From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

Ha ha - dearest Blackcats - I think it was actually Peter Rabbit who first coined the phrase 'matchy-matchy', regarding his cousin's propensity to wear a brown coat, over his brown fur 😂  Although it was cinematic Peter -  I suspect Miss B Potter would be found innocent of 'laying down' the phrase originally... ya dig? 😂👍

I can see why glitter is so appealing, I just don't like the mess, and now glitter (not the new version), has been identified in water courses, I find it less appealing.  BUT I totally get the desire to 'glitter', 'sparkle' and 'glow' - with candles, lights, glass ornaments, faceted ornaments etc.  On an unrelated note, LG got a stone in the summer that had crystal in it.  The object was to break the stone to reveal the crystal centre.  It's only quartz or somesuch, but the faceted pieces - the way they catch the light, it's amazing.  I'm not a jewellry or precious stone lover, but goodness I can see the allure - just slight turns and the light catches a different angle.  Mesmerising.  Perhaps it is the twinkle and sparkle that makes LG fascinated with christmas trees?  It certainly isn't aroma, as we have a fake tree.

I was so tempted to put a wash on today.  We are supposed to get a good breeze - but rain has been forecast ☹️

Tea tonight will be 'Soup & pud' - although pud may just be banana and yoghurt.  LG has refused to take a banana in their snap pack today, claiming they only like banana and yoghurt.  

I need to get a haircut, although schlepping over the the nearby market town isn't holding much appeal.  It's always colder and wetter there ☹️

I will (if I go), have a look in the chazzers for an xmas jumper.  Although I have also seen something that may appeal to LG in n3xt.  Trouble is I find their sizing a bit on the small size, and it would have to be ordered online ☹️  It's expensive for just a few days wear - if school didn't have a xmas jumper day, I wouldn't bother.  I should imagine, if it fitted, LG would be good about wearing it next year too - but I'll give the chazzers one last trawl before deciding.  No, school jumper day isn't compulsory, and anything does seem to constitute a 'jumper'.  LG has been reasonable about wearing chazzer shop finds and knitted apparel in the past, so I have done quite well in 'budgetary' terms.  

Right, best shift a tail feather.  Snap is packed and uniform ready to be put on.  I did have the heating on for a little while this morning, so best make use of the residual heat.  

Greying X

LotsOfTea

As well as checking out the charity shops you could have a look on vinted and eBay for second hand Xmas jumpers. I've so far never bought a brand new one. 

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - hun are you at all crafty?  I saw a very cute pompom Xmas tree jumper that could easily be crafted from craftshop pompoms if you can thread a needle and sew a stitch! (The W0rks in our neck of the woods has pompoms). Uses a jumper already in the wardrobe!

EssexHebridean

I don't do forced jollity either - at all. It's the reason why in recent years I've completely avoided any New Year celebrations - it all just feels too full on and I can't cope. 

Blackcats

GP - your insight is so clever!  I've realised that for me it's not the glitter - it's the sparkle!

Greying_Pilgrim

So I'm back from the market town across the way.  I bought some foodie bits, so must amend my grocery figure.  I also got a haircut, not at my normal place - they are a sole-trader, and on holiday, but at the place we used to go to.  It was a new hairdresser in there (rent a chair), and whilst they did my hair fine, and they were quick - 10 mins!  They also charge £5 more than the other salon I use ☹️  But I figured it would cost as much in fuel to come back in a couple of weeks time, so I got it done.  

Everything is just so costly.

I did look in all the chazzers.  Mixed bag.  Several did have 'Xmas Jumper rails' - with all sizes available, but kids items were thin on the ground.  I ended up getting a jumper from a shop..... they sell lots of overstock/line ends/previous season type clothing.  You sometimes drop lucky and get m&$, n3xt, and sometimes it's brands you've never heard of.  The jumper is simple, but jolly.  It a) might not fit (the factory must have been putting the age labels on in the dark), b) it may be a little too baby-ish (it's very simple, but you know how kids rate things....) and c) it isn't branded/logo'd/affiliated - which up until now LG hasn't been too bothered about, but...... things are changing.  I can't complain, I've had a good run of being able to clothe my child in generic, non-branded, non-licensed clothes, so in past years I have saved a ton.  I was annoyed, in one charity shop there was a top - that would have fitted LG - that was exactly the same licensed characters as I was thinking of buying 'new'.  Unfortunately, the design had been printed on, and you know how 'plasticised' transfers start to crack and fade with washing - well that.  The chazzer still wanted £3.50, for it, and yet it looked really 'second-hand'.  Perhaps you take your pick of what to be bullied for, for being 'poor' and wearing hand-me-downs, or for not having the 'right' licensed character adorning your top.......like everyone else 🙄

I asked the lass at the till if I could return it if it didn't fit, and she said yes, as long as it wasn't worn etc, which is fair enough.  I don't think it will be big enough. but it was the biggest (and nicest design) they had.

rt - yes, I've pondered doing that before.  There is a....... knitting?  pattern - could be available in crochet too - to make vintage 'christmas lights' and I've long thought about making a string and putting them on a top for LG.  Gillian over at 'Talesfromahappyhouse' blog did it (and she's a primary school teacher), and I think it's ace.  But I suspect it is 'not what is required'.......  The thing is the school persist with this event - although to be fair to them, it is NOT compulsory to wear a jumper (but peer pressure 🙄), but the idea of the jumper being "awful" is totally lost on the kids.....  🙄  

The market town was quiet, very quiet.  Good from the point of view that I spent little time in the hairdressers and was able to get about from shop to shop quite easily.  I did pop into her0n f00ds, and picked up some L1nda Mc-cartknee red pepper and chorizo style veggie sausages.  79p a box and they'll come in for a quick tea or something.  I also got some crisps for lunch boxes and smoked tofu in MrAl.  As I was coming away from the town, i dropped into MrM (they have quite a big shop).  I got some more of the mince pies (have stuck them straight in the freezer), and some YS'd wraps.  

