Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Thank you, all.

HH, you are right, my bedtimes are far too late. Sometimes I find it hard to slow down enough to sleep. I have to be very tired to sleep... having worked nights has taught my body to keep going.

I've been doing knitting and crochet the last couple of nights and it's good for unwinding but then I get very obsessive about 'just doing a bit more'. Rationality has a job to get a look-in!

OBL, I use Flylady for reminders, I can't keep up with all the emails and a lot are repeats so I only read a few. It can be useful to do the 'zone' task or the month's targeted habit, even if only sometimes. I've met some really lovely people through 'flying' though.

Work went okay today and I was going to rest when I got in but had a phone call that DFiL's overdue medication had finally come to the pharmacy but had missed their delivery, so I went to collect and take it to him. Thankfully I was too tired to look in many shops, as I've noticed this is becoming a bad habit. When I got home I dozed off!

Spending:
Gifts (half price Christmas cards) £3.50
MS:
20p found in old purse
Decluttering:
One small carrier to the charity shop, some packaging to recycling. 16 items.

Cherryfudge

P.S. Re: running. I think I was actually too tired to run over the last couple of days, and I'm rubbish at braving cold weather, which explains why I don't run first thing. Going straight after work might be a good plan once the lighter evenings are here, but only if I've been on an early shift. On days off DH and I often run together: his routes are easier than mine but enough to keep me from losing ground and it's nice to have a companion.

It's a great idea to leave my clothes ready, HH. I think I'll do that - or I could even experiment with taking them to work and getting changed/running from there. Very little change from my usual routes and takes advantage of me not having had time to slump!

Cherryfudge

Not a very energetic day on my part: I bought an e-book and got stuck trying to work out the next stage for my crochet, then had an inspiration. I had pieces from a bath towel that had inexplicably come in two after not a lot of wear. It had been on the way to the textile recycling when I thought twice and decided to turn it into hand towels. Today I happened across a tutorial for a crochet-edged towel, and managed to complete the first little towel using a very strongly contrasting yarn. Result: freebie towel (the yarn was some very cheap craft wool that I bought ages ago) and smug Cherry.
The afternoon was far from cheap as we bought a couple of small kitchen cabinets, a new bin and a posh sheet to replace a horribly bobbly one. We then went to the big Mr A..a and spent £27, which was about £13 over what we had left in the budget. We didn't go mad, either, though we weren't as abstemious as we probably should have been.
We did end up getting fish and chips despite our resolution to buy the fish at Mr T. Next week we need to look ahead and whoever shops on Friday can get some in so we don't spend so much. We also bought a restorative but disappointing coffee and cake while out.
A and H have treated themselves to a trip to go shopping for items for their new house and are due back tomorrow. I wonder if, when we compare notes, we will have spent more on the house than they have?! I did ask them to pick up something I wanted which costs about £2.50 and they are going to look but kindly wouldn't take any money.
Spending:
e-book £2.99
Housekeeping £27.86
Entertainment (Coffee & cake) About £6.00/7.00?
Household - not sure - £39.99 + £28.00 + cabinets + paint sample (DH paid)
MS:
'Free' kitchen towel
Only bought one thing in Dun31m which is amazing.
10th coin savings 1p.

Look at me, packing up before midnight! Sleep well, all.

WannabeFree

Have a good nights sleep Cherry
x

Cherryfudge

Well, I didn't get to sleep for a while as DH was tossing and turning as though someone was sticking pins in him, but I caught up a bit this morning.

Nothing spent today, and I'm doing overnight (sleep) soon so hopefully see you all tomorrow.

Cherryfudge

NSD again today... fell asleep for a while after work and feel better for it.

I've spent the evening ironing/watching telly/mending. I realised that if something is mended and goes back into use, all well and good, but if it's hanging around waiting to be mended, it's clutter. I found the waistband was coming off a favourite pair of PJs and had to be a bit creative in repairing it, but it means I still have them and I've enjoyed experimenting, so it's actually been quite relaxing.

I can sense I'm heading to a not-so-good patch, mental health-wise, so I'm working at heading it off. Back on the cod liver oil and vitamin C tonight, prioritising doing creative things that relax me, and trying to chip away at the clutter - all these might help, but of course getting enough rest is my main problem. Right now it's hard to see how much tiredness is causing low mood, and how much underlying problems are stopping me sleeping.

