NST NIFTY NOVEMBER

Esmeralda2662

Hi Grandmanerd, please could I join you and the gang for November? Thanks for the lovely set up and Kat story!

hazeldreams

Morning @grandmanerd, thanks for organising! Please can I join in too? Thanks!

DawnW

Me please @Grandmanerd

beanielou

Me please.

ldee2111

Me please @grandmanerd

ditty1234

Hi Can I join November pls :-)

Onmyway2

Can I join? I've been off the forum since before covid... First day back?

DrCarrie

Setting out my stall for NIFTY NOVEMBER

N   NO GUILT. NO 'shoulds', 'oughts' or 'have to's. - I am learning to not give up and throw the baby out with the bath water when I don't do what I planned to / give myself a hard time. Of course I have known this, but have not been implementing the successive approximation and gentle re-engagment!

I     IDEAL world, ideal celebration (no such thing). - I have decided that I am go off on day trips, with my Network railcards including just going a wander, taking a backup and having a coffee. 
  

F    FIRST pay off some debt or add to your savings: By the end of this month I will be paying off all my debt. 


T    THINK AHEAD - Ima getting very adept at meal planning and not wasting food. Pack-ups all the way for going into work. 

Y    YOUR HEALTH - I am following the Whole30 plan (it is a bit expensive) and am on a gentle exercise program that I have devised.

N    NOW - I am going to get a heated throw. 

O    Think about OTHERS. I am going to put a couple  of bits in the food bank,  basket at the Supermarket, and beauty bank at Sup3rdrug

V     Have the VISION - I am trying to be kind and accepting of a family member absenting themselves for fear of COVID. 

E    EVALUATE any home made presents. - mostly I have given up on homemade gifts, in the main. Ther are a few people that appreciate them so am sticking to them. 

M    MAKE  A LIST Check it twice. - Christmas present list will be starting and going to make the most Black Friday. 

B    BASICS - I think am Ok here.

E    EVERY DAY (where possible) check in and give us 3 things you are grateful/ thankful for

R    Read Rest Relax Recharge   

grandmanerd

November Challenge (Not setting out my stall, this is still a work in progress but some of yesterday's musings and a rough idea of the week ahead)
I'm starting early because I've bookmarked a few things and some need 31 days.

N No guilt, shoulds, oughts or maybes. I finally got to talk about my brother (he died 3 days after his 47th birthday) with a counsellor 2-3 years after he died and she said my contributions were full of S, O and M. There are a lot of things I'll be working on and I think I need to move all of them forward during the month. I don't want to set myself up to fail, so I'll cut myself (and you) a lot of slack but ultimately it comes back to the Organisation quote 'Being organised is about customising your whole world to work for you'. 

I  I'm thinking about what I need, long-term. I will be using some CBT techniques, planning a mix of routine, pleasurable and necessary tasks each day, not overloading my 'to do' list (that probably means having lots of lists written down but concentrating on just a few at a time). There will be days when getting from my bed to the bathroom and back is a struggle so I'll be using short cuts, back up and lots of little extras - I've been throwing cans toward the doorway as I finish them (in summer I dropped them through the open window) then when I get up to go to the bathroom I scoop them up and put them into the correct sack or bag. On my way back I scoop up any scraps of rubbish or paper recycling, grab something I need from a drawer (topping up pills, some paperwork to do) and whilst I'm trying to plan what to do whilst I'm in the bathroom - cleaning, tidying, mask and hose were done yesterday - forgot the mask but put washing up liquid in the special bowl, ran the water and put the mask in before getting back into (or on the) bed.

F  Need to sort a savings account.
Just looking at this week I have Art Therapy on Tuesday (check my library account and take books back). On Wednesday evening it's the All Souls service at mum's church (when we remember people who've died during the year). If I think I can manage on the bus, I could buy an all day ticket (£5 now thanks to Andy) and fit in some extra jobs (Morries for ys haul/ top up shop, get the 'C' trees and decorations from mum's cupboards and take them to the cs). Will also insist that DS3 stays indoors and away from police cars - I know I do the 'most dangerous week of the year for traffic accidents' speech every year but when you've seen your baby fly through the air and land 25 yards away before bouncing out of the pram body). Bus pass would help

Will be using up canned and dried goods and I may bake (that's on the list for sometime before the end of the year, maybe a tryout first to check on the usability on the very ood stocks). I have 2 people I want to write to (and 3 more who 'want to keep in touch' -aarghhh). I usually have cards done by the end of the month (used to deliver them over the first weekend in December and post the few that needed stamps).

