NST October 2023 A New Start

grandmanerd

Okay I'm feeling a bit better -it's  still there but tightness (iron band around my head, round my chest when I breathe too deeply), wobbly legs and muzzy head have all receded.

Spent ages last night checking out various  craft sites, had multi tabs open as kept  switching to see which had the best bargains/ was nearest to  meeting my needs (no point buying 600 multi pack of weird coloured pompoms when I only 'need'  (ie for a planned craft  project i intend to do this year) red ones (and possibly white). 

Left it over night and come to my senses - don't buy anything I can make (some will take a long while and not sure if that would be time  well spent) but using things I already have is  much more environmentally friendly and makes more space (hopefully). I'm going to write a list of ten things that are irritating me  and work on diy solutions.  I cut out some large paper leaves from excess  packaging yesterday, will  do a dozen each of the other two leaf shapes and maybe do some flower petals and other shapes (make honeycomb paper stars?) - I have at least 4 rolls of the stuff (the 0xfam volunteers were really enthusiastic about  delivering my goods safely).

Things that are really bugging me are embroidery thread storage (I've already started cutting out  card bobbins from  a cardboard book package, lack of rubbish bins, the headboard I'm stuck with and not being able to find things/ have proper access to them.  The headboard and rubbish issues are  related - if I had my 'proper  bed' I could hang bags on the corner posts and drop rubbish and recycling straight in but when we went to buy DS3 a bed from the hospice shop he picked one without under the bed storage space so he moved mine into his room, so I have one with a stupid tiny pink shell shaped one.

I checked my bank account yesterday and have been looking at properties in Keighley - they need to move asap. This is a health and safety issue - it's difficult to move round my house because there's so  much stuff crammed in. Other big red flags (H & S) are  clearing the yard so I can get up and down safely and the lighting in the kitchen. last year I put fairy lights along the under stairs shelves and then out into the kitchen -cooking side, as it was impossible to see once it started to get dark (existing lights are close to  the ceiling  and need replacing,  I may even have the ceiling lowered).  This year I had problems loading the DW after dark (sink side of the kitchen) and had to light candles so I could see. So more fairy lights (I have lots) is on the list for this month.

That and some cleaning jobs (any cleaning but floors and fridges and freezers are the worst) need to be scheduled in,  now that I'm slightly more 'able'. The bathmat is disgusting so washing needs to be done.

Grateful for feeling less carp, for ideas and imagination (when I was younger I made anything I could - my first filing box and wallet files were made from a 50p roll  of wallpaper from the leftover shelf (mid brown 'wood look'  vinyl).  A Plan, lots of plans actually - now to get moving them and put them into action.

beanielou

Glad that you are feeling a wee bit better @grandmanerd. Xx

f0xh0les

Gotta love a lady with a plan @grandmanerd, there is no more dangerous entity in the Universe.  

grandmanerd

Thursday 19th October 2023

Be Prepared
Yesterday I checked my bank account which was better than expected, despite my neglect. I am in a position to  move forward with some things (being proactive about moving DS3 and Beloved to Keighley) but need to sort out timings. There are some things I can be doing to improve things. listening to GYST last week and she mentioned red flags - anything in your house that makes you feel uncomfortable is a red flag telling you to declutter. Well my whole house makes me want to run away screaming but I can only hobble so I'm a bit stuck.

So I'm going into overdrive on using my imagination and using the things I already have. So storage for small things - hand made drawer dividers ,  upcycling shoe boxes or making my own if I need a different size. Cardboard for as much as possible may be the way to go as the stuff flows into the house and it's lightweight enough for me to move around.  I found another roll of grease-proof paper in my cupboard full of 'mum'  bits (I'd finished off the one I had tracing templates). Divide and conquer is the way forward. I'll make some paper bags or envelopes too,  to hold the things that  are too big for mums leftovers.

Meal Planning
I'm rubbish at meal planning. i used to just batch cook. I have a 10 l stock pot and would make vats of spag bol, chilli and various curries and then portion them up and freeze (they had a Friday night takeaway at mum's and she'd save the plastic boxes for me - when I was running low I'd go and collect another 50 or so). I've had real problems with food since mum died. I don't know what to make, I buy ingredients and don't use them, I don't feel like eating until I  notice I'm ravenous. I've done better in the last 2 weeks but I only had the mental energy to microwave soup or baked beans or take something from the shelf that could be slapped  on bread.  The tinned stock has been depleted so I'll move things into the empty spaces where they can be easily seen and start working on using them up (the freezer contents also need using up so they can be defrosted (ready for  moving?).

Preparing for Winter
Yard Safety (I still have mum's  salt supply).  I may bring the bins up  to the house if it gets treacherous underfoot. I'm heating the person not the house (we've even got beloved semi-trained). Once the fridge/ freezer defrost is complete I'll restock with home cooked meals Food prices are up so L need to work  on that - to be honest I've been more worried about having food in than what I'm eating.

Toilet rolls will be bulk purchased at the end of the month (winter prep and splitting the cost of that day in December). I have enough clothes (some are a bit shabby and will be worn until they fall apart).  Please please please make sure your children are safe on the roads and if you're a driver please be considerate and adjust to the weather conditions. I may treat myself to Snowman kitchen roll and tissues (want a nice box or two).

that day in December
Most of my presents are bought (will make DS1's requested charity donation when I have a spend day.  I'm going to start wrapping and embellishing. and I'd better start writing letters (some long overdue). to go in cards or be sent earlier. I'm also going to start packing up Beloved's kitchen items. I haven't been invited anywhere yet (will  be okay if it doesn't happen). I'll draw up a budget for next year (make agreements with the offspring) but may need to add to DS1's trousseau (owed from several  years ago) and I may buy them a WM (I bought DS2  a WM and DS1 a DW) or keep some money to one side in case they get into difficulties.

