Fourth Sunday in Advent

Light the Advent Candle four
Think of joy forever more
Christchild in a stable born
Gift of love that Chrismas morn

Candle, candle, burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle, burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas Light

xx

All I Need Now is Rain..

I went out this afternoon to get a prescription for Master T and came back with 4 of these..

..at 98 pence a pop it would have been rude not to. I bought them from Morrisons garden center, i have already been in the garden and applied the lawn food. I know i am a bit late doing it but as they say, better late than never. I will go back during the week to buy some more for next year. All i need now is rain in the next couple of days. If not i will have to get my hose pipe out, hope it will not come to that otherwise my neighbours might think i am losing it.

When i was walking in the garden feeding the lawn i noticed a lot of patches on my lawn which i knew were there but had forgotten about. My lawn is only 8 months old so those patches are from where the seeds didn't germinate.

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain..

Swap Goodies....

I received my parcel  from my swap partner the lovely Kezzie of  KezziAG on Tuesday. She sent me some lovely gifts.

The whole lot

Two lovely books one for me, A Vintage Affair and one for Master T, Marvin Redpost Kidnapped at Birth and a handmade book mark.

Heart shaped cookie cutters, chocolates and some Bear yo yo's

Santa peg, smiley cat tree decoration and a sweet smelling bath bomb

Thank vou very much Kezzie for the presents. We have already scoffed the chocolates and yo yo sweeties. The books will be read on my holiday, tha cat will be hung on the tree today, the peg is on the fridge and i am saving the bath bomb for January when the going gets tough.

We are putting our tree up today, Master T keeps pestering me.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

xx

Second Sunday in Advent

Light the Advent Candle two
Think of humble shepherds who
Filled with wonder at the sight
Of the child on Christmas night

Candle, candle, burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle, burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas Light



Hope you have all had a good weekend

Weekend Visitors

On Friday Master T came home with some visitors, baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, 3 wise men, 3 shepherd's and 2 sheep. His school has a travelling crib for each class and this weekend was his turn to bring it home.

Christmas is definitely near and i am nowhere near putting my tree and decoration up. The Christmas spirit hasn't caught up with me yet. I am sure there is still plenty of time.xx

One Potato, Two Potato...

Look what i found in my garden...

2 potatoes

I planted these at the end of my flower bed while i was deciding what shrub i wanted to put in that corner. I used sprouted potato skin and i can't believe it works. Unfortunately i changed my mind the following day and dug them out to plant poppies. I must have left these two by mistake because i discovered them while planting bulbs. I couldn't believe it and was so excited, i have already cooked them as part of tomorrows packed lunch (potato salad) so i am looking forward to munching my 2 homegrown potatoes. I am definately putting potatoes on my list of things to grow next year.

Hope you have all had a good day xxx



My Treasures....

I haven't been to the carboot sale because of the weather so all my treasures are either from jumble sales or charity shops.

I am in love with this rose printed tea set. It consists of  4 cups, saucers and side plates. I managed to find myself a conserve jar with spoon included.

  

C. S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia collection. The 7 books are The Magician's nephew, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The horse and his boy, Prince Caspian, The voyage of the Dawntreader, The Silver chair and The last battle.

Mrs Beeton's cookery book. The reason i bought this apart from the price tag (50p) was because of an article i read in the Good Food magazine by Gerard Baker. He has updated some of Mrs Beeton's recipe to be more modern and i wanted to have a read of some of the original recipes.

Every year i grow herbs and every year they die before i can use them. Hopefully this little book will be worth more than what i paid for it.

Cookie cutters. Reindeer, snowman, gingerbread man, heart, teddy bear, duck and candy cane shaped. I am not sure what shape the orange cutter is. Any ideas?

Some clothes

I love them all

Last but no means the least this book. Martin Lewis has nothing on me i managed to buy this for 70p. I am hoping it will be of some use to me come January. If not i know i can always rely on my fellow bloggers for hints and tips on saving those pennies.

So far i have everything that i need and will be taking a break from shopping for myself. I will keep posting some of the things that i have bought in the past few weeks.

First Sunday in Advent

Light the Advent Candle One
Now the waiting has begun
We have started on our way
Time to think of Christmas time


Candle, candle, burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle, burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas light

Mild Autumn

I can't believe that this time last year it was snowing and so far the weather hasn't been too bad. I have been in the garden today for a couple of hours pulling out weeds and dead flowers and making a boarder on my flower bed. The boarder is still work in progress which i hope to complete in spring. I bought some Lily, Tulip and Alium bulbs in Wilkinsons when they were 50% and 75% off and they are waiting to be planted. We are both off on Wednesday due to the strike so hopefully i can get digging weather permitting. I also need to go through my seed stash to see what needs to be grown in January. I know i know i should be thinking about Christmas not growing season but i cant help it.