Just to give you an indication of how far I've fallen, I just had a memory of being pregnant with DS1 (5-6 months). One of the groups I was involved with was trying to get an increase in funding (we're only talking £200 instead of £100) from the local Council. The Chair of the group thought we should send a card to each Councillor on the Committee (we had written a letter stating our case and approached some supportive Councillors to speak on our behalf). So, on a fine Winter's day I set off to walk to Lowton (3 miles north) to hand deliver cards from Lowton to Leigh, then another 4 miles to Atherton, back a bit, then across and up to the top end of Tyldesley and then back home with diversions from the main roads to venture down lanes and onto estates. 

Roughly 18 miles and I wasn't even out of breath (did have to nip into a field a couple of times to have a wee). I don't have a problem with not comparing myself to people on social media (I just think they're daft and wonder how 'bad' their lives are really, that they have to shout about what a brilliant time they're having all the time) but I do have to forget about the old me (just remember the lovely crisp winter day, didn't even have a coat on) and concentrate on being the best possible me now. Which may be pretty ropey all or most of the time which is why I need to set up systems and ways of doing things.

T Think ahead. I'm really bad at meal planning. I used to batch cook, portion everything and have a list of the freezer contents which were crossed off as they were used. I'm in a bit of a rut (when you're still using party recipes of the things you made for your wedding feast or a stew from a wholefoods leaflet you bought more than 40 years ago). Mum went off food in the last few months of last year and I mostly stopped cooking for just me (I'm better at spending money on other people than myself and I do better with household stuff if I'm taking care of others). This year's been a bit up and down (a lot up and down actually) but I need to take care of myself. I have an assortment of canned and dried beans and pulses so will try new recipes based on those. It's going to be a very 'trying' month - I'll try, will do my best to commit and any progress is better than staying just where I am now.

I'll give my thoughts on 'C' later in the week.

H  Health - more water, more veg, more 'long' walks (not sure how beneficial they are physically as I think you only start to burn calories after the first 20 minutes but they are clearing my mind and I'm enjoying sitting and looking around, noticing everything), more 'exercise' (on the bed exercises? start where you are?).  Weak sunshine suits me (it doesn't kick start the eczema) and I love being amongst trees. I've already started adding a couple of boxes of ibuprofen onto the deliveries and when I'm in a suitable shop. I'm prone to ice falls so will bring the salt back from mum's and get DS3 to bring the bins to the back door if it turns nasty. If the sore throat worsens I'll get out the pickles.

This bit may belong in thinking ahead (working from my jottings) but I'll be trying to do things sooner rather than later and as 'follow on activities'. I've just removed the 5 x 10 l metal buckets from the front room windowsill. When I can I'm going to clean the window bottom and do what I can with the window itself and then I'll set up all the cream and gold candlesticks and votives. One year I'd just painted and taken down the curtains for washing. I rehung the curtains and put up all the decorations (very early for me) just in the windowsill. One of the neighbours commented and I said "No going back, I was up the ladder (or possibly standing on the old sewing machine table) to do the painting and hang the curtains and thought I may as well do this as well".  I've had success before cleaning off a windowsill and then 'setting it' with only the things I want there. Simple tasks like washing up are much pleasanter if you have hyacinths and ivy to look at and smell.

O Others - I was thinking about doing the reverse advent calendar for the food bank again but setting up a standing order might be better. I am going to put a bag of loose change from the penny tin into my bag and start putting them into every collection tin I see. I also hope to throw a few RAKs around. I've already set up a heart shaped ring of fat balls for the birds and will throw handfuls of birdseed out too - in next door's yard (the one without a tenant, but a house full of furniture and opened tins of dog food and a yard full of rubbish despite my best efforts at reducing it) so if it attracts long tailed visitors they can stay next door. 

(break to have my shower, put mask ready to take to the bathroom next time, was going to ask DS3 to bring more drinks up but he's in bed asleep so will use the jug I brought up earlier in the week and start to get more water.

E  Evaluate hm presents. I haven't completed the cross stitch I started for the baby, or the woodland animal bunting I cut out (only just remembered the 'safe place' I put my much reduced stash of embroidery threads and only uncovered my sewing supplies last week (one of the bags that came from mum's but was never unpacked). Hobby stuff keeps being set aside in favour of more urgent stuff (bunting came off the urgent list when I was too ill to visit baby). Have one or two ideas but my main focus atm is not buying stashes of (felt, material, craft stuff) until I know what I can do - felt is easier to sew than material that needs all the seams finishing and much quicker than embroidery but until I know I can sew something that looks presentable, I shouldn't get carried away with all the beautiful colours and textures. I did buy the cardboard colour in and play igloo and rocket (because they were back to the acceptable price of £10 each, rather than £18 full price and I did get a discount - and there's a new points system to get reward vouchers). I have some token gifts for my adult children (DS3 and Beloved will get some housewarming stuff, when they move - just sweets for 'C' and DS3 is owed the equivalent of a 'trousseau' from about 5 or 6 'Cs' ago, plus a new kettle, DS2 needed one so I gave him DS3's). I need to get a couple more - think I'll get DS2 the Darth/ Leia cartoon book. Will wrap the presents so everything is ready when I see them.

