Welshlassie's MFW Diary - Round 2

Welshlassie

So another week over with thankfully, been a busy one. I ran in and cycled home on Tuesday as planned, my knees planned up a bit on Wed so rested and had half day on Thursday for DS sports day which was lovely. Got to sit in the garden on Thurs morning reading my papers for work and making notes, so looking forward to this weather lasting.

DH has been busy and has re-felted the playhouse roof before giving it all one coat of paint - it could do with another one, but it's looking so much better already. He has also mowed the lawn, so one less thing I need to get done this week.

We've got a friends little girl all day tomorrow so not likely to get a huge amount of other things done off the list before Sunday afternoon, but we are planning on getting the paddling pool out for the all tomorrow. We have other friends coming over at lunchtime for the afternoon for a BBQ and they will then stay for the rest of the day. Love entertaining in sunny weather

I've just completed a couple of tasks on Turk only for $3.50, but it all adds up. My rewards are adding up there really quickly so might be able to get a garmin soon.

I had my first bounts £5 L2S voucher through this week and already up to 515 points again so won't be long before I can order another one. Starting to pick up £co surveys as well, although have been screened out at least they are coming through as it was very quiet for a while. Ploughed through a few other survey sites, but nothing atm, although have just signed up for a Runner's World panel which apparently included product tests which would be awesome.

I need to chase up my former energy company as I have an outstanding amount on the bill - they have my DD details but haven't taken it, but the meter reading they have is wrong so the outstanding amount isn't correct. I have the money put aside for the outstanding amount but refuse to pay it until they have the meter reading correct. I have asked them and my new company to sort it out, but not getting any where. Not sure what else I can do.

Now the new Fleabay listings have come in I'm going to get stuck in with the room of doom and have some scheduled for a Sunday night finish, no excuse now

Hope everyone has a great weekend

Welshlassie

Welshlassie wrote: »

List for the weekend has been added to the notice board - no way I'm going to get through it all, but it can stay up for the next few weeks and we might be able to get through bits over the next few weeks.

Will list here for accountability and progress updates:

• Decking - clean and paint
• Dining room - paint gloss work
  [STRIKE]
• Mow lawn[/STRIKE]
• Sort garage
  [STRIKE]
• Check bike so I can take it to work next week[/STRIKE]
  [STRIKE]
• Paint playhouse[/STRIKE]
• Sort office (aka as Room of Doom)
• Filing
• Ebay (contents in Room of Doom)
• Paint garage door frame
• Replace and paint back door frame
  [STRIKE]
• Trim hedge[/STRIKE]

Lots of progress this week, DH has been a start.
Hoping to borrow a decking cleaner attachment for my pressure washer so I can do that this week.

We had an awesome day yesterday, had a load of people over yesterday for a BBQ and water fights/paddling pool out for the kids. Spent a fair bit on food, but we didn't use all of it so some of its gone in the freezer for later in the month.

I'm back in work tomorrow but have tues and wed off work for a medical procedure and then working from home thurs and friday before I'm off for half term. So looking forward to have 10 days off. Although we haven't booked to go away in the van if this gorgeous weather keeps up we'll be going away for a weekend.

I'm paid on Tuesday so get to re-budget in YNAB tomorrow night, although I provisionally planned out everything a week or so ago, I'll need to tweak that a bit but not too worried. Mortgage payment goes out on Wednesday so can see where we're at with a full month since the full OP went in, in April.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and has a good week ahead.

Welshlassie

Another day done. Budget for new month done as paid tomorrow. Went over in a few categories last month but have been able to absorb them this month without too much of an adjustment or pain.

Hopefully going to be a tight belt month as well as not planning on going away at half term as have lots to do in the house. Also have lots of food in the freezer to eat our way through.

Going to have a couple of days out with the kids as for once I'm off for the whole week and both kids would like to see the new postman pat movie so on the look out for vouchers or offers for that, otherwise it's going to be cheap days out if it's dry.

Have completed a few surveys this evening which all adds up.

I'm off on the sick for the next couple of days for a minor procedure tomorrow afternoon so hoping to get some laundry and housing tidying sorted tomorrow morning. Might even be able to spend a bit of time on the room of doom, certainly not going to be able to do any outdoor things as we are currently experiencing an impressive light show and water fountains

Welshlassie

Bit of a strange week just gone. I had minor surgery on Tuesday and spent the end of the week feeling delicate, starting to feel more human today thankfully. Being at home though has meant I've had lots of cuddles with DD and been able to do the school run which I don't get to do very often. Glad it's halr term now though. For once I'm off for all of it

DH has been very busy whilst I've been recovering and managed to get the garage door painted and done quite a bit of pottering around the house.

