Settling Back In

It's been a few days now since we got back from the US and I'm gradually settling back into life here. I love travelling and it's a great privilege (gosh, it was hard to spell that word, I had to Google it) to be able to do it from time to time, but my goodness, it is so disruptive to normal life.  Maybe that's the point, we need to disrupt life from time to time, to make us appreciate our lives more fully and I can certainly say that going away has definitely made me appreciate coming home to my own house (despite the fact that it needs a good clean), being reunited with our dog, doing my own thing, watching UK TV, eating UK food, sleeping in my own bed and having a routine again.

I was back at work on Tuesday, which was better than I thought it was going to be, and then I spent the first half of yesterday unpacking the rest of my suitcase, walking the dog, blogging and doing laundry. In the afternoon I went out to do the last little bit of essential grocery shopping that I didn't get done on Monday (as I couldn't find a parking space at the supermarket!).

I decided to go to an out of town Tesco, a huge hypermarket type store, but couldn't even find a small trolley to get the smallish amount of shopping I needed, as they were all out in the hangars and there was no one to collect them and return them to the outside of the store. (Yes, I could have gone over to a hangar and got one, but it wasn't convenient) Besides, a store of that size should be adequately staffed to organise it's trolleys for the convenience of it's customers. 

Needless to say, I complained to Customer Services, but nothing got done in the hour I was in the store.  Maybe they were hoping it would make shoppers buy more, by forcing them to take a huge trolley that they then might fill.  Who knows, but I wasn't impressed.  Having said this, it's quite refreshing to be able to have a good grumble about something. The US is such a positive place, which is great, but I didn't feel able to grumble there and nothing quite beats the odd moan every now and again, to make you feel fully alive.

To make me feel a little better I stopped off in TK Maxx for a browse, which turned out to be a very big mistake and I won't be doing it again this month. I ended up buying quite a few bits and pieces, mostly red stickered bargains might I add, but things none the less.

Here's the list of what I bought:

• My favourite brand of dog bags (300 to be exact to keep us going) - (Red stickered and reduced by £1.99) - This was the item I went into the store for in the first place.
• A pack of liver dog treats for 50p (Also red stickered, of course) - Our dog will love these.
• Two monochrome printed tea towels for £1 each. (Red stickered)
• Some posh chocolate £3. (Red stickered)
• Some Dark Chocolate Covered Mulberries £4 - (Red stickered) - A gift for OH for his birthday in May. (Yes, they were in date).  He likes unusual healthy snacks for his cycling.  I hope he likes these.
• A card and gift for a volunteer at work who is having her first baby. It's a while away, but I couldn't resist and at least I'll be organised and ahead of time.
• A reusable and washable sandwich bag for me to use for work £2. (Red stickered)
• A new shower screen swiper £2.99 - a nice attractive bamboo handled one to replace the scuzzy horrible one we currently have.
• A lovely large lime scented Soy Wax Candle for burning in our home £5. (Red stickered) I like to keep at least one or two tucked away for when my current one runs out.  This one has a lovely fresh smell.
• A couple of natural beauty products i.e. a blemish gel £3 and a 2in1 day/night cream £6. They will go in the stash until needed. (Both Red Stickered)
• A little treat for LB £1.99. - A Pop Tarts blueberry lip balm.
• A £1 donation to charity - I find it hard to say no when asked, but I don't actually agree with this new method of requesting donations at the point of sale in shops.  What's wrong with a collection box to make it completely voluntary. (I know the answer to this - security and the time it takes to empty and count the contents). I should stick to my guns and say I don't wish to donate, but the Red Sticker Queen, felt like it was the least she could do and she would look a bit cheap if she didn't agree.

That little lot set me back £58, so I definitely won't be stepping foot in TK Maxx again for a while. It did scratch the itch though.

Anyway, this morning, I'm at the gym for my regular Zumba class.  For once, I've got all my usual classes booked this week, which is a treat.  It might not happen again for a month, so I'm going to make the most of it. The rest of today I'll probably be staying at home and doing laundry/cleaning, etc. I've got no excuses left not to.