The first weekend in December feels like a long time ago now. I spent the Saturday relaxing and knitting, watching Strictly Come Dancing in the evening. On the Sunday I helped my Mum at a small craft fayre held in a wool shop in Felixstowe. She goes to a Knit and Natter group every week and they decided to put on a fayre to raise money for charity.

Being so close to the sea meant I couldn't resist a walk on the beach. Nothing beats a bit of vitamin sea.

Even though it was a Sunday the charity shops were open for the Christmas period, so I had a poke about and found a lovely pink scarf. We didn't sell much on our stall but we weren't too worried as we had a nice time drinking tea, and chatting with the other stall holders. And I have to admit I came home with some lovely wool for my stash. One of which was a furry wool that I've already knitted into an infinity scarf.

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The following weekend we had another stall at a craft sale, this time for a local homeless charity that my Mum's husband helps with. We took even less money this time as it wasn't well attended but we had a nice day anyway. Mum and I sat drinking tea, eating mince pies and knitting. We had entertainment from a middle aged duo in shiny grey suits, singing Christmas hits in earnest. I kept getting the giggles, especially when they belted out East 17's Stay Now and produced a tambourine. I shouldn't laugh, it's unkind, but it tickled me no end.


On the Sunday we got our Christmas tree and I spent several hours decorating it and trimming the house. I love tree day, getting out all of the decorations from past years is very nostalgic and signals the start of the festive season for me.

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The next Saturday was Photo An Hour day which consisted of breakfast in bed, chopping wood and drag queens.


The Sunday was when our second, smaller, Christmas tree came home, and we made some Frangipane Mince Pies.

They didn't come out quite as expected or hoped but, once we'd prised them out of the cake tin, they were delicious.

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The fourth weekend of the month was all about preparing for Christmas. We cleaned the house, made and decorated the Christmas cake, wrapped gifts, made two cheesecakes, went shopping...

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The final weekend was all about family. On the Saturday we was saw a gaggle of Andy's family at his parents house. We played games and ate too much. On the Sunday we went to my Mum's for a roast lunch. All of which was absolutely lovely, but I did arrive home feeling relieved that we had no more plans, and normality could resume. I went shopping and bought lots of non Christmas food, plenty of fruit and veg, and looked forward to a few days of relaxing and healthy eating before getting back to work.

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It was my wish at the beginning of the year to avoid that Sunday night feeling of a weekend wasted. My goal was to have a plan in place for the coming weekend by each Friday evening. December seemed to go by in a flash with lots in the calendar. I'm now looking forward to a relaxed and less hectic January.

Which just leaves me to say I hope you had a lovely Christmas and to wish you happiness and health for the new year ahead.

For the third year running I'm taking part in A Buyer's Archive inspired by Elise (who sadly doesn't blog anymore but can be found on Instagram), to keep track of my spending on clothes and accessories.

THIS YEAR

All charity shop purchases this month. A soft narrow pink scarf was picked up for £1.00, sometimes I find a big scarf a little too much so I was pleased to find this.

A large and incredibly soft spotty scarf (£3.00) was the second thing to find it's way into my wardrobe, just to completely contradict my last statement about less bulky scarves. This one is huge!

My bargain find of the month was a brand new ASOS coat, with the original tags on for a mere £6.50. I'd been hoping to find a long winter coat and the charity shops provided.

The next item came from my new favourite charity shop in Ipswich, Zest. An H&M knitted top for £3.50. It was the colours that sealed the deal.

My final purchase of 2018 was a mink bolero, originally from Nougat for £3.00. Perfect for chucking on over dresses.


LAST YEAR

I was over the moon with my first purchase of the month, burgundy knee high boots, £24.99, pre-loved from ebay. I just adored them, but I couldn't wear them for any length of time without my feet complaining. I wore them about four times in total and decided to list them on ebay recently, selling them for £22.00. Boots like that deserve to be worn.

An ASOS order saw a pink jumper (£20.80 in the sale), and a colourful stripy jumper (£25.00) added to my wardrobe. The pink jumper has been worn 23 times over the year, and the stripe jumper 17 times. I like them both but the pink one is showing signs of wear and has shrunk a little despite being washed according to the label. They'll both be around for a little while longer.

The grey and white scarf (£3.75) has been worn a few times.

The green Zara jumper (£3.99) was worn 12 times, but the grey pleated M&S midi skirt (£3.25) has only been worn once. This might just find itself on ebay soon.

I bought the tapestry skirt from Kezzie in an Instagram sale for £9.00 but it was too small and has never been worn. The statement necklace, bought for £7.00, needs mending and so hasn't been worn either.

The burgundy tights (£3.00) are worn regularly, but the other scarf (£18.00) has only been worn a few times.

The black mini skirt, won for £4.20, has been worn just once. And the light blue midi skirt (£3.00) is getting it's first wear today, to go to my Mum's for lunch.


Total for November: £17.00

Total so far for 2018: £546.18

Total at this time last year: £663.03

Left of £600.00 budget: £53.82

I'm really pleased to have stayed within my £600.00 budget this year. I was doing so well last year until December when I spending spree took me over my budget by £63.03.

I'll be doing a breakdown and look back over my purchases soon, but I can already tell you that for the first time my pre-loved purchases far outweigh my new purchases, and I'm really chuffed with that!

