Friday 28 December 2018

This week my Word of the Week is: Secret! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:


We have been on holiday for Christmas and I had to keep it a secret! I didn't want to let anyone know that we were away until we had got back home. It would be our luck that we say we are away and then get our house burgled. 

On Saturday the 16th of June my dad rang me and asked if we wanted to go on holiday with him and his partner over Christmas. Last year they went away and stayed in a hotel and had a fab time. I initially said no. I knew we couldn't afford it but he said if we pay the travel costs he'd pay for the hotel and the breakfast & evening meal was included. I then said yes but it all depended on whether Stu could get time off work.

Stu works in retail so asking for time off over Christmas is a big no, no but technically he only needed one day off. We would leave on the 23rd of December (Sunday) and come back on the 27th (yesterday). The way it fell he only needed the Monday off but that was a big ask with it being Christmas eve. Amazingly his boss said yes as long as he makes his hours up which he will be, over the weekend working two 10 hour shifts! Eek!

As soon as we got the news that Stu could have the time off work my dad booked the Britannia Leeds Bradford Airport Hotel & Spa for us!

I told the kids and they were beyond excited. We have never been on a family holiday before so there was that, the excitement of Christmas and the excitement of seeing their Grandad and Sarah his partner.

In October I was on Trainline every day checking if the train times were confirmed and the prices had dropped. I had been listening to the money man Martyn Lewis about how to get cheap train tickets and bought two single trips as well as the Family Rail Card. I paid £33 each way for the four of us plus the 75 pence admin fee and £2.50 x2 to have them posted out to us. I could have collected them on the day at the station but I wanted them with me, in my hands when we left our house.

It was so strange not doing the food shop and planning what we were eating. All I did was fill the freezer with party food. We had a takeaway the night before we went away and another one last night. Fingers crossed I should be getting a food delivery today from Tesco!

As well as wrapping presents in the run up to Christmas I was packing suitcases too. My dad came up to visit in August and brought up three massive suitcases for us. I was convinced we would only need two. hahaha, no chance. There was one just filled with presents! The kids had their smaller presents and stockings when we went away and yesterday they came home to find a Santa sack full of presents in their beds when they got home. It's like they've had two Christmasses!

I am bound to have a couple of more blog posts about our Christmas over the next week or so. I have so many photos and stories to tell. We had a fantastic time and I loved spending time with my dad and his partner Sarah.

I have been very sneaky over the past few months and especially the last few days. I said we were having a meal out on the 23rd for my dad's birthday, Christmas lunch out and another meal out which technically wasn't a lie, I just failed to mention that we were in a hotel. I hope you can forgive me for fibbing but I was only keeping it a secret to keep our house safe!

Keeping my big mouth shut, especially on social media has been torture, especially when I wanted to tweet the train company and say they are idiots for selling more tickets than they had seats but it was totally worth it and nice to take a break!


6 comments :

  1. It sounds like you had a wonderful time Kim, and of course you're forgiven for not letting us in on the secret! :o) xx

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  2. It sounds like you had a wonderful time and well done for keeping the secret. How exciting for the girls to come home to a load more presents too. Thank you for linking up to #WotW xx

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  3. Sounds like it was a break well needed and everyone enjoyed it. #MMBC

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  4. what a lovely way to spend Christmas. I am sure the money you would have spent on food would have cost a lot more than your train tickets.
    I agree about not telling the world you are away.

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  5. It sounds like you had a fantastic time, and two Christmas’.... the kids must have had a fantastic time too! I absolutely agree about keeping your house safe, we do that too x

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  6. What a fabulous Christmas! Best kept secret. I bet the children had the best time ever. How lovely to spend time with your family. #wotw

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