I'll do the tally up, and amend my siggie figgies.  

I went into the RaNge whilst I was there.  Gosh - things are sooooo expensive.  Even colouring pencils.  I wondered why one tin (that looked very professional) was so "cheap" for £4.99/18, when all the other tins were £10 - £19.  I then realised the the tins were shades, and you'd have had to buy 5 or 6 different tins, just to get something like a rainbow of colours 😬 I lost track of all the foodstuffs I looked at and mentally said 'too dear. too dear. too dear' at ☹️

EH - NY has never been my favourite time of year.  It was never a "thing" for our family growing up, and then during Young Farmer days it was all the pressure of trying to get tickets to the NY ball, and all the nonsense of ball gowns and boy woes.  I'm glad I am old and can go to bed at 10pm and no-ones bothered by it 😂  Rather than making fresh starts, or resolutions, I can't help think how the years are flashing by.  Mind, even LG said that they thought this year had whizzed 🫤  A year was at least 36 months long, and the summer holidays were 100 days of boredom when I was their age.......... 🤣

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Nope.  Jumper is too small ☹️  Not massively so - but just the wrong side of being, and indeed, looking, too small ☹️

It prompted a discussion of about 'christmas jumpers i have worn', with LG.  I think there have been about 4?  of them, to date, all chazzer shop finds.  And the one they like the best?  MrAl's carrot.  And the least?  A MrL one - which wasn't very Christmassy, but was their favourite colour at the time.  

I did float the idea of not bothering...... didn't really get a response.   I'm pretty sure that not everyone bothers. We'll see.  I've still got the option of buying new.  LotsofTea - I'm not ignoring your "v" rhymes with minted suggestion - and I have just looked.  I've filtered to see xmas jumpers specifically - but don't know how you then filter further to get size/age ranges?  I'm being thick, aren't I?  Interestingly, there are far more jumpers for littlies than older children - I wonder if that mirrors the disengagement as kids get older/more self-concious?  Interestingly one of the first examples I came across was EXACTLY the same as the one I sent to the chazzer earlier in the year - LG had worn it for 2 years (last year under duress as it was starting to get too small). I only paid £2 for it from a chazzer, and this was on for £2 - wonder if it was the same one 😱😂

Anyhoo, must divert tack - otherwise I shall be in danger of being a grumpy grinch!  Bahhhhhumbugs.

Greying X

beanielou

Was just reading earlier that Christmas t-shirts are now a big thing & lots of supermarkets have them. If that’s any help. 

Greying_Pilgrim

beanielou said:

Was just reading earlier that Christmas t-shirts are now a big thing & lots of supermarkets have them. If that’s any help. 

Funnily enough I saw a couple today.  I think iirc LG had a xmas t-shirt..... at nursery?  Was perfectly acceptable - and is certainly an option.  Thanks love.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

Soup was for tea.  I ended up making vegetable, rice & bean soup.  I started out with onion, celery, garlic, carrots some swede and potatoes.  Cooked that in water with a stock cube until the veg was done.  Whizzed it with the stick blender and then added in the remainder of the HM tommie sauce from the weekend's dirty rice.  I also put in the last of the frozen mixed veg, a small box of frozen l/o rice and a tin of baked beans.  I added in some herbs, some korean pepper paste, and pepper.  It was lovely and warming.  Just right for today's weather.  Nice and cheap too, as it was a 'bitsa use-up' soup.  

I managed to work out how to refine searches on "v" rhymes with minted - go me!   I haven't seen anything that has made me think 'oohh, that's IT'.  Prices have veered from very reasonable, to..... 'with postage I may as well go for the new garment'.  The one slight difficulty I have is that the majority of choices are from..... 'inexpensive' sources which sometimes (not all the time), can present difficulties with fit.  Tu/H&M/M&$ were represented - and might offer better fit (not a given), but I didn't see anything that I thought LG would go for.  Interestingly one of the sellers stated that a jumper had 'probably only been worn once'.  I am having a slight dilemma - with myself, and in the grand scheme of things, unimportant - regarding how much my opinion of "this is wasteful, and one of the less relevant aspects of the Christmas machine", should be allowed to impinge on LG.  Should they just go along with everything, and then be allowed to make their own decisions when they are X age (and have to finance things themselves).   Is it good that now they are a little older/reasonably sensible, that we start to have the conversations about standing out/blending in and everything in between?  I'm sure if something reasonable is supplied/fits they would unthinkingly, unquestioningly wear it.  Do I, as a mother, just lay my money on the table and buy said garment and go along with the herd?  Don't feel the need to answer, I'm just thinking things through 'out loud'.  

I've not yet amended my siggie figgie - LG has been around and there are a couple of items on recipes that have been bought with them in mind.  

Ta for popping by.  Greying X