Daily Project - Round Two!

[Solosunrise]

We've filled up the last thread, so here's the next one!
All welcome- in an attempt to get a thing done around the home (or elsewhere) each day.
Ideally the sort of thing that will stay done- at least for a bit!

Today I have washed my shower curtain, and my 'boiling the kettle job' was to empty and clean my kitchen bin :)

Are we the only ones with snow?! Woke up and looked out of the window at about 6.30 and there was a good covering. Everyone was still asleep so I went back to bed with a big smile waiting for them to wake up. Ddog loves it, the dc love it and I love that it's sorted of melted already!
Today i've panic bought and wrapped my work secret santa, am going to a full days meeting. The agenda makes me think the whole thing is a waste of my time, but it's probably the last time I will see most people before I leave.

No snow here in East Anglia but very cold and frosty. Don’t like snow that much as we’re very rural with a steep drive and a hill outside our house. Only good if everyone is home and no one has to go anywhere!

It’s snowing heavily here but not settling. Naturally today is the day I need to take the car for an MOT.

Fun island facts for you @WinterLobelia - if your island doesn’t have an MOT test centre or license test centre, you legally do not have to have an MOT! Nor do you legally have to have a license! So there are a lot of people driving without a license and with cars held together with bale twine.

I have to take my car to another island for the MOT and am still undecided as to whether to hole up in a cafe for a few hours with a book or head into town on the bus. Tbh I think long lunch and book wins.

did way more than I wanted to yesterday when we discovered a damp patch behind my eldest’s bed. Treated that and turned the heating up to “post-nuclear glow” and finger’s crossed we’ll stop it in its tracks.

It went from wet soggy sleet yesterday lunchtime, to snow which lay and caused traffic chaos. It's frozen solid now. 'A bit of snow' was forecast but were were expecting a few flakes, so it came as some surprise. It did look absolutely beautiful with the Christmas lights in the evening, but I've got to go out in it shortly and I'm not sure it'll be fun .

Very best of luck @ChristmasCrackler with your driving around today. That is definitely the downside - the difficulties and the disruption it causes.

Thanks @Hooverphobe for the insights into island life! I am totally with you on the lunch and book idea! It all sounds desperately romantic!! Good luck with the damp as well. Travel safe to the other Island.

I did not get out of pyjamas yesterday and neither did the DCs. DH was out until 5 pm doing sporty stuff. He walked in and I managed a 'I've sorted dinner. It's Pizza delivery and is arriving in 30 minutes'. That went down very well with the entire family.

Today is more active. School run. Appointment at bank, medication review with DS consultant, school run again and somewhere in there I need to clear the dining room as DH has finished our taxes in there and I want to get it back for family meals.

Have a great day everyone!

Morning all.

Stay safe on the roads today @ChristmasCrackler We had a light dusting of snow overnight. I have to go out later so hope roads are ok by then.

@Hooverphobe you definitely need good tyres by the sounds of it! When we lived in Eastern Europe we had to have winter tyres which you would change around October each year and then change back in Spring. Long lunch with a book sounds like a great plan while you are waiting.

Perfect time of year to succumb to Netflix @WinterLobelia.

Yesterday I almost finished the Christmas decorations. I’m still not happy with the tree but it will have to do. Have some paper snowflakes to hang from the bannister’s and landing and a light to put up and then it’s just putting the boxes away in the garage. The hallway is a mess! Full of boxes. Also wrote the Christmas cards that need to be posted so will post them this afternoon. Still have cards for the village to do and deliver. Off to the hairdressers this morning so have my kindle primed and ready so I can read while the colour is on.

We did have snow, but it's all gone to mush or ice, which is fun when walking the dog. Her little face had icicles on when we got home earlier on.

Very envious of a long lunch and a book. Today is my busy work day, so won't get much extra done; but it is very nice working in a clean and tidy office

Today's jobs will be:

• check I have all the ingredients for a batch cooking job of mince pies, brownies and ginger cake for next week
• touch up some paint work in the office
• photograph some clothes to sell on depop

Have a good day.

