I managed to finish the month in credit this month, but once again most of the budget areas were overspent. Here are the details:
Food - This £400 budget was overspent this month by £59.44. I did buy a few bits and pieces towards Christmas though, which will account for some of this, but not the majority.
Household - The £50 budget for this category was overspent by £33.20 this month. I did buy a few extra toiletries and household items for everyone to keep us stocked up, so this wasn't too bad.
Miscellaneous - The £50 budget for this category was actually underspent this month by £10.96, so that was a bonus. I did have a birthday gift to buy and post off too this month, but other expenditure was minimal.
My Personal budget of £25 was overspent by £62.18, which was pretty self indulgent really. Amongst other things, I bought some tights, a skirt, a cardigan, and some perfume from Primark and a top, a waterproof jacket, a skirt and some costume jewellery from CSs.
LB's budget of £25 was also overspent this month, but by just £14.48. I bought her some toiletries she wanted, four very inexpensive school skirts (£8.50 in total), some new bras, three inexpensive tops and she had a fringe trim too.
The Home budget of £20 was well and truly busted by £45.94 this month, mainly due to buying two new cushions for the living room, a new laundry basket which was on offer at work and cost a mere £15 which was a bargain. I also bought a plant, some Xmas baubles, a calendar for next year and a wicker skirt for the Christmas tree.
Finally, my travel budget for work was spot on the £40 I budgeted. It should have come in at less due to my taking a week off work, but I lent my spare Oyster card to someone at work and then the next day I forgot I'd left mine in my coat pocket, so had to buy yet another one for £5. So annoying. I'm amassing quite a collection of them at the moment.
One last thing to mention, is that I set aside £300 for buying Christmas presents this month. However, I only ended up spending £186 on gifts and a few other bits for Xmas, this included LB's main presents, so I've made a reasonably good start. I'll probably do the same thing next month and try to get some presents for other people bought.
Wednesday 31 October 2018
Saturday 27 October 2018
Day 7 - A Lost Friday and a Final Push
I didn't post yesterday, mainly because it was a bit of a lost day. It happens sometimes. I did do a couple of things, namely some grocery shopping and a little bit of Christmas shopping, but the cleaning I had wanted to do just didn't get done. I got restless and went out instead, as it was beginning to feel like I'd spent the whole of my week off cleaning and little else. It was making me feel a little resentful, so I did something else instead.
Thankfully, today, I got back on course and cleaned the upstairs bathroom. To be honest, now that's done, I'm not too worried about doing much more, as LB's room can wait until she's back at school next week. She's spent a lot of time in it this week, revising and doing homework and I don't want to disturb her.
This afternoon OH, myself and the dog went over to the allotment to harvest, clear it and dig it all over. It was a lot quicker job than when it's just me doing it. It would have taken three times as long, over three visits, but we managed to get it done in just a couple of hours. It's great to know that there's very little left to do to it before winter arrives. I'd like to cover it with compost taken from the big pile in the park, but it will have to wait until another day as neither of us had the energy today.
I cut a few dahlias and brought them home with me. They are very pretty. We harvested the rest of the potatoes, lots of beetroot, which I'm boiling as I write, some rhubarb and the last of the tomatoes.
Here's a picture of what the plot looked like as we left today.
Tonight, I'll be doing the ironing, whilst watching Strictly, then I'll probably have a shower and get ready to go back to work tomorrow.
Thankfully, today, I got back on course and cleaned the upstairs bathroom. To be honest, now that's done, I'm not too worried about doing much more, as LB's room can wait until she's back at school next week. She's spent a lot of time in it this week, revising and doing homework and I don't want to disturb her.
This afternoon OH, myself and the dog went over to the allotment to harvest, clear it and dig it all over. It was a lot quicker job than when it's just me doing it. It would have taken three times as long, over three visits, but we managed to get it done in just a couple of hours. It's great to know that there's very little left to do to it before winter arrives. I'd like to cover it with compost taken from the big pile in the park, but it will have to wait until another day as neither of us had the energy today.
I cut a few dahlias and brought them home with me. They are very pretty. We harvested the rest of the potatoes, lots of beetroot, which I'm boiling as I write, some rhubarb and the last of the tomatoes.
Here's a picture of what the plot looked like as we left today.
Tonight, I'll be doing the ironing, whilst watching Strictly, then I'll probably have a shower and get ready to go back to work tomorrow.
Friday 26 October 2018
Day 5 - Thursday - More Cleaning
Day 5 of my week's leave was spent at home again. After venturing out to the mall yesterday, I was happy to stay put today and continue with some cleaning. First things first, the dog needed walking, but once we'd got back I made the flaky mince pieces to use up the puff pastry from the freezer and then set about deep cleaning the kitchen.
It took about 4 or so hours to give it a good clean. It feels so much better knowing that it is all now clean. I didn't clean inside all of the cupboards, but a few did get cleaned out, mainly because they've been visited by our mouse in residence. Yes, we have a mouse and despite setting numerous traps, it refuses to go near them.
Believe me, I don't really enjoy having a rodent in the house, but this mouse seems to be particularly intelligent, so we have tolerated him thus far. However, seeing how many droppings there were around the kitchen (not on counters or in food cupboards might I add), I'm starting to feel like he's outstayed his welcome.
I'm hoping we can catch him humanely and set him free somewhere away from our house, but we haven't had any luck doing so as yet. He's even too quick for the dog. He is quite a character, we can often hear him behind the fridge or washing machine, crunching the dog's kibble, which he's stolen off her dish. What a cheek!
Anyway, there's not much cleaning left to do now, just the upstairs bathroom and LB's bedroom which I will probably get around to tomorrow afternoon, as she is heading out to meet her friends. It hasn't been much of a rest this holiday, but at least I feel like I've got back on top of the house. I now just need to keep on top of it.
Once all of the cleaning is done, I'm going to visit the allotment to harvest any produce left on it and dig everything over. I haven't been to do work on the plot for weeks now, so I'm quite looking forward to it, although it will be quite hard work. I'm particularly looking forward to harvesting some more beetroot and then pickling it, as I've now run out and have been buying it for the past couple of weeks.
I think by the time this week is over, I'll be happy to go back to work for a rest (or a change at least)!
It took about 4 or so hours to give it a good clean. It feels so much better knowing that it is all now clean. I didn't clean inside all of the cupboards, but a few did get cleaned out, mainly because they've been visited by our mouse in residence. Yes, we have a mouse and despite setting numerous traps, it refuses to go near them.
Believe me, I don't really enjoy having a rodent in the house, but this mouse seems to be particularly intelligent, so we have tolerated him thus far. However, seeing how many droppings there were around the kitchen (not on counters or in food cupboards might I add), I'm starting to feel like he's outstayed his welcome.
I'm hoping we can catch him humanely and set him free somewhere away from our house, but we haven't had any luck doing so as yet. He's even too quick for the dog. He is quite a character, we can often hear him behind the fridge or washing machine, crunching the dog's kibble, which he's stolen off her dish. What a cheek!
Anyway, there's not much cleaning left to do now, just the upstairs bathroom and LB's bedroom which I will probably get around to tomorrow afternoon, as she is heading out to meet her friends. It hasn't been much of a rest this holiday, but at least I feel like I've got back on top of the house. I now just need to keep on top of it.
Once all of the cleaning is done, I'm going to visit the allotment to harvest any produce left on it and dig everything over. I haven't been to do work on the plot for weeks now, so I'm quite looking forward to it, although it will be quite hard work. I'm particularly looking forward to harvesting some more beetroot and then pickling it, as I've now run out and have been buying it for the past couple of weeks.
I think by the time this week is over, I'll be happy to go back to work for a rest (or a change at least)!
Thursday 25 October 2018
Day 4 - Wednesday - Christmas Shopping
As mentioned in yesterday's post, today it was my intention to go out shopping with LB to our local mall. I had some money in my account for buying Christmas presents, but hadn't really made too much progress so far this month. LB knew of a couple of items she wanted, so we decided to head out so that I could get ahead of the curve.
First stop was Office for some new Converse trainers. I have to admit that I find it very difficult to spend £50 on a pair of trainers, knowing that you are mainly paying for the branding, but this was what she wanted and not wanting to be a curmudgeon at Christmas, I agreed to buy some for her. Thankfully, when we were in the store, we found out that there was 20% off the shoes she wanted, which did help, as it saved me £10. Paying £40 is still a lot, but is a lot easier to stomach than £50.
Next on her Xmas list, was a visit to Urban Outfitters for a velvet pantsuit that she wants to wear to a New Year's Eve Party. They didn't have it in the colour she wanted (black), but a member of staff in the changing rooms, kindly advised us that we could order it at the till and have it sent by Express mail to our address for free. I happily took them up on this offer, as it saved me the postage which would probably be at least £4 or £5 and we got it the next day. The staff were so nice and helpful. I was really impressed by the customer service.
Another job we needed to do was to get LB a fringe trim. Supercuts obliged us for less than £10 including the tip, although the wait was a little long, but at least it got done and she can see properly again.
I bought a few other bits, namely some toiletries for LB and myself, another school skirt for LB from Primark which cost £1. (Down from £2.50). Such a bargain.
I also bought myself this orange leopard print skirt from Primark, which I'm hoping to wear for work with black tights and boots. It's a little shorter than I would normally wear, but I really like it and it was only £10. If I bottle it, LB will be happy to wear it.
All in all it was a very successful outing with LB's two main presents bought. The remaining things on the list are small stocking fillers and cash, although I may surprise her with something that she's not expecting just to keep a little bit of the surprise in Christmas.
I now just need to focus on getting OH to write me a list, so that I can get some of his presents bought, as I don't want to be rushing around at the last minute, especially when work will be very busy in the lead up to Christmas.
How's your Christmas shopping coming along?
First stop was Office for some new Converse trainers. I have to admit that I find it very difficult to spend £50 on a pair of trainers, knowing that you are mainly paying for the branding, but this was what she wanted and not wanting to be a curmudgeon at Christmas, I agreed to buy some for her. Thankfully, when we were in the store, we found out that there was 20% off the shoes she wanted, which did help, as it saved me £10. Paying £40 is still a lot, but is a lot easier to stomach than £50.
Next on her Xmas list, was a visit to Urban Outfitters for a velvet pantsuit that she wants to wear to a New Year's Eve Party. They didn't have it in the colour she wanted (black), but a member of staff in the changing rooms, kindly advised us that we could order it at the till and have it sent by Express mail to our address for free. I happily took them up on this offer, as it saved me the postage which would probably be at least £4 or £5 and we got it the next day. The staff were so nice and helpful. I was really impressed by the customer service.
Another job we needed to do was to get LB a fringe trim. Supercuts obliged us for less than £10 including the tip, although the wait was a little long, but at least it got done and she can see properly again.
I bought a few other bits, namely some toiletries for LB and myself, another school skirt for LB from Primark which cost £1. (Down from £2.50). Such a bargain.
I also bought myself this orange leopard print skirt from Primark, which I'm hoping to wear for work with black tights and boots. It's a little shorter than I would normally wear, but I really like it and it was only £10. If I bottle it, LB will be happy to wear it.
All in all it was a very successful outing with LB's two main presents bought. The remaining things on the list are small stocking fillers and cash, although I may surprise her with something that she's not expecting just to keep a little bit of the surprise in Christmas.
I now just need to focus on getting OH to write me a list, so that I can get some of his presents bought, as I don't want to be rushing around at the last minute, especially when work will be very busy in the lead up to Christmas.
How's your Christmas shopping coming along?
Wednesday 24 October 2018
Day 3 - Tuesday
Day three of my week's leave and the day started with a lie in. OH took the dog out for a walk before he headed off up to Yorkshire to see his parents. LB and I didn't go, as LB had originally arranged to go to a concert this evening, which subsequently got cancelled, but then made an arrangement with a friend which also got cancelled, in any case she was also focussing on her revision, so we stayed put.
I finished reading my current book in bed, before getting up and doing the usual of emptying the dishwasher, having breakfast and catching up with bits and pieces online. Whilst doing this, I also put some fruit in a pan to make some jam and it was finished by the time I was ready to go upstairs and get ready. It made just one jar, but it will keep us going for a while.
Today, my plan was to do some cleaning. With some smaller outstanding tasks having been taken care of yesterday and Sunday, the way was cleared to get stuck into some proper housework. As I'd cleaned the rooms downstairs recently, I decided to start with the upstairs and work my way down through the house, so I began in our bedroom.
I didn't intend to initially, but ended up doing a very deep clean of the room, which hadn't been done in over a year. I removed everything from the shelves and wiped them clean. They all had quite a thick layer of dust on them. I went through all of the books and decided to part with yet more, probably a dozen or so went onto the donation pile. I also decided to donate a few jigsaws too, that we bought years ago and probably won't do again. Then I vacuumed and mopped the wooden floor before vacuuming my way down the stairs. I omitted LB's room, which I will do later in the week when she goes out. I also cleaned, vacuumed and mopped the hallway, vestibule and downstairs toilet.
Whilst cleaning the hallway, I decided to sweep up the fallen leaves from the front path and gave the front door a bit of a clean too. Then it was time to take the dog out, so I called it a day on the cleaning. I did feel that I got quite a lot done today though, and was pretty pleased with my progress. It feels so good to get to grips with some areas of the house, that haven't been tackled for way too long.
