NST Amazing August

ditty1234

Today I'm grateful having completed a job in an hour, that I have avoided all week. I set a timer! I will work on my Amazing August Action plan and work it into an other 12 week reset plan I am doing (currently in week 2). Have a sazzy Saturday everybody - it's checkout time for me. 

crazy_cat_lady

Today I am grateful for getting a timely refund of the £2000+ I'd paid for our cancelled holiday this year. And grateful for the smile on the kids faces when I gave in and got them the cat they wanted - and having the money and time for a kitten now that there's no holiday and very little going out time this year.
I haven't done much except be entertained by a kitten. I feel quite tired now but I don't know why.
The clutter from downstairs is now upstairs and away, so one frog down (many more to go) And I'm not giving myself a hard time for not getting much done. Lots to do but I have a list and we are a work in progress.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for getting dd's beach shoes back after dh shook them out of the window yesterday when he shook out the towel and they landed on the balcony below, for dog in the flat below not slobbering on the aforementioned shoes, for eating well, for arranging to go paddle boarding with my cousin, for all of us finding new books to read in town, for being able to be away on holiday together.

apple_muncher

Oooooh, pinch punch, first of the month. No returns!

(Can't believe f0xh0les hadn't done it!)

mothernerd

Today's priority was cooking. Put a chicken in to roast before I had my shower and cooked a pack of sausages on the other oven shelf. Stripped the bed, added a few things from the waiting pile and they've been washed and line dried. From mid-afternoon I was cooking brisket with new potatoes, onions and carrots all cooked in the same tin. Boiled a large pan of eggs (probably egg and peanut roll and egg mayo for sandwiches) and sliced the chicken and remainder of the brisket,

I sat down for the afternoon Doctor Who fest but sewed the inner for a lavender bag and then completed sewing the outer layer round it (felt butterfly with lots of sequin detail - using up, getting ahead, completing part done projects) whilst watching and did a number of small tasks as well. I've packed away more than half the bags I brought 'home' yesterday. All the books are on the shelves, tinned soup (asked DS3 to buy them ages ago and they never made it back here), first aid and toiletry items accommodated. Will have to do more shuffling before I can get the spices and treacle into the kitchen.

I've cleaned my mask and washed and cut my hair (there were a few longer bits left after I did it before). I've decided my weekly thing will be to cook something new. I will be cooking something I do frequently, something I used to cook and try something I'd like to know how to cook. I've done a little tidying but it's not very noticeable - I decided to put the festive trees on top of the wardrobe, which meant taking down a lot of other things. Most can go back in front of the trees but pulling the sheets off the bed and looking for material to make the lavender bag inners made a bit of a mess (box I needed was under a kitchen chair behind a lot of other things).

Today I am grateful for several things I brought from home including my battered and ancient Crank's cookbook, my Mc A-Z (so I could show mum where her two eldest grandsons are living), my lovely sheets, my le crew say mug (gift brought back from USA when DS2 went to be Best Man at his friend's wedding). 

I think my task for the month will be to complete and frame the two samplers for DS1 and his wife. DS3 and Beloved had lots of bubble wrap so if I am allowed to access that (Greater Manchester, parts of Lancashire and parts of Yorkshire are banned from mixing with people from another household again, from midnight last night) I could send them off in time for dear d-i-l's birthday. I had thought of a daily task but it's gone again.

PurpleFairy26

Yesterday I updated my freezer inventory and did a meal plan of the week based solely on what we have. August food is definitely going to be about use it up. So today we’re having a ‘roast’ from a chunk of a previous roast that was frozen. I’ll make cauli cheese with some cauli that was frozen too. 2 things off the list and out of the freezer. 

I’m going to start using up some lotions and potions too. Did really well at the start of lockdown when I put them by the side of my bed and would put them on last thing at night. But they have been tidied away at some point and I got out the habit so will dig them out today and make a start. 

Grateful for
lovely weather
homegrown courgettes 
good friends. 

shabbychic12

Up this morning with renewed enthusiasm re spending and saving. When my husband died l paid off my sisters mortgage and today she has made the final payment to me. Sad in some ways as it reminds me of lots of things good and bad but now it’s time to plan the next stage of my life. I will be getting my budget books out later and making a list 😂 

misstara

A – No debt over than my car payments, have decided not to overpay this and focus on building up savings pots.

M – Plans for the month are seeing family this week, a girls night mid month and I have a week's annual leave at the end of the month.  Depending on how things go, me and OH may go away for a couple of nights or do a few day trips.

A – I'm not always very good at asking for help but will do my best.

Z – At least 30 mins outside every day, yesterday I was gardening, today I've been for a run.

I – I'm a planner so very rarely buy/do stuff impulsively.

N – I'll aim for 15 NSDs.  Spend day yesterday, 1/15 today.

G – Daily goal - Do dishes, weekly goal - do a meal plan, monthly goal - lose half a stone.

 

A – Will make up a list of frogs.

