The Best Is Yet To Come

slm6002

Another day done, not quite as productive as yesterday but a few more things off the list (although it did grow after that).  2 days to go.  

Got a reply from benefits people on my journal.  Basically need to wait and see - not very helpful but I guess I may soon know.

The boiler is playing up again so the radiators are lovely and hot but it is the water that we were trying to heat as we all need showers now.  We may have to head to the sports centre again - not ideal but needs must.  Going to let it cool down for a while and then will give it another go.

Been to see Nana this evening once DD1 got home.  We haven't seen her in ages.  Life has just flown by and not managed to get everyone in the same place at the same time.  It was lovely seeing her but can see she is frail now.  We had lots of time to catch up and lots of giggles.

Home to pulled pork that has been cooking away in the slow cooker

slm6002

I can't get too comfy as we have club tonight so will be leaving in a short while.  Will need to sort dinner out when home.  Might be pasta for a quick and easy meal.

Lots ticked off the list again today including the school Christmas lunch, which I do have quite a lot of involvement in.  The only thing left  now is the secret Santa that I was asked to organised.  I don't take part but I do keep a list of people who need to buy for who.  I have today chased up 6 people as they need to be handed out tomorrow.  Only 1 day left.

I managed to get a £5 voucher for amazon earlier as I had enough points in my account on microsoft.  That makes £15 in vouchers so far ready for next year.

No money has been deducted from my benefits this month.  I can see the amount and the breakdown on my account and there is no deduction.  I will need to chase them again as I don't want to look like I am ignoring them, or they will decide to do something crazy like stopping them all together.

slm6002

Yay we are done.  Came home with lots of presents which I think I will save for Christmas day as I don't get many now.

Secret Santa completed and all that wanted one got a present.  Got a love to shop voucher for £15 from head office. Lots ticked off my list and only a few bits still on it for when I return on the 6th, but they are ok to leave until then so yay time for a rest.  I say rest, but in reality I will be cleaning and organising, then entertaining.  I reckon I will have 5 days at the beginning of the new year to rest.

Tonight I will load the dishwasher, and washing machine.  Cooked the pizzas that I have just picked up on the way home and just enjoy being done.

slm6002

Because it is the weekend and now the holidays I obviously woke up before my alarm this morning, so an early start for me.  Although I have waved DD1 off and ordered some cinema tickets for Christmas eve, some cushions for the children (they saw mine and all 3 have been asking why I didn't get them one as well - anything for a quiet life, although they will not arrive until after Christmas).  I have also realised I have missed some bits off the shopping list like cranberry sauce and bread.  That needs to be finalised today as it arrives tomorrow.  How can it be time for delivery of Christmas food yet?

Anyway I have a little more time today as DD2 now only has 1 Christmas carolling session left and that is after lunch, then another tomorrow evening.  Then we are all done for band until it starts back up in the new year.

DD1 is still doing well with her new job.  She officially finished training yesterday with a shadowing session, although she took the opportunity and helped out with things as well as some of the driving, while she still had the guidance.  Because she is one of the youngest, she is being looked after well and guided in the job like having parents / grandparents helping out.  She loves this and I think it is what she needed.  Hopefully the long hours and erratic shifts (not made it to a real shift pattern as yet) will not put her off.  Plus she has payday to look forward to.  It should be her best pay check so far, although I don't remember if I said...the other day she was working out how much she would get and I mentioned that that would before tax, NI and pension.  She really wasn't prepared for how much was taken off when we plugged the figures into Martin's tool.  'That's not fair, they cant take that much off me' were her words - life is not fair DD1!

OK Job list for today and maybe tomorrow:

* Carolling @ 1.45
* Wash bedding and get set ready for spare bed / Uncle
* Finalise the menu and food shopping & work out where my voucher went to 
* Clean downstairs
* Tidy up outside area
* Write cards for neighbours and deliver 
* Clean fridge
* Clean oven

Best get on as not even dressed as yet and the morning is half gone

debtfreewannabe321

Carolling sounds fun!
Did the person come back for their car you blocked in 😂 that made me laugh.
😠 To the paying back the benefits. Especially as things are really tight for you at the moment. This happened to me several times. I was so glad when I could (just about) get by without accessing benefits because I felt like I was always paying them back when they did reviews!

slm6002

The blocked in car stayed put until after I left for work.  Still have no idea who it was.  Maybe a random person or maybe a builder too scared to come and ask lol.

I have just requested a small table top fridge from freecycle that will go in the garage over christmas.  It will then allow us to fit all the festive fresh food in without bits getting lost behind other things.  I am hoping that it is still available.  It looks like a wine fridge from a pub, the kind that has a glass window in the front, but slightly smaller.

Sent DD2 upstairs to get ready - she is in a grump today for no apparent reason - yay.  Got a few loads of washing completed and about to put another in before we leave.  Think the menu for when my Uncle is here is sorted, so I just need to match that with the shopping list and then add bits for DD1's packed lunches.  Been a slow moving morning so far.  Hopefully once home from band I will feel like cleaning the rest of the kitchen

LadyWithAPlan

Sorry to hear re the paying back
issue .. I can imagine you were fairly frazzled at the time 
you can ask for it to be paid back in small amounts - I have no clue though if there is interest charged on the overpayment - does anyone else know? 

LadyWithAPlan

I also have grabbed from a Neighbour a small table top fridge - very useful for wine etc when doing dinner parties! 

slm6002

Unfortunately I haven't heard back from the freecycle man about the fridge yet.  I am really hoping they do get back to me as it would be really useful.  I think the shopping list is done.  I worked out why the voucher was not showing....I had already used it the week before!  I will buy another as I will then get a discount on it.

We drove past the supermarkets and they were full to the brim and people queuing up outside the doors.  I do not want to venture into one before Christmas but need a few things from Lidl that I cant get online.

Carolling went well, although DD2 did have a wobble when I dropped her off.  Think hormones are whizzing around her little body currently and she is just overwhelmed by everything.  She seems better now home.

* Carolling @ 1.45
* Wash bedding and get set ready for spare bed / Uncle
* Finalise the menu and food shopping & work out where my voucher went to 
* Clean downstairs - in progress
* Tidy up outside area - no will do tomorrow
* Write cards for neighbours and deliver 
* Clean fridge - working on emptying it a little more this dinner time before cleaning tomorrow
* Clean oven - in progress

I have a slot at the local tip tomorrow after I have dropped DS off at work.  I am hoping to empty all the rubbish without filling the outside bin as they will not be emptied until after Christmas,

slm6002

Been a busy morning so far.  Dropped DS off at work, nipped into lidl to get the bits my online shop was missing.  Online shop arrived and put away (almost - need to find somewhere for the vast amount of veggies).  Now waiting for the person coming to clean the stair carpet - was supposed to be here around 12 so not sure where they have got to.  I guess if it doesn't happen I will attempt it again.

I have moved and repurposed a book shelf that was on the landing.  Is is now in the kitchen / dining room with the alcohol in it and all the Christmas treats stacked high.  Books have been sorted into taking to work, donating, recycling and putting in individuals bedrooms.  I think it looks quite good in the new position.

Still have the whole house to clean but have already filled a good number of black bags ready for the tip tomorrow (ended up realising today was not a good idea as so busy already, so rescheduled again for tomorrow at 9am).  Will load everything into the car before it gets dark hopefully.

Uncle arrives around midday tomorrow so need everything sorted before then.  Ideally if we can get it all sorted by the time we go to bed that would be great.