From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

rtandon27

GP - when my OH makes wedges, he soaks them in a bowl of water them drains and air dries on a tea towel before putting back in a dry bowl and tossing with the seasoning. This seems to make them light and fluffy every time - I'm now wondering from your comment if somehow they get rehydrate? 🤔

..and thinking along the same lines, I've done the same thing for slightly bendy carrots and parsnips back during pandemic and it worked a treat!

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks rt - I shall try that tip 😁

Ref: Illuminated Tractor runs, the two that I know of that run locally/local-ish are running again this year.  The one nearest the rellies has changed the route, and won't be going past their door (did last year).  The Greying Town one is going ahead, but they don't publish their route - well, I think they did on FB last year - but they are making much of the kind of 'pre-departure party', which obviously gathers alot of funds, but is not actually what I want to attend - I want to see the lighted up tractors.  But I now know the dates/times, so it's something to work with.  I shall ask my chum if she has the route/knows where to look.  The run nearest rellies is going through the local town more - so there are issues of temporary road closures/delays.  Makes sense as it's easier to collect donations isn't it?  

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

I've found a third illuminated tractor run, in Advent, and relatively local.  Options are building.  Thanks so much for the prompt.

I have looked at the advent windows in Saltaire from last year - wowsers, just wowsers!  Stunning community effort.

Greying X

Watty1

The saltaire advent is fabulous!     Am a fan of our local light up tractors, the nearest parade route gives the villages it will go through.  Am looking forward to it this year, will attend with WattyDog if I think he is up to it.  (And VNM obvs!).    
I know you and LG will love the research of building the map but if you get short of time face book is often a great source of where to look (LG need not know mum cheated on getting a heads up of where to look!).
Christmas lights are one of my biggest joys of the season - we already have some lights up on the stable yard.
My nearby village also has a "lights on" event, and those might be worth looking for - ours has live music, Santa in the church, a big outdoor nativity scene every 3 years (it is shared with other churches)
I'll shuffle off now - but lights lights lights the joy of the season and the reminder the light returns soon.

newgirly

Hi GP, a Xmas walk to look at the lights as suggested by black cats is a great idea, I used to do that with my grandad as a child 🎄 we used to mark them out of ten as we went around 😆

I think building the traditions when they are young is key, things may well change when they get older but having those few old traditions is comforting I think. We have had the same decorations forever, we still have dds paper angel she made in infants school on top of the tree, I think doing a handful of the same small things makes it feel like Xmas. We always had the treats cupboard which couldn’t be touched, qu@lity street (and only that for some reason) went out in a bowl on the coffee table no earlier than Xmas eve afternoon. They had a little tree in their bedrooms (from p0oundland I believe) and there was always a meal a few weeks before on a Sunday where we would eat and then watch a Xmas movie together- usually the same one, to get us in the mood 😬 Xmas eve early evening was always the snowman before they went to bed and the I read “‘‘twas the night before xmas”. Small things that didn’t cost much basically but repeated every year.

I have to say I’m glad I missed the elf on the shelf era though, my friend has one just on the cusp of being too old now and she said it was a nightmare, but the whole class had the elf visit so she felt obliged to make the effort and it was hard work! 

 Sorry I’m waffling now and wishing mine were still little! 🥲

Greying_Pilgrim

Watty - I absolutely concur about the 'light' - and I have to say, I do kick myself, especially as we do now have our house, and we're making it our home, that I haven't shook a tail-feather and festooned fairy lights everywhere 🤣  It's looking like one of the illuminated tractor runs is becoming a front-runner, irrespective of whether we go to the starting point (plenty of parking), or whether we find a spot on the route.  One tiny town has been mentioned as a part of this years route, so there are already options.

newgirly - you are not waffling, and you are talking complete sense.  And it is the establishing of traditions (and they can be low/no cost), that makes the celebration.  We definitely have two already - the tree (and I know lots of people have trees), but ours "came in" with LG and they remain enamoured with it, decorating it, lighting it up at the drop of a hat, etc etc.  At some point - if they are still interested - I too hope we could move to them having a little tree of their own, to decorate how they want etc etc.  I should start looking out for decs/lights etc  Then the other tradition is our Advent calendar.  Again, many folks have these, but I knitted/crochetted this one when LG was a babe in arms (literally), and they haven't got sick of it yet - although we adapted it last year as more 'things' to do, rather than chocolate treats every day, and I think this is a good development.  I'm trying to make more of the Solstice - as I crave the returning light by that point in December!  School have moved away from the nativity and the winter show is early in the evening, DH probably won't be able to attend, and its not the event it 'could' be.  School also don't do any decoration making.  When LG started school, there was an annual competition and LG really tried hard the first year (and actually won a prize), but then adults 🙄 intervened and make stringent stipulations about everything being eco and entries fell off a cliff face 🙄 But I still have LG's effort, and it goes on the tree each year 🥰 And there's not a speck of glitter in sight!  

Thank you everyone for your contributions.  You're - as ever - making me think, which is always a great thing.  And I've just thought about something else that could become a tradition - LG has derived great pleasure from baking with DH (not sure DH appreciates their clearing up role, but.......) and is often asking to do biscuits - they've done biscuits and cakes at Christmas time - that needs to go on the list again!

Greying X 

ladybird1106

My adult kids favourite part of Christmas is actually the weekend we put up the tree. Friday we have a fire in the garden with jacket potatoes ( this has been done in light rain with umbrellas🤣). Saturday we collect the tree, play lots of loud music, lots of dancing and a singing as we decorate it and then on the Sunday huge cooked breakfast and a walk. They have both said this is the best part of Christmas. This has become our family tradition. We went away last year for Christmas, which we did enjoy but really missed our tree weekend. Obviously this year both kids insisted that tree weekend was wrote on the calendar back in the summer. 

Love 🐞

Greying_Pilgrim

Excellent work ladybird - really inspiring too...... 🤔  Mmmm, thanks 😁

Greying X

KajiKita

I came across this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/saucy_lentil_gnocchi_rag_84948

and it made me think of you … 😉😊

I quite fancy trying this one actually 😊

KK

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks KajiKita - that looks entirely the sort of thing I like to make, and the Fam. will eat. Thank you for thinking of us 😁

I got off my bum whilst DH and LG popped into Greying Town on errands (LG popping some £ in their bank account 😱👍), and dug out the Advent list from last year.  The decoration LG made in their first xmas at school was on the top.  I'd forgotten I'd written a little note to the teacher, and that they'd written back, on the paper, recording LG's win.  Gosh, it seems like yesterday, and yet.......😢

Greying X