13 Moons part 2 - Freebird & Frugabulous

Karmacat

Hi Lula! I think anything repetitive for so long has to be boring ... and hurray to being out in the garden, I think you should also adopt my plan of never doing any housework in the evening - or at least, never on holiday days!

Glad you liked the alternate week thing - tho I have just spotted one teeny flaw in the plan. I'm still in the middle of digging down at the patio border underneath the kitchen window - and I just can't leave it like that for a whole week, its just not on, so I'll have to extend this "week" slightly and I might just pile up the "soil" to be disposed of later, rather than as it gets dug out of the ground.

Lula-Hula

Nom nom nom ( excuse the munching - bacon sarnie with apologies to veggies )

Karma my dear, I can assure you that I try to never do chores in the evening other than the kitchen floor .

There are now 2 loads of laundry billowing on the line & I've just completed the previous few days worth of ironing. Well, I had to now that Souk's back .

DD is now slowly working her way through all the drawers & we've both shorted out a load of clothes to be charitized. My offerings are a jacket ( ebay last year) 2 tunic length dresses that I'll never fit into again, another dress (ebay last year) that I wore just once & then decided makes me look 'mumsy' :eek:, a top that I've worn so much I'm bored with it & 3 pairs of linen trousers that are a bit too loose to look good & I don't want to be tempted to grow into them.

The grass doesn't look long enough to be cut & I'm too busy pottering to do anything that productive. I've retrieved a mini chest from DDs lair & plan to paint it this afternoon & then use it for storing crafty bits in.

Off for a wander round the diaries now & then a bit more ironing when washing is dry.

Lula-Hula

Bonjour bonjour,

well yesterday ended up being a bit of a washout. Out of nowhere there was a sudden torrential downpour so WE (DD was quick to help out this time ) ran to the garden & gathered all the stuff in as quick as we could.

Such huge raindrops that a lot of stuff was very damp. I had to do some emergency ironing & then hang it all up in the airing cupboard. Plans to go out for a ride along the canal were shelved & we had a wii dance session instead. I've decided not to worry how I get my 30 minutes daily exercise as long as it happens.

Due to rain, there was no gardening & no bulb planting either so that's on the to-do list for either today or next weekend. We always seem to manage to occupy ourselves when at home & love just pottering & planning little projects to do. DD made a new sign to go on her door & I was allowed to use her gold pen to go round the edge of the letters .

It was a NSD yesterday but I did end up winning an item on ebay. I'm very excited about this as it's a lovely little cupboard with a couple of oak leaved with acorns carved into it, very individual .

It will be perfect for storing my spiritual books & other treasures & bits n pieces. That's another area of my life that has been somewhat neglected of late & I'm hoping that having an area to focus that energy will bring me back to that path.

The seller is local to me so I'm popping round there later to collect & paying cash from my pocket money so it won't affect budgets & CC payments. Seems a very appropriate day to do this as well.

The washing machine is due to finish doing a load of towels & then I'll get the bedding in & will be done for another week.

Whilst it is bright & sunny out at the moment, the grass looked dewy first thing & there's a definite nip in the air. I can almost smell autumn & with it being 10 weeks past summer solstice no wonder.

Enough pondering, I need to get dressed to venture outside with washing & maybe collect some more blackberries too

Bye for now
xx

Lula-Hula

Crumbs it really is fresh out there today. The sun is lovely but more clouds are gathering & the wind is a bit savage & bitey. The grass is still wet so I'll not risk cutting it today.

I've put a coat of of paint on the frame of the drawer unit & each of the 6 drawers. I've painted one drawer in the same blue as the frame & then 3 others in a lighter pale turquoise colour & then the remaining 2 in a colour called morning mist, which is just on the greyish side of white.

It feels great to be doing something creative again & while the mood takes me I've decide to take the rest of my pocket money to craft shop this afternoon & see if there are any items that grab my attention. I have to have a spend day anyway so might as well get it all done in one go.

