My Busy Life

sidneysmum

Today has passed very pleasantly so far. As per usual I was up at the crack of dawn taking Sid for a walk in the park. My early morning walks are numbered as I have decided that once its still dark at 6 - 6.30, I am not walking her until its light. As much as I think the lovely quiet early mornings are a wonderful time of day, I also want to feel safe. After our trip to the park I went to the gym and did an hour on the treadmill. On my way home I called at Tesco and bought 3 more jars of my favourite coffee as its on offer. I have enough in my cupboard to last me a while. I also went to Aldi and did quite a comprehensive shop. I bought loads of basics. I have decided that I need to make a few more nice meals so with that in mind I stocked up on chicken, minced beef, a gammon joint and quite a lot of veg. My plans are to make a chilli, some Chinese chicken dishes, gammon with cheese and pineapple and a few home made soups. I bought butternut squash, sweet potatoes and peppers. Hopefully I will find the energy to do some cooking over the next few days.
Once i got home, I decided to spend most of today catching up on jobs around the home. I hoovered out Gladys the minger, (my car). For now I will be just calling her Gladys as she is no longer minging. I washed all the covers on my grandsons car set. Most of my time has been spent altering some curtains for the playroom. Although I have just bought them, I wanted to alter the curtain heading, so I stripped an old pair of curtains of their header tape and fastened it into my new ones which were originally tab top curtains. I have done one pair and will hopefully get round to doing the other pair sometime this week. I am hoping that one of my sons will call round tomorrow and help me put up the curtain rails.
The rest of the afternoon has been spent on a bit of pampering. My friend who normally does my nails is in hospital, so I decided to do my own.....and they look quite nice. They will do till my friend is up and running again. After sorting my nails I just had time to go to the tea time zumba class for a bit of a dance round.
Anyway, my plans for tonight include guinea pigs, putting my feet up, the internet and having a read !!!
I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

The last couple of days have been a bit busy and i have decided to have tomorrow at home and do a few catch up jobs and get ready for work on Tuesday.
Yesterday I had a bit of a lie in....ie. 7.15 !!!!. I then walked to the town centre gym for my Saturday zumba class which was great. I called at the town centre vintage shop and donated a large cross stitch I had been given which i didnt care for. After a bit of lunch and a shower, I went and collected my grandson. We went to visit my aunt in the nursing home for a short while, My grandson really cheers her up so its worth going. After our visiting was over, we just spent the afternoon at my house - playing with toys, guinea pigs, Sidney. We just had a lovely time. All too soon it was time for him to go home. I didnt do a great deal last night as one of my sons was having a spot of bother and i was (shall we say) required. I did however manage to prepare a slow cooker full of sweet potato and red pepper soup. It was cooked by this morning. I have just had some for my tea and it was delicious.
Today has been non stop and that's why I have decided that tomorrow will be basically a day at home, apart from a quick trip to the gym and an even quicker dog walk. I am also hoping to go and view a calor gas heater that a lady is selling locally. We shall see.
Anyway today has been busy, but enjoyable. I was into town very early this morning and went to the town centre car boot sale. I made a few sharp sales. I bought a high chair for my grandaughter £4 , a brand new white angle poised lamp for in the playroom £1, a childs wooden toy 50p, a tall wooden painted plant stand which I will repaint and have in the playroom £4, a shabby chic magazine rack £1 and 2 books for £1.50. One of the books is rather good. It is about the work of a local artist called Helen Bradley and is full of beautiful pictures !
After my car booting I met my friend and we went in the gym. I did 60 minutes on the treadmill before coming home and taking Sid for a quick once round the park. Things got very busy as my son turned up to put up the two curtain rails in the playroom. At the same time I was trying to have a shower then make us both some food !! Bedlam. A friend then called to drop off some old toys her son had finished with and which would be suitable for my grandson. They are great.
Once my son had put the curtain rails up, I got ready to go out. My best friend called for me and we had yet another trip to IKEA. I bought a white desk / table for the playroom. One of my jobs for tomorrow is to put it together. All the other things i went for were out of stock!!! Once we had done shopping, my friend came back to my house and we had a few drinks of coffee.
Anyway that's me for today. I am just going to get my feet up and do some googling and reading. I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Well I have managed to spend most of today at home but seem to have been busy all the time. I was up very early and at the gym by 6.30 for my hour on the treadmill. I took Sid out when I got back - but we went on a walk to the postbox instead of the park as I had a birthday card to post. Next job was to go and look at a calor gas heater that was being sold locally. It was an absolute bargain - almost new, with a gas bottle for £20. I snapped the woman's hand off. Anyway I loaded it into my car and was home for 9.30. The rest of today has been spent at home doing jobs. I managed to iron and put up the first pair of curtains in the playroom. I also put together the desk / table i bought from IKEA yesterday. I also painted the tall Victorian plant stand I bought yesterday from the car boot sale. It looks great. In between all that I have had a visit from one of my sons, got my food and work clothes ready for tomorrow, submitted my meter reading to British gas, cleaned all the toys for my grandson which were donated by my friend yesterday and lastly did a bit of hoovering.
The playroom is really coming on now. I just need to sort out the second set of curtains and move my old chesterfield upstairs when my new sofa arrives. That could be about 3 weeks away though !! Even at this stage I am really happy with the room.
The plan for tonight is to read my book and eat some cake !!!
I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

