Totally Amazing!!!

As the day wore on yesterday I felt less and less like going out to the cinema but I dragged my sorry carcass out and I am so glad that I did. Bohemian Rhapsody was totally amazing.
I have loved Queen since I was a teenager (and once got banned from a pub for playing Killer Queen constantly on the jukebox...lol). I expected to be a little underwhelmed but not a bit of it and I can't wait for March 4th when the DVD is released.
I am almost tempted to go and see it again tonight.

Not much going on here today. DD has gone for a little trip into Derby, Andy is watching telly and I am doing laundry and tidying the sewing table ready to set out a jigsaw for DD and I to do over the next couple of days.
I was going to bake but there is enough sweet stuff which needs using up so I'll leave that for now.
Tea is sorted as the gammon was cooked yesterday and I just need to make a bowl of salad and defrost some rolls to have with it.

I hope you are all having a lovely New Year's Eve and I wish you A Very Happy and Healthy 2019. May it be full of everything you wish for.
Sheila-x-

Apologies!!!

How very rude of me to forget to thank everyone who left me such lovely messages when I decided to take a break from blogging.
Thank you all-x-

Yesterday I decided to go out and do a bit of shopping for myself. I had a clothes shop voucher which got spent. I wasn't particularly looking for sale stuff but the shop had 20% off everything which was nice.
With some cash I had been given I treated myself to a couple of new jigsaws....not in the sale but they weren't a bad price anyway and they are Winter scenes which will be lovely to do when this bad weather comes that they are predicting.

Today I have cooked a proper Sunday lunch of roast beef and I am just about to put another gammon joint on to cook for our tea tomorrow.....we enjoyed the one we had on Christmas Eve so much that we decided to get another for New Years Eve and Day.

The cheese wheel I bought from the racecourse Christmas market is fantastic and like an idiot I forgot to save the label from it in case we want to order another one.
Who would have thought that cheese with chocolate and orange would taste so good. We still have plenty of flavours yet to try so we'll have some with any leftover ham and some salad on Tuesday.
We don't party on New years Eve really but we will see in the new year and Andy will let off his rockets.

Tonight I am off to the cinema with DD to see Bohemian Rhapsody at last. When it first came on I was too busy and too tired to want to go so I am really pleased that they are showing it again.

Hope you are all having a nice restful day today.
Sheila-x-

Dipping My Toes In!!!

Well hello there....I hope you are all well and have had a wonderful Christmas.
We had a smashing Christmas Eve with The Doodles. I cooked a ham for us all and The Doodles provided salads, rolls and the traditional Christmas Eve chips.
It was so lovely to be all together. The girls opened their gifts and judging by Ruby's screams and the amount of jumping up and down we had chosen well and Marlowe was over the moon with her Baby Annabelle doll and outfits.

Christmas Day was quiet with just the three of us and Boxing Day should have been the same but we had unexpected guests and I had to cook a hot meal instead of the simple cheeseboard and salad I had planned.

.....and all of a sudden it is over. DD is back at work although she finishes today for a week....her traditional week off for her birthday which is on January 3rd. Hopefully she will be rid of the nasty cold she has had over Christmas and can enjoy it.

I had some absolutely wonderful gifts....a matching Ness handbag and purse, scented candles, Sanctuary Spa bath goodies, lovely frames with pictures of the girls in, a voucher for clothes, a poncho and a huge surprise of a ticket to visit The Making Of Harry Potter with DDIL and Ruby in May. DD has managed to book a ticket too so we will be off on a girly road trip.

My absence from blogging has been longer than I intended and I am so sorry about that. I thought a few days rest would see me straight again but obviously I needed more time. I think it was a combination of exhaustion both physical and mental as I don't seem to have stopped since the party in November and I was starting to feel ill.
I'm just about back on track now and things are getting back to normal.....the beast has had to come out this morning to clean the carpets which is very much my normal these days.

Andy is watching some godawful film on tv so I am off for a soak in some Sanctuary and despite having to cook tea later I think I might put me jim jams on and have a lazy couple of hours before I have to do my kitchen duties.

Hope you are all having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Christmas Wishes!!!

Wishing you all a very

Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a wonderful, peaceful and joyous time

Sheila

-x-x-x-

Taking A Break!!!

I'm a little weary, tearful and not awfully good company at the moment and need to take a short break from blogging.
Batteries need recharging desperately.
I won't be gone too long.
Sheila-x-

Lovely Morning!!!

It was so lovely out this morning. Crisp and cold with sunshine and bits of blue sky. It was a bit nippy queueing outside the butchers at the farm but we were soon home to warm up with a nice hot cup of tea.
Now the beef I bought has been cubed and is simmering away on the stove. Once it is cooked it will go into the fridge to get all nice and tasty ready to make a steak pie for our Sunday lunch....yummy.
While the beef is cooking I am going to rustle up a batch of chocolate and peppermint cupcakes decorated with crushed candy canes to take down to the girls tomorrow morning.
I am going to be looking after them while Mummy and Daddy go out to do some festive shopping in peace so I thought I'd take down a nice little treat for them.

Poor DD had to phone into work sick this morning as she developed a migraine overnight and was quite poorly with it so she is getting a little mollycoddling today. Unfortunately I am a bit of a slow nurse as I went and put my knee out yesterday and it hurts like hell. I don't even know how I did it.

I hope you are all getting ready for a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

Proud Ganma!!!

Ruby arrived for tea last night with a beaming smile and two awards that she had been given at school.....one head teacher's award for 100% in all of the spelling tests that she had taken this year and an award for swimming.
I'm not surprised by the spelling award as she is an avid reader and is able to work out some quite difficult words by herself.
The icing on the top of such a good day was the cottage pie and a pudding she had not had before which is now a "ooooh can we have that again" pudding.
When we took her home we went in to view the Christmas tree and other decorations (gorgeous) and to have a quick cuddle with Marlowe who is poorly again. She has only just got over a nasty cold with an ear infection and now she has another nasty cold on her chest.....poor little mite.
I hope she is over it by Christmas.

