Sunday, 05-03-23

Good morning, everyone.  Welcome to a damp and gloomy Sunday morning.  It's been raining here and it looks as if it won't get any warmer through the day and may, in fact, get a bit colder.  I'm so glad there's nothing that takes me outside for very long.

Yesterday was a quiet day - I did a bit more washing but couldn't be bothered to do the ironing so that's top of today's list.  I knitted, I read, I did a bit of housework.  It was just that sort of day really.

A bit broke off my waffle maker yesterday, exposing some wiring, so I thought for about five minutes, balanced cost against Premium Bond win and then went online to get a replacement.  It made great waffles but the plates weren't removable and it was very tricky to clean.  The one I've gone for is more multi function with, obviously, plates that are removable and it's a lot less 'fussy' so should be easier to wipe around after use.  It should be here tomorrow.

Today looks like being much the same and I'm glad for it as it's likely to be a bit of a busy week coming up.  Busy for me, anyway.  I'll get the remaining ironing done and any necessary housework and then I will chill.  I have a load of bread to make which always makes me happy - there's just something incredibly calming about making bread and the house smells amazing for hours afterwards.  

So a very short entry today but things are good.  How about you - is your Sunday quiet or busy?
Stay warm and safe.  xx

Saturday, 04-03-23

 Morning, everyone!  It's Saturday, the first Saturday in March and I gather it is going to be a chilly and dull  day.  On the plus side, the snow forecast for next week has changed to rain although, as it keeps changing from day to day, I don't think they have all that much idea really.

Yesterday was a super day, very much a Good News Day for me.

It started off with a message from Premium Bonds telling me of a win - not a huge win in any way, shape or form, but £125 is not to sniffed it, is it?  It won't make any difference to the monthly spend as I have any winnings automatically re-invested but it started the day off really well for me.

At Slimming World, I lost one and a half pounds.  The general aim is to lose between one and two a week so I was really very happy with this.  I also got my free book for buying a Countdown (which is just a way of paying for a block in advance) so I have that to browse through today  so I can mark likely looking recipes with post-its.
And then I won the raffle.  Again!  It was some food storage stuff - bag clips, zip-lock bags, foil trays and plastic trays.  All useful stuff.

My cleaner (just one this week) came early.  At first I was a bit 'oh, ooops' because Sharon was due too but then I realised if she did the kitchen first, it would all work out fine and it would then give me the afternoon free.
The best news of the whole day, though, was that Sharon's husband, who has been really ill for five or so years, has been declared to be in remission.  Oh, she was so happy; it was really lovely.
She did her usual excellent work on my crowning glory (as if!!) and now I feel neat and tidy again.

I was feeling rather tired during the afternoon and, having done two loads of washing through the morning, had a relatively clear conscience, so I chilled with my knitting, my Kindle and YouTube.

This might sound crazy but I am thinking of doing this - chop up  tomato (from the shop) and plant the choppings in a pot, just to see if any of the seeds grow.  Really, it is just to see what, if anything, happens.  Have any of you done this at all?  Please do say what you think in the comments.

For the first time in a while, I didn't sleep all that well last night and am feeling weary so I think I will take things easy if needed.  I have some ironing and a bit more washing to do and want to do some shedding (!) but, apart from that, it can be a nice, easy, restful day.
I hope you have a lovely day and are able to give yourself some Me-time.  xx

Friday, 03-03-23

 Morning again, everyone.  It's Friday already; where is the time going?  Yesterday turned out to be a lovely, sunshiney day, quite mild in the afternoon, and this morning is not quite as cold as yesterday morning.

Everything went according to plan yesterday.  I had a lovely chat with Chris, SET class was good fun, the replacement dust filter arrived and fitted perfectly so the old, broken one is now in the bin and I booked a lunchtime table in Prezzo for next week because Alex (grandson) and I are meeting up in town and having lunch together.

When I ventured into the box room I found two more bags of yarn - eeeeek - so they are now sorted and the yarn is where it should be.  It's going to take me years to use it all up - I must see if I can offload some of it somewhere local.  

I did a little bit of shed - not much but every little helps.

And I finally got round to making first arrangements for this garden room and a few other improvements I have planned.  The cost has gone up, of course, and it probably won't be done until the end of the year, but that's OK.  It is now officially in the pipeline.

