NST December A - Z

mothernerd

DawnW I think the bay tree is an excellent idea. We used to know a couple who had a large cactus (about 4' tall) and at Christmas they would drape it in tinsel and the odd bauble.

mothernerd

Okay my life isn't getting any simpler and I need to pack some flexibility into my plans. Mum and I have been invited to DS1's (and his wife's) house for Christmas Day. DS3 and his gf will be there and the boys' father (my ex - they didn't tell me that until after I'd accepted). Cost of the taxi will be exorbitant but that's mum's department. Not at all sure that it is a good idea but the two most 'at risk' people are fairly fatalistic (my ex has a permanent life expectancy of 2 weeks and mum has an ever increasing list of circumstances in which she does not want to live). So I'm going along with it - decided that if either of them does die at least we will all have seen one another recently. Plus we have 3 confirmed cases of Omicron (hope that's right) only 8 miles away, so everything could change anyway. 

I have a hip x-ray next week and my CBT course starts on the Wednesday (got to ask beloved if I can use her computer and if she will be my technical advisor - if not I may revert to doing the wholly online course). The other big thing is that mum wants me to move back home after Christmas, which will have costs.

BUDGETS 
Food - I'm going to allow myself £100 per week for my house. I want to get in a basic stock of tins and non-perishables (will be taking jars of pulses, herbs and spices and sauces with me - have packed 4 large storage jars today and some things for the food bank) but not doing this until the current chaos is sorted - can't get to the understairs shelving yet.

Mum will be paying for food here and I'm going to wait until she asks me to buy things - she will have to get used to writing a list and passing it on for me to order from home (especially if we get further restrictions on movement). I also need to write lists telling her how to deal with food deliveries and other goods coming in from outside. I'm probably going to be here for deliveries anyway but she needs to learn a lot more rules (keeping the gate lock on, social distancing etc, wiping bottles, jars and handles that other people have touched).

Travel - average £6 per day, perhaps 5 times per week. Eek! But if I'm moving my whole life back to my house I need transport. I have a fridge-freezer, a nearly ceiling height bookcase, a large footstool, a large analogue only tv and many many books to take back. Also when I moved here mum kindly let me take on the cleaner's work (as she wasn't allowed in) but said that she would not pay me. However she said that the things that had been bought for the garden (polytunnel, shelves, large pots etc) were mine and that I could move them to my house 'when it's all over'. So I will need a man and van at some point (E £100). I also need to use up the things in the fridge-freezer to get it ready to move (and I think the freezer at my house needs emptying, defrosting and cleaning)

I am aiming for a deadline of 31st December but I don't know if everything will be moved by then. I'm aiming to be sleeping at my house by January 2nd (if mum wants me to bring in the new year with her). At the moment my priority is getting as much rubbish and recycling out of my house as possible.

Lots of house repairs are needed at my house - hoping to do those over the course of next year but the boiler repair will have to be paid for this month, if we can get someone to come and fix it (phoned Mrs Builder and asked for the boiler man's number and passed it on to DS3). Half hoping DS3 will pay for that (and that it is fairly simple). He will be paying for the skip/ rubbish removal and the cleaners. There may be some diy / low cost bits that we can do (must add buying a new loo seat to DS3's list - fitting loo seats is one of his special jobs).

I need to buy a phone credit of £10 (will get free credit of £20) as I'm down to my last 68p. As we will be seeing people for Christmas I decided to buy token presents. Hoping my Oxfam order has arrived at my house - the boys, d-i-l and d-o-l and the ex will be getting 'unwrapped' presents (ex is getting a pile of poo) and I have an additional bit for mum, DS2 and I think d-i-l (it may be hiding behind set of shelves) but probably need to allow a small amount for the others (Ds1 and d-o-l). 

Grateful for simple food (toast, tin of soup, fishfingers and rice pudding), packing a couple of boxes, starting two piles of food for my house and the food bank (stacked in a very small space between the bottom of the bed and the bookshelves, water, lots of water.
  

f0xh0les

Today has been a very exciting day, where I have been 'Plumber's Mate' to DH who stopped a leak in the airing cupboard.

Half the house is clean. Half of what I wanted to get done has been done. The other half will get done tomorrow.

Swallowed a frog and booked my car into the garage for its yearly medical.  Still feels like a job that is ' too adult' for me.

Still not been paid, will swallow that particular frog in the morning.

Budgets set, mortgage overpaid, excess has been shunted but will need clawing back in 10 days unless the mythical pay turns up.

cuddlymarm

Hi guys
Well December is here and I’m feeling quite positive. Online shop arrived this afternoon and I’ve got plenty of food in again. I had a couple of weeks without weekly shops and meals were getting a little repetitive.
I’m feeling quite laid back about Xmas day, DS1 and his partner are coming over for the day and we’re all going to DS2s. We just need the fresh stuff now. I’ve a little bit of wrapping to do and to write and send the cards. Our Xmas day is a simple breakfast, then open the presents, lunch about 1 30 ish and then a lazy afternoon. Sometimes a walk, more often a nap. We don’t do big Xmas days, we decided long ago that our Xmas day is for us and the kids. I hear horror stories about friends who end up rowing, or guests making them feel guilty or miserable. We’ll happily fit in with others plans but not on Xmas day. We’re lucky that our kids want to spend the day with us but if/when they want a change that would be ok too.
I must get some birthday cards though, I have 5 this month, 4 that need presents. 

