I know we are about half way through September but there are just a few things I would like to do by the end
• Paint bathroom
• Take foreign coins to charity shop
• Take bric-a-brac to charity shop
• Take foil to recycling bins
I know it isn’t much but I have lost 2 weekends – one with the festival and we are going to Edinburgh this weekend to see Billy Connolly.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Dancing the night away
Another one down. This weekend I went to Bingley Music Live 2009. It was fantastic. I went with a friend and two of her friends who I didn’t know but luckily we all got on and one of them went to the same school as me so we did a lot of reminiscing. We stayed above a pub and the landlord and lady made us feel very welcome (we had heard some bad reports about the area but everyone on very friendly). We didn’t go to the festival on the Friday night as our friends drove and were late but the pub had karaoke – such fun.
We spent most of Saturday at the festival and I bumped into my old supervisor. It was great to see him and hopefully we are going to arrange a night out with all my old team. There were a lot of local bands playing at the festival but the highlight of the weekend for me was Doves. I haven’t heard their music before but they were absolute brilliant. I’ve been listening to them since online and a colleague is going to lend me their CD. We had a nice lazy morning on Sunday, the breakfast was a lovely fry-up then went back to bed! On the Saturday Calvin Harris played and got the whole crowd jumping.
As I said it was a brilliant weekend, the atmosphere was fantastic, such a wide range of ages, everyone just out to have a good time and enjoy the music. We got chatting to lots of nice people. Glastonbury next!! Lol
We spent most of Saturday at the festival and I bumped into my old supervisor. It was great to see him and hopefully we are going to arrange a night out with all my old team. There were a lot of local bands playing at the festival but the highlight of the weekend for me was Doves. I haven’t heard their music before but they were absolute brilliant. I’ve been listening to them since online and a colleague is going to lend me their CD. We had a nice lazy morning on Sunday, the breakfast was a lovely fry-up then went back to bed! On the Saturday Calvin Harris played and got the whole crowd jumping.
As I said it was a brilliant weekend, the atmosphere was fantastic, such a wide range of ages, everyone just out to have a good time and enjoy the music. We got chatting to lots of nice people. Glastonbury next!! Lol
Friday, 21 August 2009
August Update
I had intended to update on here regularly and set some targets for August however it hasn’t happened for one reason or another that I won’t go into. Instead I will concentrate on where I am with the challenge.
The bathroom is nearly done. The plumber and builder/tiller have done a great job. We decided to paint the walls a light green and have brought the paint. I am aiming to have it decorated by the end of the month. Then we will just need to get new skirting fitted and the flooring done. Luckily, even with the wall falling down we came in under budget on costs. As we have some money left over I want to get the loft hatch moved. At the moment it is in the bathroom but we have no way of getting into the loft. I would like it moved onto the landing with a pull down ladder. The loft really does need more installation in it and I would like to get this done before winter but I don’t know if funds will allow it.
I have been seeing my mum more often, which has been nice. We are making the most of it while the weather is good and the nights are light. Once the nights start to draw in I think I will go to stay with her a bit more on the weekend.
I have continued with wearing makeup and doing my nails etc. My skin is a lot better although I have had an eczema breakout and had to get cream from the doctors (I know my eczema is stress related). I have got into a skin care routine and treated myself to some very nice Clinique foundation and powder.
The homegrown vegetables have been a bit hit and miss. The lettuce and potatoes have been great but the radishes didn’t get going and the courgettes looked very promising but haven’t come to anything. It hasn’t put me off and I am planned more for next year. I layed some old paving stones down to make a bbq area and OH and me had our first proper bbq (not a disposable one) this week. I cooked far too much but it did my OH for the next day. It was a lovely evening we sat out late just chatting, reading and listening to music. What I have found is that on the evenings where we don’t have the TV on I feel a lot more relaxed. I know that most of the programmes I watch such as the soaps are just out of habit. When I met my OH he didn’t have a TV and even now doesn’t watch half as much as me. We are enjoying having the Lovefilm subscription and try to have a film night when they send the dvd. We have both watched films that we wouldn’t normally and have liked both of them.
I sorted all my cd’s out and they are all ready to take to a charity shop. DH still has his tapes to go through. I found a big box full of recipe books and recipes torn from magazines. I went through them and did get rid of a lot. The others I want to put in a folder or book of some sort to keep them organised. Also I want to start using them.
I have been planning our meals each week and am running them freezer and sort cupboards down to try and not spend much at the moment. I really want to work towards cooking more from scratch, which I do most of the time but would like to be more organised and do batch cooking and freeze them. I have made a list of what we have already in the freezer and are using things up in the menu planning. The plan is when we have use most of the stuff in the freezer then I will stock up with meat from the local butchers and get the veggie box delivered each week, cutting back on trips to the supermarket.
I’m going to a music festival!! A friend saw it advertised and the got tickets that day. It is at Bingley Music Festival and the tickets are only £25 for the weekend. I’ve only heard of a few of the bands plus there are lot of local bands playing. I keep telling everyone it is going to be the next Glastonbury lol. We had wanted to camp but all the campsites are fully booked so we have got a BnB. We are going after work on Friday, and one of the girls is driving us there. There are four of us going and I only know one other girl but it should be a good laugh.
I think that is it for now, but hope to update more frequently.
The bathroom is nearly done. The plumber and builder/tiller have done a great job. We decided to paint the walls a light green and have brought the paint. I am aiming to have it decorated by the end of the month. Then we will just need to get new skirting fitted and the flooring done. Luckily, even with the wall falling down we came in under budget on costs. As we have some money left over I want to get the loft hatch moved. At the moment it is in the bathroom but we have no way of getting into the loft. I would like it moved onto the landing with a pull down ladder. The loft really does need more installation in it and I would like to get this done before winter but I don’t know if funds will allow it.
I have been seeing my mum more often, which has been nice. We are making the most of it while the weather is good and the nights are light. Once the nights start to draw in I think I will go to stay with her a bit more on the weekend.
I have continued with wearing makeup and doing my nails etc. My skin is a lot better although I have had an eczema breakout and had to get cream from the doctors (I know my eczema is stress related). I have got into a skin care routine and treated myself to some very nice Clinique foundation and powder.
The homegrown vegetables have been a bit hit and miss. The lettuce and potatoes have been great but the radishes didn’t get going and the courgettes looked very promising but haven’t come to anything. It hasn’t put me off and I am planned more for next year. I layed some old paving stones down to make a bbq area and OH and me had our first proper bbq (not a disposable one) this week. I cooked far too much but it did my OH for the next day. It was a lovely evening we sat out late just chatting, reading and listening to music. What I have found is that on the evenings where we don’t have the TV on I feel a lot more relaxed. I know that most of the programmes I watch such as the soaps are just out of habit. When I met my OH he didn’t have a TV and even now doesn’t watch half as much as me. We are enjoying having the Lovefilm subscription and try to have a film night when they send the dvd. We have both watched films that we wouldn’t normally and have liked both of them.
I sorted all my cd’s out and they are all ready to take to a charity shop. DH still has his tapes to go through. I found a big box full of recipe books and recipes torn from magazines. I went through them and did get rid of a lot. The others I want to put in a folder or book of some sort to keep them organised. Also I want to start using them.
I have been planning our meals each week and am running them freezer and sort cupboards down to try and not spend much at the moment. I really want to work towards cooking more from scratch, which I do most of the time but would like to be more organised and do batch cooking and freeze them. I have made a list of what we have already in the freezer and are using things up in the menu planning. The plan is when we have use most of the stuff in the freezer then I will stock up with meat from the local butchers and get the veggie box delivered each week, cutting back on trips to the supermarket.
I’m going to a music festival!! A friend saw it advertised and the got tickets that day. It is at Bingley Music Festival and the tickets are only £25 for the weekend. I’ve only heard of a few of the bands plus there are lot of local bands playing. I keep telling everyone it is going to be the next Glastonbury lol. We had wanted to camp but all the campsites are fully booked so we have got a BnB. We are going after work on Friday, and one of the girls is driving us there. There are four of us going and I only know one other girl but it should be a good laugh.
I think that is it for now, but hope to update more frequently.
Sunday, 26 July 2009
CD's
While having a bit of a tidy round today I discovered just how many cd's and tapes we have. So that is going to be the challenge for this week to sort them out. I'm going to load the cd's onto the pc and them take them to a charity shop. With the tapes I'm going to look through them and any songs that I really like I will list and download them. I don't know where I can re-cycle tapes but will look into it.
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Not Everything goes to Plan
We have made a start on the bathroom. About 2 weeks ago we started knocking tiles off the wall – god that’s hard work. Luckily OH was only working weekends so he did most of it during the days. Last Thursday the plumber came to remove the bath and sink with the plan of coming on Saturday and fitting the new suite. But like lots of things in life it didn’t go to plan. Once he had removed the bath we discovered the wall was rotten. The next morning I thought I’ll just check the other side of the wall in the spare room, as soon as I moved the bedside table I could see the stain on the wall, pulled the wall paper off and the wall came with it! Panicking I called the builder/tiler who came straight round and within a few hours I only had the top half of the wall left! The whole of the bottom section of the wall from floor to about 3 feet up had gone. The wall is made of stuff like straw and there had been a leak behind the tiles which has just rotted it. Needless to say the plumber couldn’t fit the bath as planned as we had no wall to fix it too! We are getting there now. All the walls have been re-boarded and plastered, the bath and toilet have been fitted and it is tiled round the bath. Hopefully by next weekend we will be ready to paint the walls, even though we’ve not decided on what colour. I quite fancy bright red but OH isn’t to keen.
Having to move everything round in the spare room for the new wall to be rebuilt has given me the push to make a start to declutter it. I will have to be ruthless as I’m such a horeder – I always keep things “just in case”.
Another task that I have started is losing weight. I have joined “Junk 7lb in July” (thanks Dragon) and have lost 5lbs so far. I haven’t been too good last week as OH was away and I did eat a lot of rubbish but I find that if a plan what we are to eat for the week it is better for me. Also it helps with us not wasting food.
The home-grown veggies are good, and I’m already planning what to grow next year. The new potatoes are tasty and seem to be all the better for growing them myself.
Having to move everything round in the spare room for the new wall to be rebuilt has given me the push to make a start to declutter it. I will have to be ruthless as I’m such a horeder – I always keep things “just in case”.
Another task that I have started is losing weight. I have joined “Junk 7lb in July” (thanks Dragon) and have lost 5lbs so far. I haven’t been too good last week as OH was away and I did eat a lot of rubbish but I find that if a plan what we are to eat for the week it is better for me. Also it helps with us not wasting food.
The home-grown veggies are good, and I’m already planning what to grow next year. The new potatoes are tasty and seem to be all the better for growing them myself.
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Do Something Amazing
Our veggie box was delivered today It included potatoes, carrots, courgette, shallots, spinach, cabbage, beet, kale, pak choi and broad beans! Plus we also ordered some strawberries. Also she had included a recipe card for Kale Pesto Pasta, with information on the back about kale. It looks good but will let you know how it tastes as we use them.
I went and gave blood after work today with my friend. It was only her second time and she doesn’t like needles, I haven’t given for a couple of years due to heath reasons so was glad I able to now – I'm up 20 donation’s given now - I am very proud of us both!
www.blood.co.uk
I went and gave blood after work today with my friend. It was only her second time and she doesn’t like needles, I haven’t given for a couple of years due to heath reasons so was glad I able to now – I'm up 20 donation’s given now - I am very proud of us both!
www.blood.co.uk
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
I Love my New Shoes
I need to de-junk my wardrobe. I have clothes in there that no longer fit and that I haven’t worn for a long time. Last month I spent a bit on some new clothes, well a lot more that I normally spend, all be it from Matalan. These actually fit me. I brought things I wouldn’t normally and love wearing them. This goes towards number 74 on my list – Find my own style. I also brought some new shoes after traipsing round. I seem to get the impression that some shops don’t want custom, as the people that work there can’t be bothered to serve and just chat with their colleagues! Anyway I got a pair of orangey red flip flops, which go nicely with the handbag my DH got me for Christmas. And also got a pair of green shoes – completely different to what I would normally where but they jumped out at me. I did originally choose the same style but in brown but when chatting to the lady in the shop she said go with your first choice. They are so comfy.
I had the first of my “homegrown” today – some lettuce for lunch. Tasted all the better for the fact that I knew I had grown it! We’ve also got our first veggie box being delivered tomorrow – am so excited lol. I saw the lady’s stall at our local farmer’s market and got chatting to her, turns out her farm is in our village! We have ordered a mixed bag so I don’t know what we will get and also they give you a recipe card if one of the veg is slightly out of the “norm”. We have been enjoying the garden more so far this year. The other night we had dinner outside and just sat reading and chatting until 9ish. It was a relaxing evening and made a nice change from plonking down in front of telly watching rubbish. I saw one of those chimney things that give off a bit of heat and thought it was reasonably priced so that is going on the shopping list! Even though we just have a little garden I’m enjoying pottering about and deciding what to plant.
Spoke to the chap who is going to fit our new bathroom and he is more or less good to go – when it is a bit cooler! He is also going to get someone to quote for tiling it.
I had the first of my “homegrown” today – some lettuce for lunch. Tasted all the better for the fact that I knew I had grown it! We’ve also got our first veggie box being delivered tomorrow – am so excited lol. I saw the lady’s stall at our local farmer’s market and got chatting to her, turns out her farm is in our village! We have ordered a mixed bag so I don’t know what we will get and also they give you a recipe card if one of the veg is slightly out of the “norm”. We have been enjoying the garden more so far this year. The other night we had dinner outside and just sat reading and chatting until 9ish. It was a relaxing evening and made a nice change from plonking down in front of telly watching rubbish. I saw one of those chimney things that give off a bit of heat and thought it was reasonably priced so that is going on the shopping list! Even though we just have a little garden I’m enjoying pottering about and deciding what to plant.
Spoke to the chap who is going to fit our new bathroom and he is more or less good to go – when it is a bit cooler! He is also going to get someone to quote for tiling it.
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