Enjoying the journey to becoming debt free - paying back the credit cards

fedupandskint

Hmm, feeling decidedly bunged up today - oh dear, feel alright in myself but my head feels bunged up. Must have been sitting next to my ill friend at work last week who was very unwell at work. Trying to stave it off with a combination of echineacea and rosehip syrup to feel better - here's hoping it works!

Well as a result decided not to battle against the wind today for a run and I'll do a quick blast of Shred later on instead and maybe nip out for a quick run tomorrow morning before the rain arrives again.

The cellar is currently drying out after the flood again yesterday, getting used to this now with all this heavy rain over the last 6mths.

Today is cleaning bedroom and living room, changing bedding, sweep and mop floors and hoover then bake some crackers for cheese, wrap some pressies take the dog out and watch a film to muster up some Christmas spirit from somewhere.

I also want to sort out a couple of Christmas outfits to look nice and presentable

fedupandskint

Right then a little update - invited out for a christmas drink so walked up to town and had a rather nice and sweet sparkly mint hot chocolate. Felt incredibly bunged up and run down so decied against the exercise for today and take it easy instead. Caught up on the housework, washing and so on.

Made some rather nice seeded oatcakes to go in the present hampers and also for me - they are really nice. No way am I buying any oatcakes in future - to make them is much nicer and they were super easy to make too. This is the first time I've made them and popped in some pumkin seeds as didn't have any poppy seeds. Chucked out the old ones languishing in the cupboard for ages - prob soft and gone off as were open so no guilt for chucking them away. Plus they have plenty of additives in as opposed to these ones made fresh which I was never so keen on and these ones taste much lighter and less dry and chewy. Will definitely be making these ones again - give them a go if you like them and don't worry if you're not used to baking - they're easy

Oatcakes
Butter - 20p
Oatmeal - 10p
Plain flour - 6p
Seeds - no idea lets go for 30p for both
Total - 66p
Made 27 cost per biscuit - small squares not large triangles - 2p

Another surprising discovery at low cost of making these opposed to the ones that are already cheap in the shops

Sea salt water biscuits
Plain flour - 12p
Butter - 20p
salt - ? est 5p
Total 37p
cost per biscuit - made 16 - 2p

Yet another amazing discovery about what can be made for pennies opposed to buying in boxes of crackers as used to do in the past. My goodies hamper is coming along nicely now with only some fudge to make tomorrow and a few more biscuits. Now biscuit making isn't something I usually do and its all going surprisingly well. Yum!

Have just had one of the small loaf Christmas cakes with a bit of wensleydale cheese to go with it - love that stuff and the factory is a good place to visit in Hawes and also buy some of the lovely cheese there too. A nice reminder of the holiday there too with mum. And also had a large glass of crab apple vodka, rosehip syrup - both HM - and lots of diet lemondage and ice - soooooooooo nice!

fedupandskint

Morning one and all on Christmas Eve!

Today's plan is, to do what then?

I will finish the baking and cooking, make up the hampers of bath products and HM goodies and see how these look, bath the dog later to give him a nice Christmas bath and smell nice! Also get things ready for tomorrow including a couple of outfits and I think that might be about it.

I watched a great film last night - Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson and by Woody Allen. Very enjoyable about living in the present not longing for a different age you view as better and Paris looked delightful, now that's a place I want to visit for myself

At long last I managed a NSD making it 7/20 now - no chance of getting to 20 this month, think that was rather over ambitious now. Oh well, I'm sure I'll catch up in Jan

fedupandskint

I have just made some rather lovely looking biscuits for presents and trying hard not to eat them!

Only 10 of each to split into 3 gift bags - I also decorated them too with plain chocolate drizzles - get me!

Costs

Vanilla Shortbread
Plain flour - 6p
Butter - 40p
Caster sugar - 20p
Vanilla extract - 20p
Plain Chocolate - 15p
Total for 10 biscuits half coated in chocolate = £1.01 - per biscuit 10p

Luxury Nut Biscuits
Plain flour - 6p
Butter - 40p
Caster sugar - 20p
Plain Chocolate - 15p
Nuts - 50p
Total for 10 biscuits = £1.31 - per biscuit 13p

Total cost per gift bag = 69p of 6 biscuits and 3 packs leaving 2 spare for me to eat!

Have sorted out the gift hampers just leaving the fresh stuff to parcel up tomorrow morning and the ham to cook this afternoon and all is done which makes a nice change from the usual mad dash on previous Christmas Eve's

fedupandskint

Well I had a lovely Christmas with my family wIth lots of fun, laughter, food and walking. All presents greatly appreciated too.

I got Shed and Shred Extreme which I love! Did Level 1 today to burn off some of those treats I've been eating - went very well and I'll be shedding away over the next few weeks too I hope!

Boo! Back to work tomorrow but certainly feel better after a few days off and only 2 days left to go this week so hope its quiet at work. Have a mountain of turkey to get through for leftovers this week so not much food to get in as a result thankfully. Going out for tea tomorrow after work with a friend who is cooking a meal for me and a present swap then its Friday - yeah and its another long weekend with 2 days off!

WelshWoofer

Glad you had a good Xmas - its back to the slog of exercise and cal counting for me tomorrow - feeling decidedly bloated

Not looking forward to the weigh in tomorrow:eek::eek::eek:

fedupandskint

2 long and boring days at work which were very quiet for once. Anyway, while not much to do apart from man the office I emailed the company we had the Christmas do with and lo and behold they got in touch to say they were willing to refund everyone's full meal cost due to the reasons I stated with no arguments or discussion required. All that was needed was a clear reason why I complained which I stated and a clear conversation with a clear head and all is resolved. So I passed on the good news to those who were in and they couldn't believe it and thanked me for taking the step and doing it.