I was tempted by a small potted tree but it was £30 ( it’s not £30 nicer than my artificial one) and I’ve nowhere to plant it out after Xmas as we live in a flat.
The plan is not to spend much this month. B in law and his wife bought us a Xmas weekend away with them for our joint 60th birthdays so that will be lovely the weekend before Xmas. I’ll take some Prosecco, beer and mince pies with us, it’s a family thing to never travel without supplies 😀
Anyway enough of my waffling, I need to get organised for tomorrow. 

Have a good evening 
Cuddles

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

evening turtles
Woke up really early, straightened my hair then fell back to sleep till 8.30am oops!  Had to go into the office but had a productive day and a nice chat with my boss.  Donated some money to carol singers in town collecting for homelessness charity.  Called at SM on way home.  Did some self employment work this eve and off to bed soon.
Gratitudes - brushed cotton sheets, good day in the office, first sprouts day card has arrived !
Deni x

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#1
Quite excited to get my bag of sprout jumpers & t-shirts out this morning (most bought from charity shop last year for £1-£3 each). Today I had dangly snowman earrings & a red jumper with little snowmen on (obviously with a skirt lol). Walked into work & 2 other support staff had festive jumpers on too, made me smile as we'd not discussed doing this beforehand. Work went ok, had forgotten about a meeting afterwards, so stayed an extra hour. Boys decided we'd watch Home Alone instead of games night, so I knitted at the same time. Very tired now.
Grateful for colleagues thinking alike, pupil hugs, a cosy fire when I know it's snowing outside

Esmeralda2662

Please can I join you all for NST December, @mothernerd? Can't believe it's the 1st already!

1NSD today. Weather so awful I couldn't face shopping after work. Saved £15 by going straight home.

Offered overtime at work but don't want to do it unless they're really desperate. They promise customers the impossible.

Trying to help my mum take blood pressure readings. She doesn't want to follow the instructions and says 'you don't have to mess about like this at the doctor's'. That's because THEY do it for you, grrr.

Got my craft stuff out to make last minute decs/presents. Boxes of it and no idea which one the Christmas related bits are in! 😂

Gratitudes: That today was my last working day this week, that I didn't buy the flask and art canvas pads that I thought I wanted, and that our Robin reappeared.

Night all x

apple_muncher

Oh, mothernerd! That is a tight deadline to get your house habitable and you back in it with all the things you've had at your mum's. I hope it goes smoothly and you get back into your own territory where you can play by your own rules again. Take care.

ditty1234

Right so today is the big day for getting my house ready for ds1 to move in - they are putting in hand rails, shower rails, I have to put in shower curtain and new anti slip bath mats etc, and new be dis arriving, mattress doesn't show up till later, so my shopping list seems a bit endless. I am trying to decide if I should go with a fun tropical banana leaf or plain white shower curtain, an thinking I'll go with the fun one. It's easy to change anyways, and the rusty glass doors that are in now will have to come down. 
Yesterday I super splurged and got a wet and dry hand held vacuum cleaner, as dog seems to keep having accidents, even though I have people taking her out every day. Super annoying, but she is old, deaf and wonky legged. 
I will wait to change carpet till she has left, a very sad thought. 
I really am hoping to get on with CHristmas shopping but this make over seems to have taken over. WHile I'm doing it on a budget, I also splurged and bought new hand towels and a new bath mat. The old one is hard as a rock, and about 17 years old. That's my excuse anyways. So anyways, another NSD day lost and an other project almost sorted. 

mothernerd

apple_muncher said:

Oh, mothernerd! That is a tight deadline to get your house habitable and you back in it with all the things you've had at your mum's. I hope it goes smoothly and you get back into your own territory where you can play by your own rules again. Take care.

I was awake in the middle of the night, was in sleep mode from about 8 pm (not asleep but resting/ dozing - always put my mask on if I think I might drift off) and when I woke up it was between 1 pm and 2 pm. Felt full of beans so did some moving around in here - totally cleared a patch of floor nearest the bed.

It is a tough target so I need to think in stages - what needs to be in place before I move, processes (emptying the freezer so it's ready to go - not necessarily by year end) and what can be done over the next year. All the moving will be done by March but mum won't be bothered by my tools being in her shed - but she might start assuming ownership (my cardboard and plastic knife is in her knife block and it should be in my toolbox).

Drifted off around 7.30 am and have only recently woken. Weather is gorgeous so hoping to get my sheets (from the bed) in the wash and the mattress cover out on the line for freshening and sponging. I'm feeling better, the cough is still with me so will no doubt kick in if I try to do too much. Being here and being at my house both have advantages and disadvantages (and I don't think hopping back and forth will be possible).

However going back home is the next stage. I'm committed to it, excited and terrified in equal measure. It took me a week to move in here and lots of stuff came later (tools, winter clothes) in stages (and I have several large items that were leftover from DS2 moving in with his gf). I have a number of small - medium boxes and a couple of tiny ones (was going to use them as drawer dividers but they will work for pills and potions). Start from where you are, use what you have, do what you can. If mums not happy, she can pay for professional packers and removers to help me. My prescription pills came yesterday so I will keep one month's here and one month's at home (I have an over door set of shelves on my bedroom door and it's nearly empty)