Tomorrow, I'm going to head out to our local mall with LB to do some shopping. It will be nice to go out and about together and make the most of our time off work and school. Cleaning will have to be resumed later in the week.
I finished reading my current book in bed, before getting up and doing the usual of emptying the dishwasher, having breakfast and catching up with bits and pieces online. Whilst doing this, I also put some fruit in a pan to make some jam and it was finished by the time I was ready to go upstairs and get ready. It made just one jar, but it will keep us going for a while.
Today, my plan was to do some cleaning. With some smaller outstanding tasks having been taken care of yesterday and Sunday, the way was cleared to get stuck into some proper housework. As I'd cleaned the rooms downstairs recently, I decided to start with the upstairs and work my way down through the house, so I began in our bedroom.
I didn't intend to initially, but ended up doing a very deep clean of the room, which hadn't been done in over a year. I removed everything from the shelves and wiped them clean. They all had quite a thick layer of dust on them. I went through all of the books and decided to part with yet more, probably a dozen or so went onto the donation pile. I also decided to donate a few jigsaws too, that we bought years ago and probably won't do again. Then I vacuumed and mopped the wooden floor before vacuuming my way down the stairs. I omitted LB's room, which I will do later in the week when she goes out. I also cleaned, vacuumed and mopped the hallway, vestibule and downstairs toilet.
Whilst cleaning the hallway, I decided to sweep up the fallen leaves from the front path and gave the front door a bit of a clean too. Then it was time to take the dog out, so I called it a day on the cleaning. I did feel that I got quite a lot done today though, and was pretty pleased with my progress. It feels so good to get to grips with some areas of the house, that haven't been tackled for way too long.
Tomorrow, I'm going to head out to our local mall with LB to do some shopping. It will be nice to go out and about together and make the most of our time off work and school. Cleaning will have to be resumed later in the week.
Tuesday 23 October 2018
Day Two - Monday
Day Two of my week off and I was up and out to the gym in the morning for a class. It wasn't my usual instructor, but I knew the person covering. I used to attend her classes a few years ago, but stopped for various reasons. Anyway, it made a change to do her class again. It was quite nostalgic in some ways.
OH came over to the gym with me and dropped me off. He was taking the dog to the vets nearby. It wasn't a straightforward visit. There's quite a few issues with her, one being she needs her teeth descaling under anaesthetic, two she's got a small lump on her chest, she appears to have a problem with her ear at the moment and the vet also found a problem with her eyes, so there's quite a bit going on with her that we need to get attended to, which is quite a concern. We're hoping none of it is serious, but I'm sure we'll find out if it is. I can see a month or so of repeated visits to the surgery to get her right. She seems okay in herself, but you never know with animals, they can't exactly tell you if they're in pain.
As soon as we got home, I headed out again to do the weekly grocery shop. It didn't take long and it was good to get home and know I didn't need to venture far for the rest of the day. I spent the afternoon attending to food in the fridge/freezer.
I'm trying to use up as much of the contents of the fridge/freezer as I can this week, for a couple of reasons. The first being the freezer needs defrosting and the second being that I want to start getting bits in for Christmas, so I want to use up stuff that's been hanging around for a while and that I've been avoiding using. As a consequence, I got out some puff pastry to make some flaky mince pies and some red berries to make some more jam, both of which I'll do later in the week and I used up some chicken thighs to make OH and I a nice hearty casserole for supper.
I'm trying to use up as much of the contents of the fridge/freezer as I can this week, for a couple of reasons. The first being the freezer needs defrosting and the second being that I want to start getting bits in for Christmas, so I want to use up stuff that's been hanging around for a while and that I've been avoiding using. As a consequence, I got out some puff pastry to make some flaky mince pies and some red berries to make some more jam, both of which I'll do later in the week and I used up some chicken thighs to make OH and I a nice hearty casserole for supper.
There was also some lamb hearts and chicken livers in the fridge that I'd bought for the dog, which I fried up with some vegetables, as they were going out of date. It felt good to be able to use them up rather than have to throw them out. The dog was happy too, as she got one of her favourite suppers.
Once I'd finished cooking, I did some shredding that's been building up, and put away the laundry from my marathon ironing session on Sunday, then finally I did some online banking, which I haven't done for a couple of weeks. A productive day. No cleaning yet, but I'm working my way around to it. I'll keep you posted on progress there.
Monday 22 October 2018
A Lazy Sunday
Sunday, was the first day of my week off for half term. I hadn't managed to book my usual gym class, so it was lovely to be able to stay in bed, read my current book, get up in a leisurely manner and have a leisurely breakfast/dog walk, before deciding what to do with my day.
It was especially sweet on the back of working the previous four days. I'd gone in on one of my days off to do a few errands, that wouldn't otherwise be done this side of Christmas, due to lack of volunteers. One involved getting lots of donated foreign currency changed into sterling to boost the coffers, so it was a worthwhile thing to go in for, as it raised quite a bit more money than we anticipated. We tend to do this once or twice a year, so it builds up to quite a good amount.
Anyway, work aside, I'm looking forward to my week off. I intend to spend some time on my house and do some much needed cleaning. I've really let things slip lately and feel I need to get it back under control. LB and I are not going away, so I should have plenty of time to do it. I might even get out into the garden and onto the allotment.
Talking of the allotment, I got notified that I'd won a prize for my plot this year in the Allotment Association Awards. It was as Best Newcomer on a small site. Bearing in mind that I've now had the plot 2 or 3 years, and had a bigger plot with the same association for 8 or 9 years before that, it seems a strange award, but I don't want to sound ungrateful, because it's nice to get any recognition for the work we've put in and the £10 National Garden Centre Voucher I received yesterday was a bonus that I will enjoy spending. OH suggested that I won because he had been working on the plot this year. Typical!
LB is, of course, off school this week, it being half term. She's had a busy week attending meetings about Sixth Forms and going on school trips to the theatre, so she's ready for a break and wants to try to get herself organised with regard to her upcoming revision for GCSEs. A week of down time at home should help, although OH is going up to Yorkshire for a couple of days to see his parents, as his father isn't too well.
Anyway, the rest of Sunday I spent catching up on Saturday night's Strictly (whilst ironing), doing laundry, planning and preparing supper and watching reruns of Pride and Prejudice (the series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle) It was very enjoyable.
It was especially sweet on the back of working the previous four days. I'd gone in on one of my days off to do a few errands, that wouldn't otherwise be done this side of Christmas, due to lack of volunteers. One involved getting lots of donated foreign currency changed into sterling to boost the coffers, so it was a worthwhile thing to go in for, as it raised quite a bit more money than we anticipated. We tend to do this once or twice a year, so it builds up to quite a good amount.
Anyway, work aside, I'm looking forward to my week off. I intend to spend some time on my house and do some much needed cleaning. I've really let things slip lately and feel I need to get it back under control. LB and I are not going away, so I should have plenty of time to do it. I might even get out into the garden and onto the allotment.
