Dashing December Savings (frugal chatter 2014)

[jasperandchar]

someone posted on another thread FPC for dark gingerale on websaver.ca I personally just went on websaver.ca and they are still giving out FPCs so hurry up

[Ciel]

Right hand and fingers appreciate the break from handsewing pinch pleats and hems on Project Curtains-finally done as of last night! So the side curtains have a gap issue-will do a MacGyver solution next week. The old curtains got bagged today for next week's collection.

Spotted a video about Christmas in Berlin-KaDeWe's roast goose meal with red cabbage (topped with fig quarter section), kale, a boiled potato and baked apple (topped with baked phyllo? star) looks yummy. Another segment had a vegan Xmas meal dish-red cabbage was also the menu with nut loaf, potato & squash dumplings, and sauce.

Andit-chestnut puree is something I will have to buy or to find out how to make. Mont Blanc dessert and Nesselrode pudding would be two recipes in need of puree! The pudding recipe was mentioned in a book about the colour purple (dye).

Jasperandchar-thanks for the FPC alert. Will see if anything remains.
Your family situation has reality show elements. Pity you cannot e-mail a cruise ship code so the folks could cruise all winter: your mother would have lots of potential audiences and your father could be a loner or find something to do. Not sure how the two get together on their own but yes, tell them since Xmas is another day to them, they are to entertain themselves and no, too bad about Xmas at your house as that was dealt with on __________(date Mom dropped the switch and scoot routine).

Maybe the parents will prevail upon friends without nearby relatives to get together with them at THEIR house.

[lizzie bargain]

Well our friends came back from India tonight-they had been up for 48 hrs with sporadic naps in flight so we fed them, insisted they could freshen up in our shower and nap in our bed before the flight back to Saskatoon this evening. Both with colds and I think they have had enough spicy food for awhile-we just made homemade soup and bread. Not that they didn't enjoy the spicy food but after 3 weeks I think they will be looking forward to some plain cooking! I will have to wait until 9 p.m. for my bed to be vacated-had been going to bed early around 8 since arriving home. At least I am pretty much back on local time now.

[MrsSunshine]

oh Jeez Jas!!! my heart goes out to you.. what a decision to have to make.
my opinion. you probably don't want to here. i'd say no.
why should you have to host the after they obviously did not plan well their vacation.
however. if your able to put her 'in her place' if you decide to invite her.
let her know YOUR boundaries. and she is NOT to cross them. for everyone's sake including her own.

on that note, im actually having my own MIL over for the first time in years. im doing it for my dh, she will be told if she crosses the line. my dh knows it.

after 6 straight hours, i've made everything for turkey dinner except the veggies, i really like them fresh and steamed right before we eat.
then finished 2 projects. and wrapped 3 gifts. cleaned my entire house.
on top of going shopping with dh for the fixings to all.
hopefully i can move tomorrow.
we still have one large project to finish.
with most of the work done, tomorrow should be easy with 4 of us helping.

at least we can sleep sunday. LOL

[avoncallingu]

Good old Christmas-time to bring out family tensions! I'm sorry you are going through this, J&C. Personally, I would invite them and model how considerate your family is of one another. I would tell her that although you had the whole meal planned, they would be welcome to share. "No room at the inn" actually applies in your family's case, I guess. In years to come, when you think back on the situation, I'll bet you'll be glad you shared their company. My mother and I butted heads from time to time especially as she got older, but I wish she and my father could join us in more than just memories this Christmas. You could feel good that you took the high road and welcomed even the inconsiderate members of your family to your table. (On the lighter side, you could feed them some of the "chewy" moose you were telling them about.)


DH is trying to "take it easy" - he doesn't like taking pain meds. He's been snoozing on and off during the day. I managed to run some toys and prezzies that I had previously bought but never given to my nephews and now they are too old to appreciate as well as a few "older kid" gifts over to the Salvation Army today. I was assured they would get to kids this Christmas. I went to M&Ms to get a couple of things that were in their flyer and the line ran all the way around the store and almost back to the door. They were putting people through like an assembly line.
I've been trying to bring things up from the boxes in the basement to finish the Christmas decorating. I have a set of wooden blocks that spell out "Merry Christmas" - At one point all I could find spelled out "erry Chrim"-LOL But I finally found the rest.

We're watching a lovely "Merry Christmas" movie called "The Guns of Navarone" - a classic - but not for the yuletide.

[thriftygranny]

Nancy, I am with Avon regarding the Parents.It'is Christmas, take the high road and go about your day enjoying the kids and festivities. Tell your boys if grandpa gets nasty they are allowed to ignore him.

