Join me in ending the year on an upnote

[newdeer]

If you've had a bit of a bad year, do you fancy joining me in a challenge to end it well?

We have 46 days left.

I want to :
Declutter a bag of unneeded stuff a day
Exercise every day
Self care every day - a bit of pampering in the run up to Christmas
Have five a day and 2 litres of water
Chase up any medical appointments: eyes, teeth, check-ups etc
Cut back on sugar and alcohol until Christmas week

Making plans for next year (holidays, home improvements, new jobs etc also welcome on this thread.

Anyone fancy joining me and posting daily tab of what they are up to?

Today I will:
Declutter the hall and spare room
Have a hill walk in the sunshine
Do my nails
Make a big pot of veggie soup
Have a day off the booze, having been out two nights in a row.

What are you up to?

Good luck with the job application Moonlighting

Was at work today so not much achieved at home.

I did eat a wee bit better than usual and will be taking dogs out in a bit.

I managed a deep stretch Yoga and wasn't too stiff after a couple of days with the lurgy, which was a nice surprise.
I've done nearly 10,000 steps so far today.
Dp and I spent another hour clearing out late mil's house.
Tidied up and decorated for dd1's birthday today.
Fish and chips followed by birthday cake, later, not particularly healthy. Though I low carb(ish) and will have fish with mushy peas no chips with a small slice of cake and I had a light lunch to balance it out.

Welcome to everyone who has joined in the last few days.
@RunningKatie- very impressed by FIVE bags to charity shop! You've remindedme I have a charity bag ready by the front door. I just need to drop it off. But DS dropped off a bag for me at the weekend, so we are gradually making progress.

Living room now completely repainted (DH and I did it over the weekend) and carpet fitters booked.

Had a very tough cardio class yesterday then walked home from it (about an hour's walk) and today had a very tough canoeing session. Used to a light kayak so a massive heavy two-person canoe took me by surprise.

Made christmas puddings today.

I am not getting as much work done as I should (self employed.) But tbf I did decide to take some time off this month to try and do some other things before the year is over.

@MoodLighting - I love stuff like 'see more of the park' on your list. It's small things like this that when we make time for them, make so much difference to the quality of our lives. A friend took me to a local park the other day and showed me an entirely new section of it I didn't know was there. She knew all the history to it, too. It was so lovely.

Am impressed with the canoeing session newdeer! One of the things I would like to be able to do when I lose weight is join DH who is keen on kayaking.

I went to the gym and didn’t die! went early and did half an hour on the cross trainer which was blinking hard work (am heavily overweight). Back and showered to see a client at 10, I am pleased with that and intend to do it again maybe tomorrow.

Need to sort DS a help to but ISA before they stop being available on 30th. That is my main non work job for tomorrow.

Help to buy not help to but 🙄

@newdeer - the bags have been in my boot since September, they are well travelled! Now my car has passed the MOT I can start filling it again.
Sadly none of this means my house is looking tidier.

Today - I have got the car MOT'd.
Done the ironing.

This evening we are sorting DH's finances. I'm supposed to be doing the house insurance too.

Tomorrow is my day off so I've got to write a list tonight. 4 weekdays off between now & Christmas, I need to get organised.

@Teensruletheroost - you don't have to be slim to kayak. I'm certainly not. I'm 2 stone overweight. Kayaks are very buoyant! It's light exercise imo. Canoeing was a lot more like hard work.

I'm working in bed today with a sore throat and shivers. But I'm going to finish a project and return it to the client which will take most of the day then contact all my other clients with updates.

The house is a pickle. Again! But will have to wait until I'm feeling better. Came down with a really sore throat last night and now DS1 has it too.

@newdeer - I am several stone overweight, to be honest one of the things I dread about kayaking is the getting in and out of the thing! I am not elegant at the best of times but being able to bend in the middle a bit more will hopefully help! I have done it on holiday including this year but the idea of falling into the local river with an audience doesn't appeal too much!!

Couldn't face the early morning gym today so have booked into aquafit later. Like you I'm self-employed so can be fairly flexible and no meetings today means I can do it last minute. Have targets of certain clients to respond to before I go so am sitting in my PJs doing that (and getting distracted by MN!).

Hope you're feeling better soon, we all had the horrible cold last week.

@Teensruletheroost - the first few times I felt sick with nerves getting in and just downright embarassed at my ungainliness getting out. I still haven't the upper body strength to lift myself out. I grip onto the jetty and then roll onto it, bum in the air. Very very ungainly. But I no longer care. Being on the water is so magical. Worth a few minutes' embarassment even if the instructors have a giggle about us afterwards. (I go with a friend who's a similar weight.)

I have just completed all my work for the day whilst lying here in bed. Odd feeling.Think I'll get on line and do some Christmas shopping too. I always leave it too late and then have nail biting, 'Will Amazon deliver in time?'moments on Christmas Eve. Not this year.

newdeer, I hope you feel better soon. It sounds the same as I had on Friday, but it didn't last long if that's any consolation. You need to add lots of self care to your list.