I managed to find my Christmas cards in the shed so now i can start sending them.

Hope you have all had a good weekend i am off to watch My Fair Lady with a nice cup of tea.

Homemade Bread

On Saturday i decided to use my new bread maker and i wasn't happy with the results. I love homemade bread as much as the next person and this was the first time i used the bread maker as i usually do it the old fashion way. I am not sure it was the bread maker at fault but the recipe i used but who knows. So dear blog friends i know most of you have secret recipes for baking bread in the bread maker, i would love you forever if you would be so kind and share your recipes with me. Wholemeal and White. Pretty please....

Swimming...

Master T came back from the childminder this evening so excited he said "Mum, mum you won't believe what happened at swimming today." He didn't even give me to a chance to ask "What?" He just blurted out the news. He told me that he had swam 10metres without any arm bands and without stopping and he swam to the deep end of the pool. I am not so sure about the deep end part but i am still proud.

He is in Y4 and he started going for swimming lessons with his school for a term when he was in Y3 as part of their curriculum. Between the end of September this year and now he has gone from having 4 arm bands to swimming 10metres without any. I know it doesn't that much of exciting news but i can't swim and i wish i could and this is one of those moments/ activities that i am trying to live through my child hence the excitement.

I really wish i could swim hopefully one day i will join a swimming class AGAIN.

It was Master T's birthday on the 3rd and i booked a 2 day coach trip to...

He was so excited about the trip and he enjoyed himself. We got there in the afternoon so we didn't have enough time to go on the popular rides. There were long queues on some rides so we decided not to waste time and went for the rides with no queues. We also managed to watch a 4D movie, we were just passing by looking for somewhere to go when they started letting people in. The 4D movie was amazing and the characters really leapt out of the screen and it fel real. Some of the effects were real which i think was an added bonus. 

We could feel the wind blowing, water splashing, fire burning and there was a snowy scene where they had bubbles falling, it all looked so real.

He bought himself some Lego with his birthday money and he has been constantly playing with them. I think i already know what he wants for Christmas.

We watched a pirate show which was very funny and everyone seemed to enjoy it including me.

As it was born fire night there was a...

display.

Our experience of Legoland gets 10/10 and Master T is already planning a return trip with my grandbabies which i hope is not in the next 15 years or so. Grandbabies i mean.

On Sunday we had a tour around London....

....and had time to wonder around the capital city. I have never been thanked as much as i was this weekend there is no doubt that i am the best mum in the whole wide world for the next few days.

When i booked the holiday i wasn't so sure about the accomodation we would be staying in as i am a bit fussy when it comes to clean beds, carpets, toilets, bathrooms and everything in between.

We stayed at the

Which was very nice and very clean.

Dinner wasn't so great but the food was edible i enjoyed breakfast as i love a full English breakfast and i am just plain greedy. Master T barely aet anything on Saturday and Sunday beacuse of all the excitement.

 If i had decided to make my own way to Legoland by coach, bought the entrance tickets, book a room for the two of us including dinner and breakfast which is what i got i can tell you now i wouldn't have gone. I still feel as if i robbed the coach company because what i paid them would only have covered our travel expenses and half an entrance ticket nothing more. The service from the coach provider was brilliant and i am definately travelling with them again come spring and summer and would highly recommend them to anyone.

The only downside is that i would have prefered to have a full day at Legoland and half a day wondering around London but we still enjoyed ourselves.

Who did i travel with you might ask, National Holidays will be my answer.

P.S. This is not a sponsored post just a happy customer.

Happy Birthday....

Master T is 9 today. The years have flown by i cannot believe it. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. I loved him the moment the midwife placed him in my arms. Can't believe how a tiny little baby can steal your heart so unexpectedly.

I wanted his first name to start with the letter T and i had toyed around with different names but could not think or find a name that i thought would suit him. By the time i was about 7 months i had narrowed down his middle name to Gabriel or Alexander. Gabriel after the Angel Gabriel who brought the good news to Mary that she was going to be the mother of God and Alexander because i loved the way you can shorten it. The choices being Alex, Xander or Lex.

When i held him for the first time i just new what his name was going to be and it wasn't a name i had thought about before and so i named him Master T. Middle name wise i settled for Gabriel because of the reason mention above and because it is 2 letters shorter than Alexander. His first name is eight lettered and as it is not an English name and can be difficult to pronounce i wasn't going to lump him with Alexander. Odd reason i am sure but that's what happens when you have nothing to do in a martenity ward.

