greent's mfw journey

greent

Haven't been on yougov in so long they no longer recognise my email. Not sure if they have a referral scheme, but if they do, if anyone wants to pm me they can refer me/ I can use their referral code

ETA: All sorted now
x

newgirly

Good update greent, glad you hadn't a successful 2016 and I hope you have a great xmas

debtfreeoneday

Good luck for 2017..

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Sounds like 2016 was a mixed bag for you, hoping 2017 is just as successful but smoother. X

greent

It's Christmas Eve Eve!!! :j:j:j

Decorations all done, presents wrapped (except for the stocking presents, which I shall do later) and under the trees. Shopping all done and we are set to go. I still need to cover and decorate the dining table, which will be tomorrow afternoon as we are having a games session on it in the morning (the kitchen table is not really big enough for a mammoth session) We have delivered all presents (and flowers to graves) except my mum (she will be here on Xmas day morning), my bestie & her DH (currently in Lapland so will see them sometime next week) and my sister and OH (Boxing day, maybe??) (Oh - just realised I have 2 presents to wrap - but both are plants, so will be sorted last minute before seeing the recipients (my mum and my sis))

DD is out on the lash with her school friends in town - OH is on taxi duty (which means I am ok to attack the Baileys whilst he is not! )

Veggie prep will be done tomorrow evening by OH and myself (I suspect it will be me in reality and OH will busy himself doing something like fixing drinks ) and we have new jamas for all 4 DC for wearing on Christmas Eve night (and OH - though he doesn't know this yet) I shall be wearing my Xmas jamas from last year

Not sure if I'll get on here tomorrow, so I shall bid anyone reading this the very best festive wishes for a fantastic Christmas/ Yule or whatever you may be celebrating

:xmassign::xmastree::rudolf::xmassmile:santa2: :xmassign:

xx

greent

Similar to last year's.....

In no particular order:

• Make memories together - lots of good ones! - Definitely a keeper on the list. I am aware that time with all 6 of us together will be rarer and want to make the most of it
• Little jobs which need doing around the house - spreadsheet to be updated over Xmas hols and timescales decided upon
• Kitchen remodel (and some new appliances sadly required) without any debt - 2017 will see this happen!!:rotfl::p
• Tackle various bits of debt (eg: OH's car loan, tax credits overpayments ) - £10K target for the year
• Support DD through rest of first year at Uni, DS1 through AS exams and UCAS application and DS2 through starting at secondary school
• Continue to declutter - Marie Kondo style (I WILL conquer the paper in this house!!:D)
• Make £500 from selling unwanted/ unused/ unloved items discovered during decluttering!
• Pensions! (again)
• Lose weight - still aiming for 2 stone
• Review all finances to ensure current needs being met in best possible way
• Ensure Co accounts and personal tax stuff submitted to accountant promptly!!:o:p
• Carry on targeting BTL IO mtge - target for 2017 is £3286 reduction
• A cheap family holiday - maybe even just in the caravan with the smaller two.
• Simplify life - an ongoing thing. I have decided to drop the festival after the NY and will let the main organiser know first week in Jan. Whilst I am committed to invigilating in both secondary schools for this summer, I may resign from one after the exam season - I much prefer one school above the other and it seems silly to run myself ragged with 2 very different systems (the one I'm considering dropping pays 26% more per hour, so it's not a money based decision! :D) I have been neglecting the charity stuff - really need to get my b** into gear and sort all paperwork out and hand it over after AGM. It's a fab project, but I've done my stint there now and I'd possibly like to do something else
• Health - I need to get fitter, not just lose weight. I am loving Zumba and it has helped my shoulder mobility but I need to do more.
• The garden - lots of little jobs to do here and it tends to come at the bottom of the list so will do a separate list for this and also look to grow some veggies again in 2017 (didn't in 2016 as we were away for 3 weeks in the Summer) Ultimately (but definitely not in 2017!!) I would like it re-hard landscaped and remodelled as it needs it.
• Count my blessings each and every day Life is good - sometimes I need to remind myself of this

xx

newgirly

Fantastic plan for the year greent :T happy Christmas :xmastree:

debtfreeoneday

Great plan, Merry Christmas to you!

greent

Hope you have all had a good day We heard our smallest two running around at 5.45am but they are under instructions (only for Xmas Day) to wake teenagers and not to come into our room until 7am (bearing cups of tea (teenagers' job) - we gave up at 6.50 and sat waiting for them as we could hear them in the kitchen - in all 4 came (they had to wake DD (19) again) with stockings and 2 cups of tea and a plate of toast (random!) - cue them all piling in/ on our bed to open stocking presents whilst we drink tea and try to wake up Then quickly dress (having done showers last thing last night so we could get down to the Xmas thing straight off today ), pile downstairs for breakfast and then they sort the presents into piles in the living room and we always sit and open them together I had gold earrings (I lost one of my faves at the start of this year, so this was replacement pair), smellies, socks (lots - normal ones, boot ones and fluffy ones), face stuff, edibles, some purple sundae glasses (random but sweet), Baileys, raspberry vodka, a photo mug (very random - it has a photo of me as a teenager on it), cushions for the sofas (yeay!), a scarf and a make up mirror which is scary to look in as it is very magnifying!! Everyone else seemed happy with their presents (and also their Xmas Eve jamas the night before )

Huge dinner, not much alcohol and a lazy day since - smallest two have been building lego, DS1 playing new games and DD had a short nap and is reading one of her new books. OH is sorting out putting his music on new ipod and I've napped in front of Bake Off, watched Dr Who (with small ones) and now the Snowman and Snow Dog are on tv. DS1 is running a bath by the sound of it - DS3 slept in with him last night and woke him up around 3am and they got up at 4am! - I think he's a bit tired!

Leftovers from dinner are tubbed and in the fridge. Carcass stripped and simmering away for stock. Small two have just had cereal tonight - don't think the rest of us are planning on anything else! OH has just made me a cup of tea - lovely

Tomorrow we are off up the common for a family walk - unless the weather is manky - blow away some of the laziness and overindulgence of today. If it's too manky for a walk there (quite open and exposed to the elements) we will hopefully manage a stroll along the canal path (400yds away) just to get out. We usually go the panto but decided not to this year - it's been getting very same-y of late and you can predict who is going to do what and when and DS3 isn't a fan (he doesn't like crowds and noise) so we have saved around £150 in not going this year! Am determined not to go to shops for as long as possible - need to hopefully exchange one of DS3's presents for a larger size (it just fits and I'd like it to last for longer than 3-4 months) but it's from N*xt so I cant do that straight off anyway.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas x

Am looking forward to 2017 - bring it on

x

Kittenkirst

Merry Christmas, it sounds like you've had a wonderful day surrounded by your family