I've not done much today just tidied the kitchen and cleaned out the fridge. Not much in the way of salad in there except a couple of wrinkled tomatoes and a bunch of spring onions so Andy has gone to pick up fresh for me. We've had quite a few rib sticker meals just lately and I am gagging for some salad so we're having some with Chicken Kievs tonight.

I looked through the brochure at all the extras that you can buy to go with the new mixer and I have decided on just one.....it's called a creaming beater and it scrapes the sides of the bowl as it mixes so that you don't have to keep stopping and doing it. I ordered it straight from Kenwood last night. It had been reduced and I got a further 10% off with a code from when I registered the mixer. It should be here by the weekend.
After serious consideration I can't see that I will need any other attachments really. I have a food processor which chops, slices and grates and I already have a small electric grinder for nuts etc so no....I am not going to be tempted....as pretty as they are...lol.

DD and I are off to the late night at the garden centre tonight. We have been really good with the Christmas budget this year and have decided to buy one of the Lemax village pieces for the kitchen dresser....just a small one for this year and then another one next year and the year after. Three will be just about right I think. 
Anything left over can back into the kitty for next years gift budget.

Hope you are having a lovely day. It's quite bright here but very cold.
Sheila-x-

Be Careful What You Wish For!!!

Yesterday I said I wanted a big job to get my teeth into and boy did Andy make sure I got one.
Last night I did some lamb chops and veggies for tea and of course the obligatory mint sauce.
Andy stirred the sauce so vigorously that he knocked the side out of the glass container and we had mint sauce everywhere. This morning I have had to get the beast of a shampooer out and do the carpet and rug.
If I disappear from Blogland I am either in prison....having committed murder or I have been dragged away by the men in white coats 😧😧😧

So....now that is done I can get on with the things I have planned for today.
Ruby will be here later so cottage pie for tea. The meat base was pulled out of the freezer so I just need to make the potato topping and then I am going to make a coconut jam tart to have with some custard for her pudding. I may also make a lemon drizzle cake for Andy and DD's pack ups.

Before I start anything though the kettle is going on as I need a coffee.

Hope you have a fabulous day today.
Sheila-x-

I've Had Enough Of Faffing And Pottering!!!

I really need a big job to get my teeth into after a few days of pottering around and doing faffing little jobs. After getting up so early yesterday I spent the whole day clearing up bitty little chores and finally collapsed exhausted to write the Christmas cards last night....or at least half of them. I should in theory have slept well last night but I didn't. I tossed and turned for ages before dropping off and dragged my poor old bones out of bed at just after 7am.
There is laundry to finish, card writing to finish, veg to prepare for the evening meal, bread sauce to make for Christmas Day which will go in the freezer and I need to make a pattern for a mixer cover and find some fabric to make one with although I doubt the sewing machine will come out today.
If I get all that lot done I think I will find a couple of hours this afternoon to watch a Christmas film on You Tube.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

A Full On Day!!!

I am having a bit of a busy day today. Been up since 5am and I don't seem to have stopped.
I'll be back to post properly tomorrow.
Sheila-x-

It's Rough Out There!!!

Although the sun is shining it's little heart out this morning it's very rough out there with the wind blowing a gale.
I'm glad I have no plans to go out.

So....today will be a cooking, baking and faffing kind of day. I have some cupboards in the kitchen that I want to sort out and reduce the contents of and swap around. So many things that I don't use any more and some will be off to the charity shop tomorrow when I have filled the huge box I have saved for the job.

DD has gone off to the big town and Andy is cleaning out the guinea pigs and doing his outside faffing so we are all doing our own thing.
I love weekends.

Hope you all have a smashing weekend too.
Sheila-x-

All Is Calm!!!

Well at least it is now that I have finished fighting with wrapping paper and sticky tape........yes the wrapping is done dot com for 2018....thank goodness.

Yesterday I gave Katy Kenwood a little test drive and made a Victoria sponge....it was all I had the ingredients for.....and I am impressed.
I popped out last night and stocked up on a few baking goodies and will have a bit of a session this weekend as I have every intention of staying home except for a little drive out on Sunday morning.
We won't have roast Sunday lunches between now and Christmas so tomorrow I will make a big cottage pie....enough for Sunday and for one night in the week. It will be bliss not to have to get up early to put a joint in the oven.

I just have a little job to do and then I am going to sit and watch a Christmas film on tv as it is marked on my list as one I want to see.

Hope you are having a good day and that the weekend is happy one.
Sheila-x-

OMG....Santa Has Been Already!!!

Andy asked me earlier in the week what I would like for Christmas and I said that I would like a new hand mixer.
This morning I took a mysterious phone call to say that there was a parcel for him at the cook shop in town so I told him and he shot up and was off.
He returned with this.......

Oh my life....what is he like?
He said I could have it now and that I was to go through the brochure to see if I wanted any of the attachments to go with it and he would go and order them tomorrow.
I am so excited to use it and have promised him a cake this afternoon.

Here she is in all her glory.......

Isn't she a beauty?
I will need to get sewing and make a cover for her as she will have to live on the worktop......I don't have a cupboard big enough to put her in.

I'm off to make a cake 😁😁😁

Hope you are all having a wonderful day.
Sheila-x-

Halfway Through Another Week!!!

Well here we are...halfway through another week already.
Where does the time go?

It's a very dreary, grey, wet and misty day which I will thankfully be spending inside until we have to take Ruby home later.
There are a few jobs I can choose from to occupy myself so I won't get bored although tidying the kitchen and mopping the floor doesn't really come very high on the excitement table...lol.

I had a bit of a restless night last night. My neighbour has her outdoor icicle lights up. They look gorgeous but I do not appreciate them being left on all night as they are so bright that they light up my bedroom and they kept me awake. I like my bedroom pitch black.
Added to that....the dog was restless and pitter pattering round the bedroom floor and up and down the landing so not a very peaceful night at Tea Towel Mansion.

Gift wrapping will be finished today and I must say that I am awfully glad. It used to be one of my favourite jobs at Christmas but not so much now I don't know why.
Next will be the writing of the Christmas cards. We don't send many these days so that shouldn't be too long a job and then I can get onto decorating the kitchen dresser.

