Bonfires and fireworks - NST November challenge

misstara

Sorry haven't posted since Wednesday

NSDs - 11/18, didn't spend on Thursday or today.

Organise - £106.86/£150 food. Hired a car for a few hours yesterday to take OH to a hospital appointment so took advantage of that and popped to @ldi to stock up on heavy/bulky things.

Value for money - stocked up on lots of basics in @ldi which will hopefully save money in the future.

Exercise - went for a run on Wednesday, usual walks Thursday and Friday, haven't left the flat today so don't think I've even achieved 3,000 steps.

Mental health - not been feeling great the last few days, not sleeping well despite trying to go to bed early, work stress but day off today and I've had a really nice relaxing day. OH made a lovely roast for tea (as I'm working tomorrow) and I've mostly just watched rugby

Be Christmas ready - :rotfl: absolutely not done anything for this

Eat well - hmm

Report - missed a few days so on 16/30. Grateful for a relaxing day, the rugby (even though we lost ) and yummy roast chicken for tea.

sashanut

Hi all turtles :j

Checking in: 18/30

NSDs: 9/15 no spends today

Organise: No cupboard progress today of any note, although DD did take a bottle of mulled cider with her so that's one more gone..did spend a few minutes clearing paper clutter in here 'the office' and sorted out a bag of little gifts from side of bed.

Value for money - Used what we have in for lunch & dinner, the usual BLT for me & then made tagliatelle with sausage, leek rosemary & tomato.

Exercise - Did go out for 2 hours in the garden this afternoon which I count as exercise tbh. Hopefully will be able to do the same tomorrow.

Mental health - All OK, always better in the fresh air

Be Christmas ready - sorted some stocking gifts and actually wrote them in a diary type thingy from 2015 so I know what I have. DH read out his boring list & DD showed me hers on her phone. Have already a couple of things off there so that's good. It's her birthday at Christmas time too so she gets more than you'd get just for Christmas alone ...need to sit down with her to work out her shifts so I can arrange for family get together when she might be able to attend..

Eat well - Hmm all healthy till cake & a bit of chocolate crept in...well, it's Saturday right???

Gratitudes - pleased that poorly dog seems better, that I was able to be outside in the fresh air for a couple of hours. that DD has gone to own home - but will be back tomorrow - and that she enjoyed her week's experience in a different section..

Fmess

Morning all,

Yesterday was an epic spend day, I went to aldee and came home with a new car! Feel a bit bad as I’d not long had the MOT and service done on mine and the trade in value is really low but last winter the gear box was seizing up in the cold and everything, including the paintwork is slowly getting worse. I had been thinking about it for a while, spoke to two ladies at work who had the car I liked and then popped to the nearest garage that stocked them, and ended up buying one. It is lovely, it’s a used one and is only two years old, so shouldn’t go wrong for a while. Plus I’ve taken out a two year warranty so I should have no major car expenses for the next two years. I get it on Thursday I got a loan to pay for it and consolidated my existing loan at the same time (I love first direct! Money in your acccount as soon as you say you want it!) plus I saved £270 of interest on the old loan. If it wasn’t such a busy time of year and I hadn’t had such a bad experience of selling my own car last time (my tyres got slashed when they said they wanted to return it and I said no) then I’d sell it myself but I don’t want the possible agro.

laurenh1

fmess enjoy your new car. I bought a new car this year because my old car was falling appart and I didn't feel safe in it. Love my car now

NSD 11/16 still secretly aiming for 18 but I knew I had a lot on this month.

Organise & xmas - will do ironing today and sort through my Xmas boxes. Kids have a potted outdoor tree each which Id like to get lights for on a spend day.

Value- not spending but I am planning spends.

Excersize and healthy eating - will try going swimming this afternoon with kids ( paid for lesson)

Mental health- feeling better today after a good nights sleep.

Digging out the xmas mugs my friend bought me last year. All mine have been broken and Ive only got 2 left. Luckily its winter so will get my posh festive ones on the go and buy some new mugs in New year.

Greatful for - a lie in left over sasauges which Ill use for breakfast my kind friend giving me cough syrup :A

f0xh0les

Today is not a NSD so sticking on 9.

Will try and do all the food shopping I need to see me through the week and do all lunchboxes. It is the popping in for the 'just one thing' that steals my nsd's. But I am actually now really good at just buying that one needed thing and adding no more. - not taking a basket helps!

Something has gone missing from my car so asked on local selling site if anyone has one to sell. A guy got back to me about one, didn't want any thing for it, said he would look it out for me, but started asking quite personal questions..... feel a bit dodgy about it now... if he does find it then it will be meeting in a very public place! Maybe he is just lonely on a Sunday morning (that was me being generous) but my axemurderer spidey-sense is buzzing.

Honestly, I can pick'em in a crowded room!

Toni'sfriend

Goodness, F0xh0les. That sounds a bit scarey - I'd take a friend with me. Preferably a a very tall strong man!

NSDs- 7/12.

Organise - Haven't done much of that today. Been concentrating on other things.

Value for money - Went to Lidl to stock up on kitchen towel and carrots which were on offer and managed to get some YS items (but only things which I buy regularly)..

Exercise - The walk to Lidl and back is about three miles so I guess that counts

Mental health - I'm Ok but was a bit worried about C first thing. I think he's been brooding. However, he seems to have perked up. I guess it's just something I'll have to live with. Not all of us can deal with things in the same way.

