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

themadvix

How do you find your grow lights Hetty? I've not really considered them before, but a couple of things recently have made me wonder if I should get some. Are they expensive to run? Well done on growing your saved seed toms! (Tomatoes in December - what am I even questioning about grow lights?!)

Hettyhound

The tomatoes are called Vilma so you can grow them in a pot as a dwarf plant but they get proper sized cherry toms.  The grow light were only from Amazon, about £20/25 ish.  They have a timer for 4/8/12 hours on and you can have red or blue or both lights; I just do both all the time.  Won’t be toms for Christmas but definitely earlier 🤞

Cheery_Daff

Can't believe you're all thinking about growing things already! I'm so rubbish about seeds. Usually get them planted about April, again in May when I've killed the first lot, then chuck half of them in the compost when they've dried up in the greenhouse through lack of water in July 🙄😂 clearly I need to follow your lead!

No need to buy seeds though, I have endless ones from previous years, although largely out of date so I might be better starting with a new batch!

Very glad to hear your niece is back up and running again, excellent news 😊😊 and all fingers crossed for Mr MV!

Suffolk_lass

They are both local businesses to me @Hettyhound - I use Kings, quite often. The other one is quite a new business (she was a celebrity jeweller, originally) and relies heavily on high quality photography and high profile marketing. She exhibited at Chelsea FS this year and did well. I am not convinced they grow the products they sell. They have just taken over part of the premises that was the renowned and highly regarded "The Place for Plants" as Rupert and Sara Eley have retired. I remain to be convinced.

Hettyhound

@Suffolk_lass yes I quite agree about the glossy marketing photos, not a slug in sight!  They are very pricey so I normally get the odd unusual staple veg; I have some of the peppermint chard growing in my garden which is no where near the size of the photo but is the same pink coloured stalks.  Kings is my go to for seeds, onion sets and seed potatoes 😁

themadvix

Morning all,

 Just sitting in the lounge at the airport waiting for our flight to Berlin. Thought I’d give you a quick update on Friday’s news (weekend involved diy, prepping for holiday, a visit to some friends, nothing expensive or exciting - except the litter trays and toilet are all back in the cloakroom at last!).

Mr MV’s ‘informal chat’ went well. Likely another strong candidate (but Mr MV was one too ), so there’ll be another round of interviews, w/c 15th. So that’s good! The hiring manager was going to ask around, which can only be a good thing as Mr MV has an excellent rep with some of this guy’s colleagues and other candidate is external, so not going to benefit from that.

The man from 🐙 also came Friday, and is planning to rerun the pipes exactly where I would like them - absolutely thrilled with this result! So that’s excellent news too. Work to start 15th - timing might be interesting with Mr MV’s interview 😬

So good all round and please still keep your fingers crossed for Mr MV! (Annoyingly he ran out of time to ask the one key question which is how much travel it would involve - mostly an issue because he doesn’t travel well 😏 He was too busy asking gems like ‘what concerns do you have about me?’ - something picked up from the Ed/Cheery interview chats a few weeks ago - so thanks whoever that was - @Watty1 maybe?)

Have a good week all!

beanielou

Good news for Mr mv & on Octopus. 

rtandon27

How fabulous to start a weekend with good news!

Greying_Pilgrim

Fab news about the pipes - did the original installers go 'orf piste' with their location of the pipes then?  I know sometimes "the textbook" can say one thing, and what faces workers on the ground can be quite another, but haven't two engineers (plus your good self) said it should be done one way, and the installers have done something different?  🤞it all goes smoothly this time, and everything is done precisely how you'd like.  Again, a "two bites at the cherry" doesn't sell instillation to homeowners, does it? You've done so well to pursue what you knew to not be right though.

All fingers very much crossed for Mrtmv - I hope that informal chat has given him a wonderful 'valued' boost, and that he carries that into the 15th.

Have a wonderful time in Berlin.  

Greying X

greenbee

Good result with Octopus (annoying it has to be redone rather than done right in the first place though). 

Mr MV’s chat sounds positive. Does the job ad/description not detail travel percentage etc? We include details in ours (my current is … I think… 50% and international - not that I do any). Previous company was 80% which I don’t recommend.

Have a fabulous trip.