Today, as every Friday, starts with Slimming World which is always good fun.  Then I have some time at home before Sharon comes to work her magic on my hair.  Then there's a bit more time and the cleaners come.  In those bits of time, I can do a little bit of shed, I think.  The black bin is now empty so plenty of room for rubbish.
And that's today . . . should be good.  I hope yours is pleasant too.  Stay warm and content.  xx

Thursday, 02-03-23

 Morning, everyone.  We woke up to quite a frost this morning but it's starting to go and the sun might break through at some point.  We will see.

Yesterday was just one of those days where there was hardly room to breathe with things just come one after the other, bam, bam, bam.

I got all the shopping done - three shops and a petrol station.  The nice thing about going early is that rarely are there more than a few people waiting to check out so one doesn't have to hang around for very long.  Between the three shops, I got pretty much everything on my list so am well set up for a few weeks now (longer, in some cases), but it did take quite a long time.

Interestingly, there were no obvious shortages of salad vegetables in any of the shops I used and no restrictions either.  Expensive - very definitely, but they were available.  I now have a shedload of tomatoes to use up - lovely!

 Getting it all sorted out and put away took longer than usual and entering the amounts into this months spread sheet was a bit eye watering but, hopefully, there won't be much more expense for a few weeks now although, having said that, I have the lovely Sharon coming to do my hair tomorrow . . . ah, well!

Then it was time for a slightly rushed lunch before a Teams meeting at two.  It was good but I had to leave it a bit early to rush over to Lindsey's for personal training (I was a bit late but that was OK) where I enjoyed a good work out and endured the bad news that it was the last session in the block.  So when I got home, out went another wodge of money for the next block.  Oh, well, it is what it is!

Once home again, I was able to relax a bit and it was a very pleasant evening.

Today starts with the online SET class and then Chris is over for coffee and chat.  The only other thing is that the part for the tumble dryer should arrive at some point and it is just a question of taking the old part out (and chucking it) and inserting the new, I sincerely hope.

So this afternoon, I may sort out ten things in the shed (if that is possible) and there's a cupboard in the kitchen that I didn't go through in January because, really, it didn't need it but I think I will as it's baking stuff and I ought to check dates, etc, not to mention the question of have I actually used any of it for years?

And that is today.   I've just made some tomato and red pepper soup for lunch (it smells lovely) so I'm all set.  How about you?  What are your plans for today?  xx

Wednesday, 01-03-23 - a long one, sorry!

Good morning and welcome to March!  Yesterday was a dull, damp sort of day and today doesn't look that amazing although there are a few sun symbols scattered about the forecast to go with the raindrops.  We will see.  I note that they now think we might get a wee bit of snow during next week - yuck!

First of all, Jackie, here's the oodie I have except that mine is pink.

Actually, to be honest, it is a 'Sherpa extra-long hoodie blanket as 'Oodie' is a brand name for the same sort of thing but twice/three times the price.

Because I am not that tall, it comes down nearly to my ankles.

They are not specifically dressing gowns although I use mine as such, but can be worn over anything.  In the very cold weather, I wore mine over warm clothing and it was so cosy.

I actually do have a 'real' Oodie too which I sometimes wear - it's a bit thicker, a bit warmer and not as long - and has little Harry Potter cartoon characters all over it.  Cute!

Here's the link to the site I found the photo.  I don't know if they post overseas though.
https://www.onlinehomeshop.com/sienna-extra-long-sherpa-hoodie-blanket-charcoal?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6fafBhC1ARIsAIJjL8kzBOIin5ZILFE-y3hNy5g1p4ZMlGhlUwQg9jRggsWmMeBGyTDSBuoaAikGEALw_wcB

 It's on sale right now and very cheap so I'm umming and ahing about investing in another to tuck away.  My real Oodie is great quality and will last whereas this one probably won't go on for ever. 

Yesterday was a good day.

After Groove (great fun as always), I had my breakfast and then meandered out into the garden where I dun and dumped and chopped away and got it all finished.  I pruned back the clematis because it was starting to send out new growth a bit higher up and I took a good look at my poor bay which really is in a bad way, having been affected by the unusually cold weather.  Once I had removed all the dead bits, it really does look sad and, as I use it for cooking, I think that at some point I will be replacing it with a baby.  I'm also nut sure about one of my mini apple trees but will wait to see what happens come the spring and the leaves start a-shooting.

