Simple living in the country - back to basics

Cheery_Daff

Hello Porridgecat, please do join in! Pull up a chair and I'll put the kettle on

Well today has been a funny one. Lots of indecision about whether Mr Cheery would go on his own to visit his dad, or whether me and the dog would go too, and he didn't leave til 12pm in the end. An hour-long walk, and a bit of light pottering, and by 3pm the dog was fast asleep on the sofa bed, and I joined him - we woke up 2 hours later!

Been for another (short) walk, tucked the chickens into bed, I've got a cup of tea, and am now pondering the evening. A gentle one, but I would like to get prepared for the next 3 days of work. So, a list! 

6.15-7.30 HOUSE
Going to stick the Flylady weekly home blessing podcast on - I'll probably do some slightly different things than she's doing (I won't change the bed, but will clear off my desk instead) but it'll get everywhere nice and in order. Will also put some washing on

7.30-8.15 FOOD
I've got one portion of cous cous left for lunch tomorrow, so I'll knock up a frittata which should last til the end of the week. I'll also throw some veg and a couple of veggie sausages in the oven to have for tea tonight. 

8.15-8.30 CLOTHES
Get my scruffy clothes out of the bathroom, and decide what I'm wearing tomorrow. Hang the washing up if it's finished. 

8.30-9.00 MONDAY FINANCES
Quick whizz through YNAB and banks (although I don't think the banks have been open since I last did it), then a bit of MB. 

9.00 SOFA
Quick trip outside for dog ablutions, then curl up on the sofa with yesterday's episode of Call the Midwife. Mr Cheery might be back at some point around 9 ish though (if he's not stopped for a nap) so I'll try and get done more quickly so I can have time to watch all of it! 

Since we seem to have collectively decided that my main focus for January should be SLEEP my aim is to be in bed by 11pm on nights when I'm working the next day. I'll do my best to stick to that, although I'll want to see Mr Cheery for a bit when he gets in, it will have been a difficult day for him. 

Right, I'm already two minutes into my first session, best crack on! 

savingholmes

Sleep is a resolution I could get behind 

Safe travels for Mr Cheery. Hope he and his dad feel back to full strength soon. Hope the first day back at work goes well for all of us too.

Cheery_Daff

Thanks savingholmes 😊

Well, I got everything on my list done! Very exciting. Now curled up on the sofa with the dog and Call the Midwife. Won't be interrupted - Mr Cheery just rang to say he was setting off from his dad's, so he'll be another two hours yet. 

I've had a lovely pottering evening, and it's made me realise just how important going back to basics is. All through the building work, in fact for a long time now, I've prioritised doing the DIY and big jobs (or feeling like I should, even if I wasn't getting on with them), and neglected the everyday stuff.

We never got as far as outright squalor, but certainly lived in quite a mess for a long time. Washing when desperate, leaving the sheets on longer than I'd like, using the same plate for several meals in a row to save washing up, not cooking proper meals, not doing any exercise...

Oh dear, look at me admitting all this in public! 😮😮

Anyway, this holiday has made me realise that all this needs to come first, and other stuff has to wait until we are properly fed and clean and exercised. I always thought I didn't care about these things, but actually it turns out that I do. It actually affects how I feel quite significantly when everything is a mess, but it's been so difficult to just clean up for so long, with everything a building site.

Tonight I just pottered round for an hour, and while there are still pockets of chaos, the house feels clean and restful. I made my frittata, and cooked sausages and veg for tea, and it was so easy to just cook and clean up, and now the kitchen is ready to make breakfast. It feels good. 

So back to basics. No grand plans, or epic lists, just functional cleaning and tidying and looking after myself properly. 

Feels utterly ridiculous saying all this, especially at the grand old age of 41 🙄 but this week I've been SO exhausted, largely because of the stupid overnight trip to collect the dog, and itit'felt manageable anyway. Partly because I've been off work, but also partly because everywhere has been clean and tidy, so I've been able to d. The necessary things easily. 

I was even able to send Mr Cheery off to his dad's with a bag of cleaning supplies and a packed lunch.

