NST February 15 for February

ditty1234

Good morning and welcome to February, we have mad it out of the darkest month, hopefully for good and did I need a new month. I will allow myself to be inspired by the Chinesese year and say happy new year, I am only really ready for a new year now and ok just checked and it is not till the 12th, and it will be the year of the OX. So it will be a tough slow but steady year, where we move forwards at a steady and considered speed. February is also the month of carnivals and trickery and play with identity, the start of lent which is shredding off old layers, contemplation and readying for change. Hmm too many different meanings - but I am ready for contemplation, also for fun and for new beginnings. I have sent off my application for a new masters, I an greedy for a new job and I want to keep up my personal creative work. Maybe all too much and if I am going to succeed I will first have to get even with my procrastination, with postponement of tasks and decisions and make sure I get some sleep. In February I will not watch tv on my laptop in bed. This is quite a big promise. I will get myself a reading lamp instead and an alarm clock, and no more screens after 10/11 ish in the evening. Sorry to be so blunt, I still need to write up my concluding thoughts for January and my commitments for February, this was just  impulsive start after watching Catherine the great on ch 4 all night, not good. Will read other peoples posts tonight or tomorrow on my day off. 

abundant1972

I absolutely did not stay up all night honest guv!!!

In line with Mothernerd's ideas of 'Hope, Gratitude & Simplicity' - I am dusting off my gratitude journal which I started in January and it fell by the wayside. I like the idea of planning my week again - I need some kind of structure back in my life again, and to have things to look forward to (I like 'drink wine day, chocolate mint day and ice cream for breakfast day 🤣). Simplicity... hmm... I said I was going to de-clutter this month - I feel a mammoth tick list coming on!!!

Have a good day folks x

Calling14

Abundant so waited up hehe

Checking in Day 1 - had to spend 2 out of 3 light bulbs went in my bedroom over the weekend. Small spend but essential.

Done 4.5k out of 10k steps will take my ears out to freeze again after work. Not sitting down until 10k is reached.

Thanks for the mini challenge Mothernerd, will de clutter a small bag a day, just seen in local morrisons taking books and dvds on a charity shelf. Sure I have got a few which could be added to them.

Hope - hopefully see all the rest of my family this year.

Grateful for

My dd and grandkids/ hugs this weekend.

Living where I do.

Laughing when gs put me on a roller coaster on his virtual headset. Then paddleboarding !

lcc86

I love the sound of ice cream for breakfast day and wine drinking day! 

Had to pay for breakdown cover renewal today, all budgeted for and a found a good balance between cost and level of cover. Also cancelled a couple of memberships that I don't need any more so money saved there.

Manages a 10 minute walk this morning, bit sore after so have to be careful but also need to keep moving. Going to try another walk later on. I'm my own worst enemy because if it doesn't hurt I'm like right, let's get all these jobs done and then 5 minutes in and it hurts again! I must pace myself!

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 1

Finances

I did Himself's banking yesterday and he was very pleased to find he has more money than he thought. Honestly, he is hopeless at anything of a practical nature. Next four weekly household budget is on Friday - not that it changes that much anyway. Savings are coming along slowly but surely.

Food and Drink

I love vegetables. We always have lots and I love making soup. I'm trying to give up alcohol altogether and I'm planning to drink more water (with a touch of lime juice and a slice of lemon or lime). I can't remember the last time we had a takeaway. We used to have one about once a week but they are so expensive. Much cheaper and nicer to make your own although I do keep an emergency pizza in the freezer.  I've never made pancakes (I know, I must be just about the only person in the world who hasn't) so I'm looking forward to doing that. I made a blueberry loaf for the first time today. It turned out really well. I'm feeling quite pleased with myself.

Fit For Life

Absolutely useless at exercise. Really, really must try to get out walking. Hopefully the weather will improve. And I still don't seem to have get to grips with loosing weight!!!

