Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

newgirly

Ds1’s bar arrived yesterday and it is big 😬 always a danger buying to early though, as the box of lindor I put away for Xmas can testify 😆

themadvix

Morning all,

(NG I may have sneaked some Tony's into my Weds supermarket delivery!). Quiet weekend here, as you might expect. Lovely walk in the late afternoon sunshine on Friday with DH - out in the fields as the sun was setting. Did collect some TGTG beer on Saturday from a local pub and it was so warm I sat in the garden reading for a bit. Had our R'ford recipe box on Saturday night (and Sunday for lunch - there was lots). It was lovely. Certainly not something to do regularly, but as an occasional treat it might be nice (and you get the recipe card, so the opportunity is there to make it again without the box). Aware we've had rather a lot of treats lately though! 

Repaired one of my jumpers yesterday morning as went to put the other one on and discovered the elbow has completely worn through! (The downside of natural materials). The other one had been sitting waiting for a repair for a couple of weeks, so at least that's done now (and hopefully it'll last the winter!). Went for my first run of week 2, but have had to order some 'proper' running leggings - the ones I was wearing are really more for yoga and have a soft waistband that just kept falling down - I couldn't run without having to haul them back up partway through, not an attractive sight, nor comfortable! I did get 15% off though. Have also ordered some Christmas cards and presenty-bits from the NT. Went via TCB, used gift cards I'd already got and so it didn't cost me anything - £30 'saved' from present fund. 

In good news, I've got some work today; in bad news, it's the final visit to the awful project I've already dealt with twice (might have said no if I'd known what it was!). All work is good though. Up to 77 euros on the new work platform - should get paid in December if I keep this up.

HM pizza for tea tonight and it'll have to be some sort of pasta concoction for lunch as there's no bread. Probably better anyway as it's not warm.

Gratitudes:
* Lovely weather this weekend - and enjoyed it
* Tasty recipe box meal (and fairly easy to replicate )
* Work

Have a good day all!

Karmacat

All sounding good - I laughed at the leggings and good for you for darning the jumpers

Busy_Mee

I found comfort is definitely the key with running. Nothing worse than crawling leggings or underwear 

newgirly

Let us know what the chocolate is like Vix, ds1 ate his before I could steal some 😆

themadvix

Morning all,

Been a while since I updated - some difficult stuff going on that I don't want to discuss here. But gradually emerging from that and beginning to focus on money saving again. I have been doing some Christmas shopping and getting cashback where I can. Definitely focusing on buying from small companies though, so less chance of that. I did renew B&W cat's prescription for flea tablets and got good cashback on that. The boys have also been for their annual check up (£128 including the script and worming tablets), but that's budgeted for. Have bought a couple of needed bits for us via Ebay - with more cashback.

Have just completed the RM CD survey, so should get another £5 voucher for that credited soon. Credit in that account is building back up - will need to withdraw soon, but not sure what for.

Running is still going well - am halfway through week 3 now and enjoying it and looking forward to being stretched more. I need to be running though as yesterday was not a healthy day - baked a quiche for lunch, also made apple turnovers and ate some millionaire's shortbread! (All homemade - DH made the shortbread last week; we have 8 turnovers - usually I freeze them before baking, but forgot this time!). It's DH's birthday at the end of this week, so have put some treaty bits on the supermarket order for this week too.

MS things:
* Clicks done some of the time
* Cashback
* Received Christmas stamps from RM survey (and rescinded my FB notification that I wouldn't be sending any more Christmas cards after last year - 2020 just isn't the year to not send them!)
* Work has been rather worryingly quiet but can't do much about that

Gratitudes:
* Lovely weather this weekend
* Meeting a friend on Tuesday for a walk
* Running

Have a lovely Sunday all!

PS NG, the chocolate is lovely! Have asked for more for Christmas!

Karmacat

Very glad to see a post from you, madvix, sorry to hear that things are tough.  Yes, refocussing can be really helpful - millionaire's shortbread and turnovers are especially positive in that regard.

QueenJess

Every time you post you give me ideas.... I think millionaire's shortbread will now go on my to make list (once my chocolate brownies are gone).  The veggie toad in the hole is also making an appearance in my meal plan next week. 

themadvix

Morning all,

Jess, that's a lovely thing to say I think it's great how we all get ideas from each other - such a huge benefit of being part of a community like this! The millionaire's shortbread is delicious, but not great when there's a whole slab of it in the house!

Yesterday I had an unexpected success! My aunt had given me the details of a roofer who they'd used (and was her colleague's husband). I called him and he popped straight up. Went up on the roof to have a look and was there a long time, banging and scraping.... when he eventually came back down, told me what the problem was, said he could fix it there and then with some cement and a spare tile we had lying around (the banging and scraping was him removing quite a bit of moss in a hidden gulley, and there was a broken tile too). All sorted within a couple of hours for £160! Amazing! He did say there was a bit more that needed attention (repointing of the ridge tiles) - and sent me photos. We've yet to get up in the loft to see what the difference is up there, but tbh, anything has got to be an improvement and for £160, rather than £2400! (I had to cancel the third roofer who was planning to quote in the afternoon!) If we're satisfied with what's he done, we'll get him back to sort the ridge tiles in the New Year.

Then, having the afternoon free, I popped down and met Mum and Niece at the playground briefly and then had a cup of tea in her front garden. Poor Niece - everything is 'after the germs have gone' and she's so confused by the rules (aren't we all?!) - I'm sure she didn't really understand because it's all she's known, but I did explain that there aren't normally rules about me not being able to go in Nana's house/back garden! (She's bubbled with Mum anyway, but for childcare would be exempt.) On the way home I popped into Aldi and picked up the bits we like from there - but it didn't look like they had gluhwein in yet - any ideas when it'll come in? I missed it last year entirely and we really like it. Also bought (at great expense as cheapy card shops aren't open) a birthday card for a friend, an engagement card (for my Dad! - that's a whole other story) and a sympathy card that was needed and got them posted.  Like I said, it was a remarkably productive day in all!

Today I've picked up a small piece of work and have more housework to do. Supermarket delivery has already been and been scanned and put away. Flour and sugar bags were damaged, so will claim refund for those. Also have evening class homework to do, a quiz to write for tomorrow's family quiz and I need to get to grips with making a Christmas cake (need to go to zero-waste shop for ingredients). 

MS things:
* Clicks done
* RM posting/prep/receipt processed
* Roof repaired!

Gratitudes:
* Roofer recommendation
* Playtime with niece in the park
* Lovely weather yesterday - all crisp, frosty and sunny

Have a good day all!

Suffolk_lass

Wow! £160 versus £2,400 that's a result! - I've just made Christmas cakes too - I used clementines instead of oranges for zest and pecans instead of almonds and made three smallish cakes (two as gifts) - I was slightly appalled that I had all the ingredients in already!