greent's mfw journey

Watty1

Glad you are feeling better...and it is so nice to be here catching up

greent

Watty1 wrote: »

Glad you are feeling better...and it is so nice to be here catching up

Thanks, Watty - and lovely to have you back on here


Am definitely better from my cold now - still have just the slightest bit left on my chest, but that's fine It's just nice to have some energy back!

Managed to remove a drop of wallpaper from the middle of the loving room wall yesterday - OH filled the rather deep hole behind it (no idea how it happened) and sanded it earlier and we've re-hung a new drop - thankfully we had a full spare roll all wrapped up in the garage. :T I had a quick peak at some wallpapers online, just in case - and there was very little in the colour I wanted and the designs were mostly too bold/ too wacky for my taste - much better that we can put it off for a couple/ few more years! :j:

I've given the g-pig hutch in the garage a really deep clean and sorted out all of their extra bits (bowls, bottles, hay baskets, pet carriers etc) and cleaned some for CS - we have too many and some are unused still with labels on (my mum bought us loads at one point) I've also re-organised all their food/ hay/ straw/ woodshavings and it is much neater in there now. I also gave the grubby white g-pig a bath - she wasn't happy with me!!

Am looking forward to the nicer weather when we can actually have a proper sort out of the garage - I don't think there's much to go, but things always end up muddle-y over the colder months, as we just tend to rush in and out. I may get rid of some of my packaging stash, as I flebay much less stuff nowadays - partly because we have less to get rid of in general and what does go usually goes via fb00k/ CS/ recycling now.

I had a monthly saver account mature, so I transferred the interest and the odd amount left to our Florida fund. I started off a new monthly saver with the max amount from the matured balance, too and then split the remainder between my new S&S ISA and our general savings. Gave me the incentive to add up our savings and I was pleasantly surprised :T Just to keep a MFW element to it all, I increased the set OP to the BTL mtge by £10/ mth! (The rent will be increasing wef April by £10/ mth, too) - very much a case of every little helps there, but it is not my current priority

Hope everyone's had a good weekend - and happy half term to those where it applies

x

chumpy45

Glad you are recovering well from the lurgy. Seeing the sunshine today really cheers you up, doesn't it. I popped into the garden to top up the bird feeders and could see buds on the clematis. You will be smashing that BTL mortgage with your latest OP increase :rotfl: but as we all know, every little helps. Enjoy half-term.

greent

I know, chumpy - that BTL'll be gone in a flash at this rate! :rotfl:

Back from a couple of days away seeing the students - drove down on Mon to see DS1 - he and small 2 played games at the Airbnb house whilst we did a Tesc0 shop for DS1 (we also took him some pantry staples but found he was short on food in general - he's had a heavy cold and a heavy timetable and not really done shopping (smkt is 20 min walk each way, 1 way rather uphill). Also did a huge pile of his washing up in the communal kitchen...… Went out to dinner and had a lovely catch up with him - the smalls miss their older siblings. Had a late night (always the way when the smaller 2 share a room...…) and then drove to DD's city yesterday, stopping off at her flat and dropping off a food parcel there We did offer to get her a Tesc0/ Sainz shop too, but she declined - her boyf looked rather disappointed!! :rotfl: Took DD and the smalls out shopping and for lunch - smalls had a whale of a time in the Leg0 shop (spending their Xmas money) and Waterst0nes. Picked up a couple of cheapy items for them from Pr1mark - will also get OH to go in attic and get the boxes of handmedowns down so they can have some from there (very little up there now - just a smallish box each) and then I can see what gaps there are left in their wardrobes.

Went back to DD's for a cuppa and rest - OH had some emails to sort and smalls played with boyf. DD and boyf had notification of a flat inspection today, so I did a bit of cleaning.... (sensing a theme here....) as I was just hanging around. Took them out for an early-ish dinner, dropped them back home and drove home - got back just before 10 and got smalls to bed

Was a bit spendy with all that food out over a couple of days, but was lovely to see both of them - and they seemed to really appreciate it, too :T

It looks as though DD may do a Masters next year, although not in what she originally thought she might! She's applying this week for scholarship funds - fingers crossed, otherwise we shall be footing the bill for virtually all of her living costs for it.....! :eek:

And...… OH may have a job starting in March - in Surrey! Not sure how I feel about that, yet... - although it's not a firm offer as yet, so we shall see...

x

greent

So it would seem that OH does indeed have a new contract - just a short one at 8 weeks and I got the location incorrect - it's just past Slough way, so about 2.5hours away. Starting next Friday (strange - but I suppose it *is* the first of the month)

Watched Leg0 movie 2 today with the smallest 2 - I enjoyed it, but did struggle to stay awake - afternoon cinema tends to have the effect on me!

I haven't had my iron for about a month now! - so chased up the repair (7 months old) - apparently it was being mended today.... we shall see....

DD is unexpectedly coming home next month for Reading Week - which happens to coincide with my birthday week! :T Sadly, it would actually be more beneficial to have her home the following week, as I'm working some silly hours and have a parents evening in the next town and I need my mum to help out about 5 times that week - which she's not going to be a fan of...… Sigh... Not much I can do about it now. However, it will be lovely to have DD home, whenever it is

Am loving the longer, milder days - have even managed to get some washing line-dried - always a bonus - I much prefer line-dried washing

greent

Oooh - I preferred the weather this time yesterday! - was already sunny - today it is very misty/ foggy out and looks chilly. I expect it will shift but it currently all looks grey, damp and dull outside!

