Living the Good Life - mortgage free and living in line with our values

LadyWithAPlan

I also ended up working the last two weekends and just finished now super late - all to do with deadlines 

you sound like life is v busy but going well - and that you are invoicing loads 

QueenJess

I keep missing your diary posts as my brain doesn’t recognise the title anymore since you started a new one and I skip past it. Must pay more attention 😂

I’m very impressed you have shortbread leftover from xmas. That would have disappeared instantly in my house! I also managed to organise myself enough to plant some tomato, cucumber and random flower seeds that seem to be enjoying my sunny windowsill. Lots said you had to do the plastic bag thing, but I ignored that and threw them in a cheap windowsill greenhouse from IKEA I bought last year and they are all good. Even some Zinnias are growing which refused to ever germinate when I followed the back of the packet to the letter.

themadvix

QJ the shortbread was part of a hamper of bought stuff we were given. Not stuff I’d usually buy, given the wrapping and UPF (although actually the shortbread were M&S and not UPF which is worth knowing). Given the amount of baked/fresh food in the house at Christmas, I just popped them away with a few of the other gift bits - it’s useful to have pre-made stuff for trips away (our caravan breaks normally), and because it’s long dated, it can be a case of out of sight, out of mind… at least until I catch sight of it in a moment of weakness! (Mr MV will have totally forgotten of its existence the minute I put it away, so it’s always a nice surprise for him 😂).

I know exactly the sort of mini greenhouse you mean - we bought one yesterday… I need to confess to some Ikea spending! 🙄

themadvix

Morning all,

So, as mentioned above, Friday's trip to Milton Keynes was a spendy one! Lunch out, a trip to Ikea and then dinner in Ikea too. However, spends have now all been allocated to the surpluses from last month's pots (it was still Feb) and all is OK. Car is fixed and Mr MV got a new battery in his phone while we were there. Lunch at Wagamama's was very disappointing and I've written to complain - six pieces of overcooked tofu was all I apparently was entitled to in my dish, despite Mr MV having more chicken and prawns in his - which are considerably more expensive, of course. We'll see what they say, but I won't be rushing back - Waga's has always been a rare treat for me, but I don't think I'll be too bothered in future. While we had a nice day off (with a long walk along the canal), the day was a bit of a disaster customer service wise - apart from Tesla (super slick and no complaints there at all). Milk delivered Friday was meant to include 2 extra pints, but only 1 arrived - on complaining I've been sent a voucher for a free pint next time I make a one-off order. Not really the same thing and I'll be further complaining about this - I want a refund! Apple were late with our appointment (20 mins and no apology), inefficient and the man seemed to suggest that we'd booked 'an appointment to see them, not necessarily that they'd be able to do the work that day'  - erm, no, Mr MV had booked for a battery replacement, so that's definitely what we are expecting to be done! (It was done, but it was the attitude that annoyed him). And Ikea decided to only have one person on the tills at 6pm in the restaurant - who, with a massive queue of people with food getting colder, decided to just get up and walk off.... What happened to customer service? Sorry, rant over - all first world problems, I know!

Saturday was lovely - Sis and I went for a jewellery making workshop for my birthday present. She wouldn't let me pay for our lunch either. We both have two handmade rings now and it was a great group of people too. In the evening Mr MV and I enjoyed a fire in the garden and hanging around in the newly-rehung hammock - it truly feels like spring has arrived! (I know this weather won't last, but I'm determined to enjoy it while it's here!)

Yesterday was spent pootling around the house and garden. I baked bread, bagels (because it's been ages since I've baked anything different) and some ginger biscuits (which used up the last of the stem ginger in the fridge - good to get something finished off). Lots of pruning, weeding, clearing done and Mr MV managed a very gentle cut of the 'top' part of the lawn. Monthly pub quiz in the evening - a small spend here of £10 for drinks and £5 charity donation. All in all, it has been a lovely three days 🥰

Currently my work is quiet - I've taken the opportunity to clear out my Cambridge inbox - everything has been filed or deleted, bar one email - it's a very satisfying feeling. I intend to crack on with reports once I've made a cup of tea. Imagine main client will have something for me soon, but he's quiet this morning. I'm also clearing and cleaning my baking ingredients cupboard, which has brought to light a couple of bits to target for using up - in particular the buckwheat flour that we kept being sent during lockdown as an algorithmic replacement for bread flour... handily, it's pancake day tomorrow, so I think we'll be having galettes for dinner.

Supermarket delivery and small R'ford delivery (£13 - I had credit on my account) planned for Thursday, but will be eking out the rest of it until at least the middle of next week.

MS things:
* Complaints entered, hopefully will receive appropriate responses?
* Clicks and HW
* Minimal R'ford delivery as we have plenty in - but I wanted to get some more blood oranges before the season is over
* A focus on using things up
* Seedlings have all come up in the propagator 😊

*Solar power!
* YG survey
* Y-Live credit for longitudinal survey (£15)

Gratitudes:
* Lovely time with Sis on Saturday
* Tried an e-scooter in MK - was great fun (in a legal and safe manner - don't get me started on illegal idiots...)
* Sunshine and garden time 😊

Have a lovely day all - I hope the sun is shining with you!

Baileys_Babe

Enjoy your galettes, what filling are you planning, I enjoy mushrooms sometimes in a blue cheese sauce 😋

themadvix

I think Mr MV would like that BB, but it would be my worst nightmare! I think we’ll stick traditional (ish) and go for a fried egg, some spinach and cheese. Of course I’ve timed my supermarket delivery of eggs and cheese for Thursday, so I’ll need to get some for pancakes! But I need to go to Aldi for porridge oats (thanks QJ for that tip), so will get some then.

themadvix

Afternoon all,

Another lovely day of sunshine here. Did try to make the most of it around work - a walk this morning, meals outside, a cycle to Aldi and a quick walk to the allotment. Two loads of washing done and dried too. 

We are currently without heating and hot water as the valve has packed up (two years after Mr MV replaced it...) - so very grateful for the sunshine and warmer temperatures. We only use hot water for sinks - shower is electric and wm and dw only have cold water feeds, so that's no problem (we had the immersion on for a bit on Sunday night and will do the same again tonight). It's a quick fix once the part arrives, so hopefully not too long.

Work has been steady today - the expected but delayed project for main client has been coming in, so that's good.

£7.66 spent in Aldi - oats, a couple of tins of fish for Mr MV, eggs and a pint of milk. We had egg sarnies for lunch, so will be full of eggs by the end of today. If we get that far (i.e. after galettes), pancakes will be of the lemon/sugar/syrup variety - nothing fancy.

MS things:
*1P surveys
* YLive survey - £2 - now only £5 away from payout
* Clicks and HW

Gratitudes:
* Lovely sunshine and fresh air
* Bird are definitely letting it be known it's springtime!
* A steadier pace of work - it's allowed me a) to enjoy the sun and b) to feel a bit calmer and more in balance this week

Have a lovely evening all!

redofromstart

As a child of the 70s, lemon and sugar or syrup were the only 'sweet' choices.

themadvix

Bar chocolate and banana, I don’t think you can beat simple lemon and sugar redo. That’s what I was brought up on as a child of the ‘90s. 

Didn’t need pancakes after our galettes, so will save them for tomorrow.

Baileys_Babe

We too are having pancakes tomorrow, as everyone was to full after a (late) dinner of American style gluten free pancakes served with sausages, bacon, halloumi and maple syrup.