Cherry takes the reins

Honeysucklelou2

That's a good idea, to present a bill for bills. I think I'll need to try this for my DS1.

Cherryfudge

I didn't achieve a lot today, I was having a minor wobble over nothing. When I have things I don't want to get down to, it can be like this. Thing number one was choosing a birthday present for DDiL (H) - she's usually easy to buy for but it's not that long since Christmas so I was completely out of ideas and so was DS1 (her hubby). Thing number two was finding a suitable piece of card to write a for sale notice to put in a shop to advertise the unwanted fish tank. Thing number three was tackling enough of the backlog of ironing so I had clothes for work.

Anyway all these are resolved now: a colleague came up with reams of excellent gift ideas (she has grown up daughters), card was found and advert written though there wasn't time to deliver it, and I managed a bit of ironing.

I also had another really good night's sleep last night. I'm not sure but I think these coincide with days when I go for a run, even a short one. However I paid for not doing proper stretches as my knees were decidedly weak this morning. I think they maybe had more of a battering than normal. (I have strategies to minimise damage but as I didn't use the stretches or the protein afterwards, and unusually had a problem today, I suppose at least it shows they are normally a good idea).

Work was quite quiet but I was on a with a chatty member of staff so I didn't get leave booked as I didn't have enough time at the end of the shift.

NSD.
MS:
We have staff sickness so I'm covering the sleep at work tomorrow.
Decluttering
Nothing to report unless you count a small dent in the accumulation of ironing.

My thankfulnesses today: DH's health is coping well with a further decrease in medication.
Having a laugh with DS2 who can be a bit of bear with a sore head when not happy (and he's got a shoulder injury). Ideas for DDiL's present.

Onebrokelady

You've had a busy week Cherry, I always used to sleep better on the days I went to the gym or for a run and when I used to help out at the stables

Cherryfudge

Yes, I'm sure the exercise makes a difference - that and being out in the sunshine.

It's sunny again here and I was having real difficulty getting going but I shall be out in it as soon as I've finished lunch. Meanwhile my hair really needed a cut, which I've been putting off as I wanted to hit to optimum moment before the spring growth kicks in. However it was too tatty so I've taken an inch or so off and given it a hair mask and a wash. I'm hoping that makes me look amazing (and that the cut is level - of course if it isn't level I could still look amazing ).

Off to work now - NSD as I haven't had time to shop but decluttered the fridge and larder of a few bits and pieces so I won't be hungry.

Sun_Addict

You're brave cutting your own hair, I don't even trust myself with my fringe.

Lucky you seeing the sun today, it's been gloomy all day here.

I can't wait to get back to exercise when this cast is off - my Fitbit thinks I'm dead :rotfl:

Cherryfudge

Lol, your poor Fitbit!

The hair feels really nice, probably more to do with the hair mask I used than the cut. It's easier cutting long hair, I think. I can see what I'm doing with the ends!

Today has been grey and it was really chilly this morning when I came back from my overnight at work. I didn't feel like going out again but we needed to get DDiL's present and DH remembered we had a tealight holder to go to the charity shop. I added half a dozen plastic tops that are supposed to make drinks cans sealable (but never fit any cans that I'm aware of). I won't say we've gained a lot of room but it's progress. I did a small amount of grocery shopping then handed the remaining £8 over to DH to get Sunday dinner (there is 20p left for savings!).

I didn't get a run today, but was out and about with work so have done 17,000 steps. I have tomorrow off as annual leave but I'm doing an extra day on Monday. I've been havering over picking up another shift but already have a few sleeps... I think I will wait and see if they are still available later.

The exciting thing is that annual leave booking for the next financial year has now opened up. I hurriedly booked myself a block of time after the summer holidays and a few other days in the hope we will get a holiday. Not knowing what our income will be, we aren't going to dive in and book early. We did have another short talk about income and I suggested I increase my hours. DH said no, but I explained that I'd reduced them after I had my accident because I felt I was doing too much, but in fact the most tiring thing about trying to sort out Mum's old house is the travel, and if he isn't working he could drive us and we could both work on it - we'd get more done and I wouldn't have to do those wearisome train journeys. I know some hours will be coming available at work soon but it's a bit early to jump in as I'd still have Mum's house to find time for.

