Ninja Saving Turtles Challenge August 2025

Thrifty_Taylor

Thank you all 🦊❤️

@beanielou pleased you had a lovely visit. @f0xh0les sounds like you were getting paid to have a good time! I enjoyed my 3 years as a barmaid, it felt like having a night out with driinking 😀

Yesterday I spent 5.5 hours chopping wood with the chop saw, then carting it in the wheelbarrow, to the wood store, & stacking it for winter. A great sense of achievement felt afterwards. A quick tea, then headed to town for a last minute cocktail night with my 2 work besties. Lots of laughter, just what I needed. Stayed the night at mum's.

Watched TV with mum, then walked in to town to get a couple of things. Bumped into the dad of my best friend from school. He lives on a smaller I & was on his way back from Aberdeen hospital (& returning there tomorrow). He lost his wife a few days before I lost DS1, so I gave him a hug. He invited me to go for a juice somewhere. This then turned into lunch & a couple more soft drinks. I'd offered to take him to his GD at the other end of the island, but on leaving the pub,we bumped into someone he knew, I'm not sure if it was GD's BF, who took him instead. Had a lovely time catching up & giving each other support. Gave DS3 a lift home from work.

Cut the grass after tea.

Grateful for a good night last night, not feeling ill this morning, bumping into friend's dad, it staying dr6 until I'd cut the grass

grandmanerd

Thursday 14th August 2025
I have several articles earmarked. I'll try to get them posted in the next few days. As usual, take from them anything you find useful and ignore the rest.

11 Summer Self-Care Tips You'll Love
(from Plum. Healthy Fine)
1    Level up your WATER intake. Make it a point to drink 8 - 10 cups a day 
2    Pay Special Attention to your SKIN - Sunscreen SPF30+ Use a light non-greasy moisturiser under the sunscreen
3     Create a Special Summer Morning Routine Do a few stretches in bed. As soon as you're up open the windows to let in fresh air. Take a moment to pray/ meditate. be thankful or just BREATHE. Plum says wash your face with cold water and have a cold shower (I'm skipping those)
4    Take Your Workouts Outside
5    Nourish Yourself With Summer Fruits and Veggies
6    Make Time For REST  Start the day slowly and mindfully. If you get stressed take a few moments to breathe. If you're at home, try an afternoon nap. Make your weekends about self-care and rejuvenation
7   Plan Outings With Your Friends (or children)
8   Wear light and Comfortable Clothes
9   Go on a Solo Vacation (I like this one)
10 Digital Media Detox - have a break at least once a week. Ride a bike, start a garden, try painting.
11 Find Tiny Ways To Celebrate Summer

Thrifty_Taylor

Does anyone else 'panic' in the run up to going back to work after the holidays, & try to cram in as much off your to-do list, as you can, in 24 hours?! 😂

After being away from home for so long yesterday, this is how I woke up feeling this morning! Stripped the bed before getting dressed, hung the washing out before breakfast, then went for a walk with DH straight after, checking the garden waste recycling en route.

Once back home, I loaded the car & emptied out 6 sacks of branches, etc. Filled the car with diesel, went home, filled a few more sacks then had dinner. Chased up DS1's flight refund progress. Decided to have a nap, as it was hot, then filled more sacks & took another 6 to the container. Others had been since my last trip, so not as much room for shaking the sacks to empty them!

Did the ironing after tea, was sewing a gonk together, when had a call from school bestie's dad. A good natter with him, then bath time.

Grateful getting lots done, a tidier garden, messages from friends & phone conversations

Rowan9

That’s such a lot of work thrifty 🥳. Well done from me!
thanks for the list grandmothernerd 
we have students coming back in just over a week and things are pretty hectic. 

