Second Time Lucky

debtfreeoneday

Ignore work people, they're probably peeved they aren't as good as you! Shopping I can understand, my shopping trips never pan out!

The sun is shining.. :-)

in_need_of_direction

Is there an ikea close at hand? They do good chalk

amycool

Good afternoon!

For once it's sunny on my day off!

I got up fairly early to do the washing, have a nice bath (uninterrupted) and do a few hours of gardening.

My last lesson with my driving instructor was today. I turned in a road for the first time, which was a bit scary! Lots more practise needed on that one! I have the number for a new instructor so I need to get on that soon so I don't get rusty.

I've just checked my personal bank account and I have over £300 in there so that'll cover a block of 10 lessons and the theory test.

The washing machine is hanging in there so will hopefully last until next month. The car needs servicing, plus breakdown insurance this month - boo! We also need a strimmer for the front garden as cutting the grass by hand takes ages! The raised beds get in the way of a mower. But again, that can wait until next month.

So, aside from the car, we're doing okay this month.

I haven't done any more kondoing this week as we still have bags to get rid of from last week! I am however, trying to get some books read so I can take them back to the library, and trying to use some yarn up by actually knitting something.

I used to knit loads but then when we decided to move house last year that engulfed everything. So I've started knitting a lamb, which looks very cute on the picture. It would also be good to get my granny square blanket finished before winter comes back round. I've been making it for a year or two already!

After a few days of really craving chocolate I'm back to healthy eating again. My broad beans are actually beans now!!! Not big enough to pick though yet. I also have 2 strawberries which are nearly ready, but I'm expecting the birds and insects to get to them first. I'm wishing we'd bought some netting now! The water butt has saved us a few pennies this week - using about 20 litres a day watering the plants. It's only a 100L water butt so I'm secretly pleased it's going to rain at the weekend.

debtfreeoneday

I'm the same when it rains.. first thought is ooooh the water butt will get full.. Must look into this kondo-ing.. I'm so desperate to clear and declutter!

Get ringing that instructor and get your lessons booked in! You'll feel better!

amycool

Healthy eating took a back seat this weekend, although I wasn't madly over the calorie goal for each day (it was mostly rubbish though). Firstly we had something to celebrate so I decided to eat pie, chips, ice cream and fizzy pop. I felt like death!! It turns out "treating" yourself to cheap processed food isn't really a treat after all. Then today my Mum bought me a huge muffin and it would have been rude to say no.

The whole decluttering message really hit home today. I'd been trying to find my Beatrix Potter box sets, which were bought for my 1st and 2nd birthdays and which I'd like my future child to have. We realised that the only place left was my Mum's loft so up I went. They, along with more books I had decided to save, were wrecked! Damp had got in so they're all a bit mouldy and horrible. I can probably save the Beatrix Potter books but the little boxes I loved as a child are too grimy and discoloured. My sister has about 10 bags of old stuff up there including tapes and videos. She hasn't missed it in the last 10 years so really she should just put it all in a big skip.

It made me realise that if we have things that we love and cherish, we should use them and display them and look after them. Anything sat in a box for years on end may as well be recycled/binned/sold.

Anyway, I kondo'd OH's pants drawer and he was really cross until the next morning when he was really happy to choose his pants and socks!! Then today I offered to do my Mum's and she was very against the idea but quickly shouted down to my OH to come and look at her lovely drawers! She ended up binning about a million black socks, none of which she actually wears as she has nice ones.

I'm thinking the next thing to kondo is the toiletries and medicines boxes, and then I'm actually itching to clear out some of my many boxes of mementos. My plan is to take photos of everything and then get rid of them. I occasionally read old diaries but they certainly don't bring me joy!

We ended up spending £37 in Homebase this weekend. We got some Cuprinol fence paint reduced to £9.99 from about £18, a tin of white paint to touch up the bedroom and kitchen ceiling, some brackets, some hooks and some paintbrushes. The brackets came in a pack of 4 and we only needed one (to secure a cheap bookcase that leans forward if you so much as look at it), but I had the ingenious idea to use them in the new shed with some of the leftover wood (from the planter OH made) to make a shelf! It looks like a proper shed now! I put some hooks up so my tools aren't littering the floor anymore. I was slightly annoyed at spending money but we did need everything as our paintbrushes have all gone really manky.

The food shop this week was only £22 (ignoring the rubbish we bought to celebrate) and we're pretty stocked up now I think.