He has grown into an independent, loving and caring young man. He is a little chatter box and very friendly he will talk to anyone who will talk to him which is a big worry and he is very ,very impressionable. He is happier around people and is creative. I know he will go on to do great things. I am biased i know but i am his mother so i have to have faith in him.

...oh did i mention that i love him to the moon and back....

Happy Birthday my dearest son.xx

My Weekend

Those who know me very well will tell you that i am a Master Procrastinator. For some reason i keep putting things off and telling myself that are will do them but never get round to it. This weekend was the weekend i decided to put a full stop to my procrastinating habit (i hope). It has been a very productive weekend in my books. I managed to sort out clothes that i took out of the shed four weeks ago and just dumped on my bedroom floor in bags and boxes. I have been struggling to open my wardrobe because of this.

I took all the clothes that i didn't need to the charity shop and kept what i thought i could sell on ebay. I had loads of Master T's books that he had outgrown and i found them a good home. I did the same with some DVD's i didn't need. Among all this stuff was a lot of rubbish that just ended up in the bin.

I also baked bread, gave myself a mini manicure and pedicure, washed my hair, spent two hours with a good friend and four more with another friend, sorted out chidcare for Master T, did a bit of paper work as well as tidying up the house, washed and ironed all dirty clothes.

Now that i have done all this i hope this helps my mood this coming week and i won't feel too stressed. I need to keep my head down and get on with a mini assignment for university that i haven't started but is due this Friday. I did say i am a Master Procastinator.

Brrr...

Is it just me or is it Winter already, i know it's Autumn but to me these two seasons just blend into one. I am more of a Spring and Summer person. I have had to put my heating on today and i think it's time i get those electric blankets on the bed and start wearing scarves, gloves hats and snuggle to my hot water bottles.

MSE did help with my winter preparations all i have to do now is to try and keep warm. Master T has no problem with the cold, he does not put on a jumper even if the heating is off. He does start complaining when he goes upstairs. For some reason that part of the house is always freezing even with the heating on.

I also seem to have a slight cold hope it doesn't get worse.

Get well soon to me.

My Treasures

Went to the car boot sale today hopefully it's my last this season. There weren't many sellers and i wasn't expecting to see anything at all that i fancied. Surprisingly i think it was the best one.

 These are my gorgeous finds

Master T spotted these Roald Dahl books. A collection of 10 books and an extra one.

He is so into Roald Dahl at the moment thanks to his current teacher. All 11 books cost me 250pence

I also found these, a glass thingamajig which i havent decided what to put in it. It might end up in the bathroom filled with cotton buds or cotton wool balls and a cup and saucer to add to my mismatched collection.

Flower pot/ fruit bowl. A few years ago i bought my aunt a plant from Next as her birthday present.

When i went to visit her a few months later i saw this exact pot/bowl on her table filled with fruit and comment how beautiful it looked and how i wanted one. She then told me that it was the flower pot that came with the plant that i had bought her. I did'nt know that as i had ordered the plant over the phone so you can imagine how excited i was when i laid eyes on this little beauty. I am going to use it as a fruit bowl.

Cake stand

Wonderful recipe book

Spode teapot and my IKEA Orchid that i bought last year i am surprised it has survived this long.

Another look at my Spode teapot. It has the most beautiful blue lid i have ever seen.

Each item apart from the books and Teapot cost 50p. The teapot was a pound.

I bought these novels from a charity shop. The Alchemist Daughter, The Time Travellers Wife and Roald Dahl's 2 in 1 book Boy and Going Solo for Master T. I did say he loves Roald Dahl.

The books were 99p each

The complete cupcake kit and the breadmaker are from a previous bootsale both brand new and boxed.

What have you found on your treasure hunt? Hope it was all good stuff. 

Do Something Amazing Give Blood

This week is the Daniel De Gale Blood Donation Week (3-8 October 2011). As a recipient of blood i know how important blood donation is. It saved my life before and i know one day i might need it again. If you are between the ages of 17- 65 please think about it and donate. It's such an amazing gift to those who need it.
http://www.blood.co.uk/index.asp

...And a Very Happy Thrifty Thursday To You Too

Thank you to everyone who has read or decided to follow my blog and another thank you to those who wished me a happy birthday. I am a student now thats why i have been AWOL. I will write another post soon about it.

My bathroom does not have a shower only a bath tub so to reduce my gas bill when heating bath water i turn down the water temperature on my boiler especially over the summer. If you have a child like mine who turns on the tap to fill the bath and then decides to go back to his room to play leaving the water running you will know what i mean. When he comes back the bath is half full and he still needs to mix the hot water with cold water to get it to the right temperature or he decides its too much and pulls the plug. Kids hey.