• Decking - clean and paint
• Dining room - paint gloss work, recover chairs
  [STRIKE]
• Mow lawn[/STRIKE]
• Sort garage
  [STRIKE]
• Check bike so I can take it to work next week[/STRIKE]
  [STRIKE]
• Paint playhouse[/STRIKE]
• Sort office (aka as Room of Doom)
• Filing
• Ebay (contents in Room of Doom)
  [STRIKE]
• Paint garage door frame[/STRIKE]
• Replace and paint back door frame
  [STRIKE]
• Trim hedge[/STRIKE]
  
• Decorate DS bedroom
• Sort DS bedroom
• Sort through freezer
• Decide on flooring for downstairs and book fitting
• Sort DH new domain and website

We've managed to borrow a decking cleaner attachment from the pressure washer so hopefully we can get that cleaned tomorrow as the weather is supposed to be dry for us - about time really as was beginning to think we were going to wash away the amount of rain we've had in the last few days - such a contrast to last weekend.

Have added a few more things to the list (in green).

Planning on spending as much time as possible with the kids this week. Booked to go to the cinema on Tuesday (bargain Tuesday less than £5 per ticket each) me and DD to see Pat, DS and DH to see Tarzan and then off to a friends house in the afternoon/evening. Not sure what else we are going to do this week.

A lady in work lost her baby this week and almost died in the process (she was 7 months pg). It really shook me up and made me pull my kids closer when I saw them. Makes you reassess everything around you and focus on what's really important.

Also booked to see Santa at the Celtic Manor 2 days before Christmas, booking now means we can have enough money in the kids entertainment budget to cover everything else we're doing during the year. Hoping DD won't scream as she has done for the last few years - she'll be 4 by then so should be ok. It's not cheap but my BFF went last year and she said it's amazing and worth it, gingerbread decorating, meeting santa and the reindeers and a gift and picture for 15 squid.

Going to have a tight belt month, just done a big shop in Libl and Bookers so have enough to keep us going through half term and into the following week less milk and fresh fruit and veg. It would be awesome if we could do the months groceries on £350.

I did some working out this week and 18 months ago we were paying £14.50 interest per day. This has dropped to £12.16 per day this month and the total owed is going down £50 per month currently without additional OP's. I'm moving small OP's over to keep the total owed round, but can't send any more big OP's over until Jan 15. It's going in the right direction though

Sorry for the essay, just trying to get my thoughts down.

Alchemilla

I am so pleased you are on the mend and that poor woman at work. I struggle to think of anything worse.

How did you wangle working from home?

Welshlassie

Thanks Alchemilla it'd been such a long time since I had a General Anaesthetic I'd forgotten how much it takes out of you in addition to healing from the stitches. Managed to take DS to a party with DD yesterday while DH started on decorating DD bedroom (pink, pink and more pink I love having a little girl).

Work are quite flexible about allowing me to work from home when I need to, although they prefer us to be office based. I knew I was going to be delicate on Thursday and Friday. I took Tues and Wed as sick the doc told me on Tuesday to take the rest of the week off, but I was "on-call" to answer lots of queries on Thurs and Fri so had no choice about working really. My boss was very good about it though as I knew sitting for any length of time would be uncomfortable and I can connect to the network and have a work mobile so can do what I needed from home.

Welshlassie

Mad washing day today not much been done this week, other than church going to be in the house for most of the day so can use TD and hot fold everything, less ironing then for this evening

The weather isn't looking as promising as the forecast said yesterday, dog needs a walk and will have tiddly peeps in tow so hoping it's dryish so not sure I'll get the decking cleaned.

Managed a few surveys last night and have got the domain verified for DH, just need the former owners to release it from their Google Apps account so I can attach it to ours and we can start building the website. DH is very excited love him and really wants to get started, but looks like it might be another week or so for the full transfer to take effect. Once the website is up and running and they've had approval from the third sector group they can start applying for grants to fund the first few courses. Such an exciting time, it would be great to have a few lined up for Sep, DD starts p/t nursery proper and will have wrap around care 2 days per week so DH will have 2 whole days to do stuff - he won't know what hit him

Load no1 about to finish in TD so need to get it folded before it cools.

Hope you all have a great weekend and bank holiday.