Looking forward to my extra day off tomorrow: DS2 is on nights tonight and for the next few nights so we won't see him till tea time as he'll be resting. We might go out as a neighbour has a painting in an exhibition and his work is amazing so it will be a good time to see it. Later L and J are coming to dinner, and I'm hoping they will follow through on an earlier suggestion of a games evening.

Spending:
Gift £18.90 (Plus DH spent I think £4.94 on some crisps and chocolate for her)
Housekeeping £1.40
MS
Have put the advert for the big fish tank in another shop and also mentioned the small fish tank that I also need to sell.
Wombled 7p
20p change from housekeeping goes into savings.
£2 coin into the £2 coin jar.
Thought of another place DH can apply for a job: they aren't advertising locally but they know him so I might suggest he goes in and asks if they'd take his CV. (Specialist knowledge would still be relevant in this setting and he's bang up to date).
Decluttered
Six lids for drinks tins, one tealight holder. I forgot the other day that I also threw out a mug I didn't like.

Tonight I'm thankful for extra shifts at work and being near the end of the mortgage.

Cherryfudge

NSD.

Didn't sleep enough last night - made up for it in the afternoon! As a consequence I didn't get to see our neighbour's painting and am probably more awake now then I should be, but I feel a lot better.

DH made dinner, and DS2, J and L came round. DS2 had to leave for his nightshift soon after but the others stayed for a game of Sequence, an impromptu physio session (L's knowledge of muscles is very useful and DH's shoulder now has a programme of softening up exercises and a recommendation to self-refer to physio direct) and a chat. We are going to try to get the clan together for a family holiday later this year. We've had a couple of these in the past and we all love them.

I haven't done anything money saving: I've spent the late evening unsuccessfully trying to retrieve WhatsApp messages that I backed up before changing phones, but I've given that up for now. I've decluttered five pieces of paper and a box of 32 books. Most of the books were ones from Mum that I didn't want to keep but of course when I was checking through them I found a handful I want, so it's not as impressive as it sounds.

Tonight I'm thankful for time spent with the children and L's knowledgeable help over the problematic shoulder.

Cherryfudge

A good night's sleep again last night, and an NSD again today. I spent what was left of the morning after I finally woke up on starting my new online course which is interesting though it might get more technical later. I prefer the bit where I think I'm taking it all on board with ease. Still, it's going to be food for thought and what's more it's free.

This afternoon was my extra shift and it went okay, I hope I remembered everything I needed to remember as the person I was supporting is complex. I also heard that someone else is leaving - that's three since November, with two going almost together. A valued colleague and again, someone I'm going to miss. All three leavers are going for very different reasons and our newest staff are very good but it's sad to lose people I've worked with and liked for years. Of course the knock-on effect is going to be pressure on the service, and there am I wondering about taking on the odd one or two shifts.

No spending or money saving today but
Decluttering
I impulsively discarded 10 items from the fridge because they are really getting a bit long in the tooth. Nice to have a bit of fridge space but must try not to fill it up again too quickly.

Tonight I'm thankful for my new course and for a sunny day today and getting the washing done before I went to work.

Cherryfudge

Tuesday and it's day off day! Tomorrow and Thursday don't really count as I'm planning on working on Mum's old place. Since the estate agent looked at it I've felt as though the home stretch is almost in sight, but I need a plan so I make the best of the coming days.

1) Assemble books that have potential for our church library so DH and I can pack them in the car when we're next there.
2) Further ploughing through the hundreds of books still in the house. You never know where personal mementoes may be lurking in the pages!
3) Having been looking at holiday cottages this morning (that's another story) I realise how much fussiness detracts from the appeal, and this house is incredibly fussy. I know it will be bought as a do-er upper, but I think I could add to the appeal if I work on simplifying where I can. So I need to consider this carefully. An early move was plain white paint on some brown-painted shelves, which made it more bearable to stay in. However all the walls and all the curtains are patterned, so how do I resolve that without spending much time or money?!
4) Maybe a little work on the front garden as kerb appeal is important.

