Trying to make my dreams a reality!!

icontinuetodream

giblet1979 wrote: »

Hope you have a lovely time x

Thanks gib....I did!!

503 days to go..... I have had a fab holiday, have reduced my mortgage to sub 35k and have quit smoking (a week tomorrow since my last indulgence!! :j)

Mortgage munching is going well....we have paid off over 2k this month and ds gave me his August 'rent' yesterday so I have paid it straight off the mortgage but will count it with the August payments - it gets confusing otherwise!! I don't think that I have any other bills coming out of my account until the 1st of August, so there probably won't be any further TT's this month....but who knows??!!:rotfl:

I haven't looked at the what (if anything!) remains in the grocery budget for the month, so that is on my list of things 'to do' today, along with a menu plan for the week, sorting some laundry, having a bit of a house clean up and some veg and fruit prep!!

I went 'scrumping' (with permission, but its such a good word, I'm using it anyway!! :rotfl:) while I was on holiday, so when I got home yesterday I put on some plum gin and plum vodka and prepared plums for the freezer....I have also made a plum, grape and rhubarb syrup with white wine which I am not sure what to do with....I will either leave it as a cordial or may make it into a jelly/jam thingy :think: decision to be made later today!!

I have job lots of rhubarb at the moment which I may well make into wine...I just need to work out how many demi-johns I have left If I don't have enough, I will prepare and freeze it ready for when some become available again

I also have a bag full of broad beans which need to be prepared- theoretically, I could freeze them for later use, but I have a feeling I may just end up with a whole heap of them on a plate for immediate consumption...I do love my broad beans!!:rotfl:

Okay, that was a mega ramble....see what happens when I go away for a while!!

Hope you are all well....happy weekend!!!:wave:

gallygirl

icontinuetodream wrote: »

I also have a bag full of broad beans which need to be prepared- theoretically, I could freeze them for later use, but I have a feeling I may just end up with a whole heap of them on a plate for immediate consumption...I do love my broad beans!!:rotfl:

Chuck some my way, I love them too :T. One of the bars we go to in Spain serves them as tapas with beer - not cooked, not even podded, just chuck you a handful and let you get on with it .

giblet1979

Amazing progress and overpayments! So impressed x

icontinuetodream

499 days to go Under the 500 mark!! :j

Not much more on the MF front at the moment - the first of August will bring a further reduction and I will throw everything I can at it for as long as I am able....still haven't got a clue about the longevity of my current job or hours, but can't worry about it...life is too short!! My ds is working again so he is contributing a bit more (all hurling itself towards the mortgage ) but not sure how long that employment will last either...I do miss the days when job security was a given

I have done the food planning, munched all the broad beans (sorry gg!! ) and left the plum, grape and rhubarb syrup as it is so that I can add it as a cordial to sparkly water. I also started the rhubarb wine and am going to a friends at the weekend who will supply me with a couple more demi-johns which means that I will be able to start a 'canned' fruit wine at the weekend! :j

giblet1979 wrote: »

Amazing progress and overpayments! So impressed x

Thanks gib! I am just forging ahead and hoping that nothing throws me completely off track!!;) and don't forget that we have a 'gentle detox' deal going for August!!

I have decided not to try to cut the grocery budget for August as I will probably need a bit more than normal to maintain my 'detox'; I have run low on quite a lot of the grains and pulses that I will be using so may have to replenish the stocks during the month...I do have some left though so will make sure that I use all of those before I invest in anything else.

And now for my 'detox' plan (drum roll please!! ):

I will avoid all alcohol, dairy, wheat, animal products and caffeine

I will drink two litres of water a day and I have a couple of boxes of nettle tea that I use up at work rather than hitting the coffee!

I will eat fruit or quinoa porridge made with soya milk for breakfast

I will have a good mix of fruit/veg and salad with a short-grain brown rice base and low fat dressing for lunch

I will have a mix of pulses, grains and veg for dinner

I will exercise daily (even if it's only for 15 mins!!) including doing yoga at least three times per week.

I am also going to use the time to 'detox' my life in general - I have decided that I spend far too much of my time running around like a headless chicken and getting nowhere fast....more organisation is required so that I can keep control of things and minimise the amount of effort I need to put into stuff!