By reducing the water temperature by setting it to what i require i know no matter how much water he fills the bath with its ready for him to go in. For more thrifty tips visit Angela's blog on http://angalmond.blogspot.com/

xxx

Happy Birthday To Me !!!

30 years ago i popped out of my mums tummy. Hope everyone enjoys their day, i am going to try and enjoy mine. xxx

Thrifty Thursday

Going to the barber or to the hairdresser can be pricey. To save money i cut Master T's hair myself. I have been doing it since he was a baby and i am getting better with each hair cut, all it has ever cost me is a set of clippers compared to paying 6 pounds per hair cut.

It is going to sound so unfair because i am going  tell you that i do go to the hairdresser. The only difference is my trip to the salon doesn't cost me a penny because my haidresser is my friend and we swap treatments. I am a qualified beauty therapist so she does my hair and i give her whatever treatment she needs, we have been doing this for years.

My tip for the day is if you need to learn a new skill or have anything done for you why not find out if you can swap skills with someone. That way no money exchanges hands but you both walk away happy.

For more useful thrifty tips why not visit Angela's blog http://angalmond.blogspot.com/

What a Nightmare !!!

The bed was finally delivered on Tuesday. What a carry on i had trying to assemble it. After ripping off all the packaging i was happy to find out that it was a one person job so i decided to get on with it.

           These are all the pieces before i assembled it

When i got to this stage i thought yay i am nearly there but boy was i wrong.

After all that excitement i found out i had too many of these (slats)

And too many of these (screws) than those listed in the manual.

I also had no idea what these were as they were not refered to in the instruction manual.

I had no option other than to abandon this little project until i had spoken to someone from the bed shop.

They were very helpful and were able to tell me that the above were wooden spacers to space the slats because there are no markings on the bed for where the screws go.

They weren't able to tell me why i had too many slats and screws but suggested that they might be spares. I went back to finish assembling the bed and had another little discovery. The contents list on the manual was wrong i actually had the right number of slats but still too many screws. Anyway i decided to just get on with. it as i was getting fed up with it all.

This is the fruit of my labour. Got bruised hands to show for it. Had to use a screw driver and it was a tough job.

Master T will have the sweetest dreams tonight because that bed was assembled with lot's of love and care. 

My Treasures

I did say i would post my treasure finds today while i am waiting for Master T's bed to be delivered. I phoned them this morning hoping that they would be able to narrow down the time of delivery and all they could tell me was i should expect the bed between mid afternoon to late afternoon. What does that even mean. Anyway all i have to do is wait.

Here are my treasures
                               
                                                                    

My Lot

2 brand new hot water bottles, brand new nice pair of comfy shoes and wall maps of Great Britain and the World for Master T. The World map has the flags of all the countries which i think is great.

Winter hat, wall hanging mirror with shelf and hooks for the hallway, needs a bit of cleaning and a new mirror because the one there is a plasticky one full of scratches, 2 make up bags the green flowery one is brand new with tags so will keep it and use it as a pressy for someone. I like the red one, the white bits are stars. I have another one with white spots on. Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox for Master T he wants the whole collection of Mr Dahl's books. He loves books one thing he gets from me and a Spiderwick Chronicles book not forgetting the Oxo tin. Dont know why i bought it. Might put my buttons in there.

White and blue jug, decanter for bubble bath already have two (naughty naughty). Milk jug, sugar bowl and cups and saucers. Had forgotten all about Superman wish he was real he could be of some use around the house...

Last but no means the least my best finds. Wooden tray with vine branches. The leaves are gold and the tray handles have a beautiful design. Shame i am not such a good photographer. I also love the tea set it has light blue flowers as the design. Will have to improve on my photo taking skills because you can barely see all the detail.

Thats all i could find on my treasure hunt. Best go and make room for that bed.

Sunday.....

Went to the car boot sale today after church and i did buy some stuff. I am staying in tomorrow because i am waiting for Master T's bed to be delivered so i will be able to post all my treasures would have done it today but need to prepare for Master T's day at school. He hasn't done his homework yet, uniforms need ironing and i need to fill in some consent forms for out of school clubs. Bad, bad mother.

We haven't really gotten into the swing of being back to a school day routine. I need to pull my socks.

Here goes...

Hello to whoever finds me at this little spot and hope you had wonderful day. Still finding my feet on this blog and hoping that it will all come easy. Been reading some wonderful blogs for nearly a year and have found them all so inspiring and decided to give it a go. Hopefully this blog will inspire someone too... goodnight xx