NST DECEMBER Don't Be a Martyr for Christmas

Calling14

Good luck Idee2111 with your money saving.  I was horrified when I did a budget the other day, how much total of dd's out of my account come to and I am mortgage free now. Not sure if I lose my job how I would manage.   I may cancel A Prime in the new year, one dd finishes Jan yeah.

I went and did a big Mr T shop yesterday, dont usually go there but some of the prices with clubcard were good. Freezer full for xmas, chocolates and some drinks pressies bought.

Haven't heard from dd in Canada assume she is okay as back in work on her instagram account. Kids just msg you to worry you. No phone call as promised.

Grateful for

Nice gift of expensive wine today from a work contact.

Surveys - will hopefull buy grandkids pressies when they eventually decide what they want!

Bought some fun christmas cake santas today, found a cute cooks shop.

Xmas cards posted, it's always a relief to send them.

Shrewbie

hello everyone and hugs to turtles in need of them. Thank you so much mothernerd for the little titbits of advice and reminders. 

I’m still on only 2 NSD. Today was not as did the weekly shop. 

Have been mediating and exercising and eating semi-ok. Today was quite productive. Just had to phone the spanish equivalent of the dvla which was super stressful.. but I survived just about. We have to change our licences before the end of the year... where's that eyeroll emoji...

Grateful for helpful call centre ppl, clean and hot running water, and for feeling fresher than at the start of the week. 

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 8

Payday today and budget all done for the next four weeks. Not that it changes that much. Although spending on food is a bit high but I suppose that's to be expected since I can't go bargain hunting in the shops.

Prescription still hasn't turned up and Amazon are now saying the parcel containing my Christmas presents may be lost. They have no idea where it is. I might be back to the orange and an apple in the stocking.

Used up some more things that have been in the freezer for ages for lunch and dinner and used some frozen veg and chicken to make soup for tomorrow. Fridge and freezers looking remarkably tidy.

So it's been a quiet sort of day.

ditty1234

Hi so it has happened that I am now only a ceremony and a piece of paper from becoming a British national, all im time tor Bullsh*** I mean Brexit! On the Christmas note the tree is still behind the garage, I am hoping the boys will have footed it by the time I get home, do we can trim it and start decorating it. I am worried it will take up half off our very small living room. Happy Friday. 

greent

Oooh, ditty - that sounds good (B***it is just unbelievable ) 

Not NSD here - DD's bday with lunch out for 5 of us at M1ller & Cart3r - but did buy a gift voucher @10% off for the majority of the cost And because we went at lunch we didn't have 3 courses - 3 had 2 courses and DH & I had a main followed by coffee/ tea. 

I also spent in TEsc0 - but managed to score loads of YS stuff inc items that were on my list - nipped in after spending an hour in the CS

Cake has been eaten after smallest home from school - yum Think between that & my lunch I've eaten a week's worth of calories!  

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for extra work, for supportive colleagues, for not getting too wet, for finally planting the croci I bought in sept [they were sprouting!!], for my dh having my back.

ldee2111

Not a NSD unfortunately. Been a bit of an off day.

OH and I went to a fast food place for a stress eat. Not proud of it. £9 on rubbish really. No walk either. 

Drank 1500ml water, looked over our budget again for reassurance, and had an afternoon nap. 

Ironically I’ve felt calmer today about the job-loss situation but I think the initial shock/stress is catching up with me. 

Tomorrow is a new day! 

Grateful for the bread maker which takes the effort out of homemade pizzas, an afternoon nap, and mod-cons like a dishwasher. Bless the inventors.

Hope all NST have had a good day. 

mothernerd

Sorry to be MIA but laptop is loading very slowly, couldn't access the quotes/ snippets I have stored on it and only able to load a couple of simple games. yesterday I took a pile of cards to the postbox and then walked along the canal bank to cut some (mostly) willow twigs - most were cut from branches that had already been lopped off or torn down. I also found the cards that mum had been stressing over for two days (some had money in them - had told her they must either be in the ones that were put out for hand delivery last Saturday or still be in the house). Opened first drawer (which mum had definitely searched) and the 4 cards were there, in plain sight.