Today I have some prep to do for this evening (meeting church friends and I'm leading the group). I'll probably dip into my course again - at the moment though I'm further ahead than most others and part of the course is participant discussion so there isn't much discussion with which to interact. I suppose that's good as I don't get side tracked but other people's input can be very interesting.

I know I ought to do more housework but it's a quiet day as DS2 is sleeping off a night shift. I forgot to mention that a pheasant flew into his car a couple of days ago, denting the bonnet and smashing the grill. Poor bird, but poor car too. Pheasants are so daft. DS looks after his car but this is the second piece of damage done to it, and neither was his fault.

I'm also trying to make plans for our garden but other than a note on the kitchen whiteboard about which herbs I could usefully grow, I'm stymied. We already have bay, rosemary and sage in abundance so I want to add parsley, coriander and basil, which I think might be best in large pots. I need to find room for veggies, which I have no experience of other than years ago when mice ate my baby pea plants. However I have loads of seeds as people know I like to grow things and kindly help me out. I'm not gardening at work any longer (they got a free gardener) so that time can go on my garden.

The search for holiday cottages was because the plans for a family holiday are growing apace. It looks like being a long weekend as DD is already having to save her leave for Uni purposes, so I'm trying to find somewhere that isn't too far to travel (half of us would like to go back to Cornwall, but it's a very long way). I also have to get enough separate bedrooms so DS2 doesn't have to share with us or his siblings, and it's amazing how many places for 7 people only have dining chairs for six (or even four in one place I looked at). I somehow don't think offering him a high chair would work.

I realised I haven't posted updates on DFiL recently: there has been some improvement. He's still alternating between sleepy and awake days, but he had enough voice for two days running for DH to be able to understand what he was saying.

Right, back to the search for holiday cottages.

Cherryfudge

I feel bad that I wasted a lot of the day: it was so cold out and so quiet indoors. I had the heating on rather than be miserable but I have to keep it low as the boiler is in DS2's room and although he turns his radiator off he still gets too hot.

This has decided me, though: if he's on nights I will take extra shifts rather than stay at home doing nothing. I know it will be tiring but it's better for me than wasting six hours. I didn't even manage a complete sub-section of my course. The positives were completing the ironing and finding three possible holiday locations which I've sent round the family for feedback. One place is the same cost for a long weekend as for a week so I'm rather drawn to that as those who didn't have to be at work on the Monday could stay several more days and explore further afield at no extra cost.

Good news! DH has an interview for the job he's keen on. Part of it is a group interview so he's clearly got competition but it's encouraging to have got this far.

I remembered that I never claimed from Mum's estate for the petrol used on our last visit to sort the house, so I did that this evening (£25.16) and that money has gone into the account that travel costs come from, i.e. not the account that uses my income. I've also bought my tickets and of course they have gone up in price with it being January. I saved about £5 by split ticketing, but its still £57.29. On the plus side, I've got a refund of £7.28 on my CC for problems with a December train journey. Claiming for the delays is worth doing once you can work the system - not as straightforward as I'd hoped as I had delays to train B caused by problems with train A which was run by another company. Still, they've paid me a bit even if not as much as I thought it should be.

I've reclaimed the cost of tomorrow's ticket from the estate and repaid my CC for it so that's out of the way.

As it was so cold, I chickened out of going to the shops and DH got dinner on his way home, so no food spending yet this week. Tomorrow I hope to leave enough time to go to the supermarket for grapes before I leave, and I'm still wondering about taking a flask with me. Might be a good idea, but it's extra weight to cart around.

Dh gave me a lift to my friends this evening and on the way we dropped off H's birthday present. Nice to have a brief catch-up there.

DFiL is kind of doing better - we've had two phone calls today to inform us he tried to stand up and fell to the floor. In the end they decided he was safer in bed! We can't decide quite why he tries to stand - is it determination or confusion or does he just forget he isn't as strong as he was? He isn't harmed and we know they keep as much of an eye on him as they can.

It's really late and I have to be up in the morning so I had better finish this soon.

Spending
Train fare £58.29 (reclaimed)
MS
Refund of £7.28 for December train fare - and transferred back to the estate account.
Reclaim of £25.16 for January journey
Decluttering
Three paper decisions.

Tonight I grateful for a good evening with my friends and an idea of how to move forward with both holiday and shift pattern plans.