Stepping into 2014- walking in My Shoes with Mooloo

Savvy_sewing

Well I will take her in and see. She was only sick the once and I'm thinking she could have reacted to a coughing fit, etc as once she was awake there was no signs of being poorly at all. She certainly ate like a horse too!
She was up early this morning and bouncing around, so it's worth giving it a shot.
If they send her home she will have to hang around the shop again. I have to open so people can collect their things, ( so I get money in the till).
I have a beaded wedding dress to sort out, that has to be done today as the wedding is next week abroad.
I have very little wiggle time with the number of jobs that have come in. Although yesterday is the first day that we didn't have a new job come in since I opened. ( I think breathing space towards the end of next week)
On the home front, I have still to work out the Christmas shopping.
I ordered a few things on the internet, but so far only two stocking fillers for the grandchildren have arrived.
Starting to feel panic rising when I think of the Christmas ahead. This is my worst organised year ever!!!
I think next year I will have to start a bottom drawer in January so I'm done by October, like I used to do many years ago!
Although for several years I've tried to make my gifts this year I'm time poor as well as cash poor. I'm making sure the rent money and the wages are in the bank before I take any wages.
Ideally I'd like to start paying myself in the new year. Certainly by April!
Think we can manage on the tax credits etc until then. But it's tight.

Brighton_belle

Just to remind you it is not the law that you have to give presents
Adults can forgo presents when times are hard. In our family we have all agreed not to swop presents. As for the other xmas glitz, your DGD will be happy with half of what you feel you should do I am sure.
Don't be afraid to pare back. Your time and energy and financial resources are mega stretched. The best present your family needs is you to remain solvent, unstressed and as healthy as possible.
I know you know this mooloo, but sometimes a reminder is good. I just don't buy in to all the hype around this season and as a result I sail through with not extra bills and no stress. This is essential for my health and welfare which I learnt the hard way to put first.(And no, no one else picks up the tab or does all the work)

whiteguineapig

well said bb, i don't do christmas either
just enjoy yourself mooloo and relax

minimoneysaver

I wonder if it is worth not mentioning DGD's mum as much anymore. Maybe she needs to mentally separate herself from a life of disappointments. It's good that she understands that mummy has special needs, but does she 'really' understand it all? It may make her more relaxed if she hears a little less. I do wonder if DGD worries about her mum?

Savvy_sewing

Your right. But it's a tough call at times.
As the family expands it gets harder. It's time to reign it in before it becomes a stress too far.
If I sit back and just wait until I close up the shop, gather together the bits and pieces I have already bought, and assess the gaps. Token gifts will have to do.
I have some things for the girls, and when it finally arrived I am sure it will be fine. It's just not all that DGD has asked Santa for, as she conveniently (not), hasn't written her letter to Santa, and tends to ask for something when I'm driving or cooking or on the school run.
The tree is up.
All the other decorations can go up on Sunday, after I get time to blitz the house. We can make do with what we had last year etc.
The jobs have slowed down coming in this week. ( possibly due to the turn in the weather!). But it is giving me time to catch up, and breathe a bit.
It's ticking over on the second hand bits and bobs, as more people come down my end of town, and recommendations on Facebook send people my way.
This evening it's a nice hot bath, electric blanket to warm the bed, and essential oils to soothe the brain.
Tomorrow has a full schedule of jobs ready for the weekend, but if I work on the top floor again when I can, I achieve more as less interruptions. Having said that today I only got one job done up there, but it was repairing beadwork in a wedding dress, so it was intricate and time consuming. I did pop to the charity shop over the road, to get a hand full of cd's to play in the background as the radio keeps tuning out all the time. I only had one Neil Diamond one, and there is only so much I can take really.
At 50p each I picked up 6.
I also picked up a set of Snowmen bath bombs. For DGD as a bit of fun, £1.
And 8 festive cloth napkins at £3.
Right time for a bath.

Gottodothis

It's a shame I am not local....i'd love to be your volunteer sewer.


I too am behind with the pressies I'm normally done by Sept.


I have sewn most of them myself this year.


Hope your granddaughter is better soon.

Savvy_sewing

Thanks.
She is fine. She just brought me up a brioche for breakfast..so tea and a bun for breakfast in bed! Nice.
Today she has a trip to the theatre to see Peter Pan. That should be a great day for her.
I have some curtains to do when my help is there. Then the smaller jobs can be done back in the shop when she goes home.

Savvy_sewing

Summery of the shop.
Some £224 repairs done, still waiting collection.
Some £237 worth booked in to do over the next 5 days.
Some £240 cash taken and £180 bank transfer in.
So a very good week, and we hit the 400 jobs mark this week too!
All the Elf hats we made have sold out, and we have 5 Santa hats left.
All in all a good week. ( if the people collect tomorrow then this week will be a record one!).

Savvy_sewing

Morning, another one where getting out of bed seems to be more difficult due to the cold. My instinct is to hibernate. I knew I had wanted to retire to warmer climates. Although the dreams have changed somewhat, and the option too went years ago, a little bit of me wishes I had gone when I first looked into it.
The shop now has definitely changed that. The lease is for 3 years. So time will tell but I will be passed 55 anyway, which was my goal plan age.
Of course having DGD was a huge reason why I didn't move. Aiming to keep her contact with mum was a deciding factor. With hind sight I might not have bothered.
We are getting close to the end of another year of Mooloos life!
Boy has it changed somewhat in the last two or three years.
The family is changing, growing and the demands are different. The underlying problems of the twins are the same, but my actions/reactions are slowly changing.
My feeling of doom and despair has changed as I focus on my little shop, and my aspirations to succeed and to have something to be proud of when I look back.
DGD is growing at what feels like break neck speed. I promise I don't stand her in fertiliser at night, but she's one of the tallest in her class, and only age 7, she is wearing age 10 clothes and shoe size suddenly went from 13 to 2.
The money is still tight, as I started the business with all of our savings, which wasn't much as the big children had my money a lot. The shop has cost quite a lot, and expanding it has cost more than I had anticipated, but it is paying for itself, and the wages for the staff. I just need to Tweeks things and hope that by April I will be paying myself a wage. Living off of the tax credits has made it difficult to save again, and subsidising family didn't help. My choice, but now the Bank of Mum has had too stop.
We will see how long it takes me to rebuild my buffer funds.

Time to move, I have work in an hour and I'm still in bed. Although I've had my cup of tea, checked my emails, and bank balances.
Tomorrow I plan on staying home except a quick trip to get some elastic I need for a job. The plan is to blitz down stairs, and get the decorations up.
Next week is the last full week at work. Then I can concerntrate on Christmas - a bit late but there we are.
Have a good day, sorry for my Ramblings!
Moo

tootallulah

Well done to you Mooloo you are making the shop work, it is so good to see. Keep your dreams alive 60 is the new 40 there will be opportunities and you are a person who follows their dreams, look at the shop! After April what about an apprentice? Support the carrying on of skills, help a young person, financially well supported. I too wish I lived closer to see the shop and to be a customer.