NST: August Adventures

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 19

Pretty wet here today so not a day for venturing out unless necessary.

All meals from freezer, bit of cleaning and tidying and general pottering about.

I know I've stepped back from our protest about the waste site but I'm pleased to say that following our initial efforts to publicise the plan local groups have become involved and there have been more than 90 objections sent to the Council. In addition they have extended the date by which objections have to be lodged. I'm more convinced than ever now that they were hoping that people wouldn't find out about it. Whether it does any good only time will tell.

Slightly over budget this week (thanks to himself buying a load of chocolate and biscuits) but I hope I can claw that back next week.

dolly84

September is live.


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/76213423#Comment_76213423

dolly84

Thanks everyone. My fingers are much better today, I thought I might have a reason to phone in sick at work but no - I wouldn't have really anyway. Worked all day, was busy so it passed quickly, tons to do tomorrow too.


ccl - hope your hangover improves, worth it though by the sounds of it.

dolly84

Working today. Will be busy so it will pass quickly. Payday for me today too, nothing exciting there though as it just gets moved into savings pots after the overdraft is cleared.

f0xh0les

Got to pick up 2 emergency calculators (grrr! £30 gone) and do the 'household essentials' shopping (loo roll, cotton buds (paper based), soap bars, etc) then a relaxing day deep cleaning the kids bedrooms so they have been done properly. I shall plan on doing the top two floors, if I make it all the way down to the living room I shall be delighted.

Feeling good this morning. Happy Friday Turtles!

Toni'sfriend

Still on NSD No 19

Weekly shop done. No a lot needed but will probably need potatoes and bread before next Friday.

This will be me for this month as I'm going to a hen night tomorrow. Actually more of a hen day - starts with lunch at 2.00 pm. The lovely cousin's daughter is getting married in October and I can't go to the wedding as I'm n holiday. Tomorrow is for those who can't attend the weekend hen do. To be honest I'm not really comfortable with these occasions but feel obliged to keep lovely cousin company. However, we (and the Groom's mother) are planning a quiet exit after the meal and leaving the girls to it.
So this month has been fairly successful in that I've managed to save some money. I have done some things that have been completely out of my comfort zone (don't know that I'd call them adventures exactly) and we've tried some different recipes. Least said about decluttering and loosing weight the better. Failed again!!
So a big thank you to Apple for running this month's challenge and I'll see you all on Sunday,

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for my workout, for the wii fit being fun, for dd finally sorting her pencil case (how long does it take??????), for dd happily going to the youth BBQ with all the big kids, for my trial needlefelted koala actually looking like a koala, for the 1977 WSM dudes, for finally moving a bookcase from one room to another.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Hi all
Had a busy day at work. Met friend who does similar job to me for lunch - had lovely catch up and got lots of advice re FT job. Lunch was already budgeted for. Went to DD1's Best friend's for tea.
Gratitudes - lovely tea with DD1, boyfriend and her best friend; lovely text catch up with DD2; DD2 looking healthy and happy.
Thank you for running August apple xx

mothernerd

Yes apple, I'm doing October (put a few quotes aside already but nothing very deep, just bits that made me laugh).

Back from travelling (5 days is long enough - any more and I start to get stressed about things to wear). I have a few wear it out garments now - put on a black and white dress last weekend as I planned some 'dirty' tasks and found it has laddered along and beside the side seams. Think I have done my duty by that one, put it aside to use for rags (or putting in front of the oven when I get round to cleaning it) but it's nearly see through in places.

Been to lots of new places and some return visits. Opted out on Wednesday in favour of staying in the hotel and resting. Mum slept and I read, I had enough bits in my bag to make an indoor picnic (cheese on crackers, celery sticks with onion dip and red pepper hummus, melon, frusilli bars and 3 bourbon creams from the tea tray), we went for a walk around the hotel (lots more areas to walk but once around the hotel was enough for us) and then sat in one of the bandstand/ pergola areas in the middle of the lawn and watched the rabbits - we had two outside our room but on Wednesday a tiny one joined them and then either mummy or daddy rabbit. They were so sweet a light brown colour, almost a very pale fox colour.

Have been on two small railways, one steam train and one a diesel (although this meant that we got a good view of the steam train) which was also quite nostalgic as i have spent many years travelling on that particular model (blue upholstery on a wooden frame in groups of four round a table) particularly going back and forth to visit the in-laws in North Wales.

We saw grouse at the side of the track (probably keeping away from the moors so soon after the twelfth), lots of people waved or hung around to take photos. We had a guide for three days who was very knowledgeable and had lots of tales to tell (local history, industry, bits of the landscape with their viking names) and would suggest things we might like to see in the places we visited according to what interested us.

