Nst november in new york

misstara

Not posted for ages again, finally getting rid of the lurgy . Glad to be feeling better as we're off to Edinburgh tomorrow.

apple muncher - can you post your lemon drizzle cake recipe? It's my absolute fave but the couple of times I've tried making it since going gf/df, it's had a weird rubbery texture :eek:

Saving_Glut

Mothernerd, more please!

Your stories reminded me that for two years running my Mum asked my eldest sister to set the “biggest coal fire yet” on Christmas Eve night.

For two Christmas Eve’s running, we were visited by the fire brigade. :rotfl:

mothernerd

Quite pleased with today. Posted inspiration. Went shopping in search of naked mini swiss rolls (to make Christmas cracker cakes) and a few bits (all mum purchases). Gathered stuff from home (6 bags in total).


I have been working on a bit of the dining room table about 15" square (had to move stuff every time I changed direction with my rolling pin).

Assembled a dozen 'princess crown' cakes in pink, purple and marbled (re-used the cut off bits and mixed them) decorated with lines of icing from small tubes and addded snowflakes, unicorn sprinkles. Did a few purple dinosaurs too.


Mum said we didn't need any more cakes (she was surrounded by piles of undecorated ones in the kitchen plus the 'spoiled' ones as she does too many and then forgets when they need to come out.


Sorted all my stuff back into containers, washed everything that needed it and had tea. Mum was at least stopping to sit down and rest at regular intervals.


Did a few bits she asked me to do, gave her unicorn wafers to put on some icing covered cakes and then took over placing small holly leaves on a teapot shaped fruit cake. Attempted to put roll out icing on both sides of a cardboard handle and spout I had traced earlier but they were then too heavy to stay in place.


Mum has decided we should save it and make it for her friend's birthday/ Christmas present (my original suggestion) and I persuaded her that she needed to stop (getting on for 9pm). She will try to get someone to collect them or take them in a taxi.


Very tired and aching. Strapped my right ankle as soon as I got home. Will relax now and do what I can tomorrow and Sunday.


Today I am grateful for mum taking time for regular breaks and more realistic about what she can do, for the Church fair fiasco being over for 6 months and for doing what had to be done if not what I wanted to get done. Thanks also for support bandages.

lcc86

NSD number 13 today. Got paid from the new job but essentially haven't paid any tax so will have to work out how much to keep back and speak to the tax man to sort out. Finally shifting my cold so went to the gym this evening.

Out all weekend with OH as it's his birthday, bought him a Groupon hotel stay (trying to do birthdays the MSE way!). Food is included so only spends should be travel. Have a good weekend everyone.

mothernerd

Our first record player set on fire on Christmas Day. It had a little brush that was meant to 'clean' the stylus every time it went back to it's resting position and a stray wire must have ignited it. We also had a tv that set on fire. It wasn't turned on but dad spotted the fire in the back of it ( in the days when tvs had 'valves' , about 20 light bulb shaped objects in the back) reflected in the clock on the wall.


The manager of the local electrical shop was very suspicious about two such incidents in one family (think the tv must only have been rented). Unluckily for him the shop cleaner was our grandma, who had been present when the record player went up, and she soon set him straight.


* It snowed one year, think I was about 4. We couldn't afford wellingtons so my mother had the bright idea of putting bread bags (greased paper wrappers not plastic bags) over my shoes to keep my feet dry. Shuffled round the back yard for a while until I reached the bin, where the ground sloped slightly. Bread wrappers have no grip so I went flying and hit the ground hard.


8 When I was expecting DS1 I made the mistake of letting OH go shopping. Beetroot was on the list, I expected it in a jar, he brought home a bunch. Studied my cook books (Delia's Frugal Food and a Rose Elliot) and found a beetroot and orange salad recipe, which involved much peeling and grating in between preparing Christmas dinner (with pauses to go upstairs and be sick). At one point it skidded off the table onto my dress. Had to go upstairs, change and soak the (1 of 3) dress - luckily the stain came out.


* A beginning of December story but ran till Christmas. I had a place on a media course in Aigburth. I had told them I was bringing DS1 who was nearly 2yo (I was pregnant with DS2). I had to take a bus to Warrington, then a train the rest of the way. OH had helpfully put clothes for us both plus nappies etc in one large bag. Also had pushchair and a nappy bag.



Got to Warrington bus station, the effort of lugging the case round made me sick. Cue throwing up in the bus station toilets, muttering words of reassurance to DS1 in between. Narrowly avoided being sent to Warrington General by a passenger who found a transport policeman. Persuaded him to mind my case whilst I had a walk round in the fresh air. Bought a second bag and divided the luggage evenly.


Caught the train. Got up at our stop and waited patiently by the doors with DS1, two large bags, one small bag and the pushchair. The people waiting for the train did not follow the correct procedure (to let me off the train first) but pushed past me. I stepped from the train holding a bag in each hand, then turned to lift DS1 down.


To my horror the doors started to shut. I shoved my hands forward (did not know if the doors would have cut them off but instinctively knew I could not let DS1 be trapped in the train without me. The doors stopped and another passenger got up and wrestled them open for me to reach for DS1 (and the pushchair).


Walked to the college (very late by now), still shaking only to find they had made no provision for DS1. They offered to let him have the room next to me (student cubbies) but I opted to have a mattress brought through to put on the floor (he spent all week in the single bed with me - and the kicking baby).


Before we left home, I had asked that OH pull all the furniture away from the walls and paint the skirting boards so that none of us would be affected by the fumes. Phoned him at work midway through the week (we had no home phone) and he had taken the day off (because he hadn't done the painting).


