NST October The Turtles Go Outward Bound

f0xh0les

Don't go @smushesma !! There are eleven days left of October.  You have managed NSDs, everywhere is totally nuts right now - it might not have gone to plan, but you do still have a plan.

We are like the marines, we never leave a Turtle behind. Don't leave us! 

mothernerd

smushema Concentrate on what you achieved not what you didn't do. Remember you are awesome. Turtle rules take a while to get used to (I still lose control of a few now and then). Set min goals as apple suggested, don't try to do too much at once. Baby steps work best - tiny things you can do each day (or most days) without having to think about them. Just do one thing a day to slightly improve things.

Yesterday was a tough one for me. I'm still trying to get the yard cleared up whilst trying to make progress but I think I've totally lost control. Only doing a tiny bit each day as my health is still below par. So I had to fall back on some old techniques -
1   Three things to make each room look better before I leave that room. It could be putting something away in a drawer, collecting the items you need for the day (it took months for diagnosis that I needed a total hip replacement and it really concentrates the mind if you have to go back up two slow painful flights of stairs for something left behind), picking up something that belongs in a different room or taking the bag of rubbish (when my boys were small I would hang carrier bags on each door handle, swoop across the room collecting discarded items and put them in the bag as I left the room, tied it up when it was full).
2    Work within your limits.  Do 15 minutes work (or longer if you are able) then rest for as long as you need to before doing your next 15 minutes. Alternate standing and sitting jobs (or anything involving using one set of muscles like reaching up higher than your shoulders).
3   Write a 'done' list rather than a to do list.  This is for days when you seem to buzz around and then when you stop , you haven't done anything on the 'to do' list and can't think what you did. "I've done nothing" - no you did lots, it's on the 'done' list and anything else can wait until tomorrow.

F0xh0les  just keep breathing (and maybe allocate a few chores to others).  You are awesome. We are all awesome.

f0xh0les

Today's plans are to make a broccoli soup for lunch (sorry if you hear the groans from where you live), clean and clear the front and back yards and possibly clip my front bush (privet) (It is also the only bush, in that tiny victorian terrace front garden hedge kind of way).   Split the rose campion plants that utterly thrive on my neglect and are colonising the plant pots where they should not ought to be, and put them where they can overwinter and behave badly next year. I love them.   Then when I get bored out of my head, offer some stuff for free online so it has a new life somewhere else.

Dance around the house a bit, because whatever else goes on, there is No School Run !!!! yay!!!  Laundry will go on in the background.   Whip cream, slice strawberries, load the sponge cake...    Cashed out another £5+ on p/a survey site already.   I like today.

Toni'sfriend

Don’t give up, Smushema. I had lots of plans for getting fit, eating healthily this month. I’ve done practically nothing so you’re not alone. Keep plodding. You’ll get there.

Probably won’t do much today. It’s looking a tad windy and rainy. Got some good news from home. One of my lovely neighbours was diagnosed with cancer just before we left but the tumour is benign. Such a relief. My spirits have been lifted.

Have a good day, everyone.

Calling14

Hiya turtlees.

Back after long weekend. Had a day off yesterday celebrating birthday. Went to local ski slope with grandkids. 

NSD 9/15.  Had lunch out Saturday with birthday pennies so haven't counted that and yesterday dd treated me to lunch and colin the caterpillar birthday cake. Had a lovely day, with lots of pressies, flower delivery off a friend, which cheered me up, missing other dd on my birthday but she is still travelling in Canada.

Today I have ordered some clothes from Sainsbobs with 25% off, xmas pressies and a few cardys for moi. Not allowed out of our county so had to pay delivery costs still worth it.

I have made butternut squash and barley risotto in my slow cooker last year.  Easy enough for me to do.

Grateful for

Family living nearby I can still bubble with living alone.

Will be still working when lockdown starts here Friday and not at home, own office.

Warm weather so mild here today.

House is so spick and span, Mary Poppins would be proud.

