Mortgage Free now aiming for FIRE

daisy_1571

Oh wow, that looks fabulous there

TallGirl

Thanks daisy_1571 I am pleased I asked my mum her spare room/office is so much nicer now and she has decluttered a lot something she needed to do even after downsizing so it is all good. 

We had the meeting about the land yesterday and it was really good. Turns out the guy who owns all the land and is selling it is actually the dad of our neighbour. I did do a double take when next door turns up (I knew he was coming to the meeting) and says I am just waiting for my dad. Well makes sense son built his house when the land was first developed. Anyway turns out dad is nice and suggests we purchase not only the back of our house but also half of the strip behind the little road that leads to our house. The other half can go to our new neighbour who as it turns out has bought rather a lot of the land so at least we now know we will only ever have one house next to us which is kind of nice after being annoyed about his driveway being right in front of ours.

So buying this extra bit means there will never be an access road to the plots at the top of the development (if they ever sell) they would have to use the other road by the other neighbours. Hope you are still following! It would mean there would be more space in front of our pool bar although we would have to cut the hedge down to really see the benefit but at least it would mean we could keep that area tidy instead of it being wild as it is now. It is fair compacted might have something on it ready for paving I think (all the roads are paved) so it is also ideal for parking plus it means we can access the new land from there instead of our garden.

On another small update front you know I am trying to find a unit to make a barista bar in my dinning room/kitchen. I have a lovely black slate top from a free coffee table my sister found for free we used for a few weeks. It measures 124cm x 80cm and will fit perfectly in the corner by the dinning table. I wanted to find a second hand unit to put it on top off but have not been able to as they are all more than 120cm or too narrow (40cm usually). So I used AI and actually it got me an answer. Why not use under kitchen country tops. The are 60cm x 60cm so two would make the perfect size. Now we are having the half wall in the kitchen pulled down and more units added to the front for me to store all my glass so would make sense to wait but I am actually keen to get my barista set up sooner so we shall see. Should be possible to source kitchen cupboard second hand anyway. 

Anyway best get on with some work

TallGirl

Morning Thursday and my last day for the week god I could get used to this and there is more to come as I need to take another 4 days off so I am not left with any leave before I leave so to speak. Happy days so glad I bought that extra 3 weeks its worked really well. 

I have booked my flights to go to the conference in November £90 so not too bad then £33 train here and £20 train in the UK. Work pays for the rest of the trains and I will get 2 nights in a hotel and one staying with my pal from from (I get to see her dog too). Just need to book one more train journey but work pays so that can wait a bit. 

My sister phone yesterday from a clothes shop with a dress with a rip in it. Could I help sew it before she needs to wear it Saturday. It was lovely to be able to help so glad I moved she is coming over later so we can fix it. Luckily DG had bought me a set of bobbins with thread on them that was actually the wrong size but the cotton itself is fine so we should have a colour that matches. 

Tomorrow we need to work on the business and I also need to clean the house. I would like to get some more gardening done going to get more compost at the tip. With all the building work there is definitely scope to take some soil if I need it it is right across the road but actually the soil here looks slightly sandy but very like loam with no stones. Also in terms of compost they still have peat here so it is so much better. They have huge peat bogs and speaking to people they are not worried about them running out and I hate peat free compost sorry to those who might find that offensive. 

Got my latest Shein order and it was all the stuff for Halloween. The mist things for the caldron are so cool just perfect and they change colour DG loved them. We are going to Ikea to collect the TV cabinet for the bar and the curtain track hopefully the curtains we have seen will work (might even get a pair for the guest bedroom) and then look at rugs. With wooden floor every where and tiles in the kitchen dinner rugs are a real must not that I miss the carpets. More cost I know but at least it is Ikea. I do have expensive taste I know so if something is fine in IKEA I know the price is ok. Here you get the cost of a meal refunded if you eat in the café and spend over £80 on stuff in the shop. Well we are likely to do that so free meal for us tonight. Shop closes at 7pm and we have a call with friends at 7.30pm so cannot hang around. 

Almost sorted with the trip back in late Nov. We have 1 month in London with friends, two night in hotel with DGs work (she is paying) and then 2 nights at friends in Essex. We need two night before work trip and 3 nights after plus the last night which I think we will go to Brighton as it is easy for Gatwick the next day and our favourite hotel is only £50. The friends we are speaking to might be able to put us up otherwise we are going to ask if we can rent her mums static on a caravan park. If we had that for the whole week even with the trip away two nights it might work out ok. We do also have another friend we can defo stay with pre work trip so actually only 3 night we need to find now. I hate relying on friends but this is a longer trip and I need to work a bit the first 2 days then I am off. 

Final expense is a ferry ticket I think we might take the car over as it is not much more as we would have to park and then get busses and hope for lifts this is more flexible. 

