NST JUST JUNE

ditty1234

Hi lovelies this evening I am grateful for lovely people who likes to tinker, and in particular a colleague who is a wizz in a bike shed and who took my damaged bike apart and put it back together, and now it runs like a dream. My son crashed on it last year and he has fully recovered and now the bike has recovered, how much better can life get. 

mothernerd

I've had a quiet, reflective day. Woke up not feeling very well - I ate late last night and it was a bit too heavy so it was lunch before I started to recover. Been outside a couple of times today and yesterday - yesterday I just made it into the polytunnel before the deluge so just pottered in there and then went out again later to do some planting. I have moved some things out of the containers they are in and moved a large container that could not be moved when full of soil. I had a part filled one inside the polytunnel so set that up in it's new position and moved soil across in buckets until the second container was light enough to move. Planted more caulis and marigolds (looked like a drowned rat but that's nothing new). Done a few bits today but was forced back inside by driving rain.
Delving into the freezer for any remaining items and using up the last of the veg. Made chicken korma for mum on Friday (should have been chicken in black bean sauce but the jar I thought was the sauce turned out to be beetroot) and marinaded chicken in tandoori spices and yoghurt. Mum had the second half of the curry and rice for lunch (I only wanted chicken noodle soup) and we've had the tandoori lumps with chips and veg. Taken a small lump of beef out to defrost for tomorrow lunch, chopped and parboiled two ice cream tubs worth of new potatoes, set up all the veg for tomorrow including chopping the remainder of the cabbage. Lots of other small improvements made - a lot of the remaining 'mess' is superficial. Made an apple crumble (oat crumble) and hope to make a couple of cakes tomorrow.
Today I am grateful for rain - gathering water again and it's much easier to work in the cool, for the magic powers of pickles and pickle juice, for clarity and organisation.

apple_muncher

When you talk about 'ice cream tubs', mothernerd, I always think of the oblong 2 litre ones from when I was a kid. Not the namby pamby small ones you find nowadays.

Toni'sfriend - hope you have a lovely time with the Boy. You must be very excited!

Calling - your dd is well travelled! My stepkids travelled a lot between them and are now 1 in Canada + 2 in Oz. Permanently!

Today I am grateful for having a v nice visit to aldee this morning, for not getting wet, for eating my own strawbs, for dd's new specs looking fab, for an online taekwondo class.

greent

Today I am thankful for friends, for health, for my new dw (been without one for more than 6 months), for watching Adele at Glast0nbury on tv, for non-leaking pipes, for rain, for leftovers

apple_muncher

July is live and kicking:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6162310/nst-july-2020-the-turtles-go-jousting/p1?new=1

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for fresh air, for a walk in the woods, for a green and growing garden, for tech, for our washing machine.

f0xh0les

My gratitudes today are: having a tidy house at the end of the weekend, that there are only 2 weeks until school holidays, that ds4's teacher wants to have a picnic on the field after school one day  to say goodbye to his class before summer, and for having the motivation to lose more weight ....  and having a sneaky cider to celebrate (thank you fridge) .. and for only having 2 more days til payday.  So lots of things really.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Morning all, quick catch up before the working week starts again...
Managed to finish painting my kitchen ceiling yesterday and pleased with the result and myself for tackling it !  While stood on a chair to reach i took all the stuff down from the top of the cupboards to sort - mostly out of date over the counter meds which are in a bag to go to the pharmacy.  Also washed my bathroom ceiling and tiles. 
Yesterday morning i went for a walk with DD2 and best friend of DD1 (DD1 was still asleep!) and then sat in bestie's garden and had a cuppa tea - she is being made redundant so quite worried but has applied for other jobs...
Had a dull headache all weekend so apart from painting and walks did nothing but watch TV and have lots of sleep!  Actually fell asleep at 8.30pm last night and slept for over 10 hours!
Have managed to take my bike in for service and looking forward to getting it back eventually...
Have a good day
Deni x

mothernerd

June Challenge Day 29
Sleep Most of us have problems with sleep sometimes and for some it's a regular feature, so here are a few ideas
11 Ways to improve sleep quality
1)   Set a regular schedule
2)   Use your bed sparingly (only for sleep, not for nesting like I do)
3)   Consume magnesium
4)   Make it dark
5)   Keep it cool
6)   Dress minimally
7)   Turn off electronics
8)   Meditate
9)   Read before bedtime
10)  Exercise regularly
11)  Diuretic control

How to turn your bedroom into a sleep cave
1)   Clock out. Light can inhibit the secretion of melatonin, the body's natural sleep drug. Draw the curtains and turn led alarm clocks away from you, as you may be able to see the light, even through closed eyelids.
2)   Turn on a fan (?). Research highlights the benefit of 'pink noise', blended sounds with a consistent frequency. You can create this noise at home using fans, apps or gadgets that produce steady, uninterrupted sounds, like falling rain or blowing wind.
3)    Get a whiff of lavender. Lavender has long been known to have sedative properties, decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.
4)    Claim your own blanket. Using one blanket (or sheet) for two people can amplify movement and body heat, which is not conducive to good sleep. Try separate sheets.
5)    Make your bed. People who make their bed every day are 19% more likely to get a good night's sleep.
6)   Find a temperature which makes you want to hibernate. Cold makes us drowsy and a falling core body temperature helps us drift off faster.

Quotes
Me: Let me sleep
Brain: lol no, let's stay awake and remember every stupid decision you ever made
Me: okay
Well since I can't sleep, I may as well browse the internet for quotes about not being able to sleep
Mothers don't sleep, they just worry with their eyes closed
I am not an early bird or a night owl. I am some form of permanently exhausted pigeon

Toni'sfriend

Yesterday was NSD No 22

The Boy came for dinner. It was so lovely to see him and have a proper chat plus he sorted out some techie things for me.

Some shops opening up here north of the border today. Let's hope everyone will continue to be sensible. Apparently there was an hour long queue outside Primark in town but from the photos it all looks very safely organised and orderly. It's also very wet so maybe that will help.

Well, I've got chicken stock to make so better get on.