Talking of the allotment, I got notified that I'd won a prize for my plot this year in the Allotment Association Awards. It was as Best Newcomer on a small site. Bearing in mind that I've now had the plot 2 or 3 years, and had a bigger plot with the same association for 8 or 9 years before that, it seems a strange award, but I don't want to sound ungrateful, because it's nice to get any recognition for the work we've put in and the £10 National Garden Centre Voucher I received yesterday was a bonus that I will enjoy spending. OH suggested that I won because he had been working on the plot this year. Typical!
LB is, of course, off school this week, it being half term. She's had a busy week attending meetings about Sixth Forms and going on school trips to the theatre, so she's ready for a break and wants to try to get herself organised with regard to her upcoming revision for GCSEs. A week of down time at home should help, although OH is going up to Yorkshire for a couple of days to see his parents, as his father isn't too well.
Anyway, the rest of Sunday I spent catching up on Saturday night's Strictly (whilst ironing), doing laundry, planning and preparing supper and watching reruns of Pride and Prejudice (the series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle) It was very enjoyable.
Tuesday 16 October 2018
Sewing Again
Since rearranging our living rooms, I've been considering purchasing some new cushions for the large sofa that now resides in the front room. The sofa is so large that it really requires either super large cushions or lots of them, for them not to appear insignificant.
Here's what the sofa looked like after I'd changed the room around. As you can see, the cushions on there look dwarfed by the sofa.
I considered buying two beautiful designer cushions from work. They had been donated a few months ago and were in perfect, unused condition. They were also made of designer fabric, a silk print to the front and lovely cotton velvet to the back. The only trouble was, they were £40 each. I know this sounds a lot, but originally they were £135 new, so they would still be a good buy.
The Manager put them aside for me and I thought about it for a couple of days, but when push came to shove, I just couldn't bring myself to spend £80 on two cushions, that might get ruined within weeks, by having wine or food dropped on them or chocolate smudged into them. We're a messy lot here.
In the end I put them back on sale in the shop and decided I'd get some cheap ones from IKEA instead, then it wouldn't matter so much if they got dirty or damaged.
Anyway, this morning, whilst out with the dog I decided to try to make some new cushions. Goodness knows I've got enough fabric, and I also had some brand new cushion inserts that I'd bought to make some cushions as presents, but never got around to doing.
I had a good look through all of my fabric stash and was really struggling to either find fabrics that went well together to make the front and back of the cushions, or that I liked enough to have in the living room. In the end, I decided to make the whole cushion covers from just one fabric. I didn't make them removable as I didn't feel like fitting zips or making envelopes, so I just folded one side, sewed two sides using the machine and closed the final side by hand. The cushion inserts are polyester, so the whole thing can be washed along with the cover when needed.
Here's a picture of the new cushions.
They still looked pretty small for the sofa, but the colour matched the room much better, as one wall is painted in a teal colour and there are lots of gold picture frames and a gold lamp in the room. As a consequence of not feeling the look was quite complete, I headed out this afternoon and bought some large plain teal faux velvet cushions to accompany them. They cost £12.99 each from TKMAXX and I'm much happier with the overall look now. What do you think?
I now can't wait to get my new sofa covers that I ordered at the weekend. They were supposed to be arriving in 4 or 5 weeks, but I think they've now been delayed a month, due to the fabric being out of stock again. I'm hoping they come before Christmas, but if they don't it doesn't matter too much as we're not having visitors or anything as far as I know.
This was a much better solution than spending so much money on designer cushions, although it would have gone to a good cause. Whilst I had the sewing machine out, I also altered a couple of scarves to make them into infinity scarves, so I now have two new scarves ready to wear when I next reach for them.
It felt quite good to get back to sewing again. I don't feel like I want to attempt anything too difficult though, as I don't have enough free time these days, but just making something that is useful felt good. It did make me realise though, that I have lots of fabric that I am probably never going to use for one reason or another, so I can feel a big cull coming on at some point in the future. I'll keep you posted on that when it happens.
Here's what the sofa looked like after I'd changed the room around. As you can see, the cushions on there look dwarfed by the sofa.
I considered buying two beautiful designer cushions from work. They had been donated a few months ago and were in perfect, unused condition. They were also made of designer fabric, a silk print to the front and lovely cotton velvet to the back. The only trouble was, they were £40 each. I know this sounds a lot, but originally they were £135 new, so they would still be a good buy.
The Manager put them aside for me and I thought about it for a couple of days, but when push came to shove, I just couldn't bring myself to spend £80 on two cushions, that might get ruined within weeks, by having wine or food dropped on them or chocolate smudged into them. We're a messy lot here.
In the end I put them back on sale in the shop and decided I'd get some cheap ones from IKEA instead, then it wouldn't matter so much if they got dirty or damaged.
Anyway, this morning, whilst out with the dog I decided to try to make some new cushions. Goodness knows I've got enough fabric, and I also had some brand new cushion inserts that I'd bought to make some cushions as presents, but never got around to doing.
I had a good look through all of my fabric stash and was really struggling to either find fabrics that went well together to make the front and back of the cushions, or that I liked enough to have in the living room. In the end, I decided to make the whole cushion covers from just one fabric. I didn't make them removable as I didn't feel like fitting zips or making envelopes, so I just folded one side, sewed two sides using the machine and closed the final side by hand. The cushion inserts are polyester, so the whole thing can be washed along with the cover when needed.
Here's a picture of the new cushions.
They still looked pretty small for the sofa, but the colour matched the room much better, as one wall is painted in a teal colour and there are lots of gold picture frames and a gold lamp in the room. As a consequence of not feeling the look was quite complete, I headed out this afternoon and bought some large plain teal faux velvet cushions to accompany them. They cost £12.99 each from TKMAXX and I'm much happier with the overall look now. What do you think?
I now can't wait to get my new sofa covers that I ordered at the weekend. They were supposed to be arriving in 4 or 5 weeks, but I think they've now been delayed a month, due to the fabric being out of stock again. I'm hoping they come before Christmas, but if they don't it doesn't matter too much as we're not having visitors or anything as far as I know.
This was a much better solution than spending so much money on designer cushions, although it would have gone to a good cause. Whilst I had the sewing machine out, I also altered a couple of scarves to make them into infinity scarves, so I now have two new scarves ready to wear when I next reach for them.
It felt quite good to get back to sewing again. I don't feel like I want to attempt anything too difficult though, as I don't have enough free time these days, but just making something that is useful felt good. It did make me realise though, that I have lots of fabric that I am probably never going to use for one reason or another, so I can feel a big cull coming on at some point in the future. I'll keep you posted on that when it happens.
