greent's mfw journey

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Fingers crossed for the right thing coming along. Sounds like the other place was the wrong thing entirely.

greent

Job hunting is - to all intents and purposes - on the back burner until the NY now - realistically no one is looking for anyone atm.

OH's time at the moment is taken up anyway - we have mice in the garage. Thankfully the garage is set away from the house. We were reasonably happy with them being in there (the guinea pigs hutch is in there so there is a ready supply of food and sawdust) However, they have run riot - they are eating lots of things including in the garage loft - grr! As a result, OH is boarding out the mini loft in the house above the office and what was the utility (now part of the kitchen)- taking longer than we first thought as he is putting in more insulation and raising the board height (meaning we've had to buy insulation, loft legs and the boards) and a light up there (was totally unused by us) He's also putting insulation boards up in the rafters there, which should help with warmth (they are the 2 coldest rooms in the house) Anything which may be destroyed (but hasn't yet been!) will move up there. I've got the boxes (4) of hand me downs for DS2 and DS3 in and they are all fine (was a good opportunity to revisit them - a few items have come out and into their wardrobes and one went to rag bag as I hadn't noticed a tear). They will be going into the 'new' loft tomorrow and then we can get down other stuff and move it over. As we are checking through the garage we are finding it awash with mouse poo, so it needs a thorough stripping out and clean down. Some of that will have to wait until Spring now. We have 3 humane traps down baited with peanut butter - you can watch the mice walk around the traps!!
Ah well - a good excuse for a sort out of everything. Some things will have to be binned - the box which contains my wedding headdress and veil is sodden, we can see that from 10ft away..

Aside from that I have paid another £250 off the BTL mtge - but that really is it now until the new tax year!! It's just as addictive as I remember!!

Other than enforced garage clear out we are still getting rid of small amounts of 'stuff' here and there, whether it be sold, donated or recycled/ binned.

DD is still enjoying uni life - although finding it cold - the heating in their halls isn't working . They have been to maintenance several times already but no improvement :mad: However, she is coming home on the 10th (and then back on the 2nd - she has an exam on the 3rd Jan!!) so I get her back here in less than 2 weeks :j

I am probably about 60% done on my Xmas shopping - so need to get a wiggle on this week and see what I can get cracked. I am working on Fri and then half of next week and the following week invigilating so I could do with sorting it as much as possible as soon as possible. :santa2::rudolf:

Ooh -time to take DS3 to bed!

x

greent

Woken this morning to a damp world instead of the crisp, frosty white world of the past few days. Woke at 4am and read until 5am and then tossed and turned a bit. DS3 woke me at just gone 6 but I managed to persuade him to let me stay in bed until 7 I have a slight bug (sore throat, raised glands, slight temperature) so don't feel like doing much at all today. I have 2 fleabay parcels to pack and OH has added more insulation (inc to the roof in between rafters) and boards to most of the house loft so will transfer a few items up there today. Everything which goes up is being checked that it is free of mouse activity, is clean and is definitely wanted!

DS1 is at army camp this weekend, so it is just OH, myself and the 2 smaller ones. I was planning on taking DS2 to see Fantastic Beasts, but I really don't think I can cope with the cinema for that long (and the crowds!:eek:) Will see if OH will do it or may wait until tomorrow and see how I feel.

Still need to finish Xmas shopping - feel really disorganised this year - not my usual style at all!

DS2 has just got up - so shall go and see him - have DS3 sat next to me, which is lovely

x

Watty1

Smiling at the mouse exploits. Its winter, they have come in from the cold in the barns here too.

apple_muncher

I think the mice all moved in to my dad's house for a while... They don't tidy up after themselves, do they?!

greent

We think we may be free of mice! We only ever saw 2. None of the traps were ever used (although they are still down - baited with pb) OH released one to the canal tow path when it fell into the garage bin (old kitchen swing bin without the lid) (They kept falling in there - we started by releasing them just outside into the garden) 2 days later I had emptied the garage bin into the wheelie bin for the rubbish collection (tends to have sweepings from the floor in and also plastic & paper bags and pots - I re-use veg bags/ bags from wraps and mushroom/ tomato tubs (not recyclable here atm) etc to put veggies in to take out to the guinea pigs on a night - I used to put them in Tupperware pots but the children would leave the pots in the garage - this way the bag/ tray can go into the bin) so the only thing in it was one plastic bag from the previous night's veg. It had been one of the really cold nights (minus 8 or so) - and OH found a dead mouse in the bin in the morning - possibly frozen to death as it was in a plastic bin on a concrete floor. Most shelving has been cleaned and no evidence of mouse activity has been seen since..... fingers crossed!

