NST November 2021: Turtle Strength

lcc86

NSD number one today. Was actually a nice day, did some yoga and barre first thing, then walked to work. Forgot my swimming stuff at home, so walked home at lunch time and then drove back to the swimming pool for my swim. 

Then this evening I had my first virtual meeting with a mentee I've started mentoring, he's a social work student and it actually felt really nice to speak to someone so enthusiastic about their future!

Things may also be looking up on the job front, a couple of options have come up today so we'll see what happens. 

CEW

I have read through the challenge and am listing below my main aims for the month.

Budget - have a rough budget but will finalise that tomorrow. I also need to set out my budget for that day in December. Unfortunately I have a large extended family and we all buy for each other BUT I have the money put away to cover it all.

NSD - aim for 15. Will try for more but if I start on the Dec pressies that may not happen.

Avoid coffee shop chains - I mainly tend to frequent these on my twice yearly hospital appointments in London. My next appointment is in Dec so should be safe this month. I did pop into Costalot after my flu jab a couple of weekends ago but with my loyalty card it only cost £2.50 for a coffee and a cake.

Lunch to work - mainly working from home still but as of this week we should be going into the office one day a week so I will ensure I take my lunch with me.

Use up toiletries and household cleaners - this is easy as I have quite a stock as I buy in bulk at cash and carry and I’m not going there this month.

2 Outings - I have a free ticket to the IH Xmas Show so that’s one. We are also trying to arrange a meal out with some old work colleagues

Remove 60 items - the only problem I can see here is stopping at 60.

Donate - everything I get rid of goes to a family friend who makes use of it in one of the many charities she volunteers for either in its original form or by selling it on and donating the money. I will also make a contribution to the food bank when I go shopping next weekend.

I’ve probably missed something but will add it later if I have

Today I am grateful for home made ready meal from the freezer for dinner, the pain in my arm that reminds me that I have had my COVID booster jab and an unexpected day off as my computer wouldn’t work. IT are still trying to sort it out. Hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow but I have a days annual leave so it’s not too much of a problem.

greent

Please count me in! x

-avoid any and every chain coffee shop and vending machine and corner shop. Support your local coffee shops and traders. - we like the local independent traders at the farm and food markets. We do use 02 priority for free hot drinks and snacks from chains- but they are free!

-take your lunch to work every single working day.- yep. Didn't roday - but it was an inset and lunch is always provided. Tomorrow's lunch of sweet chilli chicken, broccoli, sweetcorn amd rice is sat in the fridge ready

-remove 60 items from your house (2 per day) – on a mission to use things up and recycle packaging.  Have 3 bags/ boxes of items in car for CS. Will list some things on fb00k for sale.

-use up your toiletries and household cleaners before buying any more. - see above

-go on 2 outings. Yep, 2. Choose wisely. Or go on one and save one to carry over for December…. We are going out for dinner later in the month with friends as 1. Will see about a 2nd.

-tread lightly on our planet and get out there and enjoy fresh air every day: breathe it in slowly and deeply and energise your body. - breathing outside air if cool and damp makes me cough still at the mo.   

-donate £5 or items or time to a charity you support. Foodbanks are especially in need at this time of year. Look at http://www.trusselltrust.org/ - stuff in car for CS. Will buy poppies and have a bag of things for foodbank

-come on here every day and post three things you are grateful for. Today - good colleagues, yummy leftovers meaning an easy dinner, free yummy lunch

-reach out to help other people. Don't try to CHANGE people, just LOVE them. LOVE is what changes people.

-start 1 or 2 new habits this month, ones that are simple and will make you feel better (eg: drink a glass of water on waking, practise meditation…) - more water, better food

Thrifty_Taylor

Needed to buy diesel today, but shouldn't need to top it up until next month now.

Grateful for a good day at work, being able to eat an apple again, an easy zip replacement in a coat

Esmeralda2662

Hi,
Please could I join you for NST November?
I may not post a lot but love to read your posts and get some ideas.
Thank you! 😉

mothernerd

NSD 1/15 -only expenditure was on taxis and paid with mum's vouchers (bought last March for the year). Cans and rubbish gathered (did a quick swoop every time I crossed the room) and put outside - no way was I going outside in the pelting rain. Paper bag also filled (very stuffed as I found a part filled one as I ventured further into the mess - two part filled bags = one overstuffed one. Second load of washing put on (started filling it last night but added some things this morning).

The first of my orders arrived before 9 am. I'd just had a shower (washed hair as well because I was going to the doctor's) and had to scrabble around for my dress and wellies - so early the gate had not been unlocked so pushed the trolley up to the gate and asked him to put it over the fence, I guided it onto the trolley. Was heavy and couldn't think why - mainly 'medical' (vapour rub, antiseptic cream etc but had included 3 x 18 wash tablets as there are only two places that stock them (I can tolerate the smell and they don't bring me out in lumps) and must be an end of line as the 18 packs were £3 instead of £5 and much cheaper per tablet than the 32s. No planters though - hope they are coming in a separate box (thought they were going to stop selling them, very few in store).

Finished getting ready then spent ages going through notebooks of symptoms and scribbled notes trying to get to a concise and coherent version - 3 pages, one each for depression, cold/flu bug which makes me feel like it's February (energy levels on the floor) and mobility - all the 'might be arthritis' bits and then the dizzy/ disorientation/ off balance stuff (could be myasthenia gravis but passed the 'flappy bird' test).

