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

HairyHandofDartmoor

Since getting home I've walked to the pet shop and bought sawdust, cleaned out the furry moron, emptied and put the dishwasher on, emptied all the bins in the house and sorted all DS2 and DS3's rubbish into recycling or trash, and put some laundry on to wash. Now I'm having a well deserved rest!

Why is housework never ending? It's like painting the Forth Bridge :mad:.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Verbatim wrote: »

We go for a tree with all the ornaments made by our daughter at nursery and primary plus new and much loved old ones from my husband 's and my childhoods. (Both sets of our parents have been dead a long time).
It definitely ain't tasteful but we all love it!

We have an eclectic set of tree ornaments too which have some sentimental value, so I think we'll need two trees, one tastful one and one sentimental eclectic one :rotfl:.

Seasidegal58

I met my friend outside her block of flats before Christmas and the caketaker had put up the communal tree in the downstairs hall. she was moaning that the tree looked awful - it was a rather loo brush looking tree with coloured lights and coloured tinsel! She was threatening to redecorate it herself! I had to laugh and said when did we all get so snobby about Christmas trees! We both grew up as kids with tinsel and paper chains plus that silver stuff you would throw over the chains! Mind you I do have white lights and no tinsel/chains now so I shouldn't judge..........:D

HairyHandofDartmoor

I suppose when we were children SSG there wasn't any alternative . I do like our eclectic decorations, but sometimes I yearn for something more grown up and restrained. I need two living rooms so I can have the best of both worlds :rotfl:.

elizabethhull

Verbatim wrote: »

We go for a tree with all the ornaments made by our daughter at nursery and primary plus new and much loved old ones from my husband 's and my childhoods. (Both sets of our parents have been dead a long time).
It definitely ain't tasteful but we all love it!

This is the sort of tree we have, loads of much-loved decorations, strings of 'gold' beads, and lametta - no lights.


Candlemas, is a Christian Holy Day commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It falls on Feb 2nd, the 40th day of the Xmas-Epiphany season.
While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them on Candlemas (as does the Pope) - thank you Wikipedia !!

HairyHandofDartmoor

I've never heard of anyone doing it on that day before Elizabeth, but it sounds like a good excuse to keep them up for longer .

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

I do like fairy lights but worry that by having them up all the year round it might feel less magical at Christmas.

When we went to the NT house to see the Christmas decorations it really made me rethink mine. I was just enchanted the first time when we went with DS1 and DS2. But DH and I had another look around the house on new year's day and I was analysing why they looked so amazing. I decided that it was because the lights were all white, they did not flash and they had a LOT of lights on each tree.

So one day when I have money to burn, if that day ever comes , I'd like to replace all our Christmas decorations with beautiful tasteful ones. I'd like a quality tree with lots of white lights on and maybe all silver or all gold baubles, wreaths and garlands that are just green with a few red berries and with white lights in. That would look fantastic :T.

Of course I'd need a fabulous and tasteful house to go with the decorations .

The NT decorations sound stunning, HH, and I know what you mean about having themed lights. I think there are downsides to that in a family situation though.


My SIL has always been very fashion/style conscious. My magpie tendencies of accumulating anything and everything coupled with having very eclecrtic tastes means my things don't ever seem to 'go' together but it didn't bother me over much It used to be quantity over quality:eek::o. On the other hand everything SIL bought for her home (and there was a lot) was always the most expensive and 'tasteful'. Whenever a new colour was in vogue that year, she changed her decor to it. Not just at Christmas, it was any time of the year.


Christmas in particular was always a time to splash out for her though and her Christmas decorations changed yearly:(. I remember one year when tartan seemed to be in vogue and most of the tree baubles and other things had been replaced by silk tartan bows. I used to feel sorry for her children when they came home from infant school in great excitement with decorations they'd made. You know the type of thing, snowmen from toilet roll middles and cotton wool and things showering glitter all over the place. Lovely childlike things made with care even though they ended up wonky and falling to bits.. SIL wouldn't allow them to go on the tree or anywhere visible as they spoilt the 'look' of the room:eek:.


Christmas is a time for children and although yours are grown up I bet a lot of your decorations are from their childhood with all the wonderful memories that they bring back whenever you and they see them. I know the ones on my parents' tree did that for me even when I saw them as a grown-up. I bet your home looked lovely and Christmassy with what you had:j:beer:


I agree that the colour scheme you mentioned sounds lovely. Someone who lived opposite Mum strung lots of blue lights on the outside of his house one year. They flashed on and off all the time and through her curtains my Mum thought it was a police car in the road outside:rotfl:


EDIt: I posted this immediately after your post (quoted) and have now seen posts by verbatim, Elizabeth and tourself mentioning your old favourite decorations. Some of my ramblings are superfluous (as usual:o) but I'll leave them anyway. Sorry to clutter.

[Deleted User]

elizabethhull wrote: »

This is the sort of tree we have, loads of much-loved decorations, strings of 'gold' beads, and lametta - no lights.


Candlemas, is a Christian Holy Day commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It falls on Feb 2nd, the 40th day of the Xmas-Epiphany season.
While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them on Candlemas (as does the Pope) - thank you Wikipedia !!

Thanks for the explanation of Candlemas:T. Where would we all be without Wikipedia or the internet in general for instant information? I have a set of very old encyclopaedias that someone was clearing out and wanted me to take to the charity shop for them as they no longer drive. I toted them round 4 different shops (well, not all at once, they weighed a ton:eek:) but just a sample. They all refused them:(. Seems such a pity and I still have them as I can't bear to take them to the tip. I've been having a quick peek whenever I've had a bit of time but one thing leads to another, as it tends to do with reference books as far as I'm concerned:rotfl:, and I find a whole evening has gone by. The information is so dated as are attitudes. British supremacy is very much in evidence. Definitely very un-PC:eek:


Incidentally, my parents always stuck to Twelfth Night for taking down their decorations. My Mum would have gone crazy if theirs had still been up into February:eek:. She had a 'thing' about cleaning (a gene I didn't inherit:rotfl:) and hated the fact that they got in the way as long as they did anyway.

System

Good to hear you enjoyed your Saturday saunter. The gifts for DS were well thought out , I would love a globe , especially as my DGS is always asking where is Australia etc?

When do you start your course ? Is it in walking distance?

Have a good Sunday.

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Thanks for the explanation of Candlemas:T. Where would we all be without Wikipedia or the internet in general for instant information? I have a set of very old encyclopaedias that someone was clearing out and wanted me to take to the charity shop for them as they no longer drive. I toted them round 4 different shops (well, not all at once, they weighed a ton:eek:) but just a sample. They all refused them:(. Seems such a pity and I still have them as I can't bear to take them to the tip. I've been having a quick peek whenever I've had a bit of time but one thing leads to another, as it tends to do with reference books as far as I'm concerned:rotfl:, and I find a whole evening has gone by. The information is so dated as are attitudes. British supremeacy is very much in evidence. Definitely very un-PC:eek:


Incidentally, my parents always stuck to Twelfth Night for taking down their decorations. My Mum would have gone crazy if theirs had still been up into February:eek:. She had a 'thing' about cleaning (a gene I didn't inherit:rotfl:) and hated the fact that they got in the way as long as they did anyway.

It does seem a shame that charity shops didn't want the encyclopedias but they have limited space and have to think about what people like to buy. People tend to look things up online rather then look in encyclopedias, but they can make fascinating reading. My mum used to spend hours reading an encyclopedia her dad bought her, because she loved reading but didn't own many books and was only allowed to borrow one book a day from the library.