U - We have so much stuff 'just in case' so this is a great one for me.  Freezer is full with honestly I don't really know what so will go through it today.  Toiletries stash is not too bad at the moment.  Really need to go through each room and start decluttering stuff.

G – Yesterday - a funny video of my niece that my sister sent me, today - managing a run for the first time in weeks.

U – I will try.

S – Once I start decluttering, there's bound to be heaps that I find for this.

T - This month, I am trying weight watchers.  I have been trying to lose weight for the last few months unsuccessfully (I have lost the same 4 pounds over and over again) so thought I would give it a go.

My goals for this month

greent

A – only debt is BTL mtge - usually OP but we have decided to sell it. All payments to savings accounts made by STO/ DDR

M – Make plans - DH has a week off at end of month - some decorating being done. Night out with best friend for her 50th. Some sort of meal out to celebrate our 25th anniversary towards end of month (probably making use of Eat out to Help out, as the date falls on an applicable day ). Ensure DS2 & DS3 have everything ready for school in Sept and DS1 for uni (heading back later this month to get to know new housemates). Hopefully a couple of local days out.  Also decorate BTL if necessary after tenant has moved out. Try and find some trades people for some jobs which need doing.

A – Can't think of anything here - oh, I have signed up to get some coaching - that's help

Z – Zen. Avg min 10K steps/ day. Exercise min 4x week (not including daily plod walks) Consistently better food choices - plan for occasions such as those above. Continue decluttering. 

I – Impulse. I'm not generally impulsive

N – I tend not to be great at these, looking instead at a monthly budget, rather than a NSD target

G – Goals.  Daily - food/ steps. Weekly - exercise/ housework (try and complete TOMM weekly) Monthly - end month min 4lb heavier than start/ avg steps.  

A – Annoying jobs aka Frogs. Lots of these - made a start today. 

U – Use it up. Yep

G – Gratitudes. Yep

U – Upcycle/Repurpose. I tend to donate/ sell

S – Shop from home. Hand me downs between sons

T – Try it. I may re-try C25K - depends how my foot is

Not NSD yesterday - was quite spendy in that I bought DS1 3x new jeans and pack of new boxers and 2 x tshirts. Also bought 2 new school backpacks (DS2 & DS3) and DS3 a baselayer for school sports kit. However, did get free drinks for us in town courtesy of C0sta points and Gr3ggs reward (neither of these needed a spend from me to get the points/ reward in first place) DH and I also bought a dinner service from Debnums for £92 for 16pc. I only wanted the pretty mugs and tea plates (to go with cake stand and tea pot for afternoon tea) - to buy these separately cost £90 - so we got 4 dinner plates and 4 bowls for an extra £2....  I may sell these and recoup some of the cost

Took 50 items of clothing in to HnM for recycling and got 2 x £5 off £25 vouchers in exchange - used both vouchers in buying DS1's clothes. 

Shop from home - DS3 is having some of DS2's white school shirts which no longer fit and were unworn/ worn literally a couple of times each. 

Annoying jobs - dealt with some MnS returns - needed to get kids to try stuff on first and have now packaged unwanted items up - will send back later today. Will also drop old batteries and fbank donation off when I go to smkt later (these count as annoying jobs nowadays as I keep forgetting them and they are a little more complicated to sort with c0vid)

Gratitudes - getting some things ticked off, sunny days, DS1 having a new student house to move to (we collected keys/ moved a few things on Fri), HnM recycling scheme

Toni'sfriend

Up early and out for a walk before 9.00am. Three miles yesterday and four today. Hoping to get it up further but if I could manage just three every day I'd be happy. Done all my daily tasks.

Retrieved some left over chicken and cooked rice from the freezer and made soup for the Boy's lunches. Got a bit of a meal plan for next week. Some old recipes and some new. Some using last week's delivery and some using up the freezer and fridge lurkers. I'm sure I found something that was broken and put it in the bin but I can't remember what it was.

I was surprised that I got some more emails from family and friends today. They had all contacted me yesterday so it's lovely to know that we've actually now got a bit of a chat going on now. My cousin found some newspaper articles about my late brother that I hadn't seen before.  Sent a copy to me brother in Canada and my nephew. My nephew was delighted as he hadn't seen them either. Also got a message from my cousin in Canada asking if I knew how to make some traditional Scottish food that her mother used to make. I know how to do some but I bet the lovely, clever cousin will know how to make clootie dumpling. She might even share the recipe with me. I am really pleased that I made the very little effort to make contact yesterday.

Not been a NSD but I'm not really all that bothered about that. As we were passing the local shop Himself picked up some tonic which is half the price of Iceland. Iceland's is a well known brand but the difference in price is not really worth it. Bought some gin and coffee on line. Some of it going on holiday with us.

Haven't quite finished the book but maybe tonight.

Grateful for lovely walk through a couple of parks and a nice area and my neighbour bringing in her absolutely stunning wedding album for me to look at.