NST Sweet May 2023 - Pick 'N' Mix Challenge

beanielou

At least you have a plan for going forward @Toni'sfriend xx

thriftylass

Hello,

I'm in the hotel for my little annual me time retreat. There is a little story, not from my fiancial journey but my healthy living one.

So I message DH to see how he and the kids got on. He replied, also mwntioning that he is sorry for not ordering a bottle of prosecco to my room like last time. I said that I was actually glad he didn't as I am trying to have a healthy pamper night, got myself a Thai prawn peanut salad instead of the planned kebab and am raiding the hotel room tea and hot chocolate supplies. I was tempted to get a G&T but decided against it. He said, oh go on, just get a G&T, you rarely get to have a break. In the past I would have used his encouragment to sway me but this time it sounded weird. Why is it not a proper break without alcohol, why doesn't he say sth supportive to my decision instead. I guess he's sitting at home with his usual Tue beers.

Anyhow, having a fab time, went for walks, read, done some planning (declutter plan) and just chilled. Bath with face an hair mask later and tomorrow morning I'll use the pool before work. Bliss…..

P.S. today was not a NSD

lcc86

@thriftylass enjoy your "me" time!

Today was a NSD, it was a busy first day back at work. Most of the big direct debits came out today. Work plans for tomorrow have changed, was meant to be going into Central London but can work from home now thank goodness! Submitted a refund for my train tickets, hopefully won't take too long.

ldee2111

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80027151#Comment_80027151

Glad your appointment went well, Toni'sfriend. Not tired of hearing about your journey at all - I certainly found talking about it all helpful… helped to ease my anxieties.

Today was NSD 1 for me.

I was supposed to be going into the office for a meeting but it was cancelled, so I got to work from home. Happy about that.

Grateful today for not having to travel into the office, for Mum taking DS out for the day, for the weather being good enough to line-dry the washing, for mother-out-law's delicious rhubard crumble at lunchtime, for an easy freezer dinner from a batch cook, and for podcasts.

Shrewbie

enjoy @thriftylass !!

Thrifty_Taylor

Sounds like you're having a great time shrewbie!. Glad your appointment went well Toni & @grandmanerd that you enjoyed the baptism.

Still feeling quite emotional today. Got upset first thing at work, but my headteacher listened & helped, then when I got to my pupil, they could see I was upset & gave me a big hug.

At the end of March, I had booked a massage for tonight, which I was extremely glad of! Paid for from my business account, so NSD#2. My shoulders were a lot more relaxed afterwards, instead of being up by my ears!!

Did the ironing, put a pile DS2 doesn't want in a bag for CS, DS3 had some bits too, so another lot cleared. Unpicked a zip, then gone for a soak in the bath.

Grateful for DS3'S GF doing better today, empathetic people, my massage, clearing space.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for a good day at work, for getting stuff done when I had time rather than postponing it, for an easy journey home and missing most of the potholes, for DH prepping tea, for my book.

Starlight_at_Sea

I'm glad you have a plan @Toni'sfriend, and have had a chance to ask questions of someone informed, and kind, and compassionate. Facts help, I find, and uncertainty and the unknown is daunting. I'm definitely not sick of hearing about this and am happy to listen for the next 4 weeks and way beyond...I think it's what wider community can do at times like this, is give space to listen and hopefully take a little of the tension away each time, rather than it circulate only amongst the people closest to the situation,who are all affected in some way. I think also, whilst it's absolutely not incumberent on anyone to share their journey, or on you yourself to keep sharing, when some people do it helps to demystify and build awareness. So feel free to rabbit on about anything here!

Starlight_at_Sea

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80028258#Comment_80028258

There are so many potholes round here! Some are so big I fear I might get stuck in them in the car, and one proved a nightmare with the wheelchair recently - it was such a big bump up out of it, with no run up possible that we ended up having to get the person out of the chair in order to lift the chair out of the hole! It was right in front of a crossing point too! I reported it to the relevent council but haven't been back to see if it has been able to be fixed yet. Am there next month - if not maybe we need to get Rishi down to be photographed next to it!

Its absolutely become a MSE thing not to trash the car each time you go out!

Starlight_at_Sea

@Thriftylass I am finding your mum retreat quite inspirational, I'm going to see what I can do to make my next work trip evoke a few of those vibes! Well done, your head will appreciate you enjoying a nights sleep rather than a nightcap!

@Thriftytaylor @Grandmanerd, I hope things balance out for you both soon. It sounds like it feels tough because it is tough just now, be gentle with yourselves.

Today was NSD #2, though not really by design. I started the day well, instead of a to-do list of everything pressing I wrote "a today will be successful if..." shorter list, with a combination of a few work tasks, a few carer tasks, a few things for me, (including basic self care stuff like having a healthy breakfast, things towards my monthly goals, and a gym class). Finally a couple of things that I'll be glad tomorrow I did today, like moving the wheelchair to a different car, and cooking a large lasagne for the fridge/freezer.

I haven't achieved all of them but I did do a good splattering, and feel like tomorrow might see the rest of the list ticked off. I felt more focussed while I was working (that might be me knowing I have a few days off coming up!).

Its a good job the daytime went smoothly as the evening has been pretty hectic here. Power cut, fuse box had tripped, took ages to isolate quite what was causing it as fuse box not labelled and all lumped together, turned out to be boiler leaking through light fitting in the kitchen. Boiler turned off, water turned off, lighting turned off, light fitting removed, hole poked in ceiling, rest of lights back on again, boiler service people coming out tomorrow morning. Was quite challenging as dad found it all very very stressful and I realised I didn't know where stuff like stopcocks are in this house. Anyway, all sorted out, cups of hot sweet tea and paper bags for hyper ventilating stress given out, just before my sibling (aka golden boy) arrived, to many shouts of relief from aged parents who are glad that a boy was around for such things. Not entirely sure what else there was to do by then. I was very proud of myself anyway!