Time for another coat of paint

Karmacat

Lula-Hula wrote: »

I have to have a spend day anyway so might as well get it all done in one go.

Excellent reason to do the spendy thing :j:j:j

Lula-Hula

It's a bit late but I need to report in to stay focused.

I did end up cutting the grass as it was sunny when I collected washing in & goodness knows when I'll next get the chance to do it so it took 50 minutes, but is now all done & looking less scruffy outside.

We went to craft shop & much as I was transfixed by yearning to try various different crafts ... I can't afford them. The start up costs of learning a new skill are high, so I came away empty handed. DD bought some bits & pieces so was happy, & as she paid with her own money, so was I .

We went in to the pc shop to check out different ones & she now has a good idea of what she would like. Sales assistants were hovering like flies, but I made it quite clear that we were on an exploratory journey only. Like I'm going to buy from a shop when there's quidco cashback to be had . I wanted a mouse as I'm now getting constant pain in my right wrist & arm when on the lappie & I think it may help. I could have bought a wireless one that matches the lappie ... for £50 :eek:. No chance, I'd be forever charging up batteries & losing the thing, so I popped next door to argoose & bought a little wired one for £7.99 instead.

Went to collect the ebay cupboard & it's even nicer in reality . I could have cried when the chap said he's just waxed it for me this morning I wanted to paint it & wax is a pain to get off, but the wood is actually quite mellow & full of cracks & character so I might leave it as it is for now. It's beautifully proportioned, very unique & the carved acorns are just lovely. A bargain at £30 I reckon

The mini drawers are now all painted & I'm pleased with how that looks too & I spent a happy hour filling the drawers with ribbons, buttons & other bits n pieces.

Watched a bit of tv then had a soaky bath, cup of licorice tea & then did half an hour of yoga.

I reckon I should stick with evenings sessions. I'm more relaxed so find I can flow a lot better & I'm so stiff in the mornings & struggle to get up that half hour earlier just to fit a session in.

I do find my mind wanders too much though, will have to try to clear my thoughts beforehand in future.

Yeughck to work tomorrow, but only 2 days this week, & 2 days next week as well due to cunning holiday planning.

Best get to bed now

G'night
xx

Karmacat

That cupboard sounds lovely, Lula - glad you had some outside time too, even if you were mowing the lawn and yay to the yoga!

taxi73

sounds like you've had a lovely weekend and the furniture sounds lovely

Lula-Hula

Gosh it's been an age since I posted.

I've had a ridiculously busy week. Tuesday & Wednesday just passed in a blur of dropping DD at lovely childminders, scooting to work, collecting DD, coming back to complete home-job & then collapsing into bed. Needles to say, no exercise has taken place .

Thursday was like a military manoeuvre. First stop was Tatco where I paid £6 cash to lovely car wash man, then in to the shop to stock up on toiletries at £29.35 & groceries at £24.90. I also bought a couple of willow veg planters as they were reduced to just £10 each. Total spend was £79.62 on the CCCCC.

I then got 100 euros for DDs holibob/birthday pressie & only paid £92 for them so felt like I was getting a bargain :rotfl:

Collected my newly re-heeled shoes & boots and got some new insoles and a front door key cut for DD - she's been very excited about this being a very grown-up thing. At £7 I made it very clear that if she loses it, she pays for the next one . I opted for hard wearing heels as I've decided I'm not buying new work shoes or long boots & will just wear what I have until they're worn out. Total spend in there was a scary £35.85 on the CCCCC

Re-fuelled the car on the way out & that was another £44.37 on the CCCCC.

Went to uniform shop to see if pre-ordered & paid for card was in stock yet ... it wasn't but we bought a pe kit bag for £8.95. Cash only .