Two days off coming up: I was going to see a friend tomorrow morning but I'll prioritise sleep and text her when I get up, to let her know my plans. In the evening I'm going for a meal with my usual Tuesday crowd (post-Christmas) so I'm looking forward to that.

Cherryfudge

Quite a good morning's sleep - after a rubbish night! Just as well I wasn't in work as I gave up on the tossing and turning lark and went downstairs for toast, then back to bed and went to sleep just before 5. :eek: However I slept till 11, which definitely helped redress the balance.

I meant to focus on setting up the bullet journal mark 2, but realised I was putting it off so did some deep cleaning in the kitchen and chucked some stuff out. That means I won't be late-night cleaning, as I've started to find myself doing. This evening I had a nice meal out with my friends then went to the supermarket on the way home for coffee, bread and cleaning stuff.

Spending:
Entertainment £12
Housekeeping £9.58
MS:
Wombled 2p
10th coin savings 20p
Made cheapo flavoured creams into experimental butter in the hope of making interesting cakes. So far I have boozy vanilla and boozy salted caramel, that's 2 packs of butter for 74p plus power to run the whisk.
My friend bought me a drink
Decluttering:
10 items. Now I'm keeping a tally on the 2019 decluttering thread I might keep a note of amounts here too as it's easier to keep track. I think it's 77 items this year so far, though some of those are very small (two fairy light bulbs!).

I'm also going to steal in need of direction's very good idea of ending with things I'm thankful for. Today it's nice friends, an electric whisk and the unknown person who thought of combining cream, alcohol, sugar and salt.

WannabeFree

Hope you get a better night's sleep.

Remember take care of you!

Xx

Cherryfudge

Thank you Wannabe

I am doing my best to take care of myself - today that involved shops but also fresh air, exercise and a trace of sunshine. I had my contact lens check followed immediately by eye test and all is well. My contact lens plan covered most of the costs including new glasses but I paid to have the optional coating that reduces glare. I also treated myself to a gel pack that goes in the microwave for a few seconds and should help ease dry-eye symptoms. (I've just tried it, it feels very pampering).

I managed to wander into The W0rks, where I rarely spend anything but of course I bought some things there in December so I had points on my card. I got a (reduced but nice) calendar for DFiL and a couple of books for myself, and to my surprise when I asked her to use up my points before they went out of date, I got the calendar and one of the books free.

I then wandered further onwards and got various bits for next Christmas (lametta, and two boxes of crackers which were reduced from £8.99 each to £2.99 each, and had quite nice 'gifts' in them). I treated myself to some cookie cutters for £1 - and felt a bit guilty as I have lots already and don't use them much. Biscuits are not my strong point. (Are they anyone's?) I also remembered to buy all the cleaning things I didn't get yesterday - why do they all run out together?

There is washing on the line, blue sky and sunshine outside - one of those days where I feel I can Get Things Done, so I won't stay on here long. I'm pretty tired (again) as we had an emergency phone call at 6am to say DFiL had fallen, but he's all right. The falls team had visited yesterday and identified that his bed is too high so his balance is compromised when he gets up, so we are hoping that a new bed will help. One of life's odd equations: DFiL gets a new bed = on the other side of town, we sleep better .

Spending:
Hobbies £4.00
Household £1.50
Housekeeping £8.58
Medical £37.99
MS:
That contact lens plan certainly has saved me a lot of up-front payment - the bill before deductions was £95.00 :eek: With the reductions it was £30.00. Lesson for me in there somewhere: I wouldn't be replacing the glasses at all if I hadn't scratched them so I need to make sure I use a case in future.
2x £2 coins
Confessions:
A bit of hobby spending but it's in the name of helping me wind down.
Decluttering:
Ahem. :rotfl:

ETA: decluttering = 13 items. Total for this year = 90 N.B. Some of these were receipts but 3 were cans of cheap lager dated two years ago! No, I didn't drink them. DS2 poured them down the sink for me.

WannabeFree

Well worth the spends if it makes you feel happier Cherry and looking after your health too.

Eye masks - look at spacemasks. They aren't the cheapest around I don't think as I haven't ever bought them, someone sent me one once when I was unwell. Amazing. Honestly the best thing I've ever used. It even works for headaches!

x