Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2

savingholmes

LadyWithAPlan said:

I read recently about buying standalone  kitchen units like dressers etc as they are often much better made and cheaper as not bespoke - so 
That may not be a look you like but it’s definitely something I am considering 

I am planning to view 2 flats this week - first time in over a year 

Thanks LWAP Looking at the prices last night that approach makes sense. That's what the current owner did in her kitchen. I have stuff I could use for that already and am likely to do that while I weigh up my options.

Good luck with the flat viewings.

savingholmes

Thanks Beanie

I went to bed around 1am and didn't wake up properly until just before 12. Must have needed it. I started my new meds this week - but they are such a low dose they didn't feel like they did anything. Must try and take at least one today. They are a twice a day one this week - which doesn't work for me at all. It's hard enough remembering to take one morning medicine when I normally just have evening ones.

Looking through the books the cleaner left on the couch - they are my favourites so I can see why I have them. For the ones I am willing to let go - I will offer to family first and then look at sell/donate. I've just remembered there are plastic crates (with lids) of older books in the shed - need to bring them in and go through them at some point too. They will be more challenging as they are from childhood and/or early marriage I think. 

I've found some that look like new that I could use as gifts at Christmas which will be handy. Including a gift for my favourite person at work and a token present for DD's boyfriend. I may give some of the book sets to my nephews at Christmas. I have a leaning towards kids books age 10-12 so that could work out well.

I'm expecting to keep up to a quarter of these books. 

The lawn looks so much better today - glad I did it last night.

Hope you are all having a good day where you are.

MovingForwards

Totally wait until you're in and settled for buying items, what you want now might not be the right thing 6m later.

Great idea using the books as gifts. Do you have 3 boxes to mark up as keep, gift and sell/donate. Saves resorting everything.

Tahlullah.H

The cattery is amazingly cheap.  I used to pay £120 for 8 days, but they were exceptional, in my opinion.  The cat run overlooked the chickens outside.  The insides were heated and they uploaded photos onto their web page every day so you could check kitty was ok.

Merlin's_Beard

I Tahlullah.H said:

The cattery is amazingly cheap.  I used to pay £120 for 8 days, but they were exceptional, in my opinion.  The cat run overlooked the chickens outside.  The insides were heated and they uploaded photos onto their web page every day so you could check kitty was ok.

I used to use a cattery like that, except my cat was also looking mardy, sat in an igloo, trying to ignore everyone!

Definitely second the holding off on buying anything until you've lived in the space - what I want now after a year is not necessarily what I thought I wanted 12 months ago.

savingholmes

Thanks MF, Merlin and Tahlullah

It was the cheapest cattery by far.

Sis wants most of my books that I have sorted so far so all good. Put some straight in charity bag. Will keep some.

Rested and listened to a story a lot of today. Having DD and her Partner over for dinner tomorrow so went to Mr A. Got lots of ys food about 25 per cent off as dated tomorrow. Shoved most in freezer already.

Love my new lamp. This was in the kiddie's section.

KajiKita

That is beautiful 😊 Well found! 👏

KK

Blackcats

Lots of progress being made.  Giving the books as gifts is a lovely idea.  I think books are very hard to let go.  I recently scanned some of mine into zi ff it and was outraged by their measly price offer.  I'd rather give them to a charity shop.

savingholmes

KajiKita said:

That is beautiful 😊 Well found! 👏

KK

Thanks I love it.

Blackcats said:

Lots of progress being made.  Giving the books as gifts is a lovely idea.  I think books are very hard to let go.  I recently scanned some of mine into zi ff it and was outraged by their measly price offer.  I'd rather give them to a charity shop.

I had a similar experience a few years ago. Yes on the whole I'd rather give mine to a CS too where family don't want them. At least with the sis I'm giving the books too - I already know she likes them as I lent her most of them previously. She now has 3 growing offspring who may read them at some point too.

DD and her partner came over. It went well. We swapped house stories as they are busy making (Ex's place) their own. Lovely garlic chicken, roasties and veg followed by meringues, fruit and ice cream. I gave her some dust sheets, a tape measure and some masking tape to take away with her. I've also lent her a step stool but will need it back. I may buy myself a new one - as it was very paint spattered! I seem to be her laundress at the moment - as there's a washing machine at her new place but no dryer. At least it's temporary. They want me to go over and help paint at some point. I've said sure - but will need them to come and help at my new place too. They are in a 3 bedroom house and plan to repaint all but one room. At least the kitchen is relatively new and neutrally decorated.

I am probably keeping  a third of the books I found in my little search of the house - and giving sis about half and letting charity have the remainder. I still need to go through the books in the shed but not in the mood for that right now. I love my HP books but considering letting them go - given I have the films digitally, the books on K and on Audio. I may give those to my other sis with young kids.

I am however keeping all my hand written and hand decorated journals - so don't think I'm now super minimalist. I'm just letting go of things that are easy enough to re-buy if I want them again in future. Other than anything I gift my cleaner - I'm also planning to keep all my art supplies. I will look at what few tools I have to see if I have any duplicates I can give DD but I don't have much so will probably keep most.

Last night I realised I still have boxes of stuff in my built in wardrobes. I will investigate what's in them but they are mostly keepsakes from when my kids were little I think or even books from my childhood. I think any books in there are likely to be rarer due to age so I am more likely to keep those.

savingholmes

I did the dishwasher twice today. Did DD's washing and drying and few some of my bits in too. Finally put the rest of the outdoor cushions in the garage - having stripped off the covers and put them in the washing machine for next time I put it on. Also groomed the cat some more (roll eyes). Listened to a story.

I took some books from the shed and added them to a pile for my Mum. That pile together with a few from yesterday now has 20-30 books in it. So definitely making progress. The one for my sis - is probably closer to 50.

I want to make myself keep tackling tasks towards moving say four times a week - so I avoid leaving it all to the end. I plan to gradually move all the stuff I'm planning to take with me from the shed and into the garage so there's less risk I'll forget it. I plan to keep looking for opportunities to give stuff to family/others - so I only take what I genuinely need with me. I also want to gradually start packing say my summer clothes - in some of the nice new 1k3a boxes I bought so I have again started that process.

I played with paint tonight - finished a realistic version of a hare - and a more abstract childlike one. So proud of the first - but the second was a lot more fun. Skills definitely improving. It also showed me how much progress I'd made just messing with paint and having fun over the last few years. Nothing is wasted.