Moving on

Cherryfudge

The cleaning has been done, and I spent time wandering round looking for those boxes of bicarb for cleaning that have suddenly disappeared. Perhaps they went years ago? I came home without, but got the dried fruit and flaked almonds (£7.85 for the two ) so at least I got the 100 Clubcard points. I topped up the apricots to the recipe level but actually the dish wasn't that good. There are three portions left over, which I will have for lunches, then have a rethink about whatever was that gorgeous lamb dish I made a while ago.

I also got the 15p veg. Today's haul was onions, white cabbage and carrots. Saturday is my late or very late birthday celebration. The actual birthday was weeks ago but this was something I originally planned for last year, but then had Covid on my birthday, and just never got round to it later. Anyway, now the weather is a bit warmer, we are having a family day with lunch out and a relaxed afternoon, followed by pizza and salad and possibly board games in the evening. That's where the cabbage and carrot come in - hoping to trim costs by making some of the salad stuff, including coleslaw.

This evening was the church group, which was a good discussion. DH had the house to himself as his group closes over school holidays. Nice for him to have time for himself actually.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £8.30

Cherryfudge

This morning I've got some bags of my clothes out of the loft so I can sort out my summer wardrobe. There's far too much stuff up there and that includes clothes I put away years ago so I really need to continue to work through them. I haven't got all out, by a long chalk, just what I could cope with for now. No grand plan, just 'do something rather than nothing'.

I've added a line to my signature, thanks to @CRANKY40. 'I think a bit of sunshine is good for frugal living'. So very true. For me it means I can be out in nature, either the garden (on the rare occasions it's dry enough these days) or for a run. Otherwise exercise either doesn't happen or means going into town where there are shops...

I've started a list of foods for Saturday which needs a bit of editing. Pizza buffet for eight plus a toddler. I need to source a vegan and a vegetarian pizza plus two others, and if I know what I'm getting I don't need to buy these till Saturday morning. Other things I'd like to buy today or tomorrow. I'm finishing a portion of the lamb terrine for my main meal and DH is finishing the pasta, so there will be a little more fridge space. I also need to do housework type things so I'm not stressed by the time Saturday comes around.

I don't know if I mentioned but DH bought his 10lb lump hammer to break up the old path, and there's now a hole. I suggested he lets the family have a turn for a party game on Saturday! When I think back to us having a JCB lawnmower and the fun some of them had with that, I think there's mileage in the idea.  

Various courses and a new ISA are still on the horizon. I'm also thinking ahead to our holiday/city break in May - I have a couple of hundred euros on my PO travel card and DH has some too, but I will be very surprised if I don't need more than that! This will come from a savings account called 'holidays' that we set up ages ago. We aren't adding to it at the moment but there's enough there for now. Also in the holiday prep is looking up our hotel and finding a nearby supermarket so we don't have to eat out all the time. Not that I have anything against eating out in Italy! I could be talked into it easily if the bank threw some random cash in my direction. I also found that one of my language apps had locked me out despite using it yesterday, so I did a complete log in and it offered me a free week of premium, which I've accepted. I used to have this and it's not massively expensive, but I don't actually need it so I must remember to cancel in six day's time.

I'm working at five so there is structure to the day.

Cherryfudge

I eventually dragged myself out to get a run, so C25K week 1 is complete. Of course once I actually got going I enjoyed it. After that follows a tale of distractibility:

I saw a pair of socks with the beginnings of a hole so I went to stand of a chair to reach down the embroidery threads.
There was a lap blanket on the floor in the way of the chair so I went to put it away.
In doing so I noticed the clothes I'd put out to change into after my run.
I started to get changed and decided I needed a shower.
I had a shower and decided to give the bathroom a quick clean.
I realised the cleaning cloth could go in the wash with my running clothes.
I decided to check some of the things that had come from the loft in case any of those would benefit from a wash.
I discovered a toddler cardigan in amongst a mixed bag.
I thought the toddler cardigan might stretch in the machine so I washed it by hand.
I went through the kitchen to hang it on the line and dry my hands.
I remembered I could add the tea towel and hand towel from the kitchen to the wash.
I went upstairs to get replacements.
I boiled the kettle and made coffee.
I remembered I wanted boiling water to soak a pan so I topped up the kettle and re-boiled it.
I took my coffee through to the computer and wrote this.
I remembered I'd not put the hot water in the pan so I went back to the kitchen and did that.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present my case: this person appears to get a lot done but in fact her life is dominated by ADHD.  