I hope you are all tucked up inside today out of this horrible weather.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Faffing So Much I Forgot!!!

After I had a quick visit to some blogs yesterday I went off to do something and the next time I sat down by the computer was 10:30 last night. So I forgot to do a blog post of my own.

I spent most of the day faffing about upstairs which has become yet another dumping ground and is driving me mad so I was trying to restore a little order. It looks a tiny bit better but not much.

Andy has had to go to work early today so I have set to and pretty much finished the gift wrapping. I just need DD to bring down a few things we have up in her room and we should have it finished tonight.

Now that I have done what I can with that I am off into the kitchen to make some braised liver and onions for Andy's lunch tomorrow. Once that is done I'll have a tidy up and then treat myself to watching an old episode of Holiday Baking Championship on You Tube.

It's really cold out today so something hot and filling for our evening meal.....I have leftover veg from Sunday....including some cauliflower in white sauce....so I will just roast some potatoes and make gravy and mint sauce to go with it. It's one of our favourite things on Winter nights.

I hope you are all having a good day....and keeping warm too.
Sheila-x-

Saturday!!!

Well the Christmas Market/Fair was a bit strange to say the least. Probably the most unChristmassy Christmas Fair I have ever been to.
There were only about twenty stalls and at least six of them were charities wanting you to sign up to a monthly donation. We did sign up to support The Dogs Trust but that was all we could do. It's impossible to help everybody.
We came away with a wheel of eight festive cheeses for our Boxing day cheeseboard and that was it.

Next stop was the newly expanded farm shop. Oh my word it was just gorgeous and we got most of the things left on our shopping list. Just a couple more things and The Doodles and The London Family will be finished, wrapped and put away.

My husband is treading a very thin line. You know I cleaned the oven and you know I had the shock of the smoke alarm going off...yes? So I could really have done without him putting a tray of chestnuts into the oven without telling me and forgetting about them until they started exploding. Honestly I nearly shot through the ceiling and I lost my temper which is very, very unusual for me.
Guess who gets the job of wiping out the oven today....I'll give you a clue....it ain't me.

Hoping for a quiet day today with no drama. A late lunch as DD is at work and a bit of gift wrapping is about all I can cope with....lol.

Hope you are all having a fab weekend.
Sheila-x-

Rude Awakening!!!

Our smoke alarm seems to be on the blitz. It went off twice yesterday for no reason and then started screeching at some ungodly hour this morning making me jump out of bed and race down the stairs to switch it off.
It was fitted by the Fire Service. It's a sealed unit so you can't change the battery and is supposed to last for ten years. We have had it for no more than three years.
I think we'll buy one of our own this time so that we can change the battery when needed.

Oven cleaned yesterday so all nice and sparkling now.
Some presents wrapped but not all so I shall carry on with that today.
We decided against going in to Derby today as I'm not feeling great and there was nothing urgent to get so DD has just gone into the big town and I have stayed at home.
No big jobs to do and no cooking as Andy wants fish and chips tonight so just a tidy up and a hoovering session when he gets up.

We'll all be out tomorrow morning....DD and I will be at the Christmas Market and Andy is going down to look after the girls while DS goes to the hospital for an x-ray on his bad shoulder. I'm sure the girls will run rings around Grandad....lol.

Anything fun planned for your weekend?
Have a lovely one whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-

A Day Of Two Halves!!!

Today I am starting off the day with the horrible job of cleaning the cooker. Both ovens and the hob need a really good scrub.
All change this afternoon....I am going to make a start on wrapping the Christmas gifts. Shopping for both Ruby and Marlowe is finished so that will be a huge part of the wrapping done today.
I am slowly gathering things for Andy. He is so hard to buy for but I think he will love some of the things I have for him.
DD is another one who is hard to buy for. As she is a working girl she tends to buy anything she needs throughout the year but again I think I have managed to gather some things she will like.

DD has a day off tomorrow so we are popping to Derby for some bits and pieces and then on Saturday we are going to a new Christmas Market at the racecourse. I haven't been able to find a list of traders so I don't know what it will be like. I hope it's good and I hope that the Christmas shopping will be done and dusted.

The oven should be ready to clean out now so I will go and get it done.
Thanks for dropping by today and I hope you have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Just A Quickie!!!

Making this post a quick one today while I have internet connection as it keeps dipping in and out today for some reason.

No Ruby today but I have still made the chicken pie. DDIL has an unexpected day off work so she is taking the girls out for tea and a play session.

A little bit of crafting yesterday..............

.....just very simple. I used some wooden tags from Poundland.....8 in a pack. I bought two packs and they were all fine but one which I had to throw away.
Buttons from my obscene stash and Christmas string and twine from my other obscene stash....lol.
The stitched outline was done with a fine permanent pen.

Hope you are having a fabulous day.
Sheila-x-

Doing The DIY Shuffle!!!

The DIY job got shifted over onto my list for today as I just ran out of time yesterday.
We have been noticing a rather nasty draught in the sewing room and on investigating we found that there is a gap between the windows and the wall underneath the sill.
The job is now done but not without a bit of hassle which always seems to be the way in this house...lol.
Andy bought me a tube of sealer yesterday but the flaming thing was too long to go into either of the contraptions we had for squeezing it out.
Not wanting to put all the furniture back until I could get the right one I improvised with a disposable piping bag and an icing nozzle after finding two bottles of squeezy sealer in the shed. It went on like a dream.
All the furniture is back now and I am having a bit of a rest. After shuffling around on my bottom for nearly an hour and moving furniture I am aching like Billyo.

Nothing outside today to inspire me to go out apart from a quick nip across the yard to fetch washing out of the dryer although I do have to go out tonight to do a top up shop as we have no eggs, hardly any bread and the milk situation is looking pretty dire. Ruby has requested chicken pie for tea tomorrow so I had best pick up some leeks so that I can get on with the filling in the morning.

I hope it's not too wet where you are.
Sheila-x-

Ruby's Christmas Weekend!!!

Ruby arrived just after 5pm on Friday and went home at 2:30pm yesterday and every single minute was filled with joy.

