Have a beautiful Thanksgiving

                                    Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Make memories with your family and friends.

We have so much to be thankful for!

God bless you all

Christmas Memories As A Single Mum

I was a single mum for 8 years and my Christmas shopping began right after the previous one ended, grabbing markdowns in the sales after New Year and hiding them away. That was great for dresses for my girls, and trousers for my son, I'd just buy them the next size (or two sizes) up, so's they'd fit that next year.

I was a knitter back then, so I'd buy knitted jumpers at jumble sales, unravel them to get the yarn, and then use that to knit baby doll layettes for a new baby doll for each of the girls. I'd spend most of the year knitting.

I'd get their "big toy" out of a catalogue and pay weekly, it was the only way I could afford it. My son had a Budgie bike, I think he was 6 that year, and I had to put guiders on it so's he could learn to ride. He whizzed all over the paths around our house on it.

My girls always wanted to be twins, they liked me to dress them alike and most times, wanted the same toys. They proudly played at being mums the year they got their doll's prams.

It was neat watching them pushing their red and white prams around, often wearing pretty red and white floral dresses (their favourite, at the time) with their white knee high socks and black dolly shoes.

One year, when they were a bit older, I got them all cute 8" portable tvs with radios in them, they were sixty quid each (a lot of money in those days) and I gave them a choice, all the usual goodies or just the telly and they all chose the telly.

I was TERRIBLE on Christmas Eve. 

After the kids were asleep and I'd got all their presents laid out, around their beds, I'd deliberately make a noise ... just enough for one of them to wake up groggily and then scream at the others "he's been! Father Christmas has been!" and then I'd just lie abed and smile, quite content, and glad that my kids were happy and excited about what they'd got.

The turkey would be in the oven, on low, all night, filling our home with the smell of it (and the stuffing) cooking, and warmth as well. I always made a very rich stuffing, starting with a package of sage and onion, and adding MORE dried sage and chopped onion, then pork sausagemeat, and minced turkey liver. The aroma was amazing.

#christmasmemories #singlemumchristmas #christmasmagic #memoriesofchristmaspast #itschristmas #

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Christmas is Coming!

WOW! Only 35 days until Christmas. It's my favourite holiday season, and I have so many memories of others, over the years. I love everything about it, singing the carols, the nativity, the decorations, the tree, Christmas songs, the food, and -of course - Santa Claus.

Today everything is so much more glitzy than when I was a child, it's not as simple as it was back then.

I remember one year I got a Sindy doll and I loved her dearly and used my pocket money, for months afterwards, buying her outfits and accessories.

I also knitted and sewed lots of clothes for her too. I was quite good at both, at an early age.

That same year, my nan and granpop gave me a pencil case.

I have lots of childhood memories around my nan, she made the Christmas puddings for the whole family. It was a big thing, back then, to stir the Christmas pudding for luck, so when she was making them, she'd have me stay over (I was the eldest and thus the only one interested!) and I'd get to stir the mix and put the sixpences in. It was also lucky to get a sixpence in your Christmas pud when you were eating it.

My nan also saved new pennies and ha'pennies throughout the year, and then divided them for all of us grandkids at Christmas, so we had all these shiny new coins to spend!

Back in those days, you could go to the sweet shop and get quite a nice bag of sweets for 6d (sixpence), with fruit salad and blackjack chews being 4 for a penny, sherbet dabs were tuppence, and jamboree bags were 3d. 

They had sweets and a toy in. My nan's pennies and ha'pennies made us kids very happy.

Every year, I got a Bunty and Judy annual in my stocking. 

They were my favourite comics for many years, into my teens actually (we were so much more innocent back then) and full of stories and interesting articles.

Another goodie that we kids loved back then was an orange or satsuma and then a chocolate assortment stocking.

Parents back then would definitely tell us to not eat them all at once!

My mum always made and decorated our Christmas cake. Not being a drinker, ours was never soaked with brandy, LOL, but was marzipanned, iced and decorated in a Christmassy theme.

Just seeing this makes my mouth water!

I miss real Christmas cake and the butter-creamed sponges here just don't compare.

Well, that's some of my Christmas memories ... what are yours?

This weight loss/getting fit gig is rocking!

Today has been a pretty nice one, so far. I've spent an awesome couple of hours at the gym and am feeling great. I even made it down White Horse Road, this morning, without my blood pressure going up.

I love my peeps at Planet Fitness, they are simply the best!

I'm liking the new definition I'm seeing in my legs and butt, for starters. My mate Kwacha says my butt doesn't droop any more (woohoo!) and my granddaughter commented on how my legs and thighs are looking great. I notice the changes, I just wasn't sure if others did.

It would seem that my thigh and butt exercises, whilst driving around, are paying off. Despite everyone originally laughing at me doing them (and a couple of truck drivers - looking down at me at stop lights - wondering what exactly my squirming was all about). 

I do love going to the gym and spending time there. Their seated stepper, the Intellistrider, is great for folks like me, who cannot stand and work out. I sit and yet still get a good workout. Today I did 3 sessions, 2 x 15 minutes sessions each with a 5 minute cool-down, and a 20 minute, with 5 minute cool-down. Then I did the back extensions and triceps press.

I've also found a use for the upright stability bar in the disabled rest room. I hold on it and try to stand straight as I can for a few moments, stretching my back. As I have found out on this journey, every little helps. Day by day, I see and feel noticeable (to me) differences, and now others are beginning to see them too.

UH OH My Hair Colouring Plan Went Awry But L'Oreal Customer Care Is Awesome!

So, today it was time to re-do the blonding in my hair, and I set about getting everything ready and together. When I mixed the ingredients to form a paste it was like shortcrust pastry, but I persevered trying to apply it to my hair. Nope, that didn't work. It kept falling like crumbles, out and onto the floor. I decided to give up. One shower later, I called L'Oreal's help desk and explained the situation to them and they are sending me 2 coupons to cover the cost of a replacement product. YAY L'Oreal, excellent customer service.

Today has been a good day

For starters, we had a lie-in. Hubby was off today as he had a dr appointment to go to, so we slept late. No alarm at 5.30am is such a welcome respite.

Unfortunately, his A1C was up so now she's going to add another drug to his regimen to see if it will help.

Then we made a couple of treks out.

The first, we made my #AVONdeliveries in #Mauldin, did my banking, and then took ourselves to #TropicalGrille for lunch ... a very satisfying lunch I might add.

I had the classic wrap

and hubby had the South of the Border bowl.

Both of us were well sated when we finished!

After lunch we came home for a break and then headed out for the second. We tossed #AVONbrochures on a street in a local subdivision and then went to #FoodLion to get groceries, where I saved an awesome $37 off a $134 grocery bill. I do love saving money! 

I have everything for hubby's breakfasts, workday lunches and snacks for the week along with his drinks for work as well. That's always my priority as the freezer is stocked with meats and veggies for dinner. 

Second priority, food and treats for ye moggies. For our senior, Precious, I have to buy pates which I then have to mash down with extra water or pet gravies for him and then for madame, Snuggles, in the bedroom, we have to get chunks in gravy and nothing fishy. Talk about picky cat! She is. Poor Precious is 16 and doesn't have all his teeth any more hence the reason I do what I do with his.

After popping all our groceries away, we settled down to watch our favourite shows on the telly, Escape To The Country, and Sixty Minute MakeOver.

All in all, I'm quite happy. Now playing my Seeker's Notes game, and just relaxing.