From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Sometimes when LG watches a bit of TV on the weekend, I am amazed at the amount of ads for toys - they seem to last longer than the programme segments!  And it hasn't changed - they still show you ALL the range of whatever it is, which, of course, looks fantastic, but would cost at least £1,000 to recreate 😱 and that's just for your toddlers 😱  

Was the turning handle at the front or back of MrFrosty?  I've a feeling it was at the front.  Did anyone ever have one?  Did the slushy look like the ones in the ad???  ladybird - if you saw one in a chazzer now, would you buy it?  

Greying X

dreaming

Greying_Pilgrim said:

It's interesting actually dreaming - about how we come to conclusions about things - perhaps 'not being for us' or the way we want to continue.  It still (to this day) takes a little bit of courage to step to the side, or step back, or opt out.  Although I am finding it interesting in the queue at the school gates - overhearing (never wigging), conversations of parents and carers - who are significantly younger than me - coming to the same conclusion about things.  Whether it's needing to turn off the heating, as it's being wasted, the fact that school expect you to rustle up money for trips at the drop of a hat, or expect a costume/mufti day - wearing specific colours etc etc.  

Mr Frosty was heavily advertised in the 1980's and 90's - that was the ice crusher/slushy maker, wasn't it?  I always wondered where you'd get the spare colouring gels/additives for those - it all looked so easy and professional in the ads, didn't it?

Greying X

Yes. Mr Frosty was indeed as you described. It was probably the children's equivalent of the Soda Stream some years previously, which my exH and I bought when we were first married. It never did live up to it's advertised deliciousness and was quickly relegated to the top of a kitchen cupboard.
I definitely don't miss the school gate mafia. When my 2 were at school we lived in a fairly well-off village with very good primary and senior schools (one of the reasons we had moved there). Although there were some very poor families, family dreaming managed with a hard working dad and a very careful budgetting mum - as probably other families were but we were all keeping up appearances (or trying to). Each drop off and pick up time was like a fashion show in one group - I remember coloured tights being de rigeur for a time but they just made my chunky legs look even chunkier, and the designer perfume certainly overpowered my BodyShop White Musk, no matter how much I drenched myself with. I do find myself (now at 70 yrs old) having to suppress a wry smile when younger family members and friends start talking to me about batch cooking and yellow-stickers, or the joys of hot water bottles - who knew, eh? What goes around comes around.

Greying_Pilgrim

Ha ha - dearest dreaming - coloured tights!  I remember having green 10 (??) denier tights, a green corduroy skirt (I made it in O level needlework class), and a green M&S mens jumper and thinking I was a (budget) sloanie ranger...... my bubble was burst as I was sitting at my Grans and noticed my aunt and privately educated cousin rolling their collective eyes at my 'look' 😢

I am finding the school gate "interesting" - the demographic has changed and the parents aren't necessarily those of classmates of LG.  They are significantly younger, and whilst I'm sure they wouldn't be friends with a fuddy duddy old me, several are "friendly" - but I do note that they are quite vocal about such "new fangled" things as hot water bottles, batch cooking, yellow-stickers, not sending spouses shopping ........ etc etc 😉 I am finding expressions of common ground - as in not participating in 'trick or treat', moaning about school thinking they can ask for any amount of money, certain families who's kids are never held accountable..... it's been quite a revelation.  Whether those families contact school about their concerns, I couldn't say, but it's been nice to "hear" similar thoughts/ways of thinking.  It isn't just this old, fud dud that thinks that way....

Greying X

Blackcats

I was amused by the revolutionary idea that I overheard a mum telling her chum about.  Now brace yourself for something money saving and environmentally friendly .... take a square of towel with you (aka a flannel) and pour some water from your mineral water bottle onto it and you can wash your child's face and hands with it.  Who knew?? 🤷‍♀️

online aunty blackcats thought she'd share a potential idea for a Christmas activity that my now grown up children still have fond memories of.  I'm not sure when MrGP breaks up for Christmas but this is designed as a treat designed by LG for their dad.  The idea is that you and LG do some research on where the best decorated streets are in your area and perhaps LG could try and draw up a map/route of where the festive lights are.  Myself and the kids used to enjoy an early evening trip round the neighbourhood doing our research and deciding on our favourite houses.  When DH breaks up you take him for your surprise grand tour and come home for hot chocolate and a bun or biscuit that LG has baked.  I know it's only 7th November but the Christmas convo on your thread got me thinking about what memories my kids cherish from their childhood Christmas time.

