To remind myself how far I've come - my debt diary. - SOA added

chocaholic110

Natlou wrote: »

when do you plan on tackling the attic?

Lol, optimistically I plan on tackling it every day but circumstances always get in the way. (Or I go up there, look around, _pale_ and come back down!). I am running out of other places to procrastinate though so should be soon. Plus a lot of the stuff up there is baby stuff so will have to go up and have a sort soon, then maybe DD will have somewhere to play again.

One advent calendar (a Christmas fairy castle) finished and drying and have left DD painting craft matchboxes (and herself) green ready to glue together tomorrow. We are both covered in glitter, as is the kitchen floor despite the fact that I've swept and mopped it.

OH just had a call from his boss to go into work tomorrow. Unusually for a Sunday they want him to start at 7 (usually it's lunchtime) so that's his weekend almost over. The money will come in very useful though as we just paid £215 for his car repairs today. Decided to pay cash and hope his pay is good for the next few weeks (shouldn't be bad as has worked the last two Sundays) instead of putting it on the barclaycard and having it to pay in January.

Sea78

Hey Sounds like you've been productive

Lucky you being in a surestart area - there is sooo much to do for free! I went to baby massage classes with DS - it was wonderful being able to go (DD was still in childminders 2 days a week as we had to pay anyway) and I would have loved to do more stuff like that but all the other stuff was v expensive! I did get a free hat, change bag, rucksack and bits and bobs from the Surestart group in my mum's area when I was visiting - I was very clear that I didn't live there, just visiting mum but they said they had loads as not many people were using the services.

I went to the PN group as well - something I didn't do when Sophia was born ad had a great laugh - I soon became known as the bargain queen lol!!

Must send those clothes off to you - have them all out ready and everything. Tomorrow is my sorting all stuff out day so at least will get them in a parcel.
Sea xxx

pandapaws

Ooh, maybe you could make me one of those calender thingies, now that you're officially on maternity and therefore will have loads of time on your hands rather than being off sick and working non-stop at home to make up for it!

Although I'll need to see a photo before I place an order...

Sympathy with the forthcoming baby-stuff-sort-out. My target is to get ours done before Christmas. But I doubt I will!

chocaholic110

Actually, I'm not "officially" in a sure start area as our village was missed out for some reason (Don't know why as the school OFSTED claims it's in the top 10% most deprived areas and our OFSTED inspector made a big things of this which annoyed one or two staff who lived in the village and didn't feel deprived! Though I know what he meant as there's lots of people on benefits, low wages, low literacy levels, children coming into school with very poor vocabulary and speaking skills etc). The health centre is in a nearby town though and IS in surestart (although smeone told me surestart didn't exist anymore and it was something else now) so hoping will be able to do baby massage etc. I'm also quite interested in doing baby sign language although will probably have to get a book and OH thinks I'm bonkers!

Panda, I'm not sure your son would want a pink fairy castle calendar...and I'm not sure ANYONE would want the other one the way it's looking so far! Might post photos if I ever work out how to!

OH has gone to work, which is guaranteed to confuse me for the rest of the week as to what day it is. I'll be a day ahead all week. Have emptied dishwasher and WM, refilled DW with the remains of last night's dishes that wouldn't fit (we ate Sunday lunch yesterday, which always involves OH using mostof the plates and dishes we own - still, shouldn't comlain as he always cooks it!), washed kitchen surfaces and everywhere else looks fairly ok so not working too hard today.

Will maybe wrap a few pressies and sort them into gift bags (free from the Book People last year) and write a few Christmas cards (handcrafted ones free from the book people this year and normal ones bought in the Next sale 2 years ago and I bet I still have enough for next year!). OH's brother called yesterday and was going on about the fact that his girlfriend has spent £30 buying handmade cards for all the family. Tried not to blurt out that I got ours free or in the sales!

Probably will also put the rest of the momento stuff into the nice boxes. Should be an easy job as one box is for OH and I and we don't have that much and one is for the baby and he so far doesn't have any stuff.

And will maybe psych myself up to do another bingo cashback if I can bear to!

pandapaws

You always make me feel so disorganised! I wish I had the time and patience to get everything sorted out, and I bet it feels fantastic to know where everything is and that it's all tidy!

I made a start on wrapping Christmas pressies last night, mainly because I had a birthday pressie to wrap that I have to drop off this afternoon, and because I need to wrap up the stuff for my parents before they arrive on Weds. I've got all my cards from last year too, plus some nice ones with photos of my DS on them that were free from Vistaprint (well, nearly free - paid for postage but can class it all as a business expense!). I'll need to make a start on writing them as I usually leave it until last minute and have to rush out and post first class!

I made a note on my diary of how to upload a photo, so no excuses! I'm dying to see the green matchbox tree thing when it's finished!!!

chocaholic110

pandapaws wrote: »

I made a note on my diary of how to upload a photo, so no excuses! I'm dying to see the green matchbox tree thing when it's finished!!!

Lol, will have a go if it doesn't turn out too embarrassing!

I am not really that organised. I try to be and I am organised with a lot of things but if I'm at work there's a lot of stuff that slides. It's just that I have a lot of time on my hands at the moment...well for the next 9 weeks anyway. I'm hoping to be so organised by that time that everything will just run like clockwork (nothing like being optimistic, is there?) Plus I have two reasonably independent "big" children - much easier than looking after a littley like you have.

Picked DD up from Stagecoach then she and DS have gone to the village fair (Christmas / autumn? ) along the street. I was planning on going but can't get the back door to lock. We had the same problem a while ago and someone from the door company came out and fixed it so will have to ring them tomorrow and hope they will do it again. Will ask what causes it as well (though I imagine it's because most of the household just slam it rather than turning the handle to close it).

Any bets on how much junk DD and Ds manage to bring back from the fair? I only just found hiding places for the treasured possessions DD brought home after Children In Need night.

pandapaws

Can all the 'treasures' not be given to elderly relatives as Christmas presents?! I'm dreading my DS getting older and bringing a pile of s**t home that I'm supposed to keep for sentimental reasons. And I know that I will keep it as well, which will be a nightmare since I hate junk, but you can't throw it away!!!

chocaholic110

pandapaws wrote: »

Can all the 'treasures' not be given to elderly relatives as Christmas presents?! I'm dreading my DS getting older and bringing a pile of s**t home that I'm supposed to keep for sentimental reasons. And I know that I will keep it as well, which will be a nightmare since I hate junk, but you can't throw it away!!!

I was thinking that! We have a "lovely" lavender bath set that I think she should give to my step monster and I'm sure someone would love the coat hooks shaped like a farm fence with a cow peering over the top. Any takers??

pandapaws

Oh Lord, there are so many things that you can post photos of once you get that working!!! Maybe we can turn out 2 diaries into a competition to see who can get the most bizarre photos on them, only rule being that they have to be relevant to the topic!

(29 mins to go!)

pandapaws

Mmmm, Lavender. Nice!