PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.
Options
Comments
-
missychrissy said:I’ve just cut the grass and installed 2 new black composters next to my newly raised beds built by my youngest son. I’ve got them covered in black plastic weighted down by bricks at present to let the upturned turf we lifted off the patch beforehand, break down. It feels like a champagne moment. Although not large my garden does everything I need. There are 2 patios, a hot one and a cool one, it’s a playground for my grandchildren and my dog (she is on the path if you look carefully), it is full of birds and insects, and I will soon be able to grow more veg.5
-
Beautifully presented garden, missychrissy - your immaculate lawn puts the small areas of lawn we have here to shame.....I'm guessing your sweet little dog is better behaved than our two relentless diggers, lol?!?!
It's been cold and very wet here since last weekend, so till summer returns, the gardening - and associated expenditure - is on hold whilst we get back to working on the upstairs reconfiguration etc. As much as we're longing to get this completed - plus we're keen and (imho!) competent DIYers - it's a job neither of us are enjoying.
Our predecessors had totally botched the existing bathroom floor before they tiled it (wrong thickness ply, not marine type, glued not screwed down) so it's ripping off the surface of the floorboards as we remove it, meaning loads of extra work will be required....grrr!
The entire first floor is a building site and - more than two years after moving in - we're still having to use buckets to fill/empty the bath.....no fun and definitely not a champagne moment It will all be worth it - or so I keep telling myself!
Having downsized with quite a few rugs we didn't want to part with, in various corners we have these stashed away. Anyway, the other night we swapped a couple of these about - a 9' x 12' vintage Persian has gone upstairs (it will be going in the *new* main bedroom) and a smaller, 7' x 9' Arts & Crafts style went down to the snug, where it will be a temporary measure till we find the perfect one to buy. DH was hoping it would work in the snug, but he had to agree that it's too small/colours not perfect, so ultimately it will retrace its steps and go into the guest room once we've built the new walls in there.
Happily, the Persian rug works really well with what we've planned for the main bedroom. It's a perfect match for the *serene boho* look we're hoping to achieve. It was one of my many eBay finds and a bargain at £170 inc delivery, so that's been quite a champagne moment as we had been intending to buy a fitted carpet for that room!
Over the next week or so, the plan is to create a new doorway into the main bedroom - which is 5' longer now we've removed the partition - before blocking up the existing, then to work on the painting etc. After which, there'll be no delaying tackling that hideous floor......
A few weeks back I mentioned about the issues we were having getting our new windows made. Well, the joiner has been in touch, admitting he handled the whole situation badly, as a result of which he's offered to make and fit them for the £3500 deposit we've already paid. He's fobbed us off before, so I'm not counting my chickens, but he said they'll be ready by the end of this month. If so, that's going to be a good champagne moment as we've been waiting for them about ten months now!
The garden might be looking soggy and sorrowful at the moment, but I'm adding a pic of one of my cheerful, sunny Eremurus plants (foxtail lilies) from last week....
Mortgage-free for fourteen years!
Over £40,000 mis-sold PPI reclaimed11 -
My dog is a 4 year old border terrier called Heather. I only lasted a month after my last dog died before I started looking for another. I would have taken a rescue dog but I have 9 grandchildren between the ages 4 and 10 now so they would have been 4 years younger then. I had fancied a border terrier for a while and knew they had a reputation for being good with children. I read up about them and I could see only 2 problems: digging holes in the garden and chasing rabbits. She does neither. However, she barks incessantly, nobody is allowed to pass our house or speak without her having something to say about it. She even barks at dogs on tv. She is also too friendly with people and gives visitors no peace til they are rubbing her tummy. Finally she has stopped chewing everything up. She used to be partial to toys, Peppa and her friends all got destroyed along with dolls hands, pieces of jigsaw. etc. She still demolishes Lego if she gets a chance and my 10 year grandson and her shredded my bed linen playing tug of war. After he went home I discovered my dressing gown, that normally hangs over the foot of my bed, had a hole in it, as did the bath towel he had been using, so they obviously had a game with those.
She can be very good. When I broke my ankle nearly 2 years ago I couldn’t walk her for nearly 6 weeks and she was as good as gold. I can tell she is missing my grandchildren. She got very excited when my next door neighbour’s 3 year old granddaughter was visiting. Still it won’t be long before she gets her playmates back.6 -
missychrissy said:She even barks at dogs on tv.
I was watching TV the other day and a woman started doing yoga and my dog started barking at her as she was doing a position so she was on all fours.6 -
My champagne moment this week... was a trip on a friends motorboat ..... zipping across Southampton Estuary to a favourite rum pub !Loving everyone’s gardens...As a dear MSE friend says “keep plodding” or
What does the saying say.... When life hands you lemons, crack open the Gin......
Or as my Mum would instil, brush yourself down, tomorrow is another day or
Fake it, to you Make It
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5681736/dancing-through-the-rain-with-a-smile-and-good-cheer#latest6 -
My Champagne moment on Tuesday was going to Lidl in Camberwell Green and finding that they had British strawberries for sale. I bought 600g of British strawberries for £2.49. They were absolutely delicious9
-
Hello my lovely friends....I've had a wonderful time, even though the weather was a tad disappointing. The. Cottage itself was gorgeous though, luxurious and comfortable so even though we were housebound one day because it chucked it down all day it was no hardship. Had a fab birthday.....went to Chatsworth, house closed of course but nice to ramble about the gardens. Apparently Matlock Bath was heaving on Sunday......Usually is..... but every One was well behaved......most of the bikers are probably drawing their pensions these days so typical Saga Louts, no problem at all. 😂. And of course the fish restaurants were doing a roaring trade.We gave it a miss, well we would have done anyway, we would have gone during the week when it was quieter but as it is we didn't eat out all. We didn't even bother with takeaways. We took all our own food and then did a top up at the mega Sainsburys in Matlock. We have eaten like kings. So tomorrow it's back on the WW for me, some of my trousers are feeling a tad tight. 😉.I've come back feeling refreshed, revitalised and motivated again. I know it wasn't "abroad" or even the coast but I think it was just the pick me up we all needed. DS and DIL both feel and look much better. I have come back full of ideas and plans...... more later😉
But for now just a nice easy day.....an afternoon nap and then an easy supper.Some lovely garden pics......very motivational. Actually mine doesn't look too bad, a few fresh weeds but nothing too drastic.I'm going to try and send some pics of the cottage.8 -
LL glad to hear that you and your family had such a great, relaxing, refreshing break. I hope your grandson enjoyed his 2nd birthday as much as you enjoyed your birthday in the cottage. Belated birthday wishes to you both3
-
1. Somebody likes Minions......😂
2&3. View from the back of the cottage
Sorry can't find the internal shots - think I might have deleted them by mistake but I posted them on the Frump to Fab thread the other day if anyone wants to see them.8 -
LL lovely photographs4
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 247.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards