Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

Seasidegal58 wrote: »

Just caught up with you Hairy! Belated congrats to OH and the money stream and have a safe journey picking up DS3.

Just a quickie - you mentioned a few posts back that you had yet to write the addresses on your Christmas cards. For the last few years I've used address labels instead. I typed all my Christmas card recipients names and addresses on an Excel spreadsheet and use this to run a label mail merge each year. The spreadsheet gets updated as and when addresses change etc and it saves so much time. I was told that it's good manners to write out the names and addresses on personal Christmas card envelopes, but tbh life's too short during a busy Christmas season for all that faff and I doubt anyone notices anyway!:D
X

Thanks SSG . That does sound a good idea but I'm not competent enough to do it and I don't think DH will have time. Maybe next year we could manage it.:beer:

milann wrote: »

SSG I think it’s a great idea to type labels....if only I knew how....Technophobe alert:o
HH I hope you have a safe journey and you get to enjoy time with ds- both on the journey and over Christmas.
I went into work for 2 half day sessions this week - I’m bright eyed and bushy tailed after virtually 6 months off - full of Christmas spirit and happy to see and spend time with the kiddie winks- however the rest of the staff look and sound shattered and are sick to death of all the Christmas songs, plays and the thought of parties are filling them with dread...so you’re not on your own feeling tired. But they’ll all smile and give the children a fantastic school Christmas and collapse for a rest once home. I suppose I must do the same when I’m in full time.

Thanks Milann . I think I'm less jauniced than the rest of the staff as I haven't been doing it for as long. One of the teachers keeps saying to me "Are you enjoying it here?" and when I say "Yes" she laughs and says "I can tell you haven't been here for long!" :rotfl:.

Nicnak wrote: »

Hope the journey went well.

So sorry to hear Sun Addict - wishing you a quick recovery. x

Thanks Nicnak .

HairyHandofDartmoor

I'm back home :T. We had a good journey there and back apart from a car fire on the M4 :eek: that delayed us for half an hour. But I developed a cold on Friday afternoon and I've lost my voice this morning . It took me ages to drop off to sleep last night because I was over tired and then I woke up at 7am, so I've only had about six hours sleep :mad:.

DS3 was asleep for three quarters of the journey and I was losing my voice so we didn't talk as much as I'd hoped. Typical! This morning he was peering in the fridge and said there's no food and asked DH to give him a lift to Mr M! Children :rotfl:. It's lovely to have DS3 home for Christmas though even if he is a bit high maintenance .

DS1 had a lovely time at his school friend's wedding yesterday and is coming home on the coach today. I've no idea what DS2 did yesterday, he probably had a lovely quiet time being home alone.

I'm going to rest in the warm today and finish writing my Christmas cards. Hopefully that will help my cold as I don't want to miss school tomorrow. DH has offered to cook tonight as he's tired but doesn't have the cold (yet). I've put my work trousers on to wash and we're all running out of underwear so I will have to put another wash on later. But I am going to do the bare minimum today.

The weather is cold but dry at the moment so that's a blessing. I'm going to enjoy sitting on the sofa under a blanket today just writing Christmas cards .

I hope all my forum friends are having a good weekend so far .

elizabethhull

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

I'm back home But I developed a cold on Friday afternoon and I've lost my voice this morning . It took me ages to drop off to sleep last night because I was over tired and then I woke up at 7am, so I've only had about six hours sleep :mad:.

But I am going to do the bare minimum today.

The weather is cold but dry at the moment so that's a blessing. I'm going to enjoy sitting on the sofa under a blanket today just writing Christmas cards .

I hope all my forum friends are having a good weekend so far .

Yes, I'm sure having a quiet time in the warm will help. Hope your cold fades away as fast as possible.

I WAS going to do Xmas cards today, but DD2 and DGS came round instead. On the plus side DGS did help with putting some decorations up, and also helped with my online grocery delivery. (That's proper helping, not like cats do !!!).
As a mini reward, he got a gingerbread-man-shaped ham sandwich.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks Elizabeth . I do feel very tired and a bit unwell, but I''m hoping an early night will make me well enough to go to school tomorrow.

How lovely to have family visit and have some help from DGS . I miss my Mum popping around as no one else does, but I'm lucky to have DH and the children at home to keep me company.

[Deleted User]

Seasidegal58 wrote: »

Just a quickie - you mentioned a few posts back that you had yet to write the addresses on your Christmas cards. For the last few years I've used address labels instead. I typed all my Christmas card recipients names and addresses on an Excel spreadsheet and use this to run a label mail merge each year. The spreadsheet gets updated as and when addresses change etc and it saves so much time. I was told that it's good manners to write out the names and addresses on personal Christmas card envelopes, but tbh life's too short during a busy Christmas season for all that faff and I doubt anyone notices anyway!:D
X

I did this for a few years too, SSG, mainly because so many of the envelopes these days are red, gold or other colour which makes it difficult to see normal biro writing:(. I didn't need to bother this year though as all the cards I bought had good old white/cream envelopes:j

HairyHandofDartmoor

I got up at 7am this morning but felt so unwell that I went back to bed again . This is most unlike me. I decided that I wasn't up to volunteering this morning but would go back to sleep until 10am and then hopefully I'd be well enough to do my lunchtime job.