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone,
Nancy speaking from personal experience I get family members being away for Christmas, for I do not even know how many years (10 to 20) my Dad's parents owned a home in Florida and many years someone would be spending Christmas there but there is a way that it can be done without anyone being hurt. So I can understand how you feel, our family was always super careful especially since we were much younger at the time to make it work as a family and I know I would have been devastated if it was done differently.

Now on the flip side of that as I have mentioned before my one uncle has stopped talking to various members of the family including at times his own son. About 5 or so years ago my Uncle and his family stopped coming to Christmas and well just playing games. He made it clear he wanted no real contact with us (I got an email telling me to leave all Christmas gift for his family in the office and he would come pick them up well we were shut down and would give them to him but he did not want me to stop by and drop them off, that is when I stopped buying them gifts). Christmas used to be the one Holiday that no matter what was going on everyone came too, it was the day our family put our differences aside (we run a family company, there can be a lot of tension at times due to business choices/decisions) but this was the day none of this mattered. The day all of this was dropped and we came together to eat too much and just have fun as a family. But my Uncle and his family now do not participate. Almost all members of our family have reached out and asked them to start coming again but we are always given some for lack of a better work excuse. So now his family is excluded it sucks but we have learned not to dwell on it, the first couple years were hard especially since Oma who is not in good health (her mind is failing her) could not understand why he was not there and constantly asked and we all had to make excuses, but not it is not brought up and it is what it is. We have all kind of put in an unspoken rule of we will not let his choices and actions change this day for the rest of us.

I understand wanting to put aside your difference and totally get it but at the end of the day I say do whatever will make you and your family the happiest. This day is not mention to be about drama it should be about family. Maybe my own experiences have changed the way I look at it, but the way I see it do what makes you happy.

[coupon girl]

nancy I am with avon on your parents situation -I wish my mom was here 2nd year without her -well at least am cooking this year and I did a bit of baking that makes me happy

[SassyAshley]

Good Morning Everyone,
Had a wonderful Christmas Lunch with our company yesterday. We had 86 employees at the lunch and out of those 86, 46 have been with our company 5+ years. There were a lot of service awards to be handed out which was great to see. I got my 10 year this year, we were surprised when me and my cousin hit 5 years and were given our awards (we both started with the company the same year) we thought we would be exempt being family but Dad has decided to give us our service awards and it is nice. So I was given my clock for 10 years.

We also had an amazing buffet lunch, they do a wonderful lunch for us which includes options of Turkey, Pork, Beef and Fish to meet everyone's dietary needs and so many sides, it was wonderful.

As well we had somewhere between 15 to 20 new employees who were recognized for joining the company. Which includes my cousin's wife who started working us Part Time when his branch was understaffed to help out. Since their baby is only 4 weeks old and is being bfeed they brought her to the lunch. My table was the first to go up and there was the 7th so by the time they got back to the table I was done eating so I went and took her and held her so both Mommy and Daddy would eat their food well it was still hot. She is so tiny but such a good baby she had no issues with all the noise in the room and slept most of the time except when she wanted to be feed and even than she did not cry she just got antsy and looked liked she wanted to cry but was still so quiet people did not notice her as I walked around the room with her.

After the lunch I ended up going out to Dinner with my mom and her friend although I wasn't overly hungry, afterwards we went to Wal-Mart to grab a few last minute things we forgot. I was actually quite shocked Wal-Mart was not that busy, I expected it to be a zoo.

Got some work done first thing this morning that needs to be completed before I go back as I believe the second week back I will be on the road, plus I found out at the lunch I will be taking a field trip on the 7th to see one of my tolling customers who orders did not go as smoothly as we would have liked this year. Not even back to work but already feeling the crunch. But it is time to put the work away and start working on my house. Wish me luck I am quite scared, feels like I have been working on this for weeks and getting no where. But now I have two weeks off and I need to find a way to make this house livable.

Hope everyone has a great day.

[Andit]

Good morning, everyone.

Managed to sleep in, got up late, only to remember I have plans for coffee this morning.

Better run. Will check in later.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

[jasperandchar]

Good Morning Everyone,
Nancy speaking from personal experience I get family members being away for Christmas, for I do not even know how many years (10 to 20) my Dad's parents owned a home in Florida and many years someone would be spending Christmas there but there is a way that it can be done without anyone being hurt. So I can understand how you feel, our family was always super careful especially since we were much younger at the time to make it work as a family and I know I would have been devastated if it was done differently.

