Friday and some achievement wishes

Good morning, everyone.  Pinch and punch and white rabbits to you all.

We had the predicted rain later on yesterday and it feels very much milder this morning.  No need to turn up the heating a notch and no need for a dressing gown.  It's very dull outside though, no sun trying to break throught the lowering clouds.  Shame.

I went into town at nine, leaving behind me on the car parking space a mess of very old recliner chair (broken), fold down bed frame and mattress, having apologised to the neighbours before hand and when I got home again, it had all gone.  Three cheers for the council refuse men who do such a good job with little accolade.

In town, I visited different shops.  I went into FatFace and they did have some nice tuncs but they were all too long for me (yes, I could have turned them up) and, a problem I found everywhere really, I am sort of between sizes again.  I don't want to buy some nice summer things and find that when I get to target they are just a bit too big big and, while one or two target garments can be helpful, I don't want loads of stuff that's just too small cluttering up my storage space.  So I looked, noted but didn't buy.

I had more success in M&S.  I found one bra in Mum's size and will order the others online and I bought one for me a size smaller as a sort of 'prompt' bra.  It just fits now and when it feels 'right' I will know I have to replace the others, hopefully getting my forever size this time.  Also I found a top that will work with my leggings and now I must wear the outfit at home so as to feel a bit confident before facing the world.

I looked at the ballet pump shoes that one of you recommended and yes, they were nice (and I have gone down half a shoe size and am not extra wide any more) but when I tried them on I felt as if they were going to fall off at every step.  I also tried some heels but, of dear, talk about unsteady.  I nearly toppled over!  I expect I have to bite the bullet and get used to them at home but maybe not yet!
Does that sound silly?

I went in and out of several shops, taking note of things and generally enjoying myself.  In Primark, I did buy a dress that will look nice over leggings but when I got home I found I had made the classic error of not checking the label.  The hanger said one thing, the label another.  Fortunately, it is only a little bit too small (and cheap) so that's my target dress!  Now I have to decide whether to go back next week and buy another in my current size.  Decisions!

I have quite itchy skin at the moment, maybe because my diet is pretty low fat, and I read that vitamin E capsules might help so I decided to get some and give it a go.  I'll let you know!  No, I don't want to know how many syns!!!  😀

By that time my silly old back was playing up so I came home!

Sue, from the absolutely wonderful blog ' The Cottage at the End of a Lane' , reviewed a list of things she wanted or needed to do over the next months, that she made last August (the list, I mean).

I thought this was a jolly good idea and was thinking about what I'd like to achieve this month - realistically achieve, I mean.  So here we go.
I want to:
1.  Be about half a stone lighter than I am now by continuing to follow the Slimming World plan and going to group each week (and staying for the whole session)

2.  Use up lots of the home made 'ready meals' currently clogging up my freezer.  This is a bit of a sacrifice as I love trying out new recipes and making them SW friendly but I can't go on putting stuff in the freezer.  Space is limited - very limited at the moment.  I will do this by finishing off an audit of the meals I have and making sure I plan them in when I do my weekly meal planning.  Starting today.

3.  Have sorted out all the books in the newly named sewing room and appropriately disposed of many of them.   That means allocating time and just DOING IT!!!

4.  Put all the sewing stuff on the shelves vacated by the books.  That will free up space downstairs.  Beth will have to help with this as she has to work with where everything goes.

5.  Linked with 4, track down a couple of second hand 'Billy' shelf units as there's now room for them in the sewing room.  Actually, this is a bit of a cheat as Beth has undertaken this, so my share is to keep my fingers crossed and come up with the readdies!

6.  Resume swimming.  I can't use the 'too cold' reason much longer and I do miss it.  I find my early mornings are pretty tied up with socual mediating so maybe I could get some of the messaging done the day before.  That would give me time to swim when it is least crowded (which is not very early, it's between 8:30 and 9:30 when many people are either at work or getting their families to school.  Then I just have to get back in the pattern again.

7.  And finally, to have started acquiring my summer wardrobe and if that sounds spendthrift, it is because I have hardly any clothes from last summer that still fit.  Last summer I was still very much trying to make do with clothes that were already too big and I'm some stones down from there now.  Anything I have left from then looks absolutely terrible now.
To do this I will need to wander around shops, taking notes, trawl the internet and make some sensible choices that all work together.  Oh, the hardship!

This entry is all rather solid so I'll liven it up with a few photos of my pretty, new flowers out the front.

Well, better get going if I want to achieve anything this morning.  Have a great day, everyone, and I hope it isn't too wet for you.
xx