Progress is...

rtandon27

In my Grinchy world, Christmas is about the first part of that word 'Christ' - If we are celebrating Santa - St Nick than it is December 6th that is his day, otherwise we are celebrating Yule & Mid-Winter not Christmas - I'm happy to celebrate all of them given their proper names & meaning! After all I come from the Great White North - we have a tendency to celebrate everything and anything, given that we are a land of invading immigrants with a myriad of beliefs and celebrations!

badmemory

Another grinch here.  Why do I have to buy my DSs birthday card over a month before his birthday (early Oct) because all the cards disappear on 1st September.  And as for Christmas movies!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not a believer, but look on it more as a celebration of another year.  But some of the current methods of celebration seem a little odd to me & certainly not in the "christmas spirit".

Merlin's_Beard

Not so much a grinch, but I am side eyeing the Christmas things being out SO early. In all of its iterations, this is a festival that marks the darkest part of the year, and brings a reminder that it won't be forever and that things will change and that hope has been delivered, in whatever form.

Not a two month dragging on of commercialisation and one upmanship.

rtandon27

@badmemory & @Merlin's_Beard - I completely agree that the current methods of celebrating Chirstmas are at odds with the 'spirit' of Christmas, however it is embodied.  Consumerism, overindulgence and false festivities are the anti-thesis of what Christmas should be! (I think I may have graduated from grinchness to being a proper Scrooge over the past few weeks.)

At work, I've had to pretend good cheer and organize a festive gathering for the first week of December for our 70+ team.  I find it ironic that come January we will be facing lay-offs and restructuring, which I'm well aware of, as is management, but shhhh - we are not allowed to talk about it or address the fears of folks!

I was further dismayed when this week's churchy newsletter contained a declaration that this Sunday was a Gift Day, in other words - our medeival building is too expensive to maintain & therefore they are asking, nay demanding that we reach into our pockets and contribute to it's upkeep.  It's not the practice of giving that I object to, I am from a family that tithes a portion of each paycheque to the church or more specifically to the activities it runs.  The way the demand for funds was exercised in this case, the insistant newsletter headline, followed up a few hours later by a frantic e-mail from the rector saying that they had given out the wrong banking details just smacked of everything that is wrong with this season and in particular with the 'institution' of the church. 

For me, this is the last Sunday of the litergical year, and a time to look forward to the next five weeks of preparing for Chirstmas.  The four advent Sunday themes of hope, peace, joy, and love are truly what I want to focus on not their anti-thesis of hatred, pandemonium, jitters and loathing.  I guess Christmas truly is what we make of it and we each have to choose how we are going to celebrate!

For now I am thankful and celebrating OH is still with me, battling away to live another day.  We are trying not to take just one day at a time but to be hopeful and at the very least plan for tommorrow and perhaps next week.  Having something to look forward to really does bring joy to the everyday.

In preparation for our Christmas season, OH has actually asked for a chocolate advent calendar this year & it's not even a fancy one - dairy milk - sweets of his childhood, and a proper purple metal tin of colourful individually wrapped chocolates - not the plastic tub.  (Yes I did balk at the cost of the tin & almost suggested that we fill the tin we already have - from his mom year's ago - with two cartons of the colourful chocolates!) 

I also have colourful string of fairy lights up to chase away the darkness, replacing the pumpkin fairylights that went up just before Hallowmas.  Next weekend a small tree and a few tiny baubles will go up and in the meantime we will be making a list of those who will receive a tin of butter biscuits over the holidays to thank them for all they have done throughout the year.  Who knows we may even dig our (my) decorations from years gone by to have a bit of glitter in the house!

