Moving on

Dakota_Rose

You are a night owl @Cherryfudge! I never lose track of time on an evening, as like Cinderella, as soon as the clock strikes (10 in my case), the (energy) spell vanishes and (rendered useless 😂) I must make haste and return to bed!

Here’s hoping the sausages are still waiting for you today x

Cherryfudge

I think I've always been a night owl: I've read that it can run in families and exactly the same pattern was true of my Mum and one of my children.

I did manage to retrieve the sausages, thanks! 😁

Today was child care day and I'm afraid DH had to do the morning on his own, partly because I slept till nine, and partly because I did some jobs around the house then went to collect a (re-ordered) birthday present for DDiL. At last she has it - over two weeks late but it's safely with her. I also did the family tradition of supplying a gift bag that's not inscribed, so it can be used again!

The rain held off all afternoon so we took the girls out on their scooters but that wasn't too successful as it was colder than anticipated. It was quite funny, though, to have the younger one (2 years old) chatting to me about it not raining. She also informed me, with a big grin, that she's a 'cheeky monkey'.

DS helpfully finished work a little early as I'd said I'd work this evening, and DH drove me. We were a couple of minutes late as we went through the crowded High Street to avoid a partially flooded road. Work was two and a half hours, and DH made me a tuna pasta when I got home.

Spending:

Gift £1.29

Housekeeping £3.49

Cherryfudge

Another mostly-rainy day. I had a morning appointment to have a skin tag taken off, which was quick and easy, and I styed dry as DH had the day off and gave me a lift. Then it was back home to get a few jobs done: a bit of ironing, an large load of laundry (still drying but I put what I could in the tumble dryer for 45 minutes), a hair wash… I've successfully got nearly all the ink out of the lining of a toy basket that used to be DD's, so it can go to her daughter once I've finished sewing it back in. I'm impressed that the ink can go after probably a quarter of a century!

Lunch was the sausages I bought at half price a couple of days ago, with ratatouille for himself and beans for me and (drum roll please) the contents of one of the potato bags I planted last year for Christmas. The 5p Christmas veg meant I didn't need it till now. There were only enough potatoes for one meal! Very fresh, though.

With some help from DH, the computer and the printer, I prepared the study for the church group this evening while DH did his stint at cleaning church cleaning. I offered to help (honest) but he declined, saying he needs the headspace. When he'd finished, he gave me a lift to look at the place where I've been asked if I could help out with some classes. It was almost empty when I got there and I had over an hour being shown round and talking to the manager. The difficulty with it being after hours is that I can't get the vibe of the place and make a judgement about whether to give it a try or not, so I've asked to go in the daytime. That will be an interesting test of something or other, probably me.

DH drove me home, which is as well as the rain is back and it's about 45 minutes' walk. I need to look into buses.

The evening seemed to go okay: I got people awake and active as well as solving a presentation problem by doing what we used to call 'sword drill' in Sunday School. It's a sort of race to find texts, and I had guessed rightly who would be most competitive. He had his finger poised over the index on his phone Bible! If I do that again, I'll have to invent a way that the person who last won gets to give the next challenge. 😁

Spending:

Phone £3 top up.

Cherryfudge

Another rainy day, and I don't have paid work today (the classes are on a week's pause, followed by half term then I'm away for a week), and I'm not needed for paid cleaning. I need to make something of the day!

I decided it might be a good idea to do my part of church cleaning today but it may be tomorrow. I could also look ahead as there's a fair amount of prep to do for Sundays before going on holiday. My team have our team meeting the day after we get back. Sub-categories for this are the team agenda, the updated allergies list, making a start on accommodations for a child who will require more care for a few weeks and thinking ahead to staffing for next term, though this latest can probably wait for now.

Trying to think ahead to our holiday at the end of the month but am feeling a bit head in the sand. I always hate going away! However, Portugal… always liked the thought of going there and it will be warmer than here to the extent I will need lighter clothes but layers… feeling tempted by a dress I saw on V1nted, though I know I bought a couple of lovely dresses last year that have been packed away over winter. I also need to think through things like cardigans - I never really feel I get those right.

Household jobs I have aplenty. The oven needs to be cleaned, yesterday's laundry is now the ironing pile, the hoovering, dusting etc are waiting patiently. I have the last few stitches to put in the little basket for DGD3. Valentine's Day is looming so I need to get DH a card. I will also miss the next session of the church group and while I don't 'need' to look at the material we're studying, I'd like to keep on top of it.

I will be back later to be answerable.

peb

I went to Lisbon one February half term and definitely took insufficient clothing. Please make sure you have a couple of layers at least. I had one fleece which I didn't take off and ended up buying bed socks!

Cherryfudge

Noted @peb, and thanks! We are going to the Algarve and the internet thinks temps will be around 17C, but who knows? I will be sure to pack jumpers, bed socks, jeans, long sleeves, short sleeves, lightweight scarf etc. I can't get my head round having to wear a padded coat here in the UK which may well be wrong there. I am honestly having difficulty picturing what I wear when it's 17C!

(I digressed to look that up and layers, jacket, scarf seem to be the way to go).

On a related note, I tidied out the underwear and socks department this morning. About half a dozen 'structured' bras and some stretchy ones, around 30 pairs of socks, not including bed socks and running socks, and 17 pairs of pants. This probably explains why I don't wear things out very quickly.

I took out the top freezer drawer (having defrosted the freezer cabinet the other day) and it was a mess of ice and 'snow'. I've also thrown out two of the four pumpkins from the shed, as they were mush. Ready-made for compost. The others are fine so I think those may have been bruised. Finding beans and celery in the freezer, I've added other veg and made soup, and I was going to make a bread pudding using the frozen oddments of bread, but the (already opened) long life milk was suspect so I need to replace it. The next job is putting back the freezer drawer and seeing what I can make of the contents.

liselle

I’ve been wearing lightweight thermal vests, fantastic! Means I don’t have to wear bulky jumpers.

Cherryfudge

I do vests too @liselle, as well as jumpers! And long-sleeved tees. And a 'duvet' coat. And a scarf.

But maybe I won't need them all on holiday? 😁

liselle

Hopefully not! I only really discovered thermals this year and it’s been a revelation!

rtandon27

@Cherryfudge - have a look and em'n's heatgen thermals - they are super thin and provide a base layer that can be removed and carried around easily in a daypack! I've used them in all four seasons in several different countries and climates . They don't take up much room in the suitcase either!