"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

badmemory

I have to say my whole house was a lot tidier back when I had a cleaner.

greenbee

Yep, if 'm paying for her to clean, I want her to be able to clean! Particularly given the mess due to builders!

rtandon27

@greenbee - do you give your cleaner a list of things that need to be done when she arrives? I usually have my top three items (deep clean) and then my list of nice to haves if/when she finishes the top three. I have no clue how long some of the deep cleaning takes, I usually over-estimate or under-estimate wildly!

beanielou

Mine just does the same thing every week unless I ask her.

greenbee

She has a standard clean that she does (hoover/dust my bedroom), clean bathrooms that have been used (I tell her), landing etc, the downstairs hoover/dust/wash floors, clean kitchen and utility. I let her know if there are any other bedrooms that need doing, or my office. And today I'd turfed as much as I could out of the utility room and suggested she clean it before doing the rest of the house as it was so filthy, and possibly mop it again at the end if she had time! If she has time left over she always goes round and does more dusting. Sometimes she makes my bed - it depends :)

I've dumped a load of stuff at the CS which couldn't find my donor number using my address. I've left my details, as this could explain why they made so little from the vast amount I dropped off with them last year (they made a LOT the previous year) using my donor number as if my record disappeared part way through the year they wouldn't have known how to contact me. Except… they managed to send me a letter with the gift aid they did claim. So i'm confused. I've asked them to contact me if I need to redo my gift aid declaration, but TBH I'm glad the stuff is out of the house and will start building another collection by try not to wait until I have so much to drop next time!

Have also finished digging out the strawberry bed, put the irrigation system together and turned on the tap. I think it's all working, I just need to keep checking the soaker hoses I can see to make sure that water is getting through. Two barrow loads of mulch on the strawberry bed, one in the barrow. I think it'll take 10. Then I need to see whether any of the plants can be salvaged and hopefully get some planted tonight. There are billions, so hopefully 30 or so will have survived. If there are more, I'll poke them into holes elsewhere. Must also remember to add fertiliser.

The mulch has lots of bugs in, which is more than the bed did (it was all commercial compost as a no-dig bed, and just had nettle roots). The rest of the veg plot is full of worms and insects, and has been regularly mulched with home-made stuff, so it's interesting to see the difference.

greenbee

12 barrows. Which is basically almost an entire compost bin (and they're big bins). Admittedly it's a very thick layer of not very well composted mulch, but hopefully it'll improve the soil. I added some orgro too (composted chicken manure I think by the smell of it!). But am too tired to plant the strawberries before I have to go out, so that's a job for tomorrow. Assuming some of them are alive by then.

Need to find something to eat - can't really be bothered, but I'm out tonight (and driving) so I need to eat and change (and turn off the water to the veg plot) before I go.

Endless list still feels endless…

greenbee

So half the strawberry bed is replanted. It's a bit sunny to be watering from the top, so not sure what to do about watering them in - mulch is damp, so maybe that will do it. I might put the sprinkler on them for a bit this evening.

Need to strip my bed and put some laundry in before it's too late (probably is really, but it should dry tomorrow morning).

In good news, the grant for ASHP replacing oil or LPG has just gone up another £1.5k, so I'm hoping that will keep my costs down a bit.

Animals all pestering for lunch. I need to break them of this habit, but then again, it does mean the cats come back into the house during the day :)

greenbee

Not sure how the strawberries are doing (and have just realised I need to go and turn the tap off for the irrigation). They've had frost at night followed by blazing sunshine during the day. The ones in the cracks in the paving are doing fine, so I may end up moving those in the autumn (or their runners!) if this lot doing survive. I'll try to pot up runners this year and start spreading them around.

Some garden furniture is out (due to having people over today), and I'm hoping that I can get the pressure washer out tomorrow and at least do a first pass at cleaning the paving. I'd rather it was relatively clean before the furniture comes out. There are also the veg plot paths to do and broad beans and mange tout to plant out. It looks like the nights are going to be a bit warmer from now on (although not exactly balmy) and we might get some rain on Monday (builders may not be happy but hopefully it'll clean the solar panels).

And the solar is now working - plus some of the electrics have been done in the bootroom and new office. Not my idea of a fun Saturday, but the work is done, and I got some stuff done in the garden, as well as some laundry and tidying.

I have to pick up muntjac for the animals on Monday, but I'm not sure it'll all fit in the freezer, so need to get the one in the workshop up and running by then. And I've just discovered that my rescheduled dentist appointment (which I thought they hadn't rescheduled, and was going to call about) clashes with next week's vet appointment, so need to move that.

beanielou

Do you ever ever stop?!

greenbee

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977343#Comment_81977343

I'd quite like a day just lying in the garden reading… but Stinky would pester me for walks!