Sashybo - Back Again

sashybo

Put out 2 black bags of stuff for the charity collection yesterday morning, 2 less bags of stuff cluttering the house. :j I have started another bag & sat it at the top of the stairs so I can put things in it as I come across them.

So, I'll never find out who Andy & Grace are. :rotfl: The company replied saying that email was sent in error (no, really!) and said which pillow was which according to the codes on each. No explanation as to why they hadn't been labelled in the first place though, not terribly impressed. :cool: Will give the pillows a shot but will send back if they're not right.

Exhausted after two early shifts, went to Mr M's on the way home yesterday & Mr Al's on the way home today so all stocked up. I got a new changing mat for DS as they had them for £3.99 & also got a potty for £3.99. I know DS is too young to use it yet but thought it might be a good idea to keep it in the bathroom & he can even try sitting on it (fully clothed) when he feels like it.

My sister cut both DS & my hair yesterday which was good of her and saved me £30. :T

Got part of my order from wilk0s - the two storage drawer units. Have put both in a cupboard each downstairs & they have helped already as I had to tidy the walk in cupboards & brush the floor before moving them in. :T The cupboard with the one giant shelf that DH put in is so much tidier. :j Everything is much neater as I sorted it out & can see everything now when I open the door. The other unit has hats, gloves & scarves in it, underneath the coat hooks, which frees up a drawer upstairs.

I sorted out the drawer units as soon as I got home after unpacking the shopping. I knew that if I sat down it wouldn't get done.

Going to a friend's for lunch tomorrow with DS & DH, I will probably stay for a while afterwards for some wine & DH will take DS home.

sashybo

Had a nice time at my friends & didn't even have a hangover. :T Drank lots of water before bed though.

Got my undershelf storage baskets & have put them in the cupboard with the giant shelf so they hang underneath it. Using it for overflow tins of things that don't fit in my tin cupboard. Makes things a bit tidier anyway.

Have also managed to clear a bit of worktop space & the kitchen looks so much better in general now.

My family are driving me mad, we were talking about going on a short break to a lodge for my mum's 60th but her birthday is in July so peak time :eek: & there are 12 of us including the kids. 2 nights is looking like £800 which is too much in my opinion. :eek:

That's before food, entertainment or petrol money. I said why don't we do it either before or after peak times because it's too expensive. My mum had a slight paddy as she wants to go for her birthday & no one can agree on where to go. :mad: Starting to think this may be a recipe for disaster.

I think maybe a big day trip & dinner would be better and a lot less expensive. Have a feeling my mum will fall out with me if I suggest it but literally none of us can afford this! We have been putting some money away but only have about £260 between all of us as I thought we would be doing some kind of offer or voucher so it would be cheaper. Blinking families. :mad:

sashybo

The outcome of the family drama is that we're going to give my mum the money we've saved & she can book a short holiday with friends and we'll all just go out for dinner.

I'm glad it's been decided & this way there's not as much potential for arguments/falling out. Also my mum isn't very fond of my brother's girlfriend so there would probably have been an argument there too.

My mum is very hard on my brother's gf & takes offence/snaps quite easily at her. :eek: I actually feel sorry for her as my mum's not always been the nicest to her. She is a bit strange with us (myself & my sister) & seems to resist getting to know us but not sure how much of that is due to her & how much is due to my mum's behaviour. :cool: I think the main issue is that my brother keeps saying he wants to leave her but never does. :eek: He says he wants to live in the same house as his DD.

On the subject of families, my MIL is coming up for the weekend tomorrow. :cool: I'm working late shift tomorrow but have managed to get Saturday off work. Today I cleaned the bathrooms & did a couple of washings. DH is going to do the tidying & hoovering tomorrow since I'm working. Will have to see what he's planning on feeding her & DS whilst I'm at work. She'll be delighted when she arrives as I'll be at work all night so she'll have her son & grandson to herself. :rotfl:

I also did a quick top-up shop at Mr Al's & Mr M's today so hopefully we won't need anything else over the weekend.

