From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Watty1

I am sure I am not the only one delighted by LG reaction    Also agreeing with KK, hope the class is full of squeaks and tunes

Greying_Pilgrim

KajiKita said:

Awwww .... So pleased that LG was excited and happy about their jumper, and I rather think it serves the teacher right for being so non-season-of-goodwill-rather-than-consumerism in their approach to this time of year .... 

How did the rolls open and make up for snap - were both recipients excited / pleased? Is there one left for you? 

KK   

I don't know if LG's teacher is particularly bah-humbuggy, I get the impression it's very much a whole-school, led from the top, approach to not mentioning the 'C' word, unless it's got funding attached to it, or can be monetised to screw more moola from 'fam'lee' 🙄  But with 30+ potential tuneless chrimbo jumpers on the go, probably all day, with attendant flashing lights, I think I do find a shred of sympathy, somewhere in my heart, for them....... 😉🤣

The rolls sliced well, and they are looking forward to their lunch.  LG is pleased that dearest papa is getting the same 🥰  There is a roll left for me.  Only one, as LG and I did 'taste-drive' the smallest/wiggliest one yesterday, just in case I had to do a pivot and break out the MrL's valooo rolls....... 🤣  LG liked it, so it gave the green light to use them today.  It has also given me the confidence to have a bash at those Fisherman's rolls I talked about.  There is also enough of everything left over, so that I can have a 'special' sandwich for lunch.  I think I'm looking forward to the lemon cranberry mayo the most!  😍

Greying X

Blackcats

LG's reaction to your festive jumper endeavours is a lovely start to my day.  I smiled and involuntarily did one of those understated but happy yet quiet hand clapping gestures that showbizzy folk do.   Hands together as if in prayer and lots of small but fast claps!  Get the picture?  

Lots of MSE aunties will be happy today! 

Greying_Pilgrim

Aw thank you Blackcats - I'm delighted that I can truthfully report that my kiddo was delighted by a 'make do & mend' approach. 

They're able to keep in with the crowd, and whilst it won't be the most expensive jumper, nor will it be the most 'fashionable-up-to-date-character-du-jour' it's a Christmas jumper, and the kiddos are allowed to enjoy wearing something other than uniform today ✅😁

I never want to stint LG, but neither have I ever set out to provide them with the moon on a stick.  I do think ploughing the furrow of 'simplicty' is the way to go - and as this morning, LG found delight in something so small, so insignificant as a chazzer shop jumper (albeit, it was actually new), that had been brought back to life 😁

Thank you 'MSE Aunties' for all your help and support.  It means a great, great deal to me 🥰

Greying X

EssexHebridean

Aww how brilliant that LG was so excited and pleased Greying - that's your pat on the back of the day right there! 

beanielou

Love lg’s reaction. Well done to you 🤗

Sunshine_girl2

Pleased LG was happy with their jumper, I might feel a little sad for the staff . 

EssexHebridean

I can't decide whether I am surprised or pleased that there are still some schools out there that don't stipulate "no flashing lights or sound" for Christmas jumpers - round our way they all do as far as I know, and the opinion on this splits between "that's good because not all kids can cope well with the overwhelm it can create" (which I have some sympathy with - I can't quite imagine how I would have felt about it to be honest as "clashing" music etc is something I struggle with) - and "tHEy'rE CanCelLIng chRisTmas!" and similar expressions of fake outrage! 

Greying_Pilgrim

EH if events start to come with 'stipulations', then it's easier to decide whether to participate or not - today's event was optional.  Much like if they dumped 'Elf on the Shelf', I would not think school was 'cancelling Christmas' if they axed wearing christmas jumpers on christmas dinner day.  I was actually surprised how "well" thought out LG's cheapo MrL jumper was, the sound has definitely been muffled by the double thickness back panel on the circuit 'pocket' and there are only 4 teeny-tiny lights confined to one small-ish area - in effect each lighting up a miniscule area of fabric.  But tbh, Christmas Jumpers are 'take it or leave it', and given the choice, I would leave them.  I adore some of the hand-knitted Christmas jumper designs that exist, and if I could do fairisle knitting, would probably make one for myself.  But the whole ethos of 'bad' Christmas jumpers has never sat well with me, and certainly in school settings, the whole thinking behind wearing a 'christmas jumper' has been lost.  

So I popped into Greying Town and picked up some yarn from our LYS.  I'm hopeful to knock out a couple of hats for pressies, and to make better use of the remainder of a really costly skein of yarn - which I made a lovely hat for DH with -  by ekeing it out with another colour, to make a useable hat.  At the moment, it's slightly too short.  That's the plan, anyway.  And no, I haven't got enough to knit a jumper - good, bad, or awful! 🤣

I found a book suitable for LG - not necessarily for Christmas, they probably have sufficient in their present pile, but at £2 for a hardback book that i was going to buy them......last Christmas? .... to make up a bigriver order for free postage, I think it was too good an opportunity, and couldn't leave it on the chazzer shop shelf.

It was a nice walk into town anyway.  Cafes were all bursting at the seams, although the town itself wasn't overly busy.  I did have a wander through the m&$ foodhall, but nothing YS'd leapt out at me.  

Came home and made my 'Christmas Lunch' roll 😁I have to say, that the bread was nice - but the star of the show was the mayo.  YUM!  I had a gherkin slice on mine too.  

I have got a wash out.  I'm not sure how well it will do.  We've had a good breeze, but also had rain showers that weren't forecast.  To be fair, they were light showers, and didn't last long - one was in full swing here as I reached the outskirts of the estate.  But it's nice to at least be able to peg out - seems so long since I last did!

Right, I'd better crack on.  It'll be school run time in the shortest minute, and I've things to hide put away.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening MFW'rs

Late entry for me!

I have been sidelined by getting stuck into my knitting, thus far it's going well.  There is a slight difference in the plumpness of the respective yarns, but they're in the same ball park, so it should enable me to make the hat a bit bigger.  I'm liking the colour combo at the mo, quite grounded colours, traditional, solid, heritage sort of vibe.

I've got a chum coming over for lunch tomorrow, so emboldened by recent dough exploits, I've made another batch of overnight rise dough.  I'll probably form it into foccacia.  

LG has made their choices for their donation to the foodbank.  If prices are the same instore as online + we get what we want, they should come in at only 32p over budget I think.  They thought long and hard about what they wanted to get off the list, and whilst it will join everyone else's donation, they've given some thought to trying to make a rounded contribution - a little bit sweet, a little savoury, and a little practical.  

The last book has arrived off the bigriver site - I got it through the magpie seller of music.  The book was described as 'good' and I'm very happy with it - the tiniest crease on the front cover could have been done in transit - they do use plastic 'slips' to send books in (Grrr!) - but it will be a great addition to LG's burgeoning gift pile.  

We had lentil burger baps for tea.  I was still full from lunch, so I had the weeny 'hand crafted' burger, DH and LG had the regular burgers that LG had formed with the press.  They were nice.  I have 6 regular burgers left in the freezer, but I forgot how I made them!  I know that the base recipe was linked to the peas etc vlog, but I'm thinking i added smoked tofu in as well, and I can't recall if that recipe had tofu in it or not.  There was definitely a smoky vibe, which I don't think would have come from smoked paprika alone.  I did use chia seeds in the mix, and the burgers kept their shape well.  

LG had a good day at school.  Apparently there were only 2 jumpers in the class that lit up/played music, so the teacher got off lightly 😁  Everyone had a jumper on though apparently.  LG enjoyed their lunch and appeared to have eaten everything up.  

Right, can't think of anything else MSE related, so I will push off to Bedfordshire.  Ta for popping by.  Greying X