Keeping it simple.

 Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all good fortunes and good health throughout the coming year x x

 My new years resolution this year and short and sweet.

* Keep things simple - with a house move looming and a baby due soon I will be busy enough without any extra distractions.

* Read the Game of Thrones book series by next Christmas - a chapter a day should make a good dent in the first book over January. I've collected the first 5 books so far and will keep my eyes peeled for the last 2 as I go.

 Thats it. And I think it's going to be quite enough, lol. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to start my first chapter in a hot bubble bath.

 What are your new years resolutions this year?

X x x

Birthday cards for 2018

I couldn't resist this beautiful greeting card book from The Works. It was only £4 and came with 24 floral themed cards included.

I've spent a happy afternoon transferring all the birthdays into it and popping in most of the cards from my little stash in my desk. 

The cards in the picture with the yellow envelopes don't fit inside my new book so they are going to a teacher friend who sends cards to all her pupils on their birthdays. 

When the children go back to school I will see if my favourite charity shop has anything tempting in their greeting cards box. They only charge 10-20p per card and if you buy several they will often do you a little deal. 

The Works also sell 10 cards for £1 And Card Factory sell them 7 for £1, so I will be spoilt for choice.

Roll on a more organised 2018!

X x X

Time to go

  With Christmas done and dusted for this year we are wasting no time in getting it packed away. I've spent the evening cutting up the cards into gift tags and wrapping the tree decorations in tissue paper. Hubby has been taking down the hanging decorations and window lights.
  We're currently in second place for council property, after years of waiting patiently. We should know if we're invited to view it on the 31st. Fingers crossed we can get the house and be nicely moved and settled by the time baby arrives at the end of March.
 Even if we don't get this house, one is just over the horizon so it's time to get a far ahead of packing and organising as I can. Hence yesterday's mugpocalypse.

 Cross your fingers and toes for us

X x

Lots of Mugs

I'm a member of several organising groups on Facebook. I've joined them over the past week or so to help inspire me to get more organised. 

Today someone posted asking for tips on culling a mug collection. 

The tips ranged from keeping 2 per person to recycling them into plant pots, pen pots and make up brush storage. 

I thought I had about 12 mugs, when I collected them together I actually had 26! How has that happened. 

I've been ruthless and whittled it down to 11.

5x initial mugs

4x stacking Simpson's mugs

2x CK mugs.

The rest are going to husband's work for staff and customers, or the charity shop (kiddie mugs).

In the process of finding them all I managed to smash 3 glasses! So I'll leave decluttering the glassware to another day 😂😂

Hopefully I'm done breaking things by smashing 3 together. Otherwise I have 2 more things to break. Eeek.

X x X

Boxing Day Bliss

DD1 has been trying out various projects from yesterday's gift pile. The morning was spent making a very pretty scratch art decoration for her bedroom. 

DD2 was all about Lego today and we build her new kit together. She spent a happy afternoon recreating the Rapunzel story, complete with magical flying horse!

Gman is obsessed with his new wooden train set. This evening we are going to take it apart and rebuild it in a new design. We are already researching other sets from the same maker so we could possibly expand it for his birthday in May. 

It's been lovely spending the day helping to open toys and setting them up ready to play with. 

X x X 

Merry Christmas Everyone

I've just spent a very peaceful hour colouring in my new book with my new pens from my new pencil case. 

It's been a wonderful, loud, busy and fun filled day spent with our nearest and dearest. I hope all my lovely readers have had an equally enjoyable Christmas day. Though maybe not quite so loud lol.

Tomorrow the clean up begins and everything can be found homes around the house. But for now I'm kicking back and enjoying a few of my gifts.

Merry Christmas everyone

X x X 

Perks of being frugal

One of my favourite things about being frugal is knowing I can pounce on a good offer when I spot one. 

For example we pay £10 by DD every week into the "celebration" account. The account covers birthday and Christmas gifts for the year, not just for immediate family but also any parties the girls are invited to or family weddings etc. 

Today we were picking up something in the poundshop when we discovered a whole host of Mr.Men and Little Miss stationary that would suit DD1 perfectly. She enjoys collecting the books and the soft toys. 

We found 6 things in the range that we think she'd enjoy.  A set of felt pens, crayons, colouring pencils, pencil case, notebook and stationary set (pen, ruler, sharpener etc). 

Clever hubby looked them up on Amazon quickly to check they were a good price and found most of the sets priced around £3-4 each!

We snapped them up for £1 each and have added them to the gift cupboard for a March.

I'm really glad we spotted them.

X x X