Building The Burrow!

Pearla*Merle

That is definitely what I need right now, SSS.

I'm determined to complete a square before the year ends... the countdown begins!

Pearla*Merle

Cold seems to be swiftly moving along, thank heavens. I've got theatre tickets for tomorrow, I thought I wasn't going to make it but I'm feeling much better this eve so I should be able to shuffle along to it after all, huzzah! Thankfully it's a dance thing with short performances and multiple intervals so nothing too taxing.

We'd been planning a big day out in Londinium when I booked it but think it'll be a quick dash in and out instead, oh well. The fact I an even contemplate going is massive relief.

:www: MFW Wonderment: OnePolled; completed some self employed bits, prepped others and had a breakthrough with something else. Excellent days work.

:coffee: Simple Pleasures: sitting out on the balcony reading. I must try and get out and about much more, it's so relaxing being outside in the fresh air.

:heartsmil Burrow Building: we're planning to get our board game nights back on the go, plus we've found a pub quiz to go to - happy days. :T

Pearla*Merle

I survived yesterday! :j I don't know how, despite medication I felt pretty shocking. I was wandering around in a bit of a drunk-with-malaise haze and clinging to the tube escalators in a rather dizzy state.

Glad to have seen the show though - I now realise I need frequent exposure to arty things as it's so inspiring for my own work, and definitely helps me focus. This doesn't necessarily mean expensive theatre tickets but I do need to get out and about to more things (free galleries etc). So am definitely going to make more of an effort henceforth and look at it as 'crucial' business activity rather that 'treats', as that's what it is really.

The shows went to yesterday was my 'try out cheaper/different' seats, and it's worked out a treat! It was a loose seat at the Royal Opera House - totally recommended as you can adjust yourself to see the stage perfectly what a dream! I'm going to try buying Standing Only tickets sometime as well - this should particularly work for dance programmes as they have frequent breaks. And the tickets are super cheap, ergo more shows pour moi!

In :money: news, I brought leftover rice & breaded chicken bits which we ate on the train, meaning we stopped for a late lunch/dinner after the show. I'm having to avoid all fun drinks and desserts, so that's going to be very moneysaving over the next while. Plus I'm being forced to select the healthiest thing on the menu, which can only be a good thing.

We also went to visit a specialist shop of Mr M's, and afterwards stopped for tea when I rapidly went downhill with fatigue. For once we actually just ordered plain tea and sat down and managed to avoid a meltdown into 'I must be starving, I should buy a sandwich and have a fancy coffee' - result! We've decided that I (at least, for it's usually me) should always sit down, have a rest, then decide what I want. At the end of the day, I can always go back up and buy food if that's what I really need. But more often than not just a cup of tea will do the trick. Looking forward to saving a goodly chunk with that plan. :j

Didn't even buy food on the way home, just got in and had some crackers later that evening. Excellent result.

:heartsmil Simple Pleasures: we have a patch of garden near the entrance to our building which has trees and a very Narnia-like lamppost sitting among them. What should we see shuffling about in the lamplight but a hedgehog! Such a lovely treat to see him

Off for another wander out today, somewhere quite peaceful and autumnal which may feature a charming cafe tea stop. :j

Note to self: get the flask back into action for future adventures!

apple_muncher

Maybe today you'll see a faun bythe lamppost...

Pearla*Merle

Oh, if only!

The problem is... I do like Turkish Delight. That might get me into trouble if I was ever to visit... :think:

in_need_of_direction

What you said about buying tea could be me! I would rarely just get a cuppa but opt for the something nice with it. I need to reprogram as you are doing.

Pearla*Merle

I find cutting out sweet things does amazing things longterm for my moods as well, INOD, so well worth doing.

It's definitely not easy to resist but it's just a matter of getting into a new habit. And then, of course, if you are hungry after all but want to be healthy then one way that helps is look at cakes and tell yourself they're poisonous - sounds extreme but it's amazing how quickly that message sinks in. And so much easier to cope with than a constant 'oh they're so nice but I have to starve and punish myself and not have one'. Getting into the way of choosing to always have the healthiest option on the menu and think of it as a 'treat' and 'I'm so adventurous because I try interesting food!' can work wonders). I've gone off on quite a tangent. :rotfl: I've been thinking about this stuff a lot today!