I got my shopping list ready for this morning.  It's a longer one this time because there are some things that now need replacing or replenishing.  Oh, well, it is what it is!

Then I went up to the guest room to tackle the chunky and aran yarn stash.  It took a lot longer than I expected.  I'd forgotten that after mum passed away I brought home her stash of yarns as well as her fabrics and sewing stuff (at Dad's request) and just shoed it all away.  There was more double knitting and four ply as well as chunky, some fabrics and, heart stopping moment, some of Dad's bedding.  You see, when they came to stay, Mum was fine with a duvet, etc, but Dad liked his sheets and blankets so I had a couple of cellular blankets, a flat sheet and a bed spread that I only used when they came over.  I felt a bit sad but they are now downstairs and later on today I will probably take them to the dropping off point so someone else can get the benefit.  They are good quality things, far to good to chuck or turn into something else.

So that's the last two things on February's goals list finished, just in time.
On to March's goals.  Again, they are nothing major and some are of the 'continue to . . .' variety because I am not convinced that they are really ingrained habits yet and I want them to be.

So . . .

Through March, I want to:

keep up the low spend and tracking on Excel, continuing to use what I have and only buying essentials

keep up the food audits so I know exactly what I have and where it is

shop every ten to fourteen days (with some exceptions which I know are coming up)

continue to use up my yarn stash - (what can I make with Aran or chunky, I wonder)

sort out some more of my bedroom cupboards

sort out the box room (aka the Dumping Ground)

SHED!!!  Tackle it one bite at a time.

and, finally - start to save for a new tumble dryer.

When I took out the filter the other day to de-fluff it, I had great difficulty in getting it back in and noticed that it is breaking up rather.  I've found a replacement part and it's on its way but the dryer is very, very old now and must be past its best so I have decided that, rather than just dig into medium term savings (which are just for this sort of thing) and because it's not an absolute essential, I will decide what I want and then save up out of the monthly income savings.  I don't use it very often anyway, not nowadays.

So that's March's goals.  Nothing terribly exciting and I might add to it as the days pass but that's the basic.  :-)

Today, I need to get a move on as I'm off shopping shortly.  I want to take in three shops - M&S and Aldi which are in the same shopping centre and then on to Sainsbury's for some things that only they seem to have and also to fill up with petrol.  I managed to get through two months on a tankful but it's pretty low now so I will fill up and hope it lasts another two months.

I have a Teams meeting this afternoon, Governor related, and then I'm off to Lindsey's for personal training.  In between times, I might take a bite at the shed.  Just a few items sorted each day and it will get done in the month.

It's a busy day but I'm looking forward to it.  Have a good one yourself and take care, stay warm and be happy.  xx

Tuesday, 28-02-23

 Good morning, everyone.  I thought I felt a bit cold when I woke up and, sure enough, we have a bit of a frost; not a heavy one though and I'm sure it will go soon enough.  I am SO glad I bought my oodie - it has been perfect for these colder mornings.

I forgot to mention that, on Sunday, Beth and I also decided to have a girls' spa day together, going back to the Aqua Springs spa in Colchester where we went to a couple of years ago.  It's a public spa and really very nice, we thought, with different pools, steam rooms, etc.  So we have a date in the last week of March, when Beth has her next holiday and I think it is her treat.

I found this on Google Images.  The foreground is a pool for swimming - not huge but big enough.  Above it to the right and beyond the curved railings is the warm bubble pool and to the left of that behind the straight rails is a stronger currant pool.
There's also an area for meals/coffee and an area for relaxing plus an 'ice cold plunge' which I will NOT be using and several different steam/sauna rooms!
Last time, we had a lovely day and it is very reasonably priced.

(The photo is from Google Images.)

As soon as I was dressed, I went out and got those freezers defrosted.  As expected, it wasn't a major task which told me I really should make a point of doing it more regularly, possibly monthly - while the weather is cold, anyway.  So that's a tick off the list.  I also did a bit of shed tidying, which is a bonus point.