OH is currently on his way to Cardiff to collect DD - her semester ended yesterday, so she is now on Xmas break It's her 19th tomorrow, so she'll be home for her birthday

And I think I'm essentially there with Xmas gift shopping - I need to buy DS1 something chocolatey and something small for his stocking and I'm waiting for a few things to arrive in the post, but I think I'm good to go apart from that I still have the vast majority of the wrapping to do and we haven't decorated yet (can't do that until after DD's birthday!) Will double check on Monday just to make sure I've not missed anyone. Still have some food shopping to do, but we have the bird in the freezer so that's the main thing (food needed = nice ice cream and veggies)

Oh - and we might (fingers crossed again) get our new sofas before Christmas.... mucho excited!

Am looking forward to Xmas - but in a way also to mid Jan when normality comes back and I'll know exactly how much money we've got after all the CC bills are in (although have bought a lot from current account) ad can really settle down to some budgets and plans for 2017

x

apple_muncher

:bdaycake::bdaycake::bdaycake:
Happy birthday to dd for tomorrow!

greent

Thanks apple!

Well DD arrived home with washing - and random freezer food (the fridges and freezers had to be emptied over the Xmas break) - have squeezed it all in somehow!

Bday gifts went down well, I think. She ended up with vouchers as well as actual presents (from various people) - 3 for C0sta, 2 for Newl00k and 1 for N3xt - should keep her happy for a while!

I finished work today - not back in until 3rd or 4th of Jan (need to check timetable!) - it so feels like the boys should have broken up too! - DS1 finishes @12.30 tomorrow and DS2 & DS3 @ 2pm. My plan is that the family room tree ('their' tree) gets decorated tomorrow afternoon - either to Xmas CDs or a Xmas DVD

Our new sofas arrived yesterday - they really, really change the look of the living room. Can't wait until Xmas Day for the new scatter cushions for them! Old ones both ended up at the tip in recycling skips - both were too broken (frames and saggy cushions) for donating Most of the old scatter cushions were donated to CS today - have kept the gold ones as they fit in with Xmas

I think I'm sorted now with Xmas presents and cards (as in bought - still need to wrap presents and also write cards (inc those which need posting!!!)) DS3's teachers and TAs had presents from lots of us - we put in £8 for the 4 staff and they had bigger presents, rather than lots of small random things. DS2's staff have small random things! - cherries in kirsch (Ald1), a bottle of M&S wine/ cranberry/ orange cocktail (freebie) and a very prettily boxed bar of German choc (was given to me and I've re-gifted it on (it's in date for another 8 months!))

I need to check up on this year's targets. I've been thinking of targets for 2017 too - will finalise those and post them up Will definitely include some more decluttering/ selling!

DD is off back to Cardiff on Sunday through to Tues - to see boyf - they are both heading back there for that time. Train fare is only £2 more than the bridge toll, so she can go by train! - saves fuel and a LOT of our time!

x

brizzledfw

Can tell it's lovely to have the 'brood' back home and under your roof... best of luck with the job hunting in the NY and enjoy your Xmas!!

