Apple muncher's number crunching

apple_muncher

Well, weightrose was like any other smarket, nowt special. The ch shops yielded up a pink puffa jacket for dd for next winter - she saw a toddler one a few weeks ago and raved over it, so I am chuffed to have a h&m one for just £2.50.

The plant stall gave me 4 lavender plants for £10 and 2 tomato plants for £2. I'd like to be able to grow toms, but seem to fail, so £2 for - hopefully - a good supply seems good. And I'll shift the front lavenders to the back garden and replace them with non-woody, non-scraggy ones.

Dh got himself some primarni bargains, which sounds like an oxymoron! I didn't go in, as I loathe the place. But he got such good deals that I might be tempted...! And I'd return to sportswrld to peruse their running shoes.

Hark at me, planning to spend my money. My virtual transformation pot currently has £14 in it, not too shabby for 5 days. And I have about 3 bagfuls for the SA, so some gubbins will be leaving the house soon.

apple_muncher

Dd is adamant she doesn't remember the puffa jacket I mentioned. D'oh!!

apple_muncher

Yet another spendy day - the return to work next week should enable me to curb this a bit!

Got zshred 4 done this morning and swallowed the re-marking frog. Took dd up to the local shops this afternoon - a good breezy walk! - and went to the local coffee shop, and bought a few needs from aldee. Also bought dd a 6-pack of pansies which we have now planted out into a pot.

The milk bottle containers are doing their job hanging on the fence. Each time we finish another, I can cut it up and pop a plant in it and add it to the collection.

Tomorrow I hope to dig up the front lavender and replace with nice new plants.

Dd is super happy to have power rangers back on a working channel!

Feel like this has been - and still is - a spendy month but there is plenty left in the bank, so it's better to look at the figures than go on the feeling.

I am now wittering, so shall stop and go and get a nother pillow out of the loft.

MeandO

My you've been a busy bee Apple!

Nice to be out in the garden isn't it. I have plans to re-landscape mine this year or next (depending on funds of course). The lawn we laid from seed two years ago really hasn't done so well, it's patchy and a bit boggy in places and, TBH, DS doesn't really play on it much, he prefers the patio to play with his trucks and cars and bike on!
I was going to lay some decking, but as a colleague of mine pointed out, my garden backs on to woodland, so he's got me concerned about rats nesting under it. So, I've been drawing up plans for lots of different areas within the garden for DS to play in. Currently, I have a dinosaur (child friendly) rockery type area, a small pirate ship 'raft' coming out of one corner and a 'dry riverbed' type walkway with some fun surfaces, textures and colours to keep DS busy. I'm looking at some artificial grass for a small section too, but we'll see how much that's going to cost... I've also penned in a herb spiral and veggie garden in a small area too as I'd like O to get more into growing things as an attempt to get him to eat better! I can't wait to get started, but it's going to be a slow one-girl mission lol.

My Dad grows the most amazing tomatoes and often gives me some hanging cherry tomato plants in half-moon hanging baskets which always do well and taste delicious. Have you tried those?

Have a lovely Sunday xx

Alchemilla

You are so busy!
The last few summers have been rubbish for tomatoes here. Not enough sunshine.

It sounds like you have bought a lot, but for very little, so maybe thats why it feels spendy?

apple_muncher

Hi guys,

I don't feel like I've been particularly busy - just writing it down probably makes it seem more than it really is! The garden is tiny: 4m75 wide x 6m50 long. My dad's vegetable patch is bigger than my whole garden!. The 'patio' takes up the first 1m50+ from the house, then there is a step up and the rest slopes slightly. About 1 spade depth= solid chalk. We have 3 apple trees, which I hope will do better now the nasty sycamore is gone. And a 'growing' area at the back end where 2 of the trees live, plus the rasps and some random garlic. Lemon balm likes to take over but I can be ruthless with it.

The rest is grass, taken up with the climbing frame and washing line.

