Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2

savingholmes

Thanks Jwil and Merlin

Had an easyish day today. WFH. Ate some ice cream in the garden looking at my pond and waterfall, enjoying the sun.

Saw my counsellor. Then topped up on food and watched Gr*ys.

Off to bed now. Have a lovely day tomorrow. Find a way to add some fun to your life... Make time for play.

savingholmes

My counsellor yesterday pointed out how much my home had improved - and how little clutter was there now compared with what was there before. It's not done - but it's more manageable. A bit like I did with money - I therefore need to update my image of myself as a complete clutter freak or hoarder - as I've come ever such a long way. That was really encouraging. I could see for myself as I showed her photos. She also cautioned about spending too much time decluttering versus playing. She wants me to use my newly set up art room even if it doesn't yet have a place for everything. Radical thought.

I opened the door of the room the other day a) to help let the paint smell out and b) as I remembered I tend to forget what's available behind a closed door. My target this weekend - other than seeing wider family and a possible house - is to do some art related play. I was telling the counsellor - I'd never really used the room in all the time we'd owned it as it had rarely stayed decluttered long enough. My more recent memories are of Ex sleeping in it. I have repainted the room recently and it looks a lot different. It has my stand and sit desk in there. When I've finished sorting out my craft supplies - and hopefully kept them along one wall only - I'm hoping I'll have space to also practice yoga in there - and you know - actually do it!

For now though I need to dash off and get dressed and teeth cleaned for a 9am video call. Then DD has a medical appointment I need to help her with. Busy, busy.

jwil

Great advice from your counsellor.  All sounds great!

Flossymuldoo

Wow, your new art room sounds perfect little sanctuary.  I hope you make time for some arty play this weekend.

I need to do the same. But since working from home my craft room has also become my office so I get less pleasure going in there these days. I need to work on what i need to do to encourage me to get in there for fun. I miss my creative pursuits 

Starlight_at_Sea

This is really helpful advice SH, thanks for sharing. I also don't update my mental image of myself even when things have changed a bit, I still feel like a young, broke, bewildered newly single relatively newly parent inside. Since those days I have nurtured DD into a happy and successful early adulthood, bought not just one but now two homes, and weathered many a storm. I've seen enough of life not to get so nervous about glitches that come along. I should remember that a bit more I think! 

Looking forward to hearing about your crafty play! 

Merlin's_Beard

This is why you pay the counsellor the money!

savingholmes

Thanks Jwil, Flossy, Starlight and Merlin

It's nice you all get it - and glad if it's also helped some of you for me to write about it.

DD's appointment went well and she got the outcome she wanted. It messed up my work day but worth it for her.

I treated myself to some MnS cake, sausages and baps for tea... I've pretty much given up on my budget this month and will reset on payday and see where things are at!! I get p1p Tuesday so could be worse. I've just ordered a £25 dress from R0man on Am**** as well.

I decided to be an adult and fix a dress today. My cleaner accidentally threw away the bikini style cord that was supposed to form a laced up back to a dress - so I went to HC and bought a couple of metres of very soft cloth like ribbon. Think almost t-shirt material soft. I'm just hoping it works now. In theory I bought twice as much as I needed, if it works though I'll wear the dress tomorrow to a family celebration. I've not been able to wear it for a couple of years as it needed fixing but I never got around to it. Better still I went to HC and because it's been my birthday I got a free £5 off - so got the ribbon free - and most of 2 tubes of paint... I had to laugh at the paint (since I've recently stocktaked but heyho) - it's in a colour I have very little of - so despite my paint overflow situation it made use of the whole £5 voucher and I only had to put a pound to it and came away with 3 items.

I also bit the bullet and sorted out my BB. It was due to rise to £43 a month but they offered me a 'customer deal' of £27. I found a better deal from them on here - and they agreed to match it. They are giving me a £100 credit to reduce the cost to more like £21.50. Not bad for a short phone call. I do however have to give up my landline - but given all I get on there is pretty much spam calls I won't be too sad about that. I'm not quite sure when the 18 month contract kicks in from - if its changeover day or from today given the cost is lower but I guess I'll find out in a few weeks.

Night all - enjoy your weekend.

skint_spice

Well done on the BB.

mark55man

I agree about the landline - we still have one, but the phone broke leaving only the answerphone - 90% of callers don't leave messages and the 10% that do we get to pretty quickly!!.  Maybe next time we renew we will bite the bullet and do without completely - but not quite there yet mentally having had the number for 30 years

savingholmes

Thanks Skint and Mark.

I woke up today thinking about my garden - and the need to create under-planting in the back garden - to increase the 'cottage' feel. I think if tomorrow's viewing is a bust - I'll divert some of my savings towards that instead. Ex frowned on all my spending on the garden and never saw the value in it. I want to stop hearing that negative voice in my head (which TBF was partly linked to over-spending in general) - and create even more beauty. I have the trees and bushes side of things - but want to incorporate more flowers. I need to buy some special pots for the pond and pond gravel etc and plant up the plants I bought last weekend. That is due to give me white, purple and red flowers.

I am still blessed in the back garden - my smoke bush is flowering, as is my red robin, red azalea (just finishing), rhododendrun (purple and red now ending), aquilegia finishing, yellow honeysuckle and weigela finishing. Deep pink roses in full flow. Strawberry plants turning from flower to fruit. Pink geraniums. Some flowering peas and potatoes. Lavender in flower. I've also got a spirea plant which the bees love with golden yellow leaves and pink flowers. But when they stop - I have very little left to come. I have a pink spikey flower left - but want to try and spread that more around the garden - that too is a bee magnet.

In the front garden I have lavender, sea holly about to flower and some bedding plants. I have a fuschia that hasn't really fully opened yet. Later in the year I'll have pink and purple hibiscus out the front. I have a cistus in full flow producing multiple flowers a day. I also have my new white hydrangeas by the door. I may try and find room for another flowering bush or two. I like how little effort they take and how resistant they are to the slugs and snails. If they are evergreen - even better.

I'd like to plant more summer flowering plants - michelmas daisies, foxgloves, coreopsis, astilbe, love in a mist etc. My parents have agapanthus - which I'd love so may see if someone will dig me some up while I'm at the event today.