Right my meeting is in 30min so best get on with some work. 

TallGirl

Spoke to our friends last night it was really nice as we missed them both in September when we were over. We now have a plan for the whole time we are in the UK just need to book the final hotel in Brighton. Our friends mum has a static caravan and we will rent that for the whole week we are over. She will charge mates rates and it really is the perfect solution even though we are also paying for a hotel elsewhere for two nights it will work out much better. It will be a bit of a way to get a taxi from the Christmas do but for the friends house it will be fine. We can also cook ourselves staying in the mobile home and there is a Lidl next door so will work out very well. I am starting to look forward to it now that it is all booked and it can be a bit of a holiday as I am only working 2 days at the start then I am leaving work altogether. Will also be lovely to see everyone again and enjoy the things I have missed such as sausage rolls from the place that starts with a G their donuts are not bad either. Also miss cheddar cheese we can get it here but it is pricey. Sausages and of course MacD breakfast

We were going to Ikea yesterday but just as we were about to set off they annulled our order. There were no more in stock of the curtain rail or the draws for the projector so it was not worth going. I did eventually get to speak to them and you have to collect on the day or select the day you wish to click and collect which I did not know. The items should come into stock tomorrow onwards so can go over the weekend. So annoying though. Missed out on my free meatballs but we did cook a nice meal using stuff from the last fruit and veg TGTG.

Fixed my sister dress and we had lunch together which was really nice. The house was so dirty I really should have cleaned it but I will do that today. I have a work call at 9.30 for just over an hour and then the rest of the day is mine. I have picked up a new project and the person I am working with has battled for 19 months to make changes needed to the organisation without any progress. He was so relieved when I told him what I do and can do so we are cracking on today as the person I need to help me is on leave next week so it makes sense. I have bunked off a lot lately so I really do not mind. I will also be doing something for the business after that. 

We do need stuff from the shops so will go up there when they open it is currently still dark so might have to take the car even though it is only a 5 min walk but the path is really wet after all the rain. 

I did book a bit more leave yesterday and cancelled one but I still need to book more but that should not be a problem. Right going to do some work and breakfast when the shop opens cannot have slimfast without ice. 

TallGirl

How did that weekend go so quickly! We did Ikea Saturday and many other shops so it was an expensive day out but we got everything. 

Our Ninja blender which we use everyday was starting to annoy me and move  about a lot so you could not just leave it to do its thing. We need a blender in the pool bar (for cocktails) so made sense to buy a proper one for the kitchen and then move the old one over there. Went to the shop we have credits in (you get cashback when you shop there) and found the one I have researched which was similar to what we had. So we now have one with not only 1 but 2 cups which means we can both drink out of those and not have to decant the Slimfast (we have different flavours) so saves washing up 2 extra cups and lids. There is also a larger blender cup with it which means we can make smoothies in go (we have the same flavour) so that saves time. So there we go £155 on that, then £46 on gifts for a friend plus something for us we nearly bought a better toaster but forgot to go back for it. Then onto IKEA, £608 later plus £15 I had to run in when we forgot the curtain rings and also £37 on an awful meal and they do not give it back now like they used it so not free. We did also go for a drink in between the shops which was much needed and meant there was no arguments when we both got grumpy. 

Ikea on a Saturday in the UK is hell but actually here it is quite calm and there was loads of staff around so got one guy to help us with designing the units. Forgot to say on the way there we took a wrong turn and drove past the kitchen shop that sells the units our kitchen (bathroom and wardrobes) are from. Seemed a shame not to pop in so we did and someone will call me and arrange a homevisit to see what they can offer. Now I think they are super expensive to use but they can give us an idea if what can be done. I did look in Ikea but they do not seem to do much wood and I really want wood with glass and there was nothing like that. I want to show off my glass collection. 

Sunday we were meant to play golf but the weather was awful plus it took so long to get the Ikea stuff sorted and built. I got the curtains up in the guest bedroom but I do need to hang 4 and not just 3 plus shorten them. I also need to make a seat cushion for the toy box that is in there. We put out pink chair in there and got a new green bed set from Ikea it now looks so so nice with the pale pink curtain. I also put up our old black mirror. We might not need to paint now the pictures have been moved. Maybe a rug would be nice but they are so so expensive or all boring colours over here. We did get a huge one in Ikea for the pool bar which was natural straw like and its lovely but heavy. Fits nicely. We still need to fit in the curtain rail by the entrance but the TV unit for the projector and the retro station for the records and record player is up. It looks really nice (Eket). 

Anyway must get on with some work

Watty1

Just caught up. Glad all is going well, and, love that chest.  It looks stunning

TallGirl

Thanks Watty we were going to upcycle it but now we know its history and how well it goes with our sofa, rug, lithographic prints etc it is staying as it is might just treat the top with some wax to protect it. 

