NST: February 2023 Freedom

f0xh0les

NSD 6 today I think.  Did not spend today, and did not spend yesterday.   39p 1tsu pot (rice)noddles are perfectly acceptable lunches and only 208 cal. Thank you Herr Ron! Same again tomorrow.

Perversely, all I want to be doing is cleaning the house but as I am working 7.30am - 8pm I will wait until Friday - I did put the bins out though, so that will have to suffice for today.

Esmeralda2662

Hi Turtles, sorry I've been AWOL so far this month. I've enjoyed following your journeys and reading your news.

@Thrifty_TaylorI hope your DH is ok and the hospital are getting him sorted out. X

I had Covid in January which left me feeling down then caught a horrible cold which has still not gone.

Employers paid me 60% of my wages for my time off with Covid as we don't get sick pay. Was very pleased as I didn't expect it and my wages would have been very low.

OH and I took his friend for a pub lunch  and we had a nice couple of hours chatting and eating. Used some vouchers up for the food so just paid for drinks. (His friend has been suffering with his mental health. He couldn't work since Christmas and had no food or heating. OH took him shopping a few times to get food but also spoke to doctor to get social services, benefits and food bank involved. OH helps him but he's now in the system and receiving care and has found a church club to go to for a breakfast and additional support).

OH and I celebrated Valentine's Day yesterday as he is working tonight and tomorrow night. It was nice to celebrate during the day. He admitted he hadn't remembered till he popped in the express SM to get some milk!

Due to collect my glasses last Thursday and have my hair cut last Saturday but had to rearrange both due to my cold. Be glad to tick both things off this week.

Toilet roll holder fell in half and now towel ring has fallen to bits. They were here when we moved in 12 years ago so probably worn out. Just annoying when everything starts going at once! 

NSD#4. Grateful for work paying me what they did, OH's friend getting more help, seeming a bit better and enjoying his steak, and OH giving me a lovely Valentine's card.

Best wishes to you all x

beanielou

Take care @apple_muncher xx

facethemusic

NSD 7. 
I've sorted out more clothes, so the pile to be donated has grown and the wardrobe looks much better- not sure why I still had some of the clothes as I've not worn them in years. Might move on to the drawers next- how many pairs of pyjamas does 1 person need? 
Bedding changed, washed + dried- finished it off in the TD but won't (hopefully) be long before a day on the line is enough. 
Not sure I'm going to get 2 books of my own choosing read, but will definitely finish the 2 I am currently reading to DD so I might have to count those 😂. They are good books so not a disaster if they are my only books for the month, and 1 is new to me as well as DD. 

Thrifty_Taylor

Sending hugs @apple_muncher. Hope things improve for you soon x

NSD#9
Yoga done, hung washing out, custer dropped sewing off, hoovered & cleaned the bathroom, then set off immediately for a walk. Halfway round my 5 mile circuit, I stopped to pin a lady into a dress (planned appointment, didn't grab some stranger off the street & stick pins in her!!🤣), thought her dress would be in a bag, but no, it was a suit bag! So carried that round the other half of my walk. Got a couple of strange looks when I did pass anyone - walking in the countryside with a suit bag over my arm!! 😂 Saw lots of snowdrops near a tree, & some glorious yellow crocuses, they made me smile.

Did 2 large sewing jobs, then after tea, did the ironing, collected my car from the garage (needing an expensive part apparently, but ok to drive) & dropped DS3's GF home. 

Grateful for a spring like day, beautiful flowers, a huge flock of birds on the electricity wires, getting sewing done (3 big bags out the bedroom), a 3bay sale

Thanks again for your well wishes re: DH, I'm taking him to the airport in the morning for him to see his specialist in Aberdeen 🤞

Dfw38

Huge hugs @apple_muncher 🤗.
I am glad your dh's friend can access some support @Esmeralda2662, that must be a horribly stressful experience to go through. He is very lucky to have friends like you guys, who can help him and support him
Hope all goes well with dh @Thrifty_Taylor, had to chuckle re the suit bag!
Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday! 

BadBookkeeper

Take care @apple_muncher xx

Yesterdays update:

F - Freedom - declutter stuff, Took a drawer full of ds school books, memorabilia, keepsake clothes etc from his chest of drawers and packed away into a box to store in the loft and free up some clothes space.  Also found homes for stuff piled in his room since December.  Not so much declutter but a reorganisation and it looks better in his room for it!

E - Exercise - 200 skips

B - Budget - Thanks for the reminder @f0xh0les to check budgets.  I’ve put money into a gift pot but trying to buy gifts from personal spends to build it up a bit but think I may need it. 

R - Rules - 1 in 1 out, Reduce energy. No laundry washed as didn’t have a big enough load so will wait until a few more items need washing.

