greent's mfw journey

Karmacat · 20 July 2015 at 9:46AM

That's a brilliant way of spending time

Watty1 · 20 July 2015 at 1:28PM

Welcome to new family members

greent · 27 July 2015 at 9:58AM

DD has started her annual sort out of her room - couple of items of clothes for ragbag, few books passed onto younger siblings, some girly books already priced up for the next nearly new sale - and boxes of Sylvanian Family stuff listed on ebay (argh!) As ebay have given me 100 free listings (ending today) and I haven't touched ebay in over a month, I thought that I should actually get them on there. Prices for SF seem to differ wildly, but I've gone by what some of them have sold for in the last month. Have also relisted the half dozen unsold items from before and taken the opportunity to list a few more things. Am up to 27 listings so far - with a huge heap of things still to do (have a pile of things to list for the charity I volunteer for) I am in one of my 'I don't like ebay' phases right now, so it's a real chore. Think I will CS most things if they don't sell (except for things like Sylv Fam, as can price them up for the NNS instead) Have stopped taking books and clothes to cashforclothes place and just give it all to CS now instead - s'much quicker. However, although I am registered for Gift aid donations I have never had any communication regarding this and didn't realise people did until seeing it on the KonMarie thread - so have requested this - 2 weeks later and they are still investigating why I have never received any info!!

Dull day here, but better than the heavy rain yesterday. Have washing on the line - looks like it should be ok, as it's quite blowy. Small boys are up and squabbling

DD is still asleep (and DS1 still away on army cadet camp) so will go and wake her now!

x

greent · 27 July 2015 at 10:46AM

Am trying to organise smallest two's bedrooms. The teens each have large bedrooms and the smallest two have smaller rooms - approx. each the same size. They both have fitted double wardrobes in and each child has a cabin bed with storage under (different designs to best suit the room) and a tall Billy bookcase for DS2 and a similar sized set of shelves for DS3. DS2 then has a pull out desk from his bed which stays out and DS3 has a small set of IKEA table and 2 chairs. With radiators and doors and odd pokey out bit of wall (for DS2's room) it's a bit limited. (Chest of drawers for each boy is in their wardrobe - the beauty of being boys and young is that there's nothing particularly long hanging down!)

The problem with both of them is that the simply have too much stuff (although way less than a lot of their friends!) I am trying the KonMari principle with DS3 - we have gone through his clothes and managed to get rid of quite a lot (I have come to the conclusion that there is little point in him having something in his wardrobe if he doesn't like it just because I do - he won't wear it, so it may as well go) This has reduced his wardrobe considerably - but he still has plenty to wear in reality (could do with a couple more long sleeved tops but I'll shop for those in Autumn, as I haven't seen anything around of late which will take his fancy) He had 18 pairs of PJs in his current size..... the 'benefit' of having handmedowns in there as well as some new purchases just for him (Xmas Eve tradition that each child has new PJs to go to bed in plus he's had a couple of pairs of Angry bird ones as presents)

Have also KM'd his cuddly toys (he's not a big fan, other than of his plush Angry Birds, so that didn't take long), his board games, colouring books and we're 2/3 of the way through his reading books (did them at Xmas, so shouldn't be too bad) I'm not doing it strictly KM style - I'm not getting all of his toys out at once!! but am trying to do similar items together. Trouble is, 6yo children love pretty much almost every single little bit of carppy tat they have!!

AM hoping that we can improve his room though -and then we need to decorate it - hopefully before Xmas. x

ETA: Have now finished books with DS3 - now have a small pile to price up for the NNS, which I'll do by tomorrow eve at the latest.

Have also been in DS2's room and thoroughly gone through his clothes with him - small pile to rag bag, 2 items put aside for DS3 to have and 2 items for selling at NNS. Kept one additional Winter coat which he is not keen on only because school often seem to have some activity which means a coat will get dirty and may get ripped - so have kept it purely for that purpose (as opposed to his normal coat which he loves and therefore I wouldn't want it to get wrecked) Gave 2 floats to DS3 (who already has one, so will need to look at those now!) and got rid of all the rubbish from the wardrobe floor (lots of bits of broken coathangers and a couple of empty carrier bags)

I will get there!!!

apple_muncher · 27 July 2015 at 5:33PM

Have sent you a pm but your inbox is too full, little miss popular!

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS · 27 July 2015 at 5:52PM

You are really helping my motivation, thanks for inspiration.

Tilly x x

greent · 31 July 2015 at 5:17PM

Bee-you-tiful day here

Have had a low spend week - trips out with the smallies have been to feed the ducks and to local playparks - drinks and snacks have been taken. DD (17) has come along with us, too - so have had great fun taking pics of her on all the kiddy play equipment and posting them on facebook!