The extra sleep did seem to help as I felt a bit better when I woke up again. My voice is very croaky which makes it hard to talk and my head feels a bit woozy but DH dropped me off so I didn't have to walk to school and I wrapped up warmly. It's lucky I did go in as someone else was off sick so it would have been difficult for my colleagues if I hadn't gone in. I got lots of sympathy once people heard my croaky voice anyway . I survived the experience but it was difficult talking to the children and shouting was out of the question! Luckily the children were quite well behaved today.

Hopefully if I rest this afternoon I'll feel a bit better tomorrow. This bug has gone all around the school with various staff losing their voices so I suppose it was inevitable that I'd catch it. I'm going to miss Pilates even though it's the last one before Christmas as I don't feel well enought to go .

It's a nuisance because I have so much Christmas prep that needs doing :mad:. The cards for family and friends are written but I need to go to the post office to buy the stamps and post them. I need to buy three vouchers from the rainforest people and enclose them in three Christmas cards. I need to go into town and buy my sister and old school friend a small present to wrap up and post. I need to put the suitcases away in the void, empty the kitchen bins, fold up the clean washing, do some more washing, etc, etc, etc. None of it is going to get done today anway, except maybe folding up the washing.

At least the weather is dry anyway so I didn't have to stand in the rain at lunchtime and all the children are home for Christmas which feels lovely :xmassmile :snow_grin:xmastree:.

I hope everyone is having a good day :rudolf:.

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

It's a nuisance because I have so much Christmas prep that needs doing :mad:. The cards for family and friends are written but I need to go to the post office to buy the stamps and post them. I need to buy three vouchers from the rainforest people and enclose them in three Christmas cards. I need to go into town and buy my sister and old school friend a small present to wrap up and post. I need to put the suitcases away in the void, empty the kitchen bins, fold up the clean washing, do some more washing, etc, etc, etc. None of it is going to get done today anway, except maybe folding up the washing.

So sorry to hear you are feeling ill, HHOD, and I'm glad you dis the best thing and skipped the volunteering this morning. No one at school will think badly of you for doing it as they could see how ill you were and you're always the last to let anyone down anyway. I hope you can some rest today and will feel a lot better tomorrow:coffee:


I'm sorry to mention it but several of the items on your 'to do' list can easily be done by one of the men in the house. Can't one of your adult sons put the suitcases away and empty the bins? Why does everything fall on your shoulders? One of them can surely go out to buy the stamps and post the cards which you've already written? You'll still need to buy and wrap the presents but that can wait for another day. Ditto the washing although I assume DS3 does his own laundry when away so why can't he use the family washing machine just this once to help you out. You and DH put yourselves out no end to fetch him and his stuff on Saturday:A (when you were already feeling ill) so it's high time he returned a favour IMO. You say he even asked DH to run him to the shops to buy food because he wasn't happy with what you provide. Are there no buses in your neck of the woods?:rotfl:. Who runs him around when he's away from home?


After that you'll probably bar me from your diary:o. I do hope not as it's a lovely community on here but it makes my blood boil feeling how your good nature is constantly being taken advantage of especially as you are genuinely ill and had to skip doing something you love like your volunteering

teafor2

Hi HHD Sorry to hear you're not well, but your dedication to school shines through again :T Just make sure to listen to your body and don't force yourself to go in if you're not up to it.

I'm just going to say one word Delegate! :rotfl: Hopefully this won't come across rude, and I used to be like it myself, but are you the sort of person who thinks the only way a job gets done properly is if you do it yourself and that's slowly worked it's way around to you doing most things. I think I'd still be that way inclined if I'd not had a major health scare a few years ago. xx

EssexHebridean

Finally_Solvent wrote: »

I'm sorry to mention it but several of the items on your 'to do' list can easily be done by one of the men in the house. Can't one of your adult sons put the suitcases away and empty the bins? Why does everything fall on your shoulders? One of them can surely go out to buy the stamps and post the cards which you've already written? You'll still need to buy and wrap the presents but that can wait for another day. Ditto the washing although I assume DS3 does his own laundry when away so why can't he use the family washing machine just this once to help you out. You and DH put yourselves out no end to fetch him and his stuff on Saturday:A (when you were already feeling ill) so it's high time he returned a favour IMO. You say he even asked DH to run him to the shops to buy food because he wasn't happy with what you provide. Are there no buses in your neck of the woods?:rotfl:. Who runs him around when he's away from home?

HH - another vote from here for the above - ALL of it! well said FS! Time to administer some kicks to those chaps of yours, I'd suggest! :rotfl:

Munchin

Hi HHG

Hope you feel better soon.