I'm now going to get the thread for the socks.

CRANKY40

That sounds like me going to look for the carpet shampoo the other day 🤣🤣🤣Typical ADHD butterfly mind and then when the HT comes home from uni and asks what I've been doing I have no idea.

Cherryfudge

Ah, @CRANKY40, how far the draft from the butterfly wings goes! The world would be a less advanced place if our butterfly minds settled where we last saw them. At least my house would be a different place - I get most things done while I'm trying to make myself do something else, but at the same time I have a thing about leaving small tasks unfinished, so I do tend to keep going till I'm satisfied. The result is lots of jobs do get done, but not necessarily the ones I'd like to prioritise.

Did you find your carpet shampoo?

The socks are mended and put away, and some more laundry has ended up on the airer: the good drying weather of this morning turned into cold wind and showers later. I had a couple of hours at work, and noticed that some people only sign for an hour and a half so I asked and it seems I could work shorter shifts if I can get the work done in the time. Of course, depending how that goes, it could mean I work fewer hours on more days, but I've asked if it's okay for me to offer on days when I would normally not work due to other commitments. If I find I can finish by six thirty and still get to my evening activities, that could be a bonus, but would they then expect me to work only an hour and a half on other days? That could be a loss of a couple of hours a week. I've recently been finding I finish ahead of time instead of barely getting everything done.

I got some of the shopping for Saturday on my way home: £8.90 to be split between housekeeping and entertaining. That includes another of the 15p bags of potatoes but I'd better stop at that as we won't get through any more! 

CRANKY40

I did find it thank you but I managed without it in the end. You've just reminded me that I've been trying to remember to take the wire snips downstairs with me to cut the old clothes line down in order to put the new one up. It's been about a week and a half now......

Cherryfudge

Yay for the carpet shampoo, @CRANKY40. I like the smell when I've done our carpets. Now where are the wire snips? Or you could just put the new line up anyway and leave the old one...

It's nice and sunny today, though coldish. I made myself get up and go to the Good Friday service, and afterwards on the walk of witness which is a churches together thing in the middle of town, finishing up with an outdoor service. After that, we picked up a lot of groceries to feed the family tomorrow, and bumped into A with little N doing their weekend shopping. I remembered to ask about her new nursery and day two went well.

I'm having a  bit of a sit down, after which I'll start on the prep-in-advance sides for tomorrow (pasta pesto and a bulger wheat one from the old Cranks cookery book). I had to rearrange the fridge to get four pizzas in, so I think I will take the jams out till these have been eaten, or risk food poisoning. Most of the logistics will be around whether we have enough plates, because when I thought this up, I didn't click that having nine dinner plates for eight adults means there's nowhere to put the pizzas. Two will go on the cooking dishes... I think the other two will need to go on baking trays.

I also need to do some housework and spend the evening baking, if I've any energy left. I'm not worrying too much about that though. I like playing earth mother who cooks from scratch, but nowadays I just accept it may not happen!

Pollie

If you have a microwave, could you use the glass dish as a serving tray for a pizza?

Cherryfudge

Pollie said:

If you have a microwave, could you use the glass dish as a serving tray for a pizza?

Genius! Thank you.

redofromstart

If I am really stuck I use the cardboard base of the pizza box (cut down) to serve it on. You can always cover it in foil if you need it to be warm/pretty.