Friday 12 October 2018
The Birthday Post
Well, it was my birthday yesterday, I won't say how old. I woke up to a small pile of cards and a few presents from OH which was lovely. Plus a small birthday cake. (There's only three of us so a big cake just isn't necessary)
I should be okay for chocolate and spirits for a little while now. Perfect presents for me.
Anyway, by about 9.45am we were ready to go out for my Birthday Day Out (we wanted to miss peak commute times on the train due to having the dog with us) and headed up to the local train station. Here's the dog sat patiently waiting for the train.
A quick 20 minute train ride and we were 2 minutes walk from Hampstead Heath.
We walked up the infamous Parliament Hill to see the amazing views of the City and Central London. It was a bit hazy, but you could still make out he major landmarks such as the BT Tower, St Pauls, the Gherkin, the Shard, etc. etc.
Some of the foliage on the trees was starting to turn very autumnal. In a few weeks I imagine they will be even more colourful.
After a walk back down and over the lake, we headed into Hampstead itself.
We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant and I had a lovely (but very overpriced) salad. Hampstead is a lovely part of London, with it's high street full of very expensive shops and boutiques, but it is way too expensive for us to afford to live and shop there.
I took the opportunity to visit a local branch of the charity shop I work for and had a good chat to the Manager there, who I've met before. It's always interesting to see other shops in our group and see how they are laid out. This particular shop was very boutique like which impressed me. Very different to our shop.
I bought a few bits whilst I was in there.
Firstly, and a great bargain at £4.99, was this wicker Christmas Tree skirt. These cost quite a lot more in John Lewis, so I was happy to carry this all the way home on the train at that price. I'm looking forward to trying it out this Christmas.
Secondly, I bought two packs of these Christmas gift bags at 99p for 3. These will be perfect for my homemade selection boxes/bags.
Finally, another jigsaw came home with me, which was priced at just 99p because it hadn't been checked, and was a steal. I don't mind if there's a piece or two missing, it's more about having something to concentrate on to wind down after work, than actually completing it. Sometimes, I also find some jigsaws don't actually appeal once I get started on them, so if this were the case with this one, I've lost very little money by trying it.
After a cup of tea and a cake we headed home, but had a bit of a disaster on the way back. OH left his phone on the platform and we didn't discover it was missing until we got off at our local station. Luckily, I called it and someone had handed it in to another station further down the line, so OH headed back to collect it, grateful that he wouldn't have the hassle of buying himself another one. It was reassuring to know that there are still plenty of honest people in London.
Later that night we headed out for supper with LB to a local tapas restaurant, which was a nice treat. We called in at a bookshop on the way home and OH bought me a book I've wanted for a while called A Life Less Throwaway by Tara Button. I think it may have been recommended by one of you guys. I'll let you know how I get on with it.
Thursday 11 October 2018
Changing up the Living Spaces
As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I finally got around to some much needed housework on Wednesday. I had a good deep clean and change around of our living spaces. They've been laid out in the same way for a good 5 or more years and I wanted to try something a bit different.
As a bit of background, we live in a London Victorian terraced house and they are renowned for having narrow rooms. As a consequence, we bought small sofas about 7 or 8 years ago, so that they would fit easily into the space. Unfortunately, they're not the most comfortable things, as you can't lay out on them easily due to them being small two seaters.
Here's a picture of our front living room as it was:
We've had this 4 seater IKEA sofa more than 15 years, but we relegated it to the back living room due to it's size and the condition of it's covers. Lately, after having slept on it a few times when I had insomnia and couldn't get to sleep upstairs, I got to thinking that it would be nice to put it in the front living room and be able to lie out on it whilst watching TV.
I found some replacement covers (it's been discontinued at IKEA) that can be bought online and I'm just waiting for the fabric I like to come back into stock and I'll be ordering a set. They're not cheap at £339, but I know that they will transform the sofa and we'll be able to keep it for years yet. A much better option than sending it to landfill.
Anyway, whilst cleaning these rooms, I decided to try a new layout, with the old sofa in the front room and the two small sofas in the back. It would mean us keeping the bikes outside in the back garden, but we would be putting them there anyway in the winter, so that we can use the wood burning stove.
It was a big job cleaning both rooms, as it hadn't been done for a few months and everything was very dusty and dirty. Eventually, though I got it how I wanted it and this is the new layout of the front room, from both ends:
The armchair was the dogs chair, but on account of the grey chair being so uncomfortable to sit in, I took the loose covers off it and it will now be great for us to sit in and watch TV. The dog will have to make do with her basket or the other chair.
Once I get my new sofa covers, which will hopefully be navy blue, I will be buying a new winged armchair in a plain colour. This one was bought for OH's dad to sit in when they came to visit a few Christmas's ago, but he never used it. It's pretty cheap, as it was the only thing I could get delivered from eBay in time for their arrival, so it will probably find it's way to the Give and Take when I get a better one. The grey chair in the window is an IKEA bargain corner find which also might find it's way there too, which will simplify things somewhat.
With a bit of imagination, some new sofa cushions (larger and co-ordinating ones) you can just about imagine this room looking a lot cosier. In the meantime we can make sure we like the new layout before we commit to any expenditure.
The back room now looks like this:
It will be a nice place to sit in front of the wood burner and read or listen to music. I got the wood basket, coal scuttle and fire companion set out of the shed in readiness for the weather getting colder, so we're now all set. I have to admit that this room will not stay uncluttered, as I will still be drying my washing in here and there will be an ironing basket or two hanging around too, but it should still be a usable space.
I'll let you know how we get on with the new layout over the next few weeks. Do you ever just feel like a change? Sometimes, it can really make a difference to how you feel about your home.
As a bit of background, we live in a London Victorian terraced house and they are renowned for having narrow rooms. As a consequence, we bought small sofas about 7 or 8 years ago, so that they would fit easily into the space. Unfortunately, they're not the most comfortable things, as you can't lay out on them easily due to them being small two seaters.
Here's a picture of our front living room as it was:
There was also a preponderance of side tables in the room, three to be exact, which take up way too much space and make the room seem a little cluttered.
The back living room looked like this:
We use this room to store the bikes and I also use it to dry washing and do the ironing whilst watching TV. You will be able to see a large beige sofa to the right hand side of the room.
I found some replacement covers (it's been discontinued at IKEA) that can be bought online and I'm just waiting for the fabric I like to come back into stock and I'll be ordering a set. They're not cheap at £339, but I know that they will transform the sofa and we'll be able to keep it for years yet. A much better option than sending it to landfill.
Anyway, whilst cleaning these rooms, I decided to try a new layout, with the old sofa in the front room and the two small sofas in the back. It would mean us keeping the bikes outside in the back garden, but we would be putting them there anyway in the winter, so that we can use the wood burning stove.
