From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

themadvix

Your solstice day sounds like it was very enjoyable GP. And well done for braving the madness outside with a child in tow - I'm not looking forward to it tomorrow, without having to navigate a disinterested/easily distracted/grumpy child through it (not saying LG is any of these, but I can imagine that one of these categories would apply to many!).

Agree that Scotch pancakes would be more satisfying at the moment - I guess they're a bit more substantial (not in a filling way, but they keep better and could be used in more diverse ways). 

Hope the sore throat and sinuses back down!

rtandon27

I didn't know freeze dried strawberrries was even a thing until a few years ago!  Utterly amazed that your little does 🤣

badmemory

I managed the grumpy bit all on my own when I was shopping.  All I wanted was a particular type of sausage, nothing unusual.  Tescos only had finest of any kind at all.  Then to add insult to injury I was so busy just trying to find them that I didn't notice they were short dated.  So they are now frozen & will probably last until Xmas 27.

Greying_Pilgrim

rt - I'm not convinced LG knows what they are actually - when we were in hB we passed the fruit section, and they pointed out strawberries - the fresh kind 🙄 To be fair, I'd managed to persuade them away from making those sweets - as well as the costly FD strawberries, it required 3 tbsps of condensed milk...... what would we do with the remaining condensed milk?  But as it is I have let them down, and we've made nowt, as I began to feel unwell this afternoon, and went really cold.  Luckily I managed to grab a woollen hat, a hoodie and a woollen blanket and started (eventually) to feel warm again, and then feel asleep - LG fell asleep too.  I don't feel quite as bad as I did several hours ago, but I couldn't do any activities due to the energy crash.

badmemory - I feel for you, we're only trying to do our best, and it's hard enough without supermercados moving stuff around or pushing the expensive stuff.

We've just had tea.  I'm afraid I lent heavily on freezer curry pots.  I dug out the last of the sweet potato masala, a small pot of lentil dhal, one of the 4 PrC bulk-cooked rice pots and microwaved them.  I also made Indian Sprout and carrot curry.  I made it simply by steaming the ingredients in the microwave - I used the exact ingredients, with the exception of the chilli - subbing garlic instead.  It worked a treat and transformed the plate with a 'fresh' vegetable.  LG lapped up all the curries.  

I'm glad I had a snooze, I don't feel right, but I don't feel too bad.  a bit of a sore throat and a bit achey at the moment.  I am drinking plenty of water, and will have some more paracetamol before bed.  

I regret not cooking with LG today, but they have had the last of the christmas pud with some yoghurt for pud, so there's been no missing out as such.  LG was reasonably well behaved in the supermercados, but people were a bit bargey-bargey with trolleys and baskets in MrS, but we got out quickly.  They enjoyed the walk too - i didn't think they would, but it was nice to be together.  Naturally, the second their dearest papa stepped in the house they blurted out what we'd got for a stocking filler for him 🙄It's not the end of the world. but DH really won't have much, and it wouldn't have harmed to keep it as a surprise.  Still, I appreciate it's a fine line between 'secrets' and 'surprises', and in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter.  I wouldn't wish LG to keep a 'secret' that covered up anything sinister or untoward, so......

Ta for popping in.  Greying X

beanielou

My DS could never ever keep anything secret 😹

rtandon27

lol - I love your child GP, they often remind me of me - I hate secrets and surprises and have in my life been known to burst into tears when they happen or when I've not been able to keep one! - perhaps my romantic longing for the life of a spy never happened for a reason 🤣🤣🤣

Watty1

That is the thing with secrets - learning discernment - which to keep, which not to.  I'd rather go for the never keep than learn duplicitous ways,  LG is great

edinburgher

I'm introducing DD2 to the concept of "surprises" as opposed to "secrets", difficult with a 3-year-old. TBH, the fact that she hasn't given away any of the Christmas presents bought for Mrs E in her presence has more to do with her short memory than any sense of discretion! X

All good fun

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Afternoon MFW'rs

Yes ed that's why I've been trying to school LG in the element of surprise, and choosing my words very carefully.  There are very few actual 'secrets' that can be kept without someone getting hurt in someway or another. 

So LG and I went to the market town across the way.  I am glad that we called in the hairdressers, as although we had to wait ages, the salon is shut for an extended break over Christmas and into the NY, so it was wise to get haircuts today.  We managed to get yoghurt in hB, and have sufficient now to last until the end of the month - as long as people are careful with portioning.  I did also get some YS'd baps in hB.  Not a huge saving, but handy to have in the freezer.  We popped into h3r0n f00ds, very disappointed with their offerings, and just picked up a bag of gingerbread kitkat reindeers and some cake bars for DH to take to work tomorrow.  

I had picked up some jayc0b's crackers for cheese (grommit!) in hB, reduced to £1.75.  But I wish I had waited, as in h3r0n they were £1 a box - but there was only 1 box, and that had been opened ☹️  but then we went into bee&eM and they had cracker boxes for £1 (not branded tho).  I did buy a box from bee&eM. as they will get used.  Both hB and bee&eM had started to heavily discount christmas things, although mostly things I either had, or didn't need, sadly.

We went to the MrS and it wasn't too heaving.  I did pick up another bag of tatties, as they had the grown in Perthshire, elland variety there too.  Other things - with the exception of a stick of celery, were on my n3ctar prices list and therefore will go straight in the cupboard/freezer.  I think those items will come out of the bulk budget, as they will last beyond December.  We made it back to the car just before our 3 hours parking was up and thankfully, the traffic just seemed to 'part' and I decided to return home through the town centre to access the MrL, rather than returning home via the bypass.  I did pick up some of the MrL veg - 2 bags of melody potatoes and 3 bags of the shallots.  We got bread - fingers crossed it lasts pretty much until the end of the month - and some milk (only needs to last until the weekend, or a bit longer if poss 😁).  There were other bits and pieces, I will sort out the figures just now.  The market town was quite quiet (the hairdressers was by far the exception to other shops), and it did seem a little as though Christmas had been and was done and retail were moving on to the next thing 🙄

I'm feeling better today, and managed quite a good sleep.  I did get up in the night, and took 2 more paracetamol, but feel more energetic and 'with it'.  Currently my throat isn't sore.  

No clothes washing attempted today.  It's grey and overcast now, and this morning, it took agggeessss for the darkness and mistiness to lift - it really seemed like 'peak' winter.  

I'm pretty sure we have everything we need now. If we don't, we won't starve and we've no-one to disappoint but ourselves.  Whatever time DH comes home tomorrow, Christmas will officially 'start' chez Greying, and we'll enjoy having the time together.  

LG was a great help today, and I was impressed with their patience with having to wait - I'm not saying that they weren't bored, but they remained seated, and quiet, didn't start acting up.  It's interesting how school never make a huge deal about such quiet/mannered/composed behaviour, and yet it makes life so much more pleasant when out and about socially.  Still - I'm seeing things through 'mumma goggles' 😍so you've no need to take heed of me 🤣

Greying X

VintageHistorian

Hope the lurgy proves to be fleeting!