Brizzle x

greent

Close enough to the end of the year to write up 2016 - I'm looking ahead to 2017's plans now! :D:D

greent wrote: »

Just over halfway through the year, so an update to Jan's plans/ goals:

Originally Posted by greent View Post
In no particular order:
Make memories together - lots of good ones! - - Florida is a big one. But also silly days in the local park, shopping with DD, random spur of the moment lunches out with the teens when they were on study leave, paddling pool out in the garden with the smallies. This seems to be going ok and will continue - think this has been a success this year - will continue little things next year
Florida holiday in the Summer (possibly the last big family holiday as all 6 of us together) without any debt being incurred (will be after A2 and GCSE exams, so a lovely bit of family time together after the teenagers' hard few weeks) - - well we're here in Florida. Think there's about £2k on CC (int free) which I'll clear (total cost of holiday c 16/17k!) - - £350 still on that CC (@0%) but I did pay over £1200 off sofas this month instead (still some more to pay next month)
Kitchen remodel (and some new appliances sadly required) without any debt - - have £10k set aside for this - - still not done - although we have been thinking more about what we want and have changed our minds a couple of times about some things so am not too bothered - yet
Tackle OH's car loan if any spare funds! (will be second half of year at earliest, I feel!!) - - not done at all yet - still not tackled - no contract for OH and things like new sofas won instead......:o (but they were really needed!!)
Support DD and DS1 through A2 and GSCE exams (argh!) - - seemed to be ok! - good results by the teenagers here, so a success! (and then DS2 passed his 11+ so another success!)
Continue to declutter - Marie Kondo style (I WILL conquer the paper in this house!!) - - an ongoing project which I want to start back up with again when we get home - has been continuing - I really do find teh 'spark joy' concept a useful tool. Not completed though (will it ever be with 4 children, I wonder?! :rotfl:)
Make £500 from selling unwanted items (have been donating more of late and I must have less left to sell by now!!) - - about 70% of target so far. Will manage target, I am sure - achieved comfortably.
Pensions! (again) - company pension scheme started so that is a success - but haven't reviewed existing pension stuff
Lose weight - still aiming for 2 stone - the least said about this the better.......:o:p:o:p
Review all finances to ensure current needs being met in best possible way - - started this but need to continue and finish it! - not sure I ever did any more in 2nd half of year, tbh
Finish work on BTL. Get new tenant - - new tenant moving in next month. Just need to repaint kitchen and plumb in kitchen sinksuccess - tenants have been in just over 3 months and signed a 2year lease and are already talking about another 2 years after that
More DIY etc here (decorating bedrooms 4 & 5 as a priority) - - bedrooms 4 & 5 done earlier in year successfully. Touching up to be done elsewhere in house and kitchen as above - touching up items done here and there. OH has boarded and insulated small internal loft. Redecorated bed 3 and new furniture (well, new bed and bedside cabinet )
Simplify life - I need to ensure the charity stuff doesn't take too much out of me - possibly look to delegate some stuff. I also help to organise a local festival - am committed to 2016, but may drop it after that - it's a lot of work/ time/ energy/ effort and comes at a busy time of year (early July - which will be straight after the exam period for DD & DS1, and I will be v busy also during that time invigilating between 2 secondary schools in a straight run from late April until v late June. The charity also has an event on at the same time! - and then I'm looking to go on holiday - and I don't want to be going off to Florida (not restful!) when I'm already shattered!) - - I really enjoy the invigilating. That's not simple when juggling 2 schools' timetables but that's not changing. Charity stuff has taken a back seat. Am still looking at getting all paperwork up together and handing treasurer role on and then just volunteering as-and-when. Festival will almost definitely not be part of my life next year, unless as a paid working ticket (looking to see how much I get paid out as part of the organising team this year)I am definitely dropping the festival - will inform the organisers first week in Jan. Am even considering dropping one school's invigilation after this summer - I so much prefer one school over the other
Health - not just weight. I have a dodgy hip, which I tend to just live with, but it's getting worse. And a bad shoulder. Am hoping some sessions with an osteopath will help. Have a couple of other minor issues I should deal with, too. And possibly look at some form of counselling again - I had some earlier this year, but didn't really gel with my counsellor. Or maybe not counselling but something else (thinking of the advice on watty's thread here) - - nothing done - zumba has been helping with shoulder and hip mobility
Count my blessings - of which there are many - - there are many indeed

A mixed bag - but 2016 was a better year than 2015, although we did have 2 family members die quite suddenly and too young (both early 60s) Children have been doing brilliantly (not that I'm biased or anything.....:p;):p) OH hasn't had a contract since end of Jan, so that could have been better! But BTL has tenants and we are now repaying the mtge on there (sloooooowly!)

Am looking forward to Christmas and also to 2017
xx