Light the fire...

woodfired

Just popping in for a quick update.  The man cave is finally finished! The (cheap) carpet was fitted Friday and we have kitted it out with gifted/free, upcycled furniture.  It looks great and DH is very pleased.  I have promised him a snooker table for his birthday so we are on the lookout for a second hand one.

I think our next mini-project will be the children's bedrooms.  I've started planning already.

I have worked this morning then done some deliveries for DH.  Home now and tea is already made as I had a day of cooking yesterday.  We are on cheese, leek and potato pie with broccoli, cauli and roasted parsnips.  Looking forward to that one.  The sun is shining this afternoon but this morning felt quite autumnal; which I must admit I love.  I love spring and summer but I do enjoy the cosiness of Autumn and I'm really looking forward to our first Christmas in this house.  The autumn feeling always makes me want to start stockpiling though for some reason!  I'm looking forward to filling our garage and log store with lots of free wood from DH's business and enjoying our two woodburners on cold days.

savingholmes

Great that your project is finished. I love woodburners... love a real fire

lucielle

I was inspired by your cod wrapped in ham and made something similar myself last night, though the house does pong a bit this morning.
L

woodfired

Sorry, I'm really not very good at keeping up with this diary!  I think perhaps it's because DH has still been on a reduced wage so we haven't felt like we were saving much.  That should change now as his work has picked up and I can up his pay again.  In theory, we should be saving all of the extra as we have managed without it all of this time....  We shall see.

We have booked next year's holiday with friends and family, a couple of weeks in our caravan in Norfolk.  Paid a small deposit and we got a great discount for booking so early and for more than 7 days so pleased with that.  Already saving holiday spends in my M0nzo account, £48 saved so far from shopping for MIL - she then transfers to M0nzo and I don't use that account except for hols.

 I am looking forward to the children going back to school next week and getting back into a proper routine, I can also pick up some of my hours again at work which will be good, I get behind on my paperwork when I'm not there as much.  It will also lower the wage bill, which is currently still very high.  We are organised for school, just need to collect some uniform that was on order.  We have also re-arranged DD's room and moved her desk downstairs into the playroom/office so she can organise her homework and keep her stuff on the bookshelves in there, hoping to get into good habits regarding homework from the outset.

Elsewhere, I have made two batches of sausage rolls this week to use up packs of sausages from the shop, i spread the meat in one batch with a jar of apple sauce which worked really well.  Made a change from the usual sticky sausages and I gave a few away which were well received.  I made a cottage pie on Monday that did a couple of days meals and the extra mash i made into potato cakes and ate with poached eggs for breakfast.  Tonight there is no cooking - I sit waiting for an indian takeaway as we speak.  Really looking forward to that - friends had invited us out to lunch but DH didn't feel comfortable taking the children to a town center venue so we passed, this is our treat instead, likely a good deal cheaper too!!

Happy Saturday.x

woodfired

Youngest child back to school today, thank goodness.  Oldest one starts high school tomorrow.  We have spent many hours (and pounds!) getting organised but hopefully all done now.  I love September as it always feels like a fresh, new start, probably a hangover from my teaching days. I'm looking forward to prepping for winter and getting my life organised and back into the swing of MSE properly.

I've just got home from work, the weather is miserable so I've lit the woodburner to warm the place up for when DS gets home from school tired and hungry.  Making hearty pasta soup, as recommended by Fortune, for dinner tonight using homegrown runner beans and will serve with fresh bread.  I need to do a meal plan for the next week or so, we have plenty in so should be easy enough.

Mortgage payment went out yesterday, current balance is £235 017.55.  Must go and round that down!
£25 win on the premium bonds, we have transferred all savings into PB account, balance now at £20 025.  Happy with that as an emergency fund, it is more than most people have as an EF as we are both self employed so at more of a risk than others with more secure jobs.  Savings from now on will go on home improvements (and there are plenty of those to be done!)/overpayments.   

lucielle

All sounding good in your neck of the woods.  Is the premium bond an actual account?  If so how does it work?  I thought you had to do it through the post office (its been a while!)
L

savingholmes

Glad things are settling down for you and DH's work is picking up. Great EF. Lovely win

woodfired

lucielle said:

All sounding good in your neck of the woods.  Is the premium bond an actual account?  If so how does it work?  I thought you had to do it through the post office (its been a while!)
L

Hiya, yes, the PBs are online now, you open an account through NS&I and can buy/sell bonds online.  Much easier and quicker than the PO. x

savingholmes said:

Glad things are settling down for you and DH's work is picking up. Great EF. Lovely win

Thanks SH!  Fingers crossed it all continues. x

Both children at school today so v. quiet round here!  I hope DD is enjoying high school. 
So far I've hoovered and dusted downstairs, swept and mopped kitchen, downstairs loo and utility.  Hoovered out the old lease car that was then collected a couple of hours later, no damage spotted so hopefully no charges for that.
Off to tidy and clean bedrooms/landing now before school pickup.  Squeezed in a couple of hours at work too, productive day!

Dinner is salads, seemed a good idea this morning when the sun was shining, not so much now.  Caesar with new potatoes for DH and I, tuna pasta for the children (their fave!).

woodfired

Happy Sunday Folks.

We have had a lovely weekend so far, takeaway at Mum's for Dad's birthday on Friday with all the family.  Mum paid for the chinese and DSis brought lots of drinks as a thank you for helping them move a couple of weeks ago.  Yesterday I painted the utility room cupboard doors, back door and windows in Frenchic alfresco duckling, which is a lovely pale blue/grey that I previously used in the snug.  The cupboards were a darkish sage green before and all the windows and doors in this house are black or dark mahogany - not for much longer though!  It looks so much brighter and cleaner in there now, I think I just need a few pink accessories to lift it. 

Last night DH and I had a 'party' in our new games room , we had the TV on the music channels, played pool and darts, chatted non stop about our plans for the future and enjoyed a few glasses of wine.  It was lovely.  The room overlooks the brook at the back and we watched so much wildlife as we sat there, including an owl and a hedgehog.  Bliss.

Today, I plan on doing a bit of cooking and maybe watching a film this afternoon in front of the fire.  Or perhaps some gardening, will see where the mood takes me.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone.x

lucielle

Sounds like you're having a lovely time.  Hadn't heard the word brook for a loooong time!
L