Only spending has been on aldi (just under £50) and a takeaway (less than £10) when I felt too rough to cook one night and couldn't even be bothered to think about freezer contents. Have also been to a couple of parties with DS3 - but presents and cards have come from my (thankfully reducing but still too large!) stash under my bed, so they haven't cost. Looking at 3 movies over the next few weeks - minions, antman and inside out (or whatever it's called) - but can get reduced tickets through OH's current contract, so even that will be cheap!:T:T His contract finishes 21/08, so we are stocking up on the tickets (online codes) as they don't expire until July next year - have bought a full month's allowance of them(20!) today :eek: - and will probably buy another full month before 21/08:rotfl:

Other news: DS1 has returned from army cadet camp and had a fab time. Sadly he hardly brought back any unwanted/ unused rations this time!:rotfl: (brought over 2 dozen slices of fruit cake last year, amongst other stuff) - but did bring back 2.5 loads of dirty washing!:D:D He also gained his stripe whilst there - so is now Lance Corporal greent :T:T We are going out for a meal tomorrow to celebrate (he is shattered tonight) - unless he wants a BBQ instead (although my guess is he'll choose going out - and then ask for a BBQ on Sunday if it's nice weather anyway!!;))

Have got all quotes in for all work (except flooring, where we know what we want and how much per square metre, but don't know cost of fitting yet) - and are now awaiting responses for dates to do it. Boiler needs its reset button pressing every day now, so really is on last legs. Will be nice to have properly fitting windows and doors and a working boiler before the cold weather

:)

Can't quite believe it's August tomorrow - year seems to be flying past:eek: Must look at what my aims for 2015 were and see how I'm doing!

ooh - just remembered - might have had a LS week so far - but tomorrow is a different story! Aside from the probable meal out, we need to take small 2 shopping for an outfit to wear to a wedding next weekend. Smallest one also needs new trainers. I would quite like a fascinator (must try on the dress I think I'm wearing!) - but there is a bargainacious shop in town which sells loads of them for under £10. I also need to get some peep toe tights for my outfit from M&S (legs are just too pale for the dress!) and smallest one needs new joggers (put knee through his) and DD needs more jeans (3 pairs have been thrown from holes in them in past month!!) Oh - and OH wants a new shirt for the wedding (definite want, not need!) Thankfully I have some reward vouchers for Debenhams, along with some gift cards - and a 10% voucher, so that's going to be my first point of call (except DD's jeans - she like H&M) Must make a list of everything I need to do in town (also have some banking and need to collect some ordered school uniform) as I suspect something will get forgotten otherwise!

x

Karmacat · 31 July 2015 at 8:09PM

That sounds busy, greent! Hope you can fit it all in - and congratulations to Master Greent

I did my Duke of Edinburgh's Award as a teenager by paralleling what the Army Cadet Force were doing, in the same lorries as them, and it was great

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS · 31 July 2015 at 8:19PM

Well done to your son. Army cadets - such a worthwhile organisation.

Best wishes Tilly x x

greent · 1 August 2015 at 8:00AM

Karmacat wrote: »

That sounds busy, greent! Hope you can fit it all in - and congratulations to Master Greent I did my Duke of Edinburgh's Award as a teenager by paralleling what the Army Cadet Force were doing, in the same lorries as them, and it was great

DD did her bronze through school and I was impressed by the organisation - meetings were booked months in advance, for students and parents. Lots of letters confirming everything. Suggestions for where to get kit etc. An ex teacher is in charge of it and came into school especially

DS is just finishing off his bronze through the cadets - I thought that the cadets would be even more organised.... sadly not!:eek: Have had things like notification of a planning meeting about 35-40 mins away sent by a facebook post less than an hour before meeting due to start - and I read it as the meeting was starting, having been running around feeding children before dropping DS1 off at his physical activity for DoE. Kit list received less than a week before practice expedition... Arghh!! I'm a bit of a control freak and can't cope like that!

DoE is fab, though. DS1 wants to start his silver as soon as Bronze is finished and confirmed.

Made a slightly expensive purchase last night.... decided on the spur of the moment to go to A!ton T0wers on Sun. Big ones have been on school trips, small ones have never been (as DD said - we NEVER go to places like that!) DS3 terribly excited - as he has been wanting to go to cbeeb1es land ever since he heard of it. Used the deal on groupon atm (and got cashback through tcb), making it (after cashback) just under £150 for tickets for 6 :eek: (that's around a 45% saving!!:eek:) How to tell we've paid off the mortgage lol! :rotfl: Tbf, we're only going away to London for 4 days these Summer hols, so we're not spending out too much (good deal on the hotel and free breakfasts for the children, free tickets for Madame Tussauds (Tesco clubcard apology), Tesco clubcard boost used for tower of London, only 3 of us going to Harry Potter tour..)

Have therefore been up for an hour and in the kitchen - dough for 2 dozen soft rolls proving and dough for white lough just finishing mixing. Want these all done before heading into town straight after lunch. (I usually wait a bit longer on a Sat before making dough, due to DD and DS2's rooms being over kitchen) Now off to find yet more washing from DS1 no doubt still lurking in his room....

greent's mfw journey

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