Rewarding me... for a complete lack of loyalty!

 

Last week Sainsburys sent me another pack of 6 X £6 off a £30 shop.

This is probably the fourth pack that I've had from them since October.

I think their huge database of nectar point information can't handle the fact that we get weekly fuel points (because Mark likes to put BP fuel in the car) but we never shop at the stores.  As a result, they are desperate to reward my complete lack of loyalty/"entice me back" (depending on your view point!)

 

I am actually a very loyal Aldi shopper - but there are still a small number of 'branded' items that we use and we tend to pick these up anywhere that we see them discounted.  I checked the cupboards this morning and decided that I was low enough on these items to commit to a £30 shop at our local Sainsburys....

 

I approached the whole exercise in a 'super-strategic' way, with a detailed list of things I needed or that could be added to the store cupboard/freezer.  I walked round the store with my vintage Casio calculator and added up everything as I went along.....

 

Goodness only knows what the CCTV and shop security thought of me as I circled the store several times to get my best bargains!!!!!!  Maybe they thought that I was on some kind of 'frugal reality TV show'????

 

 

Anyway, even the checkout assistant was amazed by my £30.30 shopping basket - reduced to £24.30 with the voucher.  Here's everything spread out on the work top when I got home....

 

 

Mostly I targeted items that were already substantially reduced, then had the additional pleasure of the extra 20% off.  There's a bag of frozen chicken pieces (already reduced to £2.50 before the voucher), damaged tins of soup and a premium peanut butter brand with a cracked lid (49p before the voucher), and lots of other sauces and dry goods that happened to be reduced this week.

 

When I handed over my Week One voucher the till went wild with BONUS voucher slips.  I've now got 'Triple Nectar Points' on my week two shop AND 200 Bonus Nectar points without spending anything at all (plus a couple of regular vouchers linked to a cheese purchase!)  If I use all six vouchers then I'll also be entitled to another large number of bonus points.

 

So - am I going to be enticed into a Sainsbury's shopping frenzy?  I'm not sure...

I know that my regular Aldi shops cost me £22 and £25 for a similar quantity and range of food.  It's nice to pick up some items that Aldi don't stock (like wholemeal pasta) and to enjoy that sense of 'grabbing a bargain' from one of the big supermarket chains. 

 

Beyond that, I feel a bit "miffed" with Sainsburys to be honest. 

My parents go to the same shop at least once per week and I'm pretty convinced that they spend about £250 per month there.  What price my parents' loyalty?  They never get these generous discounts and bonus vouchers...  Grrrrrr!!!!!

Do you feel the same way about the 'big' supermarket chains?

Jx

Finally.... it's sorted!

After months of internet frustrations (which I won't bore you with).... I'm back!

 

The only good thing about thing about this enforced absence from the blogosphere is that I've had all the time in the world to craft for Christmas.  I've set my 'vintage' Singer up on the dining room table and almost every member of the family is getting a fabric gift of some sort on the big day...

 

I made the 16" cushion on the left for a raffle in October and Mum won it.  The colours are perfect in her lounge so I've made the 18" cushion on the right as her main Christmas present.  I'm delighted with the effect of the diagonal stripes and the smaller floral squares..

 

I've also made loads of fabric bags - which have cost me very little more than time.  (The Owl fabric was a massive bargain from Dunelm because I got 1/2 a metre for £1.50 when the sales assistant didn't cut quite straight, and the pink and beige stripes were a clearance piece from a fabric shop in France).  Even little pieces have found their way into coasters as stocking fillers...

 

So, I've got another cushion to finish (which is a combined house-warming and Christmas present for my B-in-L's partner) and three more bags to make.   After that, the 'fabric element' of Christmas will be just about complete!!  To be honest, I had some gorgeous fabrics for my birthday (a couple of weeks ago) and I can't wait to start doing some projects for my own home...

 

As for my 'no longer working' status..... I did wonder if I'd struggle when the days got shorter, wetter and cooler.  There's no worries on that front - I'm fine!  Over the last five or six weeks I've started to develop proper routines. Now I have regular coffee dates with loads of people;  I meet up with my crafting friend/neighbour;  I see my family most days and I can pour loads of energy and focus into the small amount of private teaching that I do.  It's great!!!!

 

We've also had the flexibility to have a couple of long weekends in November.  We spent the first one at the Classic Car Show at the NEC. (Probably not everyone's idea of fun, but Mark's silver car was on the Marcos stand and we both love standing around and chatting to the public about the process of building her...)

 

 

The second weekend was a romantic four night break in South Devon for my birthday.  This was the 'view from my pillow' at our B+B... the lovely 'Stoke Gabriel Lodgings' (in the village of Stoke Gabriel on the river Dart, near Totnes)

 

 

This post has ended up being something of a garbled set of 'November highlights'. 

