Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Baileys_Babe

My dd would live a Christmas box like you give your grandchildren. It contains most of her wishlist 😄

foxgloves

Yes, that does sound like a nice selection, Pixiehouse. I used to love a pretty notebook, & still do, actually.
F 

foxgloves

Hello Diary readers,
Well, it's not quite 4pm as I embark on this post, yet the light is already going & the garden birds have already visited our feeders for their supper. It's been a useful day today. Mr F had a slightly later start at work, so before he set off, he managed to source & arrange a click & collect on a big sheet of pond lining material as our much-loved wildlife pond has sprung a leak. I can see that being this weekend's job, so hope it's dry weather as we'll get soggy enough as it is!
I've sorted laundry & ironed, done rubber ham hock duties (enough for golden lentil & ham soup tonight plus a packed lunch sarnie), sorted out meal plans for next week & written the grocery shopping list. Not that long at all, so think I will add a few festive items.
Other stuff: The outstanding present arrived first thing, so I wrapped it & packed the final box & parcel of Christmas presents ready to post to my sister on Saturday. As I'd already got tape & scissors out, I thought I may as well wrap Mr F's birthday presents too while I was at it, so those are now all done & stashed in my wardrobe. Have also knitted a bit more sock, darned a pair of hiking socks, dealt with today's deliveries (including snaffling all the useful stuff like bubble wrap for my recycled wrappings stash). Oh, & I did a Prolific survey. I am now above my '£50 for Christmas' target, but decided to carry on into December. 
I intend to have some leisure time later, but I do need to make the soup first, so will listen to my audio-book while I'm chopping & stirring. I saved some ham jelly stock from slow cooking the ham hock, so must spoon some of the surplus into little pots to freeze. I don't use it in big quantities because it's salty, but the little pots I use are only equivalent to about a tablespoon or two & really add a nice extra layer of flavour to lentil soups & gravy, etc. 
So I shall go & get on with that, & then I shall have earned some piano & reading time.
Cheers me'dears,
F x

DawnW

Thanks for the tip on using salty ham hock stock Foxgloves - for some reason I haven't thought of that!

foxgloves

Well, give it a try next time you slow cook a hock, Dawn. It really is too salty to add to cooking in any quantity but if frozen in these v small amounts, it has its uses. Mr F has already bagsied one of the pots for adding to his Christmas turkey gravy!
F x

Pixiehouse55

Thanks @Baileys_Babe and @foxgloves. This is the 4th year, i think. ?  Yes they really look forward to it. Cut back on how much we send this year though. Trying to clear the more next. We get a lovely WhatsApp  message shouting "Thank you Nanny and Grammy, Love you, you are the best"  I don't see them very often as its a 2 hour/1/2  hour journey from us. Phone calls are as and when as my daughtervis always busy doing something with them. We go down in January with the main Christmas present and book ourselves into a hotel overnight. We work hard in our job and we feel we deserve a treat. Our job is 24/7 first lockdown was a nightmare. 6 weeks and no break. Paperwork done today. Cleaned all floors and carpets and bathroom. Then in to my craft room and started cutting out and making "sleeps to santa comes" for a few children. Not had many orders for them this year as I've been to busy to advertise them. Hope you've all had a good day? Keep safe X 

savingmore

ooh....hole punchers that would make a good present for one of the little grandkids, one of my gdds loves all things craft...perhaps i should take my own ideas and get her a sellotape dispenser and hole punch.....I am another one ho love stationery.  have enough to last at least 5-10 years.   fab, but no thrill in buying it as have no need 🤣🤣🤣🤣🙈🙈

foxgloves

Well, Savingmore, what about those little hole punches for crafters which punch out different shapes? I have a cat one. My Mum, who was a very keen crafter had some Christmassy themed ones which she used to punch out tiny shapes for making her gift tags.
It's funny how the little presents we received stick in our minds. I remember being given a pretty notebook with a little silver pen which had a chain dangling from the top with my initial on. It swished around pleasingly as I wrote & made me feel very grown up. My Gran once bought me a pencil sharpener where you turned the handle to sharpen the pencil & I remember taking it to school aged about 10 & only letting classmates I liked have a go.
F x

Baileys_Babe

We have a set of crafting hole punches, which includes hearts, teddy bears, 3 types of flowers, hearts, stars etc. Dd loves playing with them and uses the results to decorate homemade birthday cards.

Pixiehouse55

I've got loads of craft punches and really don't use them all, border punches as well. I'm starting to have a clear out of all my craft  supplies. Beginning to downsize and I don't do so much papercrafting as I used too. X