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

Seasidegal58

I hope your business work goes well today. Have a lovely time later with your stepdad.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Nicnak wrote: »

Sorry, mis read it as last night. I hope he is well tonight when you see him. x

WannabeFree wrote: »

Have a lovely day HH and hope you have a good time this evening

x

Seasidegal58 wrote: »

I hope your business work goes well today. Have a lovely time later with your stepdad.

Thanks all of you .

daisy_1571

carbootcrazy wrote: »

I love that idea and would definitely try it if I had a set of lights:T. I would have them in my little sitting room/study which no one uses except me. OH would think me completely bonkers but I think he already does anyway:rotfl:. I couldn't cope with twinkly, flashing ones though as I read a lot and can't concentrate if there are any sort of distractions:o. That's why I like to use 'my' room as OH has the TV on in the main lounge and I just can't concentrate on my books if I sit in there with him.

Sorry, twinkly referred to their dinky little led lights of fairylandness rather than flashing effect. The flashing would keep catching my eye too. They do little sets of battery powered ones in pound type shops sometimes, they are pretty too.

ETA sorry reading on i realise doingitanyway also suggested this

daisy_1571

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 .

I thought that too hairy, I used to stand in the darkened room of the last night the trees were going to be up just wondering at them and trying to get my fill to last me 11 and a half months. Then one year we didn't have a tree so we banged a couple of nails in at the top of the wood surrounding the bookcase that's in the recess at the side of the chimney breast as one tree stands in front of that and put our presents at the bottom of it. After xmas it struck me that I'm an adult now and I dont have to put my lights away if I dont want to, no one is going to come round and make me take them down :rotfl::T:rotfl: and they have stayed there ever since. When that set broke I substituted a more modern led set and ended up with the white set and the colour set. They give me sooooo much joy.

I also love a tree done in white lights with one colour decs. But then I look at a colourful lit tree with mismatching decs and love that too. So that's how we now usually have the green tree in front of the French windows in back room with coloured lights and all our 'memory' decs from holidays, inherited and ones friends have given us, a metal tree in livingroom with white lights and colour co-ordinated decs often teal and lilac, and a barbie/bubblegum pink tree in the hall with white lights and black and silver decs. These have been built up over the years so never cost a fortune and vis they are king out fir a few weeks they should last a long time yet.

:xmastree:

Simple things but very pleasurable. Here's hoping you get your beautiful tree sometime soon.

Daisy xx

ETA sorry I also rambled on without checking up the thread to realise this had all been discussed but I'm glad everyone gets their own pleasure be it from tasteful or trashy ! I also feel sad for the children not allowed to out their decs out -style over substance imho, hope the mother can look back happily at her memories even if the bairns cant !

Sallyforth

Enjoy your dinner with stepdad tonight. Life is gradually getting back to a new normal for me and I hope you too find more peace this year. Your business is intriguing and I wish you every success with whatever it is.
Sally x

HairyHandofDartmoor

daisy_1571 wrote: »

I thought that too hairy, I used to stand in the darkened room of the last night the trees were going to be up just wondering at them and trying to get my fill to last me 11 and a half months. Then one year we didn't have a tree so we banged a couple of nails in at the top of the wood surrounding the bookcase that's in the recess at the side of the chimney breast as one tree stands in front of that and put our presents at the bottom of it. After xmas it struck me that I'm an adult now and I dont have to put my lights away if I dont want to, no one is going to come round and make me take them down :rotfl::T:rotfl: and they have stayed there ever since. When that set broke I substituted a more modern led set and ended up with the white set and the colour set. They give me sooooo much joy.

I also love a tree done in white lights with one colour decs. But then I look at a colourful lit tree with mismatching decs and love that too. So that's how we now usually have the green tree in front of the French windows in back room with coloured lights and all our 'memory' decs from holidays, inherited and ones friends have given us, a metal tree in livingroom with white lights and colour co-ordinated decs often teal and lilac, and a barbie/bubblegum pink tree in the hall with white lights and black and silver decs. These have been built up over the years so never cost a fortune and vis they are king out fir a few weeks they should last a long time yet.

:xmastree:

Simple things but very pleasurable. Here's hoping you get your beautiful tree sometime soon.

Daisy xx

ETA sorry I also rambled on without checking up the thread to realise this had all been discussed but I'm glad everyone gets their own pleasure be it from tasteful or trashy ! I also feel sad for the children not allowed to out their decs out -style over substance imho, hope the mother can look back happily at her memories even if the bairns cant !