A nice way to cheer up a long day!

What else, gone a bit mad on the choccies today but compensated with L1 Extreme Shed and Shred as a result to ease my consciousness. Next week will be back to normal once New Year is out of the way. Last lot of turkey turned into meals - stir fry and coronation turkey for sarnies. Oh well it will be gone over the weekend thankfully! I can see I have gained a little over the last couple of weeks but it should fall off over the next month with the combo of running and Shredding and Shedding.

Tomorrow looks like a washout weather wise so might do another day of Shred, along with housework, washing and the usual.

Not planning much for the New Year apart from an early night and wave goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013 and the year ahead

fedupandskint

I am having a nice and relaxing afternoon - took the dog for a lovely walk around the water park and got quite soaked half way around, still it was nice to get out for some fresh air after a lie in till 8am which is quite unusual these days to sleep in until that time!

Then I did both levels of Extreme Shred - quite hard going unsurprisingly and now quite tired. So watching a bit of mindless tv and just about to start cleaning and then off out with the dog again - then I might just have a relaxing bath while tea cooks

Managed not to spend in the online sales today - so its another NSD today. Only on 11 for the month - might get to 12 as the final total which is 8 short of my target, oh well Jan is a new month to try again as this is my lowest total since Oct. Must be Christmas and all that.

WW - forgot to mention, I'm sure I've gone up in weight too after the last couple of weeks - will have a weigh in next week when back at work and see what the damage is and then aim to get rid of it over the next month by reverting back to my normal eating and exercise routines. Especially as I need to get back to running regularly now I'm over the virus and get from 6 miles up to 15 miles

Exercise plan for Jan and Feb
running - increase by 1 mile per fortnight for 8 weeks then 1 mile per week for 4 weeks aim for 2-3 per week
Extreme Shed and Shred - 3 weeks on L1 then 3 weeks on L2 taking me to 5 Feb

Hoping I can fit all this in, will be quite tight at times and weather dependent as we haven't had much of a winter so far.

fedupandskint

A very good day today -plenty of fresh air and exercise, cleaned 2 1/2 rooms leaving only a bit to do tomorrow. Washing all done leaving ironing for New Year's Eve.

Also fabbed myself up with a face mask and exfoliate, nice bath, and nail file and hardener applied. Tea all made and the fridge is full of leftover food for the rest of the weekend and early next week.

Tomorrow hoping to meet up with a friend for the last seasonal drink of frosty mint hot chocolate, maybe some exercise and catch up on the rest of the housework too. Otherwise its a day at home just relaxing and having a generally good day!

fedupandskint

Right then what have I done today?

Took the dog on a nice long walk around the water park firs tthing this moring when it was windy and brisk to say the least. At least it woke us both up! Then met my friend in town for a final sparkly mint got chocolate seasonal drinkg this year and dose of sugar! Had a walk around town but not much in the sales bar the usual. Called into Mr Super and picked up some brushheads on offer for my new toothbrush which will last the next year, 2 body butters on offer and the new serum I've been looking for the last month on half price. All in for £17 - £11 of which were the 4 brush heads so £6 for those was not too bad at all.

Think I will get the buy 1 get 2 free hair dyes if they have a suitable colour for me later next week and if not the usual one which has a pound off. Hope so as would be able to get 6-8mths of hair dye for £5.99 working out at £2 per 2mths. This brings my hair costs to £22 every 8 weeks coming down from £40 . This cost cutting is going well in this area and also found a great hairdresser plus I am regularly treating my hair to a hair mask and hair treatment to get over the home hair colouring. I might have a walk up on New Year's Day if I'm not up to much else.

I also got all the housework finished off - washing mainly dried on the line with that cold wind, did the ironing (aren't I good?) to get it done before the New Year and did my least favourite job of sweeping and mopping the floors which were in a right old state after the last couple of weeks. All done now

Just thinking what I will do tomorrow? Deffo some exercise - was quite achey today after yesterdays Shredding both levels - hmm maybe not for now to do both! No idea what else I will do apart from deffo make a nice pud for dessert as didn't have one tonight and felt very deprived eating more diary milk and then cake and cheese. Thinking a chocolate fudge pud to have wIth creme fraiche after the leftovers and yorkshire pud for tomorrow's tea - thankfully the turkey has now gone - thank goodness for that!

I think I will make a little list of clothes to get over the next 12 mths to keep me on track with the crazy clothes challenge I do each year. Went way over budget this year due to all my old clothes being way toooo big for me and getting rid of them and replacing with mainly sale clothes which I am very happy wearing and making sure I wear all I have instead of them staying unworn in the wardrobe. I've set the budget at £200 and made a note of all of this in my spending/budget notebook.

Hmm NSD for Dec = 12 including tomorrow - bit rubbish - not sure what happened there. The boredom at work didn't help last week mooching around the shops either with this.

Jan target is back to 15 NSD and I'll see how I get on with this again and can always increase if need be

Jan is a long long month as I have exactly 29 days until the next payday so it needs to be very frugal indeed. Better sort out some frugal meal planning too to tie in with the food budget and use up some more of whats in the freezer and cupboards

Off for a HM baileys now and an early night no doubt