New driving instructor tomorrow! I'm really nervous as it's not just a new person but a new car. I also forgot to check how much the lessons are...:o

amycool

Washing done - half of it is still drying and will need ironing when ready

Prescription collected, which included a 30 minute power walk

1st driving lesson with new instructor completed - we just drove around to give me chance to get used to the new car. I had a little stall when a car came out of nowhere but otherwise I was quite surprised at how well I drove! Proper lesson next week though.

Medicines box - kondoed! I was quite ashamed at what I found. I have a lot of medication for my illness so it can be hard to keep track of, but I found quite a few things that had gone out of date and I have enough of one tablet to last me about 6 months. Oops. With one medication, it comes in a much larger packet than necessary so I have cut out the individual tablets (still sealed) and managed to fit about 6 boxes worth into 1.

Make up/toiletries box - kondoed! I generally never wear make-up, but a certain relative of mine cannot accept this so constantly buys me make-up. I've always just kept it (just in case) but today the whole lot went in the bin. I've kept 2 mascaras (black and brown) as I occasionally use them, 2 eye shadows, and a lip gloss. Loads of lipstick went in the bin as it makes me look like a transvestite. :rotfl: I found some very handy emery boards so now have those to hand. I also found a perfume (no idea where that came from) so I'm going to use it and see if I like it, and if not, in the bin. Some fancy face creams are now in my bedside drawer so I can actually use them before they separate. Hotel stuff is in the bathroom and will be used up before buying any more.

I should have got more done today really but I ended up chatting to my neighbour for about an hour, then my Mum rang and we talked for ages. She's thinking about what she can get rid of next! I'm off on Wednesday so hopefully I'll get lots done then.

Ooh - quick weight loss update. Despite stuffing my face over the weekend I'm still edging ever closer to my target weight. Unfortunately, my flabby belly is still pretty flabby, so I might try to lose a few more pounds than first planned. Of course I'll probably just get skinnier and skinnier ankles and my stomach will stay resolutely the same size! I'm definitely getting more toned with the extra walking (and lugging rubbish to the bins all of the time), and I would quite like more muscly arms.

in_need_of_direction

You're worried about ankles getting skinnier. I worry about cankles.

amycool

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

You're worried about ankles getting skinnier. I worry about cankles.

I'm basically a pear with twigs for arms and legs. If I put on weight it's all around my belly and hips. When I was 17 my OH and I went to Blackpool and the photos really shocked me - my skinny ankles made me look malnourished! Admittedly, I'm somewhat bigger now.

amycool

This is how my husband reacted to me freeing up a huge plastic container of toiletries and medicines,

[Roots through the bin]
"Why would you throw this Eurax out?!!!"
"We bought it when I had shingles 6 years ago. It's definitely past its best"
"Well what about this hand cream?!!!"
"What, the virtually empty one that neither of us has used in 3 years?"

:rotfl:

amycool

I thought I'd come here and have a little weep after my most horrible driving lesson ever. I have a new instructor and unlike my old one, who was lovely and positive, she constantly tells me that I am heavy-footed and gets angry very easily. She speaks to me like I'm 6 years old. I know I'm a sensitive person and I react very badly to people telling me off, but I haven't had to worry about it since I was at school. I don't know if she means to be so harsh but I got home and burst into tears.

The problem is that I have already paid for 10 lessons and we're only 2 lessons in. On the one hand, I think it might be good for me to have someone so critical as it might improve my driving, but then her tone of voice is so negative that I'm dreading my next lesson and it's hard to learn when you're hating every minute of it.

Of course I'm too much of a wimp to tell her that she's upsetting me, and I fear that if I quit the lessons, I might never start them again.

Hmmm...maybe I should go down to one lesson a week and then it won't be so awful and when I get to the end of the block I'll just say that I don't feel we really click. It would be easier if I had more time to practice at home. I thought my OH was impatient and on edge, but actually he's a breeze in comparison. I find that she doesn't really tell me what to do - just tells me off after I do it wrong. I thought she was going to chuck me out of the car when I had the audacity to stall on my 2nd ever 3 point turn, then made a sarcastic comment about it being a 5 point turn.

Bleurgh. I wish I was tougher.

In other news, I haven't got half of the stuff done that I wanted to and my poor squash are desperate for some new compost.

Not sleeping last night has not helped matters.

Ordinarily, I would go and get the rest of my Chocolate Orange (ordinarily there wouldn't be any chocolate orange left) and eat until I felt sick.

Instead, I shall do my meter readings, they always bring me joy. :rotfl: I could even treat myself to a mortgage overpayment.