£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 45: Day 3

Well this is apparently The Week Where TOPM Achieves Nothing. I don't think I got a singe item ticked off my To Do list yesterday. Christmas seems to be barrelling towards me at great speed, and I am feeling somewhat unprepared!

Big food shop to do today (with all three DC in tow :eek: ), plus must find some time to do the other things on my list.

to do today
1. Buy and post secret Santa present.
2. more laundry (I did achieve one load yesterday).
3. Sew up the unicorn I knitted for DC3.
4. Sew up the hat I knitted for DH.
5. pack orders for smaller business (have had four orders in the past 24 hours, always a bit of a rush before Christmas).
6. Write and post Christmas cards (DH has actually written most of these, thankfully, I just need to post them).
7. food shopping

To do this week
1. Make candles.
2. Make jam.
3. Make chocolate salami.
4. Ice Christmas cakes (taking one to my mum's after Christmas).
5. Make florentine biscuits.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping! Done!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again. Yeah, this is going abysmally, as always.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.

KxMx

It'd be a good idea to keep an eye out in the sales for gifts to give next Christmas. It saves money and avoids having to shell out all in one month next December.

I know kids interests can change, so maybe not for them but for the adults you buy for.

Treadingonplaymobil

Fractionally more productive day yesterday, just going to check that list before I start on today...

to do today (yesterday!)
1. Buy and post secret Santa present. Done.
2. more laundry (I did achieve one load yesterday). Done.
3. Sew up the unicorn I knitted for DC3. Not done.
4. Sew up the hat I knitted for DH. Done.
5. pack orders for smaller business (have had four orders in the past 24 hours, always a bit of a rush before Christmas). Done.
6. Write and post Christmas cards (DH has actually written most of these, thankfully, I just need to post them). Not done.
7. food shopping. Done, just need to get some veg later in the week.

To do this week
1. Make candles.
2. Make jam.
3. Make chocolate salami.
4. Ice Christmas cakes (taking one to my mum's after Christmas). Half done, the marzipan is on!
5. Make florentine biscuits.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping! Done!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again. Yeah, this is going abysmally, as always.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 45: Day 4

Right, I'm feeling like I'm making progress (sloooowwwwwlllly) now.

Still in minor trauma about the amount of money that had gone/continues to go out this month, such an expensive time of year! Today shouldn't be too horrendous though - meeting a friend at a local forest with all our children for a walk, and have leftover batch cooked soup to go in a thermos to have for lunch, will need to whip up some mince pies or something too, but can do that this morning. My aim is to buy no more than a couple of cartons of juice and some tea in the cafe. Tomorrow should be much the same - off to a national trust place by myself with the DCs, think I will repeat the soup/mince pies formula.

to do today
1. Make mince pies
2. Ironing.
3. Sew up the unicorn I knitted for DC3.
4. Pack additional orders for smaller business.
5. Post cards (SO LATE).
6. Write a proper list of everything remaining that needs to be done before Christmas. Panic. Decide that actually none of it really matters as we are sorted for the DC and everything else is a bonus. Panic a little less.

To do this week
1. Make candles.
2. Make jam.
3. Make chocolate salami.
4. Ice Christmas cakes (taking one to my mum's after Christmas). Half done, the marzipan is on!
5. Make florentine biscuits.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping! Done!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again. Yeah, this is going abysmally, as always.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.[/QUOTE]

Sea_Shell

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

Decide that actually none of it really matters as we are sorted for the DC and everything else is a bonus. .

Exactly!!!

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 45: Day 4

Well, the pre-Christmas flapping continues unabated here. Although looking forward to taking the DC to a National Trust house today.

The finances continue to be ridiculous, although am waiting for payment for some work between Christmas and New Year which will cover the rest of January's salary and the small NI payment I need to make before the end of January, which means my contract work for December should be able to go 100% towards February's expenses and salary. Slooowwwwly I am inching ahead with my finances (even if the Christmas spend is, ahem, a little alarming).

to do today
1. Ironing.
2. Packed lunch for National Trust place.
3. More mince pies, since yesterday's went in the space of about eight minutes.
4. Sew up the unicorn I knitted for DC3.
5. Make jam for gifts.
6. Make chocolate salami for gifts.
7. Ice Christmas cake.

To do this week
1. Make candles.
2. Make jam.
3. Make chocolate salami.
4. Ice Christmas cakes (taking one to my mum's after Christmas). Half done, the marzipan is on!
5. Make florentine biscuits.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping! Done!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again. Yeah, this is going abysmally, as always.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.

