My Busy Life

princesst84

Its a good job i dont have a bakery like that near me. I am just greedy. I would have eaten the lot and not put anything in the freezer :rotfl:

sidneysmum

Hi - Polesalot, jazee and princesst84 - I am just tucking into some of the bakery goodies as we speak . Delicious ! x x x

At the moment I am really enjoying my life. A few years ago I didn't think I would be at this point, but i am so glad I am.
I wish I could stay in bed past 5.30 am. Once i put a foot out of bed Sidney is rushing round getting ready to go to the park !! After our early morning jaunt to the park I decided to try on yet another huge pile of clothes. Most went in the rag bag. For now I have done with trying on. I have put things into 3 piles - eBay, for donating to my cousin and for the rag bag. I have loaded a huge rag bag in to the car and hope to drop it off at the "cash for rags" shop. Might as well get a few pounds for them.
Walked to town this morning and called at the pound shop. Spent £3 and bought milk, diy filler and sandpaper. Went to zumba and had a good old dance round then walked home. Most of this afternoon has been spent stripping the walls in my childrens old playroom. The top wallpaper has already long gone but the underneath wallpaper is awful to get off. Lets just say I have had a killer of an afternoon and the job is only half done. Not to worry. At least I have done half of it. The big plan is to emulsion the walls and ceiling white then I have a blank canvas to dress the room how I want. I am lucky the room has bags of character. It has an original built in Victorian cupboard with paneled doors. The ceiling is unusual too in that it slopes into the walls rather than being at right angles. The fireplace is just an opening and I might just fill it with pebbles and candles.
Feel quite tired after the busy few days I have had. I am not planning on doing anything tonight other than having a pamper and reading my book !!
I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x:)

sidneysmum

The weather has been a lot nicer today in the North West. Not exactly the tropics, but not raining either. Walked to town first thing this morning and had a peruse of the local car boot sale. Actually spent £2.50 ! I bought a new bottle of moisturiser 50p, a cream enamel tea pot 50p, 2 red metal heart on ribbons 50p and 2 huge green curtain tie backs with tassels £1. The tie backs will have the cords cut off and will be made into something else - not sure what yet, but they were just too beautiful to leave behind. Went to the gym afterwards and did 60 minutes on the running machine. When I got home I took her ladyship to the park which she thoroughly enjoyed as per usual.
Did a few of my chores including paying my weekly amount to British Gas for gas and electric. This afternoon I have been out for a few hours with my best friend. We always have alternate Sunday afternoons just for us. Today we went to the curry mile in Manchester and had a lovely meal. We can just spend hours talking about fashion and men, work and men oh and our dogs and men !!! Had a great time as we usually do. I wore a completely new outfit to go out in and I felt great. I am so glad I don't feel like I did at Christmas - plump and frumpish. I hope I never to go back to feeling like that again. After our meal we came back to my house for a couple of drinks before she went home. My lovely son also arrived with all the spare veg from him Sunday job. Most gratefully received. I have now put it all into containers in the fridge.
Whilst I was out my wonderful neighbour who does all my odd jobs has made a start on my garage. He has pointed a huge section of the side wall and tomorrow he is going to deal with the tiled roof. God I don't know what I would do without him. He is brilliant ......and a perfectionist. With every job he does, I know it will be great. Also had 1 more use up today - another bottle of perfume. All these half empty items are being finished off now.
Anyway I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Today has been what I would call productive. Sidney and I were out early this morning to the park. I walked to the out of town zumba class which was brilliant. I then had 30 minutes on the running machine. I had a list of errands to do on my way back from the gym. Walked for miles but it was quite a pleasant day. Returned a library book then called at Tesco. Treated myself to a multicolored maxi dress and a black and white tunic dress which I will wear with black leggins. I feel great in both the items so that's money well spent. I have always loved clothes and fashion but I now need to start again. My wardrobe is quite empty as I have thrown most things out. I have probably bought about a dozen items now all in a smaller size. Hopefully I will stay roughly the same weight as I am now. I then walked to Wickes diy store and bought an aerosol of silver paint. I have a milk churn in my back garden and it needs repainting so I thought the aerosol fitted the job. Hopefully i will tackle it once I have sanded the old paintwork on the churn.
Did a bit more wallpaper stripping this afternoon with the wallpaper steamer but it is a sod of a job. I want to get all the wallpaper stripped before I move onto any other big jobs because I have borrowed the steamer off my neighbor and I want to give it back to him. My neighbour has been brilliant this last couple of days. He repointed my garage wall yesterday and sorted out the missing slates today. Hopefully that will sort out the leaky roof. He welded my garden bench so thats fixed now. Also he came up trumps for me with another little project I have in my mind. I am in the process of repainting my wash house (after I`ve finished the playroom). Anyway I was telling my neighbour that I could do with a bit more work surface putting in the wash house. He then tells me that this daughter and son in law are having a new kitchen this week and he no more than turns up with all the old work surface which will be perfect for my wash house. What a saving. Anyway he will be fitting the work surface for me soon !! He is worth his weight in gold.
One little job I did this afternoon was to cut back the curtain tie backs I bought from the car boot sale yesterday. I have shortened the cords and have now got the tassels on my door handles as key fobs. All my rooms have the original doors from when the house was built in 1900 so I am lucky to still have the keys. They look great and all for £1 and about 15 minutes of my time.
Off to work tomorrow so need to get things sorted now. I am also reading a new book "My James" by Ralph Bulger. I will have to see how I get on with it as it could be quite harrowing.
Anyway I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