With this in mind, I have spent a lot of this week getting organised at work and putting systems in place ready for the beginning of the month, I am going to get back on top of the house (shockingly bad at the moment!!:o) and I am going to spend much less time watching carp on the box and more time really relaxing.... I intend to get much more sleep, look after myself more and spend time appreciating what I currently have. All seems like a lot of hard work, but I know that ultimately, I will feel better for it

Sounds like a complete overhaul....what happened to my 'gentle' detox!!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

giblet1979

From my first thought which was "oh bu**er, you remembered; forgot about that" as I read on I thought oh "b******s can I do that too?

I perhaps need to think about how much I think I can commit to, but I think generally, I have similar goals / targets. I would like to see a weight loss at the end of it, but sticking to that plan would certainly give the health a boost.

I might also add mindfulness practice (although yoga would count as mindful movement) as I've let it lapse recently, along with most other things that are 'good' for me but require any effort, lol.

Watch this space, but you're on

Btw, 498 days???

x

icontinuetodream

giblet1979 wrote: »

From my first thought which was "oh bu**er, you remembered; forgot about that" as I read on I thought oh "b******s can I do that too?

Yep, you can do it!!

It's not an 'all or nothing' detox - there are going to be days when it won't be possible to stick to (in my case, today is one of those days as I am going over to see a friend and there is not a chance that wine will not be involved!! ) but all the days where we can stay on it will help towards us feeling healthier....

Yesterday, I had papaya and pomegranate for breakfast; salad leaves with a mango balsamic dressing, brown rice and hommous for lunch and for dinner I had courgette 'spaghetti' with a chargrilled aubergine, tomato, olive and herb sauce and salad (plus a great big dollop of hommous - just because I love it!! )

Today, my plan is to have another papaya for brekkie (got two ys ones for 75p reduced from £2.50! :j) hm beetroot soup for lunch and will have a Buddha bowl for dinner.

I am going to spend some time today working out my menu for the next couple of weeks on the detox plan basis. It's got to be tasty as well as good for me :D

In other news......mortgage is now sub 34k!!! :j:j:j

I had £25 left over from last months grocery budget so that has gone straight to the mortgage and dd has given me her rent money too so that has been put to it too Now, of course, I am wishing the rest of the month away to get to my next payday!!

giblet1979

Hurray to sub 34K - that's amazing!

I am definitley onboard, and your menu sounds yummy!

Yesterday, we had a friend over for tea and no alcohol (them) or pudding (me) was had. Today we are shopping for fruit and veg, and I'm going to try and cut down on carbs (can't cut them right down / out as waiting for tests and need to keep all food groups in).

And as we've discussed, my exercise routine is well and truly underway

Fantastic determination with the overpayments btw - very inspiring! x

icontinuetodream

Went to my friends last night - have come home with a jar of ginger chutney and a huge marrow!!

The weather is lovely here today...I am going to just sit in the garden and relax for the day - I could really do with sorting the house and getting organised with the menus (didn't get round to doing them yesterday) but I just can't be a**ed - after all, the house will get cleaned eventually and I can spend the evening tomorrow sorting menus after work....what's the point of the weekend if all I do is work?! ;)

I am going to have to go to either send dh to the shop later or venture there myself....I am going to roast the marrow with some red onion, tomato, cannellini bean and basil sauce and I need to get some feta to put on top....nomnom! I am going to serve it with a salad - I found some salad leaves in the garden yesterday which I hadn't noticed because my butternut squash plant has turned into a total triffid and taken over the world! :rotfl:

Nothing put to the mortgage today but I am hoping to put an extra few quid to it tomorrow once I know for certain that there is nothing coming out for my phone contract now that I have cancelled it - I don't think there is, but I am reluctant to move the cash over just in case...

Hope you have a fab Sunday!!:wave:

giblet1979

Huge marrow......snigger x

icontinuetodream

giblet1979 wrote: »

Huge marrow......snigger x

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

489 days to go now.... another £15 paid off today

It has been an expensive week....couple of birthdays to do and a complete bypass of my alleged health kick! Oh well, tomorrow is another day and I can't worry myself about it.....

I seem to have hit a bit of a wall at the moment....I am struggling to think about anything to do with reducing my outgoings, menu planning or getting healthier - I think that I am just really tired as I haven't been sleeping much over the past week and my brain has turned to mush!!

DD has helped a lot...she cleaned the house for me on Wednesday, so all I have to do this weekend is a quick swish & swipe to keep it looking sparkly :j I think that even I will be able to manage that I do have a mountain of laundry which needs putting away though....looks a bit like the Himalayas in my utility room :eek: other than re-homing that, I am going to try to have as relaxing a weekend as I can and then, hopefully, will feel much better by next week

Hope you all have a great weekend!