Now on the flip side of that as I have mentioned before my one uncle has stopped talking to various members of the family including at times his own son. About 5 or so years ago my Uncle and his family stopped coming to Christmas and well just playing games. He made it clear he wanted no real contact with us (I got an email telling me to leave all Christmas gift for his family in the office and he would come pick them up well we were shut down and would give them to him but he did not want me to stop by and drop them off, that is when I stopped buying them gifts). Christmas used to be the one Holiday that no matter what was going on everyone came too, it was the day our family put our differences aside (we run a family company, there can be a lot of tension at times due to business choices/decisions) but this was the day none of this mattered. The day all of this was dropped and we came together to eat too much and just have fun as a family. But my Uncle and his family now do not participate. Almost all members of our family have reached out and asked them to start coming again but we are always given some for lack of a better work excuse. So now his family is excluded it sucks but we have learned not to dwell on it, the first couple years were hard especially since Oma who is not in good health (her mind is failing her) could not understand why he was not there and constantly asked and we all had to make excuses, but not it is not brought up and it is what it is. We have all kind of put in an unspoken rule of we will not let his choices and actions change this day for the rest of us.

I understand wanting to put aside your difference and totally get it but at the end of the day I say do whatever will make you and your family the happiest. This day is not mention to be about drama it should be about family. Maybe my own experiences have changed the way I look at it, but the way I see it do what makes you happy.

Ashley this is really sticking with me

Christmas used to be the one Holiday that no matter what was going on everyone came too, it was the day our family put our differences aside

[jasperandchar]

Good Morning Everyone,
Had a wonderful Christmas Lunch with our company yesterday. We had 86 employees at the lunch and out of those 86, 46 have been with our company 5+ years. There were a lot of service awards to be handed out which was great to see. I got my 10 year this year, we were surprised when me and my cousin hit 5 years and were given our awards (we both started with the company the same year) we thought we would be exempt being family but Dad has decided to give us our service awards and it is nice. So I was given my clock for 10 years.

We also had an amazing buffet lunch, they do a wonderful lunch for us which includes options of Turkey, Pork, Beef and Fish to meet everyone's dietary needs and so many sides, it was wonderful.

As well we had somewhere between 15 to 20 new employees who were recognized for joining the company. Which includes my cousin's wife who started working us Part Time when his branch was understaffed to help out. Since their baby is only 4 weeks old and is being bfeed they brought her to the lunch. My table was the first to go up and there was the 7th so by the time they got back to the table I was done eating so I went and took her and held her so both Mommy and Daddy would eat their food well it was still hot. She is so tiny but such a good baby she had no issues with all the noise in the room and slept most of the time except when she wanted to be feed and even than she did not cry she just got antsy and looked liked she wanted to cry but was still so quiet people did not notice her as I walked around the room with her.

After the lunch I ended up going out to Dinner with my mom and her friend although I wasn't overly hungry, afterwards we went to Wal-Mart to grab a few last minute things we forgot. I was actually quite shocked Wal-Mart was not that busy, I expected it to be a zoo.

Got some work done first thing this morning that needs to be completed before I go back as I believe the second week back I will be on the road, plus I found out at the lunch I will be taking a field trip on the 7th to see one of my tolling customers who orders did not go as smoothly as we would have liked this year. Not even back to work but already feeling the crunch. But it is time to put the work away and start working on my house. Wish me luck I am quite scared, feels like I have been working on this for weeks and getting no where. But now I have two weeks off and I need to find a way to make this house livable.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Ashley good luck the next 2 weeks tackling the house and don't forget to enjoy yourself and relax.

Are you and your mom working together to tackle the house or do you each have your to do list?

[jasperandchar]

I was up at 630 am but since I was so refreshed all was good

Hoping to get dh to move his tools from the downstairs entranceway to his garage

DH & Jaden will be working on Jaden's new room downstairs the next 2 weeks and hopefully before the holidays are over he will be in his new room and we will then move Logan into Jaden's old room and save up to purchase spray foam insulation to do his walls.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day AND big hugs for all your responses with respect to my parents, Christmas and the drama.

[avoncallingu]

J&C - I agree with Ashley - It's YOU that needs to be happy in the end. I had to laugh at Andit saying she slept in. I took a "relaxing" pill last night as I haven't been sleeping well and woke up at 12:02 pm! I guess I WAS relaxed!

[Crochetlady]

I`m a little late weighing in on this but really had to think about it. I would say your parents made their choice. You can`t help that things changed. You need to do what is right for you and your family. If I remember right your boys don`t want them there...is it fair to spoil their Christmas just because your parents decide they can come after all? From other posts it seems this is an ongoing thing.