Watty1

Loving the Christmas Grinch and Grumbles because they remind me so much of my mum who refused to have "special food" because in her view we ate well all year round, but then every year would give in and cook the turkey, who declined to buy presents and then suck each of us a £50 note to treat ourselves, who grumbled about putting up trees then would do something daft like buy a lot of red apples and bows and insist a tree with red apples was festive and cards, they were simply the most fun as she used to get 100s from people she had touched and then would spent the entire advent grumbling about where to put the "bleep" things

I do love the season, I admit it but refuse to have lights and trees up before remembrance day has properly passed and been dusted off.  I had a very dear friend who died in December and whose funeral was the 10th for years I refused any decorations until after the 10th in his memory but now I have given in, VNM loves the whole schmaltz hallmark cards thing of lights and decorations.  

rtandon27

Weekly List

routine tasks...
🔱 YNAB juggling
🔆 across the pond banking
🔱 grocery order (later in the week)
🔆 meal plan - I'm doing all the cooking atm so changing this up
🔆 weekly digital planner
🔆 Delay Repay
🔆 supplements
🔆 Weekly surveys & contests
✅ laundry - last week's laundry folded & put away - 3 loads washed & drying - another needs doing
🔆 clean washing machine once laundry done for the week

non-routine tasks...
✅ at least 4 sinkfuls of dishes and pots washed and put away over the course of the weekend
✅ all of downstairs vacuumed
✅ non-slip pads on bottom of front door mat
🔆 kitchen floor STILL needs a good wash (sweeping to keep under control)
🔆 strip bed & put on new mattress topper
🔱 have sourced weighted blankets - singles - Scandinavian style!
🔆 repack OH's bag for next intervenus cocktail outing
🔆 check total of interest received last year
🔆 pay taxes owed so that tax code is not adjusted next year
🔆 home facial - implementing the joys of prickly pear oil!!!
🔱 still on the hunt for ballerina wedges that fit for everyday use!
🔱 EHIC card - is old one valid or do up application
🔱 BFF across the pond - we owe each other money - neither of us is asking the other to sort out! 🤣

important tasks...
(on hold)
⏳ do bus pass application
⏳ new load of paperwork filing ready to be sorted
⏳ my savings need juggling - not started yet

medical follow-ups...
✅ register for follow-up medical appts from Monday
✅ dental - new devices are ready - pick up when back in the office on monday
🔱 OH is on week 2 of treatment and doing remarkably well
✅ have adjusted OH's diet to include protein at every snack/meal & up the calories
🔱❗my dermatologist referral - have docs names - now need to book appt - insurance has authorized! - sigh - have to have this done in the city as decent onces in my area are scarce as hen's teeth!!!!!
⏳ follow-up on OT recommendations for work assessment - this can wait a bit, while the Cerberus is focussed on other things!
⏳❗follow-up on private eye specialist for myself - after all the other bits!

epic list of garden things...
⏳ harvest last of the chilies - the are gorgeously ripe - and somehow the plant is still alive!!!
⏳ need to transplant two chili plants & bring indoors
⏳ autumn pruning needs to be done
⏳ start getting quotes for new felt for flat roof & summer house & shed (needs doing in autumn) - on hold
⏳ 4 bags cotswold stone - trip to W!ckes postponed - on hold
⏳ transplant remaining baby trees into their new pots - on hold 
⏳ trim down and rehome butterfly bush - on hold
⏳ new trellis needs to go up for the climbing rose in the front - OH has acquired the hardware! - on hold
⏳ finish taming climbing jasmine & add more supports for it to grown on - on hold

social calendar...
🔆need to organize ladies who lunch festive set meal
🔆foodie christmas market (friends festive gathering)
🔆southbank christmas market
⏳ korean street food - on hold until December!

