while real ones are lovely, artificial is a lot less faff.

sashybo

Thanks Willow & paws. ☺️

Willow we have a car fund but no emergency fund. 😂 The discount vouchers saved about £70 on the tree and about £10 on the tree skirt. 

I collected it yesterday morning no problem, went about 10am before it got busy. Looking forward to seeing it up.

Paws I’ll need to keep this tree going for a good few years as it was over £100 even with the discounts. 👀 

Took DS to nursery this morning after fighting with him to get ready, we got soaked on the way from the car to the gate ( 5 min walk). DD was screaming and then DS coughed as he walked in the gate. He got sent home as they want a PCR test. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

I understand why but it’s really annoying. The school attached to the nursery has now been closed for the week as some cases of the new variant have apparently appeared in primary 1 & 2. 

Maybe they should just have asked all of the nursery kids to take a PCR. I was just annoyed because I’d dragged us all out on a horrible morning for no reason.

I’ve ordered a postal test but it might be quicker to go for a drive through test. 🤔 The post hasn’t been good at all recently.

I’m trapped upstairs in the house with the joiner working downstairs on the flooring. 

DD is having her nap, the cats are sleeping in my room and I’m in DS’s bed with him watching CBeebies on the iPad.

At least I have annual leave this week so don’t have to worry about getting anyone to watch DS or phoning in sick.

I’m probably not going to get my Christmas wrapping done this week though. 😕

Have done nothing in the house apart from hanging a washing up and putting another one away. 

boxofpaws

V annoying about being sent home when you could have stayed in your cosy beds.

I find it very stressful to have workmen in the house. And I hope your day went okay trapped upstairs.

sashybo

Thanks Paws, it was just a stressful morning topped off by getting soaked and all for nothing! 

The nursery Christmas show has now been cancelled too. 🙁 It was going to be out in the garden but obviously they are too worried about the new variant.

DH took DS for a drive through PCR, hopefully we’ll get the results today. Both DD & I had negative lateral flows yesterday. 

It’s not so bad having the joiner in as we know him, he’s been doing jobs for us for years & I used to work with his OH. 

The kids love him and kept asking to go downstairs to see him. 😂 They were fairly well behaved but will be glad when we can be downstairs again!

Most of the kitchen floor is down, the joiner is hoping to finish it and do half of the living room today.