I have lost my OS ways, help!

Caterina

Good morning,

Today I hope in a NSD for groceries, but the only spend (planned) is the meal out to celebrate our wedding anniversary (entertainment budget). I have £70 budgeted but in my heart of hearts it hope it will be more like £40 max, so I have a bit of cash left.

The food will easily be around £30 for the two of us, but if DH wants a couple of beers that's going to be much more expensive. I cannot bring myself to deny him the drinks if he asks, not on our anniversary celebration.

Before tonight's dinner my OS plan is: bootcamp (paid in babysitting), then just a lot of tidying in the house.

The builder is going to be in the kitchen this afternoon so I want to stay clear of him. The electrician is not in until Tuesday! Honestly, these people would not last a day in a building site, they just take the mickey, one day in, the other day out...the main builder keeps dropping us because of childcare responsibilities. Are we kidding? When I had a job I had to PAY for childcare! Sorry, end of rant.

Today at 3:30 pm DH and I have the first session of couple counselling. We have been on a long waiting list of a mental health charity for a long time, now we got here, and it is free. Nothing really awful (the awful stuff is all in the past thankfully) but we really need to iron out a lot of communication issues. I have instigated it after a series of bad arguments, on the principle that we need to sort out our differences before he retires.

Basically I do not want to live with a grumpy, no-communication old man under my feet all days. I love him dearly and he loves me, and we really want to hope in a good, happy retirement together, but we need to be able to talk and even disagree with each other without one jumping up and down in rage (me) and the other doing an emotional disappearing act (him). Luckily he agrees that we could benefit from counselling. So many friends of mine said that their husband would not go near it if it depended on their lives. Wish us luck!

Have a good OS day.

Icey77

Hi Caterina,

I've been lurking since the beginning of your thread but now it's time to join in I think

Sadly not a NSD for me, I need to go to town to buy 2 pregnancy massage vouchers for my NCT group of chums to give to two of our group who are close to having their second babies in Oct & Nov. I was given a similar one before Tom arrived and it was blissful I will put on the credit card and the girls will pay me their share in cash which I will have to make sure I bank to pay off the credit card!

I also need to buy some 90 birthday balloons, it's my Oma's birthday next weekend and we have an afternoon party arranged in her garden (weather permitting!) with a catered finger buffet and lots of prosecco, soft drinks, tea and a huge cake

The Cycle Tour of Britain is coming to our town this afternoon but I fear the town will be heaving as all th schools are letting out early so the kids can go watch the cyclists. As much as I'd like to see it I don't think it's a great place for 2 yr old and baby in a double buggy with the 2 yr old having a patience threashold of about 3 minutes . We may go swimming instead if DH comes home from night shift and gets a reasonable amout is sleep today.

The builders are back today, plumber has already been and gone. I think the builders are starting to put up plasterboard in the upstairs extension today, the scaffolding is due to come down on Tuesday then the remaining windows can go in and we'll be weather tight, hurrah

Caterina

Hello Icey77, how lovely to see you on this thread! Welcome, I look forward to hearing all about you, not seen you for so long! Sorry it did not work out at the last meet, but it would be good if you had time in the future, I would love to meet you again, and your new baby, and so would the other London Meets OSers I am sure!

lynsayjane

Belated congratulations on your anniversary Caterina, hope you had a nice day and a lovely treat tonight. Not wanting to sound pessimistic but I think every milestone is worth celebrating as life can snatch the next one away from you.
There was a chap the same age as me (32) killed on the roads last week leaving a wife, toddler and 7wk old twins. I recognise him as someone who used to use the gym I worked at, turns out the new BF also knew him (dated his wifes sister). Small but cruel world.

Hope this afternoon goes well for you, there's nothing wrong with needing a little outside help to make life smoother

LJ
x

ailz95

Yesterday evening I went out and checked just what there was in the freezer in the garage, wrote it all out and handed it to my husband who does the cooking. I also wrote down the meat in the fridge and the vegetables slowly going off in the veg rack.

