The Best Is Yet To Come

slm6002

Another hot day ahead.  More washing waiting to be done (next job). DD1 returned home from her week away very happy but very tired which made her very irritable with DS and DD1.  Hopefully she has had a good night sleep and a decent lie in before she goes off to work.  I need to find my dad a bday pressie as hoping to pop round later with it.
I am also determined to sort our meal plans out as we are not eating properly and are spending too much at the supermarkets with quick visits turning into trips buying much more than needed or just junk food.  Need to come up with meals that they will all eat that have an element of healthiness in them and are quick / little cooking for this coming week.
I have received one of the free school dinner vouchers and opted for Aldi, as we seem to head there the most nowadays.  By sorting the meal plan out we can make the most of this and the other vouchers from the high school and hopefully not spend too much at all on food this summer.
We have a few bits booked over the holidays including outdoor cooking and free swimming which all give us free meals too (well the kids get the free meals), and there is a family fun day sat 5th Aug with free family picnics provided as well as free activities.  Might take trip to see what it is like.  Get some fresh air if nothing else.
Am wondering if the schools will carry on in this heat - who knows, but only 2 days left for me and DD2, and 4 for DS, poor boy

slm6002

Well we made it.  It is the summer holidays.  DD1 has thoroughly enjoyed her experience with NCS as today should have been the last day but she now has Covid!  So she is staying put for a while and we are hoping we haven't picked it up - time will tell, but so far so good.
DD2 finished on Tuesday and has now completed primary school.  I was more emotional that her in the leavers assembly, thankfully that is over (was dreading it after going through it twice before).  She is ready for high school and looking forward to it.
DS only finished yesterday but had good results in his end of year exams and we found out he will be getting 25% extra time in his exams as he has now been assessed.
I was finished on Tuesday too, but went it Wed and Thurs to help get some other jobs done that we either couldn't do with students in or we just ran out of time.  We had a good time as there were only a few of us there.  It was so hot  and sweaty though, but the bits we did look fantastic - no one better mess these areas up or I will not be happy lol.

So today we are not going anywhere as going to keep away from other people just in case. I did think I should make a start on painting my bedroom so that by the time my uncle comes next Fri it might be completed .  He likes to do DIY and help out when here, so could then help build my wardrobe and get it out of the garage.  He isnt as good with the painting and I would like him to have some time to do nothing too. Just don't want to empty my room to then get Covid.    The weather is cooler now so painting would be easier than when it gets hot again.  Will have breakfast and then decide.

Happy Holidays

slm6002

Well I have started painting, one wall is really bad from abuse over the years of being the girls room.  I have tried to fill and sandpaper it but will have to wait to see if it looks good once painted.  So far I only have 1 coat on.  It was only magnolia so hopefully shouldn't need too many coats and then I can move onto my favourite part (not), the woodwork and doors.  It is going to be hot so need to get going this morning before the sun gets round
Sleeping on the sofa is not helping my body much and its taking me a little while to get going this morning.  At least we have everything left over from the children's rooms so no need to go and buy anything, plus as DD1 still testing positive I don't really want to go anywhere.  So I guess another no spend day for me, as long as i stay off the internet shops!

slm6002

Well the wall is still not great but it is painted.  It is the wall that I would look at from my bed so wanted to make it look good or it would annoy me until I could decorate again.  I thought about wallpapering just the one wall, but I have never done this and then I need to find one I like.  I also think a feature wall should have bed against it or in my head it will look odd.  So that got me thinking, move the bed.  At least this way a large chunk of it will be hidden and if needed I can wallpaper without it looking strange.  It wont be this week though as too much to do getting it ready for the carpet man.  By moving the bed it will also allow the air to the outside wall as it was starting to show damp patches where the bed and wardrobe went.  Wardrobe was moving anyway to an internal wall.  One more coat all round I reckon and then woodwork.

I have also started to stain the handrail that uncle helped with on his last visit.  Thought after all the effort he put into it, I better finish that job.  

I have emailed the guy that is still to come and fit new fittings to my window that I paid for at least a year ago.  Another window is now playing up so asked him to bring 2 sets of fittings and do them both in one go.  It's probably a 20 min job in total, but he is either trying to avoid me or is very forgetful.

Lots of little bitty jobs that have been on my list need to go this holiday

slm6002

Morning, its looking like it is about to chuck it down with rain as I type this.  When I woke up it was beautiful sunshine with a cool breeze.  Now its a little muggy and the sky is a very funny colour.
Today will be more painting (woodwork now as walls are sorted), a trip to the tip (10.30) and some general tidying around the house ready for my uncle to arrive.  OK it is now raining really hard.  I also need to try and log on to the swimming website to get DS & DD1's free swimming for the summer.  It is not liking the password even though I just changed it.  Might need a call to them for some help.  We each get 16 free swims over the holidays.  They then get a free cold lunch and I get a cup of tea/coffee.  Well worth getting it sorted so we can get this week booked up.
Ok off to load the car in the rain

slm6002

Good morning, shouldn't really be on here as lots to do today.  The carpet man is coming at 10.30 to put my carpet down.  Was up to 11.30 last night finishing painting the bedroom door.  They look good now and have had enough coats.  Had hoped to have finished a little earlier so no mad rush - never mind.
Once the carpet is down it will be another rush to get furniture back into my room and maybe build the wardrobe.  My uncle is coming tomorrow so could help but it would also be very nice to have everything already done.  As uncle is arriving tomorrow it will be mad cleaning as the house has been very neglected over the past few months as we have been busy decorating.  It is going to be another late night I feel.  Now off to wake 3 children and convince them they would love to help me clean and sort the house out!

