Christmas 2014...and preparing for 2015

We had a wonderful Christmas day hosted at DD3 and BF's flat. Enough food to feed an army, a few glasses of wine, great pressies and, more importantly, all my lovely family around me. Here's a few piccies 

 

 The table all set for the Graham Clan 

 

My lovely family

 

New shirt and cardigan thanks to DD2 and DD3, and new gold earrings from DH

So, today we're starting to get back to normal and already thinking about a frugal 2015.  We went for a coffee with DS1 (Wetherspoons filter coffee £1.15 with as many refills as you like until 2pm). We popped in a couple of shops, specifically the Card Centre where I picked up 6 x 3 metre long rolls of Christmas wrapping paper for £1 the lot which will do fine for next Xmas. 

In Morrisons I bought 8 tubes of chocs for 48p each instead of 99p, with sell by dates into June 2015. They'll do for the kids and their partners at Easter. We don't really do Easter gifts now they're grown but I still generally give them a little chocolately something each.

Also in Morrisons I got 5 bags of fresh chopped mixed veg (carrots, swede, leeks) for 39p a bag. 3 were 600g bags, finely diced for my soup maker, and 2 were 400g chopped more chunkily for casseroles in my slow cooker. I also got a sweetheart cabbage reduced to 29p that will go with the toad-in-the-hole I'm making on Sunday using leftover sausages. In Asda I got a large tub of red pepper hummus for 56p that DH had with rice cakes for his lunch, and a pack of 4 Weightwatchers yogurts also for 56p.

And yes, I have had a yogurt and crispbreads today and we are already back to healthier eating (apart from DH attacking the biscuits).

After all, this is what I looked like in February 2012

 

(and I got even bigger before I did anything about it).

 And this is what I look like today.

I've had a magical Christmas and enjoyed all the food and drink for one day, but I want to continue enjoying my slimmer, healthier body for a long time to come and that means keeping my natural piggy tendencies in check...even over the festive season.

The one thing that I was hoping for that I didn't get for Xmas was a smoothie maker to aid my healthier regime, but I have some Love to Shop vouchers left over from our brief Sky membership so I'm on the look out for a really good deal, and I also have my eye on a smoothie book for £2.99 in The Works.

I think that's all I have for now. I do hope everyone had a lovely day with family and friends - or alone by choice - and you're all set for a fantastic frugal 2015. Hugs, Helen xx