Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

sugarbaby125

Hello Bala 

My Champagne moment yesterday was going to a creative writing course. It was so good to talk to fellow writers and start to do some more of my own creative writing. I am really looking forward to the next 3 weeks of the course each Thursday. 

My Champagne moment this morning was getting on my bathroom scales to find that I had lost another 2 pounds. I now weigh 16 stones 2lbs   

phoebe1989seb

Hi all! I do hope that the lack of posting on here of late is because everyone's been busy clocking up the champagne moments, rather than less welcome reasons? And I hope missychrissy is fully recovered from the dreaded covid-19!?! 

Sugarbaby, your creative writing course sounds brilliant! I'm very envious 😊

We've had a fantastic few days! Our family visit actually happened (yay!!!) - so happy that they came when they did with the new national lockdown starting tonight! Huge progress has been made on the bathroom installation front too.....so overall loads of champagne moments 😉

DS and his family (and dog!) stayed in a lovely, well-equipped cottage a couple of miles away, but spent a fair portion of their time in Wales here with us, both outside in the garden and cosying up by one of the wood burning stoves - although the weather was surprisingly mild given it's been quite chilly lately. The rain stayed away most of the time too - just one really wet day on Wednesday, but they dodged the downpours by shopping for gifts to take home and having brunch in the village (actually a market town, but compared to where they live in Brighton it's a village, lol!).

Whilst they were here we also crammed in local 'village' exploring/shopping, an extremely blustery/sandy beach walk, a fab but totally tiring ramble through NT parkland to a ruined castle, some wonderful home prepped/cooked meals (topped off with plenty of wine and indulgent chocs!), plus we all tried out the new loo and some of us the new bath 😉

DGD (27 months) had a marvellous time and was fascinated by all our mini pumpkins/autumnal decor - so a few bits went home with her, as well as the jolly fabric pumpkin we'd found for her a few weeks back in Homesense, now named Pumpkin Pip (Pip being her name for DH!).

It was so much better with our dogs away in kennels for the duration of their stay too, meaning that their gentle pooch wasn't constantly intimidated by our boisterous pair - although it felt really weird without them here and I admit it was great bringing them home last night after our family's departure ☺️

The bathroom wasn't *quite* finished by the time DS and co arrived, but DH/the plumber did their best so that it's just the vanity/basin and heated towel rail we're waiting for now....I'm still getting used to the concept of a lovely loo and working bath taps, it's been such a long time coming, lol! Luxury doesn't come close.... it's heavenly 😍 Not got the champagne/prosecco out yet - I'm saving that till the jib door is on (and the rest of the sanitary ware, my art nouveau carved poppies mirror and artwork) which should be by the end of the month!

Now we're free of guests and ahead of the Welsh national lockdown, earlier we thought it wise to do a bit more Christmas shopping whilst we could, so we drove over to Carmarthen where we picked up a few books in Waterstones and some stocking fillers in TK Maxx including lots of olive wood utensils and writing journals.

I think we're just about done so just have to get the main gifts - a new KitchenAid kettle for DS/his partner, a Tonie Box for DGD and a rug for us.....these are all online purchases so hopefully if they decide to extend the lockdown indefinitely it won't affect us too much!

Yesterday I received a very complimentary email from a friend who said our home has a distinctly Bloomsbury Group feel to it - very flattering 😃

This weekend it's back to reality with wall demolition and.....if I'm lucky, lol, a little plastering 🙄

Have a good weekend all!

Wednesday2000

I'm just having champagne moments at home. My husband has 3 weeks off work. I have bought some new picture frames and have been displaying some of my husband's vinyl collection on the walls. I bought a sun/moon tapestry to put up and I have wrapped some fairy lights around our living room walls too. We cancelled our hotel stay due to the Covid situation so we are just celebrating our anniversaries (when we first met and our wedding anniversary) at home. 27 years together. Aw. I was so young when we met. 17.

missychrissy

I’m pleased to say I’ve survived Covid 19 and feel completely back to normal. The champagne moment is to discover I’ve lost half a stone. Thanks for all your good wishes.

sheilavw

great news Miss Chrissy, my youngest Daughter had covid too, although rough for a few days she seems fine now. Sounds lovely Wednesday. I was 16 when I met my late Husband, bought our first house at 20, married at 22. Together for 41 years .

joedenise

We were young too - met at Christmas, I was 18, DH was 19; we married the following April both aged 19.  Will be our golden anniversary next April!

mrs_slapshot

Hello everyone - hope you are all well and coping in these turbulent times? Missychrissy so glad to hear you are well again. Phoebe you have been busy! Sounds very exciting.  And LL how exciting that you are so close to welcoming another grandchild!
I've been flat out at work for a couple of weeks which has knocked me for 6. Still working from home (although have had a couple of days in the office) but it's been long days and draining work. I'm feeling quite poorly today with cold symptoms so I am trying to take it easy and planning a very early night!

My house move is getting closer; hopefully will be mid to late November when we move. I'm just now in the chasing up solicitors and estate agents phase to make sure all the searches are done and enquiries completed. I've ordered lots of packing boxes but only managed to fill one so far! It feels really difficult thinking about what to pack first...but I need to get my skates on.

I've had an issue with my en-suite leaking into my garage - the plumber has sorted it but it's costing me a few hundred including getting the garage ceiling plastered. I've also had a downpouring of rain on the side of the house from a leaky gutter, but my roofer has been and clipped it back together again at no cost, which was very much appreciated. I've spent this morning tidying up my 19 year old's bedroom....no wonder I'm exhausted! He's going to have the main bedroom in the new house as it has loads of fitted wardrobes, and he has lots of stuff that needs storing! I'm looking forward to having a slightly smaller but cosy room that looks out onto the back garden. I'm having fun imagining the differnt colour schemes I'd like.....

My city has gone into Tier 2 which is a major blow but not unsurprising. Main issue is obviously not being able to see family and friends that much - and I won't be able to have the army of helpers that had volunteered to help me move (I'm having a removals firm but they were my cleaning and organising army ). Thinking of forming a support bubble with my best friend, her husband and daughter.

Right - off to sort out my freezer as we have to run it down over the coming weeks!

balabooberlies

Hello All

so good to see you and so pleased Miss Chrissy that you have recovered.

Sugarbaby well done on the continued loss of weight.  I am too afraid to go near the scales.  Other than Covid have had many stresses the last 6 months with 3 family members rushed to hospital (not the virus) with one (my brother) almost losing his life.  Thankfully they are recovering.  I am a comfort eater and I have been comforting myself a lot !  

Phoebe am envious of your talents but your descriptions of what can be achieved are spirit lifting.  I live in hope.

Obviously it goes without saying the the good health of all is a champagne moment.  But this week the changing colours of the trees have stopped me in my tracks.  Truly magical.

LL hope all goes well with arrival of new baby and Mrs Slapshot with the move.

bala

x

P.S.  My Mother and I won a tribunal for my learning disabled brother.

takanodia

In the last Great Depression when their were starving people catching wild birds and game meat.

this time around people are not as self reliant 

is anybody else nothing the empty shelves increasingly in space again?

takanodia

In reality if the economy carries on in this direction at this speed with this many businesses going under and this many become unemployed every month, then there will be the greatest depression ever in less than 4 years.

The question is will the economy keep crashing at this speed or will the decline speed up?

The central planners are trying every trick in the book but we are now past the point of no return, they can create as many numbers into their bank accounts as they can, creating fiat currency out of thin air and adding it to the rapidly expanding currency supply will only speed up the decline.