'#Project 365 7th-13th August 2022

Sunday 7th August

I went out with Craig and Penny for a walk in the woods as I needed a break from the housework. Penny loves being off the lead and free to roam so places away from the road like woods are ideal.

Monday 8th August 

 It was my turn to take cakes to the W.I meeting so I asked Emma to make a batch of brownies as out and would not be back in time to make them ready for tomorrow.

Tuesday 9th August

I saw these flowers outside the hall where we have our W.I meeting and just thought how much they looked like fried eggs. I have no idea what type of flowers they really are. If any one knows then please let me know in the comments.

Wednesday 10h August

I have never seen this type of butterfly before so I just had to get a picture. Unfortunately it was resting on something that wasn't so pleasant. Yuck!!

Thursday 11th August

It was the first day of the audit at work and the first real day of the heatwave. I had craft group at my nearest W.I where we are making decorations to go on a Christmas tree which will be auctioned off for Francis House. We have decided to go with a Royal theme and this is part of my contribution. There was another seven and I am going to attempt to make crowns out of seed beads. Wish me luck.

Friday 12th August

As it was too hot to cook we decided to go to Costco and order pizza. As we were waiting we had a look around and I really wanted to get this Christmas decoration. Unfortunately, Craig wouldn't let me. Maybe a return visit on my own might be in the near future.

Saturday 13th August

                       

We put this cooling vest on Penny and kept her out of the sun. Like me she isn't a fan of the heat or the sun.

I hope you all are well and didn't let the heat get too you too much.

Christmas Shopping

 

For many years it was traditional that one Sunday Mum, my sisters and myself would go into Manchester City Centre and do as much of our Christmas shopping as we could. It was because we used to get vouchers from a well known hamper company and it would be the weekend after we received them. However, after one of their competitors went bust just before Christmas we decided not to take the chance. We still did our shopping day but we never seemed to buy as much as we had generally started earlier. We also had less to buy in some respects as the kids got older, so the day became more of a spending time together day than shopping.

However, because of Covid, my youngest sister emigrating to Australia and Mum getting older we aren’t going to do a shopping day anymore. This has meant that I do my shopping at my leisure. Although I enjoy shopping, as I have become older I find the crowds more and more irritating and I am quite keen to avoid them. I will go shopping first thing in the morning or wait until about 30 minutes before the shops are due to close. I am lucky enough to be very close to the Trafford Centre, but I will avoid going there as much as possible because of how busy it is. It is handy though for the last minute presents that Craig springs on me.

Last year was the first time I did all of my shopping online and I admit I absolutely loved it. Most of the time I do prefer going and actually physically seeing what I am buying but with all the restrictions last year I decided against going out. I bought most of my presents from Etsy or NotontheHighStreet as I wanted to get things that you would not normally find in the chain stores and also to support the small businesses who haven’t got the resources to survive like the ‘big boys’.

 This year I have decided to do the same for most of the presents. I have a few gifts that I am actually going out to the shops to purchase but the rest of them have already been ordered and delivered and are just waiting to be wrapped.

 Shopping online also helps me stay on budget as I am not tempted to put extras in my basket which is always a big help at this time of year.

 How do you prefer to do our shopping and has it changed over the years?