Prosperous & Creative Soul & MFW Year 3

TallGirl

Sounds like you have finally found the solution to the drive and someone to do it which is even better, Good people are hard to find but worth waiting for even if they cannot start straight away. 

Hope you find what you want for the floor and mega yeah to your DD helping you declutter.

savingholmes

Thanks TG. It now looks like DD is ill and can't come. Sigh. Will have to crack on.

See DD and her BF and sis's family tomorrow. May nip to the Swedish shop on the way and buy my kitchen cupboard. Feels like things are starting to come together on the house again. 

WD - I can't believe how blind I am to my own stuff. I've taken photos and video to help track my progress towards decluttering / organising again. I tend to keep an image in my head of how it was on my best day and ignore everything that may have happened to disrupt that in between. I'm then 'shocked' when I look at it from the perspective of someone else.

Just cleaned the kitchen counter and unpacked and packed the dishwasher. Celebrating the little victories.

KajiKita

That drive remodel and works on the side of the house sounds like a good price and absolutely essential! (Yes, previous owners were idiots …)
Sorry DD is ill. Maybe to get the biggest effect for your effort, focus on one area - a bit like in the garden? Hope it goes well … you are prodding my conscience - our office is a tip! 😉

KK

EssexHebridean

It’s frustrating when you have plans to really attack decluttering and then those get dashed, regardless of reason. Good plan to get the kitchen cupboard sorted though  - we spend a lot of time in our kitchens don’t we so it’s vital they work for us. That was probably the thing I was most concerned about when we moved actually - having designed the kitchen at the flat exactly to our requirements it felt a bit daunting to move in to a kitchen that someone else had designed to THEIR requirements instead! (And you have reminded me that we still have got around to sorting out the extra shelves we had planned in our cupboards!) 

lucielle

The drive way sounds like it will make a big difference. It still shocks me how much things costs to have done. 

It’s also the small things that can make a big difference like your kitchen cupboard. 

Hope DD feels better soon. Not long until DS visits. 

L

Blackcats

Sounds like a good price for the outside work.

jwil

Glad you've found someone to do the driveway etc.  Sounds good!

savingholmes

Thanks KK, EH, Lucielle, Blackcats and Jwil

I think I'll make a mini power point with photos summarising what I want so there's no room for confusion / disagreement. I'm going to go ahead though and get it done asap. I took the photos earlier - so just need to create a doc. Someone's due to measure for my floor tomorrow so I need to tidy up some more. I still need to do the asbestos test but got back later yesterday than expected.

I got two tyres replaced today and the tracking checked for £123. Pretty pleased with that. My mechanic neighbour is going to look at my sticking brakes at some point this week. He says he should know the problem within 30-40 minutes and will then see if any parts are required. I think I'm going to ask for some half days off this week as I'm still struggling with energy and focus and now owe time again.

I've cleared a small CC again that I was using for food spends.

Took DD and her BF to a wider family gathering this weekend. We bought the kitchen cupboard £65 on the way, plus a few mirror tiles £15 (3 packs of £5) and some hangers £5. I bought 4 glass shelves but don't know if I'll need that many but easier to return something than pay extra for it to be delivered / go back just for that. I also forked out for McD for 3 (£22). DD has also borrowed £50. I messed up the other day slightly as I bought a £100 gift voucher on a cashback site to use at Mr A and then forgot!! Will be able to use it next time though. I think I now have £45 to use at TK at some point too - some of which are cashback rewards.

Still enjoying art. Hope all is well with you. Hope the handyman turns up this week now I've bought the cupboard. I need to nip and get cash out later to pay him and the mechanic.

savingholmes

I was awake pretty much all night again. Got to sleep around 5.45 and alarm went off at 8.30 for a 9.30 meeting. I don't know how I'm suppose to function. I ended up taking a 'day off' to address my flexi and took the middle of the day off today - but the rest of the time just went to re-balancing my hours. Still more cost effective buying holidays and doing that then going part time. I'm still majorly dizzy currently and keep nearly falling/tipping over around the house. I'll chase the GP practice for a doctor's appointment as they said they'd get back to me with one this week. Low folate can cause that - but this feels as bad or worse than when I needed a blood transfusion despite my iron levels apparently being fine currently.

Luckily I did a one pot casserole type meal yesterday with shop bought marinated chicken and veg and just chucked it in the oven. It's made a few portions and I had some last night and at lunchtime. I have some prawns I need to use up as they go out of date today - maybe I'll freeze them. I may have some soup which is closer to what I fancy - or I also cooked some sausages at the same time yesterday and have some left. That could be an option too. 

The guy came to measure up today. He doesn't think I need to asbestos testing so I may return the kit. That would save me £80. I could potentially have the work done in about 3 weeks time. I'd need to go and pay a £320 deposit. He agreed to round it down to £1K for me - saving me £31. It all helps. Some people never even ask for a discount. I want to return some cushions I bought for £16 - I like them but not enough. They didn't look right when I got them home / made the room feel too busy. I asked him about the back area. He didn't think I necessarily had to screed it - and thought they could do patch repairs if needed or just live with the gaps and shove vinyl over the top. He thought if I went for the kind of plank style vinyl I was thinking of it would be easier to match in. I could then do part of the room. Move the furniture briefly and then move it back when they do the other half.

I got named on a meatier piece of work today which is kind of reassuring. It was one I was aware of but was originally getting a smaller part - and now the more interesting part is coming to me too. I think that's why I'm more comfortable to go ahead with the home improvements because my job feels more secure. I've emailed the driveway person with a draft contract, clear spec and photos and some questions. I prepared that during my time off today and after work.  Will see what he comes back with. In working through the job mentally I realised that I'd need soil/compost and bark for my new raised beds and that I could perhaps add that to the job so that it is all done at once rather than me trying my hand at manual labour...

The handyman has said he should be able to come back Friday or Saturday to do the work. I'd prefer Friday as otherwise it feels limiting in terms of my ability to go out. Just told him that. My neighbour want's £30 to look at my brakes (diagnosis) - again saving me £ compared to a garage. It depends then whether it just needs cleaning or if it needs a part. I need to go and get cash out but think I'll do that tomorrow as I don't fancy driving right now as I feel too rough.

I'm using my computer upstairs at the moment as I've been blessed with fireworks stretching for miles out in front of me and it's all been very dramatic! I've booked to go back to the art place later this week which I'm looking forward to. 

lucielle

Chase the docs down and get an appointment, don’t take no for an answer. 

L