Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

snowbird20

sugarbaby125 said:

I went to the Ritzy cinema with my son and daughter to watch the film Till. It was an excellent film about a very harrowing subject matter. I was reduced to  tears at times. For me this film is a 10/10. I used 2 of my free Picturehouse members tickets and the 3rd ticket I got using my CEA card so I saved over £40. We were the only 3 people at the screening of this film, so we spread out a little and it felt like it was a private screening just for us 3.  

being American, I think this film is an important (albeit horrifyingly shameful) story to be told.  Frighteningly, the US is still very much mired in racist hatred with the attendant violence.  As the mother of a deceased son, I don't know if I can watch it.  My heart just breaks thinking about.  

sugarbaby125

Snowbird 20 this is my opinion of the book: 

I have finished reading Spare by Prince Harry. It was fascinating, enthralling and very moving. It gave lots of insight into how our Royal family operates.  I also enjoyed reading the true story of Meaghan and Harry's love and how quickly they both realised that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.   For me this book was a 10/10, because it was so full of truth and honesty. 

I do not suggest that anyone else will enjoy the book in the same way. Judging by existing reviews from readers, opinions differ. 

sugarbaby125

Snowbird 20, 

I think that Till will be too triggering for you.  I would not advise you to watch this film. It is really harrowing. Even though I am a Black British woman who was born in London, I never let my children, even as adults forget about Emmett Till and the manner of his death. 

liberty_lily

Thanks for sharing your review/thoughts on Prince Harry's 'Spare', Sugarbaby 🙂 I'm still debating whether to read it but if I do, I'll wait till I find a charity shop copy 😉

I hope everyone is having a good weekend? It's been freezing here, but we've not resorted to putting the (oil-fired) heating on at all since before Christmas. Today we capitulated slightly by lighting one of the wood burners at lunchtime 😁

I've been shopping my home (again!!!) today, having remembered a much loved lamp base that we packed away when we sold our previous house. It was still boxed up in the cupboard of doom, along with the Tiffany style shade that came with it. DH and I decided the shade can be sold but as we both love the base, thought we'd try it with one of our Pooky lamp shades...I'm so pleased we did as it's now got a new lease of life for £0 ❤️....

gran3

I haven't read the book and I'm not sure  I will.  I find it very hard to see Charles railing at his son after what he did to the Queen.  The lies he and Parker Bowles must have told to be able to conduct their sordid little affair. As a group the Queen's children must have disappointed her greatly. Only one is still married to their first spouse, one has been forced out of public life due to his association to a sex offender, no wonder she was so close to Sophie, Edwards wife.  The greatest act of child abuse, surely, was making those two little boys their Mum's coffin. Tradition has its place but when you see poor Louis sitting in sweltering heat in a shirt and tie at Wimbledon you have to ask what price these children will pay. I expect that my view is in the minority and I respect all points of view.  My view of the Royal Family has changed since the death of the Queen, she was the stalwart and glue that held them all together.  I'm not sure how long the Royals will survive in their current form.

helensbiggestfan

Gran I agree with you.  Charles and Camilla have a lot to answer for.  And you're right about the next generation. They never learn do they.  

helensbiggestfan

Sugar baby,  I have removed my post.  

sugarbaby125

Helen, I removed my succinct response to your post. I think it was appropriate that you removed it. You are entitled to hold whatever opinion you want to, but it is best this thread it kept for us all to celebrate our moments of personal joy, triumph and celebration. 

Ladies, I hope that we can keep this thread as comments on our personal Champagne moments. 

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moments on Tuesday and Wednesday:

One of the women from my Neighbourhood Voices programme, contacted me through Alisha. It turned out that she wanted me to email her a copy of my duologue. BBC Radio 4 are looking for new writers and she thought my duologue would be the type of writing they would love to read and consider for broadcast.   I thanked her for the opportunity. It was so considerate of her to put my name and writing forward. I just have to wait and see if anything comes of this recommendation. 

On Tuesday evening I used a Groupon for Leilani restaurant for a 3 course meal for 2 people. The Groupon cost me £21.21 for £50 worth of food and a soft drink.   I took my son with me. I had jerk chicken wings for my starter, oxtail with rice 'n' peas with salad for my main and carrot cake for my dessert. My son had the suya peppered beef for his starter, steak, chips, salad and half a grilled beefsteak tomato for his main and apple crumble for his dessert. I had a sparkling water and he had a Coke zero for his soft drink. We both really enjoyed our meal. 

On Wednesday morning, I arrived at the Tate Modern at 9am to meet up with the Positive Ageing group. We were having a free breakfast in the terrace cafe followed by a free ticket to see an exhibition of the work of the Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz.    I had a tomato brioche roll with sausage, back bacon and an egg, with a cup of tea for my breakfast. It tasted really good.  I have not eaten a cooked breakfast in years. I normally just have 2 slices of wholemeal toast with a cup of tea. I took so many photographs of Magdalena's work. It was so creative and really evokes so many emotions. For me this exhibition was a 9.5/10. Only because you cannot touch any of the exhibits and the artist wanted members of the public to be able to touch her work, but the exhibits were roped off. 

On Wednesday evening I went to watch the film I Wanna Dance with Somebody at the Odeon Streatham. The film concentrated mostly on the positive moments in the life of Whitney Houston. All of her most iconic songs were brought to magnificent life through the female actor Naomi Ackie, who lives and breathes Whitney throughout the film. The film does touch on her drug abuse and her abusive marriage but does not devote too much air time to these negative aspects of Whitney's life. I really enjoyed all of the songs and dancing. For me this film is a 9/10 as it ended too soon for me. 

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment today:

I just took delivery of my online Boots order of my Equazen fish oils and my Bassets Adult multivitamins. They were on offer at half price for one day only last week, so I stocked up. I bought 10 bottles of the Equazen fish oils and 5 boxes of 60 Bassets Adult multivitamins which will last me 10 months. I paid £86.15, saved myself £86.25 and received 674 Boots Advantage card points worth £6.74 on this order.