Future Plans

I'm not making any big plans for the future just now. Travel is on hold until I feel comfortable with it. The stress of wondering and worrying that things can be cancelled at a moment's notice is too much for me. For now I'm concentrating on doing things and not putting them off. Finished everything on my list yesterday and half way through today's. So my plans are simple and definitely achievable. Learning to bake. Making my little porch an oasis of plants. Reading every day. Starting to listen to classical music again.
It's very difficult to get to our local foodbank just now because it's in a busy place and the opening hours are very limited. So one of the tasks on tomorrow's list is to set a small monetary donation instead.
Love the calendar, Mothernerd. Especially home made soup day. And I think I must make a Chinese meal on February 12.

Kerry_Woman

NSD 1 today.
Grateful for:
Bus app for timings of bus arrivals.
Meditate app.
Good day in work.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for learning a new trick with Teams and using it successfully, for cracking on with my jigsaw, for a morning run, for dd managing to do the biology test she missed last week, for a good book.

facethemusic

Monday- NSD 1/15. Aiming for 4 a week- should be very possible if I keep track of the milk situation. 
Grateful today for fleece lined hats, fluffy socks and hot water bottles (can you tell it was cold today😅). 

Lauralozzle

Count me in for February 😊

FIFTEEN FOR FEBRUARY

Finances
1)   FIX your budgets before the start of the month ☑️ 
2)   FIND out your debt free date, if you don't already know it. ☑️ November 2024
3)    FIFTEEN NSDs - I managed 15 for January so this should be doable! 

Food and Drink
4)    FRESH vegetables are good for you - plan is 5 a day.
5)    FREE drinks are available from the faucet (posh word for tap) - I hate water without squash, but, more squash less pop! 
6)    FAKEAWAYS not takeaways - THIS. 

Fit For Life
7)   FIFTEEN minutes of exercise a day. ☑️ I do manage 15 minutes, but I like the idea of adding 15 minutes too. I also have a step goal of 12,500 a day.
8)    FEELINGS matter - my mantra this month is to be kind to myself. And find joy in something, each day.
9)    FOCUS on things that really matter - this is really important, instead of being all doom and gloom I do need to focus on what matters, be positive when I can.

Future Plans
10)   FLIGHT OF FANCY - I have a plan, an eventual goal. To start, I need to get my hormones under control and that starts with sensibly losing the extra weight.
11)    FUN and FIZZ (non-alcoholic). Forget the grand plans, for the moment. What can you do to improve your life, right now. - I can make time for me. P
12)    FOOD BANKS and many other charities are struggling as demands increase and funds decrease. Do what you can. - I will do what I can, donate to food banks. I also have some dog food that I plan on donating as the dog is not keen but I imagine a Kennel will take it off my hands. 

Filling in the Gaps
13)   FIRST of February to the 28th. ☑️ 
14)   FREE yourself from the burden of too much stuff. ☑️ 
15)   FIND the best price for everything but beware of false economies ☑️ 

Today has been a NSD, so I'm off to a good start.

Today I'm pretty pleased with myself. I went for a run, took breaks during work - it resulted in a longer work day but the breaks really helped. I made the most of WFH today and cooked a roast, easy to pop into the oven and still carry on working. 

I'm grateful for the heating, now we radiators working again. A good meal, using up wonky veg that's probably seen better days and creating less waste. 

[Deleted User]

NSD 1/15, 1500ml water, leftovers for lunch, and meal planned bangers and mash for dinner. 

OH has learned how to make sesame bagels so he’s made a small batch this evening  - looking forward to one tomorrow as a mid morning snack. 

I did 2(!) walks today. A brisk one at lunchtime and another after dinner with OH - probably a total of an hour. DS was at his Gran’s today (we’re in a Covid bubble together).

I also did a half hour after work of the free course I joined in January. I’d like to do a few courses this year. This was something I set out to do, but didn’t, during the very first lockdown when I thought we would be out of the office for just a few weeks. Pah, how naive! 

If I can do the following 3 things this month, I am going to spend some of my unspent Christmas gift money on a luxurious bath soak produced in the Lake District. 

1. Finish my current course
2. Finish my current book
3. No takeaways 

Grateful today for tasty homemade curry leftovers for lunch, a walk on my own with a podcast, and a walk with OH.