Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

did you measure the unit? Will it fit in the space?

Nooo... I just fell for it! I didn't even have my phone to take a photo.
I know there's time for a lot of trips back to that particular place before anything happens as we're still 'just looking' for the kitchen. I also think it may be customisable, but would take actual building work as a bit of solid wall would probably have to come out. However it's given me ideas.

Cherryfudge

Very little to report today. Nothing spent. Church / Remembrance service this morning, work this afternoon. Just had a call from DFiL's care home to say he had a fall but got himself up and told them, has been checked and is under observation but seems okay.

The rain has started again...

Cherryfudge

I didn't sleep too well last night as DH wasn't well, so in the end I got up and went downstairs for a couple of hours. At least I got to sleep in this morning: DH has a meeting today and needs to be reasonably on form as he is interviewing later, but that's going to be tough feeling as he does.

He has decided to start the temporary treatment that the GP suggested but he's put it off because it's something he was on before and he knows the side effects from experience. I wish he' take time off work but unfortunately the employer has a punitive policy on sickness and he's been off earlier in the year. Only a few days till he has his appointment with the consultant....

I really haven't got much done and I'm at work later so I need a plan:

Get myself work-ready.
Put a load in the washer.
Do some housework.
Look at the study material for tomorrow and WhatsApp the group about it.

Cherryfudge

Amazingly I did most of that little list, leaving the study till tomorrow which isn't brilliant as I will only really get the morning (not my best time) to work on it. My friend is hosting, though, which is helpful.

I didn't get a huge amount of housework done but enough to be useful, and the weather has been dry and 'mild' enough to open some windows and air the house. I find that feels better! After that, work was quiet and I've had leftovers for lunch so there's a little more space in the fridge.

I was worried when I didn't hear from DH all day but he texted me late on to say he was okay: the stop-gap medication is helping and he feels a lot better.

Spending:
Nothing today though DS2 picked up some bread for me so I probably owe him.
MS:
Finished up yesterday's curry for lunch.
Freebie large jar for the kitchen (someone was chucking out at work).
Reused a small bottle to make a travel shampoo - massively cheaper than buying the ones sold for the purpose.
Decluttering:
Finished up a travel toothpaste and a shower gel.

Today I'm thankful for Dh feeling better, for not suffering from lack of sleep today, and for a new storage jar,

Cherryfudge

Today's been a day off and I slept quite well last night so it's even been restful.

Of course, being me, I didn't get much done in the morning and it was raining and forecast to go on doing so, so I even had the tumble dryer on for the morning's washing. Then out came the sun and the afternoon was lovely so some bits made it out into the fresh air. I went and got my flu jab (comes free with my job and I felt I really should take them up on it after a colleague's child nearly died of a respiratory infection) then on to investigate a new drop-in centre that's just opened. Its so nice! I had heard of it through church then both my daughter and a colleague mentioned it so I can give them some feedback. I managed to wander into a charity shop on my way back and (ahem!) bought myself a Christmas present from DH. He's very good like that - always finds things I really like - can't imagine how he does it. It's a book I'd been looking into but was a bit expensive on Kindle.

The walk into town was actually really nice: it was just mild enough for me to wear my furry hoodie not a coat, so I felt more my normal self (coats, well, they're very useful and I love my quilted one but they aren't as easy to walk in).

Lunch and dinner have used up a few more freezer bits but it's a slow process.

This evening was spent with my friends as generally happens on a Tuesday... and that's about it for today.

Spending:
Gift £2.50
Donation (raffle ticket) £1.00
Housekeeping £6.69
MS:
10th coins saved: £1.40
Main meal items from freezer
Hot chocolate and cappuccino sachets on offer
£3.11 left over from last week's money and took £30 out to cover this week so balance left to spend on housekeeping is £26.42.
My friend paid me back for the book I got for her a few weeks ago as I've not seen her since. The money goes into the general fund but was kind of accounted as a temporary spend at the time.
Decluttering:
A packet of sausages and some cauliflower from the freezer.

Today I'm thankful for DH continuing to respond well to medication, a good evening with my friends and enjoying my walk this afternoon.

VelvetFreak

Hi Cherry,
Finally posting a reply! I always read your diary in the morning while I drink my coffee, but I never seem to have time to post anything. I'm glad your DH is feeling a bit better. Well done on the Christmas present for yourself I do love charity shops.

Cherryfudge

Thanks Velvet. Yes, I have found some lovely things over the years in charity shops. Not much spare space nowadays so maybe I need to send some back!

Today is another day off: I had been thinking of a shopping trip for winter jumpers but really I have plenty, it's just that quite a few are in the loft. I decided to stay in, in case the flu injection made me feel unwell but nothing's happened so far, so I need a plan for the day:

Laundry
Ironing
Note down recipes DH commented on while watching 'eat well for less' yesterday
The weather is lovely so spend some time out of doors.
Take a few items to charity
Advertise fish tank that we need gone
Housework (hoover, clean kitchen and bathroom, tidy up)
Get my loyalty cards/gift vouchers ready to take on shopping trip with DD this weekend.
Look into booking advance train ticket for Saturday.
Speak to DD about what time we will finish on Saturday.
Message friends H and D that I owe replies to.