Friday night we just had some tea and then settled down to watch a couple of films with the obligatory popcorn.
Saturday morning we had to go into the big town to collect my glasses and then we started on the Christmas shopping list. Ruby helped to choose some clothes for Marlowe and soft old Ganma couldn't resist Ruby's shiny little eyes when she saw a party dress covered in sequins that change colour by pushing them up and stroking them down....and she looks awesome in it.
Next stop was a toy shop to search for a new baby doll for Marlowe and then Aunty DD was the soft one when she found some of Ruby's most favourite collectable figures at a ridiculous sale price so they had to come home too.
Back home....the tree was decorated beautifully by my two girls followed by fish and chips for tea and a cup of Ganma's special hot chocolate which also did double duty as dessert.....

.....aren't those snowman marshmallows just adorable?
Asda....£2 for quite a large bag.....only at larger stores it seems as they didn't have them at our local one.
The leftover candy cane teaspoons and marshmallows went home with Ruby so that I cannot be tempted to indulge in another.

Yesterday I cooked lunch at home while DD and Ruby visited the garden centre. She had an hour or so to play before we had to take her home and that was another Christmas Tree Weekend over and done with.

Christmas plans are sorted and we have no visitors this year although my Brother in Law may be coming to have his dinner but leaving shortly afterwards. 
DS is working Christmas Day so DDIL and the girls are having a pyjama day at home with her sister and then spending the day at home with DS on Boxing Day.
We are visiting for tea and gift exchanging on Christmas Eve. I will be cooking a ham to take down for tea.

Today I have a bit of DIY to do, a pile of laundry to get done and a casserole to make for tea so I will go and crack on.

Hope you had a lovely weekend and that you have a great week.
Sheila-x-

Black Friday!!!

My Christmas shopping list is set in stone and there is nothing we need in the way of household appliances really so I will not be doing any shopping for the sake of it today.
The only thing I could do with is a new mixer as mine broke when I was making the buttercream for the birthday cupcakes at the beginning of the month.
The only ones in the sales will be the super expensive ones which will end up costing more than I want to pay anyway so I will be passing on that.
Reading in the papers over the last few days I can't see that there are many real bargains out there as a lot of the things have actually been offered at lower prices earlier in the year than they are being offered for today.

Just a few more things to do today before Miss Doodle arrives this evening and then we will be able to have our hot chocolate/popcorn/film night in our pj's.

(A short break here while I went and cleaned up the mess Andy just made by kicking over the dogs water bowl😖 Luckily the beast was still in the kitchen after the shampooing session yesterday so I sucked it up with that and it should be dry in an hour.)

Anyhoo after I have fetched my glasses and the tree has been decorated tomorrow I think we might take Ruby for a ride out somewhere....probably just to the garden centre for afternoon tea and a play in the playground if the weather is fit.
She won't be going home until early evening on Sunday so lunch at the pub may be on the cards. I'll see what Andy feels like as he is a bit off it at the moment...aka....a bit grumpy.

I found a large tube of sausage meat in the freezer so that will be turned into little meatballs cooked in a tomato sauce to serve up with some pasta and garlic bread for tea tonight. Ruby may well have had her tea before she arrives as she is not coming straight from school today so I can freeze hers for either another day or a lunch for DD or Andy.

Right....I will go and finish off the last few bits and then I might go and wallow in bath for a few minutes to get rid of some aches and pains.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sheila-x-

White World!!!

I am so glad that I was up early this morning to see the heavy frost we had. Everywhere was white and it almost looked like it had snowed.
Now it is all gone but the cold remains so the heating is on.

I'm just waiting for Andy to leave for work before I get the beast out for the carpets. He likes a bit of peace before he goes and I can't say I blame him. In the meantime I will mix up another batch of the home made carpet cleaner.

Scotch eggs and salad for tea tonight for quickness as we have to go out for a while after we have eaten.

Last Saturday I had to go for my eye test and I decided to have some new glasses. I have worn the same style for years so I have gone for something a little bit different this time. I can't wait to pick them up on Saturday. I didn't go for anything expensive as I am terribly abusive to me poor glasses. I leave them all over the place, I sit on them and have even been known to drop them into a pan of gravy when I was holding them and trying to stir at the same time....lol.

I can hear Andy's tummy rumbling from here so it might be a good idea to go and feed him before he fades away.

Have a smashing day.
Sheila-x-

A Little Upcycling For Christmas!!!

I felt the need to have a bit of a break from housework this morning so I have been making some pretty things for the house for Christmas.

The two jars at the back were already candle jars but I removed the rather tired decorations and cleaned them up.

The glittery one was coated in Mod Podge and then a coarse white glitter before I wrapped the neck in an off white jute twine which I then decorated with some bits stolen from a bag of Christmas pot pourri and some lovely striped ribbon. This will have an LED candle placed in it.

The second one just has green jute twine around the neck and it has been filled with goodies from one of my impulse purchases from Harrogate......a bag of assorted dried fruits scented with cinnamon, orange and cloves. It smells divine.

The silver filigree container had a candle in it so I have just cleaned it out with some white spirit and filled with some of the fruits.

From the bag I have managed to fill four containers so one for the sewing room, one for the kitchen and two for the living room. There are four fruits left which will go into an organza bag and be hung in the hall.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas 😁

Other than that I have done absolutely nowt today but I will make up for it tomorrow as the carpet cleaning beast needs to come out.....again......as Smudge has had several accidents. We do clean them up as he does them but it still seems to leave marks that need the beast to remove them no matter how hard we scrub.

The oven is just about to go on for some jacket potatoes for tea and they will be served with cheese and beans....DD's favourite.

She'll get a shock tomorrow as we are having salad....lol.

Two weeks today since the head shave and I can report that my hair is slowly growing back. There is about a quarter of an inch of soft fuzz now.  Way more of it is white than I would actually like but hey ho....I'll see what it's like when it has grown back to a reasonable length and then decide if I am going to go back to dyeing it.

Hope you are all keeping warm today.

Sheila-x-

Filthy Weather!!!