M make a list, check it twice. I'm going to be going into list overdrive. Switching to A5 mid year diary. have my eye on a 17 month one (in a sale) that would last until the end of 2023 (think the current A5 hardback has lasted 6 months, it hid under a chest of drawers for 3) but will see how I get on and maybe buy the 17 month from mid 2023. Picked up a 'C' planner for buttons in Oxfam, so will use that to transfer all close relation info into from the falling apart one. I have some new notebooks (all bought at much reduced prices, one I was bought as a gift). My aim is to get down to one or two notebooks (one to be carried with me at all times) and use the others up for scribbles (working out puzzles, plotting art works etc). It's the only way to keep on top of my health goals, house repairs and renovations, last parts of mum's estate, finances, baby stuff, using things up, buying a place for them and moving them and all the day to day stuff plus assorted elephants and frogs. 

F  (I know I've missed V and F's come in from nowhere - it's musing okay, we go where the spirit takes us). Going to use the Flylady beginner steps and I believe there's a guide for having everything ready for 'C' by the end of November. I have some other 31 step guides as well, must carry on getting rid of excess possessions (using existing techniques that work - like the 5 minutes maintenance tasks from Clutter Fairy and new lists, for looking at things again). 

B Basics I have stamps (still using mum's and the ones I bought (it was one of the things I asked people to buy for mum as gifts but in January I bought more because I needed them every 5 minutes), Batteries, don't think I need them but have put some aside for DS3 and Beloved's useful box. Some extra grooming will be required (threading) but will combine that with buying this month's puzzle book (due on the 10th - 13 issues a year so every 4 weeks and gets a little nearer to the start of the month each time). Will consider what to do with my hair (I'm liking it a little bit longer on top and If I keep going to the hairdresser in the mall, I might just have the sides and back cut back into shape) - all mall together.

Daily check in and gratitudes (of course) and you'll be pleased to know I have some quotes ready and waiting - must spend some time getting all my pins in order (I give in to the computer's suggestions after a while and it has occasional funny turns). Rest, Read, Relax, Recharge. Work through CBT and Mindfulness courses and incorporate into my daily life. Explore DBT (long-term to CBT's short-term, dealing with current crises) and add in drops of wisdom from previous counsellors.

Right, find the antiseptic cream and other morning requirements, eat breakfast, start by writing some things into mid year diary and decluttering old ood lists and notebooks. Aiming to do 3 main shops (delivered) once every 10 days but not sure when the first one will be.

Grateful for clarity of thought (was tangled balls of wool before), giving things away and moving on (to my new and better life)

lcc86

Setting out my stall now for November. Am actually off on a city break tomorrow so I won't be posting until the weekend but I need to hold myself accountable.

N   NO GUILT. NO 'shoulds', 'oughts' or 'have to's. I often beat myself up, usually around overeating or not exercising enough. I need to keep moving because of my arthritis but it's about striking the right balance.

I     IDEAL world, ideal celebration (no such thing). I'm not one for grandiose gestures, and I just enjoy the small things in life. As bizarre as it may seem I'm really enjoying my non-working day once a fortnight, a day to just relax and do what I want to do. Definitely needed as work is stressful overall.

F    FIRST pay off some debt or add to your savings, live on what is left. Set your Budgets and stick to them - all done. Holidays are budgeted for separately so shouldn't impact things. No debt as cleared a small amount off my cc last month so it's about saving for me. It feels good to be in that position after many years of struggle!

T    THINK AHEAD Meal plan based on things you already have in (main meals and lunches to work). I'm pretty good at meal planning, I always have a good plan including lunches. Its OH who likes to throw a spanner in the works by coming home with takeaway randomly!

Y    YOUR HEALTH is important. Definitely! Living with a long-term health condition means I have to prioritise movement and exercise. Food-wise I'm generally quite good but chocolate is my weakness!

N    NOW The first week after the clocks go back has more accidents than any other week in the whole year. I bought a hi-vis cover for my bag when I'm cycling and have enough lights to look like a Christmas tree.

O    Think about OTHERS. I do have regular donations but also got a letter through from Crisis, I usually donate to their Christmas campaign so will prioritise that.

V     Have the VISION to understand that other people choose to celebrate in different ways, or not at all. Will do. 

E    EVALUATE any home made presents. I'm the least crafty person so I won't be making anything!

M    MAKE  A LIST Check it twice. I have my to do list on my phone.

B    BASICS I have a relatively good routine and reminders on my phone to deep clean certain things so hopefully have this covered!

E    EVERY DAY (where possible) check in and give us 3 things you are grateful/ thankful for - with the exception of my breaks I will do my best!

R    Read Rest Relax Recharge - here's hoping! Need to read more, that's fallen off a cliff in the last couple of months.