A little penguin's ramblings!

Penguins86

Yippee!!! It's the holidays! I'm really in need of it this time round. I need to take a calmer approach in class I think and hope my class respond by being a lot calmer too! They've exhausted me this half term and I'm sure it's partly my own fault!! Anyhow, holidays are here and we're incredibly lucky to get 2 weeks "off". I am however planning to spend next week working so that I can chill the second week. We're hoping to have a few days out so lots to do over the next few days!! I was pleasantly surprised to find I had been paid when I looked this morning, so my bank account is no longer crying to be fed! I'd been doing really well at keeping a good amount in my account for a rainy day and then we paid for flights to Portugal. I am determined to get back on the MSE wagon though and am also determined to be more organised (I'm getting there slowly!) so I have time to relax a little more rather than leaving everything until the last minute!!

Over the next 2 weeks I will finally be making use of my gym membership - a couple of swimming sessions and an hour or 2 in the gym!

I've just realised it must be around my MSE birthday! As I joined this time last year During the next year I will be a more regular visitor and more money conscious!

I'd best crack on as lots I plan to do before the day's out! But I will be back!

liltdiddylilt

Lovely to see you back. How is the house doing?

Yay for 2 weeks off. One thing I am jealous of teachers for. The other 99,000 reasons NOT to be a teacher kind of outweigh it though

I so want to go to the gym. I am finally kind of able to exercise a bit more than walking and I am so fired up! xxx

Penguins86

Hi Lilt! The house is good thanks! We're slowly getting it to look the way we want it to. Hoping to get some decorating done over the next couple of months. We've picked out the wallpaper - just need to get the decorator booked (a friend of my dad's)

I've spent the past couple of days doing work (very slowly!) and am planning on popping into school very briefly tomorrow to drop off some files and release the butterflies (hopefully!)

The exercise hasn't happened as much as I'd intended though on Sunday we did go on a long walk and went down Gaping Ghyll - something I've wanted to do for a while but terrified me. It was worth it to do once, but I don't think I'd want to go through it again! OH loves it though and was down there last week doing photography as well as on Sunday with us!

I love teaching, though it's not the career anyone expects it to be! Too much paperwork these days and noone ever tells you about the sheer amount when you're training! I don't know what I'd do if I didn't teach though. When I was out of work I was so worried noone would want to employ me but I had no idea what I'd do if I couldn't get a job in a school! Fortunately it all worked out and I've now got a permanent contract from September

Having a lazy evening tonight with the plan to watch Buffy and play a couple of board games. We've only got 8 episodes to go now!! Then we'll need a new series to watch (quite tempted by Once Upon a Time as I've watched a couple of episodes but not sure OH will enjoy it!)

Penguins86

Hurray it's the holidays! I haven't logged on here in ages because I've either been busy at work or laid on the sofa trying to find the energy to cook/do housework. Fortunately OH has been a star and kept things ticking over. But now it's the holidays and although I've been up since 7.30 that's still and extra hour and a half in bed to term time! Going to try and keep that up then gradually ease myself back in to the super early mornings!

I have lots of jobs to do this holiday but I'm doing well so far today. Trying to break them down into little jobs so I stay motivated and have already crossed 4 things off the list for today. One job is to walk to town and get a few housework supplies but it's juse started pouring down so I'll wait. I might get the meal plan for the week done and buy some veg from the greengrocer while I'm out then.

My bank account has suffered over the past couple of months :-( I was doing really well then we went away at Spring Bank and paid for a family holiday to Portugal which I meant trying to spend nothing In the last couple of weeks of term, when All I really wanted to do was buy a takeaway! Hoping to get back on the MSE wagon now though and be careful about money again. We have Euros ready for Portugal and I've nearly got everything I need for the holiday. And I won't have much chance to go out as OH has set me on decorating the spare room while he's at work! We forgot to buy filler yesterday though so he's going to sort that tonight!

I'm hoping that over the holidays I'm going to get chance to go swimming and do a bit more exercise. I manage about 10k steps each day in term time as I walk 1 mile to and from the bus each day and walk around the classroom constantly. But in the holidays it's trickier and I'd like to do more anyway so hoping to get in some routine before the summer's out!

I should stop rambling and go crack on with housework! I'll try not to leave it so long next time!!