It's absolutely foul outside today so I have been pottering around inside and getting things ready for the weekend.
I have achieved so much more than I expected so I may treat myself to a Christmas film on You Tube later on....my guilty pleasure when I have the time to spare 😁

I'm so glad that I set to and made the stew yesterday. DD will be soaked to the skin and cold when she gets in so the heating will be on and I will have a bowl of it ready for her when she has got into some dry clothes.
Andy should have had it for lunch today but he had to go to work for 9am instead of 1pm and won't be home until 9pm so he will have it for lunch tomorrow.
I sent him off with a portion of fish pie so he has something hot for his break.

The sofa blankets have been washed this morning ready for DD and I to snuggle up tonight and carry on watching Call The Midwife on DVD.

Well my tummy has started rumbling so I will go and remedy that before I do anything else. Usually if I have breakfast I can last out until tea time but obviously not today.

Hope you are all keeping warm and dry.
Sheila-x-

A Morning In The Kitchen!!!

Apparently it is going to get really cold this week so I have spent a morning in the kitchen cooking lunch for Andy and preparing a huge pan of beef stew.
It is now simmering on the stove and smells very nice indeed.

I'm just having a quick break for a cuppa and then I have more jobs to do in the kitchen as the fridge needs a good sort and a wipe out. I'll make a list of anything we are short of and if DD feels like it we'll go out and do a top up shop tonight.

The Christmas tree is definitely going up this weekend. Ruby will be staying from Friday night until Sunday to help with that so I had better check supplies of hot chocolate and marshmallows. We already have some candy cane teaspoons which we picked up at The Range a few weeks ago and she is very excited about those.

We had a very exciting letter in the post the other day telling us that our mortgage will be finished on January 1st. We have paid a couple of large sums off it over the last couple of years so there will be a nice little lump sum returned to us to start off the new year which can be put towards something that needs doing in the house. I am hoping kitchen but we'll have to wait and see.

The Christmas shopping is going well. Ruby's is finished and just needs wrapping. Two gift cards to buy and another two will be done and then I just have Marlowe's, Andy's and DD's to finish off.....before the end of the month hopefully.

How are your festive preparations going? Have you started or have you finished?

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Harrogate!!!

Well....I can't believe that our trip to Harrogate has been and gone already.
We had a good time and came back with very sore legs and feet after all of the walking round.
I can't say that I got all of my Christmas shopping done but I did get a few things off my list and also a couple of impulse buys.
Lunch on Thursday was the most gorgeous hot meat roll....turkey for me and pork for DD........ bought from the market and eaten sitting in glorious sunshine....although there was a very spiteful cold breeze blowing.
We had planned to treat ourselves to lunch at Betty's Tea Rooms but the queue was very long so we decided against it.
We checked out of the hotel as soon as we got up and started for home and somehow we missed our exit for the M1 and ended up nearly in Lincolnshire...lol.....but we found a route home across country and called in to Derby for breakfast and yet more shopping for things from the list.

Since getting back I have been catching up on some jobs and today I am doing a roast chicken lunch before I go off to look after Ruby and Marlowe while DS takes DDIL out to partake of the treat he bought her for her birthday.

There is another Christmas Fair we would like to visit a bit closer to home on December 1st so I think our Christmas tree will be going up next weekend so that Ruby is able to come and help. so over the next week there will be some poking and dusting in corners going off....lol.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.
Sheila-x-

What A Grey Day!!!

We are not forecast to have rain but it's looking pretty iffy out there today. I only have a small load of laundry to dry so I think it can go into the tumble dryer and then it's done with.

Tidying and shifting still going on. My arms and shoulders are killing me but I'll just grit my teeth and crack on with it hoping that I get it done before Ruby arrives later.

A Ruby favourite for tea tonight....chicken wraps with corn on the cob so no real slaving over a hot stove although I do want to make a batch of cupcakes for her so that I can use some gorgeous sprinkles I picked up for her the other day.

Once we have taken her home tonight DD and I will come back and pack our overnight bags ready for tomorrow and have an early night as we want to be up and on our way to Harrogate early in the morning to try and miss the rush hour traffic.

There will be no post tomorrow but I will be back on Friday and with a bit of luck I will be able to say that my Christmas shopping is done.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Piles!!!

A pile of junk, a pile for donation and a pile to take upstairs.
I am half heartedly having a sort out in the sewing room which seems to have become a dumping ground for all sorts of stuff that doesn't belong in here or stuff that I don't use often enough for it to be stored in here.
The pile for upstairs is so big that I don't know where it will go once up there so under the bed will have to do for now.

The outside freezer and store cupboard are looking pretty healthy again after our shop yesterday. Lots of chicken, fish and veg for making warming meals. Just a visit to the butcher needed for other meats for a bit of variety which Andy and I will do at the end of the month.

It's very cold here today.The activity in the sewing room should be keeping me warm but it isn't so the the heating is on to take the chill off a bit. I think we are in for some rain too by the look of the thick grey clouds. It won't worry me for today as I am not going anywhere.

Hope you are all warm and cosy today.
Sheila-x-

Good Morning!!!

I am so sorry for the lack of blog posts over the last few days but I have been unwell. I started off with a headache on Friday and by Saturday I was aching and shivering like I was coming down with the flu and felt really quite ill. 
By yesterday afternoon I felt much better so I don't know what it was.

Today I am back on top form and was up early to get to the surgery for my results from last week and it was all good news. Blood sugars....good, blood pressure....good and weight....still coming off. No need to go back until April for my annual review. I am chuffed to bits.

Back home now and I am just about to make a start on a fish pie for this evening's meal and then when DD gets back from her eye appointment we are off into town to do some freezer shopping as the outside freezer is now empty and cleaned out ready for refilling.
Later on we will be doing a check on stocks of Christmas cards and wrapping paper to see if we need anything. I don't think we do as I did buy quite a few cards in the sale the year before last and we don't send many now. Paper should be OK as I now use brown Kraft paper and I'm sure we got lots last year so I'll just need to make some tags.
We'll also make a list of people we are buying gifts for this year and see what we can pick up in Harrogate on Thursday and Friday this week.
I shall feel better for having made a start.

Well I hope you all had a good weekend and that you will have a lovely week this week.
Sheila-x-

A New Total!!!