Good luck with the job, moon, how exciting. I'm making slow steps to going back to work again.

Yesterday was busy, and I'm still getting my energy back after being ill, so pacing myself a little.
I got back in track with the Headspace.
Did a "gentle" yoga, for calm & strength, but couldn't hold all the poses as long.
Walked dd2 to school.
Did a supermarket shop and rejigged some of the cupboards to fit stuff in, as we've started to get some Christmas stuff now.
I have some chicken with Mexican spices in the instant pot for dinner, for tacos.
Next job is washing but I'm going to try to factor in a rest before school pick up.

newdeer that description made me chuckle . The thing is I’m not sure I could even do it that elegantly

My shoulders are aching from aquafit!

Sounds like you’re making good progress quirkychic

A what?

Today was my day off work so hoped to achieve a few things, I managed........

• brought together all the presents from their various hiding places to see what I had
• put together a list of what still needed bought (more than I had hoped)
• did a bit of shopping locally to try to get the list down
• cleared out the good room for DD’s birthday party this weekend
• ate ok ish and didn’t drink wine

Need to sort DS a help to but ISA before they stop being available on 30th.

You may have already done this and/or looked into what I'm about to suggest, but I'd recommend looking into lifetime ISA as well as help to buy. They're taking over the LISA and dependent on your son's situation may be better for him. If you've already opened a help to buy it is possible to transfer it into a LISA if he/you decide that's the preference now.

My aim for today is to not stay too late at work Christmas do tonight. I feel awful on lack of sleep and although I don't drink regularly I still think it makes sense to cut down on alcohol calories!

I've got that thing where I can't really be bothered to go - but will because I'll feel I should - then will stay too late. So the aim is to not do that!

*they're taking over the help to buy! I.e. Lisa is the new version of help to buy.

I'm going to join you for this last month. Thinking of good, positive stuff is so important.

I need to start eating a bit better, work on less phone/screen time, work towards getting the renegade toddler to sleep better and be more organised ready for next year.

I've recently started work part time having been off for a few years and it is quite emotionally full on. The household routines need to adjust, which takes some thought and headspace. DH is starting a new business, which I want to help with bar just being a cheerleader.

Being brutally honest, I haven't been the best person or wife recently. A lot of small, peace keeping lies that came to a head, letting myself and my lovely husband down (not infidelity!) Since then I've been very careful and very honest and am working towards being a better person. I want to rebuild his trust in me.

That's got a bit deep!

Thanks flipperdoda, looked into both help to buy and lifetime. I have opened a help to buy but am aware I can transfer it over if required. Can think of that in the future though, the urgent bit is done. Thanks for the info.

So yesterday I did the ISA thing and did some work, took the iron and vitamins, saw one client and sorted a few Xmas presents.

Then I ruined it a bit by going out for dinner with DH and drinking far too much so I am not in the most efficient mode at all this morning.

Have taken my iron and intend to go to the gym later but really would much prefer to lie on my bed all day

Also bought myself new Levi’s in the Black Friday 30% off a few days ago but bought them a size down. they have been delivered this morning and I can just do them up but very uncomfortable, certainly couldn’t go out without a nice muffin top showing so I really best get to that gym later

Welcome Barren, it is difficult to admit when we know we’ve not been the best person so well done on that and good luck making the changes you need to

Thank you all so much for jogging me about the Help to Buy ISAs for DC. I'd forgotten about them. Still a couple of days left to get them sorted.

In bed again with a virus. Had to cancel a big work meeting and a special lunch with a favourite client in London. Feeling really despondent. But dragged myself out of bed to take DS2 to an early hospital appointment this morning before school and he's been discharged, so that was good news.

Last night I did some online shopping to try and get ahead of the list. Have DBro, DS1 and DH's main presents sorted. DS2 wants to shop with me for his so that has to wait. Still need to get DParents and DSis and most of the stocking fillers.

newdeer, rest up and give yourself a chance to get better. So says the woman who had her flu jab early yesterday with the dcs (I was supposed to go next week). Apparently, it's OK if you haven't got a temperature - that's why I now feel exhausted again... I'm definitely adding having a nap to my winter list to counteract the nasty bugs and busyness!

Welcome, Barren, starting work again is a big deal. Be kind to yourself and allow some time to adjust. Dp and I have been having some negotiations about me going back pt, so I get where you're coming from.

Whoever asked about Retinol, I started using it a couple of years ago, gradually going up from 0.33% to 1%. I can really see a difference in some old pg pigmentation that faded and frown lines that haven't disappeared but are now faint. If that helps.

Before deciding to rest this afternoon (we have had something extra each evening this week) I did some yoga, a bit more vigorous as I'm trying to get back my previous levels of activity.
Ordered some birthday/Christmas things with a Black Friday code, and browsed some online shopping. We have seven family birthdays between now and the beginning of January.
Paid some bills.
Did some washing.

Work today but DH and I are going out together tonight. Rare! We have to rush back though as the babysitters have to get home.
Just doing an emergency clean so house is presentable at least.