The IT guy has arrived to complete the internet he started in August so that will be nice. He is such a find still no idea what his final bill is but it is great to have him if we need him. Vital when you work from home with deadlines sometimes. 

We did not make it to the gym yesterday but we did get a bit further in the bar and its now ready to fit the curtain rails and try our projector and screen. Finally got this far its been a while since I gave her it for her birthday in May. 

Just done the monthly click and collect shop £170 but we are having the big Halloween Party on Friday with the family. We have devised a few games so there will be stuff to do as well. Also a cocktail of the night plus dinner but that will be in the main house. 

Work is really quiet now but I do have one project that really interesting so that is quite handy. I do need to start on my handover notes and make sure I save everything I really need to keep of my own documents. Got a few meetings today and we want to pop out to the gym and get a few bits from the shops plus go to the tip. I can also get some more compost and some stones to edge my new bed. 

I need to dig out the old to do list I think a lot has been done but more to add. 


 

TallGirl

Top do
Lengthen lounge curtains need material first or buy new and use material to make cushions with
Paint back wall in our bedroom green
Paint wall in guest bedroom pale pink
Fit 4th set of curtains and shorten them in Guest bed room 
Make a cushioned seat cover for the toy box 

Garden jobs:
Pack away garden furniture - moved chairs into shed and managed to put two covers on the table. 
Strim edges
Make new raised bed out the front where there is "wild" flowers now - in progress
Cut down flower heads  - progress almost done
Mulch (get freebie compost from tip). (I miss my estate) - still need more

Shopping
Source unit for coffee station kitchen guy coming next Tuesday we might do that instead of recycle. 
Curtains ain guest bedroom - ordered online for small one DONE
Rug for pool bar. Ordered a smaller version if it is nice we might get the bigger one. Smaller version is rubbish so back to the drawing board. DONE got in IKEA
Shower curtain other bathroom DONE it is lovely even if too short DONE got fab one in Ikea right lenghth
Clothes airer for heated shed DONE
Hang up clothes line in carport. 
Buy paint for main bedroom and guest bedroom. 

TallGirl

Just spent my lunch break looking at holidays god that is such a nice distraction. We are paying for my sister to come to Türkiye with us to say thanks for all she has done for my dad and it is also her 50th birthday present. Nearly got sucked into booking TUI Blue Adults only but found a smaller adults only that was over £500 cheaper the price. We go all inclusive so if the good is boring you can always go out where as if you go posh you don't feel like you can as you have paid so much. 

Hopefully my sister is happy with it and we can get it booked. 

TallGirl

Morning just looked at a few more and the more expensive ones are nicer so currently at £1000 per person thats £190 more than the cheap on but this one is on the beach, close to town so I think it will be the winner. We can't upgrade to sea views but it should still be really nice. 

Did not make gym yesterday or this morning but I am early at work so that is a good thing. We did play around with the new screen in the pool bar after the IT guy had left. Bill for IT is £2500 which I think it cheap considering how many days he spent on it. It works so well and looks really good so no complaints there. Still waiting for electrician to get back to us so might have to chase him but I have seen him once at the building site next door so he may be busy but wish he would get in touch. 

We have also come up with a gallery wall that gets all of DGs signs up. It actually looks really cool it just needs hanging up now. The fridge is now in place so we can see where the curtain rail shall go. It will just about fit if we shorten it a bit and add that bit to the otherside (it is a corner). I think it will make a massive difference. Back to the new screen well that is a super bloody hassle as they had not delivered 3 of the items you need to put it together. So you have to built an inner frame first and those fixings are completely missing. Then you attach the fabric with small bungee like fixings and then an outer frame. You cannot touch the screen or get mess on it so have to cover the entire floor to keep it clean. I am sure we can do it but not easy when it came incomplete. Hopefully they will reply soon DG has written to them. 

The soft launch of the bar is on Friday so collecting a click and collect order today and then I need to marinade the chicken ready to put it in the slow cooker tomorrow. Right work it is just posting the updated to do list as it helps me. 

To do
Chase electrician
Lengthen lounge curtains need material first or buy new and use material to make cushions with
Paint back wall in our bedroom green
Paint wall in guest bedroom pale pink
Fit 4th set of curtains and shorten them in Guest bed room 
Make a cushioned seat cover for the toy box 

Garden jobs:
Pack away garden furniture - moved chairs into shed and managed to put two covers on the table. 
Strim edges
Make new raised bed out the front where there is "wild" flowers now - in progress
Cut down flower heads  - progress almost done
Mulch (get freebie compost from tip). (I miss my estate) - still need more

Shopping
Source unit for coffee station kitchen guy coming next Tuesday we might do that instead of recycle. 
Curtains ain guest bedroom - ordered online for small one DONE
Hang up clothes line in carport. 
Buy paint for main bedroom and guest bedroom.