It was a big job cleaning both rooms, as it hadn't been done for a few months and everything was very dusty and dirty. Eventually, though I got it how I wanted it and this is the new layout of the front room, from both ends:
Once I get my new sofa covers, which will hopefully be navy blue, I will be buying a new winged armchair in a plain colour. This one was bought for OH's dad to sit in when they came to visit a few Christmas's ago, but he never used it. It's pretty cheap, as it was the only thing I could get delivered from eBay in time for their arrival, so it will probably find it's way to the Give and Take when I get a better one. The grey chair in the window is an IKEA bargain corner find which also might find it's way there too, which will simplify things somewhat.
With a bit of imagination, some new sofa cushions (larger and co-ordinating ones) you can just about imagine this room looking a lot cosier. In the meantime we can make sure we like the new layout before we commit to any expenditure.
The back room now looks like this:
It will be a nice place to sit in front of the wood burner and read or listen to music. I got the wood basket, coal scuttle and fire companion set out of the shed in readiness for the weather getting colder, so we're now all set. I have to admit that this room will not stay uncluttered, as I will still be drying my washing in here and there will be an ironing basket or two hanging around too, but it should still be a usable space.
I'll let you know how we get on with the new layout over the next few weeks. Do you ever just feel like a change? Sometimes, it can really make a difference to how you feel about your home.
Wednesday 10 October 2018
Enjoying Some Time at Home
I've been enjoying some time at home this last few days, as I've had a whole four days off work. It feels lovely. It's taken two days to get into the right frame of mind, one day on which I did all of the grocery shopping and went to a gym class and one day on which I finally did some ironing, but today I'm actually going to do some house work, which is definitely progress.
I'm feeling like I want to stay close to home at the moment and appreciate my own four walls. Partly because of recent events mentioned in my last post, which makes me appreciate our house and want to look after it and partly because I got another 'ticking off' at work last week and just feel 'stuff that'. I'd rather be at home with my family, spending my time and energy with them and making our home a nice place to be. I'm starting in the living and dining room, as it's a bit of a mess and hasn't been tackled for a good few months I'm ashamed to say. I want to get it ready for autumn/winter by clearing out the bikes and getting the log basket out again for when we want to start lighting a fire in the wood burner.
I'm also thinking of having a bit of a change around of some of the furniture, as I'm intending to get a new cover for an old but huge sofa we have in the dining room, which is much more roomy and comfortable than the ones we currently have in the living room. I want to move it in there and see how it looks and works for us, preferably before I order the cover, which is going to be quite expensive, but definitely worth it to get more use out of the sofa and create a cosier and more comfortable space.
I had a lovely lazy afternoon in the living room yesterday, watching movies on Netflix, partly whilst ironing, and partly whilst just chilling out, as everyone was out of the house. It was a lovely self-indulgent afternoon and a bit of Bridget Jones and Ben Stiller never hurt anyone did it?
I started today with a lovely long dog walk, one I've not done for a while, as I always seem to rushing off to the gym or to work and can't take the time for us to go for a good long walk. The dog has got quite lazy as a consequence and was a bit reluctant today, but I think she enjoyed visiting some old haunts for a change. We went walking by the local horse stables, which always feels like a lovely rural walk when you live in London, as you don't see many people and there's lots of wildlife, so it was a nice start to the day.
Tomorrow is my birthday. OH wanted to take me into town to do some shopping for it, but you know what, I just don't want anything in particular at the moment and as I work in Central London now, a day in town doesn't have the same appeal. I decided I'd rather take our dog for a nice walk somewhere where we rarely go such as Hampstead Heath, and then go for coffee and a cake afterwards, before coming home and going out for supper with LB. It might sound a bit strange and ungrateful, but what's the point of buying stuff just for the sake of it. A nice card, a bottle of gin, some chocolates and a book will suit me just fine and if he wants to give me money on top, that would be gratefully received, as I'd rather spend it in the shop at work on a few bits that catch my eye, rather than going around the big stores in town.
Talking of shopping, I have been doing a bit more Christmas shopping this week alongside grocery shopping. Just a few bits here and there, some from the CS (consumables mainly), but I'm not really in the mind set for going out spending money on anything else. I've decided to make my own selection boxes this year as they can be such a rip off and quite disappointing when you look inside. I need to buy them for at least four for children in the family, so I've been buying multipacks of different chocolate bars and I'm going to box them up in pretty Christmas gift boxes. This way, they'll actually get more in their box and with less plastic packaging. Hopefully they won't mind.
I did buy one other non Christmas thing on eBay this week. Isn't eBay just a wonderful thing?
I've needed a new toilet roll holder insert for a while, as ours was broken and held together by sellotape. I like our ceramic toilet roll holder, which was in the house when we moved in 10+ years ago and I didn't want to replace it. For £1.89, it is now like new and ready to go for another 10 years. I know it's a strange thing to post about, but these small victories are often the most satisfying. I could have spent ages wandering around numerous shops looking for one of these things, if it hadn't been for eBay. It's still a great place to find obscure necessities. I love it.
Finally, I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. I'm sorry it was a bit of a rant, but I guess I just needed to vent my frustrations. I'm trying not to tar everyone asking me for money with the same brush, but you were all so supportive and I really appreciate it. I know I'm very lucky and I do appreciate my lot in life and I know life is a lot harder for some people who aren't as fortunate. I'm trying hard to be mindful of this.
Anyway, I hope you're all having a good week. I'll try to do a birthday post if I get chance.
I'm feeling like I want to stay close to home at the moment and appreciate my own four walls. Partly because of recent events mentioned in my last post, which makes me appreciate our house and want to look after it and partly because I got another 'ticking off' at work last week and just feel 'stuff that'. I'd rather be at home with my family, spending my time and energy with them and making our home a nice place to be. I'm starting in the living and dining room, as it's a bit of a mess and hasn't been tackled for a good few months I'm ashamed to say. I want to get it ready for autumn/winter by clearing out the bikes and getting the log basket out again for when we want to start lighting a fire in the wood burner.
I'm also thinking of having a bit of a change around of some of the furniture, as I'm intending to get a new cover for an old but huge sofa we have in the dining room, which is much more roomy and comfortable than the ones we currently have in the living room. I want to move it in there and see how it looks and works for us, preferably before I order the cover, which is going to be quite expensive, but definitely worth it to get more use out of the sofa and create a cosier and more comfortable space.
I had a lovely lazy afternoon in the living room yesterday, watching movies on Netflix, partly whilst ironing, and partly whilst just chilling out, as everyone was out of the house. It was a lovely self-indulgent afternoon and a bit of Bridget Jones and Ben Stiller never hurt anyone did it?
