NST November 2025: NOWvember

weenancyinAmerica

@dustydigger - If it helps, as long as you don't go out and spend cash on those days, you don't count days when direct debits come out as spend days.  And the day you pay the window cleaner or gardener or anyone else you pay on a regular basis-those don't count as spend days either. 

thriftylass

Good morning,

today will be NSD 2/4 and gym day 2/4. Today I'm grateful for the warm weather as it saves on heating costs (Poor cat has it's proper winter fur now and is roasting). For sleeping in yet still making it in time and for antihistamines. For some reason DD and I feel like we have hay fever this time of year. Someone suggested it might be mold outside due to the damp and warm weather. It's definitely not in the house as that is drier than usual for this time of year.

Have a good day

f0xh0les

Probably a silly question, but have you cleaned inside your radiators? You can either do it  dry, with a long skinny brush, or the wet way - pouring water with a bowl underneath.  

The dust builds up over summer with all the pollen and normal house gack, and then when you turn the rads back on, you get a pollen explosion. 

thriftylass

f0xh0les said:

Probably a silly question, but have you cleaned inside your radiators? You can either do it  dry, with a long skinny brush, or the wet way - pouring water with a bowl underneath.  

The dust builds up over summer with all the pollen and normal house gack, and then when you turn the rads back on, you get a pollen explosion. 

Thank you for that tip. They are very dusty inside and i can never be bothered to clean them beyond the point I can see. But just got some longish swiffer thingies and will give them a go.

grandmanerd

I'm still very tired. I'm not ill but a bit fragile with lots of aches. I did manage to mop the shower room floor and part of the kitchen and a second load of washing has been done (including problem solving an error code).

NOWvember
I need fairy lights - I have them, not sure I can put them up

What is going well.
a)   I battled my way through to retirement and have enough money. I need to start budgetting properly but atm I'm okay, there's enough to cover my everyday needs (quite modest ones).
b)  Until grandma's house is sold, I cannot buy a second property and remove DS3 and his Beloved out of here. However I decided last month that I need to have a life NOW, not put everything on hold until they have gone 

What Do I Want (Changes/ Achievements/ Acquisitions)
1   HEALTH I want to be better, fitter, more able to participate and contribute, especially time with my grand-children. I've been flattened by one form of lurgy after another for the past three months. I recently added more supplements (some to replace ones the NHS has stopped) to help with mental clutter and anxiety.

2    Meal planning and shopping. I'm mostly limited to shopping online and I'm boycotting Am@z0n. I'm missing Will Co (mostly the same as the R@ng3) and our Icy land closed last Saturday. The good news is that f0xh0les beloved wading bird shop has taken over the former Woolworths (most recently £ emporium) so is much nearer to me (4th shop after the crossing) and is big enough to have proper aisles (have avoided it because of repeatedly crashing when using the walker). 
I recently did a large shop (last month's budget) which covered a lot of bases. Stock ups for when I'm very il (tinned soups and pickles plus oats and honey bars to go on my bedside trolley), ready made salad mixes (beetroot, apple and pink cabbage coleslaw) to help pack the veg in and items for easy meals (seeded bread and sandwich spreads, baked potatoes, fruit and veg to eat raw. Hopefully this wil make me more resilient and able to fight off lurgy. I will write up a list of easy meals (tuna butties with vinegar and put some away in the freezer)

3    Be HAPPY (or at least content). Be more sociable - need to take this one gently (smile at everyone, go to the exhibition in the library). Things I've not done - booked a coach holiday/ day trip, tried the new venue for evening film club (the seats are too uncomfortable at the library for afternoon cinema club)

I'm skipping bits because some areas are much more thought through.

CHRISTMAS 
I'm not excited about this atm. It just feels like a load of to dos and I'm not inspired over what to get the adults. DS1 will collect me (probably darling d-i-l as DS1 will be doing all the cooking) early on Christmas Eve and bring me home late on Boxing Day (after we've eaten). This will be lovely and relaxing, we all read/ play games on our laptops or the kitchen table and I get lots of cuddles with grand-puppy. I may get a doggy bag to bring home and I'm going to pick some frozen canapes to eaat on my own. I think I'll have an Indian on New Year's Eve and add lots of veg and salad so it does several days. I'm not having a tree but will have lots of fairy lights.

About a week before Christmas DS2, darling d-o-l and my grand-daughters head off to Australia for a month (end of her sister's maternity leave and the 2 babies, 11m and 8m, haven't met yet). 

