December 2022: The Turtles do the Cha Cha Cha

Shrewbie

Hi turtles. I fell off the wagon a little yesterday. Drank the most I’ve drank in one evening for months. I don’t feel good for it but today is a new day and I won’t let this become the norm for December.

 It was a lovely day yesterday though. In the morning we went for a walk in the park, the sky put on a show for us with these pastel blues and clouds like pleated cotton wool which all came together in a sort of gingham pattern.  After that we went for a mulled wine and I picked up a homemade jumper at the xmas market. It’s super soft, a wool mix and a little expensive EUR 40 but should last. Also picked up a couple of presents for family....  a few cocktail bars later we went for dinner (lebanese, which was delicious) and headed home. I hardly drank a lot but it’s more than I’ve been used to and in hindsight I didn’t enjoy the last couple….oh well, progress and the cha cha cha are not linear, it seems. So it was definitely NOT an NSD yesterday but it was bf’s and my xmas treat. Here are the events I have coming up.

• Munich next weekend (will be pricey and I certainly won’t hold back when it comes to food!!) will try not to drink huge amounts though and we are staying in a hotel out of the city centre so that has made it cheaper.
• Work xmas do x 2 (free) 
• Bf and I are riding the Christmas bus which takes you around all the lights in Madrid (was cheap and is already paid for)
• Christmas itself (I have a present limit and I WILL stick to it!)
• Spa day with aunty in Kent (she has paid as a treat)
• Evening out with bestie in London (just at her house so should be cheap)
• NYE (bf and I are going to see the Lion King in Manchester with his fam. his sis has paid for our tickets as our xmas present)

I am grateful for heating (all the bars we went to yesterday were freezing. Madrid does not do cosy very well!) for the beautiful sky yesterday and for taking time to stop still and notice it, for my new pressure cooker and for a quiet hour to myself in the morning to write (bf still asleep). Will put our xmas decs up today.

ditty1234

Hi all, feels good to have a quick read on here. I am working on my slightly old fashioned christmas, home baked cookies, reused christmas tree and deccos, I try to have a mostly plastic free christmas. Is easier said than done, you walk into a shop and it is full of plastic, decorations, gifts and clothes. A bit sad after a couple of years of full on climate debate. 
I might try and go and get some textile cutoffs for wrapping gifts, but first I will have to buy the gifts!
Happy sunday everybody. 

DawnW

Afternoon all

NSD 3 for me today, as again, I am going nowhere and buying nothing!

Actually I did go out for a dog walk this morning, but that was free, if chilly.

Spent the morning cleaning and putting stuff away. Sorted out a pair of curtains to try and sell, as they don't suit where I wanted them.

Decided to hand wash my expensive tights, so did a couple of other things while I had a bowl of nice warm soapy water. Now blowing on the line, though I am sure I will need to finish them off drying on the airer.

Dinner is already prepped, from the various dishes I made yesterday, but I need to bake some fruit crumbles as the fruit didn't defrost in time to do them yesterday. It felt cold, so we have lit the fire, and once the dog has had his afternoon stroll, I won't be going out again.

Grateful for easy food, a cosy fire and a (relatively) tidy house

Dfw38

Hope you are all well. Hearing everyone's plans is lovely, so nice to hear all the different things people have done or are still to do. We decorated our tree yesterday, ds was so excited (he is 21 months) and both his sister (middle child) and he added more decorations today.... you can tell it has been done by children but still it has been added to with love!  Today we popped to sainsbobs and I resisted all temptation, helped by wanting to leave ASAP as it was really busy. Dh paid for the shopping as he added loads of extras so a nsd for me, number 3 I think and day 4/365 on my no spend challenge. I will add the money to a pot for Xmas savings next year... saving up in a separate pot so that we can have some really nice food next year at Xmas from marks and sparks. Going to watch a Xmas film next, then prep everything the dc need for school (forest school etc etc), dinner and then bed for them... although I am tempted to go not long after. Hoping to resume marathon training week after next oncebibhave got rid of this annoying cough and cold, knocked me for 6 this one - normally I can battle through but not this time, thankfully covid swabs are still negative. 
Grateful for, childhood innocence and excitement for Christmas, easy watch Xmas films and dh paying for the shopping today.

DrCarrie

Evening all

Started the C'mas shopping and money just seems to be falling out of my account! Went to try and change my mobile phone contract, but the store was closed down as was Lakeland, the shopping centre is completely different from when I went last time. I can't remember when that was!