We are fortunate in that behind the garden is a 'green' area inbetween the houses and there's another in front of the house between us and the flats. So no cars. And the local kiddies can gather there to play.

Al - you're right, I've spent well. Am just used to spending less frequently!

MeandO - love your plans for your garden! I'd highly recommend a climbing frame. Ours is TP, from 3bay, £70. And is worth its weight in gold.

Must get another coffee on and get ready for Kids Klub.

liltdiddylilt

Catching up with you!!

You have been a busy bee indeed you must have a bunny mountain going on am jealous of Me&O's garden. I had a gigantic garden when I was growing up. Never realised how lucky I was. Now we have a garden but only to look at from the window! At least we can throw monkey nuts for the squirrel!

Your spending may have been spread out but it amounts to hardly anything Mrs. Unlike me, lots of spend free days but the spendy ones are REALLY spendy! xx

apple_muncher

Ha ha! Yep, never enter a 'how much have you spent?' contest with Lilt - she will ALWAYS win!!!

For me, I try to do it all in cash, so it really truly feels like proper spending. In Texas, it felt like play money and I didn't translate it to sterling - far too scary!

Bunny production has stalled as the next pillow doesn't have good stuffing as a filling. Disaster! Must ask on freegle for pillows... However, there are 5 full bunnies in pieces that need sewing up and attaching, so plenty to do.

First things first - offto make pastry bases for my next attempt at pizza for dd. All the others were DISGUSTING, so am giving up on yeast-fueled bases and reverting to what we know I can succeed at and that dd may eat...

liltdiddylilt

See I am the total opposite. Cash in my hands just slides through like water. I still haven't accounted for nearly £8 of the £100 Jelly took out. Lord knows what happened as I have gone back through over and over!! I think the play money thing happens with cash for me.

I have found limited success with a card that purely has my shopping money in it. But then when I go out and see something or something crops up such as a £30 Clarkies purchase that is required immediately, I often scupper myself by only carrying the shopping card.

My best bet is to start to manage my shopping with lists and meal plans but I am terrible and for 3 nights of the week I don't cook and Him is in charge (even though he often asks what to cook) but I really need to do it as the stocks in the cupboard rarely tend to drop apart from lentils, tomatoes, rice, pasta and herbs!

Enjoy your pastry base attempts. I have seen the most recent fad pizza base is made from peas?!?! I can't imagine that is very nice. I've tried a cauliflower base too.

I found everything to send for you and then forgot the parcel yesterday when out. So have put it by the door where I can't miss it tomorrow and will take it with me on the school run! xx

apple_muncher

Back to work tomorrow - will be a shock! Am cycling in, as the weather forecast for thurs isn't so good. And itis a training day, so I can smell a bit! The head had asked us to read an article from a newspaper and I habe not only done so, I have also printed it off to have with me tomorrow! I shall have to try suprr hard NOT to mention it, or wave it around :rotfl:.

Pastry pizza was edible and dd ate 2, but doesn't want one in tomorrow's lunchbag. (pea base?!) But the (rather yummy) profiteroles were rejected and a request was made that I only use milk choc for the choc bit next time. Well, I like them. But maybe 6 was too many...

Aha!! Transformation week 2 has begun. Weight was slowly going down, then bounced back up duue to poor eating choices. Oops. However, a good amount of exercise was accomplished last week.

This week I aim to write down absolutrly rverything I eat, to plan meals 24hrs in advance, and do 100 air squats daily.

I'll keep on top of work emails and set it up so yhat I can drop them into a box for perusal instead of trawling through everything. I shall complete 90% of the y11's paperwork.

I'll finish those 5 bunnies and cut out 4 fat legless snowmen (big sister agreed that they look more like snowmen than the 2 i've done so far - she likened them to frogs!!!).

Lilt - i too grew up with a big garden - corner plot - a street to play on and a spinney up the road. Space and freedom!