Making the future happen - museumworker's MFW diary Pt 2

tootallulah

Museumworker, AMA. Brilliant-well done you. Have a lovely Christmas see you in January when I need to get back to MFW big time.

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello,

Well done on the AMA, sounds like you have a lot to cope with at the moment. I think most of us are looking forward to a very lean new year! Enjoy the moment,

Squirrel:j

museumworker

Thanks for the good wishes everyone! Just popping on to wish one and all a very merry Christmas. Spending DS first Xmas just the four of us, and can't wait! Presents wrapped (apart from OH's ), had a cheeky sloe gin and (dairy free) mince pie and watched Take Me Out Xmas special with DD, a great evening .

Have just bought a Magimix as our present to ourself, using £70 of vouchers received as baby gift, and paid remainder of our holiday money for Feb. Also spent all personal allowance for the month on 1/2 price wool from John Lewis - Toots if you're reading this THE WOOL SALE IS ALREADY ONLINE!

Heck - it's only money and I have a happy and healthy family. Today we celebrate - January will also see me back on the straight and narrow!

Merry Xmas x

museumworker

Dear All

As 2012 draws to a close thought it a good time to review my 2012 aims

museumworker wrote: »

Aims:
* have a happy and healthy pregnancy.
Am 15 +4 and still feeling rubbish. Worst bit is wind - burp a lot and feel very sick! Above everything, I need to enjoy this pregnancy and look after myself as much as I can. Crucial to this will be exercise, relaxation, and saying no to things!
Ended up having 2 months off sick and being treated as high risk BUT that did force me to relax and say no to things! By the end I had a natural, low risk delivery as I wanted, and have a beautiful healthy baby boy . So will count that as a ACHIEVED! There is an ONGOING aspect of this - am working with a health psychologist at the minute on mindfulness based cognitive therapy.

* spend quality time with DD and OH
so looking forward to having more time for DD when on mat leave! Want to make sure we have some good times together before then, all 3 of us - family bike rides, day trips out, swimming together, playing board games, sleepover for DD and a weekend away for me and OH on our own in the spring.
we did all of these things (apart from family bike ride due to my bump!), and some more besides. DD has had another sleepover, and one coming up this week. I gave her a brilliant summer despite having a newborn to also look after. OH and I could do with some more quality time however as the last few months have been really busy, especially with people wanting to meet the baba. ACHIEVED/ONGOING

* get the house organised
We still have a bit of decorating left to do from the loft work, and possessions to whittle down. I bought myself the how to get organised in a year book by regina leeds, and am starting to work on that. Apparently if you do something for 21 consecutive days it becomes a habit, so will look at a habit of the month.
Made progress with this, hundreds of items gone and the decorating done. However, we still have further to go as two rooms of our house (the office and spare room) are now considered our 'rooms of doom'. ONGOING

* save £10K in emergency fund by Sep 2012
Not £10K from scratch! Already saving into FD 8% savings, which will reach £3600 in Sep, and have round about £4.5K in smile savings. we tend to dip into these for annual/lg purchases so likely to fluctuate. We need a new fridge freezer and OH is getting a new camera, so we have at least £1K of costs coming up in the next couple of months.
Got up to £10K and then have been chipping into it. I think we have about £9k at the minute, so not too far off. ONGOING.

* OP mortgage
£10K target. Standard OP of £207.01, which we promised ourselves we would always pay so used to paying a higher % rate. Lodger - £400, but she could move out with our imminent arrival, so only counting first 4 months. £500 from salaries. Hoping will be able to bring in more from amazon/ebay sales and other money making ventures too, but this will not be part of the target as I don’t want to be stressed (see point 1 and 2 about family and pregnancy!)
ACHIEVED :j:j. currently at £11.5K, hoping to make it to £12K with a bit of accounting magic.

* achieve my AMA
Been working on this for 2 years - it is a museum professional development scheme. Have panel date in May, but taken my eye off the ball the last few months so need to focus on getting up to speed and knocking this one on the head.
:j:j ACHIEVED in December.

Looks like overall managed to meet or at least work towards my 2012 aims .

pavlovs_dog

congrats on the AMA MW :T whats are your plans for 2013?

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello,

Very well done on achieving your targets, you have done brilliantly. All the best for 2013,

Squirrel:j

gallygirl

Well done, great progress :j.

[Deleted User]

Great minds think alike MW - though my 2012 aims and achievements look a bit mediocre in comparison!!

You seem to have done fantastically - and the book sounds interesting - if I can declutter and DIY (combined) this year then Ill be happy!

HOpe the mbcbt is helpful - its meant to be very very useful - I went to a few mindfulness classes a couple of years ago and they definitely helped me see things in a different way and less compelled to be "on the go" the whole time (possibly time for a top up! :rotfl:)

icklehelen

Hope you've had a lovely Christmas and New Year?

Congratulations on your achievements in 2012 - what are you planning in 2013??

ickle

PS Glad we're not the only family with a 'room of doom'!! :rotfl:

museumworker

Thanks everyone (and diolch a ti pavlovs dog), 2013 aims coming up but one more reflection on 2012 to go. Here it is, the epic end of year review - meant to post this a few days ago but been a bit busy (with nice things - had friend over today for meal and her daughter is sleeping over, friend over for new years and went out for walk and meal with another friend yesterday).

What museumworker achieved in 2012:
* op’ed £11,429.46 , forever now to be referred to as £11.5K . Was hoping to top it up but did accounts today, and :eek:!
* had a beautiful, healthy baby boy - loved by all the family :heartpuls:heartpuls
* gave DD a fantastic summer to remember - summer camp, paralympics, circus skills, cultural events
* awarded my AMA after 3 years working on it
* said goodbye to our lodger and moved ourselves up to the ensuite
* furnished DS's bedroom, with a beautiful solid wood second hand cotbed and new chest of drawers
* given DS everything he needs clothes and toy wise, the vast majority being second hand or gifts
* sold a few things on ebay, and lots more on Ama$on
* said hello again to migraines, and coped with a return to 12-15 a month whilst pregnant. Found a medication and lifestyle changes which have helped get them back under control.
* learnt to do less!
* started work with a health psychologist on mindfulness based cognitive therapy
* kept up my welsh with podcasts and welsh study day
* Had a wonderful weekend away in Paris with darling friend who lives on the other side of the earth
* hosted birthday tea party for 10, and had numerous friends and family over for cake or dinner throughout the year
* gave DD the birthday party she wanted
* crocheted 4 baby blankets
* got rid of a lot of stuff! Several hundred items...
* continued with OH's share scheme, added another £50pm towards it
* increased savings to £9k
* have used cloth nappies and breastfed for 6 months (and counting)
* coped with half a year of terrible sleep!
* saw DD up a level in swimming, get selected for the school swim team, and perform in a Xmas production in a new drama group
* started 11+ preparations
* replaced our ailing fridge and kettle with super duper blue lighty ones :cool:
* experienced the joy of freeview+ after treating ourselves to a box
* got the radiator in our bathroom working again and fixed a leaking water pipe
* seen DD through her first broken bone :eek:
* supported some friends through hard times
* learnt first aid and baby massage!
* saved approx £16,288 in interest and cut another 2 years and 6 months off our mortgage :j:j:j!