DS1 suggested that if he can co-ordinate it, we have a meet up to exchange presents at the beginning of December. This means I have to get organised with shopping this month (have plenty for elder grand-daughter, just need to decide which items to give her). So I might have 3 Christmases 1 early December, 1 actual days and one in January around my birthday. It's just the effort of picking myself up off the floor and getting things done.

LISTS
Where do I start? Well I have various lists already written, just need to tick off the things I've done. House needs sprucing (I keep trying but my 'stuff' isn't co-operating. Still need to reduce the clutter (most of my embroidery needs to go), book purge, clothes purge (all the holey stuff) bulk waste collection. Paperwork mountain, all the bits of mum's estate that aren't the house (out of my hands). More JOY. 


Grateful for good drama series, good books, gentle games.

DawnW

3 Christmases sounds good @grandmanerd

NSD # 1 for me today 

I need to pay the milk bill, but will do that in the morning.

At work all day, so no chance to spend anything.

Got a small wash mostly dried outside - black items that have to be washed separately.

Dinner will  be a stir fry with the last of the small chicken bought on Sunday (it will have done a roast, 2 days of chicken pie plus tonight's stir fry, all meals for 2 of us).

Will use pak choi and oriental mustard greens from the garden for the stir fry, plus home grown mangetout from the freezer    All very easy to grow in my chaotic little garden.

Tomorrow we are going to a pub quiz, so will just have a jacket potato with fridge bits (cheese, salads etc). We will have soft drinks only at the pub.

Grateful for a fairly stress free day at work, mostly dry washing and cheapish meals 

beanielou

@grandmanerd. I LOVE the beetroot, apple & pink cabbage coleslaw. It’s my current favourite thing to eat. Luckily I got one yesterday when I was in nearest big toon 20 miles away. 

BadBookkeeper

NSD - 2/12 - Notbone today, bought my Christmas jumper (from Xmas extras pot) also went to Bargains for the Home and bought a lot of cleaning stuff as it’s cheaper than t£sco so a little bit MSE 🤑.  I also bought some sparklers for DS, never come out if there with just what’s on my list but no real damage done!  Picked up some Christmas presents too.

Outside - not today again!  It’s rained all day but very mild.

Winter Planning - Cleaned out the microwave & scrubbed the floor in our small utility area.

Thanks for mentioning radiators, I put an old towel underneath on the floor and use a hairdryer to blow the fluff out.  Haven’t done that for ages so will do that this week. 

Veg/Fruit - 2 satsumas so only 2/3 today.  My sister called at lunch so didn’t bother with my veg soup. 

Enjoy / Grateful for - WFH, quick catch up with my sister & a visit to my parents just up the road.  

Make Time / Lists - Ticking things off the lists today.

Bring your own / use up  - Used up some chicken for tea as bbf tomorrow.

Exercise - Completed 45 mins on the walking pad already over 7000 steps today.  Some people can walk & work at the same time but my balance is terrible, can’t do it! 

Remember others - Donate / Act of kindness - DS hardly worn winter coat in charity bag. 

ldee2111

A few months ago I cleaned my radiators using my hairdryer to blow out dust, followed by carefully pouring water through the spaces (tub and towel underneath) after seeing it on YTUBE - couldn’t believe how much dirt came out! It was very satisfying.

NSD 1/12.

Feeling more in control and balanced today than yesterday. 

Worked from home, had a homemade lunch, took a walk in the winter sun while listening to my audiobook, and tonight went to aqua aerobics with Mum. All in - a good day. 

Grateful for being in a better mood, for dry bright weather, for a walk in the local woodlands, for free audiobooks and podcasts, for musicals, for clearing washing, and for OH making dinner. 

Thrifty_Taylor

Thanks for making me #18 @apple_muncher. 😀

NSD#2
Yesterday was an NSD until this time of night, then work besties resumed a discussion about a weekend away & one booked our accommodation, so I paid my share. Just the boat to book now. Ill be 50 next month, have had a tough year & one work bestie announced last night that she's handing in her notice for early retirement, so we could do with a change of scene! Plus it was the funeral of our colleague yesterday too.

Today I exercised before breakfast (4 work days exercised now) packed my lunch, made yesterday for 3 days with stuff to use up from the fridge). Dropped 3 bags to a lady up the road, who runs a CS. Work went ok. Unpicked a tank top I'd knitted ages ago & never worn, drove DS1's car up & down the driveway a few times to stop it seizing up, then made an appointment with hospital in Aberdeen. 3 things ticked off my list, so had a nap 🤣 did 2 sewing jobs after tea & started knitting a sproutmas present.

Grateful for the voucher from my pupil at summertime, to get some Norwegian cheese 😋 the pride on 2 children's faces when they'd mastered something tricky & looking forward to my upcoming weekend away