Suffolk_lass

Ooh, you sound so organised. I have marzipanned (is that a word? it isn't recognised by my auto-correct) 2 more small cakes this morning at 4.45 (- I thought of you actually, presuming you would be quietly doing yoga and achieving that omm-state I never quite achieve) so they are all cakes now coated in something. I am just willing them to dry out a bit so I can ice them! I have ended up taking today off as I was owed days of TOIL (time off in lieu). I have little or no chance of achieving my list. Your comment about nothing really mattering has been muttered twice so far this morning.

Anyway, well done and enjoy your day with the children.

FiscalPickle

Hi TOPM, I’ve read your diary since joining the forum at the start of December. You’ve made so much progress, 2018 is shaping up to be fantastic MSE year for you as you’ve learned so much this year. I’ve subscribed to your diary :T

Random question about children’s birthday parties, something you’ve mentioned a couple of times in your diary and I’ve heard from a couple of mum friends; why do parents stay for the whole party? When I was a kid (albeit a long time ago!) I remember being dropped off then picked up later. I wonder why that’s changed? I suppose if it’s a party at home the hosts wouldn’t want tons of kids rampaging without some additional supervision, but somewhere like a soft play it might be an ideal opportunity to drop off a DC then get other things done.

My brain is far too awake for this time of day! I’m not up to anything as zen as yoga, Mr Pickle was snoring so it was a choice of get up or murder him with a pillow :rotfl:

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 45: Day 5

Progress is made! I made chocolate salami yesterday (thank you Nigella) and plum and mulled wine jam (thank you WI) with plums from the freezer (from my mum's orchard) so I am feeling significantly more ready for Christmas than I was 36 hours ago - now have gifts for all the extra adults we're seeing. I haven't done a jot of meal preparation for Christmas day though, or wrapped a single present :eek: . Both jam and salami recipe made more than I was expecting, so I have plenty of gifts to go round now, which is reassuring and means I can be a bit more generous with those adults we are seeing who I know will spend a lot on the DC.

Spent £8 yesterday at the National Trust place, on some sweets and a Christmas decoration from the National Trust house I visited with the DC - took soup and bread again for lunch, and a batch of freshly made mince pies (which seem to disappear in their droves when my DC are present). Also spent another £50 in the supermarket, mainly on a bottle of sloe gin, as we somehow didn't have any (I don't drink much, but Christmas without sloe gin :eek: ). I suspect we have more booze than we need for the festive period, but it will keep perfectly well. That £50 also included a tenner on food bank contributions - one of the DC has been a bit grabby and materialistic of late, so I wanted to remind them about how much we have - it seemed to work moderately well, there was lots of talk about how lucky they are.

In less festive-related news, I have the planning officer coming this morning for our pre-application appointment, to look at the house and begin the process of making an initial decision about the prospects of our extension. Exciting to be making progress on it, but I am so not in the right headspace for it, my mind is full of Christmas!

to do today
1. Ironing.
2. Make star biscuit tree to take to friends' tomorrow (like this).
3. Probably another batch of mince pies.
4. Sew up the unicorn I knitted for DC3.
5. Ice Christmas cake.
6. Do some present wrapping. Any present wrapping! Envisaging our annual 3am Christmas morning finish, despite all plans to the contrary.
7. Label jam jars.
8. Wrap chocolate salami.
9. Make candles.

To do this week
1. Make candles.
2. Make jam. Done.
3. Make chocolate salami. Done.
4. Ice Christmas cakes (taking one to my mum's after Christmas). Half done, the marzipan is on!
5. Make florentine biscuits.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping! Done!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again. Yeah, this is going abysmally, as always.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.

Treadingonplaymobil

Yesterday's lists...

to do today
1. Ironing. Nope.
2. Make star biscuit tree to take to friends' tomorrow (like this). Done.
3. Probably another batch of mince pies. Not done.
4. Sew up the unicorn I knitted for DC3. Not done, argh!
5. Ice Christmas cake. Done.
6. Do some present wrapping. Any present wrapping! Envisaging our annual 3am Christmas morning finish, despite all plans to the contrary. Did a good chunk, all the stocking presents and main gifts. Many presents from relatives for the children to wrap still.
7. Label jam jars. Done.
8. Wrap chocolate salami. Three done, two to go.
9. Make candles. Not done.

To do this week
1. Make candles.
2. Make jam. Done.
3. Make chocolate salami. Done.
4. Ice Christmas cakes (taking one to my mum's after Christmas). Done.
5. Make florentine biscuits.

To do in December
1. finish Christmas shopping! Done!
2. buy DH's birthday present while I'm doing the Christmas shopping.
3. make some more candles.
4. don't try to do too much! I already have a few client bookings and lots of work I want to do, alongside the Christmas stuff. I need to make sure I don't get overwhelmed again. Yeah, this is going abysmally, as always.
5. update debt totals at the end of the month, to ensure we know where we are as we start 2018.