Quick easy lunch then continued note writing having found a cardigan sweatshirt and put my trainers on. Ordered taxis for today, Wednesday and Friday early this morning. Taxi came at 20 to 2 (mum was just starting to panic), asked the receptionist for mum's blood forms and only had to wait five minutes before being called in. Mum had taken her hearing aids out (can't cope with hearing aids and a mask) so I asked the other patients to tell her when the receptionist called her name.

Wasn't the doctor I was expecting/ dreading - I got the gorgeous young man. Administered flu jab and then I gave him my notes. He checked my chest and it is clear, so no need for antibiotics (and then subsequent thrush and other issues). He said I'm doing all the right things, managing extremely well considering all the things I am dealing with (I didn't put them all down) and that most people just don't bother. I asked for and got a referral back to CBT as I'm really struggling with concentration and decision making and it's helpful to have someone else to clarify what I'm doing right and what baby steps I could take.

So my starting point for this month is to keep resting and reading, giving my body time to recover, ponder some of my problems and find ways of overcoming the challenges and try to do at least one task a day (selecting by urgency and available energy). I'm cheating like mad on food - using bought sandwich dressings and cooking sauces (mum likes them so there were a few hanging around) and stuffing as many vegetables as possible in. Can add a cod liver oil capsule if I want to. 

On Saturday I started to 'tidy' from the bed - used a tray and several 'take away' boxes and sorted embroidery threads, pills and bandages. Used a small cutlery drainer for glasses, phone, purse, pens and pencils. Added a rubbish bag, cans and bottles bag, a small bag for any coins I came across. Took the mask and hose to the kitchen for cleaning, gathered cutlery items and a dirty cup.

Yesterday, I assembled a Sunday dinner, peeled and cut up potatoes and onions for potato pie (lobby/ corned beef hash/ scouse) and washed the remainder to cook and mash. In the afternoon I took the layer of cans in the bottom of my wardrobe, brought most of the cans in from the shed, one bag at a time (was going to use the trolley but it rained hard so quicker to use bags) and have them beautifully arranged in layers (already listed - just need to put a note that they've been transferred from the shed). My winter coat is hung in the 'hallway' and I have two unused clothing items to fold and put away in a drawer.

A lot of effort but will save time going forward (if I'd put any more cans in the shed it would have taken forever to get them out again and sort them elsewhere). Just need to find the will power and patience to tackle the ones in mum's cupboards (they were fine until she decided they should go in different places to the ones I'd put them in and took all the cardboard out).

Grateful for lovely doctor, helpful receptionist and wonderful taxi firm (thought I'd have to wait for ages but he said he had someone dropping off at the infirmary and would send the job through to him).

f0xh0les

I'm leaving the house today!!!  First time out since 16th October. 

Feels quite exciting.

Calling14

Enjoy f0xholes go wild.

Updating as off work  this afternoon.

NSD 0/15 will be spendy day today - haircut time.

Declutter 2/60  Up late as didn't sleep last night, keep getting niggly tummy ache so forgot to bring tatt into work.

Donation - not done yet

10k steps - 1/30 days done

Made some soup last night butternut squash, with coconut milk, I just couldn't even stand the smell for some reason of garlic so binned it all this morning. With my tummy being weird just keeping to very plain food at the moment. Dinner was weetabix ;-)

Grateful for

Boss now staying in his office after me telling him off yesterday has a dreadful cough/ cold kept wandering near me.

Survey cash £6.51 in today swept into saving pile

Having afternoon off and haircut.

ldee2111

NSD 2/15

Off work unwell today - totally congested, head sore, face sore, throat sore, green gunge and all that lovely stuff.

I haven't done very much at all apart from pick up a prescription from chemist, drop a bag into CS next door to the chemist, and ate the last yum yum from the box Mum brought yesterday. I found another 3 things for the charity bag before leaving the house which I've added to my running list - items 7-9.

Also, cashed out £6.29 from surveys and payed into mortgage OPs. I think I'm done with the surveys. It's been months since any showed up for me. In the last week I had a couple which took me over the £5 threshold to cash out.  

November underspends goal

Underspends into holiday £0/£160

60 items challenge 

1. broken printer (to recycling centre)
2. 2x joggers (CS)
3. baby towel (CS)
4. 2x swimming tops (CS)
5. tube of bubbles (CS)
6. rubber duck (CS)
7. kids tent (CS)
8. kids cardboard playhouse (CS)
9. plastic novelty trophy (CS)

Toni'sfriend

NSD 1/15

Hope you feel better soon, Idee.

Hairdresser appointment today. It should have been last week but I had a reaction to my booster and had to cancel but that's it done now. And I had a brisk walk there and back.

Another day of healthy (ish) eating. At least no snacking or alcohol. I must get the Boy to replace the battery on the bathroom scales so I can keep track. I can't get the battery cover off.

More boxes to the recycling bin and I've found some things in Himself's "just in case drawer" which will be disappearing when he's not looking. Why does anyone keep pens that don't write?

Today I'm grateful for:

Getting my hair done
Getting that huge ironing out of the way
Finding some good YS treats for Himself and the Boy