EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

EssexHebridean

Soooo.....sort of musing on wanting a February challenge of some sort beyond the fitness thing I'm already doing. I've done Frugal February for so many years it feels slightly odd to enter in to this bit of the year without having something financial to think about, so I've been playing with ideas.

A friend and I are already doing assorted fitness stuff through the month as I said - I got 2 matching medals for £1 each at the running show, it was a medal we both wanted but missed out on signing up for, so that was a bargain, so we're doing our February Fitness Challenge (under the social media hashtag of #FitChallFeb I think) to earn those. I also want to add to that thinking a bit more about food and eating - the first thing that has sprung to mind is cutting back on free sugars in food again - I did it last year and was surprised that it made such a difference - the only problem now is I'm not too sure how much more I have TO cut back on really! Literal "food for thought" there! I'd also like to do something which might lead to a few odds and ends extra in the bank accounts at the end of the month - Joint account surplus is going to our holiday fund at the moment so that's a good extra incentive, and my own surplus gets split between clothing and airshow savings. It's a reasonable month for trying to cut back a bit and to stop and think before spending I think as although we have *some* social plans, and of course it is 6-nations time of year too , but even then, there ought to be some scope...

I'll have a think, and post either later or over the weekend with more thoughts I think - might also post my fitness challenge stuff here too as added incentive!

HairyHandofDartmoor

Good luck with your February challenges .

redofromstart

Skim milk is brilliant for not going off, it's always a bit of a shock when it finally shuffles reluctantly out of the bottle and ruins my tea.

Good luck with the fitness challenge.

EssexHebridean

Thanks Ladies! And Redo - yes, I'm pretty careful about giving it a sniff once it gets 5 or so days past its date now! I've even got the office using it well past date - when I first got there it used to get thrown out the day it said on the bottle! :rotfl:

Well I started my fitness challenge well today with a swim this morning. Decided to stick with the "45 minutes or 50 lengths" approach from last time, and in fact ended up doing 52 in just under 44 minutes as my tracker wasn't displaying my number of lengths so I wanted to be sure I'd not miscounted! :rotfl:

Also got the shopping sorted today so that frees up some extra time tomorrow. We'll be heading to the rugby club in the afternoon for the England match on the screens I suspect, and also need to get out to have a look for the new light we need to get fitted. Ideally I also want to get a longer run in. Hmmm...think I might need to set an alarm for the morning!

beanielou

I wonder what it is about skimnmed milk that makes it last so much longer?

starnac

redofromstart wrote: »

Skim milk is brilliant for not going off, it's always a bit of a shock when it finally shuffles reluctantly out of the bottle and ruins my tea.

I have literally just switched to skimmed milk and I was gobsmacked at how it kept! Will definitely be buying it for me and DH now.

Your February challenge sounds great. I've signed up for the monthly 50k virtual challenge but I should make that in one day this month so it's not the incentive it's supposed to be :rotfl: Ah well.

I don't envy you with all the building mess but it will be so much better when it's all done.

RosaBernicia

Goats milk lasts really well too - weeks past the date, even when it's been opened. Though I always make sure there's a fresh or UHT back up, because there is nothing more rancid than rancid goats milk!

EssexHebridean

Morning all! Rosa I've never quite got on with goats milk - although apparently I've had it in tea at Mum's a few times and never noticed the difference so...! Beanie I've always assumed it is just that it is such ow ft there's less to actually "go off" - but I may be wrong! Starnac well done you on signing up for that challenge - I may have hit a stumbling point with mine - will explain...

So - on leaving the gym last night I decided to be helpful and walk towards the direction I knew MrEH would be coming from as there was a lot of traffic and I thought it'd save him pulling in to the gym and then having the nasty pull out back on to the road again. As I got towards him the traffic started moving so he hastily pulled in and I jumped off the kerb in a rush to get the door open and get in - only to stick my foot in a big hole which I'd not spotted in the dark - and ...crunch. Nastily twisted ankle - eased during the evening and I thought I'd got away with it but it actually woke me in the night in absolute agony and this morning I'm struggling to weight-bear. Gah! Absolutely cursing myself now - I had such good plans for this month and was feeling so motivated too. Hoping it will turn out to be one of those things that fixes itself quite quickly and am now busily trying to think of exercisey stuff I will still be able to do, as well. sadly running isn't going to be one of them, for a while at least.

Weekend was relatively low spend - swam then sorted shopping out on Friday, and Saturday we managed to get the new light fitting for the porch area so that's ready for Lee-the-Sparky when he comes back to do the remaining work. - £30 which will do nicely. Then I went for a run, MrEH made another batch of marmalade, and then we went to the rugby club to watch the England match. Sunday we were out and about all day as we had another of the "Hidden London" tours booked - a former deep level shelter at Clapham South this time - REALLY interesting! Had breakfast out which I paid for (Toby Carvery so a bargain!) then stopped for coffee & cake later which MrEH paid for. All good.

Got our ferries booked for our next Hebrides trip yesterday - but the money is all sitting waiting in the holiday account for that so all good. And I have a ticket I need to book for an aviation event today - lots of Dakotas gathering and then flying off from Duxford in June and as Duxford is only 30 miles from us and I've had clearance to book the day as holiday I definitely want to get to that one. Again, money is in my airshow savings account ready to cover stuff like that.

Meals are planned for the week and everything we need to make them is bought or already in.

beanielou

Sorry about the ankle

redofromstart

Ouch on the ankle, hope it's a swift recovery.