NST September 2022 Picture yourself on a boat on a canal

ditty1234

Today I want to extend my gratitude to my friends and family and colleagues who put up with me in general and in particular when I am trying to do things that time wise contradict  each other, extend extra gratitude to people who have put up with my commiserations on this tread and to just life in general for it's healing powers. I have been granted money to devote time and coaching for my creative practice and that is basically what I am grateful for. I just got the news tonight while I was out running and I feel it is the biggest accolade I have been granted for a pretty long time, so basically I will have to work extra hard for the next year, which is good. 
Hope everybody is well, I have benefitted from a day off decorating my hall way and buying ericaceous soil for my second hibiscus and a small acer. Ds2 cooked dinner. How good and exciting can life get. 

BadBookkeeper

Evening everyone.  Here is my update for today:

Simplify  - I emptied a pile of stuff from the bottom of a cupboard and put it all back tidy.  Started a charity bag and found 2 gift sets not sure whether to keep, regift or donate. 

Essentials - nothing spent today so that’s 2/15 NSDs.

Planning & Preparation- Roast chicken for tea tonight.  DS came home from a fab day at school and was delighted for a roast dinner!  We sat around the table which I’m sad to say we haven’t done for ages!! It was lovely.  Leftovers kept to make a chicken fried rice tomorrow.  

Think about spends - No spends today so didn’t need to think about it.  DH needed stuff for his car off eBay so used tcb, eBay code & cashback credit card and he transferred the money to my card to pay it off so hopefully saved/earnt a bit back. 

Eat to nourish - Quite healthy today, fruit & veg.  A proper meal for tea, drank water and no snacks. 

Mindfulness - Prepped veg before tea so could be fully present when ds came home from school to hear about his day.  Also only looking at phone when it pings rather than scrolling mindlessly!

Be kind - Offered support to best friend whose daughter went to uni & also offered ds friend a waffle this morning when called for him on way to school.  Being kind to myself I did tasks I dislike first in work so enjoyed the rest of the day. 

Exercise - Hmmmmm

Report daily - Done ✅ 

beanielou

Idee~I used to bulk buy colouring books & crayons or felt tips when my boy was wee
& bulk buy kids birthday cards!!

Thrifty_Taylor

Congratulations on your grant @ditty1234! Enjoy being creative 😍
@beanielou your 🐱 is gorgeous!
Lovely words/advice @grandmanerd, hope you rest up & feel better soon.

Counting today as NSD#4, stopped at the post office on my way to work to send 2 eboy sales signed for. Used my free stamps, but needing to pay 23p in addition, but using it from my sale prices, so not using my money.

Did a short exercise routine on utoob before breakfast. Accompanied a class to a nearby secondary school to attend an event by the annual science festival. Going again tomorrow with an older class. Never been in a planetarium before! The rest of the day went well. Decluttered the ironing pile when I got home, then shortened 2 pairs of jeans after tea. Some more planning for my upcoming sewing classes. Planning an early night with my new book 😍

Grateful for more sales, that folk aren't striking the next 3 days due to agreeing with the pay increase offer, a surprise school trip

weenancyinAmerica

beanielou - your cat looks gorgeous. Wish you lots of loving from her. My roommates have cats that I help take care of - but I currently don't have one of my own. I had two years ago and I miss them. They were a lot more loving than the current two.

apple_muncher

Ditty, fab news on the grant! Congratulations 🎉

hazeldreams

grandmanerd said:

Monday 5th September 2022
Apologies - started early, then got drowsy and slept for several hours this afternoon. Probably another bug as my temperature keeps shooting up.

Stay committed to your decisions but flexible in your approach (Tony Robbins)

Today
We are a part of the canal I'm not familiar with (might have visited one or two bits adjacent to the road but that was 45 years ago). We'll be passing through the six smaller flashes but not sure about the bit after that (I got my street map out yesterday but it's gone into hiding again.

Monday Mindfulness
One of the earliest exercises we did was one which I'm sure is familiar to many of you (it's come up in other things I've done in the past). You need a raisin (sultanas and other fruit can be used - oranges are popular).

First of all you look at the fruit (before picking it up). Then you pick it up and look at it more closely, examining all the ridges. Hold it up to the light, does the light highlight some features, does it shine through in places. Bring it up to your nose and sniff it (this brought back memories for me of all the wedding cakes I helped mum make, starting when I was 3 yo), How does the raisin feel , hold it between your fingers (I found I enjoyed playing with it rolling it in and out of my fingers). Put the raisin on your tongue but don't chew it. Let it rest on your tongue for a while then move it around your mouth, hold it against the roof of your mouth. Feel it melting against your tongue. Last of all savour it. eating it as slowly as you can.

I'm sure we've all eaten raisins before, probably grabbing a pinch from the pack and throwing them in our mouth, one quick chew and they're gone. This exercise teaches us to slow down, notice more about something commonplace. We frequently eat without really noticing our food, eating on the hoof in our busy lives or the mum special - eating standing up whilst cleaning up the kitchen (and then finishing off anything the kids have left on their plates). Eating slowly and without distractions is often suggested as an aid to eating healthily (we don't 'diet'), really notice your food and be more aware of when you have had enough and are pleasantly full but not stuffed.

Essentials
Budgets
A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went
Dave Ramsey Baby Steps
1   Save £1000 as an emergency fund 
2   Pay off all consumer debt (credit cards)
3   Save 3-6 months living expenses 

More tomorrow

LOVE THIS! Definitely going to try the raisin mindfulness exercise! And will remind myself to SLOW DOWN when eating - I'm conscious that I do hoover up my food! 

I also follow the Dave Ramsey baby steps and credit his teachings to how far I've come on my financial freedom journey, so I'd highly recommend him. I definitely am a 'Dave-Ish" kinda of person though (IYKYK!), rather than a staunch stickler to his "rules".

Really hope you feel better soon Grandmanerd. Thank you again for this challenge.

hazeldreams

Yesterday updates;

Gratitude - As grandmanerd reminded me; my family are thriving. This time last year, they weren't. I'm so proud of them and so grateful for how far they've come and how resilient they've become. I'm grateful for my morning routine. Up at 5.30am every day (bed at 9.30pm) really helps keep me balanced and centred. It also buys me 2 hours of "free time" just for me to do the things I love and put myself first; yoga, meditation, cuddles with my Prince (our dog!), journaling and updating this forum.

NSDs/ Pausing before purchasing We are doing remarkably well on this front. Lots of support from OH too on keeping costs down, which hasn't always been there in the past (he thinks I over think stuff, and I do, but it's part of my value system to leave a better financial legacy/education for my kids so they don't have to make the mistakes that we have in the past). Still on 3/10 NSDs as I did indulge in a choc bar to get me through the work day yesterday.

Yoga/Meditation nailed the yoga and meditation today and I've set timers on my phone to meditate at different points in the day

Eating and drinking just focussing on drinking 2L of water today. I've set reminders on my phone for this also. Starting small and hopefully going to build from there.

Hope everyone has a good day.

f0xh0les

Well done @ditty1234  getting grants for anything is not an easy process.  It is to be celebrated.

BadBookkeeper

@ldee2111 @rgos used to do 2 for £20 on £15 toys.  Maybe take a look there.  Craft things or Lego were usually a hit.  C@rd factory usually do 5 cards for £1 too although I’ve noticed t£sco now do cards for 25p if that’s any help.