House decorations will be minimal (no room for anything else). I have several 2.5 l cans of paint and will do a clean up of the worst areas if I can access them  (maybe draw  a line and just do the bottom half of the wall or the bits with most finger/ hand marks).

Looking forward to  next year
(No I'm not wishing your life away). September is traditionally the time for starting new education/ leisure classes but for most of them you get a second chance in January.  The majority of New Year resolutions fail so try a practice run now with good habits you want to adopt or ones that have fallen by the wayside. I just think we make things too hard for ourselves by adding more obligations when we're well into winter, have been rushed off our feet in December and have already been through several cycles of cold/ flu bugs and the dreaded D and V.

January detox may sound sensible but why not  make a start now and allow yourself  a few 'free days' when you enjoy your food and/  or drink. you can also plan ahead for healthy eating - the diabetic dietician told us that you can reduce the sugar content of any cake recipe by half without affecting the taste.

I'm going to stop because it  sounds a bit like another challenge which wasn't my intention. As always, read through, adopt or take note of anything helpful, ignore the rest.

beanielou

I don’t know if I said @grandmanerd but you inspire me to try to keep on top of my recycling & decluttering.  

grandmanerd

3 bin bags and 3 small bags went out to the bins (the midnight pixies left 2 and the others ahve been gathered over the past few days) plus a large bag of cans and one of paper. I then filled 5 x 10  l buckets and one 30 l with reclaimed soil (probably a lot more because there was 6" of water on top of one of the 50 l buckets I was emptying so I needed it to drain out). 

Came in, ate a fish pie then went back upstairs (my back is nagging).  Lined a tin with a 12" square piece of card and turned another two into long dividers for my embroidery threads (they're from the book I bought for doll house decorating so picked out 3 that didn't feel 'doll's housey' enough). Moved most of the contents of a plastic  thread box into the tin, sorting them into number order as I went along (they can be in number order or rainbow colour order but atm they're just a mess and driving me up the wall) and just come down to get food.  Will shuffle some tins if my back doesn't object.

I've also cut out  some large paper leaves (and  5 squirrels) out in autumn colours and found the templates I drew a while ago (wanted some smaller leaves as  the ones I had  were too big to use up the off cuts of  felt). I'm eyeing up various boxes around the house but don't want to start too  many new projects. I've thought of an easy sewing project that will use up  some of the odd threads.  I'm making a roll up farm playmat for my grand-daughter for that day (to go with the duplo farm bricks and animals). I'm going to use some scrap canvas (you pull the canvas threads out after you've finished) and sew different 'patch'  fields in greens and  yellows (rape field, doing tapestry stitches and doubled up 6 threads. may do some stitching to delineate the fields (only doing a couple of strips like this. i'm hoping it will fit in one of the peter Rabbit cardboard suitcases (the largest will be  a felt garden with pull out veg). I've seen some really detailed play mats but I want to keep it flexible - there will be a pond  but it will be separate so that it can go anywhere on the mat..

Grateful for getting a bit further with the outside stuff  before it started to rain, my tin box inserts turning out really well despite not measuring but folding back and forth as I thought fit, some progress on the house front despite moaning minnies saying they don't think they can afford  it.

abundant1972

Good evening 🌒

I have been shuffling my budget around again. I was thinking of our beloved NSK, and read back on some old posts from back in the day (2014) to see what I was doing budget wise etc. OMG. I am living the life of luxury at the moment. I need to toughen up haha. She used to survive on £80 per month for food... I had budgeted for £10/day (food and spends) for Nov. So next month, I am going to really try and knuckle down. 

Got to the gym today - nothing majorly taxing - but enough so I knew I'd done a work out. Searched on fuel app for cheapest station (I have never actually done that I don't think) and found an Arseda 4 minutes from the gym selling unleaded for 149.5p / L vs 153.9p / L where I usually go. Since I went - I just looked and it has already gone up to 152.7p / L! So I got a full tank on a good deal. Afterwards went for a mini-restock of basics.

Today I am grateful for:

1) Friendly faces in the gym
2) Finding a £10 voucher in my Arseda App which I used off my shop
3) Finding courage to say NO to two people in my life

Today was a spend day
NSD total 8

Have a nice evening everyone!!! I'm off for a slice of Parkin and a cup of tea 😋

apple_muncher

Abundant, I totally get what you mean when you talk about putting work in its own room, and family in another. That frees up the rest of the house for you! Since I stopped work, I sigh with relief most days - I hadn't realised just how much it hung over me. Not always, but especially so in the last 2 years.

Today I am grateful for an absolutely amaaazing charity shop haul (I even found 4 Denby cups and saucers in the design that big sis requested as wedding gifts almost 30 years ago and which I have never ever found since, for £8🎉), for DH only having one more day of extra work (it exhausts him and isn't worth the toll it takes on him), for sleeping well, for balm tissues (dc and I have both been prolifically snotty this week).

Dc wants to go round more Ch shops, as they are looking out for clothes for sixth form next September - nowt like being prepared 🤣. I'm more than happy to accommodate those sorts of trips.

lcc86

Evening turtles 

Busy day at work driving around doing visits,  also topped up with petrol as I drove past somewhere offering cheap fuel.

Spent £8 on boxing class and another £2 on a chippy tea as I got home from work later than expected and was in a rush.

Loads to do work-wise tomorrow, last day before a fortnight off.

beanielou

The weather here is truely dire & the  wind is really ramping up.
Stay safe everyone.