Well I had a hairy drive this morning. Lulled into a false sense of security at home and the heavy snow over the moors. Only 5 cars on the “commuter ferry” and now I’m trying to decide whether to hang around here and try and drive home later - or play bus-twat and try and get home.

In the meantime I’m in a hotel eating toast and drinking coffee with everyone staring out the windows in horror. 😂

@Peridot1 i always have all-weather tyres on. Worst mistake I ever made was buying a house in the alps… and then a rear-wheel drive car. Still… it taught me to drive in snow. 😂

Today I have put together the home made crackers which were a bit of a pain in the bum in the end but look pretty. Hopefully they’re appreciated! Need to start wrapping presents and planning food for the Christmas period as have guests pretty much the whole time including 17 for NY eve dinner with 12 of those staying here. Met lovely friends for lunch (baby group mums I’ve known for nearly 23 years!) and helped out a neighbour picking up her daughter from a nearby town. Not sure what else has been achieved but I seem to have been busy all day. Hope everyone is safe and warm especially people like @Hooverphobe and @ChristmasCrackler who’ve had to drive in ice and snow today.

Erm… not so great - I checked into the hotel! Couldn’t even get out of town because so many cars are stuck - so I did a 3-point turn and here I am! Half the roads are closed, public transport cancelled, power cuts etc. kids are with friends tonight and I’ll get a grip in the morning, but I’m not dealing with it in the dark. 🙅‍♀️

Oh no @Hooverphobe . That all sounds a bit hard core weather wise. At least you’re all safe and your children are ok with friends. Is the hotel nice?

Oh wow @Hooverphobe - that’s not what you needed! Thank God you had friends to take the kids.

Hope your crackers are appreciated @petalpower. I bought some that have a trivia question in and was planning on adding a chocolate. Must buy the chocolates. It’s only us three Christmas Day so not too hard really.

I also need to do a proper menu plan and shopping list. Christmas is easy but we have family coming to stay for NY and possibly a friend of DS.

My hallway is now empty of boxes. Although I moved a few back into the living room as I’m still not happy with the tree so might fiddle later. If not all boxes of decorations are going in the garage and I’m drawing a line under it.

Today’s plan is charity shop run. Need to quickly go through last hanging section in my wardrobe for things to add and pack up some books.

My magic coffee arrived so I’m going to try it this morning.

Thank you for the good wishes folks! The roads were slushy but it's so beautiful seeing snow on the trees. It's colder today but hopefully the main roads aren't icy.
@Hooverphobe I hope you had a comfortable night and make it home safely today!

@SpiritOfEdna you make me smile. Your not getting much done sounds like a busy day to me!

I'm also tired reading your post @WinterLobelia. And I thought @petalpower and I were fairly similar with our busy pottering kind of days and then I read about you hosting all those people and I had to go for a little lie down!

@RunningKatie will you be starting new job in the new year? Hope the meeting went ok and the gift went down well.

I hope the magic coffee is to your taste @Peridot1 I'm feeling ever so slightly responsible, having led you all astray! (Having said that, you and Hoover were very easily led 😂)

I got some good jobs jobbed yesterday, and have even persuaded DH to part with some clothes he's outgrown doesn't wear. I had a rummage among my stuff and decided I'm never going to be comfortable in heels so two pairs of barely worn boots are going to someone who'll love them. Via a charity shop.
Off to have my lion's mane coffee myself, then out the door.
Have a safe day everyone!

New job at the start of Jan @ChristmasCrackler - i'm nervous but excited, 4 working days left!
Meeting and do exceeded my expectations, to be fair they were very low to start with.
Hope you get back ok @Hooverphobe
I'm off to help sort the funeral today. Our snow has gone or turned to ice but i'm sure the motorways will be ok. Just loading up with boring supermarket coffee.

Best wishes for the exciting new job @RunningKatie ! Sounds like a couple of weeks off first, which I imagine you really need

Morning!

Congrats @RunningKatie on the new job!!

