I've had the worst of times - now for the BEST of times!

peaceandfreedom

It's Saturday and I've still got that cold that I can't shake off.

I've had a nice breakfast and some proper coffee and now I need to plan my day or I will end up squandering it as I always seem to do on Saturdays.

I have a ton of jobs to do as the house is really getting scruffy. So for starters:

• Put on the chicken stew for its initial cook
• Clean the kitchen thoroughly and mop the floor
• Assign jobs to DD2 and DS
• Clean the kids' bathroom (ARRGGHH, hate this job)
• Clean en-suite bathroom
• Hoover and dust the bedroom, change the bedding
• Do some laundry and put away the dry stuff
• De-bone the chicken and put it on again to make the final stew
• Make some bread and do other bits of baking
• Watch Strictly
• Watch I'm a Celeb while doing the ironing and/or baking

That's enough to keep me going for a little while I think.

I am getting up far too late which I've moaned about before. I really need to sort myself out and the first step would be to go to bed earlier. I go to bed ridiculously late.

Anyway, off to tackle my chores.

peaceandfreedom

I got most of my jobs done. One or two things left to do, mainly the baking, as I spent most of yesterday out with the DDs doing some shopping - didn't spend too much but I did buy lunch which has blown most of my entertainment budget for the month. Still, it was lovely to spend time with them.

DH thinks the problems with the car starting is just the battery because I don't go on very long trips, so I think I'll leave the service until its MOT in January. I will collect the boots from the repair shop tomorrow.

I am debating whether or not to do a car boot before Christmas - I can't do it on my own so will need one of the DDs to help, which restricts my options somewhat. I will have to see if I've got enough stuff to make it worthwhile as well - I do have a lot of warm winter clothes that I could sell off.

Today I am working from so really must get back to it - will check in again later.

peaceandfreedom

I've a feeling I'm talking to myself here but anyway ......:p

The good:
Have a little bit of freelance work to do which should pay out in December. :beer:

The bad:
Can't think of anything bad today.

The ugly:
There is sooooo much tidying-up work to be done in the garden, it's a mess. Hope to get a lot done over the Christmas break.

in_need_of_direction

I love proving people wrong! Btw, if all you have to be concerned about after midnight is the state of the garden in December, you're right. There is no bad.

peaceandfreedom

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

I love proving people wrong! Btw, if all you have to be concerned about after midnight is the state of the garden in December, you're right. There is no bad.

Quite true. :rotfl:

Though the garden concerns me every time I look out of the kitchen window - you can't really miss it. . And DH, as always, failed to give the grass its last mow, so it will probably look scruffy until Spring. :mad:

peaceandfreedom

The good:
A major project, with which I was involved, went live at work and all went well. :T

The bad:
Cost me £17 to get my boots repaired.

The ugly:
That blasted cold I thought I'd shaken off is back with a vengeance. AND I'm knackered.:(:(

jwil

I'm reading, just crap at keeping up and replying I get the emails daily so don't always come on.

Well done on everything you've achieved!

Hope you feel better soon.

Good luck if you decide to do the car boot!

peaceandfreedom

Jwil, thanks for dropping by - I know what a busy girl you are.

Have decided I'm not doing a car boot because my DD reminded me that we are both at a party the night before, which tends to go until the late hours. So getting up at 6:30am is not really an option. In any case, my heart isn't really in it, I am ashamed to admit.

I MAY do a car boot over the Christmas break though. If I haven't done one by the end of January, nor made any other efforts to sell off the stuff I have, it's going to the charity shop or Freecycle - solemn promise.

I know I've said it before but 2016 is THE YEAR I declutter this house, declutter my mind, declutter my LIFE and generally set myself in the direction I want to go.

NO MORE EXCUSES!!!!!!! :j

peaceandfreedom

Today I woke up with the same cold / sore throat I've had for three whole weeks now. This is baffling because I am rarely ill and eat pretty healthily. It is very very very very annoying.

Perhaps I am not getting enough fresh air - I go to work in the dark, return in the dark and our office is completely sealed. Despite its state-of-the-art newness, it also fails to maintain a steady temperature, being unpredictably hot or cold throughout the day.

I'm thinking that I need to get more exercise and fresh air. I am already parking about 10 minutes' walk away from the office to a) save on parking and b) get some exercise either end of the day. I am now toying with the idea of parking further away still, at least some days every week. I may implement this policy after Christmas. I only have a few days left and then I have TWO WEEKS OFF OVER CHRISTMAS. :j:T:beer::j:T:beer::xmastree::xmassmile:snow_grin

Today we are off to buy our Christmas tree - we've found a Christmas Tree farm not too far away - we got our tree there last year and it was magnificent. On 12th night, we chucked it into our general 'chuck stuff here for a while' area in the garden and it was still lush and green several months later.

Won't put it up until next weekend though when DD1 is home and we can do it together in our usual family ritual. Crack open the Quality Street, crack open some booze, do the decorations. Looking forward to it.

I have a list of other jobs planned for today but most of them involve sitting on my butt at the laptop - trying to conserve energy to see if I can fend off this cold once and for all.

Have a fun day everyone.

peaceandfreedom

Howdy anyone who is kind enough to read my ramblings.

We got a gorgeous Christmas tree - now resting in the garage in a bucket of water and smelling divine. :T

I spent two solid days shopping this week (although in truth much of that was THINKING about what to buy rather than actually spending). I have now finished my Christmas shopping other than food. And I have not used a credit card AT ALL. While this is perfectly normal for many people, it is not normal for me. Reader, I can't recall the last time I got through Christmas without flashing the plastic.

Anyone out there wondering how to reduce your credit card debt - first thing to do is cut the damn things up - because that way there is no temptation to resist. Second thing is to buy YNAB. Then you will have to live within your means and budget properly. It works, it really does. Oh and stop buying stuff you don't need and sell the stuff you've already bought that you didn't need. Lecture over for today.

It's just that it makes me soooo happy a) knowing exactly what I've spent and b) knowing there is no nasty credit card bill looming in January. I get paid on Christmas Eve and I am not at all desperate for the money - it is for January anyway, so no rush.

As I am in bouyant mood, I am doing the good, the better and the best today:

The good:
Redeemed some lovely Nectar points today in S@insbury's

The better:
Tomorrow is my last day at work for two whole glorious, sit-by-the-blazing-fire-and-drink-whiskey weeks.

The best:
Looks like my cold has finally FINALLY gone away. :beer:
Until tomorrow, y'all.