For some reason I never sleep well the night before I have to go to work. So after being at work today I feel really tired. I suppose work has been OK. Its never going to be brilliant but for now I have no choice but go. Never mind, it keeps the wolf from the door !!!
Had a nice surprise this morning when I logged into my bank account. I have been credited with 6 months TV licence money as I had apparently paid 6 months in front. Nice one !! On my way home from work I did a few errands. I dropped a large bag of clothes off at the cash for rags shop. I got £8.10 which I was OK with. However the girl in the shop will never get an award for her customer service skills !! Called at the cash point to make a withdrawl so I could pay my neighbour what I owe him. Then I went to see my aunty at the nursing home. She was actually on top form today and was very comical, even though she is still very poorly. It was lovely to see her. Next job was to take her ladyship to the park which she thoroughly enjoyed.
I have got a few plans lined up for the next few days at home. This year I have really enjoyed my life and I am trying to enjoy all aspects of it (struggling with work though). I am a person who likes being occupied and busy. I am enjoying getting my home just how I want it. I know its a family house but for now I want to stay in it. Maybe some day I will decided to sell up and move...but its not now. I am also enjoying making the most of myself. I have always tried to look after myself but sometimes its not been possible with a husband, 4 children and a full time job.
Anyway enough of my ramblings. I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

My plans for tonight are quite simple. I am just going to sit on the sofa and read my book. I am still reading the book by Ralph Bulger about his little boy James. Even though it is a sad book, it has still been a good read. In fact I cant put it down.
Today has been just how I like my days to be. I was up early and back from the park before most people had surfaced. Went to Asda bought bread and milk. Had a look round the clothes department but didn't see anything I liked. Before heading off to the gym I did a few jobs I had been putting off - cleaning Audrey chicken, cleaning my top oven and pulling a few weeds out of my block paved driveway. Its all spot on now. Went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the running machine followed by my lunchtime zumba class. On the way home I stopped off at my local Matalan. All the jewelry (which is surprisingly very nice) is on BOGOF. My plan is to go clothes shopping to an out of town retail park tomorrow afternoon all being well. I am going to then match up some costume jewelry from Matalan depending on what clothes I buy. Plan !!!
The rest of my afternoon has been hard work. I completed stripping the playroom walls with the wallpaper steamer. Also cleaned the playroom up a bit. Not sure what the next step is with the playroom but I think it will involve painting the walls white. I have got a huge container of white emulsion sat there, so that's probably the next job. I also need to get some money together to have a new window. The room has 2 windows and I have had one replaced with a UPVC sash frame but not the other. I will have to wait till I have some funds. I have already had the window measured and priced up (£400 approx). Anyway the window can wait. I have got enough jobs to be getting on with in the meantime.
Anyway I hope everyone is having a great moneysaving day x

LeaLea89

Hi sidneysmum,

Just thought I would say hi! I have been reading all the way through your diary and I look forward to your posts to read when I get in from work.