The final Photo An Hour for 2018 was December 15th. The day had three distinct parts, a relaxed morning, an energetic afternoon, and a late night dressed up in my finest charity shop finds.
8am Enjoying tea and toast in bed with my current read December, kindly lent to me by Sophie to complete my year long reading challenge. I haven't finished it yet, and time is running out!

At 9am I was enjoying a bath.

10am A lazy morning of pottering, doing this and that, I discovered Socks enjoying a sunspot behind the dining room curtains. I left him undisturbed to enjoy the warmth.

11am Boring adulting stuff.

 12pm Waiting for Andy to come home for lunch.

1pm Andy and I went to the wood to gather more firewood, and lit a fire to warm us while we worked. We're clearing fallen branches and trees, a very satisfying job.

2pm It was a cold day but physical work and a bonfire kept us warm. I have to admit I lost several minutes mesmerised by the flames, whilst Andy worked on.

4pm I was home from the wood, Andy had returned for another load but I lit the fire and sat drinking a cuppa with two furry companions.

5pm I was in the shower.

By 6pm I was ready for a night out out. I was off to The Orwell Hotel in Felixstowe to see The Ladybirds Christmas Drag Spectacular!

At 7pm I'd picked up my sister-in-law and we were on our way to the venue.

8pm Waiting patiently for food to arrive (service was a little on the slow side).

9pm The main course was over (and sadly wasn't worth the wait) and I was beginning to feel that it was time for bed...

10pm I don't normally drink coffee but I needed this, I had no idea that the meal would take so long, and the entertainment would start so late. Luckily they started soon after this.

 11pm. Spice Girls Tribute from The Ladybirds, this is Miss Crystal giving Ginger Spice some welly.

At midnight The Ladybirds (l-r - Special K, Miss Crystal, and Leona) performed their final act of the evening, a rousing rendition of The Pogues Fairytale of New York. I sang along, and I sang it loud as it's my favourite Christmas song. I have to admit to being secretly pleased that this was the end of the evening and I could make my way home to my bed. The Ladybirds were very entertaining, but it was way past my bedtime.

The final photo, as I arrived home after dropping my sister in law at her door, shortly before I dropped into bed.

Thanks to Jane and Louisa for hosting #PhotoAnHour. 

The first Saturday of the month saw me go on a charity sop rummage with Sophie and Kezzie around Ipswich. It was a full day of shopping that included a coffee mid morning, lunch and then tea and cake late in the afternoon. I came home with some really lovely items, and as always it was a pleasure to spend a day in the company of two such lovely ladies.

The Sunday consisted of glossing the woodwork in the bedroom, which I really dislike doing. I find it so boring. Three windows, a door and an open built-in wardrobe make it a laborious task. But, now it's done, it does look lovely.

Later in the day I went field walking with Andy. We checked on several fields of oil seed rape, Andy talked me through the complexities of what to spray and when, the benefits, the disadvantages. The pests and what to look out for. The weather, the changing seasons. There's a lot to consider.

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The following Saturday saw me finally finish decorating our bedroom, namely glossing the radiators and staining the threshold step. We're still in a state of chaos though as the carpet has yet to be fitted, so our stuff is still strewn over the landing, spare room, and office. I can not wait for it to be finished and for normality to return!


On the Sunday Andy had very uncharacteristically asked if I wanted to go shopping with him to Bury St Edmunds. We had a good wander around and found some great gifts for family members. This year we're doing a Secret Santa on my side of the family, but the buying continues on Andy's side. I try to buy things that can be used e.g. craft stuff for the kids, or eaten e.g. homemade (not by me) jam for his Dad, in the hope of reducing 'stuff'. I love the festive period but the waste rattles my conscience.

We had a really lovely time, and I was allowed to run free in Waterstones to add to my book collection. I have to wait until Christmas Day before I can actually add them to my ever growing book pile though.

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The next Saturday was Photo An Hour.


On the Sunday I had a quiet morning, and then Andy and I went into the wood in the afternoon to chop wood for the woodpile. Andy does the hard work, I load the truck. We both really enjoy it. It's hard to get cold when you're chopping or loading wood, the wood is a lovely place to be and it's nice to be outside in the fresh air.

On this trip I was a bit accident prone. I trapped a finger between two bits of wood I'd picked up and promptly dropped one on my foot, then I stepped on a branch that flicked up and kneecapped me. That particular piece was snapped in half, brought home and immediately burned! Who says revenge isn't sweet?

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The final weekend of the month was dedicated to knitting and sale prep. On the following Thursday Mum, my friend and I were having a cake and crafts sale at our local hospital to raise money for the Radiotherapy dept. I needed to get several knitting projects finished. By lunchtime I'd stuffed and sewn together two rabbits, with a puppy following later in the afternoon. To round out the day I sat in front of the fire and finished my November book, The November Girl, before settling in for some Strictly Come Dancing.

The next day was all about baking for Christmas and gathering more wood. We made cheese straws and sausage rolls. And obviously sampled a few of each. We used some of the cheese straw pastry for the sausage rolls, which I can highly recommend.


We filled the truck with a load of wood in record time so had a little wander through the wood to a nearby field. The light was stunning, the air fresh and the temperature mild. I felt so lucky to live where we do, to be there in that moment.

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It was my wish at the beginning of the year to avoid that Sunday night feeling of a weekend wasted. My goal was to have a plan in place for the coming weekend by each Friday evening. The month of November was lovely. Twenty years ago a whole month without going out to a pub or a club would've seemed entirely wasted. I'm still a party animal, as long as the party involves tea, wool and I can be at home and in bed by 9pm.

:)