NST December 2023 The Most Wonderful Time Of the Year?

Thrifty_Taylor

Wishing all the poorly people rest & a speedy recovery. Loving the festive bedding @f0xh0les 🤣 I bet your DS loves it 😃

I've had a lovely day. Very icy here, despite being 0°, had a couple of small slides in the garden which resulted in me waddling like a penguin all day!

Headed to town, dropped sewing off, collected more. A man came into the shop whilst I was there, to ask about alterations & repairs, so good timing! Took 2 dresses to a clothes swap I'd been invited to. Tickets were £15, but as I'd helped at the last one, I got in free 😃 took 2 dresses I'd been unable to sell on a local page, left with a brand new sparkly top with tags still on (£25) & a black dress with a couple of pink embroidered flowers, 3/4 sleeves & decent material for a winter night out. Might wear it for my staff do in Friday, but will likely shorten it. Collected mum, then went food shopping.

DS3 & GF had gone to town on the bus when I got back & he's staying there tonight.

Had a nap, then watched TV with DS1 & unpicked 2 coat zips, then watched a film with him & DH & got another width done on my hooked rug (nearly halfway now).

Grateful for nice chats in both haberdashery shops, new free clothes, a good evening with 2 of my menfolk

Your different cookies sound delicious @weenancyinAmerica 😋 afraid yesterday's shopping wasn't for the reindeer, but to go with tea for the extra house guest last night!

weenancyinAmerica

Have made it through the day today. NSD1 for December - only because by the time the Family History program ended, we were too tired to go anywhere but home. Actually will make money as Di talked them into giving her all of the bottles and cans to recycle. She ended up with a large bag to turn in for money (5 cents a can or bottle). We spent the day in the FamilySearch Center helping people with their research. Had several major breakthroughs that even surprised me when I found the answers. Marriage in wrong state for one person (we had looked each of the last three years of this program for it). Make a connection for a young man in Mexico that took his family back five generations. He only had his birth certificate with his parents' names and as a surprise to him - his grandparents' names as well. He hadn't been able to read that part. He had what he thought was his mother's birth record - but I finally was able to show him that it wasn't hers as it didn't match the names on his birth certificate. We found the right information though so can carry on even further on both sides of his family. Did some research in some French records also. My reading of French dates has been getting better. They fed us pizza for lunch, so didn't have to go out. I did take peanut butter sandwiches with me and ate those too.

Came home thinking I would have a relaxing evening to find that the boy cat had thrown up on my bed so the bedding is in the wash again. He keeps trying to eat too fast. I think he is trying to get in and steal the other cat's food and thinks if he eats his faster, he will succeed. But this is the fourth time this month it has just come right back up.  

Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow.

f0xh0les

Just imagine the look on an 18 year old boy's face ....

ladybird1106

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. 

leftatthetrafficlights

Love it!! 😂😂😂😂

beanielou

Love it 😂😂😂😂

beanielou

Yet more snow here today. 

f0xh0les

We had an inch of snow on the ground when I got up. It is now grey slush, but it was pretty while it lasted.  
Glad you like my free competition win bedding....

ditty1234

Morning all, I just lost November accountability post, so will keep it short. I'm a bit tired, yesterday I drove 4 hours in the frosty fog to see ds2, and we had a beautiful afternoon, then off to a Christmas disco with the running club. I felt about as lost as I did in youth club as a spotty teenager. Not the most fun, then I also didn't really drink as decided to drive home. Nice to see runners though, as I have been a bit absent lately. 

My key aim this month is to not break anything important like glasses. I have broken, not lost, but broken 3 pairs in the last few month and am now down to plastic reading glasses. Will try to order driving glasses online and screen glasses, and then go for a proper check up and new frames and prescription in the new year (£££).

Today is stay at home, paperwork and potentially a walk or run later if it stops raining(sleeting), otherwise I will try and hit the gym as need some exercise.