You are a big inspiration! I am currently at a weight loss of 1 and a half stone with some more to lose, reading about someone else losing the weight and how good it has made you feel has spurred me on some more, I can't wait to get to the point you have and be happy with my weight!!

I look forward to tomorrows read!

Have a good evening x

sidneysmum

Hi LeaLea89 - Thank you so much for your comments. I am so flattered that you look forward to reading all my ramblings !! Keep up the good work with the diet. If someone had told me on New Years Day that by the end of April I would have lost over two and a half stone, I wouldnt have believed them. You can do it. Hope to hear from you soon x

The weather today has been pretty poor. Luckily it wasnt raining first thing when I took her ladyship to the park. I decided to go to the gym before my dance aerobics class this morning so I would have more time afterwards to get ready and go shopping. So.....40 minutes on the running machine then an hour of dance. Loved it. This afternoon didnt turn out exactly as planned. I managed to do a bit of clothes shopping but had to come back home early because my neighbour needed to get in my wash house and do some measuring up. Anyway I still managed to buy a fleece from M&S and also some black work pants. Most days I wear sports wear for dog walking, exercise classes and gym. I have been buying loads of new sportswear recently and it feels good wearing stuff that fits. I also bought some really nice black slim fit smart trousers for work. I have got a few tops that will look good with them. I had planned on going to Matalan to look at costume jewelry but ran out of time. It is lovely to be actually be spending some money on myself and actually "investing in me". For the last couple of years I haven't bothered making the most of myself as I wasn't happy with my weight. Why bother buying new clothes if you are unhappy with your size and shape. Now I feel as though I want to take more care of my appearance.
I also called at one of my sons houses and picked up a heat gun I had lent him ages ago. I am going to be revamping my old milk churn as a lot of the paint is flaking off. As the weather is so bad here I have just took it upstairs to the newly stripped playroom, where I can tackle the churn. I have been giving it a good old scrape and I think I will be getting the heat gun on it when I get some time. That will be another project ticked off the list.
Had another use up on the toiletries front - 1 deodorant.
Anyway I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

For some reason I have feet a tad under the weather this last few hours. Not sure what it is - could be a water infection or ahem, ladies matters !! I will have to see what develops.
I felt OK this morning so was up nice and early. Went to Tesco and bought another dress / tunic. I was so impressed with the one I bought earlier in the week that I decided to get another one, but in a different design. It was lovely being in the supermarket before the world and his wife descended. When I got back I took Sid to the park. I went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the running machine then did the legs, bums and tums class. Lets just say it was a very difficult class. I think the sports centre should have laid on transport to get everyone home as we could barely walk when we were done !!!
This afternoon has been a bit of a spendy one. However I feel really pleased with everything I bought. Rice x 3 bags at a bargain price of £1.20. I also bought a jar of Maxwell House coffee from the pound shop to give it a try. It was actually rather nice so that might be the way forward. Called at Primark and bought 4 t-shirts for wearing at the gym. I go through sportswear really quickly as you can imagine so I am stocking up - especially in stuff that fits ! Bought a huge pack of 18 loo rolls for £3.99. I also called at a second hand furniture shop and came across a few bargains. I found a huge length of unused kitchen worktop which will be perfect for my soon to be decorated wash house. Also I found a lovely old painted wooden stool and a very old fashioned gold mirror. The stool and mirror are perfect projects for me over the next few weeks / months. Anyway I got all 3 items for the huge sum of £20. I was thrilled, especially as I could load them straight into my little car and take them home.
The rest of the day I have spent lounging about on the sofa with a new book. Its the third book by Tessa Hainsworth - Home to Roost. I have enjoyed her first 2 books so I am sure this will be a good read. Methinks I will be having a very early night tonight hoping to sleep the stomach ache off.
Anyway I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Lets just say I am glad yesterday is over. I just felt rather unwell. I decided to just potter about and stay at home which is pretty much what I am going to do today. I had a friend call round in the morning and then I went to the nursing home to visit my aunt in the afternoon. At night another lovely friend came round and we drank loads of cups of tea and ate loads of cake !! Not my usual sort of day - not one scrap of exercise apart from walking Sid. But I just couldn't be bothered. Anyway I think I am feeling a lot better today but am going to wait till I feel 100% before I tackle any exercise.
I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x