Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment yesterday morning was my older son and his two daughters coming to visit me for a few hours.

My younger adult daughter is feeling very, very unwell. She has been vomiting a lot, so I suspect she may have norovirus. She is even finding it hard to stay hydrated because she can not even keep water down. She has had to take 2 days off work so far, but she will just have to take each day as it comes until she is back to her normal health.

lessonlearned

Hello my lovelies.....

True champagne moment - waking up this morning after a straight 9 hrs sleep. !!!! I can't remember the last time I slept like that, it must be decades, certainly before I had the children. I must have needed it because this was in addition to several sort naps yesterday.

Unhappily I wasn't too great yesterday and had to cancel my girly night out with my DIL. I slept most of the day on the sofa, watching chick flicks and dozing. Anyway I feel tons better today, all that sleep must have done the trick.

How are we all.

Gorgeous day here, so mild. I should really be gardening but I have just trekked round Asda and am having a well earned rest after my lunch. Thank goodness that's the last of the leftovers.........I'm so sick of wheat based snacks, time to tuck into the healthy stuff and proper food. I have a hearty healthy pork and chorizo casserole tonight, and lots of nice vegetables.

Today I bought fruit and veg, lacto free milk and dairy and some reduced smoked salmon which I have split into individual portions and popped in the freezer. So what with what is already in the freezer and cupboards I don't think I need to spend much on groceries through January. Mainly fruit and veg.

Hope not - the MOT is due on the car at the end of the month, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed and trying to be extra frugal, just in case. :rotfl:

Whilst in Asda I treated myself to a faux fur hooded sweatshirt for lounging round the house - both cosy and glamourous. Half price at £9, so didn't break the bank. I have decided I need some nice "at home" loungewear so the top is a good start. My old fleece one can now be relegated to decorating/gardening.

Well now how are your plans and goals for New Year shaping up........I don't know about you but I'm raring to go.....so excited.

As I have intimated already, I want to make some real changes in my life next year. I want to up the ante and set the bench mark a lot higher.

It's a new decade and the clock is ticking for me....:rotfl:

I spent most of the last decade caring for my husband, overseeing the care of my elderly parents and then dealing with the aftermath of their three deaths. Not the happiest years of my life if I'm honest and without wishing to sound melodramatic or maudling I paid a high price, both financially and in terms of my own health and well being.

So now.....it's all about me.....(in the nicest possible way of course). Time to get a wiggle on and start really living again....before I run out of time. I'm 68, who knows how much longer I have left. So the plan is to grab the tiger by the tail and ride it likes there's no tomorrow,

For the last few years I have given myself a word or phrase to inspire and motivate me. This years was "panache". I set myself a goal to restyle my life, to live with style and flair, to inject a little glamour into the everyday. I think I have achieved this. I have lost weight, revamped my wardrobe, reinvented my personal style and have renovated the house to create a warm, comfortable and stylish home. Just the kitchen to go.

So far so good but I want MORE!!!! :rotfl:

So my word for next year will be "Extraordinary". I want to create a life which is Extraordinary. I want to "Live Out Loud". I want to add joire de vie to my everyday......to live a life full of love, laughter, joy and happiness, and a few exciting adventures along the way.

And all this on my lemonade budget.

I am so ready for this.

lessonlearned

Sugarbaby......our posts crossed.

Sorry to hear your daughter is so poorly. Novovirus is horrible, hope she's picks up soon.

sugarbaby125

lessonlearned wrote: »

Sugarbaby......our posts crossed.

Sorry to hear your daughter is so poorly. Novovirus is horrible, hope she's picks up soon.

Thank you LL. My daughter is already looking so hollow eyed and she is feeling very weak, but she is resting all the time.

lessonlearned

Wow....what a glorious sunset. The sky is gorgeous, streaked with pink. Beautiful.

Wednesday2000

I have been enjoying some alone time as my husband is out seeing the new Star Wars film.:D I had a delicious meal while watching The Real Housewives show.:p

I don't know why but I have been looking on Facebook today at people I went to school with and one girl I used to know is a talented artist on the coast and one has a very high flying job as a designer in London. Good for them. I thought they were both nice people and they deserve their success.:T

sugarbaby125 wrote: »

Thank you LL. My daughter is already looking so hollow eyed and she is feeling very weak, but she is resting all the time.

