A Singularly Lonely Christmas

Need2bthrifty

LavenderBees wrote: »

Hope you enjoyed your chips

Someone last night was talking about how lovely the HD's cookbook recipes are. I'm thinking of treating myself as I have some Amazon vouchers begging to be spent. In fact, I'm glad you've reminded me. I'm off to look now

I would recommend borrowing it from a library first, I bought the first one and didnt really find it that useful other than using blanched leeks instead of pasta to make lasagne.

calicocat

LavenderBees wrote: »

Lots of really good stuff there, Calicocat.

If I were you, I'd get back to your pots of money for different things as that sounds a really good plan to help focus your mind. By all means, have one for clothes or house or whatever turns you on, but stick within a budgeted amount each month.

Also, I'm guessing that the credit card debt will be costing more than your mortgage, so, I'd be concentrating on getting rid of that as quickly as possible, and then think of saving up overpayments for the mortgage. I can't recommend joining in on the threads for MFW enough, kept me on the straight and narrow, stopped me feeling alone in my quest, and lovely supportive people. Although you can only overpay by 10%, you can save up whatever you want to, to pay off more capital when your mortgage rate ends etc...

Re herb hunting. I did think of getting you some, but wasn't sure whether you want to go this deeply into gardening...so got you a couple of plants instead....but for cheaper gardening, seeds are the way forward for some things... I'll be glad to help you...a pot, bit of compost, a warm conservatory. Before you know it, you'll have plenty of herbs...

As for the living will, I'd be happy to talk this through with you and anyone else who needs to put plans in place, just in case...I've only got as far as 1. keep toxic siblings away and 2. any intravenous drip needs to be linked to a bottle of southern comfort, I want none of this keeping me hydrated malarky :rotfl:

ETA obviously feel free to ignore my unasked for advice. It's just how I would approach it...

Advice is good...and is my plan. I may even consider using savings to ditch the c.card debt, and hide card with a friend so not tempted to use it, but it's there for an emergency if needed.....or I could just not take it out of course....there's an idea...


Re:living will

I too have the toxic sibling one.
Don't put sugar in any of my drinks.
Do not attempt to feed me mushy cornflakes as I may hit you, I like the milk in one bowl and cornflakes in the other,NO sugar, and you put the milk on spoon first, the a few flakes...and it all stays nice and crunchy.
Haven't decided on drink choice yet for drip set-up.


Re: herbs, cool, we will meet up and you can show me what I need to get etc. I have kept the ones you gave me in the conservatory for now as don't want then to die if we get horrid weather. Until I have the money together to sort the garden out I think I should just have things in pots maybe anyway for now. I have some bedding areas, but the middle bit is either decking or gravel at the moment and think I want some grass. I want my bare feet on the ground, earth, it is good for you so they say. The front is part grass part bed part flags for car, that bit is southfacing, but very exposed in the winter and gets wild wind so not sure what I can put in that...as yet. I will have to look at hardy stuff for there, and the whole place needs some proper soil, as it seems very clay at the back.

I have cultivated some mint from one of those supermarket eat plant things, just shoved some cuttings in water and they now have good roots.


I can't wait to get this going now that i'm typing about it. I have the money set aside in my pots already from last pay, and am going to try not to spend the 'going out' fund so have that for things needed for herbs.

groatie_queen

Happy New Year LB and Co!

Just been for a short walk - too cold wet and windy for anything longer! But at least it fulfils my ambition to walk every day this year, even for a short while.

I watched the local fireworks from my bed at midnight, and very nice they were too, the cats enjoyed them also which surprised me - no curtains up yet, moved house 20 months ago! - another 2014 resolution is to find a 'man who can' to put up curtain rails/poles for me, and a blind.

I spent the morning sending electronic NY greetings, courtesy of Jacquie Lawson's excellent card site, to friends and family round the world.

Tonight I'm setting up my budget for 2014, and my reward will be an hour or two on my Kindle. A quiet day tomorrow, with another walk, and I think I'll take my latest £5 Morrisons Miles voucher to the larger store in the area to see what I can find for the house (I always use the voucher for something for the house. Last time it was a wok.)

I hope you have a lovely evening.

LavenderBees

poet123 wrote: »

Stop getting aggravated by the small stuff of life.
Cut down on the worrying, it isn't helpful.

Yep, I need those, too . Have written them in my notebook to remind me... :T

LavenderBees

Byatt wrote: »

... but also have small ones, such as wearing perfume again, getting my hair done (as cheaply as possible, but done nonetheless)...I have kind of let myself go over the years, had forays into the make up but then give up, but a touch a mascara doesn't hurt anyone.