Have booked our first overnight stay away without DS for the start of March. I found a deal for dinner, bed & breakfast at a nice hotel for £139. I've never been away from DS overnight so am feeling a bit nervous. I know he'll be fine with my mum and it's good for him in the long run, well actually good for all of us but it'll still be weird for me. DS is nearly 20 months old now (:eek: how did that happen?!) so we need to do it sooner rather than later.

We're having a practice run at the end of this month as both DH & I are working early shifts one day (6am starts) so DS is going to stay overnight with my mum & I can collect him on the way home from work the next day. We've had the same issue with early shifts before but my mum just stayed over at our house, fingers crossed he's ok overnight at hers.

Not much else to report except I've got the Waffle doggy theme tune stuck in my head. DS is quite obsessed with it as it has a dog and a cat (his two favourite things in the world) & we watch two episodes after dinner most days. He tries to sing the theme tune which is very cute but the blinking song gets stuck in your head forever. Also the parents on that programme are very annoying at times. :rotfl: I was actually explaining the family set up to my mum & sister the other day. :eek: I think I've been thinking about it too much. :rotfl:

sashybo

Well my MIL wasn't too bad over the weekend apart from another moan about the cross trainer that's in the guest room where she stays when she's here. She always asks if I use it in a way that implies that obviously I don't use it so I should get rid of it. :cool: I do actually use it, just not as regularly as I should. :rotfl:

MIL also had a moan about the (admittedly expensive) oven that DH wants to get. We've just been looking to be honest as don't have the money & hoping the price comes down, no plans to buy one straightaway. I think in the end I might be able to talk DH into going for the model down which is cheaper. Anyway she was having a rant about why did we need WiFi on an oven. I told her to ask her son because I didn't know & it was him that wanted that particular oven. :rotfl: I couldn't be bothered with the moaning, what does it matter to her what type of oven we have? :eek:

MIL also spent many fruitless hours trying to shoo the cats off the worktops & out of rooms. :rotfl: She always tries to lock them out of rooms & I just open the doors again. :rotfl: She asked my DH if we would get another cat when one of our current two goes to the great cat bed in the sky. DH said yes & she appeared to be scandalised by this answer. :question: I don't understand her. *sigh*

Feeling pretty tired after two late shifts & the weather has been pretty cold, had some snow the other day. Had to scrape my car twice last night, once when moving my car from one car park to the nearer one at work & again when it was time to go home. :eek:

Have been ordering things for the latest 60th birthday at work. Managed to get enough money so far for a print & an engraved bottle of nice champagne. Luckily I know the person quite well so this present was easier to organise.

Trying to catch up on the pile of washing in the house, need to hoover as well. Will maybe take DS out for a short walk later.

We have a leak under the kitchen sink, looks like one of the big pipes hasn't been threaded properly when it was screwed together. We had a problem with this sink when we moved in as well. :mad: DH thinks we should just be able to unscrew the pipe & re-screw it on properly & that should sort it. Fingers crossed.

I emptied the cupboard out & cleaned it last night when I got home from work (water was trickling out of it :eek:) so that DH can hopefully sort it when he gets home today. Luckily I had plastic protectors down in the cupboard so it doesn't look like there's too much damage from the leak. I did notice that I have lots of cleaning products in there that I don't really use so have to try & actually use them.

Also ordered a sanctuary gift set to be sent to MIL for her birthday as Superdrug were doing 50% off them & I know she likes their stuff. At least that's done, DH had no clue what to get her, asked her & she helpfully said she didn't know. :cool:

0% CC is down to £170 so will be gone in two months at the most. :j Our smallest loan will be paid off in May as well. :T Getting there.

sashybo

Well DH has re-threaded the big pipe under the kitchen sink which has stopped some of the leaking but not all. :mad: I think it's the same issue we had when we moved into this house (when it was brand new) :mad:

The plumbers the builders sent obviously didn't care & just kept saying they didn't know why there was a leak/put sealant everywhere/said it was just condensation. :huh: We'll probably need to get a (decent) plumber out as neither of us can see any obvious place where the water is coming from. :mad:

Just took DS out for a run around the garden today as there was black ice everywhere & I didn't want to risk going down (or getting back up) the hill we live on. :eek: Plus DH went to work with DS's car seat still in his car.

