Moving on

rtandon27

Obviously I don't own any posh clothes!  All of mine get washed at home!

Cherryfudge

badmemory said:

I would suspect that them needing special care is why they go into the charity shop.

Probably so! 

Cherryfudge

rtandon27 said:

Obviously I don't own any posh clothes!  All of mine get washed at home!

Well mine do too. Sometimes that has to be carefully and by hand but it's many years since I took anything to the drycleaner.

A wild and windy day. DH got various jobs done but I've not managed a lot. We Tried the curry at lunchtime: DH liked the taste but those dried peas, despite a day's soaking and a hour's cooking, were still very chewy, so he had to stop for fear of feeling unwell. I tested out my 'iron guts' and munched my way through my share (and there's some left over) but it did take some eating! I added sultanas and yogurt as it was just on the acceptable side of hot for my taste. I'd make it again, but continue with the halved spices and add potatoes to reduce the fibre content - and of course, buy a new bag of split peas.  

We braved the storm (Amy: I'm glad I don't have a storm named after me. Imagine if it killed someone?) and went to the garden centre for our free hot drinks. We met a few people we knew, DH treated himself to a scone and jam, I had hot chocolate and DH had breakfast tea, and I bought a spray of artificial flowers - gorgeously orange physalis, which wasn't cheap but really looks like the real thing.

Then it was home in time to change and lifts too and from work. A, H and the girls have driven to the north of Scotland in all this weather but very considerately messaged to say they've arrive safely.

I've been getting out winter clothes and packing away summer ones. I have a lot of dresses for someone who rarely wears them. I have a little stack of things that I feel I ought to sell... and I've just made my first-ever Vinted purchase: £13.30 for yet another jacket. I hope this one works better than the previous attempts to find something for this wedding!

badmemory

The conversation about cleaning clothes made me realise that I have absolutely no idea where I would find a dry cleaners.  Just shows how things change as at one time it was a regular place to visit.

Cherryfudge

badmemory said:

The conversation about cleaning clothes made me realise that I have absolutely no idea where I would find a dry cleaners.  Just shows how things change as at one time it was a regular place to visit.

I tried to picture ours and realised it's now goodness knows what, but the dry cleaner went years ago.

The maroon dress, which was supposedly dry clean only, has washed and ironed successfully. It goes well with the scarf I also bought recently, 

The huge amount of laundry from the other day is now ironed where necessary and the last bits are still airing on hangars. I found some of DH's office trousers had gone through on a back pocket and were about to go elsewhere so I have cut off the good fabric as it's perfect for the current fad of making puppets. I'm letting him take the scraps of remnants to the recycling.  

DH has done lots of cleaning and has fixed the bathroom door closure (doesn't matter if it's us but guests are coming!)

The rain has stopped and the wind is much quieter but it will come round again tonight. We're going to make the most of the lull to go and buy the food for tomorrow. Some planning is needed as there's a lot to get ready (it feels like a lot) for tomorrow, and tomorrow's busy too.

Today:

• wash my hair
• wrap DH's present
• get a card for DH
• tidy the dining room
• get shopping - DONE
• do my timesheet - DONE
• pay off credit card - DONE
• make a birthday cake - DONE by DH!
• make some other baking for harvest at church tomorrow - buying instead
• finish the puppets and contact tomorrow's leader to let her know I will bring them in the morning - 
  DONE
• put the rest of the laundry away - DONE

Tomorrow:

• Before going out, have non-fridge foods ready to go for later
• we are both helping with the refreshments at church so be there for 9.30
• I've offered to bring milk
• take puppets
• take any baking I managed to do (or buy)
• take harvest festival offering suitable to go to the foodbank
• 2 or 2.30 meet the family for a walk
• return home for tea and DH to open his presents

Cherryfudge

I got quite a lot of the list done, thought I decided I don't really need to wash my hair (it's dry so it doesn't show that it's theoretically due a wash). I can't find the card I got for DH, so I'll just find him a nice one from stores.

During the afternoon I dropped a jar of jam, so the kitchen floor has had a thorough clean. Later DH made his own birthday cake but he said he enjoyed doing it so I don't feel too guilty. We did the shopping together then he went out for the the things we discovered were too much to carry (soft drinks, tins). Around £30 spent, I think.

I discovered my colleague was hoping for four, not three, new puppets, and I'd said I'd be making some, so that's what I've mostly been doing. I'm quite happy with the results: they all have character and should last a while. All the puppet stuff is packed away now and a bag is packed ready for the morning.

Later this evening I've done some tidying, thought there's a lot more to stash tomorrow. 38 'paper decisions' made, nearly all supermarket magazines and a handful of receipts which are recent so I'll count those as one item.