Next stop was to collect films & that was another £9.98, also cash. Then on to pay lovely childminder, before returning home to unload shopping & then start on the horrendous home-job. I pointed out to driver that NO WAY would I be able to do that volume of work on a normal work-day, who agreed that we're not going to be able to cover other worker for long . I was so exhausted when I finished that night, that I cleared away, left all the washing up, avoided the bathroom & just fell into bed at 10.30 .

Yesterday was all about washing, sorting through new school paperwork - filling in forms etc - & dealing with my own finance stuff.

Rather fed up with it all & desperate to simplify life, I opted to march down to the post office with bags of coins from the 'clearly-no-longer-sealed-at-all-in-any-way' pot & the money from the sale of old lappies organs, stopping briefly at the cashpoint to withdraw all the laptop savings from lloyds/quidco account on the way.

I paid in £541 :eek::j:D which was in some ways quite gratifying; in that I can actually stash away a fair bit with no real effort or hardship involved (other than having to pay for a whole new lappie)

I then came home & after calculating how much the total CC balance was after the previous days spendathon, I scooped up everything available from my currrent account too & whacked it all over to pay the Custard Coloured one.

Balance now owing is £150.

This doesn't reflect that fact that I still have to purchase & pay for a lappie for DD but at least the situation is now very clear & current & I will paying for one item.

From what was left in my current account, I swept £150 into the funds which are now looking 'progressive' :

Gas & Electric = £200
Car Tax = £ 40
Service/MOT = £ 40
Car Insurance = £240 .

I have a paltry little £6 in the lloyds Quidco drip fund account but this will soon be joined by another £38 for my lappie purchase .

I have £16 in my re-sealed ish Jasper the Cat £2 coins pot & will now put just £2 coins in there.

My cash funds are completely & utterly depleted. Not a sausage to be seen anywhere. I do have £55 of my pocket money stashed away that may be used for nieces 18th if I don't get enough from home-job over the next 2 weeks.

I've written out cheques for £25 to the school fund & another £60 for DDs lunches for the month & also have to keep enough in my account for charitable donations.

Since starting the DFW journey, I cancelled all regular donations & have just given a few pounds here & there or via my phone when I can. I was recently invited to support st. johns ambulance with an annual donation & as I wholly support their aims to get local schools to have training sessions, I agreed. It feels good to be in a position to do something like that again .

Interestingly, I was soon karmically repaid by lovely childminder reducing her hourly rate on the basis of DD being no trouble at all & actually a great help with entertaining & helping with little ones . I've already booked DD in for half term & also told home-job boss that I won't be working that week .

DD1 came over yesterday afternoon & we sat out in the garden with tea, chatting & being very silly playing on the swings & skipping. she was really delighted with her euros & looking forward to her holibob next week. I am so off cooking that we ended up going for pizza which was pretty cheap as she gets the nhs discount, but not that great for my diet :whistle:. DD has finished off the remaining slices for breakfast today so temptation has been succesfully removed.

I got all the washing - bar one load of towels - done yesterday so just have to iron it all today. DD seems to have a cold looming & is keen to potter at home today so I shall do the same. My energy levels are so low at the moment, I can barely manage the thought of housework. Will put in valiant effort & hopefully go for a bike ride later.

As of monday I'm on a weekly cash-only regime until lappie paid for & am allowing £40 a week for groceries & household stuff.

Next week's home-job wages will see the start of new funds; I've not yet decided which ones & how to use CB money either. I may have it paid to the lloyds/quidco account from next month & then use that for holiday fund.

Off to update sig to reflect changes, & if you've got this far ... excellent perseverance :T

bye for now
xx

Karmacat

Wow, Lula, what an amazing post! I'm sorry you were so tired from home-job, but I love the bit about simplifying .... thats brilliant

And of course, you have DD2's adolescent stuff going on, but long term, she's so lovely the childminder lowers her rate! Says it all, actually

I'm not a fan of tiredness either (as you know, I'm somewhat lurgified myself at the mo) but your afternoon with both your lovely DDs sounds gorgeous