NST NIFTY NOVEMBER

DrCarrie

Aw @grandmanerd that was a lovely set of posts to all of us Thank you.  mwah!

I will do something about sauerkraut at the weekend. @thriftylass

NSD#4 

Grateful for food in the fridge, but ate too much of it, some nice bits at work, the beautiful blue sky. 

beanielou

@grandmanerd.  I don't know how you do it.
I really really don't.

thriftylass

@grandmanerd, yes I make limoncello every year as a gift. I follow James Martin's recipe. Always a winner. 

Long day today. Picked the kids up from after-school club, took the bus down to the secondary for the induction night and we were only back at 9. Not a NSD anymore as we stopped at the shop for cheat dinner.

Esmeralda2662

@grandmanerd - what a lovely story about your replacement snowman mug! So sweet!  Thanks for your ideas in your posts, you cover lots of points that I've been pondering. I particularly  liked the idea a few days ago of leaving the room if clashing personalities kick off during the festivities. Permission to bail out and drink sherry/gin etc much appreciated!

@f0xh0les - I didn't realise just how much food had gone up until I bought some milk and it was up from 95p to £1.35 literally overnight (or so it seemed).

Had my mammogram today. Crikey don't those machines pinch! Parked, went to mobile unit, undressed, scanned, re-dressed and out of the car park in 12 minutes! Must be a record.

Went on to work but have lost some time so considering overtime at the weekend. See how I feel early on Saturday then decide. Need to make up my money as I've missed time on 3 Wednesday's and had to take unpaid leave. Obviously frittered my holiday allowance away too early in the year! (Although we don't get sick pay so some has been used for that).

Gratitudes: That my mammogram is done, a dry and mainly bright day, a squirrel tiptoeing through a puddle, my working week being finished unless I do overtime on Saturday.

Thrifty_Taylor

Thanks for your posts @grandmanerd. Hugs @Esmeralda2662.

Too shattered to post yesterday! Yoga & exercises completed both days. DH wanted to do the walk to the village (1 mile each way), as his legs were retaining fluid. Pleased it helped to ease it. On the way I dropped a bag off for CS & we returned unused medication to the chemists. We haven't walked since Friday. The sun shone, it was s beautiful day. When we returned home, I transplanted some mint into an old Belfast sink, then chopped up some branches for the compost heap/next year's fire. Spent the afternoon sewing. Washed the dishes after tea, then when I eventually got my turn in the bath, I finished my book. Of course when I went to bed, I had to read a chapter of my new one.... So 11.30 when I turned the light off!

Quite tired this morning. Took DH for his hospital appointment, he's had half his staples removed today. Dropped sewing off with mum whilst he was there. A mad dash home, as friend was coming to cut DS1&2's hair. Started winding thread onto cards, a good job as she was an hour late! Brought the boys some lollipops in apology. A late lunch, then tried to have a nap on the settee. Probably looked like bookends, as DH was in the opposite end to me! He managed to sleep, I didn't. Boys noisily closing doors... Sewed for an hour before tea. Washed up afterwards, got out my knitting, but couldn't do as much as planned, as didn't have any white wool. Have messaged mum to see if she's got any in her stash. Watched a film with DH.

Grateful for a Wren in the garden, DS1 saying he'd have a hug yesterday when I offered, seeing a decent sized dehydrator on bookface for sale & going to collect it tomorrow, that I've lost 3" off my waist 😍

ldee2111

Missed a few days but been reading along.

Yesterday NSD 3… I think. I bought a couple of things at Tezco using vouchers earned via SwagB. And on my way home I popped into Greg’s to take up his offer of a free hot drink for downloading his app. Thanks for the cappuccino, Greg! 

A letter came in yesterday from Vgin to let us know our fibre broadband deal is coming to an end (really?! 18 months have passed already?!) The increase is double what we’re paying now. Unfortunately we need fibre broadband in our house due to the nature of our jobs. I’ll start looking at the options later today. I’m not even sure that we have many options when it comes to fibre broadband. 

I’ve got my covid / flu vaccine appointment for later this morning. Will be picking up Mum who also has hers at the same place 10 minutes later. 

