The Frugal Hearth: Stories of Simple Living and Living Well

greenbee

I think I need to take a leaf out of your book, as I've fallen into the same habit - get up when Stripey cat asks to go out, let her out and empty the dog (and not-Fatty sometimes goes out), go back to bed, get up again to feed them and go back to bed with coffee. I should probably try to slowly shift back to at least a short pre-breakfast walk now it should be light enough!

Makingabobor2

Is Atomic Habits worth listening to? I do like a good podcast or audio book these days. 

Elisheba

Makingabobor2 said:

Is Atomic Habits worth listening to? I do like a good podcast or audio book these days. 

I think so, yes. I have the book as well which has lots of diagrams (although you can look at this online for the audiobook), and both contain a lot of good information.

Elisheba

Good morning, all 🌞,

And so we are at Friday again. 9 weeks today until I get my keys (touch wood)!

I feel you @greenbee when you talk about Fatty sometimes going out 🤣. I end up having 10 minute motivational talks with silly dog to convince him he needs the loo, and have to open and close the door 3 or 4 times before he decides, that yes, he really does need the toilet 🤣.

It's been a quiet week at Elisheba Cottage. Although I did manage to accidentally poison silly dog which was a stressful interlude. I had put my dinner plate down to him to lick, and then thought - there is a lot of ketchup left on that plate, and it's low sugar so does it have sweeteners in it?', so I looked at the bottle and it did 🫣. It was stevia, and I looked online and it said small quantities should be okay and just to watch for gastro issues. So I didn't run to the emergency vet, and apart from a bit of a runny tum he was fine, but a lesson learned there! Poor old silly dog - he had no idea why I kept poking his tummy and giving him lots of cuddles, but he wasn't complaining 🤣.

Money wise, I think I think I mentioned in December, before I decided to move house, I transferred energy providers? Then, when the move was decided upon I cancelled the transfer as the new company had exit feed and I was still within my grave period. Well, I was charged last month by both companies, so I called company I had transferred to this week to see when I was getting a bill and refund, and they have added on £40 compensation for an erroneous transfer - even although it wasn't erroneous and was just me changing my mind! So that should be wending it's way to my account in the next few days.

I've had the heating on all week, although just at 18 degrees. It is January, and I have oil so no point in being cold.

I got a big shop delivered last Sunday, and had lots of milk which I put in the chest freezer. Not having to pop to to C00p every couple of days for more milk is saving me lots of money on incidental buys while I am there, so I intend to stick with that system. I used to do it, but some how got out of the habit.

My new habit of getting into the shower first thing and not lounging in bed with a cuppa is going well. Today is excluded as I woke about 5am for some unknown reason, and I see no reason to get out of bed until 7am 🤣. I'm also hiding my phone while work to avoid distractions, and rewarding each task I do at work with a paperclip and adding it to a chain ⛓️, and it is surprisingly motivating for getting started on new tasks. Feel like I've been quite productive work wise this week! Each big thing I get finished gets rewarded with a short You Tube video as well, usually on productivity or efficiency, and that's quite a good little reward system as well. 

This weekend I'm helping out at a chapel coffee morning tomorrow, and I'm going to book a tip run in the afternoon. I'm still waiting on a removals quote from a chap who visited on Tuesday, so might chase that up today as well.

I also found a new pizzle section where I can do a crossword on PressReader, which I get free through one of the libraries I am a member of, so that's quite fun. I can also do crosswords through PressReader by screenshotting the puzzle from the newspapers on there, and filling them out using the edit tool for pictures on my phone, but that's a bit more faffy, so I like this better.

I think I'll have a bath tonight to celebrate the end of the week, and wind down. It's been very showery here this week, and I think there is quite a bit of road flooding so I'm glad I have no massive journeys to go on! Hope everyone is staying warm and dry, and has exciting plans for the weekend!


 

greenbee

I have completely failed to follow your example of getting up when I let the menagerie out. Mostly because they are still asking to go out at stupid o'clock and it's cold and dark... Maybe next week  

Makingabobor2

Hope everything is still going well. x

fionaandphil

I was just thinking of you @Elisheba as I keep getting adverts through for sheds. I think you said you had a leaky one at new house? Would it be worth buying a new extra large one and replacing it rather than use storage? Prices seem to vary greatly but Robert Dyas keep sending me adverts, no idea if they're any good

Elisheba

Morning, all, and apologies for the prolonged absence again.

All is going well at Elisheba Cottage. I've been fairly busy, and am also attempting to develop my creative side by starting a blog so that has been taking up some of my time. If any one fancies reading by blog just PM me for a link. It'll pretty much knock my anonymity out of the water, but I've been posting on here for 6 years and no-one seems like a crazed stalker so far so I'm sure it'll be okay 😆. There are only two articles so far so it's a work in progress, but I'm focusing on consistency for now and getting something written for it once a week.

I'm off to the doctor's in a bit. I've been doing a bit of research into various aches and pains I have, even after 5 stone weight loss, and I'm pretty certain I have some thing called hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). Not hugely convinced the NHS are going to be very useful, as from various forums I've looked at they don't seem bothered by giving a diagnosis just treating the symptoms. I think a diagnosis would be validating for me though, and help me manage the pain, and be a useful tool with work if working patterns ever change and they try to insist on going into the office more. Working from home has decreased my fatigue by at least half. So I'm going to see what I can argue. It would also be good to rule out more serious types of EDS which can be a lot more dangerous with heart issues and the like.

The house move is still ongoing. We are on the middle of negotiating missives and I haven't heard from my solicitor in a few weeks, so I'm getting a bit stressed by that. It's less than a month a way now and I would like something signed asap really.

I've started packing up my house, and it's been remarkably easy with all the decluttering I've done. I've managed to give away a few bits of furniture I'm not going to have room for, but other things no-one seems to want so I'm going to have to arrange a bulky waste collection.

I massively overspent in February. I bought a new printer so that contributed to a lot of it, and I was looking after my nieces for a week up in Scotland and took them out so that was a bit more of it. March is likely to be similar as I have various social things in the calendar with friends who seem to think they are never going to see again now I am moving to Scotland.

Still, I am keeping track of it all and I'm not going into my savings or getting into debt, so I won't worry too much. It's an uncertain, transitional period and I'm going to give myself a bit of grace and just make sure I rein it back in once I move. Other than all the things I'm going to need to spend money on for the house of course!

I've spoken to a joiner and I think I'm going to get fitted cupboards in the alcove in the new house. It's almost double what Ike@ storage would cost, but it will be more what I want and hopefully be better quality and sturdier.

That's all my news for just now as I really do need to get ready for going out to the doctor's. Hope everyone is keeping well. I've read in the news that with the Middle East conflict wholesale gas prices have gone up nearly 50%, and oil about 15%, so that's is going to have a knock oneffect for all of us. At least we are going into spring and summer, so won't need the heating as much. Maybe by next winter things will be calmer.

daisy_1571

I think bespoke cabinets that fit the space and are designed to use every inch will definitely be worth the extra cost

Dxx

OpalGirl

Good work on the decluttering, it certainly makes things easier when moving.

Hope the doctor's visit goes well. There are a couple of people on the MSE forum who have EDS - @PennysIntoPounds and @CRANKY40