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-