Penguins86

The house is starting to look presentable! Yesterday I tidied out the kitchen cupboards and we now have a home for everything! Today I've cleaned the bathrooms and I'm just having 5 minutes before I crack on with other little things.

Yesterday OH started to paint the spare room. Once he's taken the radiator off the wall and unscrewed the sockets I'll be painting the walls tomorrow!

We've start to talk about opening a joint savings account. This seems like a good idea for saving for things like furniture, holidays, decorating etc. I'm worried though as OH earns a lot more than I do. We've said we'll put in what ever we have left over each month (not a lot but i know the pennies will soon add up) but I think he'd like us to put more in. I've looked at my finances and while it's doable I'd be left with very little each month aside from what goes into my own savings account. I like the thought of having our money together, but I also like having that little bit left over each month to spend on things for myself, whether it's occasionally having my nails done (2/3 times a year) or meeting up with friends. I'm rambling! It's not really helping me to organise my thoughts on it at all, but it is getting it down on screen!

Went shopping with my mum on Saturday which was lovely just to spend some time with her. This time last year I'd have found it infuriating but now I don't see her everyday it's much nicer when we spend the day together. I even got her eating food she wouldn't normally try.

I should probably crack on. Several things I want to do before oh gets home and he'll want help in the spare room shifting furniture later i imagine!

Penguins86

Wow it's a long time since I dropped in. Life has run away with me slightly over the past couple of months but mostly in a good way!

We've finally had the living room decorated and it looks so much more homely. We've bought a sideboard type cupboard and a lovely 1 of a kind mirror. All we need now is a new dining table but that's way down on our list of things to buy!

We've booked a trip of a lifetime to South Africa next Summer. We're going on safari, OH is hoping to cage dive and we're driving the Garden Route and stopping in many places along the way. Turning 30 shouldn't be too bad at all!

I've recently discovered candles! A friend of my SIL does P@rtyLite parties and I've spent a fortune! She keeps tying to tempt me to start doing them myself and the extra income would be great, I love the candles and accessories but I really don't feel I have the time at the moment

In a month and a half (ish) I'm going to be an auntie! I can't wait and my brother is going to be a crazy but awesome dad. Something tells me my niece will not be allowed any boys through the door until she's left home!

I really do need to start getting organised for Christmas! Yesterday I started to cast the nativity play at school (let's home we don't have loads of absences on show day like last year!) I've only bought a couple of presents but I'm hoping to do Mason Jar gifts for lots of people so might have to give a couple of weekends up to do those! Because of the imminent arrival of my niece around Christmas, our plans are still very much up in the air for e big day. We're supposed to be going to stay with my OHs mum in Brid, but I don't want to miss any of the excitement (I know the other aunties and Grandma will be very much around and I don't want to be left out!!)

Another thing I've got really into recently is cooking and baking. I've always enjoyed it but I've recently discovered a foodie community who share the most amazing recipes and videos, and the great thing is they're all so simple! I'm hoping to make 3 snacky things today!

Hopefully I won't leave it so long next time! I have to start being more MSE after going over on data on my phone and buying random things over the past few weeks!! Oops!

Penguins86

So this time I've left it a lot longer! But in almost hitting the overdraft this month I've found my way back to MSE! It hasn't been a huge issue. There are still savings but it gave me a bit of a kick up the a**e and I'm determined to do better! Especially since we plan on returning to South Africa in the future! And next year OH wants to go to New York for his 40th so more saving to be done. It would also be nice to decorate our hallways and staircase as we've been a bit clumsy when moving new furniture and appliances in over the past 2 years so there are scuff marks galore up the wall.

Recently I've been struggling. I haven't really admitted it to anyone but I've found the job I've always loved more of a challenge to enjoy, I've been miserable at home (and if I'm honest I'm amazed my OH hasn't snapped at me more than once!) and I don't feel I've been living life as fully as I could!

Since I was last here my brother has somehow produced an amazing little girl who lights up every room she enters. If I need something to keep me going on a sunday planning session I'll pop and see her for a few minutes. They've recently moved into a house 20mins walk away from us so it's easy enough to pop and see them.