As of last night the total raised yesterday was £1,600 so we are all extremely grateful to everyone who supported us.

I'm quite liking the new look. It's a tad draughty though...especially on my neck which hasn't seen the light of day for years...lol.
Ruby thought it was great and wanted to use my head as a fuzzy felt board 😁

Today I am playing catch up with housework and laundry......and I have just shocked the hell out of myself by ironing a large pile of tea towels which had been forgotten in a basket and were really creased.

The 20p tin was emptied yesterday and yielded £164.80 so I'll be able to do lots of Christmas present shopping with that.
The food will be taken care of by our Love To Shop and T***o vouchers.

DD has gone back to work today after three days off so as a treat I am doing egg and chips for tea. This has been one of my favourite meals since I was a little girl but we don't have it too often these days.

Right....well that's the first load of laundry beeping at me to let me know it's finished so I'll go and sort it out.

I hope you have a lovely day today.
Sheila-x-

The Shave Has Been Braved!!!

...........and here is the proof...........

Please excuse my scabby lip which erupted with cold sores before the party at the weekend.

This morning the total raised stood at just over £1,000 but there has since been a raffle and more donations into the collection boxes at the event so once I know the final total I will post it.

Thank to anyone who donated via the link I posted in an earlier post.

Hope you are having a lovely day :)

Sheila-x-

Back To Normal...ish!!!

I could have stayed in bed for another hour this morning but had to be up early to go for a blood test, weight check and blood pressure check.
Weight....2 more kilos gone. Blood pressure.....not good but it did go down by the second check. Just need to wait until next week now to see if blood sugars are still falling.
Then....into town to do a top up shop for food essentials and a bottle of muscle soak as I am still aching badly after spending so much time on my feet last week and Saturday.
I also picked up a beautiful Thomas Kinkade jigsaw for £1.99 from Barnado's for DD and I to do on some cold weekend afternoons.

A busy day tomorrow....Brave The Shave at lunchtime and Ruby for tea.
Thursday I will have a good clean through the house and Friday I should be able to make a start on finishing a quilt for a Christmas gift. 
That is all the Christmas I am thinking about just for the moment as DD and I will be going to Harrogate next Thursday to The Christmas Market and I will hopefully find some nice gifts there......all paid for in advance as I have been saving 20p pieces in a tin since last Christmas and there should be a good bit in there.
It feels like I am pretty late starting this year but I wanted to get last weekend over and done with before I even thought about anything festive.

For the rest of the day today it is feet up and Call The Midwife on DVD with beans on toast and a nice cuppa for tea.

I hope you are having a nice peaceful day too.
Sheila-x-

That Was Some Party!!!

Well the planning and hard work paid off handsomely.....what an absolutely awesome night we had for DDIL's 40th birthday.
I cooked and baked for three days solid........

100 cupcakes and a small birthday cake which was not the planned cake. Waitrose had to come to the rescue with one of their ready to decorate cakes after I had a disaster with the one I had made.

The hall starting to shape up. It did look so much nicer when the candles were lit, the lights were dimmed and the DJ had projected a huge Happy Birthday onto the floor.

The Gin Bar set up and ready to go. I never knew that so much went into a drink of gin. Flowers, herbs and all sorts of mixers....quite bewildering. I had a tiny sip of violet gin and it was disgusting so I stuck with my can of diet coke...lol.

The sweet table which was Ruby's domain proved very popular.

......and that was all the photos I managed to get.
Once the kitchen was open for business I never stopped.
The hot meat rolls and desserts went down a storm,  we had some lovely compliments and even offers to go down to London and cater for other parties.....which I declined.

The party started with a dance by Ruby and DDIL to When I Grow Up from the stage musical Matilda which had me in tears followed by a speech by DDIL's sister and then a speech by DDIL who paid tribute to two friends she has lost in the last twelve months. Very emotional but lovely.
The DJ was awesome and I managed to get one dance in....one was enough as my poor legs felt broken by that time...lol.

What a wonderful night....give me a few weeks to get rid of the aches and pains and I wouldn't mind doing it all again.

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend too.
Sheila-x-

Baking Day....And Those Pumpkins!!!

Just a quick post today while I have a cup of coffee as it is baking day for the party.
I have to produce......
100 cupcakes plus a few spare for any disasters.
1 three layer sponge for the bigger cake.
50 portions of stem ginger sponge for desserts.

........these will decorate the cupcakes.......

.....they have taken way longer to make than I anticipated....over 100 of them.....but I think they were worth the effort.

Tomorrow will be meat cooking day and cake icing day so my oven is in overdrive at the moment.
Roll on party day so that I can have my kitchen back...lol.

Hope you are all having a fab day.
Sheila-x-

A Sitting Down Job!!!

Ooooh me aching legs.
I feel like I have been on my feet all weekend.
Saturday was spent walking all around Bridgemere and Trentham and then a mad rush around T***o to pick up some veg for tea and some cake making stuff I needed.
Sunday was spent bending, stretching, pulling and pushing as I shampooed carpets and cleaned the bathroom so I think I have had pretty much enough exercise to keep me going for a month.....lol.
Today then I will be mostly sitting down and finishing off the pumpkins for the cupcakes which I started yesterday along with bobbing up and down to see to loads of laundry.

We had the most lovely experience in the Lakeland shop at Bridgemere. When I walked in from outside I was absolutely freezing and the greeter asked me if I was OK and would I like a hot drink. I jokingly told her that I was fine but I would come back in just over a week to take her up the offer when I had got my head shaved as I would be even colder then. We got talking then about her husband who has skin cancer and she called over another lady who's daughter has trained to be a nurse in Oncology.
Anyway to cut a long story short....they very kindly made a donation for us to add to the collection when we go down to be shorn next Wednesday and took our photograph to put into the internal newsletter.
What lovely, lovely people.

Well I had best go and get on.
I hope you all have a fabulous week.
My blogging and visiting may be a bit sketchy this week as I have loads to do to get ready for the weekend.
Sheila-x-

Early Bird!!!

I was almost up before I went to bed this morning as I wanted to get into town to the bakers to order the bread rolls for next Saturday. That is another job ticked off the list.
We managed to get home before the rain started and boy has it poured down since we got in.

