So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

Thanks SL - I was thinking of popping across there for some more later, so will definitely do that now.

Niece has informed me that she’s ‘Not that into gardening’ so no potato planting today! We’re off to the farm/NT place in a bit but I’m renewing my acquaintance with Blue Peter (‘you might not know it’ 😂). We’ll take a packed lunch (remembered there was a loaf in the freezer) and I’ve got a £10 voucher so we’ll probably have a drink and cake while we’re there. And depending on the time Sis has okayed McD’s for tea.

HW done - no wins today.

Suffolk_lass

Ours is E-of-Eng Co-op but hopefully the same

Karmacat

It sounds a great day, madvix - and I really remember needing to okay what I did with my sister's kids on the odd occasion I was in charge.  Scary!  But since she's freely expressing her preferences, it will go wonderfully  

themadvix

Evening all,

We were out for 7 hours in the end today! Did not expect to be so well entertained, but apparently we were! Niece did most of the Easter trail activities twice (they were all self-supervised simple things, but perfect for all ages), we visited the farm (some parts twice), a bit of tree climbing, bunny hopping (yes, me too), playground playing, a brief tantrum when I said no to ice cream (as we'd already had a piece of cake each) and lots of walking. Back home just five mins before Sis came to collect. We all had McD's in the end but apart from Niece none of us got what we wanted and we weren't impressed - have told Sis to complain and see if she can get some money back (as I had success with that last time).

Absolutely shattered now!

newgirly

Sounds like the perfect Easter Day out 😊

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks NG, it was!

No work as such this morning, so I have been making the most of the sunshine. I have: cycled to collect some apples and a cuke from an Olioer, stripped bed done two loads of washing once the sun was high enough that we didn't need to use the grid to top up battery (battery is now topped up to 100% via sunshine), hung both loads on the line and cleaned our bedrooms windows (which were disgusting - much healthier in there now!). Next up is to tidy/clear the lawn and mow it, ideally front and back, but definitely back. Also going out again to collect some panini (entirely because it's a nice day really!) later - freezer was beginning to look empty again! I need to charge the car on solar, but currently my car is on the drive with a flat battery - apparently there's an extension for the charging cable though - just waiting for Mr MV to reply to tell me where it is! 

Car needs charging because it's annual vet visits this evening, so it will definitely be an expensive day! However, all budgeted for, so no impact on this month's spending per se. Also in need of a couple of bulk purchases - eco dishwasher tabs and shower gel/bodywash/handsoap (5l). I am glad I have the money for these tucked away (£10/month into a bulk purchases pot) as I have a feeling I won't be able to get anywhere near as good a deal on dw tabs as I did last time. Have found the shower gel on Ebay, just waiting for a reply from Sis as to whether we get one and split or take advantage of their multibuy offer and make it even better value.

Right, back outside now to enjoy the sunshine at last! (Lunch will be beans/egg on toast I think, to use up some naff bread in freezer; dinner masala carrots, depending on time, either with wild garlic naan (thanks R'ford!) or honey-flavoured flatbreads (or wg flatbreads, I suppose! Need yoghurt though either way).

themadvix

Have managed to charge the car almost completely (remember it only has a range of 20 miles), entirely from sun/battery (and battery back up to 91% and still charging (still making 1.17 kW - from a 3.2 kW array). Very happy with this! (Turns out, there was an extension cable for the 12v battery charger and Mr MV was expecting me to charge my car before moving it so I could charge the electric - I am very, very wary of this after an experience many years ago - he approved my connections though before I turned the charger on. So two cars charged!)

Have also mowed and strimmed front and back lawns (and recharged those batteries too), bought Niece an Easter egg and submitted receipt to TCB for credit for it (has already been credited while typing, brilliant!), bought Yeo yoghurt and 2pt organic milk (even with 70p off with Coop offers, this still came to £3.40! Egg bought elsewhere), collected the panini, enjoyed a custard tart and the end of my book in the sunshine in the garden, and topped up the cats' automatic feeder (no mean task as if aware of what's going on, 'help' is insistently given).

Am just about done now! And have claimed a quick job on the work platform too. Forgot to mention earlier that I won £50 this month on the premium bonds!

I think I'll use a couple of existing flatbreads from the freezer for our dinner. I've still got the wrangling of cats into carriers to achieve this evening and I'm worn out!

ETA: @Suffolk_lass, I decided against the hot x buns in our Coop - they just didn't look very appealing - so you must have special E of England ones I think!

EssexHebridean

Oh well done on your £50 TMV - I got nothing this month so glad to hear that somebody did OK! 

That's a great result from the panels too - although if the weather with you has been as good as we've had in London today I'm not surprised - it's been beating down here all day, and still is now - still just a faintly chilly wind but that doesn't bother the solar array does it! Looking at our forecast for tomorrow it might be a good thing that you've got so much out of the panels today mind you! 

Hope the vet visit goes OK and isn't too eye watering! 

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks EH - I am very pleased about both the win and the panels. And no, the wind, if anything, helps - cold temperatures make the panels more efficient!

Vet visit was an embarassment, but that was to be expected. A lot of dogs in the waiting room, which didn't help with stress levels. And £195 spent! This included a year's worth of worming tablets and a written prescription for B&W cat's flea tablets. However, the cat fees pot is now almost empty and I need to a) order the flea tablets (£65) I think I've got one more, so that can be put off til next month) and b) order Ginger's dry food (£60). We're not out completely yet, so that might have to wait until June if I can string it out that long. I've started contributing to the cat costs pot (previously I covered cat 'holiday' fees, while Mr MV did the other costs), but only recently, so it's going to take a while to build back up. It's meant to have enough for an emergency visit (consult and basic meds only, anything more and we'd claim on insurance) in there too, so I think we need to reconsider how much we're putting in there...

We didn't have masala carrots in the end, as I discovered that the veg in the fridge was suffering from not having been in the fridge for a couple of days so a) there weren't enough healthy carrots and b) other things needed using up too, so we had a stir fry, cooked by Mr MV while I was at the vets. Not sure about dinner for tonight yet - I'll need to have a look and see what we've got. 

Work is still quiet at the moment, so I'm going to go to the allotment this morning. I may get potatoes in, plus I must spread the other bag of compost. I'll take some of my dahlia stakes and may start getting them into the ground, but I'll need to take a drill, screwdriver etc. really, which without a car starts to be quite a bit to carry! I am also going to sow some seeds here too - it's about time and the forecast is now for no frosts (and they'll all be in the greenhouse anyway.

Collecting a couple of bits from my Olio friend too this morning - tin of tuna and some cinnamon sticks. My Olio collection tonight, so there'll be some bits from that too.

MS things:
* Clicks and HW done - no wins today
* YG survey
* 1P surveys - had forgotten this a bit over the last couple of days, but caught up now
* MM surveys - disqualified from both, but 5 points for screening out at least
* Chives I rescued from the patio last year are doing well and I'll plant them properly at some point
* Sis has okayed the multibuy offer, so will order the shower gel
* PA survey (about NFTs.... really? What a pointless waste of money!)

Gratitudes:
* A lovely day yesterday with the sunshine - it makes such a difference to my mood and productivity
* Ducks on the pond when I went to collect my afternoon Olio bits
* Actually getting the cats into the carriers wasn't too bad
* Mr MV cooked dinner

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Well, I'd done a nice timed plan for the day, a la Cheery, and then my main client has gone and sent me some work. Not complaining, but plans have had to be changed!