I’m trying hard to keep to a budget this month because of not having an income of my own, so I’m trying to be really careful what I spend on groceries.  And of course, this is the hardest month to cut costs !!

Most christmas presents are taken care of, and have been for a while.  I only have the girls’ and Dave’s to sort out now.  Most people have hampers, filled with favourite foods. toiletries, books, wine etc.  I found some lovely boxes at Ikea which come complete with lid, so they’re reusable by the recipient after Christmas.  I need to get some cellophane from a florist to wrap them up properly.

We finally got a holiday for next year sorted out yesterday !! 12 days on the Oriana in September going to Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Madeira.  It will be lovely to go back to Madeira again, and we have the luxury of an overnight stay there too.  It’s a beautiful ship, and the girls will be well catered for.

The best thing about it – it only cost £600 !!  I saved up clubcard points with Tesco and used them all towards the cruise, and for four people for 12 nights……£600 is one hell of a deal !!!

We’d reserved a cruise for May next year, which we were really looking forward to, but we lost it because some of my vouchers hadn’t come through…but this time it’s booked, and vouchers sent off !!

Roll on September !!!

xx

This has to be one of the best gardening blogs I’ve seen while I’ve been researching on the internet.  There is an archive that goes back to 2005, showing how a British woman took an allotment and really made it work.  It’s fantastic to see the results of all her efforts.

I desperately want to grow some of my own fruit and veg next year, even though the chances are that we’re moving, so any fruit trees I buy will have to be the smaller M9 varieties that can be planted in the large patio pots.  I’ve looked at blackberry, blackcurrants and raspberries too, and I’m planning on getting tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers started.

I had a greenhouse about ten years ago in my previous house – I loved it.  It broke my heart when we moved because there was no ‘safe’ space to put one in the new garden.  However Dave is buying me one of the mini greenhouses for Christmas.  Four shelves high, enough for a total of twelve seed trays, and we can keep it in the conservatory for extra protection.

I miss my greenhouse !

xx

I found a fantastic bread recipe on Farmgirl Fare blog (www.foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com) the other day.  Bread has never been my strong point, but this one didn’t involve all the usual kneading, rising etc – it was a batter type mix, and its secret ingredient? A bottle of beer.  Her ‘Best Ever Beer Bread’ is made, including mixing and baking times, in under an hour and I have to say its turned out better than any other bread I’ve ever made.

It turned out so well that I made another for my Dad the next day, and while I was at it tried a new recipe for Date and Walnut Loaf, his favourite.  So it was a happy Dad last night when I took them down, and even happier when he phoned me to tell me how delicious they were.

I took the girls to see the christmas lights being switched on in our city centre last night.  Although I’d been almost dreading it (I hate it when there’s big crowds and pushing and shoving) I actually really enjoyed it.

Gordon Banks, one of our local heroes and famous footballer turned on the lights along with Jonathan Wilkes (yes, Robbie’s best mate!).  The crowd were singing christmas carols, there was artificial snow falling and the whole atmosphere was pretty festive.  I almost broke my back lifting Lucy up high enough to see the stage and the activities there, but it was worth it.  The big countdown came and I ended up almost as excited as the kids!  Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…and the city centre was light up again, some amazing decorations all over the main streets. 

Yes, Christmas is on its way !!! *grins xx

Sunday was as usual, a busy day for us all.  We’re still decorating the downstairs cloakroom – the smallest but hardest room because of the abundance of pipes and fittings.  So a few hours were spent on that.

I decided to make the most of the lack of rain and dug over the front garden (a strip of soil about three feet by twenty feet), getting rid of the dying/dead annuals and emptying the hanging baskets.  It’s quite a large front garden, but consists mainly of concrete, tarmac, gravel and a huge conifer bed, so the one strip is all I have there that I can plant up.  I’m seriously considering planting a red rose hedge there though – it would look beautiful against the brick.

And I was lucky enough to be able to spend quite a lot of time in my kitchen on Sunday, resulting in a homemade loaf (admittedly from the breadmaker), two huge lasagnes, a big batch of bolognaise and forty eight chocolate walnut brownies.  I use Nigella Lawson’s brownie recipe, and have never been disappointed yet. They’re so easy !!  The bolognaise sauce smelt heavenly as it cooked – I added loads of fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions, white onions and soem beautiful garlic that I brought back from France.  It was declared the best bolognaise yet !

Let’s just see if the brownies last to the weekend !

I chose a beautiful eyelash yarn in a soft heather colour and it’s turned out perfectly.  I wore it today taking Lucy to school, and it’s really light, so I don’t feel as if it’s strangling me, but very cosy.

I can’t believe how much knitting wool has changed since I last made anything.  It used to be 3 or 4 ply wool, double knit or chunky.  Now the array of yarns available is staggering.  So many to choose from, all as beautiful as each other.

So for my next project ….hmmmm…I think I need my sewing machine.

xx

I’m a thirty six year old, happily married mum to two daughters from Staffordshire in England.  I recently finished a very strenuous job which needed five or six hours communting each day, and I’m determined to try to make more of my life and home from now on.

My home had stopped feeling like my home – it was just somewhere to sleep.  I hardly saw my kids and husband, and went to bed at 9.30 each night because I was terrified of being tired while driving such distances.  So now, I’m looking for another job which will still give me time with my family.

I’m also looking forward to spending more time making my house a home again.  Crafts, cooking, baking……I want to go back to how I used to be a few years back.

Wish me luck ! xx