The photo above is of our tree last year, we don't have a theme just a lot of happy memories as each year I would take the children out to choose a tree decoration, (still do this with our daughter). Some of our tree decorations date back to my childhood! I think I will post photos of my favourites with each update. Don't worry all is still in the loft - I just took a lot of photos last year : )
As I mentioned before this year I intend to get organised and keep track of just how much Christmas is going to cost. We normally get through far too much money and like many others cannot afford to do that this year. Also this will give me something to focus on as the news regarding the global financial crisis is very depressing and this seems to be an excellent way of keeping control of part of my life. We are going to try for as traditional a Christmas as possible and just enjoy spending precious time with family and friends. I hope to be able to buy some fresh cranberries Christmas week to make our own sauce but have picked up a jar just in case as our daughter loves this in her sandwiches, so it won't be wasted.
Presents
So far I have finished knitting a scarf for my sister and as it is in lovely lavender and blue colours I have also tucked into it a lavender sachet (she loves lavender). I am finishing off a knitted dishcloth with a cat on (she also loves cats lol) and just need a couple of other little bits to add. So a lavender/cat theme going on there!
I have also started to knit a scarf for my brother in law in a lovely tweedy wool and will add some thermal socks and a wind up torch Mr C managed to pick up from Lidls today. Again a couple more little bits to add.
Present box:-
4 wind up torches from Lidl @ £3.99 - £ 15.96
Lavender sachet £ 1.50
Wool for scarf (lavender/blue) £ 3.00
wool for tweed scarf (charity shop buy) £ 1.00
1 eyemax solar/wind up torch/radio £20.00
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£41.46
Food
I have enough in the pantry now to make a start on the mincemeat, home made mincemeat is lovely and much nicer than the overly sweet stuff the shops sell. Hope to get this done over the weekend if I can find the energy. I will add pics and recipe then as well.
Christmas cupboard now has:-
5 bags of Lidls choc coins @ £1 - £5.00
1 tin chestnut puree (for stuffing recipe) £1.75
1 jar cranberry sauce (dd loves this in sandwiches) £0.57
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£7.32
I learnt a very important lesson at Christmas many years ago, a friend was struggling financially and had no money to pay for Christmas that year. I had gone round to give her a huge bag of reduced items I had found at the supermarket on Christmas Eve and found that she and her 4 children were very happy and content. She had got the tree and decorations out from the loft the same as always and the children after helping her to decorate were having a lovely time playing with some board games they had found in the loft. Family and friends had made sure there were some presents under the tree and there was a chicken dinner ready to roast and some pound shop crackers on the table. She told me that you can't "cancel" Christmas it happens whether you have the money or not! What matters is quality time with family and remembering the true meaning of the season. I left feeling very humbled but wiser.
7 comments:
I've experienced a Christmas very similar to that of your friend. We didn't even have enough money for electricity! A friend helped me out and although the presents were cheap and few, it was a good Christmas.
I love the lavendar/cat theme. I'm busy knitting wooly socks at the moment. Daughter in Norway's tootsies get cold in winter :)
Hi love to see your dishcloth pattern with the cat on it.
We began the Christmas cake last night GRIN
Love Leanne
@ Sharon - isn't it amazing that the Christmas's where we struggle often turn out to be the best? I have still to tackle socks!
@ Leanne - I have added a link for the dishcloth pattern! I must start thinking about our cake soon.
Hi, just found your blog and have been enjoying all the posts.
I'm really happy to see someone else who buys their dog toys to destroy from the boot sale!
I'll be back,
best wishes
Sharie
What a sensible approach! I love Christmas, not because of gifts but beacuse of significance, songs and time to stop the rat race!
p.s. I'm struggling to find the right type of material to knit dishcloths. Where did you find yours?
Hello Sharie! Thank you for popping by! I am enjoying your blog as well! We are having to stop giving Penny cuddly toys to destroy as she now thinks that any cuddly toy is hers to destroy!!! includig our daughters favourites from her childhood. Now it is dog chews and tug toys.
@ Frugal - Yes there is so much more to Christmas than presents. I can remember when folk were normally just given 1 nice gift from each other (sometimes home made) that was the norm. Now it is so over the top.
I get the dishcloth yarn from the market, very reasonable. Also worth looking in the charity shops, they normally have odd balls of yarn and you want 100% cotton.
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