I started today with a lovely long dog walk, one I've not done for a while, as I always seem to rushing off to the gym or to work and can't take the time for us to go for a good long walk. The dog has got quite lazy as a consequence and was a bit reluctant today, but I think she enjoyed visiting some old haunts for a change. We went walking by the local horse stables, which always feels like a lovely rural walk when you live in London, as you don't see many people and there's lots of wildlife, so it was a nice start to the day.
Tomorrow is my birthday. OH wanted to take me into town to do some shopping for it, but you know what, I just don't want anything in particular at the moment and as I work in Central London now, a day in town doesn't have the same appeal. I decided I'd rather take our dog for a nice walk somewhere where we rarely go such as Hampstead Heath, and then go for coffee and a cake afterwards, before coming home and going out for supper with LB. It might sound a bit strange and ungrateful, but what's the point of buying stuff just for the sake of it. A nice card, a bottle of gin, some chocolates and a book will suit me just fine and if he wants to give me money on top, that would be gratefully received, as I'd rather spend it in the shop at work on a few bits that catch my eye, rather than going around the big stores in town.
Talking of shopping, I have been doing a bit more Christmas shopping this week alongside grocery shopping. Just a few bits here and there, some from the CS (consumables mainly), but I'm not really in the mind set for going out spending money on anything else. I've decided to make my own selection boxes this year as they can be such a rip off and quite disappointing when you look inside. I need to buy them for at least four for children in the family, so I've been buying multipacks of different chocolate bars and I'm going to box them up in pretty Christmas gift boxes. This way, they'll actually get more in their box and with less plastic packaging. Hopefully they won't mind.
I did buy one other non Christmas thing on eBay this week. Isn't eBay just a wonderful thing?
I've needed a new toilet roll holder insert for a while, as ours was broken and held together by sellotape. I like our ceramic toilet roll holder, which was in the house when we moved in 10+ years ago and I didn't want to replace it. For £1.89, it is now like new and ready to go for another 10 years. I know it's a strange thing to post about, but these small victories are often the most satisfying. I could have spent ages wandering around numerous shops looking for one of these things, if it hadn't been for eBay. It's still a great place to find obscure necessities. I love it.
Finally, I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. I'm sorry it was a bit of a rant, but I guess I just needed to vent my frustrations. I'm trying not to tar everyone asking me for money with the same brush, but you were all so supportive and I really appreciate it. I know I'm very lucky and I do appreciate my lot in life and I know life is a lot harder for some people who aren't as fortunate. I'm trying hard to be mindful of this.
Anyway, I hope you're all having a good week. I'll try to do a birthday post if I get chance.
Saturday 6 October 2018
Unintentional Decluttering
Yesterday, another item left our home. Unfortunately, it didn't do so by intention. Whilst doing some errands on our local high street, someone stole my bike. My favourite bike that I really love. Just to qualify, I have two, a very old battered one, that I usually use so that no-one steals my favourite one. That much dreaded occurrence happened yesterday and I can still hardly believe it.
It was locked up with a decent lock, which went through both tyres and around the frame as well as the bike stand. I can only think that someone cut through the lock with bolt cutters and made off with it in the middle of a busy high street with hundreds of people milling around.
I was gutted when I came back to find it gone. I know it's not the end of the world, but I loved that bike, OH used it regularly to get around to jobs and we take care of our things, even when they aren't very expensive. I won't easily be able to replace it, as it is no longer sold by the company I bought it from. My only hope is to find another on eBay, so I've set up a search already.
I reported it to the Police, and despite checking out CCTV images of the area, although not ones in the immediate vicinity, as they obviously weren't working, the case was immediately closed, so nothing further will be done. I have a crime reference number to claim on our home insurance policy, but with it only being worth £100, why should I have to and risk a higher premium next year.
It makes me so angry, that certain people think that the world owes them a dishonest living stealing other peoples' possessions. I'm not interested in their self-deluded excuses that there are no opportunities for them in this life. They choose to steal, instead of earning an honest living. I may sound unsympathetic, but they are making a lifestyle choice and victimising others into the process. They are the lowest of the low in my eyes.
Yes, I can afford to replace my bike, should I chose to, and I am lucky to have two bikes, albeit neither being expensive ones, but that doesn't mean I deserve to have one stolen or that anyone else is entitled to help themselves to my possessions. I see it everyday at work, and now on my days off too. I'm fast becoming very, very cynical about the world in which we live.
From now on, I refuse to even go to said high street at all. I'm tired of being accosted by drunks and drug takers on the streets and public transport, wanting me to give them money to indulge their addictions, I'm tired of thieves who come into the shop and who operate in our community, who expect everyone else to cough up for them to live the life they want. I may work for a charity, but even the limit of my charitable feelings is being stretched at the moment. Something needs to change and soon. I won't be giving them the opportunity to make me a victim anymore, if I can possibly help it.
It was locked up with a decent lock, which went through both tyres and around the frame as well as the bike stand. I can only think that someone cut through the lock with bolt cutters and made off with it in the middle of a busy high street with hundreds of people milling around.
I was gutted when I came back to find it gone. I know it's not the end of the world, but I loved that bike, OH used it regularly to get around to jobs and we take care of our things, even when they aren't very expensive. I won't easily be able to replace it, as it is no longer sold by the company I bought it from. My only hope is to find another on eBay, so I've set up a search already.
I reported it to the Police, and despite checking out CCTV images of the area, although not ones in the immediate vicinity, as they obviously weren't working, the case was immediately closed, so nothing further will be done. I have a crime reference number to claim on our home insurance policy, but with it only being worth £100, why should I have to and risk a higher premium next year.
It makes me so angry, that certain people think that the world owes them a dishonest living stealing other peoples' possessions. I'm not interested in their self-deluded excuses that there are no opportunities for them in this life. They choose to steal, instead of earning an honest living. I may sound unsympathetic, but they are making a lifestyle choice and victimising others into the process. They are the lowest of the low in my eyes.
Yes, I can afford to replace my bike, should I chose to, and I am lucky to have two bikes, albeit neither being expensive ones, but that doesn't mean I deserve to have one stolen or that anyone else is entitled to help themselves to my possessions. I see it everyday at work, and now on my days off too. I'm fast becoming very, very cynical about the world in which we live.
From now on, I refuse to even go to said high street at all. I'm tired of being accosted by drunks and drug takers on the streets and public transport, wanting me to give them money to indulge their addictions, I'm tired of thieves who come into the shop and who operate in our community, who expect everyone else to cough up for them to live the life they want. I may work for a charity, but even the limit of my charitable feelings is being stretched at the moment. Something needs to change and soon. I won't be giving them the opportunity to make me a victim anymore, if I can possibly help it.
Friday 5 October 2018
The Week So Far
It's been another busy week at work. This week, I worked my three days all in a row, which is extra tiring, but it's good to get them done and have a couple of days off. I've mainly been catching up with work that was put on the backburner whilst the manager was on leave, as I just couldn't physically do everything that I would normally do. I'm getting back on top of it though, slowly but surely.
