Earthgirl's Final Battle

themadvix

Sounds like a lovely weekend Earthie!

I think I'd agree with you about midges in August. It's one thing if you can actually get inside - even if only a caravan, but they can be relentless and camping might not be much fun.

France holiday sounds lovely and hopefully a proper, peaceful break

beanielou

DS once went to a cub camp & the midges were so bad they had to cancel it :eek:

earthgirl

Thanks for your replies, yes I've heard that midgies can be horrendous. Recent duke of ed camping trip - this week actually- cancelled by a local school due to them.

I think we might go an visit SIL near edinburgh instead, got free tickets for edinburgh dungeons and there are free musums to visit.

Health
I have been better at getting up early and although I haven't used the time for exercise, I hopefully will be able to in the future, so busy this week! Think I have sorted my healthier eating diet as well (porridge for breakie, fruit, thins and low fat soft cheese with baby tomatos for lunch - I can just grab this in under a minute and go). Just need to cut back a little on the alchohol and keep things healthy whilst the students are here.
I'm sleeping better too and trying to be more proactive with promoting good sleep.

Wealth

I have had the rest of the backdated pay rise - about £400 extra this month, plus my salary has risen slightly too.
I have completed 2 tutorings before work this week - I can bill for a few weeks ago as well so £110 due to me next friday.
We had a bnb guest at the weekend £66 in.
I have a tutoring client tonight.
I have been working on OHs business.

Life well lived
I've been having my first cuppa in a clearing in the forest with a view of the sea! Drives me a bit mad that I don't get to go very much, so I thought my first and list drink I will take out there. Now that all the football practises are nearly over, I am going to get the boys down there more with me on an afternoon/evening.

Holiday all prepped an most of the packing done. Just need to fill up the car with fuel and finish the last bits of packing.

One tiny little bit of other news - my mum and brother and neice are coming to visit for about 3 nights, 4 days. This is a little worrying as mum and I don't agree on a few things and it affects our relationship. Looking for the opportunity, it is a week I am stuck here with working at lunch anyway. I love seeing my neice and its a week where my boys are busy already in the mornings. It means I don't need to drive all the way down there as well. Who knows, maybe we will not fall out. One thing is for sure, I don't need to worry about it because the worst might not happen.

beanielou

Lots of fab places to go & see in Edinburgh that are free

Needhelpsaving

Just caught up on your diary - have a great (and very well deserved time) in France!

earthgirl

So a wonderful holiday in France. I think we spent £1800 for the week all in. KLM lost all of our luggage on the way there so I have some money to claim back for expenses and might get an insurance payout. Even so I can't recoup all as I spent time shopping for clothes and toiletries rather than buying groceries from supermarket so we ate out more. I'm going to try and claim it we will see.

We would never go indirect again unless it was really long haul. If we went again we would prefer to fly to a destination within 3 or 4 hours and drive than be subjected to 3 days of holiday without luggage.

But as I said it was a fantastic holiday. Such an amazing vineyard experience and then an amazing campsite with hundreds of activities and water park etc. Totally brilliant.


Good things I did that I'd do again (self catering holiday for the most part)
Email and ask in advance if a check out inspection is required
Take old sheets and towels and leave them
Take little bottle of washing up liquid tea towel and sponge
Travel kettle was brilliant take milk sachets for first day in hand luggage
Take tea ketchup little salt and pepper
Hand fans are sufficient
If luggage lost point out there is children's medicine in cases
Buy cornetto own brands if we have a freezer this saved hundreds!

To do next time:
Take pants socks a t shirt soap sunscreen and toothpaste and toothbrush in hand luggage even if it's a pain.
Book bikes for the boys for a week
Take Adaptor a in hand luggage
Buy a football there

beanielou

Glad you had a fab time but boo to the luggage.

earthgirl

Thanks beanie. It was ok really I just could have been more prepared.
Something that's changed my life recently is a video by Jordan page of funcheaporfree. She said that we should stop aiming for perfection (a+) and aim for b+ instead. I just needed to hear this at the time I saw it.

I can't be perfect and do everything perfectly. Aiming for a b+ is enough. I have put a big b+ on an image on my phone home screen. And the constant reminder that good enough is good enough, is really helping.

So for example tomorrow I'm taking two homestay students and my kids to cinema and forgot to buy popcorn in Aldi. I bought it in coop so more expensive but still so much cheaper than the cinema. This is an example of something I would have been negative about because I forgot it but now I'm looking at it as b+.

I have to give myself credit for the things I do rather than be hard on myself for the things I don't achieve. The fact I'm working and earning lots of extra this summer has to trump perfection!

beanielou

A b+ seems good to me.
I was never a great one for A's!

Needhelpsaving

Welcome back x

Rubbish about the luggage, but hopefully you'll get something back from the claim.