Settling in for the long haul

Dakota_Rose

@Chocolatefund - thank you! I’m already so much happier with it. The bathroom was not the first renovation on our list (it was pretty near the bottom of the list in fact) but as we’re learning with an old house, we don’t get to pick the order in which things are breaking down on us 😂

Dakota_Rose

It’s been a good day today. The weather has been hot - far more so than we’d expected from the forecasts. We’ve spent plenty of time in Mum’s garden and a little in our own too.

We treated ourselves to some meals from M&S for the bank holiday weekend, and although we spent more than we should have, it was still cheaper for three days’ worth of food than a takeaway would have cost for us all. We’ve enjoyed a pasta dish tonight and I’ve opened a bottle of Prosecco too. We have more homemade pizza ingredients to use up tomorrow and some yummy barbecue style food for Monday.

Little Miss and I have taken doggo on another evening walk across the fields and are now back chilling on the sofa. Mr D and littlest are still digging in the garden - littlest’s idea of heaven! He has his tractor and trailer set up transporting pebbles for his dad. Very sweet indeed.

I could definitely get used to a 3-day weekend 😊

Dakota_Rose

Did I mention that I love a 3-day weekend 😊 Really could get used to this!

It’s been a nice Sunday. A little while back Mr D and I agreed that we’d try to have a day a week where we could do as much or as little as we liked, with no pressure to work through a list of jobs. What better day to do this than a Sunday. So far, we’ve been pretty good at sticking to this.

Today, I chose to have a lazy morning, to read a little and to start a new jigsaw. I did have one huge tidy round and hoover following littlest’s epic indoor playtime that left us looking like a tornado had swept through. But other than that, I’ve enjoyed a really chilled day. Mr D had a fairly quiet day but then had a few hours in the garden when the rain finally gave in a bit.

Nothing financial to report today which can only be a good thing.

Dakota_Rose

We’ve been productive today and have been ticking off jobs on the list. I took the kids to see my brother for a brief visit. That was nice as always and we did a bit of swapping of books and DVDs. He only lives in the next-but-one village along so it’s a short drive. The children adore my brother and they love his lifestyle. He lives with his partner and their tiny dog and they have a (not too) indulgent set up so the kids say it’s how the other half live. They understand that we have a similar income but being part of a family of 5, they now aspire to the single lifestyle I think 😂. A room just for music and reading! A huge TV with gaming set up in the sitting room! Modern gadgets including a Hotel Chocolat velvetiser! I am one of 4 children and felt very similarly when I was younger. I swore never to get married or have children!

In money-sensible news, I dropped off a marketplace sale on the way so that was £5 earned. In non money-sensible news, we stopped at the nearest village shop on the way home for a bottle of pop for Mr D and a loaf of bread for packed lunches. £4.08 spent. Eldest popped in for me and declared the shop a ‘rip off’ as he got back into the car. I am minded to agree!

We used up stores from the fridge to make ‘wonky’ lunches. Everyone had a plate to their liking but they were all slightly different 😂.
Mr D enjoyed ours out in the garden while we had a lovely bit of sunshine to sit in. The rest of the day will be quiet. Mr D will work through but I am seriously considering a nap.

MillQueen

To be fair, the room just for music and reading does sound like something to aspire to! 😂

I am so impressed with your son for his accurate judgement of the show - you're teaching them well, and wonky lunches sounds fun.

Dakota_Rose

I’ve had another wee marketplace sale tonight. £6 in cash but as it was one of Mum’s items, I’ll pop the money across to her. She always refuses but I like her to feel the benefit every now and again.

So two sales today but the earnings have gone back out as quickly as they came in.

Dakota_Rose

Nothing financial to report other than a good spreadsheet-updating taking place following a few DDs leaving the accounts today.

It was a really busy but productive day back at work. I don’t think I could’ve fit much more in if I’d tried. And it’s hump day tomorrow already.

We had an appointment to attend for eldest this evening so we got home late, ate late and now there’s only enough energy left in the tank to plod off to bed.

Feeling very grateful for Mr D today. He treated me to another veggie lasagne from M&S that I really enjoyed at the weekend. He also picked up some other nice bits for my lunches and has made fresh egg mayo filling for tomorrow’s packed lunch. He’s been busy in the garden: tidying the seating area, filling the planters with fresh flowers and plants and planted a new hanging basket too. It did briefly occur to me how lucky I am as most full time workers would rarely get to come home to a spruced up garden. I wish I was less tired so that I could show the attention and appreciation it all deserves.

Money on hospital parking and a treat tea for eldest has been spent today. About £12 I hadn’t planned for (appointment was a cancellation) so this has come from the family treats pot. Not sure a parking fee meets the criteria!

peb

Agreed. But the money was there and the appointment made.

Parking fees for hospital make me cross. Its an added tax for the disabled and unwell.

_Dolly_Rocker_

I think it's absolutely SHOCKING you need to pay to park at hospital.

Dakota_Rose

Thanks both. I agree it is a sad situation for all the vulnerable visitors. To be fair, when eldest was an inpatient and very poorly, we were given a free parking ticket. We ended up not being able to use it as the parking was just chocca and downright dangerous. More than once I was in tears trying to park which isn’t like me at all. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back so to say having such an unwell child in an unfamiliar city hospital with a screaming toddler in the back seat and just being desperate to get out of the car. (Do you sense my trauma there?) Eventually we found a large public car park a ten-minute walk away and opted for that in the end. It was less stress knowing you were coming back to the car in one piece. We still use that one now. In the hospital nearest us, they will ‘waiver’ your car ticket if you have a children’s appointment, which I always massively appreciate.

Checking in quickly for accountability tonight. Nothing spent, nothing additional made today. Work has once again left very little time for anything else. We had bacon and mushroom rolls for dinner with a side of chopped tomatoes. It was quick and tasty but can’t say it was healthy.

Lunch though was lovely. I had a made-with-love pack-up: egg mayo sub, creamy yogurt, grapes and banana today. This was my breakfast and lunch in one, which is often the way on a work day. I brought back the treats that Mr D had tucked in there.

Posh bath tonight with oils and a candle, which I’ll follow with a peppermint tea and possibly some yoga/ possibly a snooze on the sofa. It’s anyone’s guess at the moment!