Be Christmas ready - Written all the cards apart from those which are going abroad. There are not too many of them and I'll buy and post them when we're away. If I do it beforehand they'll be delivered far too early and if I do it when I come back they won't get there in time. Two things I'd like some advice on:
a) We have a Syrian refugee family who have moved in close by and are Muslim. Do you think it would be ok to give their toddler a small Christmas present like the other children. I don't want to offend anyone and thought possibly a New Year Card rather than a Christmas card. Or am I being too sensitive?

b) When do you put up your Christmas tree. I'm going away on the 2nd and don't want to do it too early.

Eat well - Roast chicken?

Gratitudes –Just so lucky I don't have anything to be ungrateful for.

mothernerd

Spent quite a bit of money yesterday. After spending time looking at various kichen racks, over door thingies I decided to hit the £ emporiums for help. I bought some over the dooor hooks (one dounle hook but more like the old school hooks - about 6" in length - rather than the little flimsy ones they do now). looked mid week and could not see any, so asked. They found 2 and are going to get more at the cash and carry on Tuesday (they took a photo). Bought a few more 'bins'. Decided to carry on to look for double sided tape to finish off my own hand made Christmas cards.

None in the pound emporium but found something else on the 'look out for' list (not desperately urgent). Went to the stationers, bought tape, A4 files and command hooks (on offer).

The reindeer still hadn't arrived, so went into the clothes shop and spent quite a bit (it all goes with things I have and some of my things are now 'well worn' (anyone else would have torn them up for rags). But did spend more than anticipated and have to alter a couple of things (had to buy larger size - big gaps in availability).

Spent some time hanging out with the reindeer, including two babies - still had mostly white fur, not brown. They are free range reindeer who live in the cairngorms - only place in Britain with exact micro-climate for them.

Good news is that I emptied my cash cow and there was enough to cover my spending and £80 extra. So that will be for my holiday (may need socks and extra knickers) and some more household bits and bobs. Will start saving in the money box now - Clothes and Christmas fund. Will try very hard to lose weight before I need to buy more clothes.

Did not make a lot of progress yesterday as it hurt to lift my right arm above my elbow (shoulder still sore but not 'knots' obviously need to let it rest and recover + add doctor visit back onto the to do list, just to check.

Today I woke to brilliant sunshine so attacked the kitchen and my bedroom with breaks when I was dizzy and breathless. Have had serious talk with DS3 and Beloved about 3 adults being in the house and no-one is exempt from doing their share. Also rules about not letting long hair go down the bath plughole and no food down the kitchen sink.

Talked through where things should go with Beloved (like options for how we store herbs) and checked which bits she can reach. Having the long shelf up under the units would be most help but drilling and sawing are not top of my list until my shoulder heals. A few other things we can do for now as well as deep cleaning.

I have 'cheated' this afternoon by buying a raft of cleaning products I normally eschew. If spray and leave it stuff will help my shoulder recover (will do lots of gentle rubbing with my left hand) plus kitchen and bathroom unblockers and oven cleaner ( extra spray - if I get a good day I will put all the oven trays and roasting tins on the flags outside and give them a good clean (I don't do non-stick).

Today I am grateful for a good talk with DS3 and Beloved (so glad I did it quietly and persistently rather tha exploding when I reached the end of my tether), for cardboard (I want a cardboard sheep for Christmas, long story for another day) and for being tidier - using the old pet cage and 'too large' boxes as a 'shelving unit with smaller boxes inside to seperate categories (not beautiful but it's holding everything in an accessible way ready for the next stage), most grateful for having floorspace. Something I was considering as a possible solution is not only possible but already has a lot of technology and info available.

DawnW

Day 19 /30 Checking in

NSD - Spend day today, so still on 10/12.
Organise - Not very organised today All HM meals, and that is about it!
Declutter - Sold a birthday present (book I already had ) on ebay
Value for money - Bargain tomatoes and mushrooms at the market this morning
Exercise - Apart from walking round the market, just the two dog walks today.
Mental Health - OK today, visiting the flea market on a Sunday morning gets me away from the house and OH's current problems. I look forward to it all week.
Xmas - Nothing today
Eat Well - Not bad today
Be Grateful - Grateful to escape for a couple of hours to the flea market, and a flurry of ebay sales

greent

mothernerd wrote: »

. Have had serious talk with DS3 and Beloved about 3 adults being in the house and no-one is exempt from doing their share. Also rules about not letting long hair go down the bath plughole and no food down the kitchen sink.

Well done for this, mothernerd :T:T

greent

greent wrote: »

Clear Out passed on 5 books to my mum

NSDs - 4 - not one today!

Organise - set your budgets now, pay to your debt/savings first
Food - £280.14/ £400 - small spend in A1di
Fuel (me) - £54.45/ £65
Social - £125.74/ £150 -
Toiletries - £2/ £10
Clothes - £115.48/£100 -
Gifts ( also have DD's birthday just before Xmas and DS2's just after) - £320.14 -

Value for money -got a 3 for 2 on my gift spend today - spent the amount I was planning to, but got an extra thing gratis - so sort of vfm!

Exercise -

Mental health -meh

Be Christmas ready -Finished another 2 presents today

Eat well - Yes Small brunch (wasn't hungry, but OH was already cooking it) and veg-loaded chilli & brown rice for dinner.

Report/ Gratitudes -
* It's still the weekend (just!)
* DS2 ploughing through his homework - slowly, but without complaint - and again today
* my mum taking DS3 for a dog walk (lovely weather this afternoon)
* another plumber turning up to quote (hopefully this one will!)
* getting all the ironing done
* lovely Autumn weather - great sunset