Today I've cleaned all the inside windows. Window cleaner did not turn up (he still does windows when it's raining) so I suspect doing the outside of the windows will sneak onto tomorrow's job list. I am also allowed to put the tree up tomorrow (after I have pulled a large sideboard away from the wall and cleaned all the skirting boards).

Presents have started to arrive. Two visitors today and one yesterday (with photos of all the graves with flowers on from the money I put through mum's cousin's door last week). Handed over the box of miscellaneous craft stuff to mummy of twins to keep her eldest 2 occupied. DS1 and mummy of twins' twin have sent presents direct - lots of tealights (that's what mum asked for and I've spent hours convincing people to only buy tealights not holders, oil burners, fancy branded candles or complicated scents - asked for vanilla or spicy cinnamon etc). Also received the present that is from me to mum (already given her the two A4 magnifying sheets) - a metal cook book stand in red (to match the kitchen - it says cook book in large red letters so it's much lighter than the traditional cast iron ones).

Told mum we will start to wrap her presents to other people tomorrow - if people call to drop off cards/ gifts we will be ready (no midnight riding round in brother's camper van on the 23rd). Three people have sent cards for me so I'm using the cards that came with the Oxfam unwrapped presents I bought with my present money. If they don't like them, tough. Two of them haven't sent me a card in the roughly 25 years I've known them so why start now.

Lots more shuffling and repacking of small spaces - I now have one whole empty drawer and more cube boxes with very little in them. Sorted through the craft and paperwork stuff that had accumulated in the front room. Used some embroidery threads stringing together smallish gold stars cut from glitter card -to get more light into mum's tree to highlight the purple decorations and will be using more to lash my sticks together (not decided whether they will be star shaped or tree shaped), put loops on all mum's cards and attach pine cones and stars (straw coloured ones and some turquoise glitter ones) to the rope washing lines I bought - hoping to find something good to watch over the weekend and sit sewing. Two more pieces of 'worse for wear' bubble wrap discarded.

Enjoyed the 'In the Dark' serial (not sure if I'm annoyed that they ran characters and plots from two different series, it was good enough to 'forgive' but means less likelihood of further series) and re-watched 'State of Play' (good but still prefer Paul Abbot's original tv version).

Today I am grateful for making progress (a very large untidy heap of stuff was whittled down very quickly as I've done lots of little bits over the past two weeks), for lemon curd yoghurt, for books (one of my pre-orders has arrived, finally) and slowly getting things back in order.

mothernerd

Saturday 12th December 2020
Christmas To    Do List
Buy presents    - Be present
Wrap gifts         - Wrap someone in a hug
Send gifts         - Send love
Shop for food    - Donate food
Make cookies   - Make memories
See the lights    - Be the light

Lessons from a Christmas Tree
Twinkle
Share your gifts
Bring joy to others
Be a light in the darkness
We all fall over sometimes
You were born to sparkle, even if your garland's a little droopy
It's okay to be a little tilted

The best Christmas gifts are not material things but gifts
of listening
of showing kindness
of remembering
of visiting
of forgiving
of giving time

mothernerd

Extra for yesterday
This Christmas
Mend a quarrel
Seek out a forgotten friend
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust
Write a letter 
Give a soft answer
Encourage youth
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed
Keep a promise
Forego a grudge
Forgive an enemy
Apologise
Try to understand
Examine your demands on others
Think first of someone else
Be kind
Be gentle
Laugh a little more
Express your gratitude
Welcome a stranger
Gladden the heart of a child
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth
Speak your love then speak it again

Not expecting you to do all of this, but if there are one or two you can do something about (those with youngsters might find themselves doing 6 in a day.