Have a fruitful day, turtles. x

grandmanerd

Thursday 10th November 2022
I promised that  we'd take a look at some traditions from around the world and we'll start by taking a look at a motley crew who make some of your guests more palatable (although those with teenagers might think they've had these visitors before)
The 13 Icelandic Yule Lads
Dec 12 - Dec 25  Sheep cote Clod Steals in to drink milk from the sheep
Dec 13 - Dec 26  Gully Geek           Hides in gullies and sneaks in to steal milk from the cows
Dec 14 - Dec 27  Stubby                  The shortest, he steals pans to eat the burnt on food from the bottom
Dec 15 - Dec 28  Spoon Licker        Steals wooden spoons to lick them, very thin due to malnutrition
Dec 16 - Dec 29  Pot Scraper           Steals leftovers from pots
Dec 17 - Dec 30  Bowl Licker           Hides under beds to steal bowls of food when people put them down
Dec 18 - Dec 31  Door Slammer      Likes to slam doors, especially at night
Dec 19 - Jan 1     Skyr Gobbler        Has a fondness for skyr (an Icelandic dairy product similar to natural yoghurt
Dec 20 - Jan 2     Sausage Swiper  Hides in the rafters to steals the sausages being smoked
Dec 21 - Jan 3     Window Peeper   A snoop who looks through windows in search of things to steal
Dec 22 - Jan 4     Doorway Sniffer  Uses his unusually large nose to sniff out laufenbraut (last letter may be wrong - lava bread?)
Dec 23 - Jan 5     Meat Hook            Uses his hook to steal meat
Dec 24 - Jan 6     Candle Swiper     Steals the children's candles, which were made from tallow and therefore edible


A more palatable Icelandic tradition is that gifts of books are exchanged on Christmas Eve and then everyone sits down to read - that's my kind of celebration.

Time isn't measured by
How much of it you have but by how
U spend it, So stop
Rushing through life
Slow down and 
Do what will make you
A little bit better than you were 
Yesterday

Calling14

Apologies not been about last few days, going to make a brew and read up in a minute. Thought I better post first.

Did another stock freezer up shop and filled the rest with bread to save on running costs.

Went swimming/ gym yesterday still eating my way through chicken dinners but love it in this weather. 

Spent on hand cream and treated myself to massage oil in certain cruelty free shop yesterday. Was going in to spend my birthday voucher off them but had a 20% code to use up first. Will pop in next week and use birthday voucher on xmas pressies before it expires.

Feeling as if now I need to start looking for work, got in a panic about it as last temping job I got, I was great with accounting package they used but so rusty with excel felt an idiot. Menopausal ladies weren't that nice either totally knocked my confidence. Happy to do any job - part time one at ripe old age of 63 would be fabulous.

My budget spends so far

Food £89.08/£150 (higher than normal due freezer being left open)
Petrol £46/£50
Going out £28/ £60 really like staying in this weather
Me Hair/make up  £26/140 got hair appt and pedicure booked. May cancel pedicure to save money
House 0/£60 hoping ex workmate sorts out leak from shower cheaply.
Xmas shopping  seperate savings 132/£300

NSD 4/15   no shopping or treat coffees forecast ;-)

Grateful for
Meal at friends tonight - girlie catch up
DD2 not living in camper van anymore -7C in the day. Canada.
Lovely day who runs a gifting site on fbook, had a lovely book and hopefully today Jigsaw and jewellery box looks brand new for gd birthday in December, just need to add few trinkets.

short_bird

grandmanerd said:

I promised that  we'd take a look at some traditions from around the world and we'll start by taking a look at a motley crew who make some of your guests more palatable (although those with teenagers might think they've had these visitors before)
The 13 Icelandic Yule Lads

A more palatable Icelandic tradition is that gifts of books are exchanged on Christmas Eve and then everyone sits down to read - that's my kind of celebration.

And there's always the Jólakötturinn   
Each Christmas, Iceland’s Yule Cat Takes Fashion Policing to the Extreme | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine

thriftylass

Oh today didn't go well so far, just loads of little things, clumsiness and mishaps.

First DS spilled all his water next to the bed and on the bed side table, luckily noticed it relatively quickly so the cheap chipboard side table didn't totally dissolve. Then I noticed that I ordered sth twice for Christmas (found it £14 cheaper but left it in the orihinal shop's order, doh, so obviously trying to return the more expensive one), can't believe I didn't notice that when ordering. I even wrote every penny down this year and vouchers/CB used and it says L3go 1 and L3go 2, . Initially started the return for the wrong item but got right one sorted. Then while nipping out to the DPD drop off I get a phone call from the holiday club that I need to pick DS up again, he'd been there barely 2 hours. But had to wait for 45 min in the storm to get a bus home. There is just continued with stupid little things, like the washing machine just not wanting to spin, stubbing my toe on the bed corner ... Well tomorrow can only get better. 

On a more productive and positive note, I did a food inventory.

Today was another NSD and tomorrow will be too. Saturday I will need to do a top up shop.