Winter Wonders

Rhyddid2026

I cleaned the chicken coop but not the duck coop. Tomorrow me will be annoyed about that. 
Took down the Christmas tree lights that I'd draped over a picture frame. I might put a string of battery operated coloured lights there instead.
My washing machine isn't draining, I'm not sure why. Had to manually drain it into bowls. I bought it second hand in 2015 and it's a washer dryer so I'm very grateful it's lasted this long but if it could limp along for another couple months I'd be ecstatic. I've checked the filter. I'll pull it out and check the drain hose tomorrow.
I did do an OAT though! Finally cleaned the dog bowls and stand that I put outside weeks ago when they were covered in tiny slugs.

greenbee

I have filled up the sitting room log basket with branches and scrap wood, and filled up the kindling basket. I also filled up the hall log basket with the sticks and logs from the porch (it's not full, but there's nothing more dry). The stuff that had been in the garage for a week is now on the porch - definitely not dry - and more soggy stuff from the back of the garden is now in the garage. I'm shifting it a wheelbarrow-full at a time. The wood is seasoned, but wet from being outside in the rain. Hopefully it'll dry out soon. I'm burning the dry stuff. 

I've also made a vat of soup from the last of the home-grown carrots and 20p broccoli from the petrol station together with last week's lamb stock with pearl barley and lentils in. Not very exciting, but hot and full of veg. 

And I've FINALLY set up the heat meters - I asked for pipe clamps for Christmas and was given another heat meter as well. So I'm currently working on getting the UFH floor temperature set correctly in the garden room, and will then do the utility room. And try to work out what order the radiators come on in so I can balance them and then start working to get the boiler flow temp lower, with a decent drop on the return temp (it's short cycling at the moment as the drop is only about 5 degrees - so at least I know that for sure). I also ordered more oil as I know I don't have enough to last until I get a heat pump installation sorted - so I'll increase temps a bit and can afford to experiment even though it isn't exactly efficient to run an oil boiler at low temps for long periods. 

I also bumped into the plumber, who mentioned a boiler service. Told him it didn't need one as I was getting rid of it in the spring - but asked him to do the magnetic filter and inhibitor, so he'll do those next week. 

Rhyddid2026

oooooo I love pearl barley @greenbee, thanks for the reminder! I'm doing a venison stew tomorrow, I might put a little in there. 

Rhyddid2026

I think I've sorted the washing machine for now. It's done two 15min quick washes ok (rewashing what was in there yesterday). I'll try a proper wash this evening.
I cleaned the bath and gave the dogs a long walk. The young one had lots of short bursts off lead and we practiced some commands too.
Sorted a little pile by the side of my bed.
Last night I started my lecture slides. Hopefully I'll finish them tonight.
I'm going to make my stew first though!!

Wednesday2000

I still haven't started my book group book. I really have to tomorrow.

I just went to get an Indian Head Massage and then on the way back I looked in a furniture shop I always walk past, but haven't ever been inside. I bought four blue wine glasses and I saw a statue in there that I liked too. I couldn't carry it home so I said I would go back on Tuesday. He gave me a good discount on the statue as I bought the glasses so I hope he remembers me when I go back there.

I read that cobalt blue was the "in" colour at the moment so I got a jumper from Amazon and I'm wearing it to my reiki group tonight.

PennysIntoPounds

Finished lipbalm (ended up cutting it as you knew I would @KajiKita!)

Decluttered a cracked pen

Will finish up a moisturiser sachet tonight

Getting through some lentils in the cupboard, in a lasagne

Decluttered a large and slightly broken ornament that I felt bad about getting rid of but it had been in a box for ages and we'll have nowhere to put it in the build so I thanked it and reassured it that it will go onto marvellous things in its next incarnation

SandyShores

Finally made it to Dunelm this morning to replace a bedside lamp that broke last week.  Then managed to put up the new kitchen blinds that arrived in the week.  Followed by a really good OAT of emptying the glasses cupboard, moving the shelves around, washing all the glasses and storing away the ones we don't use often.  Its only taken just over five years to get around to it.  

Edit - it means I don't have to constantly use the same tumblers as the other ones are hiding behind unused stemmed glasses, and also that our water bottles fit in the cupboard too instead of hanging around the worktops   (I guess a true win would be getting rid of all the crystal gifted to us for our wedding, but that's for another day).

Baileys_Babe

Took a mountain of soft plastic to be recycled. Chased a medical appointment for DD. Repaired the bathroom toilet so the cistern stops leaking down the hall wall, while doing this the problem with the flush was also repaired, thankfully this isn't our only toilet. Unsubscribed from 5 mailing lists.

To prevent both an OAT and food waste I returned a very large bag of lentils as they had an allergy warning for gluten 🤦 I usually check everything I'm buying before I put it in the trolley, at least I realised before making a meal for the resident coeliac.

Suffolk_lass

Made soup, liberated two chicken thighs from the freezer for this evening's supper, and also removed a fiery Goan curry to defrost ready for tomorrow.  A blue banana squash is waiting to be made into a vegetable curry accompaniment, and a sourdough loaf is on its' second prove. I am trying very hard to remove things from the kitchen countertops that do not belong there, too.

EssexHebridean

EssexHebridean said:

January OATs...

- Electrical work - has become more urgent thanks to the downstairs light circuit failing just before Christmas. Turns out not to be the obvious things, so  needs more investigation - hopefully our sparky will be back on Friday. All sorted - turned out to be something simple, but not obvious!
- As he was round anyway, we've asked for a quote for other bits needing done - and will be aiming to get those done this month. Also done al bar one thing which is going to need a bit more money thrown at it than we were hoping - deferred to next month.
- Grocery spend challenge - this needs to be as low as possible as that incentive will encourage me to use what we have rather than buying other stuff.  Still going OK...
- Go through the fridge to work out what in there wants using up. (mincemeat flapjacks to use the last of the christmas mincemeat before it crystalises?)
- Christmas veg - make sure it gets turned into edible things!  This is getting there...
- chopping of kindling - a must-do as we are running low
- work out where we need wood-filler for, and what we need to buy to complete the tasks that need it.

And personal ones:
- make it a mission to get to the bottom of at least one tub of body butter - and the only way of doing this is by actually using it. 
- USE FOOT CREAM! At least every few nights.
- sort out the face masks I have and get round to using them - this enforces sitting still and doing little for a short while.

My big new year thing is that I want to revamp my habits in the evenings by training myself to automatically reach for a book rather than my tablet or phone.  I also want to get back to my yoga on a regular basis - I've picked up an old YWA 30 days of Yoga to help with this. 

- The Yoga has been done pretty regularly until the middle of last week when I then had a succession of days when it just didn't fit - aiming to get back to it this evening and should be able to do every day this week bar Thursday.
- Christmas veg - threw the last of a 5p swede, 2 5p tatties, a 5p carrot and a couple of 5p parsnips into the slow cooker overnight with some lovely meaty lamb bones that have been kicking around in the freezer for longer than ideal, plus red lentils, pearl barley and herbs and spices. It got 5 hours on high overnight so fingers crossed this evening it will just need heating up and thickening.
- yesterday lunch also involved 5p tatties and parsnips, plus we used the last dregs from a jar of cranberry sauce - the jar got rinsed out and used in the stew too. 
- Used body butter after my shower yesterday, and foot cream last night...

The reading instead of scrolling thing still needs focus. That said, it doesn't need to "just" be reading - writing can work equally well, and my blog is definitely getting more posts so far this year than has been usual - the grocery challenge is helping with that.