The Best Is Yet To Come

joedenise

Sorry I thought you were with Octopus for your electricity.  Half price electric between 9 and 5 is pretty good - probably better than the odd hour here and there Octopus are doing.  Doesn't really benefit us either as we have solar so our electric doesn't cost anything when it's sunny anyway!

slm6002

Well I am back to waking up early - I did wake in the night and was told by DS that DD1's BF was here as he had had too much to drink and rather than driving home he was staying - always prefer this to drink driving.  No one else is awake and I think it will be a little while as yet before anyone surfaces.  DD1 and DS have work all day today.

Would like to get lots of niggly bits sorted and make sure DD2 is all ready for school as well as continuing on my budget plan and cheap meal plan.  

Got some chicken breasts so will do a simple roast dinner tonight as not had one in forever (or at least it feels like that).  I also have some frozen berries that have been in the freezer for a long time so may turn them into a crumble.  

slm6002

Just looked on the olio app and found some broccoli.  Requested it as I had planned on going to the shops for some, a few pence spared and no need to spend any money today.  Also got some bread rolls and pastries too.  Will warm slightly if feeling a little stale.  Need to remember to collect them around 11am.  Should be a nice treat - must remember to use this app more.

DD1, BF and DS have now left.  DD2 has been told she needs to get up and start sorting school bits so she can let me know if anything is missing.  She also needs to sort her room as its hard to get through the door way without standing on things.

The flowers that I had in the garden have suffered since we went away, and although I did ask for them to be watered it is clear nothing happened.  I am trying to bring them back to life but feel my efforts might not be enough.  Might be time to clear them up.  Front garden needs weeding too.

slm6002

Well nothing much happened yesterday, but we did have a very nice roast chicken dinner - no pudding needed in the end.  Leftovers are in the fridge and will probably be used as snacks throughout the day as not much left.

Today the children have the dentist.  My Dad takes them as I don't do dentists. I drop them off in the town and he takes them in.  I walk around the shops for a while feeling queesy knowing they are there.  Anyway while there I will take some school shoes back that were not liked, get DD2 some new underwear, try to pay in a cheque for DS and then once out I can take DS to get photo taken for driving licence.

Right must clear up a few bits before we have to leave.

slm6002

Home from the dentist so feeling much calmer now.  Money paid over and DD2 needs the hygienist tomorrow (already paid for that at the same time).  I would like to find a NHS dentist instead of a private one but not sure how easy that is going to be.  I am going to keep an eye out at the local ones though and put their names down if I see one.  While they were in appointments I paid in the cheque and took back the shoes.  DD2 found some new underwear at the back of the draw so no longer needed it!   We also got DS's photo taken, so now need to get it signed and sent off.

Feel like its been quite a productive day so far even though we haven't really done that much, but ticked things off the list.  I do feel a little in limbo waiting for exam results before we can finalise college and get DS organised.  Hopefully we will soon know what days his induction days are next week and then what days he is going in (only 3 out of the 5).  There is then a possibility that he can ask to work 1 more day and earn some money for his driving lessons.

Band later for DD2 so will need to go out again, but at least as it is a later start, it means we can get dinner in before we go.  Not completely sure what is for dinner as yet.  If nothing else we have nuggets and chips in the freezer

slm6002

Well I cant tell if it is going to rain later or not, both apps have different notices and the sun keeps coming and going.  Either way DD1 needs her washing done so will keep fingers crossed.

Going to pop a curry in the slow cooker for later for me - DD1 is out on a date so no need for food and the other 2 will not eat curry so will have spare for the freezer.  I am hoping to start stocking the freezer with home made ready meals so on busy / me being lazy days we can just grab something from the freezer.  Need to work out if I put them in individual boxes or meals for 3/4 people.

Not sure if I was snoring really well last night or if I am coming down with something, but throat is sore this morning.  Hoping that disappears very soon.

Dad will be over later to collect DD2 for the hygienist, and I may collect her from his later as he has the chimney sweep today too.  

joedenise

It sounds as though individual portions may work better if you're not always cooking for 3/4 or perhaps some individual and some as double portions, that way if there are 3 or 4 you can get out a double plus single or 2 doubles as necessary.  Or if you get out a curry (double) you could have one in the evening and then the other as lunch the following day!

If you have single portions you could always bung in a "freezer grab" night so everyone can just choose which HM ready meal they want (think some people call it freezer roulette because they forget to label things, LOL!).

slm6002

Woke this morning to a notification about a new council tax bill.  Looks like it has gone down again back to previous amounts, so from £175 a month to £76 a month.  A much better amount to have to pay, for now at least.

I am tired this morning as DD1 was very excited after her date and wanted to tell me everything, even if gone midnight.  It's great but I really needed to sleep lol.  Body clocks needs to be rewired back into school mode very shortly.  Plus my sore throat is still here.

Today DD2 has a workshop at the library and we have a food delivery arriving.  I can then put some meals in the freezer.  3 portions of sweet potato curry are already in there from yesterday.  Thanks @joedenise, it makes sense to do mainly single portions so that is what I shall do.

slm6002

Supermarket delivery has arrived and I have put pizza chicken, hunters chicken and plain chicken breasts in the freezer.  In one slow cooker is a chicken stew and the other a chicken curry.  I have also made some spaghetti bolognaise which is in portions cooling down ready for the freezer.  Having a break and then will make cottage pie for tonight and hopefully an extra few portions for the freezer.  If there is space I would also like to get some pizza dough in there too, however I think both freezers could be full very soon.  I also have the curry from last night in there too.  Will put some mini naan breads on the list for the next shop so they can be ready for a curry night.

Along with the whole chickens and a pork joint now in the freezer (it was a very meat heavy order this week) this should give us a good number of meals to fall back on in the coming weeks once back at work, as well as knowing we have enough in reserve if the money gets low.

It is chilly today and I may have to put some long trousers on as now sitting here with a blanket over my legs.  It is going to have to be an early night as I am so tired

slm6002

Well it is results day and I am patiently (not) waiting for DS to get his email with the results on.  I had a dream he got a 2 in the English last night.  That is the one we are waiting to hear about, as its the one he needs so no more retakes and the one he struggles with due to his dyslexia.  Fingers crossed it is a 4.  The others are obviously important too but in his mind as long as he gets enough for college, he isn't that fussed over by how much he passed.  It's either passed or failed in his mind.

It looks cold outside today so going for long trousers and cardi to start with.  In fact app says we are due wind and rain for most of the day.  DD2 has another workshop at the library - she has really been enjoying these sessions and I will be giving a great review so hopefully their funding will continue.  Once we have the results we will try to enrol, although for the past few years the system has crashed so looking forward to that!  DD1 has stayed over at BF so no doubt will return at some point, but is in limbo while waiting for her job to start.  In fact most of her friend group are, they just want to get started.  They are fidgety not knowing what to do with themselves.  

No other plans really today other than general tidying up and getting sorted.  There is a pile of washing near the machine so will need to do that at some point.  Feeling more awake today and throat a little better - I was asleep by 9.30 last night so should be rested.

Just been to order my medication and always like to see if there are any new notes on my medical records.  Well their was.  Turns out my sister in laws notes from her last enquiry are on there.  We have the same name (although a different spelling) and her date of birth is on there.  I will call the surgery later to tell them.  Having gone back to my maiden name, I do wonder if this is going to happen more and more.