NST March 2023 LIONS and LAMBS

Thrifty_Taylor

Whoop whoop, congratulations @apple_muncher. Welcome to the mortgage free club! 😃

Had an awful.day at work yesterday, so was glad when the bell rang at 3.30. It didn't help that I'd nipped to our local shop before work, slipped on the ice, & scraped chunks of skin out my hand on the wall as I tried to stop myself from falling over 😓

Headed to town, dropped sewing off, nipped to another shop, then pinned a woman into a dress. Took mum shopping & we shared a chippy tea (my treat), then shared my free bun from L1dl. Went to my friend's house for Wool Club, I knit, she crochets. Had a good chat & both pleased we were working on our projects, ax we've been so busy with RL, that hobbies have taken a back seat. A slow drive home just in case there was black ice, must've been super slow as a bus overtook me! 😂🤣😂

NSD#7
Had a lie in. Brought the shopping out if the car & put it away (had done the fridge stuff last night). Went for a walk with DH, then had a 10 minute nap. Listened to C2C on R2 & unpicked rods from a Roman blind, ready to turn it into a curtain for a customer tomorrow. Listed some things on a local page & 3bay for DS3. DS2 discs bit of clearing out too. Was so good to see him smile today, the 2 of them have been spending some time together, think they were exercising. But good if they're spurring each other on!
After listing the things, I've knitted more if my sleeve & watched the end of a series. I'm determined to finish my jumper so I can wear it on my holiday 😊

Grateful for it being the weekend, the snow melting a bit more, birds in the garden & on our walk (& DH loves the rabbits in the fields), DS's doing things together, DS3's smile, knitting

Starlight_at_Sea

Successful olio day - met two nice people, who have collected a couple of times now - lovely to put a face to a name. Another new person collected, am pleased news is spreading.

 Estimate about 10 households supported through today's distribution. 
Was mightily relieved for my waistline that the baguette mountain from last week didn't reappear; just two today, and one of those was requested quite promptly. 

We gained some real treats this weekend - muffins, granola bars, and the exact type of bread that my lodgers would choose, so have popped that in the freezer for them. My cousin got several doughnuts, gluten-free bread, and a pack of muffins. The only thing leftover was pretzels - that seems to be a frequent situation. I have added to the two bags of frozen pretzel breadcrumbs that I've accumulated over the past month of doing this! Feel a nut loaf coming on, perhaps? 

Was lovely to catch up with my cousin this afternoon briefly, she is also caring almost full time for elderly relatives and is a source of wise practical advice and also a safe space for venting when things are tough. We swapped a few home made meals so as to add a bit of variety to our freezers; we have very similar tastes and have been doing this for about 20 years now. We also batch cook together whenever we get a chance, which is not as often as it used to be. I also came away with a jar of hm marmalade and a few Easter Biscuits - afraid all I swapped for that was delivery of her olio goods, and half an hour of minding her delightful kids, so I definitely got the best of that deal. I hope we can carve out some time to relax together soon, we are both carrying quite a lot just now.

I slept for a couple of hours at teatime - was absolutely wiped out! Woke up enough to have some soup, do a few caring duties, and watch a short programme with my dad, then was back to sleep by about 9. Now wide awake, but I think a few minutes of sleep-inducing music will add solve that.

In the spirit of being more organised, and maximising benefit from expenditure, spurred on by various forum conversations about B00ts and other loyalty card schemes, have thought through what my new commute and travel for work is most likely to look like, and have joined/downloaded loyalty schemes for food shops, cafes and hotel chains I know are coming up as likely places I will be spending money. Barburrito currently adding 3 points just for downloading the app - at 4 points you get free sides. Also made arrangements to meet a friend in the evening of my next work trip at a restaurant where I a) get airtime cashback and b)am close to gaining a free meal on their points scheme. Hopefully this will all help a bit. 

Starlight_at_Sea

Grateful for: fresh bedding making nap and bedtime feel luxurious; daffodils surviving the snow and wind; family on parallel journeys; and above all the safe return of DD who has just flown back from far-away-uni-land for a spur of the moment visit (to eat vegetables, snuggle down at home, and generally to recover a bit physically and emotionally after a tough term). We don't get this often as she is thousands of miles away but it seemed important, and was doable, for this spring break. So will be soaking up bits of time with her wherever I can. We have hidden her away for a couple of days without telling extended family or friends she is back, as trips home are usually a constant round of relatives and socialising and that wasn't what seemed needed this time.  Am hopeful tho that she might come over to surprise the grandparents later in the week x

f0xh0les

Thrifty_Taylor said:

A slow drive home just in case there was black ice, must've been super slow as a bus overtook me! 😂🤣😂

Amateur! I get overtaken by hearses quite often! (unladen I must  add), we are on a route to a cemetery though.