Let's see how long all this lasts once I'm back at work tomorrow 🙄😂😂

Cheery_Daff

Oh, and I forgot to say, another NSD and I made £37.05 on the Happy Wheel tonight! Off to a good start!

greenbee

While the building work may have been stressful, it’s clearly worth it now you can cook and clear up easily. Which hopefully will help your diet. The dog may be a bit of a nuisance, but it’s also making sure you get plenty of exercise, and keeping you warm on the sofa!

South_coast

And you are getting ready for bed now, right....?

Cheery_Daff

greenbee said:

While the building work may have been stressful, it’s clearly worth it now you can cook and clear up easily. Which hopefully will help your diet. The dog may be a bit of a nuisance, but it’s also making sure you get plenty of exercise, and keeping you warm on the sofa!

Yep, all good points. I've walked for 1-2 hours every day since we had him, which I really needed, and I'm sure the fresh air and daylight has done me good too. Again, remains to be seen if I can carry that on tomorrow when I'm back to work.

South_coast said:

And you are getting ready for bed now, right....?

I am in my nightie, curled up on the sofa with a hot water bottle. I'm going to stay here til Mr Cheery gets back, which shouldn't be long now, but I can't promise I'll stay awake. Not ideal, but I did have a 2 hour nap this afternoon 😂

Fortune_Smiles

I'm so pleased to hear that life is getting a bit easier for you Cheery - a healthy diet, enough sleep and some exercise will do you both the world of good.  Although it's no surprise that those things haven't take priority recently, you've had a lot on your plate.

Mr F uses FDawg as an excuse to leave his desk regularly to rest his eyes from the computer and stretch out a little.

Take care of yourselves

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Thanks Fortune. I did enjoy being forced out for a walk before starting work - I often used to do that anyway when we moved here (with a cup of tea, not a dog) and completely got out of the habit.

Don't enjoy being interrupted frequently to attend to someone else's toileting needs though 🙄 Anyway Mr Cheery is feeling rather better now so I'm afraid he's (mostly) on dog duties while I'm trying to work. I'm easily distracted at the best of times and don't need more of an excuse! 

Today is mostly about trying to remember what my job involves 😂 always love the first day back 🙄😂

Cheery_Daff

Evening MSE chums

Well, today has actually been alright - I did get into the swing of things eventually, and ticked a few things off the list. I've made a decent plan for the rest of January (work-wise) as well, which always makes me feel better. 

Tuesday is admin day in the Cheery household! I've done a quick banks/YNAB check since yesterday was a bank holiday, so everything is up to date. 

The main task for today was to sort out the covid study vouchers, as they will form the majority of our food budget for the month. I found some I'd printed hidden away in another room, and they still have their full balance. The latest ones arrived today, so I've added them to the pot as my first extra income for 2022! 

We've got £150 worth of vouchers so shouldn't need much more between that and the store cupboard. I've allocated £100 extra just in case but hopefully that won't be needed. 

Savings from income in January = £600
Extra income in January = £50

I've put that £600 aside at the beginning - I won't be adding to it, but will be aiming to NOT dip into it. This will require significant thrift.

The only places I'm likely to get extra money from are: 
* covid vouchers (already got for this month now)
* Prolific (£2.43 cleared, £1.10 pending - I'll withdraw at £10)
* Bank rewards (£2.20 max)
* MB (currently at £37 for Jan, but as I do mostly low risk casino, that can go down as well as up. Still got sign ups to do for Mr Cheery too)

MB will be the biggie of course - I'll count the total at the end of the month. 

Not looking too bad so far!

Other MSE stuff today
* hung the washing up to dry (inside, but with the dehumidifier on)
* had the last of my cous cous salad from the fridge for lunch, and again for tea, embellished with a bit of halloumi that I'd cooked the other day. Also munching my way (slowly) through the treats my sister got us for Christmas
* bought some dog food from the village shop - might not sound money-saving, but it avoided a trip to the supermarket which likely would have involved a lot more spending! I literally just bought the one thing I went in for, which is almost unheard of for me

Right, best get on with some MB.