Just now he has announced that he's going to do Spaghetti al la Puttanesca for the 3 of us for lunch, a great favourite I must add But... he will open a tin of tomatoes, a tin of anchovies, Worcester Sauce from a bottle, dried spaghetti (those funny Japanese veg spaghetti for me) and ad a couple of cloves of (fresh) garlic and some olives.

Then he asked me what I was laughing at. :rotfl:

ginnyknit

Glad the anniversary went well Caterina, hope the counselling is successful too. Busy here getting ready for sons marriage blessing tomorrow, just bits and bobs to do. Lost a good amount of weight so far and my outfit fits really nicely now. I only did it for health reasons but am feeling much better already.

Nsd today and probably tomorrow apart from a few drinks at the party.
Jams and chutneys all made just a few bags of blckberries left to cook up.

Will start my fleabay on Sunday as am saving for a holiday in the spring and need a deposit for a camper van :eek: All depends on how hubbys health goes till then but if not I will have nice pot of money behind me.

Caterina

Good evening,

Lynsayjane and Ginny thank you for anniversary wishes.

Lynsayjane, how sad about that poor man, and fir the family he leaves behind, too. You are so right about living to the full and celebrate.

Ailz95 I love spaghetti puttanesca! By funny Japanese veg spaghetti do you mean the Konjac stuff, the low carb ones? I keep meaning to try them but am nervous, are they nice?

Ginny I hope your DS blessing day is full of joy. Re. Camper van, that's a dream of mine too, I want a tiny one, a Bedford Rascal Bambi!

Counselling went very well, amazing woman therapist did our assessment and lots of good stuff came out. Hoping the regular therapist from next week is as good as the woman today.

Dinner was also great and very reasonable. Including beer and tip £35, well under budget!

Other spend was for 3 black ink cartridges online, but via quidco so even cheaper.

Am sooooo tired, good night!

ailz95

Hi Caterina, yes Konjac - I couldn't remember the name. It doesn't taste of anything, is nothing like pasta in texture, but it's okay. I bought it by the box from AF and use it whenever I want a little bulk. I try to follow low-carb but sugar keeps on dragging me back. I sympathise with your ice-cream problem. Mine is anything sweet.

Not a NSD as it's our 'day off'. A carer comes in and looks after m-i-l and we have lunch out. Today we're off to Box Hill/Dorking as although we've 'done' most of Kent and Sussex we haven't been to Surrey yet (or Essex).

Have a good OS day

Ailz

Icey77

Morning Peeps

Today peace reigns in the house, the weekend is here so the builders are not here! I'm sitting downstairs in my PJs with Frog watching Toy Story 3 and Tom gurgling on the rug in front of me.

Later today we are going to a Police social family day, lots of bouncy castles and other police families and a BBQ so should be fun as long as the weather holds.

This might even mean it could be a NSD, it depends if I go to town this morning or not. I forgot the blasted balloons yesterday, Frog was being very good at walking and holding my hand all around town that I wanted to reward her with the park without pushing my luck with her.

Drinks order for the 90th birthday bash all sorted, I found that I can order all the Prosecco, soft drinks, ice etc and glass loan from Waitrose and pick it up from the store local to my Oma, the prosecco is on offer too and the convenience of getting everything in one place when we are tight for time on the Saturday morning is worth not running about to get all the "bargains" IMO. There is also enough left over in the budget to order a humongous bouquet of flowers too total budget for the whole shebang is £375 which was £125 each from my mum, sister and me. Not bad for 25-30 people with a catered finger buffet and drinks etc. now all we have to worry about is the weather!

villagelife

I have come back from a wonderful relaxing holiday and while there had plenty of time to think and realised that work is the major source of stress in my life so really need this thread now so I can stop work as soon as possible. I know that it is likely to be another 8 - 10 years but better than 18 - 20 years. I am going to try to leave all work problems there and not dwell on them at home.

Yesterday I froze some apples that were given to me (had given a couple away to a friend), finished off apple and mint jelly - mint from garden.
I also made banana bread with some black bananas - one in freezer because if left out DS1 and 2 will eat in no time.
I also used LO roast chicken for chicken soup and chicken pie and had enough left for my lunch.