Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning my lovely friends....

How we are all.  

Well the family gathering went well, it was lovely but oh was I tired afterwards.  Yesterday I had a real down day, a bit of a "widow" day when I felt quite low and a bit weepy,  I think it was just pure exhaustion and maybe the effects of Lockdown but thankfully, after a rest yesterday and a good long sleep I'm feeling much better today. 

I think I need a bit of time now to just catch up with myself, get back onto my healthy eating and exercise routines.  Helping out with the grandchildren was fun but exhausting. I feel quite drained. Without sounding selfish, I think it's time for me to concentrate on my needs now. 

Promising news about the vaccines......here's hoping.🤞.  

phoebe1989seb

You definitely need some *me* time, LL....hope you have been taking it easy today 

Beautiful autumnal day here - or at least it was all blue skies and golden leaves till half an hour ago when the rain descended, lol! I've been stuck indoors repainting one of the kitchen cupboards and the island as we came to the conclusion we weren't 100% happy with the colour. Fortunately the shed resembles a long lost outpost of F&B so no need to buy more paint 

Our *firebreak* lockdown is over (yay!!!) so yesterday evening we drove to Homesense for a spot of retail therapy. I'm still looking for a suitable laundry basket plus a pair of mirrors for the main bedroom, but there was nothing that caught my eye. It's a large store and some departments - particularly the Christmas decorations - looked as though they'd been visited by a plague of locusts. We only spent about £35 (on a rather stunning vase for the dining room table, some chocs and liquid hand soap for the new bathroom), but it felt like a champagne moment to be out shopping in relative normality again!

Later I spoke with DS (in Brighton), who said his partner is already feeling depressed as she's working from home again - like me they both suffer from SAD and she's a real social person, so think it will hit her harder this time what with the winter weather etc .....

Cooking lamb shanks, roast potatoes and loads of veg for dinner this evening. DH plans to get on with some plastering after work....but I've a new bottle of gin so maybe we'll just get ourselves plastered instead 🤣🤣🤣

helensbiggestfan

Good morning  my lovely friends.  

Well my week of rest, healthily eating and plenty of sleep has worked it's magic. I now feel human again. 😂.  Feel tons better and raring to go.  

Lots of nice little champagne moments, lunch with DS2 yesterday. I had not visited his house for almost a year, so I got to meet the new kitten, see "my" cat,  my sons cat really but when he and I lived together we shared the cat. And of course, to admire his handiwork.  He has been doing lots of work in the house and it looks fab.  

Best champagne moment this week .....hearing the news about the vaccine, fantastic news, just keeping fingers crossed it all goes well.  I know we aren't out of the woods yet but it's great to finally see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.  

Speaking of light, the suns out again and it looks like being another lovely day.  Going to make the most of it because I think the weekend looks like being a bit of a damp squid. So after a hearty breakfast I am going to go for a walk to the cheap shop because I noticed they have a display of plants outside and then when it warms up i am going to finally get round to planting some spring bulbs I bought earlier. 

Don't want to speak too soon but It's all looking good. I am going to spend the next couple of weeks sorting out, giving the house a deep clean and then preparing for the festive season, ready to meet the new year. 

Hopefully 2021 will see life return to something like normality, that covid will be kicked into the long grass and we can all start to revel in a few more champagne moments.  💃🥂

 

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment yesterday was receiving a compliment about the outfit I was wearing on the Zoom meeting for my last creative writing workshop.   

My Champagne moments this morning was receiving 2 compliments from 2 strangers on my short walk to the bus stop. 1st a black man said to me with a smile on his face 'you look beautiful' and then a black woman said 'you look lovely in those gloves'. I said thank you to both of them with a big smile on my face.   

helensbiggestfan

Wow.  SUgarbaby.....that's heartwarming and lovely.   

To those of you who read the Frump to fab thread, you will perhaps already know this.  But to those who just stick with this thread I want to inform you of my decision, so you hear it straight from the horses mouth.  

I have decided to quit all social media for the time being. 

I have been a member of MSE for almost a decade now and I have loved being a part of this community.  However, I feel it's now time to take a step back, time to move on and try some fresh challenges.  

Part of this will be to probably start my own blog in the new year. But first a little break, to concentrate on the Festive Season and take a breather.  I want to mull things over and refine my ideas on what form my blog should take.  I need thinking time.  

I have made some wonderful friends on here and I would love to keep those friendships going. So for anyone who wishes to remain in touch with me please send me a private message and we can exchange contact details.   