I am grateful for this thread, an other fb thread, some in person friends - and a productive side kick from my sister last Sunday when we just had a long talk about life changing things. She just landed a new job after a very long search and it inspired me to reboot my income generation plan. (I'm sort of past having great career aspirations, but still want to do something fun/challenging while I get paid. 
I am also grateful for actually having a job, to keep a roof over our head and the heating on!
Hugs to all. 

grandmanerd

Sunday 3rd December 2023

M   Magic - make it for your children, experience it yourself
Be  Brave. Be Silly.  Be your own  Magic. Be Present. Be full of Surprises. Be Adventurous. Be Kind. Be Free. Be YOU

We are all meant to be naturalists, each in their own degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of  the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of them (Charlotte Mason)

Magic is believing in yourself. If you can make that happen, you can make anything happen
(Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe)

Look for the bits of beauty in every day, that's where the magic happens

Tips for When Santa is Broke
1)   Warn your extended family that you will be spending what you have on your  children (and partner)

2)   Wrap everything - even the presents in the stocking, Split up  multi packs and wrap them individually. Unwrapping is  one of the most fun parts. This also helps  when your 'children' have learnt all your hiding places and will eat any chocolate they find. One year I reused a mountain of cheap wrapping and picked a colour for each  of the boys and wrapped everything. There were no names (I knew the colour code), they might have been for other members of the family (we made little gifts for all the people who helped  us - baby sitting when I was working or studying). It all stayed intact in the bottom  of the wardrobe.

3)   Nice wrapping makes token presents more meaningful. Only buy half the Christmas wrap you need. Choose a complimentary colour of plain (dotty, striped and stars also work well) paper which can be used for all occasions during the year and doesn't mean you have a whole drawer full of wrap that needs to be kept for a whole year.

4)   Re-use presents. I did this with development toys -  put them away when one of the boys passed that stage and regifted them when the next boy needed them. If the older boy said anything, I said that father Christmas knew how much he'd  enjoyed that toy so brought one for his younger brother. Sick children enjoy playing with toys they've grown out of so  always keep one or two back.

5)   Add  practical stuff to the stockings - pens and pencils, a new toothbrush. Buy early if you can, buy from sales, charity shops (good for posh soap and candles), church fairs (we once had a load of Barbie items donated on the day -  it ended up  on our bric a brac stall), pound shops etc.

6)   Lay the Christmas table once the children are in bed. Make the centrepieces from decoration you already have. I always used my grandma's tablecloth but  had a cheap plastic cloth underneath (no worries about spills). I always buy paper napkins (or decorated kitchen roll). Having a floor length cloth means you can hide the presents underneath (in large boxes if you need to) ready to set out.

7)   Make presents for other people, Crafting and cooking with children is nearly always fun. Collect special  bits throughout the year - pretty paper, scraps of ribbon.  I once got glared at when I went to a meeting - they used jam tart cases for ashtrays but they  were in jewel colours and I said they'd  make wonderful decorations.

8)    Experiences - movie night, games night, a walk in the snow (bah humbug), look out for free events locally, walk round and look at all the 'Griswold' houses.

9)    When things are really tight make sure you know what is most important for your children - a  small  thing like  chocolate money in their stockings may be what makes Christmas for them.


I used to think being a kid on Christmas was the best thing ever
But it turns out having kids on Christmas is
(Growing  a jewelled rose)

When You're Not Feeling It
It's hard to put away your worries sometimes. Remember to be compassionate to others who are struggling. I think seeing things through your children's eyes is wonderful but we've all had years when we just weren't feeling it.

Music (RIP Shane MacGowan), candles and reading (Miss Read's tales of Thrush Green, some soppy romance and a lot of good Christmas murders) all help me. Self-care -making yourself comfy, drinking hot chocolate and soup, having quiet time alone (prayer, meditation or to relax and reflect), Thinking of others - donate a new toy for a child in need, writing cards to family and friends. Decorating the tree /  house - I'm not planning much this year but I think 'indulging the senses' is the way to go (just a way of  wrapping yourself in more layers of comfort). Candles and twinkly lights for your eyes, gingerbread and pine for your nose, soft warm throws enfolding you, carols and children playing in the snow for your ears and so many wonderful tastes.

This Christmas we don't need more stuff. We need more love towards one another