Pearla*Merle

Successful couple of days!

Had a lovely time out on Sunday, accidentally found a couple of dresses in the sale and a top that works perfectly for a couple of skirts I have (that had been out of action due to lack of top to go with them). And it was supposed to be a non-shopping day out. C'est la vie! So much for non-spendy, but again they were long considered purchases and now my wardrobe is in much better shape - it's done wonders for my confidence having a nice selection of clothes to wear again. I hadn't realised what a rut I was in and how dowdy I felt - it's nice to strut about feeling much more like my old self. :rotfl:

Had the most gorgeous sunny walk yesterday through parts of town that were overrun with the most beautiful autumn trees. I went up to an organic shop and bought a few store cupboard odds and ends that should make my 'back to scratch super healthy diet' much easier (date syrup for sweetening things, some nice 'sauce' type things that I can freeze in ice cube trays for super-quick and easy meals, some veg and seeds and suchlike things). £22 all in, for which I got a ton of stuff, I'm quite chuffed. I think I'll pop up there more often for bits and bobs to supplement Aldee shops. Especially to treat myself to organic fruit - I bought some pears and they are flipping gorgeous. Since I'm not buying sweets, cheese (I was a cheese fiend before all this), alcohol etc it shouldn't be much of an imposition on the food budget.

Talking of food - I put some spare Kilner jars into action and filled them with lentils, split peas, couscous and have now got them gleaming at me from inside one of our glass kitchen cupboards - that should remind me to use them! And also inspire me to keep eating healthily. Plus I'm not sure why I didn't do this ages ago as it's far nicer than seeing grains of couscous running about all over kitchen cupboards. I even remembered to cut out the cooking instructions and tape them on the back of the jars. :T

Have been eating seriously well lately - for lunch I had baked potato with tuna, capers and red salad onions (I used a teeny bit of butter to bind it, but I'll probably use oil next time) with wilted kale. I didn't miss the mayonnaise at all. I also had pancakes the other day with fresh berries - gorgeous! I must do that more often.

Planning to make some kale pesto later - I'm going to test it out with sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts (apparently using cashew nuts is good as well?). We'll see what happens! I'll make a batch and freeze it in teaspoon amounts - and I must remember to use it for things other than pasta (mixed into toppings for baked potato/on top of fish etc!)

Oh heck, I have to run - off to Aldee to meet Mr M and pick up some more veg. And I've not even got to any real :money: news yet.

apple_muncher

I'm on tenterhooks, waiting for the 'real ' news... x

Pearla*Merle

Oops, I've made it sound more interesting than it actually is. :rotfl:

Pesto I bought the other day went onto pappardelle with broccoli and asparagus (with extra lemon, yum) this evening. The rest of the jar has been decanted into an ice cube tray, should get several more meals out of it. Used my trusting jar spatulas from the Land of Lake, what a good buy they've proven to be over the years!

:www: MFW Wonderment: did a fair chunk of walking and saved taking three bus rides yesterday :money: shall try more of the same tomorrow. Still waiting for 0% card though, not impressed with the super slow service from Hay-Chess-Bee-See, will probably avoid them in future.

Sorted out financials with Mr M, we've tweaked who pays what so that's all sorted now and means I get to cancel a £90 standing order to his good self. :T Payday soon... not that I'll get much! Oh gosh, the next several weeks are definitely going to be interesting with being on reduced monies. Hey ho, will just focus on getting business bits going and plot savings targets for next year. Might have a nosey on Rightmove later to remind myself why I'm saving like a loon.

ETA: £1.71 arrived from TCB.

:coffee: Simple Pleasures: warm autumn days; kicking leaves (literally will never get tired of this!); netflix fire on while reading recipe books and menu planning.

:heartsmil Burrow Building: pottered about tidying and reorganising, slowly but surely all the space in the house is becoming more sensibly used. :T