I have sorted out my seeds (veg/flowers & DH's chillies) by stacking them in piles by month so we know when to sow them & sticking a big post it on the top of each pile. Looking forward to growing mini cucumbers again for DS, he loved them last year.

I need to get the sweet peas sown in the propagator in the next few days. They can live happily in the bathroom, will just need to keep them out of DS's reach. :eek: DH will probably start his chillies off in the next week or two and we can start chatting the seed potatoes then too. Got arran pilot again for the earlies & roosters for the main crop variety. Will start the tomatoes in February too I think, only going to do some sungold & maybe tumbling toms.

Looking forward to getting back into the garden properly & DS will love it too. I want to get him a long trough like pot to fill with compost & will give him a wee spade and he can play in the mud all he likes. :rotfl: He was rolling around in the muddy, freezing wet grass this afternoon. :eek: Thank goodness for puddle suits & wellies. :T

I was cutting back some of my climbing rose today & found a small infestation of green fly!!!:mad::mad: How are they even alive in this weather! I cut the offending branch off & squashed the horrible things but will need to keep an eye out now.

Made corned beef hash for dinner as it's good cold weather food & easy to make - DS had never tried it but really enjoyed it. Also made an egg & butter free chocolate cake using a recipe stolen from Wannabe's thread (posted by Cherryfudge). It was lovely & DS loved licking the spoon & then having a piece of the end result. :T

Still haven't hoovered :eek: & need to do a pile of ironing, so of course I'm putting that off until tomorrow. :whistle:

WannabeFree

If the pipe has been over threaded you'll probably find just a new connector fixes it (a couple of pounds at a DIY store) It did mine. Possibly worth a try before the cost of a plumber? Don't shout at me if it isn't that though :rotfl:

Good to hear the CC and loan are nearly gone

We can't wait for the nicer weather either.

Hope you get a good nights sleep
x

sashybo

Thanks W, it's worth a try with the sink. I have no idea about these things, I'm not very practical unlike my mum, much to her despair. :rotfl: She loves building things & doing DIY, I'm too lazy for that. :rotfl:

I had a really nice sleep for a change actually, DS only woke once, shortly after I went to bed so I was still awake. It's worse being woken up with him crying.

It's a lot milder here today, just wet so hopefully we'll go out into the garden later for a wee while. DS can run about & I'll prep the propagator trays for the sweet peas & sow the seeds. :T

Waiting in for a couple of parcels, one is the frame for the print for part of the 60th birthday present at work. Fingers crossed they come in the morning so we can go into the garden after lunch & then DS can have his nap. He hates having to come back into the house, there's lots of screaming & kicking and I have to wrestle him back in the door. :eek:

Feeling a bit apprehensive about DS staying overnight at my mum's tomorrow night. It makes sense as both DH & I need to leave around 5:30am on Sunday for work but I've never been away from him overnight. I know he'll be fine but I also know I'll worry anyway.

Got a £10 am@zon voucher through from SB this morning so have used it towards a storage box for wrapping paper. I really know how to live. :rotfl: At least I only had to pay £1.99 "real" money towards it. :rotfl:

DS is watching Mr Tumble on the tv, he loves that guy, I can hear him giggling. DS is a proper tellybug atm.

Have ordered a £10 next voucher from sas so that I can use it towards some pyjamas for DH's birthday - they're one of the only places that do a decent leg length for DH.