LadyWithAPlan

Just caught with your diary, glad most the building work is done 
Not sure how you had so much patience with the builder and the window! I may need to rethink my idea of buying somewhere to do up 

Your solar panels sound amazing, I can imagine you are doing well with all this recent heat. 
My parents tried to have them but apparently it wasn’t suitable so had free loft and floor insulation but it seems like the way forward for us and the planet. 

slm6002

Good evening, another quick update as I am exhausted again and need a shower before bed. 

LadyWithAPlan, thank you for stopping by.  I love my solar panels and have used very little power from the grid so far.  I am very grateful i got them when I did with all of the price rises going on.  The builder has still to come and sign everything off with the buildings reg man (need to send another reminder email tomorrow), but yes I was close to running out of patience with him.

Well my bedroom is done, all apart from 2 maybe 3 boxes of stuff to find a home for.  I also need to get TV bracket and ask brother nicely to fix it for me.  Other than that, all 4 bedrooms have been painted, decorated and carpeted.  Some bits will need a little touch up paint where things have been bashed, but that is me done for a little while.  The wardrobe took far too long and I was ready to cry thurs pm as it was just not opening correctly even though i had followed the instructions - thought I had bitten off too much this time.  Anyway today that was a simple fix by my uncle and nosey neighbour so all happy again.

It took forever to clean the house to an acceptable state to allow people in the house again.  Friday was spent cleaning and more cleaning.  I am glad though as it should be a little easier to keep tidy now everything is in its right place.
I don't plan on doing any more DIY really for the remainder of the holidays.  I ache head to toe but very happy with the results.

slm6002

Happy 1st August, Uncle has returned home and we can relax properly now, not that we loved having him visit, but nice to be a little bit more of a slob/coach potato lol.  Today feels like the first day of the summer holidays as there is nothing in particular to do other than fun activities.  I have just dropped DD2 off at the local youth centre that do drop in sessions for high school aged children.  They have one special session each week over the holidays for the year 6's going up to experience what they offer.  It is free and they get lunch, plus hopefully will mean she is not attached to phone the entire time!   DD1 has just left for a date with a lad she met on her trip away.  They have gone on the train to a local town and will have lunch and a walk around.  She will be fine but was really nervous.  Just me at DS for most of the day, although he is happy with his online friends currently so it is very quiet.

This morning I have moved money to the various pots for savings that I have.  Will need to withdraw the holiday money soon.  Kind uncle donated towards it too on his way out of the door, bless him.  It really wasn't needed but we are grateful.  We should have plenty of spending money to do some fun things.

I have just taken meter reading for exported electricity as my account has finally been set up.  Any excess kwh I send back to the grid will earn me 4p I think it was.  Not going to make me rich anytime soon, but better than nothing.  In the future I will save for another couple of batteries as it makes more sense to save and use it ourselves than sell it on for pennies.  When they fitted the panels they mentioned that there was space for another 2.  It would mean that I would be covered for the days when it is grey and miserable a little more.  Something to think about.

I have been looking at the college bursary application.  At high school we qualified for school meals which in turn helped with other costs throughout the year, but at college I earn too much once benefits and wages added together, even though there are more cost involved including travel to and from.  We are hoping she can change 1 of the courses to a better one.  She changed from biology (didn't like cutting things up) to Geography as she did it in GCSE although didn't enjoy it.  She has had another look and found a graphics communications course that is much more her thing but is very popular so not sure there would be space.  The geography one has 3 trips abroad and 6 in this country.  It will cost a fortune that we don't really have. Then there is a passport to get.  Here is hoping there is space and I have misunderstood the bursary application (still applied) and she is due some help.

OK off to put a load of washing on as the sun is really trying to come out.

slm6002

Good morning, We have been cleaning a little again as Nana is due to arrive shortly for the day.  We don't know when she arrive, but she will text when she is on the bus.  Anyway the house has had a little spruce up but the garden which she will comment on is not good.  There are weeds everywhere.  The lettuces have been pulled up by DS this morning as they have gone over / been used up.  He made a terrible mess and as my second instruction to him was to water the garden there is now wet soil all over the patio.  I hope she doesn't feel the need to look in the garage either as that is also a tip.
Yesterday I had to put up DD2's shelf for the 3rd time.  I think she keeps pulling on it, and as it is only a plasterboard wall, it is not strong enough for that.  Anyway it is up, but is it happens again the shelf will go as there is no more plasterboard available to put a fixing in.  I must admit I got very cross with her, but I did on the first time it happened and it clearly didn't affect what she did.  I am already thinking what to put there instead and think it will be a notice board, which will hide the pollyfiller as well as meaning nothing to be pulled down.
Tried to book our free swimming, but something is wrong with the system as it keeps telling me I need to pay - no I don't.  Waiting for the manager to email back, by which point I expect the slots will need rebooking.  It all has to be done online rather than ringing the reception and them booking it for us for some reason.  Not making it easy.