U - Unburden tat, nothing here

A - Advanced planning, we have moved our Easter holiday to August which is a relief but now thinking of things we could do over Easter weekend and the May bank holidays this will need a budget.  I was thinking of using the council tax money we’re saving these 2 months as I was going to use for holiday clothes but we’ll need that still in August so need to have a rethink. 

R - Refuel - Slept well, Ate well, no alcohol 

Y - You - self care - Nothing here.

2 - 2 trips out - planned 

0 - 100 days - change of holidays may have an impact on my debt goal now so will adjust accordingly if needed.

2 - Read 2 books……….

3 - Gratitudes x 3 - Productive work day, finally getting flights/ dates sorted, blue skies

Was an NSD so that’s 6/15 NSDs 

Will post an update on today later.

Happy Valentine’s Day 💕

pollyanna_26

Thrifty_Taylor said:

Sending hugs @apple_muncher. Hope things improve for you soon x

NSD#9
Yoga done, hung washing out, custer dropped sewing off, hoovered & cleaned the bathroom, then set off immediately for a walk. Halfway round my 5 mile circuit, I stopped to pin a lady into a dress (planned appointment, didn't grab some stranger off the street & stick pins in her!!🤣), thought her dress would be in a bag, but no, it was a suit bag! So carried that round the other half of my walk. Got a couple of strange looks when I did pass anyone - walking in the countryside with a suit bag over my arm!! 😂 Saw lots of snowdrops near a tree, & some glorious yellow crocuses, they made me smile.

Did 2 large sewing jobs, then after tea, did the ironing, collected my car from the garage (needing an expensive part apparently, but ok to drive) & dropped DS3's GF home. 

Grateful for a spring like day, beautiful flowers, a huge flock of birds on the electricity wires, getting sewing done (3 big bags out the bedroom), a 3bay sale

Thanks again for your well wishes re: DH, I'm taking him to the airport in the morning for him to see his specialist in Aberdeen 🤞

Sending positive thoughts to your DH and yourself. I hope you get a little time to sit down and breathe . You're  bound to be worried but you'll both be in everyones thoughts. You remind me of the Duracel bunny  always on the go. If you can try to put your feet up for a while.

It's quite chilly here but I hope you have another good day again and get time to smell the flowers  This time of year is my favourite season with the bulbs and other plants. springing in to life. The birds fight over one tall tree in the front garden every year there are lots in both front and back gardens. Our cat Oliver used to park himself under that tree each year. He never harmed a bird but just seemed utterly caught up in nesting wars. Only the Blackbirds made their nest there. The others would decamp to the very tall Bay tree in the back garden and turf wars would resume. Usually there would be two or three sets of  hopeful parents still fighting so they'd co exist for a while. The real fun began with the fledglings,

Mother Blackbird woud line her babies up on the side fence and start shouting instructions . One by one a little on would topple of the fence backwards in to the cul-de-sac at the dide of my house. Mum was shouting to them then shouting at dad who was totally oblivious searching for something edible. When my health was better I climbed over the fence to rescue any fallers and she usually gave me an earful of abuse for my trouble

The fence is 8ft high. I think she moved house. All the other birds are quite good. Only annoyance is if the Robin and The Wren decide to have one of their fights- now that is noisy.

pollyx

Shrewbie

Morning turtles

Nsd 7 yesterday. Got into work early to get a head start on some things in peace and quiet. A busy day but I managed not to get too stressed. Read on a bench in the park at lunchtime and went to my aerial hoop class after work. 

To reduce the food budget next week bf and I have agreed to some changes - his suggestion. This will be our challenge to plan and execute for next week! 

day 7/100 complete and have had no booze for 39 days now. Feeling focused and happy despite a busy week. Also the handwritten letters I sent to mum and sis made it to the UK, they were so happy to receive them. 

Grateful for being able to make mum and sis happy with something so simple, for bf getting more into the mse ways and finding fun in the challenge. 

ldee2111

DS is off school for half term so I took annual leave yesterday and we went to a museum (a good one with lots of interactive stuff). DS had a great time and spent 3 hours going around, on, off, and under the exhibits at Glasgow’s fantastic transport museum which has free entry. We took our own packed lunches and so the day cost a total of £4.80 (for parking). DS did want a hot chocolate from the cafe but I managed to convince him that I’d make a better one at home (with full fat creamy milk and not hot water 😉)

DS is spending today with grandparents while OH and I are working. 

Tried a new recipe for dinner last night given to me by FIL. Hoisin mushroom noodles. It worked out well so I’ve added it to our meal plan options. Nice cheap meal because FIL is vegetarian so it’s all veggies and no expensive meat. 

Grateful yesterday for a day out with my wee boy, for grandparents helping with childcare, and for a new tasty recipe for dinners.