Have to wait for it to arrive in the post though, wish they did them electronically it would be much easier as I'm ordering the stuff online anyway. Can't face taking DS shopping as it's tantrum central these days, he just starts screaming & crying as soon as we set foot in a clothes shop. :eek:

sashybo

My parcels arrived around lunchtime yesterday which was good. :j

Got my sweet pea seeds sown whilst DS was running riot in the garden - rolling about in mud again & even eating dirt when my back was turned. :eek::rotfl: He loves just being outdoors & it was really windy which he always thinks is hilarious.

My storage box arrived this morning for the wrapping paper & it's great - all my wrapping paper is now in one place (Christmas & Birthdays) & under my bed nice and tidy. :T It's sad how happy that makes me.

Did a quick hoover in the living room yesterday but still need to do upstairs. Bathrooms & ironing also need doing - I rarely iron anymore but there is a small pile of things that really do need ironing before they can be worn.

Ordered a couple of tops for DH - he already has one the same & practically lives in it so thought I'd get another 2 so at least he can wear it in different colours. :cool::) Just waiting on the voucher so I can order his pjs & that's him done for his birthday next week. Have already got him some slipper socks & a bottle of gin.

MIL said she likes the toiletries that I ordered for her birthday so that's good. Pretty sure DH has forgotten to order birthday cards for her though. :cool: I told him to do it as I always handle all of the birthday admin for both sides of the family plus our friend's children and I think he could at least take responsibility for his own mum & dad. :cool: I ordered the present for MIL as she probably wouldn't have gotten anything otherwise & the PIL are going on holiday next week for a month, so not even as though DH could just send something late. *sigh*

Doing a couple of surveys & browsing about online buct need to get the towels out of the TD and put away. Probably have enough clothes for a dark washing too. Also need to get DS's things together to take to my mum's later.

Not looking forward to getting up at 5am for work 3 days in a row. :cool:

elsien

Delurking as a DIY numpty to mention PTFE tape which sorted my small leak - that and/or a new joint is worth a try.

*Goes back to lurking.*

sashybo

Hi elsien, thanks for de-lurking with that tip. DH thinks the leak might be coming from the connector going to either the dishwasher or the fridge (we have a line connected to filter water). He needs to get in & have a proper look but we're working opposite shifts this week & he has DS during the day so no chance to look in the cupboard without DS "helping". :eek:

Speaking of DS he was an angel for my mum & slept the full night until 8am the next morning! He didn't even really bother about us leaving him, just looked a bit concerned. I suppose he's used to us leaving him with my mum & knows we always come back for him. Both DH & I felt a bit tearful leaving him which was a bit silly really. He was fine & enjoyed himself the next day too as his cousins came to visit, one is 2 & the other is nearly 4 so good company for him.

On my break at work today I had a wander around m&s and got 2 thermal t-shirts for DH for £10 (he wears them under his uniform shirt as it's too thin), a long sleeved thermal top for myself for £3.99, a normal long sleeved top for £5 & 5 pairs of pants for £5. Also had £10 voucher so got the lot for £13.99 "real" money. :T

DH has ordered his mum's birthday cards. :j I only had to [STRIKE]nag[/STRIKE] remind him once. :rotfl:

One more early shift tomorrow then two days off then doing one early shift overtime on Friday. Spent last night working through my diary checking my roster, DH's shifts & my mum's shifts for March to make sure we have childcare cover on the days I'm working.

There are a lot of days in March where DH & I overlap shifts by an hour or two. :mad: My mum can do some but not all so I've managed to swap 4 shifts in March & DH has had to swap one.

We've been quite lucky so far that we've only needed my mum to help a couple of times a month for a few hours at a time so the number of days we're needing help in March has been a bit of a shock. It's such a pain though that it's always me that has to sort it all out & tell DH which days he needs to try & swap or change shifts. :cool:

Housework is at minimum as we're both working the same days this week. DH did manage to put a washing & the DW on before he left for work today. He practically had to run out the door as soon as I pulled into the driveway so that he got to work on time. :eek: I took DS out into the garden for half an hour then spent near enough another half an hour trying to convince him to go for a nap. Then hung up the washing & washed some dishes before trying not to fall asleep on the couch. :rotfl: