Earthgirl's Final Battle

beanielou

As you say technology is all around.
It is difficult.

apple_muncher

How are your family members doing?

earthgirl

The one with cancer is doing ok, and the other is still in hospital but should be able to walk again soon.

Tech is all around, but it's easy for me to get ahead of the kids and take the access away, and take the time to play with them/set them off playing with different toys/books/games instead. It's been going great the past few days - it's just when I'm out of action the default is just to pick up the tech!

earthgirl

Happy New Year everyone!!

Had a very cheap NYE here, a few friends over - they brought lovely food and we had a great time. The only thing I find about NYE is that I have to stay up till after 12.30 ish and I'm such a light weight at the moment with this cold - I just want to be in bed!

Anyway we are all a bit tired today, but I've managed to find the energy to play with the kids all day and we went for a lovely beach walk and are now watching a film before eating left overs later.

We have a meal at a relatives tomorrow night, and MILs on Thursday. Thursday is OHs birthday. His present is the barcelona trip next year which is already budgeted and paid for - it's a total surprise so hope he likes it .

The more I think about things the more I see that we are only here for a short time and we need those memories with the kids whilst we can. Not to be morbid but we had a year of losses last year and I feel like memories are priceless. Although I'll still try to get a bargain!! I want more 'joy' in our lives, but at a good price

We are travelling to barca in October (cheap as its out of season) staying half board hotel with excellent reviews but on the coast (cheaper as lots of competition) so we will get a train into barca the days we want to go - trains are very cheap and the station is next to the hotel. A trip to the neu camp will be ds2s birthday present too. I think working a few extra hours to save up for this was worth it.

earthgirl

Here are my goals for 2019, broken down into a monthly task for January. I'll chose 1 thing per day to complete where appropriate.

Health!
Beat Sugar addiction - cold turkey from today.
Reduce sugar intake for family - educate them, research new recipies, try new recipies,
Continue healthy diet and hydration started in 2018 - review
Regular yoga and meditation (me and kids) - maintain new habit
Regular strength exercise - maintain new habit
10000 steps per day - walk every lunch time, charity shops and job spotter
Regular beach walks - sat and sun -pick up litter

Joy
Travel trips planned for 2019 - no action
Continue to plan experiences for 2020- no action
Kids continue to play football - no action
Kids continue to see friends and family regularly - organise playdates
Family time together every week - establish tues and sunday games night when schools return
clean and tidy environment home - maintain cleaning schedule
Clean and Tidy work - focus on marking and filing

Achieving
Achievable Budget in place incl income goals -envelope system
finances in order - complete banking check
Income goal set and strategies in place - maintain surveying habit, maintain work on OHs business.
Moving fund in case of having to move catchment areas - no action needed
Daily routine is simple and achieveable -'set and forget' more things!- - maintain routine

Responsible
Do more to help the Environment - pick up litter walks, maintain new higher level of recycling habit
Do more to help the community - no action
Children to become more responsible for themselves - introduce new pocket money system
Children being more responsible for their things - introduce new walk to collect system if they forget their things
I need to be more responsible and put more effort into achieving the things I want to achieve - no one is going to do it for me!- maintain daily planner ticking off habit

WannabeFree

Happy new year EG & Family.

I think you make amazing choices and are doing so well with the children. You seem to have the balance right. You should be proud of yourself

Barca sounds amazing

x

earthgirl

Thank wannabe you are so kind, I'm not sure there is ever a right way with kids, and every day is different as you know!

Feel bad about the carbon cost of flying. I will be walking more and am going to do as much as I can environmentally, but I don't think offsetting is the solution.

Today I completed banking off my list. Christmas was not a big expense and we are neutral this month. The children have a little money so I'm encouraging them to buy football boots so I don't get asked to fork out for them later. I still have £74 of mine to spend - I'd like to spend in charity shops and for a relaxing therapy if I deserve it in the next 6 months or so - part of me being accountable is giving myself little money neutral treats - if I am putting lots of effort in!

Karmacat

Barcelona is fantastic, absolutely - I went there for my 50th, and I was there again last October for 6 hours on that weird little Spanish cruise I did. Great idea with the hotel, and the trains/metro are *incredible*, it'll work a dream.

WannabeFree

Don't feel bad about the carbon footprint. I think you go above most to be 'green' elsewhere to make it neutral.

I think treating yourself is a good idea.

P.S your inbox is full (didn't want you to think I was being ignorant)

x

earthgirl

WannabeFree wrote: »

Don't feel bad about the carbon footprint. I think you go above most to be 'green' elsewhere to make it neutral.

I think treating yourself is a good idea.

P.S your inbox is full (didn't want you to think I was being ignorant)

x

Its always full sorry! All sorted now.

Had a lovely day. Took the kids to the park this morning. My brother gave me £10 to buy the kids a selection box each at Christmas but we have so much choc - and are trying to reduce sugar consumption, so I spent some of it on the popcorn, lentil snacks and fruit laces type things instead. I know they still have sugar in but any reduction helps.

Played with the kids this afternoon as it was quite cold out. Just catching up on a few diaries. Going for a shower and then out for tea at a relatives :j.

My 'one thing per day' from my goals has been to implement an envelope system from my groceries. System I copied from funcheaporfree.com!