[Deleted User]

@applemuncher, @f0xh0les, @mothernerd, @Toni'sfriend - thank you all, you're absolutely right! I don't need to throw in the towel - just refocus and get on with it!! 
I know I have a spend day today (dh needs to get a couple of bits from the shop) but then there's 10 potential NSD's to follow 😉 I have decided to get sorted with food to make sure that nothing is wasted so have cooked a number of meals from the remaining garden produce and contents of the fridge/cupboards - all will prevent additional spending for the last week's of the challenge 😉 
Once it's all finished cooking, I'm going to sort the house so that I can wake up in the morning with little to do - I'll have an alcohol free day tomorrow and start drinking water and taking the supplements- I'll also go for a walk tomorrow 😊 
Once again, a massive thank you for the encouragement- you really are a fab bunch of people!!! 😍

abundant1972

Good evening!!!

Hugs Smushema - glad the gang got you 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 I think we have all had months like that - honestly. I've been on this forum on and off for YEARS and I still get de-railed... but I think you learn to just get back on the wagon and not let it trundle too far off into the distance once you fall off it. 

Today = NSD number 10! This is a new record - I have passed the half way mark and not imploded and still have some money left - Yee-hah! Am really enjoying being on the budgeting bandwagon this month and using envelopes has been a massive plus for me. I'm saving pennies and putting them into next month's budget and trying to get ahead. 

Big thanks to everyone for keeping me motivated and being so inspiring and supportive. x

lcc86

Evening all.

Feeling sorry for myself as my back has really flared up even more since Sunday and after 3 years of pain I am thoroughly fed up! I have an appointment with a specialist tomorrow so we'll see what happens, can't come soon enough!

Sunday I didn't horse ride in the end but I did do some groundwork with my pony, it was really good and left me feeling great! Vegetated on the sofa the rest of the day though. My fitbit also gave up the ghost, it was working fine when I was out and then at some point in the afternoon just died, won't charge, won't do anything. Am sending it back as it's under warranty, they'll provide a replacement which I'm going to sell as this is probably my fourth one now and they keep breaking. 

Yesterday I didn't do much other than work. Just felt rough with my back. Ended up buying a new watch, I convinced myself I needed it because my fitbit broke but I could've managed. I think because I felt rubbish I just wanted to treat myself. The money I get for selling the fitbit will cover most of the cost.

Today I woke up feeling even worse, struggled to sleep and in loads of pain. Decided to call in sick but forgot to turn my phone off and had a call from a kid I work with so spoke to him for a bit and checked emails which I shouldn't have done... I also ordered a cbd vape to try to see if it helps my pain. No idea if it will but am at my wit's end to be honest. It cost £25.

Anyway, enough moaning! I had a little notification pop up on my phone just now that said "it's okay to have a bad day" which couldn't be more relevant! I must be kinder to myself! Really grateful for my appointment tomorrow, hopefully I can make some progress. 

Sorry for the long post!

f0xh0les

Today was NSD 11.  I managed everything on my list. Every ...single ... thing. Put a veg traybake in the oven for supper and started to clip the bush, then it started to rain, but I thought sod it, I have charged the stupid battery, it is cordless, nobody ever died from being a bit soggy for 20 minutes, and channeling Magnus Magnuson, I've started so I'll finish!!   Besides there would be fewer people passing.  What I did not count on, was every single person passing stopping to chat about a) how tall the hedge was, b) how short I am in relation to said bush, and c) it is not the weather to be clipping a hedge in, did I not know it was raining?

Sometimes you just have to rise above other people's preconceptions and cut stuff into tiny bits and shovel it into a bin.

So now it is time for a cup of tea and a relax.  This evening may yet contain scones.

apple_muncher

Mothernerd - karma does a 'ta-da' list rather then a 'to-do' list, which is a brilliant idea! F0xh0les would be our queen of ta-da!

toni'sfriend - yay to the good news. Double yay after all the bad news you've had.