NST Join In January 2019 - In With The New

Spend free days (NSD’s) – Aiming for 15 - 4/15 - Hoping for another one today but DH is going to Arg05 in Sains to pick up an ironing board so it is touch and go.

Make plans for the month – booked and paid for a guided walk with friends for March and deposit paid for walking challenge in June. Finally made it to the cinema with DH and DS. Took own sweets and drinks :A

Always pay your debts first – Used the OP pot I had been saving to restart EF used for roof and pay a bit more off one of the CC

List your frogs – Progress on CV but still not re-written frog list. Will do this today. Aiming to pick a couple of biggies to get done by the end of the month.

Little Savings – restarted EF savings

Chill out – sitting in a clean house with most of the ironing done chills me out.

Helping others – nothing to add

Always be grateful – This weekend I am grateful for my DH who:

1) took DS training so that I could finish cleaning the house top to bottom
2) helped DS do his homework (first time ever!) when DS was pushing my buttons as only an 8 year old can
3) did the ironing, fixed a door handle, listed a couple of items for sale and polished my car

New to You – no progress

Get involved – Hello turtles

Exercise – caught up on Thursday's missed run on Friday and ran on Sunday. Remembered how much I enjoy running and enjoying starting again slowly with C25K.

Sort it out – freezer list has lots of crossings out as things are getting used, ate the last mince pie and drank a bottle of wine leftover from Christmas entertaining. This week I need to concentrate on using up the fresh stuff and veg before this week's box arrives

Today I am grateful for such a crisp day, for cheerful pupils, for a lovely chat with a colleague, for getting my marking done, for dh cooking tea, for cuddles with dd, for dd loving netball, for my physio, for having so much.

Just 5 long years to retirement. I've had a lovely day. DS3 said Happy Birthday (thank you bookface) and had fb messages from d-i-l and her mother.

Mum had put Happy Birthday signs (Cut up greetings card plus my name) on her front door and on the mantlepiece. Man in a van delivered my food. Lots of reading and dozing and watching black and white movies. I put tea out (enough for tomorrow as well). Came home a bit early (between 7 and 8pm) as my food was arriving too.

Ds3 has bought me 3 boxes of chocolates (can't complain as it's the first time he's ever bought me a present, I think). There were 2 x 10 pound notes tucked in between. I was told to look at the receipt - he had bought a lottery ticket and it won. Upstairs was a large present from DS2. He has bought me a teal coloured 'velvet' bedspread. That was a surprise as I usually have to wait for his pay day before I get a card and present (although we sometimes do a film and takeaway curry). Part of DS2's efforts to make me more 'girly'.

Food has been delivered (have to go back down to put away the fridge stuff) and am currently resting my ankle on the bed.

Today I am grateful for lovely surprises, for things that made me smile, for managing most of the day limping round quite successfully, for clean hair and good food.

No.33 checking in!! So sorry for being AWOL... work has been full on but have tried to keep up with sleep, more exercise and eating sensibly. Only 2 evenings of some alcohol this month (I started on 5th but you know what I mean) - it’s been good for me.

NSDs have been tricky but overall with no money we aren’t spending much. We cant! The first big debt went this month. That was a good feeling! Onto the next one now and sorting out tax and some funds for DD1 who starts uni next year..

Have a good week fellow Turtles x

Hi Turtles:j

Happy Birthday mothernerd :j:j:j:j:j:j:j Sounds like it's been a good one so far..

NSDs – Aiming for 10 as am going away on 22nd for a few days (Christmas treat) : still 11/10 as a spend day today

Make plans for the month – Planned visit to Barcelona later in the month. Rail ticket & plane already paid for. No more plans as yet...hols next week. Plan to go out with DH after I get back. To be discussed!

Always pay your debts first – No debts but do use a cc which is paid in full every month...need to rein this in, spending has been frightful of late..CC paid off in full, now need to make sure it doesn't rack up to those levels this month. No spends today. Going to restart PAD payments to try & get cc balance down. Will check out TCB as I have ££ in there I meant to get out for Christmas - then forgot, doh! Will get DH to look at TCB to see the most cost effective way to withdraw cash. Might have to wait until after I get back now....lots of things fall into this category.

[/COLOR]List your frogs – Started another very large frog this week, but am pleased with progress. (Clearing bedroom). Done some frogs from list, now need to list more as plenty still to get to grips with...did another 15 mins on bedroom last night & aim to do same tonight. More progress on bedroom frog, also on kitchen frog. Massive fridge frog now done, polishes halo. Fridge is currently pretty full but does include leftovers from past 2 days suppers which DH can hot up whilst we're away. Plus had to get fresh meat for doggies.

Little Savings – Nothing today

Chill out – working on this. Always read before sleeping but sometimes counterproductive as I want to keep reading, then can't sleep! Also have been continuing with my complex knitting, can now do whilst watching tv....also needles came today for next very big project..More of the complex knitting, it's really looking like a pattern now, getting to grips with it before I tackle the really big project. And did some FH today as well. Chilled out with the papers for a short time this afternoon. No gardening as too cold/ground frozen, but out with beasts. Collie bereft as I accidently lobbed his squeaky pig over next doors...he lives to fetch. Never mind, rummaging in pantry knocked a carrier bag which grunted (!) was filled with grunty pigs. And oddly, a cow - which also grunts..I must have put them away as you do with a child who has too many toys. He is now fetching an orange pig with a festive scarf...happy happy collie. Out with pooches this afternoon, idly wondering how long you'd have to throw the grunty one before Leo the collie got fed up of bringing it back? Didn't attempt to test the theory though.

Helping others – glad that making the collie happy counted, I can make him happy every day! And also the other two...but to make them really happy biscuits are involved.

Always be grateful – Grateful for today:

- YS pizzas for supper, well I did make the coleslaw..

- OOD Nutella bars

- DH lending a hand with the washing up..

New to You – looking for things to take with me found lots that I'd forgotten about.

Get involved – I'm here!


Exercise – Outside with dogs, playing fetch, plus planting some more bulbs - for indoors this time - and a clematis in front of one of our many sheds.

Sort it out – Need to do this & will be eating from stuffed freezers & cupboards for January. Still eating lots from stores but did stock up on a few things today. Will commit to making a proper inventory when I get back, I see many many storecupboard/freezer meals in my future....

Will be off on hols tomorrow so probably won't be able to check in but will read along if can!! Normal drivel/sorry service will resume on Saturday...


GO Turtles!!!!