NST March 2020 Merriment

mothernerd

Day 3

Sometimes I look back on my life and I'm extremely impressed I'm still alive.

Your current situation is giving you an opportunity to re-evaluate what you really want.

Mental Wellness day 3

What do you struggle with when it comes to your mental health and how can you get more support there?

dolly84

mothernerd - I think the problem with tax credits and UC is that the people on the phone don't understand the system any better than we do. 

Took the dog to the vets yesterday and after waiting 40 minutes with him I told them to forget it and I would go elsewhere, it is only for his booster and kennel cough but at nearly £60 and no idea how much longer I was going to wait I thought it was unacceptable, particularly in a vets where animals are getting stressed, the receptionist had no idea what the vet was doing but she wasn't with a client.  Have re booked elsewhere.

Long wait in the post office as well which so my whole morning plan was thrown out, oh well I still achieved a lot yesterday and still have lots to do today.

Siebrie

NSD 3. (Mothernerd, I put money in the collection during the church service; it was calculated and set aside specifically for this and every Sunday. Do I lose an NSD?)

R&R: now that the weather is improving, I will cycle to work again (9km one-way, with an electric bicycle).

The past: I am no-contact with my sister to protect my family, I still have no regrets even tho' I do miss her and her children at times.

What do you struggle with when it comes to your mental health and how can you get more support there? I struggle with sleep, which makes me sluggish. I need to get out and exercise more, up my diet to much more veg, and laugh more. Most of my mental health problems have a very physical cause (not enough sunshine and a messy house make me feel very down!).

Armoury: I have paid into husband's and my pension plans. Under Belgian tax law, we can pay €960 each per year, and get refunded 30%. It's in shares and options through a bank, and now that there is a sale on, it's a good time to fill these accounts.

Shopping habits: we buy/eat too much carbohydrates and meat, and not enough veg. I

Siebrie

Why can I edit only once? I wasn't finished yet!

Check cupboards: am doing that, but we have bought in a bit more to prep for quarantaining, just in case. I have decided to not just now eat down the freezer, and leave the ready meals in there until all risk of quarantaining and getting sick have past. This is more to ensure we have easy food available if we all get the flu (of whatever kind).

Budgets: all set.

Mix it up: will try local theatre group this weekend. I have heard good reviews, but have never been to one of their performances.

Exercise: will start cycling again this month, and keep up the WI gym session.

Reduce screen time: we need to play more with dd2, as she is developing/not outgrowing some toddler behaviour (she's almost 9) and her friends are leaving her.

Grateful for:

- finally good constructive conversation with husband about raising children, now that dd2's behaviour has finally got into his brain. He is part of the problem, treating her as a small child, cuddling her like you would a baby. He is the one at home with dds after school, so he is the one who has to be the parent and see to it that they do their homework, do not watch telly/tablet, play properly, lay the table, etc. I have brought this up for at least 5 years, but he never saw it as a problem until now.

- lovely sunshine

- dd1's friend where she can play confidently (dd1 feels confident with this friend. Friend is 3 years her junior, but they are equally matched for temperament).

greent

REVIEW your shopping habits. -Bad habits of buying unnecessary stuff (food)  - ooops..... bought lots of YS items in Tesc0.... not needed but they are things I'd buy full price and WILL be used

CHECK out what you have in your cupboards, fridge and freezer. Had run freezers right down then had massive YS meat haul in Feb. However, it will all get used within March/ April - see above.....

HAVE all your budgets in place before the start of the month. Food, Travel, Bills, Entertainment, any one off bills or family birthdays. 

EXERCISE .- I am aiming for 4 sessions/ week - just a short walk today 1/4

REST AND RELAXATION. Had earlier night last night and crashed straight out.   

REDUCE Tread lightly upon the earth. Reduce spending, screen time, clutter, stress,  - am aiming for 2020 items to have gone in 2020   - 

MUSIC Play happy songs. Dance. Sing - Standard behaviour in the greent house - 

NO SPEND DAYS (NSDs)  2

THREE things each day to be grateful for. Spring-like weather - and very little rain! (although was frosty at 7.30am), being given a pile of hotel toiletries, successfully mending one of my favourite jumpers
THERE is always someone worse off than you so give - time/ money/ goods  - Tesc0 had YS (in date until 02/21) tins of spaghetti (4 for 58p) and tinned tomatoes (again 4 for 58p) - bought some and added to foodbank donation point. No idea why - suspect the packaging is changing, or something like that... it's not like they are weird items which ppl won't buy....  Added all the hotel hand & body lotions to the homeless women pile 

ditty1234

Siebrie said:

Shopping habits: we buy/eat too much carbohydrates and meat, and not enough veg. I

Hear hear, my little pot belly is clear evidence ... grr. 
That said ... today I'm grateful for pasta bake (with lots of vege), catching up and looking forwards to working with old colleague, cooking with ds, a chilled activity on a mad day. 

apple_muncher

Today I am  grateful for having a car to use when the bus decided not to turn up, for my great counsellor, for sunshine, for a lovely display of daffs and fat white and purple croci all in together, for finding out that canada sdd1 has booked to be in Oz with sdd2 when we'd talked about going to Canada before booking any travel, for dd enjoying swimming,  for getting another nsd.

PurpleFairy26

#9 checking in. 

Spent across 3 shops today but all on list. So still on 1 x NSD. 

Showed DH YN AB and he’s on board with it. Which is good news. 

Shopped from home and have used a baby blanket that to start a badge blanket for one of my smalls. Have pinned lots on and sewn on 2. Will try and do a couple each day. Want to look for some sort of book/sleeve thing that’s cheap but nice looking to file lots of certificates in they have earned too. But will save that for another day. 

3 gratefuls:
lovely conversation with my dad
Using blanket I already have for something to keep
Lovely gifted flowers 

greent

PurpleFairy26 said:

 Want to look for some sort of book/sleeve thing that’s cheap but nice looking to file lots of certificates in they have earned too. But will save that for another day. 

Mine have their certificates in A4 folders with polypockets inside for the certificates - they chose the folders (so it sort of reflects them)

mothernerd

Siebrie - collection won't spoil an NSD.

Haven't phoned the WTC people. Received another brown envelope - more calculations, weird non-information (from 6/04/2018 - 6/04/2018 when they're clearly talking about  a year, so do they mean 17 -18 or 18 - 19). Oh joy, they are talking about a different tax year so now they want over £5,000 (2 years) back off me. I gave them the correct information, they either didn't bother to read it or didn't input it properly, they made decisions and told me, now they've changed their minds. I hope there is a maximum percentage they can impose for repayments.

The good news is that I have decided I can exist on £66.15 per week Carer's Allowance (+ DS3's contribution). It's doable. I've been here before. There is no point trying to carry on with my small craft business, it's just more paperwork and more bureaucracy (they all want different years/ different basis for my accounts/ endless stupid questions which they then misinterpret). I'll be a full time carer /semi-retired person.

Mum phoned to say I didn't need to go today, she didn't need me (and will need me for 3 - 4 hours on Thursday which is allegedly, my day off). I also have to go to the doctor's/infirmary/pharmacy (all the same site) to pick up and fill our repeat prescriptions. Have eaten from the freezer and was given 3 slices of pizza so no money spent. Done a few domestic bits and quite a lot of embroidery - would like to finish it tonight but my eyes are aching.

Today I am grateful for getting creative with ingredients, for the embroidery finally being on the home strait and for peaceful pottering.