Anyway, I am still on NSD#1 

Grateful for: deciding not to work over the weekend, for a bit of batch cooking and a dry day to be out and about, sort of enjoyed having a mooch about. Really noticed how my spending has changed over the last 2 years. 

lcc86

Had a super early start for horse riding this morning, wasn't even fully light when we set off! Got a nasty twinge in my back which has got worse... can't really walk properly now, currently running a hot bath in the hope that will ease it off.

Anyway, got back from horse riding by 10am, had breakfast and then promptly fell asleep on the sofa until about 12.30! Wasn't intentional but hey ho. Have done a few small jobs around the house and done the online shopping list for next week aswell. I also watched the new version of All Quiet on the Western Front in between hobbling around and doing my jobs, very sobering film but very well done.

NSD number 3 here, got my exercise in (even if I do have some unintended side effects!), and have eaten well so hitting my goals for the day.

craftingmad

A bit late but please may I join?
My cha cha cha may not be fab-u-lous but I hope my progress this month will be  

the_cross_rabbit

First nsd
CRx

2 hours later lost my nsd as set up service plan for car and bought gift certificate for our wedding anniversary. Last year was our 20th, but a very close family member was given only months to live so we didn't fancy celebrating. So next year I'm pushing the boat out. I have managed to get a good deal and its something we've never done before.
Grateful: that I have a roof over my head, food in my belly and a warm house - just been making jam from surplus fruit for our local food bank.
For my in laws who invited us for breakfast and having an allotment that keeps on giving.
CRx 

craftingmad

Progress so far;-

1st Dec - NSD for me - I had to pay for postage but was expected and came out of my business budget

2nd Dec - Another NSD for me apart from postage like above.

3rd Dec - Woke up really early so decided to make a start on correcting my bad habit - hoarding!!!
I tidied out entrance hall and got a whole carrier bag of recycling and also threw away 8 broken things. I'm aiming to get rid of at least 100 items this month. I also found some in date cans of dog food so will be dropping them off at a local animal shelter very soon.
I looked in my local charity shop which has opened up in our village for the first time and found some absolute gems. 
My son has wanted a keyboard for his macbook for ages and picked one up in there for £3. Its a proper Apple one too so we are both chuffed. I also found a little retro radio (again on my sons wish list) for £4 so that will make a great Christmas gift, a bagatelle board for £5 which is brand new and in the box so will be a christmas gift for my dad (I have fond memories of playing a board my grandad made with the two of them when I was younger so hopefully will bring back lovely memories for dad too and a 50p jigsaw which will be a present for my hubby. I also treated son to a joke book (50p) and a board game (£1) so £14 spend there.
I then called in at my local craft fair - as a crafter myself I know how hard it is at the moment so wanted to support them but was very careful with what I bought and picked up 4 small stocking fillers which came to £9 but I know are going to be loved. 
Busy day as Son wanted to go skateboarding a skatepark about 20 minutes from home so whilst he was doing his thing I nipped into the town centre to get a bit more christmas shopping done. I got some reduced bargains in Wilko - 3 x candles for £2 each, 2 mirrors (on both my kids christmas list - should have been £16 each but reduced to £3 each), 2 x organisers for stocking fillers reduced to £2 each, 2 x sticky note pads for stockings £3, a nivea gift set reduced to £2.50 (again a stocking filler), dog treats for under the tree 5 for £4 and poo bags (a necessity at £1). then quick trip to Morrisons for dinner (love their pies), a bottle of water, a large quice (cheaper than a sandwich and got half for lunch another day) and some jam doughnuts (£17.16 in total) TOTAL SPEND FOR DAY £65.66 (but in my defence I got a LOT of presents) 

4th Dec - More decluttering for me and managed to get rid of another 14 things which were broken or too small etc so I'm now up to 22 things which have left the house.
Had to go food shopping for a main shop today spent £103.61. Prices seem to have shot up again although £8 of that was for two cacti in ceramic pots to gift as Christmas gifts. 

So my totals so far are:-

NSD x 2
Decluttering - my big dream and bad habit 22/100
Spent - £ 169.27
 

greent

Bought a load of requested items for a non-local foodbank - DH's xmas do instead of doing secret santa are sonating to the foodbank - a much better idea- none of them need more tat and I would hope all can afford to donate to the fbank instead (we are talking the vast majority of these people are on 140k pa or more (my DH is nowhere near that, sadly! - in my dreams) Probably spent more than he would have on a present for someone, but included Xmas goodies and toiletries as well as more standard food items and it is definitely for a good cause - when more so this year, as our local one is feeling the double whammy of more requests and less donations, so I expect that others are too.

Donated a bag of random things to CS including an unworn new man's jacket (DH should not be allowed out shopping alone ...) 😉 

Busy, busy, busy weekend- and an even busier week coming up at work - argh!