The house has managed to stay remarkably clean and tidy this week so that all I have to do today is go around with a duster and have a quick hoover. 
There will be quite a bit of time to fill this afternoon so I am thinking that I will have a practice at making the little pumpkins before I set up my conveyor belt production at the weekend.

Tonight I will be off out to do a top up shop and tomorrow I am having a day out with DD at Bridgemere Garden Centre and Trentham Gardens. I need to visit Lakeland and while there is a store in Derby we can kill two birds by going to Bridgemere and calling at Trentham on the way home to see their Christmas displays.
Sunday I will be cleaning the upstairs carpets while DD cooks lunch and then more pumpkin making in the afternoon.
It's going to be a busy weekend.

What are you all planning for your weekend?
Sheila-x-

For Jules!!!

Jules....thank you so much for asking about the donation page....here is the link......

https://bravetheshave.macmillan.org.uk/shavers/julie-pratley

I will be sure to post a photo when I have had it done.

No Fire, No Problem!!!

Much as I love the oil fired heating for it's cleanliness I must admit that I do miss having a fire in the living room So over the last few weeks I have been collecting things for our fireplace to try and replace the glow of a comforting fire.........

......and I am loving LED candles.

They flicker gently, they are nice and clean and they save my scented candles as I now only have one burning on a side table.

Since I started seeing the TV adverts asking people to Brave The Shave for the Macmillan Nurses I have said that I would do it if the opportunity arose and so on November 7th along with DD and some of her work colleagues I am doing just that.
Short hair doesn't suit me so gawd knows what I will look like with a shaved head but I don't really care as it is for such a good cause.

.....and for Sharon.....this is the carpet cleaner recipe I used....

https://happymoneysaver.com/homemade-carpet-cleaning-solution/

I had to tweak mine a little as I didn't have Tide sachets....I cut open two of my laundry pods. I also didn't have the Astonish cleaner so substituted Flash floor cleaner and I reduced the amount of water to six pints.
It really does a good job. The rug I cleaned yesterday looks like new.

Today I am tidying the fridge and making tomato sauce before I clear the sewing table ready for the next lot of party crafting.....making teeny tiny pumpkins for the cup cakes. I probably won't start them until the weekend but at least I will have the room to start.

Have a wonderful day.
Sheila-x-

The Beast Had An Outing!!!

Well I quite surprised myself yesterday. I  actually dragged the beast out and got a couple of carpets shampooed.
The sewing room and the top end of the kitchen are done.
Today I will do the living room and the hall and then upstairs will be done on Sunday while DD cooks the lunch.
I used a home made recipe for carpet shampoo which I found online and I will definitely be using it again. It is absolutely brilliant and did a much better job than the branded cleaner I have used up to now. It also smells nicer which is a bonus.

No visit from Ruby this week as she will be off on a residential thing with school for a couple of days doing all sorts of exciting things like zip wiring, orienteering and climbing. I hope she has a fabulous time.
Tomorrow then I shall have a good sort out of the fridge and cupboards and DD and I will go out and do a top up shop.
Anything that needs using up will get made into a tomato sauce for the freezer ready for any recipe that calls for it....like the turkey meatballs which still haven't been made because I keep forgetting to take the mince out of the freezer....lol.

Anyhoo....I had best go and clear the floors ready for this shampooing session.

Have a great day.
Sheila-x-

Sunshiney Day!!!

It looks lovely outside this morning.
Sunshine and a hazy blue sky and not a breath of wind.
I have a couple of things I need to do out there so this may be just the day to get them done.

The carpets are in desperate need of a clean and have been on my list for a while. They keep getting pushed down to the bottom as the thought of dragging that beast of a machine around just fills me with dread. It's an excellent tool but soooo heavy.
I will try though to get that job sorted this week.

I'm just waiting for Andy to come back with the papers before I make a coffee  and then I shall get on with my day.

Hope you all have a lovely one.
Sheila-x-

Our Usual Quiet Sunday!!!

After a fairly hectic day yesterday we have decided to stay at home today.
Roast beef has been roasted and eaten, the washing up is being done by Andy and I am just about to spend a bit of time catching up on the Family Cooking Showdown episodes I have missed and waiting for laundry to wash and dry.
Later on we shall snuggle down to watch more Downton Abbey. We have watched it before...probably three times but it is always worth a watch and we have nothing new in at the moment.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

Thank You!!!

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments yesterday.
I am just about firing on all cylinders again after a trip out this morning and a good old intake of farm fresh air.
A few weeks ago our favourite butcher a few villages away retired and closed his shop but yesterday one of the young butchers who worked for him opened his own a shop on a farm in the same village.
This morning we have been up to order the meat for the party. The shop is small (we had to queue outside) but absolutely wonderful. They are stocking a fabulous range of the meats we are used to as well as veg and bakery so they will now become our go to butcher.

The heating has been fixed too this morning thank goodness as we will have Miss Doodle staying tonight.
The thermostat had actually come down in price to £68 and the plumber just charged us £10 for sorting it out so not as bad as we anticipated.

Now I am just having a bit of peace and quiet for five minutes before I go and do some prep for our evening meal. I am copying the Cajun chicken meal I have at the local pub and am hoping it turns out as nice as theirs.

Hope you have a lovely day and a wonderful weekend.
Sheila-x-

Me Pesky Head!!!

Three lots of zig zags between yesterday morning and tea time. No headache so I nipped out to The Range, got home and boy did I feel bad.It felt like someone was knocking nails into my shoulders and then the headache started.
It's still here this morning so I am going to have a quiet day and see if I can get rid of it.
Ruby will be here tomorrow and I don't want to be under par for her visit.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Waiting!!!

I was so cold last night that I decided against going out and had a hot bath and snuggled under a blanket on the sofa instead.
Winter PJ's, fluffy socks and a hot water bottle kept me lovely and toasty when I went to bed and I had a fairly good night's sleep but got up this morning with the nasty zig zag migraine warning in my eye.
I am just waiting to see if it turns into the full blown headache.....hopefully it won't.