In the meantime I wish you all the very best that life can offer and all the champagne moments you can handle.  😂

Goodbye my dear friends.   ❤️❤️

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment was being asked by email if I would give permission for an edited version of this piece of my work to be reproduced for the Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts for Blackfriars Settlement who were the organisers of the creative writing workshops I participated in.  I gave my written permission. So exciting for me. 

Thank You Will

My joy was incandescent when I realised that in the midst of this ongoing Pandemic that someone was going to facilitate 4 creative writing workshops in Blackfriars Settlement. 

I was fortunate to come across the Facebook post that alerted me to the possibility of getting together with like minded people to explore my own creative writing skills, to continue to hone and develop them.

Will you have been an excellent facilitator, from the 1st workshop you made my writing soul cry out a resounding Yes! I knew you were on the same page as me when you explained to the group in the 1st workshop that just because the course was entitled Black History Month, it  did not follow that we would only discuss matters pertaining to Black History and Black Lives Matter.

I blossomed in the format where we would just discuss our ideas and thoughts in a completely organic way. From those groupd discussions I would make notes that would ignite the flame and passion of creativity within my soul. When the time came foe me to start creating a piece of my own writing, I would look at my notes and a single word like 'space' or 'trauma' would leap off the page and imbed itself in my mind. Then I would have to rush to take hold of pen and paper or open my laptop and allow the torrent of words to get release on paper or on the screen of my laptop. 

Thank you Will, for the one to one sessions, where I would have the time and space to discuss my work with you and get constructive feedback from you. Thank you for your fulsome praise, which even when I did not believe I deserved, I accepted with open arms and a grateful heart. For me writing will always be a continuing deep well of passion and joy and thank you for recognising that in me. I do not decide what type of writing I will create. I let the writing flow where it needs to go. So sometimes I am a poet, sometimes I am a writer of short stories, sometimes I write a monologue or sometimes like today, I will write a heartfelt thank you to someone who has crossed my path with me on my journey as a writer.

I will continue to use my notes to create new pieces of writing as there are still so many more ideas that I would like to bring to fruition. I intend to keep fanning the creative flame that has been ignited within me and see where it takes me. 

Will you have helped me to shape me as a writer and your influence will continue long after the end of these 4 creative writing workshops. I have the utmost respect for you and I will always remember you every time I perform one of the pieces of work that I created with you as my guide and my facilitator. 

balabooberlies

Gosh ............blown away by 2 people.

Sugarbaby I am in awe of your talent.  So expressive.

LL...........what can I say.  You have obviously thought about this and absolutely would want to keep up with you and forthcoming blog.  Thank you for contributions, kindness, 'get up and go', encouragement.  The list is endless.

And good luck.

bala x

sugarbaby125

Thank you Bala for your compliment about my written work. Very much appreciated   

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment today was receiving my £140 Warm Home Discount from my energy supplier, less than 1 month after I applied for it.   

phoebe1989seb

Beautifully expressed, Sugarbaby 

Sorry to hear that, LL...... you'll be missed, although I quite understand, not being a huge social media fan myself. I've never done faceache as I hate it with a passion and am not sure I'll be able to keep up my the momentum for my foray into Instagram, which I only started as a way to record progress at the cottage 

I see the boards here at MSE as something quite different, having first started at the Consumer Action Group (CAG) back in 2008, then proceeding to Legal Beagles before finally rocking up here in 2011. It was initially a means to an end begun as a way to get back illegal bank charges and mis-sold PPI. Once here, I decided I liked the mix of reclaiming advice, self-help motivation not to mention the friendly atmosphere so despite the hectic home restoration lifestyle I've chosen, opted to stay once my reclaiming days were over 😆

Today we decided to take a day off from DIY 😎 So, champagne moments included going to the local antique centre where DH used to sell his wares to collect a stunning pair of Aesthetic Movement chairs I'd spotted for sale online. They didn't disappoint IRL and were an absolute bargain at only £200 

From there we stopped off at the lighting shop to stock up on Edison bulbs and a simple black ceiling pendant to add some extra ambient light in the snug. The latter was on sale at the reduced price of £15

Then on to one of our favourite shopping destinations where there's a great mix of antique and independent shops. Due to previous lockdowns etc we'd not been there since Autumn 2019 so we were determined that the damp weather wouldn't stop us having a thorough exploration of everything on offer and we succeeded in buying an advent calendar, cards for our closest family (including ourselves, lol!) and a gardener's apron for DH's stocking! I saw a fabulous necklace but was horrified by the price (£185!!!) so that didn't make it home with us......

Just had an early supper of fajitas and we're about to snuggle up by the wood burner with G&Ts to watch Strictly