...We will go to HFW's RC canteen for mussels and chips in January.

Well, stamps foot and spits out dummy (again :rotfl:), am very very jealous. 'S not fair!! I want to go to RC!!

:rotfl: I want to hear about every second of it, every mouthful...:rotfl:

On a serious note, though, yes, the little things are really important as it's these that help us build on feelings of self esteem and self worth. It's so easy to forget how relatively easily we can build up our confidence. I'll be endeavouring to remember to have more soaky baths. If only I could remember the make of the face pack that made me feel so good last week...:cool:

LavenderBees

Need2bthrifty wrote: »

I think that’s enough to be going on with at the moment, but will review in a few months to see how I’m doing.

Long term Goal which I may set up a separate bank account for is a return holiday to New Zealand, can I manage that by February 2015, not sure but I will give it a d**n good try.

I have to say this thread has focussed my thinking, things I’ve been meaning to do for ages and now that I have had the major things done to my house it’s time to focus a bit more on me and start the year as I mean to go on.

LB - this thread has been inspirational and motivational for me, too easily I can just bumble along through life waiting for things to come to me, which in reality they never do – so another of those little quotes from my calendar, “Dreams don’t work unless you do” will be part of my mantra for 2014.

Wishing you and everyone else on the thread a’ the best for 2014.

xx

Yep, that'a another good point to review progress, and change track if necessary. I've put a milestone on my calendar to review progress in April :T

Good luck with the holiday saving. Truth is that if you don't focus on it, it won't happen. Make it happen...go on, you can do it! :T

And, yes, no one said that hitting goals is easy...I've put that wee quote in my notebook, too I tend to find it difficult to motivate myself, so all these little quotes will help to give me the kick I need to not just start but keep going.

calicocat

LavenderBees wrote: »

Well, stamps foot and spits out dummy (again :rotfl:), am very very jealous. 'S not fair!! I want to go to RC!!

:rotfl: I want to hear about every second of it, every mouthful...:rotfl:

On a serious note, though, yes, the little things are really important as it's these that help us build on feelings of self esteem and self worth. It's so easy to forget how relatively easily we can build up our confidence. I'll be endeavouring to remember to have more soaky baths. If only I could remember the make of the face pack that made me feel so good last week...:cool:

Oats,manuka honey, and a bit of butter makes a good HM face pack.

And butter and sugar is a brill exfoliator for hands.

I DO NOT recommend the banana hair bath (mashed banana) as it took days to get out of my hair, and due to various different methods of attempted removal ended up as cooked banana in my hair.

LavenderBees

calicocat wrote: »

Oats,manuka honey, and a bit of butter makes a good HM face pack.

And butter and sugar is a brill exfoliator for hands.

I DO NOT recommend the banana hair bath (mashed banana) as it took days to get out of my hair, and due to various different methods of attempted removal ended up as cooked banana in my hair.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

oh, dear! I'm not laughing, honestly, I'm not!

:rotfl: :rotfl::rotfl:

LavenderBees

lovelife79 wrote: »

Hello, ive been lurking the past few days on tge website in general and have read this thread with interest. It was lovely to read just how much you all turned a potentially difficult week into such a positive, inspirational week.

I have particularly enjoyed how it turned into chat about chickens! :-D :-D :-D

Ive had an upsie downie year which I wont go into but im hoping 2014 is a better one. If its alright with you I may join in with your conversations?

I have no real new yr resolutions other than to eat better, stop ordering takeways, walk more and generally put me and my health at top of my list. No diets for me. Its lifestyle changes. Dont want to be counting calories ;-)

Anyway on a side note, I got friendw boxset for xmas and after reading all your chat about onesies thought I would mention pheobe has one on thats makes her look like an adams family kid.... in a cool way. Still wouldn't wear a onesie myself mind you!

Well enough from me..... happy new year everyone. Hope 2014 is a better year for you all xx

A cool onesie???? Surely a contradiction in terms :rotfl:

Absolutely join us any time, you're very welcome. Thanks for dropping by, and Happy New Year to you, too

paulineb_2

I did enjoy my chips, back on the healthy eating wagon tomorrow.

I use superdrug facepacks. Their own brands are cruelty free, 99p each, you often get 3 for 2 or 4 for 3.

I have sensitive skin and theyve been fine so far. Their own brand shower gels again cheap, cruelty free and very nice indeed.

A very hangover free new year, didn't have much to drink. I sometimes cut courgettes into pasta shaped ribbons and cook, not terribly exciting, but OK.