NST April 2019 - Spring Forward

dolly84

Happy Earth Day everyone.


Hope you are all getting some time to enjoy the weather whilst we have it.


I packed away mine and DH's winter clothes into our new storage setup in the loft. It took ages and we were totally overwhelmed by how much we have, plus we forgot about the 2 huge coats drying on the line. When we get to October I will go through everything again and donate some more stuff but thought it best to wait as saddling the charity shop with winter stuff now isn't helpful and I have a major fear of them ragging really good saleable things.


My problem with clothes started when I stopped buying anything new, if I was paying full price I would have about 1/5 of the clothes I have. For example today I have on a George black denim skirt and a TU orange and white 3/4 sleeve top with embroidery and I paid £1 each for them. I need to stay out of charity shops.

f0xh0les

apple_muncher wrote: »

Ooh, can I come and visit?

Always welcome! :coffee: I made the flapjacks in advance as I was anticipating:EasterBun from the kids and I have kept well away from it. They barely ate anything but chocolate yesterday, DS3 got very annoyed that the sun melted the egg he had left on a table and he ended up with salted caramel chocolate soup. :rotfl:Anyway, normal service has resumed, and there has not been a packet of crisps in the house for over a week now. Ice poles in freezer, one week of hols left (sorry ccl) I am getting nothing done.
**veg watch** I now have 5 more tomato seedlings, still waiting on the cucamelons.
Nothing planned - I have suggested a trip out to a water park, I got silence, a few polite smiles and then they legged it. So I still have nothing planned. Oh well, I tried. They are all too big to put in a sack and drag off (while still conscious) now.


***edited to add NSD 9 then****

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all :hello:
Enjoyed a beautiful sunshiney day yesterday with my sister and our kids. A couple of mojitos in the sun (made from our stash of stuff), dinner and chat. Lovely.
Today will be a bit more stressful as I have the work dreads about going back tomorrow. I have no plans other than to do the grocery shopping, little usual house bits and try and not think about tomorrow. It's typical of the weather to pick up now that the hols are over.
I've done a little financial review this morning as well - situation isn't great but not unmanageable. Plus exam season starts again soon. Just need to survive this few weeks. I was thinking I'd done terribly financially, but I have managed to pay quite a bit of money on our summer holiday. I know I should be clearing the debt but I've booked it now.
Anyway. Still no sign of either child - it will cost me less at Mr S if I go without them, which is very tempting...

mothernerd

Thank you all for your good wishes. Mum seems to be okay but I suppose with the dementia she has lost her partner slowly in stages over several years.

Quiet day yesterday, mum wasn't 100% and I was tired - thought I'd had a good sleep in 2 hour chunks but then checked my sleeping times and found they were more like 15 minute chunks. Had pills and then dozed, sat on the couch slicing chicken and preparing veg. Made roast dinner, chicken broth from brown meat and lots of veg (made stock from the bones) and any scraps went into the new bag for brother's dog - he and his daughter visited on Saturday and took away the bag we've been filling since Christmas.

Did more chopping and slicing and made a delicious coleslaw. Mum watched some daft films - plot was so convoluted I couldn't make head nor tail of it. Unfortunately I left the bag of paperwork at home so only have 3 books to read (1 is 3 novels), puzzle book and games on the laptop - really enjoying relaxing. I am sleeping better as I have taken the couch apart and opened it fully (remove 4 cushions plus two couch cushions and the throw covering it all, drop down one arm end, put back dressing gown to sleep on, 2 pillows and cover with throw - use other couch cushion as a back rest if I want to sit up).

Mum's 2 female cousins visited today with cards for her (and one for partner's family). No date for funeral as 3 of partner's children are/ about to go on holiday and no arrangements can be done before tomorrow. Mum had suggested a song and a hymn that partner liked but everything they asked about my brother's funeral, she said mothernerd arranged it. Thankfully she did not volunteer my services (DS1 did the technical stuff on the order of service to make it double sided and everything the right way up). Mum has volunteered me several times over the 20 years she has been with her partner, mainly coaching maths (one of the grand-daughters had opted for 'A' level physics not realising how maths dependent it was and had not been taught anything about factors, one of partner's sons was doing a civil engineering exam and couldn't do the formulas - one of those things the calculator does but students have to understand where it actually comes from to know whether the answer the calculator gives is right or garbage GIGO) as well as various 'artistic' things and stuff with various children.

We've had the door open to let fresh air in but haven't been out in full sun.

