NST: November 2023 – Sparkle

Shrewbie

apple_muncher said:

Shrewbieeeeee! Holaaaaaaa! How's things?

Things are much better thank you apple!! hope all good with you and can't wait to get started with the Nov challenge x 

abundant1972

Happy 01st November (again) 🍂

My favourite time of year what with Halloween 🎃 Bonfire Night 🔥 and my Birthday 🍰😋 
I love days like today where it's bright but crisp and cold, with all the leaves falling.

Spending - My biggest challenge as always is not going hugely over on my food spends. In the spirit of frugality - instead of £10.00/day I am going to challenge myself to £5.00/day - so £150.00 per month. That should be very do-able. I am going to try and set a certain day to shop and thus resist impulse spending. When I lived in the middle of nowhere - I couldn't just pop out every 5 minutes for things... Having super convenient stores on my doorstep is doing me no favours! 

Plan your month - Budget done and money set aside for debts and future expenses. I have had to find an extra £150.00 from somewhere to pay for an unplanned trip (see below) so have done a bit of financial shuffling. 

Alternate spending days - Loving this idea. This week may be little bit off piste as am having a break and will by necessity have to buy some food in and pay for days/trips out. I will mark out on my calendar. 

Remove 60 items from your house (2 per day) - This is a tricky one but I will try. I am sure I have things I don't use / need / can donate. 

Kindness - I will aim to do some good deeds and offer help to someone in need

Live your life. Love your life - a bit like Toni'sFriend - I too spend a lot of time at home. With that in mind I am going down south for a week to visit old friends and where I used to live. It will be the first time I have been away on my own in over 6 years because my anxiety has always got the better of me. I am dreading the drive - especially now Storm Ciaran is due to arrive tomorrow - but will take my time and have faith that all will be well. Yellow warning in place where I am going. Amber farther down South. 

Exercise - I would like to get into daily walks and start getting back to the gym at least 1/week to start - and build up from there. Again - setting a day might help me add structure to my week. 

Today I am grateful for:

1) A friend treating me to a coffee and sandwich today
2) Catching up with an old friend on the phone. Some friendships stand the test of time well
3) The lovely Autumn day today

Today = NSD number 1 [Target = 15]

Have a lovely evening everyone x 

PS: I will be relying on my phone to try and check-in so if I go quiet I have probably run into a technical issue! If I go AWOL I will be back on my return to civilisation next week. 

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 1

Banking all done, bills paid and charity donations made. Getting paid on three different days every month (and not always the same day) makes things a bit difficult but I have a system that seems to work (mostly!)

• Health and Wellbeing - Got a letter from the hospital for another slotted in appointment for the 14th. I should have known I wouldn't get away with a whole month with one. I'm just grateful that they are taking such good care on me. Started off with some healthy eating. Fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, home made mackerel pate on wholemeal toast for lunch and there are new potatoes, buttered leeks and sea bass for dinner. Haven't been snacking. Even avoided the left over Halloween sweets.  Done my nails (after a fashion!)
• Household - Did all the daily stuff plus the washing is now all up to date
• Garden -  No chance of doing anything with that today. The rain has been coming down in torrents all day.
• Declutter - Several things in the bin. A bag started for items to be disposed off without Himself finding out and a bag started for the Charity Shop. No prisoners taken. If it hasn't been used it's going.
• Socialise -Difficult one, this. The weather was so bad there was no chance of a walk but I have had a nice afternoon watching old films with Himself.

Today's sparkle

Since I seem (after many, many years) to be regaining my sense of smell I looked out the pot pourri and scented candles. The living room looks great. Bowls of dark red petals and pine cones. And the fragrance of cinnamon is amazing. So cosy.

Hope you've all had a sparkling day. xxxx

KajiKita

f0xh0les said:

What all the C words?  I would not recommend that.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

1st NSD of the month done 😊
Walked at lunchtime, twice around the site, first in one direction and then the other. 

Decluttering - I have had a parcel turn up today so should be able to recycle that packaging for sending off some books I have sold. 

KK 

beanielou

Enjoy your break @abundant1972 😊

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for my burpees, for making a curry instead of buying one (and bulking it out with loads of onions and a tin of chickpeas), for my geraniums trying to bloom again, for my counsellor, for all the C words we're allowed - like coffee, chocolate, cucumber, crisps, coleslaw, cushions, chaise longue...

f0xh0les

chipmunks, chihuahuas,  crocodiles, Cummings, cryptologists, and crackers.

f0xh0les

Oh heck, I feel a bit .....von Trapp-ish

weenancyinAmerica

Welcome to November everyone.
Had a doctor's appointment today. Having a problem with two fingers on my left hand that are suffering from a pinched nerve. May have to make something to go around my arm as padding and the store ones aren't working. But doctor is optimistic about them. Going to start walking more and see if can move some of this weight. I did weigh more but lost 40 pounds. Now need to lose another 40 pounds. 

Today will be a spend day as I need to stock up on dog supplies when we go get our Covid shots (at the same place). The shots were postponed because two days before we were scheduled to get them, we got Covid. Hopefully, not again.

While driving home from the doctor, I planned my two outings. I have two gift cards, both from my sister's dog (via my sister), for going over to take care of him. But I am going to use one to take me out for breakfast as I love their scones. And the other to take myself out for lunch and just relax. Neither outing will cost me that way. 

Good luck with the storm heading your way - if it isn't there already.

Thrifty_Taylor

Welcome to all the new posters & hugs to @pollyanna_26, @weenancyinAmerica & anyone else feeling under the weather it going through medical treatments.

NSD#1

Awoke early after another bizarre dream (anyone else removing the shelf & a bag of peas from a tabletop freezer, in order to squeeze into it to pee?!!!) 🤣. Did a Jo Wix workout before breakfast. Didn't have to make lunch today, as I'd doubled the batch yesterday, so gave me time to read a few pages of my book.

A good day at work. Had training afterwards for an hour, only 2 of us turned up for it, & the 2 instructors, so ended up having 1:1 tailored training) discussions! Then helped at the Halloween disco, so a loooong day, but managed over 10500 steps, so I was pleased.

Reheated my tea when I got home, then got my sewing machine out. DS1 wanted to wait Ch TV together, so I watched it out the corner of my eye lol. It's so good to have him home again.

Grateful for my family - having DS1 back safely, & DH doing better health-wise, dancing, a quick week so far

Haven't had chance to declutter today, but keen to start tomorrow after parents evening & will do double!