When I finally got home on the Friday (needing to wash my 3 dresses because we were away for the weekend) I found that not only had OH not done the painting requested, he had started to atke all the books from the (floor to ceiling bookshelves) and pack them away - in the middle of the room.


No point in putting them back (even though I hadn't wanted to decorate properly until later), I spent the evening re-packing the books and carrying them upstairs to stack them at the end of the landing. The only good point was that I was in no condition to paper the ceiling. My mum did it, assissted by OH. Mum and I did the rest and I put all the books back - I have a photo of me in an advanced stage of pregnancy, up a ladder, adjusting shelves (OH took the picture - it's at an angle because he was sitting down with a cup of tea).

crazy_cat_lady

I feel as though I'm hiding from Christmas a bit this year. It is my first as a single parent and my finances have taken a real battering this year. I find it comforting to know that I can still make Christmas fantastic for me and the kids.
Thanks for all the stories, particularly mothernerd, and for reminding me that Christmas is about family, not money.

XSpender

Thank you all for your kind words about my potential redundancy. The cull is not as big as I expected and it is more than likely I will be OK but the process and timescales given are very wishy washy and creating a real uncertainty within my team. I'm going to see if I can find the money needed for the professional CV re-write before the end of the year which I keep putting off as I enjoy my job.

NSDs - 7/10 my target of 10 might be a struggle as will spend Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. Tuesday will be a biggie as I will be buying next year's panto tickets.

ORGANISE your time - DH went to Mr A after taking a random day off and did the weekly shop, with my list!!!! This is not a common occurrence.

I have created a spread in my Bu-jo of 19 things to complete before 2019, some house tasks, some :money: and some frogs

VALUES - saved the equivalent of 2 payments off my target debt saved some money into holiday fund, still a fair bit in the Christmas pot

ENJOY yourself – not much of this this week TBH

MAKE an inventory - will complete this weekend

BUDGETS – grocery budget under pressure. December will be DH first wage without his guaranteed bonus and we will be fine

EXERCISE - not a sausage

RULES – a few rules have been bent this week but will get back on track over the weekend

IN case of emergency – still need screen wash and a fleece in car

NOW – diet has not been good this week

NO takeaways – Had 1, first 1 in weeks

EVERYONE Aiming for June 2021 (while I'm still 50) at the latest

EXTRA income – none

WINTER proof your home – DONE

YOU should cook from scratch - not much this week

OUTSIDE – only the bare minimum

REPORT – missed a few days but back on it now

KINDNESS - Offered to take DPIL to Mr A every week. I need to be kind to myself over the next few weeks with the job situation

FROGS - adding these to be completed by end of month

1) Set up new savings account for DS - duff advice given in bank so need to sort child trust fund transfer first :mad:
[STRIKE]2) Book dentist for me and DS[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]3) Book smear test
4) Book flu jab[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]5) Locate contact details to change address on old pension [/STRIKE][/QUOTE]

f0xh0les

Ah, The Fairytale of New York, a proper Jeremy Kyle Christmas song.

Saw a card in a shop window, it read:

' These days Mary and Joseph would be on Jeremy Kyle'

I did giggle.

I am not so worried about Christmas per se,

The in-laws never tell us what they want, they need nothing, all they want is their kids to want to be with them, and for them to like their kids, but I am not a miracle worker.

Step Gran has informed me she wants something but it cannot be food, she does not drink, and she does not want gadgets or ornaments. She is housebound and frail. So that is easy then!

DH does not see what all the fuss is about. He would ignore the whole business.

The kids open their presents, drag their loot off to their rooms, and then get back on their computers.

You koow, I think I might suggest present opening after lunch this year.... DH never wants to get up, DS1 and 2 are getting up later and later, so maybe it is time to switch things up a bit.

We have no family within 250 miles. and so we have never really done the whole going to visit 1, 2,or 3. so really there is no reason not to just please ourselves. By pleasing ourselves, I mean everyone else does nothing .

What I simply do not understand, is why it has fallen to me, the person with the least money, to buy gifts for everyone else.

Maybe I have just fallen into this trap and it is time to build a ladder and climb out of this pit, instead of sitting inthr bottom of it and digging it deeper and deeper.

For Christmas, from the age of about 13, I got a multipack of socks and a cheque for £100 with a card saying 'We did not know what you want'. This continued every year.

I am not sure whether my parents were simply absent, or set me up to be financially aware, but more and more I am becoming aware that my 'upbringing ' was not normal. DH is convinced I was a lodger, not a child.

Anyway. in summary, my kids seem ungrateful, but I am still doing things, as kids, all we had was a box of roses and a tree. That was Xmas. I think my kids would cry.

apple_muncher

Misstara -

bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4942/lemon-drizzle-cake


I used vitalite and liddle's gf sr flour. And a good dose of (admittedly rather out of date) xanthan gum. And bottled lemon juice instead of real lemon.


And cooked it in a loaf silicone thingy. And it took well over 60 mins.


But it is sooo yummy!

dolly84

Have been spending today but it is on Christmas presents, I am almost done but it is expensive for us with the kids birthdays being just either side of Christmas too.


When I dropped my phone last week I bought a replacement on Saturday at £129.99 then on Monday Argos changed the price to £99.99, it wasn't an offer just a price change, I rang them and they wouldn't do anything so I bought another the same then returned it the day after with my original receipt and saved the £30. Shouldn't have to be messing about like this but two can play that game.


Cycled with DH this morning but I am in a fair amount of pain with my back at the moment, not sure what is causing it but I am pointing the finger to my chair at work so yesterday I told my manager and got a new and very comfortable chair. I felt really awkward as I am just a temp and there were no spare chairs but the one I had was really for a child.


Going to our towns Christmas Fayre this afteroon.