I was unable to post last night as my internet was playing up. Yesterday was work for me and thankfully it all went smoothly. I left work in the early afternoon and I called at Asda to pick up another set of curtains for the playroom. I will have to sew in some new header tape to make them the same as the other pair then I shall iron them and put them up. Hopefully I will get them done over the next day or so. After Asda I went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the treadmill. Next stop was to call at my sons house to pick up some curtains he no longer uses. They are actually lovely curtains and I am going to give them to a friend of mine later in the week as she is moving house and they will be perfect in her new lounge.
When I got home I collected Sid from her second home next door. It’s good to know that she is getting some attention whilst I am at work. Last night I just decided to get my feet up and have a bit of a read seeing as the internet was acting up.
Anyway I hope everyone had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Today has been a bit different than usual. I went to work very early and managed to get away early afternoon. I decided to go to the cinema instead of going straight home. I went to see - We're the Millers......and it was hilarious. I was in two minds whether to watch it and I am so glad I did. Anyway once I got home, I collected my lovely hound from her new family next door !!! then got on with sorting out the second set of curtains for the playroom. I sewed new header tape on and then ironed them and put them up. They look great. The playroom is almost complete now. I need to change the plug socket and light switch from chrome to gold coloured, sort out a light fitting and move the old sofa upstairs....but no rush. i am so happy with the room as it is. I have got my sons old laptop on my new IKEA table and am sat here typing this and looking out at the back garden. Anyway......I am really tired tonight so the plan is to do some reading then get an early night as I am sure i will have a busy day tomorrow. I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Even though there was no work for me today, I was up nice and early. It was quite light so i decided to take Sid to the park and afterwards I walked up to the town centre gym. Had 50 minutes on the treadmill then had a bit of a walk round a couple of shops. I bought some stamps and a 4 way adapter (from the £ shop). I also got some free leaves / greens from my greengrocer for the guinea pigs. I went back to the gym for my dance aerobics class then got a lift from a friend who was going past my house. After my shower and a spot of lunch I decided to get the car out and do a few errands, combining trips to save on my running costs. Firstly I called and filled up the car with petrol, then to B&Ms to buy some more curtain rings (for the 2 sets of playroom curtains), On to Aldi where I did my weeks shopping, next to Asda to buy another duvet cover for the playroom day bed. I have pretty much decided to use the playroom as my bedroom once the cold weather is here so I need 2 sets of bedding. Lastly I went to the library to pick up some books on upholstery and soft furnishings. Might make some cushions when my new sofa arrives !
Anyway I have spent the remainder of my day just doing chores - 2 lots of washing, drying and ironing, cleaning the piggies and putting the extra curtain rings on the playroom curtains. I am glad that chore is done !!
I am planning on a late tea now followed by some googling and some reading before bed. I have enjoyed today.
I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

Jazee

Hello Sidneysmum, glad that all is well with you. I too went to see both of those films, The Way Way Back and We are the Millers and loved them both, especially as they were free viewings thanks to MSE. Am now looking forward to watching The Call next week with DH, another freebie.

sidneysmum

Jazee - Thanks for dropping by. I just love going to the cinema. Glad you enjoyed the films, as I did x

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind but I am going to take things a bit easy tonight, and hopefully tomorrow. I was up nice and early yesterday and went to the gym for my 60 minutes on the treadmill. When I got back, one of my sons came round and brought his drill so he could help me put up a couple of mirrors in the playroom. One is a full length very modern IKEA mirror and the other is a beautiful gold coloured vintage mirror. Anyway at leas they are up now. Most of yesterday was spent helping my friend who is moving house. That certainly passed a few hours. I did manage to get to my teatime zumba class and then picked my grandson up who stayed the night.
This morning we were up very early and had a good few hours playing with his dinosaurs. We then went off to the swimming baths for an hour. He is still wearing his life belt but is a little more confident. After our lunch we went to visit my aunty in the nursing home. My grandson is such a tonic to the old people. He is like a one man show. I have just got back from taking him home to his mum and dad. All I can say is that tonight I am having a rest !!! I have deserved it.
I hope everyone has had a great couple of moneysaving days x

sidneysmum

Today has been far more relaxing than the last couple of days. I was up early and at the car boot sale before 7am. However I have to say I was very disappointed with the stalls today. Mostly rubbish. I bought a sweatshirt for 30p for my grandson......the main reason being that it had transfers of dinasaurs on it. I went to the gym afterwrds and did 60 minutes on the treadmill. I just love exercising because it makes me feel so good. However I am going to have to keep an eye on my weight as I am starting to look a tad thin and a bit lollypop head !! Maybe need to put about 4lb back on. Anyway I am going to monitor the scales. After the gym I went to the park and walked Sid which was nice. The rest of the day has just been spent pottering around. I have photographed a few items and listed a couple on eBay. My plan is to list maybe one or two items a week for the foreseeable future. That way I will be able to get rid of a few items without it becoming a major chore. Tonight I intend just putting my feet up and having a good old read.
I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

sidneysmum

Yesterday was quite a productive day. Up nice and early and went to the gym. Did my usual 60 minutes on the treadmill. When I got back I had to make a couple of phone calls and write a lengthy email to my council tax office as I am, shall we say, having a nightmare at the moment. Anyway I am hoping my problem will be sorted soon. I have to say that the council tax problem has really got me down, which is unusual for me. Anyway once my council tax dilemma was dealt with I took Sid to the park. I then decided to go to a fabric supplier in my next town and buy some wadding for an unfinished quilting project. I have just been so busy with the playroom that I haven’t got around to completing this project. I also had a stroke of luck on ebay. I needed a calor gas bottle for the calor heater I bought last week. Luckily I was able to buy 2 for about £3. I am hoping to pick them up today. Yesterday afternoon was spent doing a spot of cooking. I made a bit of a concoction of butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot, onion and a few spices. I then mixed it all up into a risotto. I had a huge portion for my tea and there are several portions left for freezing. Last night was just spent doing my usual – having a read.
I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x