Greying_Pilgrim

Blackcats - yes, yes, YES! to that sort of xmas activity.  we had a 'lite' version of that last year as an advent activity - DH and LG came the "long way" from club, to take in the lights (municipal, rather than domestic, but a similar idea).  But your suggestion is exactly the sort of thing that I'd prefer xmas looks like for Fam. Greying.  And if we incorporate it into Advent, then the 7th November for sure isn't too early.  And yes, whilst I can't 'off hand' think of whole streets, the idea is the thing, isn't it.  Maybe a certain building lit up, or an outdoor tree - certainly there is scope to make some sort of trail. 

Thanks!  Greying X

ladybird1106

If I saw one in a chazzers I would be really tempted to satisfy my inner child, but I would be worried that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations GP. 

Love 🐞
P.S. love blackcats idea. 

themadvix

Do you have a Christmas tractor parade near you GP? They started in Covid I believe, to reduce the loneliness farmers were feeling. We’ve been the last two years to watch our local one - the lights and atmosphere are fantastic - although the fumes are not great. Ours collect for our local hospice and it’s a lovely way to spend a couple of hours - some of the get-ups on the tractors are really impressive!

Cheery_Daff

I know a couple of places that have an advent window display. People can sign up to produce a particular display in their window on a set day, and by the end of December there are lit up windows all around the town 😊 is there anything like that near you? 

Cheery_Daff

Like this: https://saltaireinspired.org.uk/events/living-advent-calendar/

😊

Greying_Pilgrim

ladybird - I hear ya!   I wonder if there is any correlation between there perhaps not being any in chazzers now and them not living up to expectation........  Mind, the plastic would have done well to last too, it goes brittle doesn't it?  

Funnily enough tmv a chum took their kiddos to one of those last year.  I can't remember the reason why we didn't go to that one...... was it something daft like it either wasn't in Advent??? or we had booked somewhere else???? I can't remember - but I then looked up another run, a bit further afield, but nearer to rellies, and we were minded to go to that one, but one of the storms hit (it was bad weather, anyway), and we didn't want to travel because of the weather.  But thank you for mentioning it, because you've reminded me to look up when local ones are running this year- I'm sure there will be one we could go to and it'd be awesome to see.  Thank you for the reminder.

Cheery - Heavens to Betsy, that looks AWESOME! I've never heard of anything like that locally, but I'm surprised, as there are several towns, or areas of towns locally that pride themselves on their artistic endeavours and this would be right up their street (literally) to do.  Not quite in the same vein, but last year and this year, LG and I have had cause to attend events in redundant Churches, and one of the common denominators was the stained glass windows, that we'd never seen before.  That window with the owl reminded me of just how stunning windows can be.  If nothing else, we could add a trip to one of the local churches (not redundant), that was on our list in the summer to view the SG windows - which are supposed to be stunning.   Thank you for the suggestion - I will look to see if there is something in that vein locally.  

Wow, you guys are awesome.  I do need to get on and start organising 'non-chocolate' advent ideas, so thank you so much for the prompt.  

I'm now wondering whether school read here, as they've actually got on and informed us as to how much a school theatre trip this half-term will be.  I have asked LG if they want to go - they said they do.  So that will have to be one of their Advent things.  Luckily there is a bit of slack in the CHB - and I must admit, there isn't the usual events that LG has previously attended, going on this year, so I'm not going to quibble over this cost.  Although I still think the school doesn't do anything for the kids if it's not paid for by the parents,  

Lawks, I've just had a flashback memory to when DH and I first lived together,  I had got some clear cellophane - the sort florists wrapped flowers in, and I'd painted xmas themes on, and then stuck them to the windows in the cottage.  It was single glazing and we had mucho condensation, so it didn't work terribly well - but I have forgotten I had done that........ 

A work-wear wash is on.  

We had pizza and wedges for tea last night.  I did half garlic mushroom and half black olive pizza.  The mushrooms were from a punnet I had bought quite a few weeks ago, and had processed for stew, pizza and risotto-ish dishes and then froze.  There was some of the black olive side left over (intentional), which will come in for future lunch/tea on a club night type meals.  I used some of the maris piper potatoes.  They cooked very hard (rather than crispy), again.  I've come to the conclusion that they're probably less 'moist' (grown in a drought), and there isn't sufficient 'inner' to be fluffy, whilst the outer crisps up on cooking.  I will use the bag I have got, but I'm not sure I will by any more from that source, this year/winter.

Right, coffee cup is empty and the WM is about to beep.  Thanks ever so much for popping in and having a chat - it is soooooo appreciated!  Thank you.

Greying X