It's going to take me a little time to catch up with all your news... but I'm so glad to be back!

Jx

First Steps in Patchwork...and other crafting projects

Last week my lovely next door neighbour showed me how to make a basic patchwork cushion.

This week I've practised my new skill by making two cushions for the conservatory.

I bought two books of fabric samples from the clearance area of a local Interior Design company (£10 for a huge pile of fabric.... I think I'll be making patchwork items for the whole family this autumn!)

 

 

I'm really pleased with the way that the samples allow me to play around with designs and colour-ways.... but the two cushions end up with a similar 'look'.  The material is also really nice quality so it's given my work a nice finish (for a first attempt).

 

I was so inspired by my progress that I went back to the clearance area for another look.  This time I came home with two enormous sample books.  These were more expensive but still good value, given the size of the fabric samples.  I plan to make a set of complimentary garden cushions etc. for next year.  (Our current garden furniture is plastic and falling to pieces, so our families gave us a very substantial amount of money as a Silver Wedding present to buy new furniture for next summer.  I can't wait to have a meal surrounded by a 'grown up' garden furniture suite!!)

 

 

I've also been busy doing my needlework...

(This is a small sampler that I worked for my friends wedding anniversary.

It's a mixture of two traditional 'Florentine' designs and various textured cross-stitch patterns.

The colours tried to reflect the fact that 35 years of marriage is 'Coral')

 

 

Thomas has really got into the idea of having a human at his "beck and claw"..

He likes to supervise,while grooming, from a chair in the conservatory..

 

Then falls asleep mid-lick.....

 

 

His white fur hides the fact that he's an old cat....

Jx

Near Sea and Sky...

We've just got back from five lovely days on the South Coast.  We don't get to see much sea in Worcester - so I tend to get a bit 'over-excited' when I get chance to take any vaguely nautical photos.  Here are a few of my favourites...

Dramatic Skies over the Mouth of the Solent (Sunday afternoon)
 

 

Blue Skies over KeyHaven (Wednesday morning)

 

 

Blue and White Beach Huts near Milford on Sea (Tuesday morning)

 

 

Boats moored between the Mud flats (Wednesday morning)

 

 

Our budget hotel (South Lawn Hotel, Milford on Sea) was a real 'find'.  All this lovely scenery was just a short walk down a quiet lane and the walking was superb!  (We actually walked 12 miles on Tuesday and 14 miles on Wednesday.)  People have given it bad reviews on Trip Advisor because the décor is really out of date and the bathrooms need some serious modernisation.  It certainly isn't a Boutique Hotel - but it prices itself accordingly.  We paid £90 per night for dinner, bed and breakfast for the two of us.  The meals were nicely cooked and the breakfasts were enormous.  All the staff were really friendly too.  On balance, we felt that it was good value for money. 

 

My parents were so impressed by our reports that they've booked themselves in for three nights at the beginning of March.  There are masses of flat walks on broad paths through the KeyHaven Nature Reserve that will suit Mum (who has Huntington's Disease).  Milford also has a great sense of community and some great little shops.  I hope that the weather is kind to them and that they enjoy it!

  

Today Mark has driven all the way from Cheltenham to Thetford and back to help a friend collect a racing car.  All this time behind the wheel won't have done his back any good.  I think I'm going to be chief cook this evening!
Jx

My Holiday In Pictures...

Blogging seemed to take a back seat this Christmas... but here are copies of the three collages that have gone into this year's Scrapbook Diary for December 2014.  We had loads of lovely days out (The Cotswolds, Croome Park and Packwood House); we enjoyed the Christmas Tree display in the cloisters of Worcester Cathedral; my little white and tabby 'fluffy' cat was spoilt rotten, and we had loads of great times with my family and friends.

The Coffee Set in the top right-hand corner of the first collage was my 'Charity Shop Find' of 2014.  This design is rare and very desirable.  (I could have paid somewhere between £150 and £200 for it on-line, however I found it in a Sue Ryder Shop in Welshpool for £30 while we were on our August holiday).  In the second collage you can see my sister opening it on Christmas Day.  She already has a much loved Tea Set in the same design which she inherited from our Grandma in the 1980s.  She had no idea that I've been keeping a huge secret for the last five months!

The nail art in the second collage is my husbands handiwork..... After a misspent childhood painting model cars he has a remarkably steady hand and keen eye.  My younger niece patiently allowed him to paint chequered flags and monochrome Union Jacks all over her nails - as long as he then replaced his work with something rather more 'Goth'!

One more day of 'freedom' before I return to the chalk-face. .. I have very mixed feelings about work at the moment.  It's easy to think that it could be bearable for another couple of years when you've had two weeks off.  By Monday evening I'm sure that my thoughts will be more rational again!

Jx