Cherryfudge

Yesterday was exhausting, though it went well. I managed to give DH his surprise gift before church (a posh replacement for a battered sponge bag, some appropriate contents and a nice tee shirt). His non-surprise gift was given later.

I managed to remember all the bits I needed to drop off at church, so I did this then helped with the refreshments. There was a minor panic as there didn't seem to be enough coffee, but a member of the catering team found us the backup supplies. The service didn't seem all that full so I thought we had prepared too much, but in fact it nearly all got used, possibly because it was harvest festival and people had been encouraged to bring cakes and stay behind to eat them. I helped with that. A very tasty lemon and cherry slice and a marvellously light piece of dairy free chocolate cake. That's my share done.  

Back at home, we did some last minute cleaning and tidying (no, it's not immaculate) then set off to meet the others and have a good walk over by the reservoir and up on the moors. The autumnal colours are just beginning to show and we took a route that got us away from the full car park, meaning we had the moorland track through the pine trees and out onto the heights and the capacious views, to ourselves. It was a sunny day and the wind had dropped. It wasn't even muddy apart from worn bits of track, which is surprising when you consider how much it rained on Friday. At one point, despite us having the dog with us, a deer and two fawns bounded across our path. (The dog was too interested in the undergrowth to notice!) It was a good time to catch up with family and compare notes on what we are wearing for the wedding now that navy blue is out! It turns out DD has gone for the same colours as me, though a very different style.

Back at the house, DH opened his gifts (the non-surprise one from me was a painting he had chosen and he's had a selection of others including three books he'd wanted), then we had our pizzas. As an added bonus, L was able to join us when he'd finished work. Baby A was very entertaining: she is adventurous and now mobile. Another few weeks and she could be a handful! J also brought their dog who loves our house and supervised the pizza production as closely as she dared.

Then to top it off, E seems to have fixed my sewing machine! She found the same sticking point that I identified and unstuck it, though she didn't know what she had done to achieve that. So that definitely makes three points where it had been sent out over-tightened from the factory. I now need a project to get myself in practice.

I was absolutely exhausted when everyone had gone home but I made myself stay up till about half past nine, then went to bed and slept till 5. An hour awake and a snack, then I slept again for a couple more hours. I hope that's me caught up for now!

Cherryfudge

So to today: DH has gone to work and I texted to finalise arrangements for looking after the girls this afternoon, only to find I had the wrong week! It's next week so I have today mostly free. I've contacted work and am now starting at 5 as usual.

There isn't too much food left over from yesterday so I've taken salmon out of the freezer for tonight and could do with a further sort out of the fridge. There are still things to clear up in general: the dishwasher needs to be unpacked and restacked, I could do with getting another storage bag for summer dresses and looking through course notes for tomorrow. Then there are the poor houseplants which are bursting out of their pots and would benefit from division. A shame I couldn't get that done in time for yesterday and offer some to E, who is keen on plants!

The plan for this week:
Monday: work pm.
Tuesday: childcare. Pm - course.
Wednesday: work pm.
Thursday: possibly help with toddler group.
Friday: possibly help with church cleaning. Work pm.
Saturday: flu jab. Possibly car boot sale.
Sunday: lead children's activity in the morning.

Cherryfudge

I've finished Jane Eyre - what a story! It got to the point where I was covering the end of the pages so I wouldn't accidentally read something before I was meant to. Not sure what to read next: DH suggested 'Wild Sargasso Sea' or 'The Professor' but I'm going to wait and see how I feel once I've stopped rereading JE in my head.

I also did some laundry. I've started the cooler season routine of an extra spin on top of the quick wash program, so it is more likely to dry well. Then I did ten minutes in the garden, so two more little lavenders are planted, followed by a clear out and clean inside the side board.

I've not even looked out my course notes yet, let alone read through them.

Three hours at work tonight then a trip to T3sco/L1dl looking for inspiration for tomorrow's food. I bought some yogurt tubes to give the girls on the way home from the swings as they are always hungry and it's a bit of a walk. I will try to pack them each a (healthy) snack box to have in the buggy. I think I'll make myself yet another overnight oats: it's easy. I've also treated myself to sock yarn from L1dl, and a pack to give my sister as well.

And what a lovely, mild walk home tonight: 14 degrees and a big silver full moon.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £5.44
Hobbies/clothing £4
Gift £4
Stationery 79p

Fortune_Smiles

Cherryfudge said:

I've finished Jane Eyre - what a story! It got to the point where I was covering the end of the pages so I wouldn't accidentally read something before I was meant to. Not sure what to read next: DH suggested 'Wild Sargasso Sea' or 'The Professor' but I'm going to wait and see how I feel once I've stopped rereading JE in my head.

I read 'Wild Sargasso Sea' this year.  It gives an interesting perspective on Jane Eyre.

Fortune x