Aw, I hope she feels better soon, how horrible for her.xx

lessonlearned wrote: »

Wow....what a glorious sunset. The sky is gorgeous, streaked with pink. Beautiful.

I thought that too earlier, absolutely beautiful.:) Winter sunsets are often stunning.

Sun_Addict

I started following this thread last year and have unfortunately been AWOL for some time. Just picked up again today and had forgotten just how inspiring and uplifting it is. So I am back following.

Not been the best Christmas for me as I was hit by a car whilst crossing the road on my way to work on Friday 13th December, broke my leg, split my head open and have assorted cuts and bruises, all healing well thankfully.

Not happy about being off my feet but determined that 2020 will be a good year, I'll be 60 in August (eek) and the only way is up

mrs_slapshot

Sugarbaby - hope your daughter gets well soon

LL you are so inspiring, to me and to others. I look forward to hearing all about your adventures!

It all sounds very exciting! I too am planning my year/decade. I feel like this is 'my' time too; my son is 18 now and although not on his own, he is certainly a lot more self sufficient and I kind of feel 'free'. It's not been easy being a single mum for most of this last decade, so now I want to concentrate on me.

Two months today I head off on my biggest adventures yet - my solo trip to Palm Springs!

Meanwhile, I am trying to catch up on all the 'life admin' type jobs that have been hanging around - I want to get myself sorted out before this weekend when I am away for a few days then back at work next Tuesday.

I have had a lovely few days with family and friends - I am feeling so grateful for my best friends in particular - I am so lucky to have them, they really look out for me and they are my biggest cheerleaders! What would we do without our friends eh?

LL - my word for this year is 'Focus' - I could achieve so much more if only I could focus on the task in hand!

Sun Addict - I am so sorry to hear about your accident! It sounds awful. You have the right attitude though - with that determination, 2020 will definitely be a good year!

lessonlearned

Hello Everyone

Sun Addict.......sorry to hear about your accident. I'm glad you are ok. You take it gently, get well and strong again.

Wednesday......I'm glad you are still with us. You have been such a good friend to me, so kind and generous. I am glad you are feeling better. Take care my dear friend, onwards and upwards.

I've been doing a lot of thinking these last few days. So many of us had a difficult decade but we've come through it. I won't say unscathed because adversity does change us. It takes a toll not just on our physical health but also our mental and emotional well being.

How could adversity not change is, we are the sum of our experiences, our experiences hone us and make us what we are.

I know I have changed, I found hidden depths and strengths I didn't know I possessed. If you had told me way back in 2005 that I would take on the dragons that I had to battle with I would have laughed in your face.

What Moi. Nah. That's not me, I can't do that. But, I rose to the challenge and I conquered. I astonished not only my family but also myself. I was smart yes, but I was also a bit of a butterfly and something of an airhead. To this day I don't know how I got through it but I dug deep and somehow found the wherewithal to see it through.

But it did change me and not everyone liked the change or could cope with the new me. It caused problems with my relationships with some of my family members who couldn't deal with my new found strength and assertiveness. But I eventually came to the conclusion that that was their problem, not mine. I had bigger fish to fry than worry about how people perceived me or whether they liked me. And whilst I was saddened that they couldn't support the new me I understood that it was because they were frightened and felt left behind.

But that's what happens when we change. Not everyone will be routing for us, there will be people who don't want us to grow, evolve and achieve our goals. It makes them feel threatened or inadequate.

Change is always difficult. In order to change we have to step out of our comfort zone and take risks. Sometimes taking the steps necessary to effect change requires a huge leap of faith. Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump in, keeping your fingers crossed and hope in your heart.

And as we approach the new decade I definitely get a sense that change is in the air. I feel energised and excited.

And wow today.......what glorious weather. Blue skies and wall to wall sunshine.

What a great time to be alive.

sugarbaby125

My daughter was able to keep water down yesterday, so she has made a small improvement. :cool: