Extending our house without extending ourselves beyond our means

PurpleFairy26 · 12 May 2018 at 3:52PM

Happy Saturday peeps :hello:

Busy week but all good. Have been running more or less every other day and managed my first ever 8km without stopping. I know it's not impressive to lots, but to me it was a huge psychological step. Want to run today but DH has taken himself to bed as he's so tired after a busy week. Will hopefully go when he gets up.

Managed to get in the spare room last weekend and tidy lots and move a piece of furniture downstairs. I've got a big bag for selling and another for charity shop. Just need to list some things now for sale

at least I can get in there now.

I've booked 3 days of work next week, hoping to strip the wallpaper one of the days, or some of it at least.

Managed to tidy the garden last week and DH mowed both lawns. Looks much better. Really must get my potatoes planted at some point this weekend. At last the 5 trees have taken and all but one of the raspberry canes. I still have hope for the 6th. Blueberry bushes have loads of flowers on them so I am hopeful, given how expensive soft fruit is and how much we get through:eek:

Have managed 4 loads of washing today, including 2 sets of bedding. Hoping it'll all dry. Last week I washed all the children's winter goats and hats and gloves. Will do mine and DH coats when we next get a good day and then put them all in the loft.

Need to ring mortgage people again now DH and I have had a good chat. Fingers crossed they come back soon. Purps.

PurpleFairy26 · 13 May 2018 at 4:31AM

1LuckyLady wrote: »

I bet the winter "goats" keep the kids nice and warm PF

:rotfl::rotfl: they weren't too keen about being pegged on the line though :rotfl:

crazy_cat_lady · 13 May 2018 at 8:07AM

PF - hope you're feeling ok today. I see the time of your last post and suspect that you haven't slept well...

brizzlegirl · 13 May 2018 at 8:45AM

Hi PF :wave:

Hoping alls OK. Trying to drag myself out to a class now...but late night last night and its a tough decision.

How was the sourdough? All the house stuff sounds amazing. Well done.

Brizzle x

PurpleFairy26 · 17 May 2018 at 11:56AM

Unfortunately the last sourdough I made didn't look great as it overproved but it was the very warm bh weekend. Must feed starter today as I didn't make one last weekend as I'm trying to be really good with my food and knew I would be tempted if I made it. That said, I've on,y had the tiniest sliver of chocolate and beetroot cake I made on Monday, which is a record for me

The planning website was showing our application as invalid on Monday :eek: swift text to the architect, it's now showing as non valid, which I assume is progress :rotfl:

We got a mortgage fix through but I went back for another quote which I should hopefully have today, can then discuss with hubby and hopefully have solved over the weekend. Which would be nice not to have to think about until August when current deal ends.

Very quiet on the rest of things, busy doing other stuff. DH and I are both running lots which is good for fitness and our general health. I've done another 7km today, which takes me to 46.1km in May :T, with about another 40 scheduled based on my current training plan before 31st :eek:

Bank account looks ok and only 1 week until payday, famous last words :rotfl: DH work have agreed to pay him 4 weekly which is good for us from a budgeting perspective as we budget 4 weekly from my payday to the next so it means we don't have to do a budget cycle without his pay.

foxgloves · 17 May 2018 at 8:21PM

Surprising just how much the ambient temperature affects sourdough baking. I upped my recipe to a 500g mixture in the winter as it was struggling to rise as much as I like for the size of tin. I'm back down to 400g size of mixture now & mixing it early evening & baking first thing the next morning, & it's really rising well overnight. I'm using half wholemeal & half white flour at the moment & we're enjoying our lovely toast x

PurpleFairy26 · 22 May 2018 at 5:04AM

So the neighbours have had a letter from the planning department so things are moving :T cue me checking the portal daily to see no progress at all :rotfl:

We have a second mortgage deal on the table from the broker, seems sensible just need to fund some time to sit and talk to DH when we are not like ships passing in the night :rotfl:

3 days until pay day and we'll just about hang on, there won't be much in the overpayment pot (on top of what I've already overpaid) this month for the LPDF. We went to the wholesalers at the weekend for our 2 monthly or so shop which accounted for some of it, although stores are nicely stocked on the back of it.

Next aim is working through 1 of the freezers, must update freezer inventory and then can meal plan from there for the next couple of weeks and be really strict and plan to just buy fresh stuff only

Runs up to 59.7km on the month to date :T very pleased with that, hoping to go to the gym later too today am going to take my bag with me. No run, but will do some weights and hopefully a sit in the steam room

The 6th raspberry cane has grown leaves :T I've loads of flowers on my blueberries which are showing signs of turning in to fruit :T unfortunately the 2 tomatoes have not done much, will have to see if a weeks worth of tlc will bring them round.

Need to start writing a holiday list so I can be prepared and not be rushing round last minute for things. 8 weeks and counting

PurpleFairy26 · 27 May 2018 at 9:58PM

A productive week here. So lovely having the extra day at the weekend and we have been lucky to survive the bad weather today. I managed a couple of hours in the garden this morning, I mowed both lawns, trimmed the edges and wedded two beds.

Finally moved some pots around to make better use of the space and sewed some rocket and planted out another tomato. One of my courgettes has finally spouted too, about 4 weeks PST planting. Looks much tidier out there than it has been for ages, not much colour and would like to address that at cheap cost just to limp through this year.

Managed to run 10k this week one day without stopping. Big hurdle for me

Ordered some dresses for the smalls online but they were definitely not worth the money, so they are going back. Need to track another refund that's not appeared yet. I also ordered DH and I some running tops, won't be keeping them all, so need to try them on again tomorrow and decide and get them parcelled up.

We've decided on a mortgage deal, so will get applied for that. Also talked about some other long term financial decisions that we will get in motion once mortgage approved :T

And despite being at work this week, looking forward to a week of not being in School routine and seeing lots of loved ones.

foxgloves · 28 May 2018 at 3:15PM

Sounds like you're really cracking on with the house.....& yes, I DO have a box of frames for 'shopping from home'. I've removed a particularly nice frame from it recently for regifting with a nice photo in. Perfectly nice, but not my style, which is more vintage/shabby chic.
Re your girls' dresses. This continues to be the downside of shopping online, doesn't it? My Mum is currently trying to return an 'exceptionally lightweight rechargeable lawnmower'. I think it was weighed without the battery as when that's attached, as it obviously has to be for mowing, poor Mum can barely lift it! And it's cr*p at cutting grass too! I buy less & less online now.
F x

PurpleFairy26 · 3 June 2018 at 9:47PM

Agree foxgloves it’s a bit of a lottery buying online and some places make it very difficult for things to be returned. Luckily this retailer didn’t (one of your favourite haunts

) and there stuff is normally such fab quality I was surprised. However, they obviously aren’t as ‘material not as expected’ one was one of the 10 options as reasons for return :rotfl:

A lovely week has been had by the smalls and they have seen lots of lovely friends and family. Back to the routine tomorrow for them. They’re not going to be feeling the love in the morning, I’m sure :rotfl:

We’ve had a productive time too considering I’ve been at work. We too have seen lots of friends and family this week and been very social

house also looking ok, lots of washing done and dried and I’ve vacuumed through everywhere ready for the week ahead. I managed to do the lawns last week and plant out my last tomato and some rocket. Although I think the two fat local pigeons have taken a likening to my blueberry bushes as some flowers have definitely disappeared and they’ve cleared off the last twice I’ve come home. Earlier they were just brashly chowing down on something less than a foot from the sunbathing cat :eek: they obviously know they’re a bit big for
Him:rotfl:

DH and I both managed to go to the gym today after running yesterday. Hoping for a run tomorrow too but will see if time allows. Would dearly like to get to 100km in June.

I’ve also managed to list 9 items on fleabay and a few more set aside which I’ll try and do tomorrow (loosing light now for decent photos). 1 bid on something already

all ‘takings’ will go to LPDF

Named another £12.50 payment today to fund. T$b have upped their in credit interest since the tech fiasco meaning we got twice as much this month :A

DH also has a really good month at work. If he can get that every 4 weeks it’d be fab. But we know it’s not guaranteed so we just have to see each month.

I’ve sent something back for a refund and need to chase another that hasn’t appeared but they weren’t open today.

Also bought a headboard in the sale, coming Wednesday not sure if it’ll be ok, if not it’ll go back. If we keep it, it’ll be a bargain :money:

Extending our house without extending ourselves beyond our means

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