Got up late, turned the mattress (weighs a ton) and listened to dh wanging on about not being able to find anything in the shed.  Have offered 3 bikes and 2 scooters on local recycling site.  Yes I could sell them, but I honestly do not know what I am talking about and Easter hols are coming up, and I think 2 weeks of no school with little money will be made more bearable if you can distract the kids with a trip to a park on the bike.  So that is that done and hopefully by the end of the afternoon all will be gone.  Good deed of the day.

Laundry on, laundry out, laundry on and another load still to do (STD lists always make me chuckle).  Going to do a spot of baking this afternoon and am looking forward to the last Endeavour (3 programmes does not a series make, who thought up that stupid idea??).   Have a great day!

Shrewbie

Hi turtles

Yesterday I was up early and managed to get a lot done before the day started... a nice feeling. Went for a cheap brekkie and then to our local supermarket which has been remodelled and is a lot more spacious with more variety. Most everything was 25% off, we mainly got f&v and things needed to make sausage rolls for a picnic. Bf went off home to start preparing the sausage rolls and I went off to the grain shop which wasn't open so I spent some time milling around a new charity shop. Bought a couple of items for holiday, a playsuit and a top which, now I've got them home I'm not keen on so may just re-donate.  We met some friends in the park and spent a happy few hours eating, sunbathing and listening to music.  My nose is burnt! Although I did get very cold on the way home when the sun went in... spring is deceiving! 

Grateful for sunshine, for trying different food from my friend's Gf who is from Georgia, for a slow morning and for it being only 2 weeks until my holiday.

Have a wonderful Sunday!!

Toni'sfriend

Well done, Apple. That's a wonderful achievement.

I think I hit a bit of a wall yesterday. I was bright and bubbly when I got up but by lunchtime I was overcome with exhaustion and had to go back to bed and slept for the rest of the day. I suppose I have to expect that this might happen now and again.

Anyway I have to lose two and a half stone to get to the top limit of a healthy weight for my height. This is for health not vanity. So no nonsense, no excuses. I have to be sensible, eat properly and not cheat (and that includes not eating enough on some occasions}. Unfortunately I haven't been getting any exercise just now (apart from various arm movements) so that doesn't help. So starting today I am aiming to lose one pound a week and I'll be happy if I can do that. I'll keep you posted.

No idea how many NSDs. Himself has been doing the shopping! But I still have most of the food budget money still in my purse so that can't be bad.

Well, I'm off now to watch a bit of TV with himself. Have a lovely Sunday. xxx

lcc86

Afternoon turtles 

Watched the new Luther film last night, can't say I thought much of it if I'm honest but it passed some time! Woke up at 6.30 this morning, very unimpressed! Batch cooked some lunches for OH then went riding. Was the best ride of the year so far, chatted to loads of people and generally had a very well behaved pony! I'd got in my own head a bit and lost some confidence so I'm glad to have gained some back.

Came home, had lunch and cleaned the kitchen, watched some TV and now about to have a bath. Need to do some yoga stretches as feeling very tight after riding for some reason. 

NSD number 7 I think.

facethemusic

NSD 8 today. 
No more snow, and it's warm enough for it to be melting. 
Horse and I have both had some exercise, DD and I have baked (cancels out the exercise), and  I've got stuff in the loft. Lunches are about to be made for tomorrow for DD and I. DD has willingly sorted out a drawer of clothes so a couple of items ready to donate. 
It has been a useful day with lots done, but it hasn't felt overly busy which is a balance I don't often manage! 
I am also waiting for the last Endeavour, and agree 3 episodes is not a series! 

grandmanerd

Sorry, my  laptop is still  being difficult so  I  may drift in and out

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for getting the net curtains ironed and back up (front windows are floor-to-ceiling and it feels like being in a goldfish bowl when I wash them!), for DH having a quiet day after doing lots of travelling yesterday, for bil popping in for a couple of hours, for getting some admin emails sent out, for chats with dc.