Talking about lists, it's the last day of Feb so let's take a look at the list of goals I set on Feb 1st:
keep the food audits up to date - tick

sort out the garden - not quite but I have today and there's only a little bit more to do

sort out the chunky/aran yarn - I'd forgotten about this one so that's on today's list

keep up (down?) the low spend - tick.  Yes, I have shelled out what looks to be a lot but some is for the water softener, some is a contribution towards something Beth needed and the last is for the Center Parcs holiday (paid with money I have not spent over Jan and Feb) so I'm calling it a success.  Add to that the fact that I am feeling a lot more comfortable all round about my finances and spending; I just feels 'settled' and on top of it now, like I used to do before Mum and Dad passed away and inheritances muddied the waters.  No complaints, just saying it did disturb everything for quite a while.

Now to get March's goals worked out.

There were four of us at circuits and it was such a lovely, sociable time.  Great fun and good for us too.  

Today starts with Groove, as always, but there is nothing in the diary apart from that.  So . . . list alert

finish sorting out the garden

deal with the stash of aran/chunky yarns

get the shopping list finished for tomorrow

sort out when exactly the meeting is this week - there's been a bit of a muddle over the day/time of this and I need to find out exactly when I need to be connected up to the computer for it

pick up some meds from Morrisons - a good excuse for a bit of a walk

All that should keep me gainfully occupied, don't you think?

Do you have a busy day planned for today?  xx

Monday, 27-02-23

 Good morning, everyone.  A new week and pretty much the end of this month.  I've been doing end of month-y sort of things - reconciling bank statement stuff, etc, over the last few days and it feels odd that the month has gone so very quickly.  I know it's a shorter month anyway but even if it ended Friday or Saturday, it would still feel shorter.  Maybe it is because the days are picking up, the post Christmas slump has vanished and there's an urge to meet spring head on.  Maybe, what do you think?

It's certainly nice to have these earlier dawns and later dusks again.  I was checking when the clocks go forward but it's not for another month, March 26th, that being the last Sunday in March.  By then, the mornings will be so much lighter, we won't notice the later sunrises much but we will certainly notice the longer evenings.  Won't it be lovely!

Yesterday was a really good day.
I pottered around first thing, getting everything ready for a 'proper' Sunday roast.  This week it was turkey; last Christmas - or was it the one before that? - I ordered a rolled turkey breast as well as the proper turkey and cut it into four much smaller joints for the freezer.  Yesterday was one of those and it was as delicious as Kelly turkeys always are.  I had some stuffing balls left over from this last Christmas and frozen, and I did all the usual sides apart from pigs in blankets.  Beth had a bean crumble.
I was very happy that, apart from the turkey itself, there were no leftovers apart from a bit of cranberry sauce and gravy.  Good-oh!

After dinner, the three of us clustered round the computer and we booked a holiday together at Center Parcs.  This has been in the pipeline for a quite while now.  We all but booked a week just before lockdown but covid put the clappers on all holidays for a while and, since then, we have talked about it but not done anything.  Yesterday we did - we booked a Monday to Friday at the Elveden Center Parcs in the autumn in one of their 'new style executive three bed lodges' which sounds ever so posh.  It even has a sauna!  Wow.
Even with a bedroom each, it really wasn't terribly costly per person although, of course, there will be food, etc, on top of that.  When we have been before, we have used the hotel but it feels really nice to be back in a lodge/chalet/whatever again.
I feel really excited now.

Alex and I talked about our meal out in about ten days' time.  He's lost a considerable amount of weight and now looks amazing so we will be going on a clothes hunt after our meal.  I'm looking forward to that very much too.  Isn't it nice to have things to look forward to?

In the evening, I sat down and went over the finances and was really happy that the savings I have made this month, added to last month's, has paid for my part of the holiday so I don't have to dip into savings at all.  Most satisfying.

I nearly forgot - I also changed the sheets and got them washed and dried outside - that was satisfying too!

Today, the diary tells me that it is Circuits so I'm looking forward to that.  I have neglected my 'running' over the weekend so I must do some of that, probably earlier this morning and using Lindsey's Energiser Snippet as my warm up and, as it's quite chilly, as soon as I am dressed, I will get the freezers defrosted which really will take no time at all.

There's lots of little things to do at the change of month.  Sharpen my knives, for example, and check over my February goals and think about new ones, just little, achievable things, nothing mega!  Also, I am doing my next shop on Wednesday morning so I must check the fridge and make the list - I want what I get to last for ten days to a fortnight.

Time to get moving, I suppose.  It's been nice chatting, thanks for reading and have a lovely day, everyone.  xx