Food was good but the hotel took a few days to get into their stride. We sat with three lovely ladies from Edinburgh on the first night as well as two ladies from our coach. On the second night we were segregated into our respective coach parties (ours and the Edinburgh group) with some people being very cross at being told to sit where they had the previous night and then being almost forcibly moved to a different table.

A very grumpy woman ended up on our table at the end of the evening and she complained about everything. When mum and I got back to the room I speculated on her being a little ray of sunshine to sit next to the following morning. Fortunately the hotel set a few extra tables to give a little more flexibility (some people had been unable to sit with their friends) and we ended up as six women on a table for eight and had lovely conversations and lots of fun.

The money mum gave me at the start of the week has lasted (I had £17.55 left to hand back) but some of today's purchases went on her card.
I think I've spent between £30 and £35. I had £90, DS3 asked for emergency money on the morning I left so I gave him £30 (he only asked for £20 but the taxi was being loaded and I had 3 notes folded together).

I have bought more water and food during the week, treated myself to a puzzle book and a new novel by one of my favourite writers (it was a lot less than the one I kept seeing in shop windows when I went to my aunt's funeral), some money was spent on presents but the money went to Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the railway lines run by volunteers (also had sandwiches and pasties from their buffet) and I paid for the ice creams yesterday as it was mum's birthday.

The weather has been mostly fine and it only rained when we were indoors or on the coach (lightning storms were threatened and apparently Durham was flooded). After an unfortunate experience on the way there (an epic Bank Holiday queue for the ladies in a service station that only had 2) the driver had booked us in at Batley Mill today on the way home.

We remembered the excellent cafe upstairs. Mum had hot chocolate and a scone, I had a toasted teacake and they let me drink one of my supply of decaff coke cans (I asked if it was okay). Mum wanted to visit the garden centre (she had asked the driver if it would be okay if she bought some plants - the fool did not ask for specifics). We looked round the garden centre first but as it was by the exit and our coach was only yards away I suggested that we buy mum's plants on the way back (she had one of those 'in her head' lists).

She had fun in 'The Works' last time so we went along that way - there was also a convenient seating area so we could rest for a while first. They were unpacking new stock so I cadged a couple of the boxes that were being thrown away. Mum went all round the shop and then left me to decide what to buy (2 jigsaws and two activity sets to suit visiting children and ourselves), from all the things she liked.

Raced (fast hobble) back to the garden centre, mum pointed and I leapt about like a mad thing filling three pull along baskets (I had put my boxes by the till first). The assistant and I packed them up and sorted payment and I told mum to go to the coach. The assistant found me a small pull along trolley for my boxes (plus one of the ones they had stuff delivered in) and then I went to the coach to stow everything in between the walkers. Could barely pull myself back up onto the coach.

Got off the coach first to sort the plants so the poor driver could get at the suitcases. Nearly fell over when I linked arms to take mum to the toilets (mini lift wasn't working) but we got back to her house eventually and I rested for a while before getting a taxi home. I did grab 2 basil plants and one chives (smallest size pots) and a tray each of broccoli, cabbage and leeks (mum paid, I just paid will the further ruination of my body) and mum sent me to collect some of her spreading strawberry plants.

I thought I might have to sleep downstairs but after more rest and being selective about what absolutely had to come upstairs (DS3 brought some of it and I've left a non-urgent pile to be brought up as and when he feels like it) I managed to haul myself up one step at a time.

Not sure what state I will be in tomorrow but I am prepared to make a fuss and ask for things (food and water) to be brought up for me and to stay on the bed as long as necessary (I have been doing leg and ankle exercises on the bed for several days as well as shoulder shrugs and neck rolls - anything I can to help keep things moving). I even stood on the first floor terrace outside the cafe, holding on to a waist high rail curling my foot up behind me near to my knee.

Today i am grateful for lovely Yorkshire, Teeside and Lancashire, a happy time with mum, lovely company, the power of plants, being back home and my bed.

sashanut

Hi all:j

Just a quick post as I managed to yet again lose a post yesterday. I'd say it was the same fault with the internet - except it was in 2 different countries!

Anyhow, yesterday was an NSD but not today - so another to add to whatever my total might have been.

Had to go outside to tackle the jungle today as it was dry, specifically the grass, since wet weather forecast for the weekend - how the heck could it have grown so much? Battled with the mower but had to give up when it flatly refused to start. DH then lent a hand & we managed to get it going again, at least we now know what it takes to mow long wet grass...

All food yesterday & today from stores except for some leeks. Blackberries in the garden are massive, already had some in a crumble & picked a load more. Good result from my earlier poor husbandry which allowed them to go rogue. Have discovered a single pear on my Easter pear tree - and it's striped...

Had to laugh at the dogs picking blackberries too.

Glad you had a good holiday mothernerd even if it was exhausting. If you were at Batley Mill you were very close to me!

Many thanks to apple for running August & looking forward to September, I should be better able to participate.

Checking in when I can : Hello Turtles!