Welshlassie

• Decking - [STRIKE]clean and[/STRIKE] paint
• Dining room - paint gloss work,[STRIKE] recover chairs[/STRIKE]
  [STRIKE]
• Mow lawn[/STRIKE]
• Sort garage
  [STRIKE]
• Check bike so I can take it to work next week[/STRIKE]
  [STRIKE]
• Paint playhouse[/STRIKE]
• Sort office (aka as Room of Doom)
• Filing
• Ebay (contents in Room of Doom)
  [STRIKE]
• Paint garage door frame[/STRIKE]
• Replace and paint back door frame
  [STRIKE]
• Trim hedge[/STRIKE]
  [STRIKE]
• Decorate DD bedroom[/STRIKE]
  [STRIKE]
• Sort DS bedroom[/STRIKE]
  [STRIKE]
• Sort through freezer[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Decide on flooring for downstairs [/STRIKE]and book fitting
  [STRIKE]
• Sort DH new domain and website[/STRIKE]
  
  • Pack up caravan stuff
  • Put stuff in the attic
  • Mow lawn - again
  • paint hall, stairs and landing

Very successful half term here, list is slowly coming down, although I've managed to add to the room of doom in the week as I've cleared more from the kids bedroom. Was talking to DH last night about it all needing selling - a car boot sale would be the obvious choice, but I hate the negotiating part of it, DH is great at it, but we would both need to go. Fleabay is the other option, just need to find the time to focus on it.

DD room is looking gorgeous, DH as done an amazing job. We bought her an amazing bed off fleabay, solid handmade wood with engraved Little Princess, hearts, stars and magic wands. She slept in there last night for the first time and loved it, woke up and and went straight back in there to play - result :rotfl: Spent about £400 for the whole room, bed, mattress, bedding and curtains, carpet and underlay and paint. It'll last her years.

We've had the first people in to measure for the flooring downstairs, just waiting on the quote now, DH has found someone else locally as well so going to call them tomorrow and get them round. They've suggested we decorate before they come so need to now paint the hall before we book them in. I'm tempted to get someone in, but DH wants to do it himself :eek:

I've managed to clean the decking have been waiting for a dry day to paint it - which looks like it's arrived today. Plan for today therefore is to mow the lawn - again and then paint the decking. The garden looks so much better this year than last, a few of my bulbs are coming up and the potatoes, carrots and lettuce that the me and the kids planted are going great guns - the kids are desperate to pick them. I need to buy some veg plants for the other side of the raised bed though as for some reason my seeds didn't take there.

DH organised a fundraiser on Thursday night for DD playgroup and although it wasn't well attended by the parents (in a local pub) they raise over £250 so not completely pointless. I don't understand people who don't support the organisation that their children are involved in. They had planned on doing a human fruit machine and had a local green grocer donate the fruit, but the evening ran on and they didn't get time so we now have a crate full of under ripe fruit to eat this week - unexpected bonus. :T

Have sorted through the freezer this week and have loads in there to eat this month so will only need to buy fresh veg, milk and bread for the next week or so.

I'm also only a few points away from my next bounts pay out, will hopefully be able to order another voucher this evening

Back to work tomorrow boo . I've loved being off with the kids - I walked to Aldi with DS the other day - persuaded him to go by stopping at every park along the way. It was lovely to spend time with just him. It also meant I had a long walk in preparation to start running again after my minor surgery almost a fortnight ago, hopefully will try a short run this pm.

So church this morning and then gardening this afternoon - although DH wants to stop at a local community garden open day - which he made us go to yesterday having read the poster wrong - grrr, then plough through the rest of the ironing tonight as didn't get chance to hot fold things this week.

Another epic post - sorry for those of your reading, but I'm finding it so useful to have a place I can keep track of what we're achieving each week.

Beckyy

Good luck with the run! I've been trying to motivate myself to start running alongside cycling but finding it really hard in comparison to cycling. Makes me fell very unfit!

Welshlassie

Thanks Beckyy. Well I haven't made it out for a run yet and not likely to be able to until Friday evening, but I did start the 30 day Abs "event" that is going round fb on Sunday and kept it up so far. Feeling up to the running but lacking time with DH home to watch the kids.

Having a mending session tonight while I catch up on Holby and Casualty so I have a free night tomorrow to try and tackle either some of the room of doom or ebay - depends on how I feel - both will ultimately sort the room out eventually.

I need to plough through the survey sites as well so will try and have a go at that if I have time after mending the clothes mountain.

Upto to next L2S voucher points pay out on Bounts, but their out of stock so have to sit tight for a few more days, I'd received it within 10 days last time so not too worried. Surprised how quick it mounts up, especially when I'm running 3+ times a week

Going to sort through our house jobs list and savings targets this week as well hopefully and see where we're at with it all.

Anyway, happy hump day, hope you all have a good slide to the weekend