Saturday, 8 December 2018

December 8th and How I Shocked My Children

Last week when Eldest daughter rang and asked how I was getting on with the Christmas preparations  I was able to tell her the tree was up and  decorated, I'm sure she dropped the phone in shock! Got the same reaction from son and DIL - they are the biggest fans of Christmas (even their wedding 2 years ago was Christmas themed) usually  getting their tree up early but I beat them by two weeks.
In the past the tree was always fixed together (or brought indoors when we had a live one from the smallholding) and decorated on the weekend before Christmas. This year it was done much earlier.

The reason? well, I was crawling into the half height cupboard under the stairs to get out some plastic boxes to store all the food and other stuff from the cupboards  while THAT man was doing the kitchen. And there at the back was the tree in it's box, so I thought it might as well come out while I was there. It hasn't been out of the box since 2015 so it deserved to be freed from captivity and anyway youngest daughter was visiting with Florence and I thought she would help put some of the decorations on it.

I'm glad I got the box of new lights, it looks so much better well lit, they are the only thing bought new this year and in true Frugal Sue fashion all the hanging decorations are from boot sales, charity shops, charity Christmas fairs or hand made.

Looking good



PS - Does anyone know who had a recipe for a soup that protects against catching a cold? Think it was heavy on the garlic.
( Edited in to say........ Thank you to my PP friend S who emailed all the way from Portugal to give me the answer and to Gwen below how also knew where to find the recipe)

 Back Tomorrow
Sue

36 comments:

  1. Cooking on a Bootstrap.Gwen765

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  2. Your tree looks absolutely lovely, charity shops have some fantastic tree decs this time of year (so long as you get in quick!). Well done on shocking the children!

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  3. Your tree looks lovely, Sue. It's always good to shock our children. It's one of the perks of being a parent. 🎄🎄🎄

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  4. What a pretty tree. You are WAY ahead of me - I am still desperately trying to finish the girls' quilts, writing cards etc! Hope to get our decorations up today anyway, but the tree will be later.

    I hope your REALLY garlicky soup works - mind you, it should ward off all but the most determined of visitors with its pungeancy!!

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  5. P.S. I swear by Elderberry Syrup. You can buy it, but expensive then, and you can get dried elderberries on line to make your own. Grand stuff.

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    1. Yes I've been dosing my slight snuffle with the elderberry syrup I made adding some cinnamon but I didn't make enough for all winter!

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  6. I remember the garlic soup recipe - but not where it was. Found this one, though: https://wellnessmama.com/35668/garlic-soup/


    Your tree looks pretty. We can't do ours until eldest is back from uni (15th) - she loves to decorate them. Plus, since she was born, we've always waited until around then to decorate the trees, as her birthday is the 11th, so we always give that a few days 'space' of it's own :) (Before she was born I was a decorate-the-tree-the-first-weekend-of-December kind of person!

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  7. The tree looks amazing, Sue. I may just givevthat soup a try as I am trying hard to stay away from catching germs in thsi weird weather. Story, rainy and 10C here.

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  8. Congratulations on get your tree decorated, I have got mine out and stood it up but my grand daughter is going to decorate it. It's looks as thou it's going to be a nice date there is lots f fairs on and tomorrow my daughter and G.Daughter is take me to Waddesdon Manor to see the decorations. Have a good day.Sue.
    Hazel c uk

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  9. Looks beautiful Sue. It is nice to shock the children now and again that is the beauty of been a parent.

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  10. SHocking your children is what it's all about, surely? ;-)
    A lovely tree and I bet looking at it gives you much pleasure.
    xx

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  11. Your tree looks very pretty, we haven´t even got ours yet! xcx

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  12. I don't think it does any harm to shock one's children now and then, reminds them that we are real people, not just 'Mum'. The tree is beautiful - does Polly try to get the ornaments, or does she ignore it all?

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  13. Agree with Elaine above - and love that tree.

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  14. The tree looks great. Hope Polly doesn't decide to explore. Our dog ate an ornament for his first Christmas. Unfortunately it was a grandchild's handprint at age one made using dough and then dried. Had not even thought about it being something edible. Haven't made that mistake again.

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  15. My son is no longer shockable.. he just gets more horrified at how much ' festive tinselly stuff' we have for Christmas. Your tree does look really pretty.

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  16. The tree looks lovely. Isn't it nice that we can still shock our children once in awhile.

    God bless.

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  17. I'll be sharing photos soon of my decorations. We have a pencil Christmas tree. Takes up less room in the apartment and then in storage. Yours looks lovely.

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  18. The tree looks beautiful Sue.
    Hugs-x-

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  19. Your tree looks lovely Sue. Not one dec. up in this house until after The Wedding! Eldest son gets married Sunday week, then there will be a flurry of activity here.

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  20. Wow that looks great not even got ours out of the loft yet! Guess who?yes it’s Sue from the Midlands! Will explain all this when I send your Xmas card.

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  22. Your tree looks lovely, I do like a traditionally coloured tree and decorations. Sometimes shocking our children is one of the best things to do, a perk of being older ;-)

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    1. One Christmas - many years ago I went mad and bought some new baubles - Bright PINK - I have never been allowed to forget that year!

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  23. I had to delete as I had put the same comment twice, think after well I won’t tell you how long of trial and error I’m at long last learning how to play the game. As I said earlier I will tell all when I write.

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    1. Oh brilliant, so pleased you have got the commenting sorted.

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  24. Your tree looks really pretty. I hope to get mine up tomorrow. I just bought a 10lb. bag of potatoes and I paid $6.00 which translates to 3pounds 54p.

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  25. The garlic soup works - because - all those people with the cold germs will be avoiding you!
    Shocking your children? I thought it was part of a mother's job description!
    And, what a beautiful tree - well done.

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    1. Garlic,ginger and pepper ............I think it's a sweat-it-out kind of soup! Making it tomorrow

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  26. Your tree is beauiful! Isn't it fun to shock our children?! I hope that soup chases away any hint of illness.

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  27. Your tree looks really lovely. I'm moving into sheltered accommodation on 20th December - I only got told yesterday when I could have the key so not packed anything yet. I don't think I'll bother with decorations or tree this year. Not in the right frame of mind. Good on you for making the effort. You're doing so well. I'm glad your kitchen is finished - I used to hate having workmen in - the jobs always seemed to take twice as long as they said!!

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  28. I think it's wonderful that you put the tree up and decorated it. It's gorgeous and I know that mine brings me much joy. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
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    *H*A*P*P*Y* * *H*O*L*I*D*A*Y*S*!*!*!*
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  29. My Christmas wreath fell on my head(!)when I was looking for something else in my walk-in cupboard.. so it's gone up early on the front door!

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