Today's plans - it's a get-ready-for-back-to-school-tomorrow kind of day! DS2 has done all of his homework, so just needs to pack his backpack and kit bags and put all the bits n pieces back in his (newly washed) blazer (eg: locker key, bus pass etc) I need to check whether DS3's extra reading task was optional or not (I think so - I think it's related to a sponsored event for some charity - if that's the case then we shan't be doing it - I like to choose which charities I give to and when - and also GAid my donations (on a win:win basis - they get more money and I can use the details on my SA tax))

DS2 is looking at going to the local shooting range today with OH - they have a shooting range at his school, so he attends a club one night/ week and this is just a way of taking it further. DS1 is also interested in joining over the Summer (he did quite a lot of shooting with the army cadets)That will leave myself and DS3 at home for part of the day - so I think it's time we finally cracked open the books about the 11+/ grammar test and had a look at them.....Am not expecting that to be fun! - DS3 is not a fan of such things (Although he has the ability, according to his CAT scores) but could do with learning what the tests are like and some techniques. Unlike most parents, I am not getting him a tutor! (although our local comp is dire, so him not getting into grammar concerns me)

Other than that, I plan a heap big load of ironing - after my mum has brought her iron down for me to borrow (mine has been sent off for repair a month ago! :eek:) She is on holiday (yet again! ) for the next week. Ooh - and I'll double check we have everything we need for packed lunches (99.99% sure, but I *need* to check!!) Hopefully that will leave us a good amount of time for playing some board games this afternoon :)Am sure anything else can wait until the boys are back at school (the ironing will be done when they are in bed)

On that note, I should really wake DS2, otherwise his body clock is going to be sooo outand 6.30am tomorrow will be a nightmare....

greent

ooh - I haven't been on here for a while!

Had the 'long-listing' interview last week - haven't heard anything since, so I'm not hopeful - but I'm really not sure I want it anyway - it appears to be covering 3 people, so isn't really a job of its own I'd prefer a role that is 'mine' - this one seemed a bit 'bitty'

OH started his new contract last Fri - so is staying away Mon- Fri. He was told it was for 2 months, but when he got the paperwork through it was for 4.... He's not fussed on the hotel he's booked for the first few weeks, so may change it. Bonus is that there is free parking at work for him (city centre location, so a true bonus!) This week seems to be about meetings, getting kit (and then sorting the IT issues....) and plans... Am sure he'll be fine

DD is home for reading week - although it's definitely more like writing week! She's submitted her Masters and scholarship funding applications, is working on an essay about medieval Robin Hood and also her dissertation She's locked away in her room on her laptop pretty much all the time! OH will take her back on Sunday - will need to sort her out a food parcel to go back with!

My £94.50 cashback which was originally due to pay out last Aug/ Sept and wasn't confirmed until Dec has now finally turned payable this week! :j: - I've cashed part out in Miller and Carter vouchers and will take the rest in Tesc0 ones. The equivalent value (rounded up) will get transferred to Florida Fund :T

I have another bug Last week I had one threatening to break through - scratchy throat, sniffles, headaches - it's well and truly broken through now

My £

Karmacat

Sorry to hear about the bug, greent to be honest I live in fear of getting the bad one thats around. Hope it doesn't slam you too badly this time

greent

Thanks, Karma x It's still here - wiped me out for a lot of the weekend. Temperature is now normal and headache and sore throat have gone, but am left with lots of catarrh, so am not able to breathe properly (affecting sleep and am therefore tired) - but I'm much better than I was :j: Good job, too, really - busy week at work this week (except today - day off but I need to be in the next town for before 3pm for DS2's parents' evening..)

Not much going on here - paid half of the BTL rent over as an OP this month, as ground rent is due and personal funds seem very tight this month (have increased savings amounts and OH lacked expenses to cover our fuel costs) so I didn't want to cover it from there. And have to unexpectedly (and very early, imo!) pay the deposit to secure DS2's school bus place for Sept. Still, it could be worse

Was lovely to see DD last week - esp as it was also over my birthday - my presents are useful/ consumable nowadays - face creams and make up, perfume, some funkily- coloured kitchen utensils, garden centre vouchers, garden lights, a whetstone for my kitchen knives, a voucher for afternoon tea, flowers, chocs and an IOU (bestie couldn't think of what to get me, and I couldn't come up with any ideas at all, so a future gift promise was delivered with chocs )

Florida fund is at £2750 now - not bad for less than 4 months. Sadly it still has quite some way to go!! :eek: DD's boyf wants to come with us, too - he will need to pay his own flight and park tickets, but I'll cover food (in the main) and obv accom/ travel over there. I'm hoping DD may be able to add a little in herself, but as her Masters doesn't get much funding, I doubt it, as we shall need to support her a lot more anyway, I think. Still, it will all be good fun, and it will all be sorted - it always is

Weather here is pants today - very windy and rainy. Both DS2 and DS3 have outdoor sports events on today - poor things!

Right - ironing awaits - will get that done with some catch up tv

xx

teapot2

Sorry to hear you've been feeling lurgified again - hope it clears soon.

Happy belated birthday and I have to say I like the sound of those pressies - enjoy