La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) - on a tiny budget.

Makingabobor2

Merry Christmas to you and all your followers as well. Glad I found this diary, we seem to be one of a kind on here. Stay safe everybody and don't let it all stress you out. 
After saying yesterday that I was tempted to book a break away next Christmas, as I have had enough of it all. DH put in for a weeks holiday over next Christmas, and I am just about to book a cheapie self catering away from it all, just the 2 of us....can't wait.  

savingmore

Happy happy Christmas.  Haven’t posted for a long time but still follow your diary.   May 2024 be a year of getting back your mojo, perhaps a new house, and another trip away too.   Enjoy your family and all the magic with the little ones.  

helensbiggestfan

Wellness Wednesday. 

Good Morning my lovely friends.  

Hope you all had a truly wonderful Christmas, filled with love and good cheer.  I had a wonderful time with my family, I was spoilt rotten, delicious food (which I didn't have to cook😁) and some gorgeous presents. I feel truly blessed.  

And so today it's back to normal.  I do need to go shopping because  I am entertaining tomorrow but must confess I really don't fancy going out. The weather is absolutely foul so I wont dilly dally.  

Whilst I throughly enjoyed the festivities I didnt over indulge so I am feeling pretty good today.  Still managing my sugar free teas and coffees, and, although I hadn't planned to start my caffeine free journey just yet, I have started reducing my caffeine intake. A bit headachey but manageable.  I am going to take it in easy stages.  It will probably take several weeks but I just can't face going cold turkey.  I'm not that brave. Lol. 

  I have also decided to reduce my screen time, hopefully to improve my sleep so from now on no electronic devices after 6pm.  Have also managed to get back into some gentle exercising, starting slowly with some yoga and the treadmill.

I know it might sound a lot all in one go, but I shall implement the changes in easy baby steps.  The dietary changes I made earlier (paleo diet and restricted carbs)  is a fairly ingrained habit so it was easy not to go mad over Christmas. Going sugar free seems established too now.  I ate a mince pie and found it unbearably sweet so it seems my taste buds are changing already. 

It's all doable. Just have to stay focussed and positive and not let the horrible dark, cold, wet, miserable gloomy weather sabotage my efforts.  

Enjoy "Twixmas" and I will be back again near to the New Year with a shiny new thread.  
  

 

Wednesday2000

I'm glad you had a lovely xmas Helen. This weather is dire isn't it, it is so dark and gloomy. I'm feeling very lethargic and tired at the moment and the weather isn't helping.

I had a GP appointment and she is going to put me on the Evorel Sequi patch. I hope that perks me up a bit! I think you said that was the same one you tried.

basketcase

I'm looking forward to your new thread already!  I've been following it for a while, but will take a more active part in the new one (if I may?)

Merry Twixmas to you too...

helensbiggestfan

Thrifty Thursday. 

Good Morning Lovely Ladies.  

Well feeling quite chuffed.  Have checked my finances.  I am up to date with everything. I still have 7 payments on my interest free loan due to the dentists but as the money is sat waiting in my savings account earning a bit of interest I am actually making a little bit of profit on the deal.  What's not to like.  

I have been thinking about my plans for next year.......

 I want to continue to live frugally so I am going to go on a "spending fast" for at least 3 months,   I don't need any clothes, cosmetics or anything for the house whilst I am renting so it should be fairly easy to maintain.  I will, however, increase my spending on social activities. I intend to get out and about a lot more next year.  I have become a bit of a recluse recently and that has to change.  I have no real excuse. Fortunately I do not suffer from social anxiety, it's down to pure laziness and procrastination.  I think that perhaps I have been a bit self conscious about my teeth and that has held me back but once they are fixed then I shall have no excuse.   

Yesterday I managed to snaffle up some stickered meat and fish bargains so the freezer is full to bursting and my cupboards are well stocked, so hopefully I can reduce my food budget a bit.  It has crept up recently because I have rather taken my eye off the ball .....so it's back to proper meal planning from now on.  

So for the next few months I intend to run a tight ship. The house move won't come cheap so I need to build up my war chest.  

Hello Basket Case.  Love the name lol.  Of course you are welcome to join in. The more the merrier.  Love your comment about budgets being a limit and not a target.  Very good.  I really ought to take that on board.  I'm a bit like Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean" when he said "rules are more like guidelines". I am afraid I am a bit like that with budgets.  😂🤣.  

 I am still relatively new to the concept of fiscal wisdom.  I didn't really grasp the nettle until my husband got sick and our finances took such a hammering. Luckily for me I found the blessed Martin Lewis (All Hail) just in time to avoid total financial Armageddon.  Since then I have been rebuilding my finances........it's a long journey but I'm getting there. 😉

helensbiggestfan

Wednesday......my hrt prescription was Evorel Conti (combined estrogen and progesterone). Unfortunately it didn't suit me, I had severe abdominal cramps.  Apparently it was the progesterone that was the culprit.  I need to go back to the gynaecologist soon and see if I can try again with a different prescription.  I think there are plenty of options, it's just finding the right one,  

I had to wait for the results of my blood tests first and of course what with Christmas and all ......anyway I shall book an appointment soon.  I am still using ovestin and have had good results.  Again it's trial and error.  I still feel I would benefit from testosterone but my gynae seems reluctant.  I might end up going to a proper menopause clinic in the end.  My gynae is nice and very thorough but I don't think menopause matters are her area of expertise, she is more on the obstetrics and surgical side. My nearest Louise Newson menopause clinic is Birmingham, a bit of a schlepp but probably worth making the trip.  I've already had a phone consultation with them so will probably make the trip once the weather picks up.  

Good luck with your hrt patches. Hope it helps.  I'm glad your GP was helpful. Unfortunately so many GPs are still way behind the research and think women should just "put up and shut up". I disagree very strongly. You can bet your boots that if men had to endure some of the difficulties that some women experience then gynaecological health and well being would have been given a much higher priority.  

My last encounter with my GP practice did not go well.  I couldn't see a GP an and was fobbed off with a practice nurse. She couldn't have cared less.  When I explained my symptoms she said "Well what do you expect at your age". 😟. Well I expect better!!!  And so should all women.  

Makingabobor2

Don't you hate it when the NHS tries to write us off due to our age?  i had the same thing when I broke my shoulder at age 64. Dr said "Of course at your age you may never get your arm over your head again"!   Mmmm, that's what he thought, I had news for him and by the next appointment I was back on my exercise routines and using weights and are was going way above my head.  

helensbiggestfan

MB2.  well done you.  It just goes to shows what we can achieve when we put our minds to it.  The human body is an incredible piece of kit with almost miraculous powers of recovery from even the most serious of injuries and trauma.....if it gets the help it needs.  

And yes it does make me angry that women of a "certain age" are more or less written off by the NHS and deemed unworthy of the right help.  We are left to fend for ourselves.  On the whole this doesn't seem to happen quite so much with men, it's women who seem to draw the short straw.  

Makingabobor2

I think men do still get played the age card. Friend of mine age 77 has recently fallen and broken his elbow.  He was told he would probably need surgery. 10 days later they decided to take off the plaster cast already and told him at "his age", surgery would be a waste of time. So he has just been given some exercises to do and told he will get a follow  up phone call with the consultant in January. He is a very active man, likes to walk a lot and drives all over. So this is really bringing him down as he still can't straighten his arm and its swollen and painful still.  

Also my dad had prostate problems a while back and was told "at your age", its not worth doing anything....makes me so cross