Also waiting for delivery of the new thermostat which the plumber has ordered. Ninety flippin' quid for a little white box. This one had better last a bit longer than eighteen months.

.....and waiting for the delivery of my order from a cake decorating company of some of the things I need for the birthday cupcakes including a new cupcake stand as ours has developed a distinct wobble.

My burst of energy yesterday seems to have pretty much seen off the job list for now so I think today may just be a lazy pottering day until it's time to cook tea. I'm not going looking for jobs to do....lol.

It doesn't look too bad outside today......there may even be a bit of sun.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Happy Days!!!

I'm a bit later blogging today as I woke up with another excess of energy this morning and I cracked on with some housework as soon as I got up which is just not like me.
The kitchen got some attention and managed to stay clean and tidy until Andy got up. Now there is spilt tea and water all over one worktop which I will go and wipe up shortly as he never does.
The turkey mince is still in the freezer as I forgot to take it out last night so they will get done tomorrow.

Still no heating. The company the plumber spoke to about the faulty thermostat hadn't got back to him by teatime yesterday and I have heard nothing so far today.
The fluffy socks and hot water bottles are out and the sofa blankets are in use. I just hope it doesn't take too long.

I was hoping to have Ruby for tea on Thursday this week so that we could take her to the garden centre's Christmas Open Evening but forgot That Thursday is Brownie night. Instead she is staying over again on Friday night and DD and I will take her up for breakfast on Saturday morning. I want her to see the amazing miniature Christmas village set up they have this year. Usually they just display their Lemax pieces on a shelf with one out of it's box and working but this year they have an absolutely gorgeous set up. I am entranced by it and I think Ruby will be too.. I'll try and take some photos.

Cold as it is today we are just having a salad for tea. Nice and quick as I need to go to The Range tonight for a couple of things.

I hope you are having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

The Weekend.......!!!

.....can be summed up in very few words......it rained, I cooked, we ate and the heating packed up.
How boring is that?

Friday afternoon was quite cold and as I was expecting Ruby I thought I would put the heating on to take the chill off a bit.
It didn't come on although we had hot water.
A quick call to the plumber and he came out on Saturday. The boiler is fine so the problem lies with the thermostat not communicating with the boiler. He will hopefully sort it for us today......I hope so anyway as it is another wet and cold day.
I did get a bonus of an unexpected sleepover with Ruby. We snuggled under the blankets and watched Harry Potter.
She had to go home straight after breakfast but it was lovely to have her for those extra hours.

The candle jars are almost finished and this picture is one of each of the colours I've done........

......and a close up of the leaf........

They have been stamped and triple embossed with a sprinkle of gold in each layer of clear. I am quite pleased with them.
Not bad for a load of old pickle jars....lol.

Today I have one and a half kilos of minced beef which I took out of the freezer last night and I will be turning that into some meals. A minced beef pie for tea tonight and one for the freezer and a couple of cottage pies for the freezer. Tomorrow I will make a couple of batches of turkey meatballs. They will all be handy to pull out as we get busy leading up to the party.

So cooking and laundry today.
What are you up to?

Enjoy your day whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-

Blowing A Hooley!!!

Goodness me....it's wet and wild outside today so just the right kind of day for staying inside and doing some cleaning up ready for the weekend and a visit from Miss Doodle later.
There will just be Ruby and me for tea as DD will be rushing in to get changed and then straight back out to a leaving do for a colleague so I think hot dogs and popcorn while we watch a film will go down well.
Andy will have something when he comes in just after 7pm.

DD and I actually made it out for our meal last night. Sometimes we say we are going out and then change our minds in favour of something simple at home....especially if she has had a tiring day at work.
The meal was just gorgeous.....a starter of crispy halloumi with harissa dressing, pea shoots and fresh mint followed by chargrilled Cajun chicken with oven roasted cherry tomatoes, flat mushroom, onion rings and chips. Oh my it was sooooo good. No dessert as a starter and main are enough for us so we just came home and had a nice cup of tea.
She does spoil me.

Right....I shall go and get on. I have a heap of craft stuff that can be boxed up and go back upstairs to give me a bit more room to finish the jars on the table. It's looking a bit like a jumble sale at the moment.

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Idiot!!!

I know maths wasn't my strong point at school but any idiot with an ounce of sense could work out that a party on November 3rd is actually three weeks away and not two as I had convinced myself.
Honestly....there is no hope for me.

Another job ticked off the list. I actually got the kitchen windows and frames scrubbed yesterday. It's a job I tend to put off sometimes as it's a bit of a task. The windows are a long way from the steps I have to stand on being beyond a worktop and a wide sill. I don't feel awfully safe doing them.
The curtains came down and are staying down. They are very old and they are never closed. Basically they are just dust and grease catchers.
As they are nice wide curtains they will be used as windscreen covers through the Winter should we get any bad weather.

There are just a couple of jobs left to do now that Andy has gone to work and then I am going to have a bit of an indulgent afternoon bath to make myself all nice and sparkly clean. DD is taking me out for tea today so I had better scrub up.

Have a wonderful day.
Sheila-x-

All The Leaves Are Brown!!!

Well not all of them as you can see....lol.

All of the leaves plus a few extras in case of mishaps are finally cut out and I have added some background texture to them with a stamp and Distress Ink.
Some of them are now triple embossed but they are currently weighed down to flatten them a bit before I shape them to add to the jars. They look really nice and I will show them to you once they are finished.

I thought I had better get a move on as yesterday I felt like I'd been smacked in the head with a hammer when I realised that the party is in two weeks....eeeek!!!.....and I still have a hundred miniature pumpkins to make to decorate the cupcakes. I went haring down to T***o to pick up some packs of the ready made icing before they ran out of the orange with it nearly being Halloween and just managed to get the five packs I needed thank goodness plus one pack of brown for the stem and a pack of green for the tendrils.
All I need to do now is order the cupcake cases and the sugar sprinkles and I will have everything I need.

I'm hanging fire on any meal prep until DD comes in and lets me know what she fancies. I have options for her to chose from. 
It's been quite warm today so she may not want a cooked meal.

Hope you are all having a fab day.
Sheila-x-