It's been a bit harder to get to work for the last couple of days, due to a burst water main on one of the main routes into London, which has been causing traffic chaos on my bus route. It's meant quite a bit more walking, to get to bus stops that are unaffected by the gridlock it has caused or to get home due to buses being diverted to avoid the gridlock. Not an enjoyable week in terms of travel. I was so pleased to get home last night, knowing that I don't have to go anywhere for the next two days.
On the home front, little has been done this week in terms of housework, save for trying to catch up with laundry that built up while the manager was away and I didn't have the energy to keep on top of. OH has, however, finished fitting the new kitchen cupboard fronts, so we finally have our kitchen refresh finished (save for buying a new fridge/freezer and microwave). I need to give the kitchen a thorough clean and then I'll post the new look, although it's not that different from how it was before, as the cupboard fronts are just a slightly different colour.
Family wise, it's come to that time when we need to start thinking about Sixth Form options for LB, so in the next month or so, we are going to need to attend the open evenings of some of the schools in the area, so that LB can make a decision about the ones she wants to apply to. It's crazy that it only seems like yesterday that she started at Secondary school.
LB also wants to throw a Halloween party/sleepover for a dozen friends at our house this year, so I'm still mulling that one over before I give her the green light.
It's my birthday next week and I'm off work on the day, so I might arrange to do something nice to treat myself, although I'm not too bothered about celebrating it in any big way. We may just go out for something to eat in the evening. That would be nice.
In the next two days, (I'm back at work on Sunday), I need to do a top up shop and OH and I need to visit the allotment and start to clear it, harvest any remaining produce, dig up the potatoes that are still in and prepare it for the winter. There aren't a great deal of things still growing, so it shouldn't take too long. We also need to do a tip run (when the traffic abates) with the old kitchen cabinet doors and a few other things and we need to tidy the garden too if possible. In addition, of course, there's more laundry and some cleaning to do if I have the energy, otherwise it will keep until next week, when I'm off from Monday through to Thursday, which is a good long stretch, so I should have some energy to do more cleaning then.
In other news, I've started some Christmas shopping this week, buying a few small bits from the CS new products range to give as gifts. I've got my eye on a few other items that I could also buy as gifts, but I'm waiting to see what else comes in over the next few weeks before I take the plunge. I'm just not feeling shopping for things new on the high street anymore, I'd much rather buy things when I know that a charity is benefitting from my money, rather than large corporations that overproduce tat at this time of year.
I hope your guys are having a good week. Have you started to think about Christmas shopping yet or are you trying to avoid it for as long as you possibly can?
It's been a bit harder to get to work for the last couple of days, due to a burst water main on one of the main routes into London, which has been causing traffic chaos on my bus route. It's meant quite a bit more walking, to get to bus stops that are unaffected by the gridlock it has caused or to get home due to buses being diverted to avoid the gridlock. Not an enjoyable week in terms of travel. I was so pleased to get home last night, knowing that I don't have to go anywhere for the next two days.
On the home front, little has been done this week in terms of housework, save for trying to catch up with laundry that built up while the manager was away and I didn't have the energy to keep on top of. OH has, however, finished fitting the new kitchen cupboard fronts, so we finally have our kitchen refresh finished (save for buying a new fridge/freezer and microwave). I need to give the kitchen a thorough clean and then I'll post the new look, although it's not that different from how it was before, as the cupboard fronts are just a slightly different colour.
Family wise, it's come to that time when we need to start thinking about Sixth Form options for LB, so in the next month or so, we are going to need to attend the open evenings of some of the schools in the area, so that LB can make a decision about the ones she wants to apply to. It's crazy that it only seems like yesterday that she started at Secondary school.
LB also wants to throw a Halloween party/sleepover for a dozen friends at our house this year, so I'm still mulling that one over before I give her the green light.
It's my birthday next week and I'm off work on the day, so I might arrange to do something nice to treat myself, although I'm not too bothered about celebrating it in any big way. We may just go out for something to eat in the evening. That would be nice.
In the next two days, (I'm back at work on Sunday), I need to do a top up shop and OH and I need to visit the allotment and start to clear it, harvest any remaining produce, dig up the potatoes that are still in and prepare it for the winter. There aren't a great deal of things still growing, so it shouldn't take too long. We also need to do a tip run (when the traffic abates) with the old kitchen cabinet doors and a few other things and we need to tidy the garden too if possible. In addition, of course, there's more laundry and some cleaning to do if I have the energy, otherwise it will keep until next week, when I'm off from Monday through to Thursday, which is a good long stretch, so I should have some energy to do more cleaning then.
In other news, I've started some Christmas shopping this week, buying a few small bits from the CS new products range to give as gifts. I've got my eye on a few other items that I could also buy as gifts, but I'm waiting to see what else comes in over the next few weeks before I take the plunge. I'm just not feeling shopping for things new on the high street anymore, I'd much rather buy things when I know that a charity is benefitting from my money, rather than large corporations that overproduce tat at this time of year.
I hope your guys are having a good week. Have you started to think about Christmas shopping yet or are you trying to avoid it for as long as you possibly can?
Tuesday 2 October 2018
Earn/Save An Extra £2018 in 2018 - September
The results from this challenge have been continuously dwindling for several months now, and as you can see from this month's figures, they are really hardly worth posting about. As I can't actually see the results improving at all for the remainder of the year, this will be my last post on this challenge. I'm happy enough that I attempted it and that I've saved the money I have. I think a I was perhaps a little optimistic to hope I might save the full £2018 in 2018, but it was much more difficult than I thought in practice. Thank you for your support and comments on my efforts on this challenge. They were much appreciated.
Extra earnings and savings this month were as follows:
1) I earned £16.30 on eBay sales this month, once fees and postage had been taken out.
Total earned on eBay sales - £16.30.
2) Money found in the street whilst walking the dog - £0.40. (Every little bit helps)
Found money - £0.40
3) I used £2.50 worth of Nectar points in part payment for some groceries this month.
Money saved using accrued Nectar points - £2.50.
Total extra earnings/savings this month were £19.20, which when added to last month's total of £830.64, means my current total earnings/savings so far this year on this challenge are £849.84.
Extra earnings and savings this month were as follows:
1) I earned £16.30 on eBay sales this month, once fees and postage had been taken out.
Total earned on eBay sales - £16.30.
2) Money found in the street whilst walking the dog - £0.40. (Every little bit helps)
Found money - £0.40
3) I used £2.50 worth of Nectar points in part payment for some groceries this month.
Money saved using accrued Nectar points - £2.50.
Total extra earnings/savings this month were £19.20, which when added to last month's total of £830.64, means my current total earnings/savings so far this year on this challenge are £849.84.
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