That's enough to be going on with.

Cherryfudge

I managed quite a bit of the list:

Laundry done
Ironing done
Note down recipes DH commented on while watching 'eat well for less' yesterday done
The weather is lovely so spend some time out of doors. done
Take a few items to charity
Advertise fish tank that we need gone
Housework (hoover, clean kitchen and bathroom, tidy up) done
Get my loyalty cards/gift vouchers ready to take on shopping trip with DD this weekend.
Look into booking advance train ticket for Saturday. done
Speak to DD about what time we will finish on Saturday. done
Message friends H done and D that I owe replies to.

I had the bright idea of borrowing A's power washer before they went on holiday so I spent part of the afternoon clearing plant pots and tubs off the hard standing ready to have a thorough clean, only to discover we don't have a connector without which it won't work. The ground is really in need of it, too. I'm leaving the plants in a cluster on the lawn, in the hope that someone will tell me there's a connector I should have known about. At least it's shown me some plant pots have died off, and I've binned some rubbish that had fallen among them.

Dinner was a pasta bake (with cod from the freezer) and I forgot to get more hot chocolate but I do have a few in reserve now!

It's not escaped my notice that the items I haven't done from my list are predominantly about getting rid of things.

Spending:
Travel (train ticket for Saturday with DD) £12.80
Housekeeping £7.57 (balance now £18.05)
MS:
Cheap version of M@rmite
pasta sauce on offer
ticket paid on cc for the loyalty points and already paid off
Advance ticket is £8.40 cheaper than buying on the day
Three pieces of mending done
10th coins saved 60p
Decluttering:
5 pieces of assorted plastic from the garden, cod used up from the freezer.

Today I'm thankful for making a start on the power washing by moving all the plants which also gave me exercise and fresh air, and for weather nice enough to make working outside enjoyable. Also for DH's continued improved health and for DS2 settling into his new job.

Cherryfudge

Popped into town before work as DH needed a gift for a friend and hadn't had the opportunity to shop. I bought chocolate, hot chocolate, cappuccinos and satsumas on the way back. I have my priorities right.

Work was a bit on the quiet side but it meant the shift lead swapped people around so we could work with people we weren't used to and back each other up. That worked out really well for me so I am feeling confident. I even said I'd do the shift lead tomorrow, but I know the people I'm on with are rock-solid so I'm not expecting anything hair raising. Then a colleague said she'd do a shift swap with me which will enable me to go to the birthday meal that DS2 decided to hold in a couple of weeks, which is excellent.

Spending:
Gifts £30.59
Housekeeping £5.83
MS:
Used my CC to pay for the main gift so will get loyalty points for the store and for the card. Okay, not going to amount to huge sums, but worth doing as long as I get the CC paid off (next task after this).
Hot choc and cappuccino still on offer and bought a hot choc as a stocking filler, too.
10th coins saved 22p (okay, I added a stray penny too).
Pomegranates marked to 54p down so bought a couple with the intention of freezing the seeds instead of spending a couple of pounds on ready-frozen.
Decluttering:
None

Today I'm thankful that the shift went well and for being able to go to DS's meal.

Cherryfudge

I've been out all day doing our ritual pre-Christmas shopping day with J. I spent rather a lot as I bought gifts but also clothes for myself and we ate out. J wasn't 100% well so while we enjoyed our time together we didn't push ourselves to finish up at the Christmas market and have talked about going again before Christmas! Whether we manage that remains to be seen.

First, a report on yesterday: I spent 49p on the garden but got the wrong item so a little more will be spent this coming week. It was only a connector for the hose, as if there hasn't been enough water recently. I also bought groceries, leaving £3.44 in the housekeeping budget, of which I gave £3 to DH today, so we're still 44p in the black.

Spending:
15/11/19 Garden £0.49
Housekeeping £8.56
16/11/19 Toiletries £3.00
Donations £10.00 (J collecting for a cause)
Lunch (entertainment budget) £8.10
Coffee & cake for 2 (entertaining budget) £10.75
Clothes £44.97
Gifts £57.95
Total £137.30.
MS:
Yesterday - Some good bargains foodwise.
Today: J used her student discount for my lunch so I had 10% off (And it was really nice, I've never had Vietnamese food before).
Fell for some cheap jumpers in lots of colour ways and decided as I could buy four for the price of one that I'd bought last year, I'd do so. When I got to the till, the bill was even less so J and I checked the receipt and the jumper that looks best on me was reduced to £2!
J saw some nice glassware reduced so that's now part of someone's present for all of £4.
A tester spray of Creed which retails at £145 a bottle and is rather gorgeous.
Decluttering
Recluttering, really. Also 2 bits of paper.

Today I'm thankful for time spent with J; the weather being okay; Vietnamese food and managing the chopsticks well enough to eat it all (:D) and my new jumpers, headband and pinafore dress.