Today I’m grateful that’s it’s cooler, thank goodness for that, for a kind listening ear at work, for easy throw together lunch from fridge and cupboards. I’m doing well in the grocery budget this month and am so pleased. 

grandmanerd

Sorry, lost part of a big post, will come back to it later. Yesterday I forced myself to go out. I took 2 books back to the library and 2 items to put in the food bank trolley they have. I carried on to the £ emporium (don't think our branch is on the closure list as they recently moved to a side street and are working with a skeleton staff). They do ibuprofen at 3 for £1 and I'm going to build up a stock and put some away in a cupboard for emergencies. When I was stuck in the house for 3 weeks I had to do small SM orders to get some delivered. Some of the SM have own brand ones but I hate being forced to fork out for the 'big brand' ones. When I've run the pantry down I'm also going to do a small tinned stock for when I can only manage opening a can (memories of everyone having flu and whichever adult was capable of getting to the kitchen to heat a can of soup, did so). When your head is fuzzy, deciding what to eat is a chore - soup, rice pudding and other soft foods are recommended.

There was at least one more shop I wanted to get to but my ankle was throbbing so much that I used the town centre cash machine and then hobble limped to the taxi office (not my usual). Was struggling with their door and the woman said she could order my taxi without my having to go in (she used to work at my regular taxi place and remembered me from there). Taxi arrived and he was so helpful (any movement came with sound effects). I went to the loo when I got in and then vegged on my couch.

I have big plans. Part of what DS1 said is true. I have 2 grand-daughters who cannot visit me and his wife also wants one or more. I don't have anywhere for visitors to sit which hasn't much bothered me because I mostly don't want people in my house. I had planned that DS3 would have moved out and the back bedroom would be set up for grandkids to stay overnight, before the baby was born but she's now 3 and I'm still stuck. I've decide I deserve better and don't want to live like this anymore. I deserve to have a life even with my 'lodgers' and all their stuff (including my stuff that I'm gifting them). More of the living my life alongside the complications of multi occupancy and some repairs still needing to be done.

Grand declutter planned  (bit of a purge really). Just got to get my body to co-operate. I think I've been living with limitations and stuck in my hole for so long that I didn't see it anymore.

Grateful for new directions, plans and resolve.

KxMx

I have recently suggested a local professional female declutterer to my Mum - this lady also takes reusable items to charity and any rubbish to the tip as part of the service.

Mum can also pay on top for professional clearance services of anything big. 

Neither of us drive and neither of us are physically capable enough of as much sorting through as is required. 

It's something absolutely worth spending money on, and that's what disability benefits are for paying for whatever help is needed.

I agree you absolutely deserve better but do think about your circumstances - I know you've always soldiered on doing the donkey work but that perhaps doesn't fit your lifestyle now and outside help is required, it would get you the desired outcome likely in a much quicker timescale too.
Perhaps your talents are better suited to directing and supervising 😊

in_need_of_direction

Is it something mrs builder could assist with as you seem comfortable with each other?

KajiKita

I think there must be something in the air today as I have realised I am dissatisfied with my life and how I’m (not) living it and want to make some changes …

Mr KK is safe 😉 but I’m toying with the idea of learning to ride a motorbike … 😉😊

KK

grandmanerd

Sunday 17th August 2025

Not only did I fall off the diet wagon......
I dragged it into the forest, set it ablaze 
and used the insurance money to buy cupcakes

Read this when everything feels off
Some days just feel heavy, for no clear reason. It's like a fog settles over your thoughts and nothing quite clicks. That's okay. Not every day has to be productive or positive. Some days are just for slowing down.

When you feel overwhelmed or low, your brain might dig up every old fear, every regret, every doubt. But remember one bad day doesn't undo all the good in your life. It doesn't mean you're failing, it doesn't mean it'll always be like this. Feel your emotions. Let them pass through you without judgement. But don't let them define you. You don't need to have all the answers today. Instead be gentle with yourself. Cancel the noise.

Choose softness. Wrap yourself in a blanket, play your comfort show, drink something warm or just close your eyes for a while. Rest is not a reward - it's a need. Let the storm pass, it always does. And when it does, you'll find your light again. Just hold on. You've made it through every bad day so far. You'll make it through this one too. And when you come out on the other side, you'll be softer, stronger, and a little more you. That's the quiet beauty of it all.
(The British Blanket Company)
 

Rowan9

That’s perfect grandmothernerd. Very soothing and restorative. 

Waiting for DD to finish work and come in past for her tea.