Today I am grateful for fun things to do, good food and pleasant company (even got a hug from one of mum's cousins, who's only ever found fault with me previously).

greent

NSD - still 8

Simplicity - bags packed for back-to-school tomorrow. 3 went off to cinema, the rest of us played board games and then went to teh local farm for their own gelato :drool:

Perseverance - sold a large item from garage - money to hol fund, along with the rounded up equivalent change (just over £22, so another £25) from the piggy bank which OH and I used in the scan-and-go till at Tesc0. And large item has now left - love the resulting space in the garage! :T

Reduce - All Easter egg packaging recycled....

Invest - time spent with family

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for my workout, for both dd and I sorting through/along some shelves, for the apple blossom on my 2 trees, for all my new rasps canes + goosegog bushes sprouting leaves and looking well, for finding the bike pump, for dh helping me to fold up a 5x10m tarpaulin, for a quiet day, for the accommodation bill for texas being about £20 less than we expected, for inputting this month's receipts and it's looking good, for having had a lovely 17 days of family time.

sashanut

Hi all :j


Simplicity - think about the simple pleasures in your life which you really appreciate, friendship, family, cake. Focus on those this month as much as you can (maybe not too much cake though). Morning spent in the greenhouse & garden, my happy place.

Persevere - I know that trying to reach your goal can sometimes seem never ending but try to remember that each time you waste money/time it can take you further away from what you really want for the long term. No money spent today.

Reduce - I wouldn't be me if I wasn't asking you to reduce. Think about what you really need and what will be left at the end, is there a better way to consume. Spent some time looking at all the clothing we have in plastic containers - I certainly need never buy another garment, ever.

Invest - in yourself, your family, your home - the things that really matter to you. Time outside today, then spent a lot of time in the very hot kitchen painting. Already had the paint - from the last time it was done - so no expense. Still about half to do, plus decluttering.

New - new month, new beginning. Don't look back at past mistakes and failures, there is nothing that can be done about them, learn from them and move on. Rarely look back - & when/if I do it's as if that stuff happened to someone else, which of course I was then. I'm stupidly optimistic..


Grab - take life by the horns. Do something which takes you outside of your comfort zone at least once this month. Now making a new sweater that is definitely out of my comfort zone. Let's see how that goes. So far so good, but only on the first sleeve. More challenges to come. No Aran wool found so far but sure I must have some. Not much chance of a search tomorrow as have CS stint, then friend will be round for weekly visit. Selfishly realised that means a) will gain an extra day per week where I have no commitments as previously I had CS on Tues & friend on Wed; and b) only one lot of putting on make up & half-decent clothes needed..winning

NSDs: now 12/15

NO spending in coffee shops, work canteens, vending machines. If you do it needs to be planned in advance and budgeted for. Never go in coffee shops, no canteen, don't use vending machines either. But I still waste money! No spends today.
Go turtles!

SpekySquarehead

A relatively spendy weekend, so no NSD's were achieved. Stuck on 9 for the month but I anticipate I'll finish the month strong.

I blame the good weather for the spends (a beer or two, an ice cream, an iced latte etc).

f0xh0les

Simplicity - the kids are howling with laughter over some rubbish game involving stickmen and judo throws (well that is what it looks like to me)

Persevere - what a difference a weekend makes! My seeds are nearly all sprouted!

Reduce -Still have not hemmed and rejigged my clothes pile into usable clothing items - still only one bin bag going out to the bin each week.

Invest - On Friday I will find a seat for the back yard from second hand place, all budgeted for.

New -Done nothing new, just the seeds


Grab - Looked into Stand Up Paddleboarding session at the local outward bound place. Might be an idea...

NSDs: 9 NSDs, today will not be, I need laundry powder, and more milk.

dolly84

It is chilly here today, normal weather has been resumed I suppose. It is still dry so I am taking the kids to an outdoor activity place to do archery, pistol shooting and whatever else takes their fancy.


Did something massively out of my comfort zone yesterday and booked a trip to Rome for DD and me, I haven't been abroard for a very long time and have never travelled without DH. I am freaking out a bit tbh. If anyone has been and has any tips or just general travel tips they will be gratefully received.


Planted quite a lot of seeds yesterday and have reused some containers and bags from the recycling to make mini propagators. Will see if we get anything edible from them.


Listed a wardrobe on ebay and a dress on facebook - I have never sold a thing on facebook and don't really understand why. Will see if my luck changes.