I definitely think two trees are the way forward, or in your case three :rotfl:.

We have some weird and wonderful decorations on our tree normally, including a cuddly reindeer with antlers :rotfl:. We used to have some child made decorations that we dutifully hung on the tree every year, but now that our youngest is 21 they have fallen apart with constant use. We have the baubles which the DC chose when they were little, and some DH and I bought before the DC were born, as well as a handful we've been given by friends and family. So a fairly eclectic mix.

Next year I may skip the tinsel and just have the lights and decorations on the tree to see how that looks.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Sallyforth wrote: »

Enjoy your dinner with stepdad tonight. Life is gradually getting back to a new normal for me and I hope you too find more peace this year. Your business is intriguing and I wish you every success with whatever it is.
Sally x

Thanks Sally . I hope 2019 is good for you.

I can't say too much about my business, but the nature of it is that it will be a slow burner.

elizabethhull

daisy_1571 wrote: »

After xmas it struck me that I'm an adult now and I dont have to put my lights away if I dont want to, no one is going to come round and make me take them down :rotfl::T:rotfl: and they have stayed there ever since.
I also feel sad for the children not allowed to put their decs out -style over substance imho, hope the mother can look back happily at her memories even if the bairns cant !

I so agree with both these statements. I'm keeping my decs up later than my friends - and, you know what, I don't care !!!!
And I wouldn't be without the indestructible bits of playdoh and childish whatever for anything. I'm inclined to think a tree SHOULD look a bit tacky, and gloriously, even riotously colourful.

Presents go under the table the tree sits on. At Easter, I generally get given a couple of eggs early by people I give lifts to and I put them 'under the Easter Tree' (same place). In Summer, it's 'under the birthday tree'.

I am by nature of a childish/playful/silly/frivolous/ (take your pick) caste of mind. All these special occasions are endlessly magical for me. OH thinks I am annoying at times because of it !!

daisy_1571

elizabethhull wrote: »

I so agree with both these statements. I'm keeping my decs up later than my friends - and, you know what, I don't care !!!!
And I wouldn't be without the indestructible bits of playdoh and childish whatever for anything. I'm inclined to think a tree SHOULD look a bit tacky, and gloriously, even riotously colourful.

Presents go under the table the tree sits on. At Easter, I generally get given a couple of eggs early by people I give lifts to and I put them 'under the Easter Tree' (same place). In Summer, it's 'under the birthday tree'.

I am by nature of a childish/playful/silly/frivolous/ (take your pick) caste of mind. All these special occasions are endlessly magical for me. OH thinks I am annoying at times because of it !!

Yup I love a tacky tree with memories. Your tree table sounds wonderful, I'm so glad you are a fellow playful person :beer:. Luckily for me Mr daisy is of a similar mind to me and doesn't mind me skipping off joyfully when I spot a swing :j and likes to splash in a puddle occasionally with me. We will have a wee snowball fight (cos it's the law) and sometimes in the house he unexpectedly gets a ball of socks lobbed at him which turns into a sock war. I kinda agree that you dont get old and stop playing, you get old because you stop playing. So you keep on annoying Mr hull and keep yourself young :T

[Deleted User]

daisy_1571 wrote: »

Yup I love a tacky tree with memories. Your tree table sounds wonderful, I'm so glad you are a fellow playful person :beer:. Luckily for me Mr daisy is of a similar mind to me and doesn't mind me skipping off joyfully when I spot a swing :j and likes to splash in a puddle occasionally with me. We will have a wee snowball fight (cos it's the law) and sometimes in the house he unexpectedly gets a ball of socks lobbed at him which turns into a sock war. I kinda agree that you dont get old and stop playing, you get old because you stop playing. So you keep on annoying Mr hull and keep yourself young :T

daisy, I love this post and your approach to life:T:j:beer:

I'm normally a playful person but OH is just the opposite. I think he was born middle-aged:(. He often tells me to ''grow up'' and even when he doesn't utter it as a result of some of my antics (especially in public and which often involve piles of fallen leaves or puddles;)) his disapproval is obvious. One of my favourite things, where there are no passers by to get drenched, is to drive fast through those puddles that stretch almost across the road just to enjoy the splash:j. If I'm ever driving with OH as my passenger he's appalled and there's a huge intake of breath. It's probably because it's bad for the car but I always think it's because he can be a real killjoy:(. How lovely it must be for you and your man to stay 'young' together:beer:.