Usually at this time of year, I'm excited about Christmas but this year I've just been stressed! I know things are going to be different with my niece around and we're spending Boxing Day with them rather than Christmas Day so they can have Christmas as their little unit for the first time. then a few days later it's her 1st birthday so an exciting time of year. I think I've got most presents (except my OH's - another source of stress) and now to wrap them over the next 2 days!

I have faced a very expensive fear this year...I've been to the dentist for the first time since my mum stopped dragging me there as a teenager. Unfortunately this fear has meant that I need to keep going back! Maybe this is why I'm not feeling festive. Next appointment is tomorrow!

We've done really well this year cooking our meals from scratch. We've discovered the Body Coach and have loved all but one recipe so far. We meat/fish shop once a month and it's so much better going to Costc0 than weekly shopping at Mr T. Last few weeks have been less good with Nativity, Christmas fayre and other commitments so were planning to get back to the good habits! We have booked places in the Night Run with the Nation@l Trust in January so need to get Out exercising.

Today's positives (a daily intention if nothing else is written...though I have said I'll do this before!)
- living room is pretty tidy
- ingredients bought to make cookies for our neighbours
- we had a reasonably healthy tea out (though not a cinema trip because it was sold out)
- Christmas film the tellybox before bed

Penguins86

I'm back again. Didn't check in yesterday as it was a pretty non-event kind of day! I went to the dentist and felt shocking both before and after so spent most of it in bed.

Today has been spent babysitting my niece, playing silly games with a VERY excited 4 year old (anyone would think Christmas was coming up!) and wrapping presents.ive got a couple more bits to get in the morning but I'm just about sorted.

Had a random call from my mum earlier...'can you talk on the quiet?' She asked. I was sure she'd go my OH's present but took the bait. Turns out she's wrapped the presents and OH hasn't as much to open as the rest of us and she feels guilty! She's at a wedding tomorrow so I've been tasked with secretly buying something else while we're out tomorrow morning!

We've spent the evening watching Muppet Christmas Carol while I finished wrapping. OH is now snoring rather than watching after going to the pub once work finished at lunchtime!

Today's positives:
- wrapping is done (just about)
- my niece didn't spend the morning crying (apart from when I stopped her making an emergency call on ,y phone!)
- I'm finally feeling festive!!

Penguins86

The festivities are nearly over. Visiting OH's mum & her husband tomorrow, which will be a fairly normal visit (aside from all the extra food they'll try to feed us compared to normal!) we spent yesterday with my mum and dad and then visited my brother in the afternoon. Today has been spent doing a quick shop in the the Lu$h sale which should keep me going all year and then family games with my brother, aunt, uncle, parents and my brother's in-laws. It was a bit loud with so many people there at once but good fun.

I'm now working on my goals for the next month and looking at ways I can make a little time for myself each day. Money is one focus for the whole of next year and trying not to spend on planner supplies or tat! We're hoping to sort our garden next year so it's somewhere we want to spend times that's one reason to want to save money! I'm hoping that each day I'll be able to spend half an hour doing something just for me. I'm hoping to join a choir with my SIL but want to be able to make time for other hobbies too as I've spent many many evenings working on school stuff til bedtime which doesn't make for a good night's sleep. I really want to build some healthy habits over the next few months so I feel more energised and more relaxed!

Today's positives -
OH made an awesome pork pie to take to my brother's
I got a year's supply of bath bombs (I hope!)
My niece was being super cute (not that she isn't always!)

Penguins86

So yesterday was pretty busy so I didn't get chance to drop in once I got home. We visited my OH's mum and her husband and spent the day being fed! This is normal for visiting them and we don't need any other food on these days! We took their dog for a walk on the cliffs and spent the afternoon playing bendominoes and uno which was fun.

Positives for yesterday:
- didn't have to buy food as we were fed so many leftovers!
- NSD and got a £5 voucher on SB
- fun times spent playing games

Today has been less thrifty! I did our meal plan for the rest of the week and went shopping. Also bought my niece a birthday present for her 1st birthday at the end of the week! I can't believe she's near.y a year old already!! The rest of the day hasn't felt overly productive but I've got a few little jobs done. Tomorrow will have to be better!

Today's positives
- niece's present bought inAm@zon sale
- made delicious lunch and tea
- opened sealed tin and counted over £300 which will be used towards little house jobs over the next year (still to work out what they are!)