Meal Prep activities...
(I'm currently doing all the cooking, batch cooking has happened to keep us healthy and save time in the week)
✅ bananas & avocados prepped and frozen for smoothies
✅ beef - diced and frozen ready for stew another week
✅ small cauli-cheese made - added cauli stems, mushrooms & lardons - 4 portions
✅ mousakka made - 4 portions
✅ osso busco made - 4 portions - 2 eaten
✅ small roasties prepped for smashed potatoes
✅ crown prince & butternut prepped for mashed squash
✅ defrosted & ate root veg soup - added roast chicken
✅ roast 4 chicken legs - smashed potatoes with cheese & mashed squash with hot honey butter - 2 eaten

Meal Plan...
Last Week

✅🥬🧀🫓 Monday Nov 17 - Veggie Day - Dim Sum & Cauli-cheese

✅🐟 Tuesday Nov 18 - Fish Day - Take-away Fish & Chips

✅🍗 Wednesday Nov 19 - Chicken Day - left over chicken & cauli-cheese

✅🍖 Thursday Nov 20 - Meat Day - Belly Pork cubes and courgette & rice (swap with Friday)

✅🍕🍟 Friday Nov 21 - Fakeaway Day - Thai Fakeaway (swap with Thursday)

✅🫓🍜 Saturday Nov 22- Easy Peasy Day - lunch - bao dinner - Beef Stew with peppers and tomatoes & croquettes

✅🍖🥕🍠🍅🥔 Sunday Nov 23 - Roast Day - chicken & potatoes & squash

This Week (eat batch cooked food)

🥬🧀🫓 Monday Nov 17 - Veggie Day - Mousakka & jalepeno poppers

🐟 Tuesday Nov 18 - Fish Day - Take-away Fish & Chips Cauli-cheese & potatoes

🍗 Wednesday Nov 19 - Chicken Day - left over sunday roast & sides

🍖 Thursday Nov 20 - Meat Day - beef stew & plain rice

🍕🍟 Friday Nov 21 - Fakeaway Day - possible take away

🫓🍜 Saturday Nov 22- Easy Peasy Day - bao - noodles with fish balls & green veg

🍖🥕🍠🍅🥔 Sunday Nov 23 - Roast Day - Beef Stew with root veg

Next Week (eat from fridge, freezer & stores)
🥬🧀🫓 Monday Nov 24 - Veggie Day - Saag Paneer & Parathas (stores, fridge
sausages in buns (from freezer)
cauli-cheese pasta bake (from freezer)
tajine & couscous (from freezer)
peirogis & keilbasa (from freezer)

Greying_Pilgrim

rt - apols if you knew of this already, and that there is a reason for you not using them.  But for smoothies, it is possible to buy frozen, de-skinned/stoned avocados.  They're not the bright green of a really spit-spot ripe avocado, but I was under the impression they were ok.  I'm sure I've tried them once...... and I'm trying to recall if it was greenbee who has used them too.

Just a thought, in case it cuts prep time a smidgen - feel free to ignore 😁

Greying X

dawnybabes

I’ve used frozen advos before and they are perfectly fine. 

To up DH protein could you pop a little protein powder in his hot drinks ? We needed to keep calories in my DH so suddenly he was having lattes with added cream, lots of ‘posh’ hot chocolate, protein pancakes.  When he wasn’t hungry he was given Heinz tom soup (had to be Heinz) in a mug to drink so he didn’t realise he was eating ! 

rtandon27

@Greying_Pilgrim - thank you for the reminder hunny about the frozen avos - in this case I was rescuing both bananas and avos before they went off as OH's appetite is unpredictable so we can end up with too much if he does not consume the fruit, and I'm not one to waste! - but yes, going forward I'll be grabbing some frozen ones to save just such an occurance from repeating itself!

@dawnybabes - we are trying to avoid the upf route as much as possible and keep to our wholefood habit so have chosen not to use the protein powders - but yes, cream and cheese feature heavily in our household atm, I just have to make sure to keep my work lunches light to balance this out! His nutritionist is fabulous amd has given him easy wins for upping the protein, snacking on eggs and adding nut butter to porridge are some of her wholefood tricks.

Greying_Pilgrim

Ah right rt - i hadn't realised about the food saving.  But I hear you on the unpredictable appetite, I remember mum being the same, plus she had the added issue of not being able to keep things down - particularly, unfortunately - dairy.  Which is an easy win for adding calories and protein.  I'm glad your nutritionist has mentioned nut butters too.

Greying X