Hope you get home safely today @Hooverphobe

Hope the roads are not icy @ChristmasCrackler !

Hi and waves to everyone.

I need to do christmas cards. I have a lunch with friends today. yay! It'sa place that does very nice cocktails. Yay again!

Yesterday I finished my christmas shopping for nieces and godchildren. Usually I feel pretty confident with my choices but not this year. Nothing felt quite right. Still it's done.

@RunningKatie good luck with the new job!

All our snow/ice is on the way out; the park though is still very pretty and the dog had fun sliding on some ice where she normally has a little drink. She was very confused, she was lucky her tongue didn't stick
@ChristmasCrackler I like to get away from my desk and feeling productive elsewhere gives me a mindless task to do for ten minutes or so - rather than surfing the contents of the fridge!

Today's job

• try and get some tie dye paint out of a embroidered cushion otherwise it'll go in the bin. It's currently soaked in rubbing alcohol and vanish.
• list clothes photographed yesterday on depop
• see if the tech that surfaced as part of the office clearout can be sold (old cameras more than anything, couple of defunct notepads - which may just go to the tip)

Have a good day everyone.

I do love hosting @ChristmasCrackler and am lucky to have plenty of space here. Christmas and NY are quiet in comparison to the summer where we had guests for 10 days straight including a family camping get together in the garden. The people eating here peaked at 31 on the busiest day and 16 and 20 on other days. I had a lot of lists!!
Today I’ve been to my last aqua fit before Christmas. The pool was very cold so I’m hoping that means I burned off more calories. I’m seriously thinking about getting a rash vest or similar to wear over my swimming costume for January. Then this afternoon I visited the care home with DD and had a big sort out in auntie’s room. She seemed to have acquired lots of things that don’t belong to her! Wrapped some more stocking presents and finally managed to order main presents for my daughter who has at last decided what she’d like. Fingers crossed they are delivered by courier rather than Royal Mail who are being very hit and miss with the strikes.
Hope everyone has a good day and is keeping warm.

Hi everyone!

Lots of lovely productivity all round.

I'm slightly envious of your epic hosting skills @petalpower , I actually like having people in the house but I'm too scared / lazy to organize it (also we don't know anyone here but it's a vicious cycle, I expect if I threw lots of parties I would know more people!)

Lunch sounds lovely @WinterLobelia

Hope you got home safely @Hooverphobe ?

I have had a frustrating day. I got the cleaners in to do a deep clean.
The house looks lovely! I spent the morning tidying up the kids rooms and thinking 'i don't have time for this, I need to work'.

Then just as I was getting back to work the internet packed up so I spent the afternoon trying to fix it (and still unable to work).

Then it emerged that the reason the internet packed up in the first place was that one of the cleaners had unplugged the router in order to dust, and plugged the two cables back in the wrong way round. Gah. Mutter mutter. They have form for this kind of thing but I keep not binning them off because they do a superb cleaning job.

Then I did about 40 minutes of work, and went yo get the kids. That was basically all I needed yo do in fact, my projects are in a quiet phase.

I made it home a little after lunch when I saw a break in the weather and went for it. The hotel staff managed to get the power on, give us all a hearty breakfast, dig our cars out and send us in our way. 30 hairy miles through deep snow and bizarrely the last 3 miles were green so from my village you’d not have known. Power came on about 5 for us thank god. Kids were fine and well fed. An English incomer was in tears at the village hall because they opened the doors to give everyone a hot meal and fill flasks with boiling water. She had no camping stove or candles… she knows now! 1000s still without power and 100s trapped in cars again last night. 😔

@petalpower hosting for HOW many? I tend to spend the day in jammies, drinking gin and mis-timing cooking endeavours!

@Aria999 - hang on, you have GOOD cleaners ??? Where does one find such mythical creatures?

today’s jobs: get a ton of wet washing dry, make smug bone broth, convince autistic eldest to use soap and deodorant. 🙄 He’s having a bad day - his tropical fish have not enjoyed the power cut and we’re hoping they’re erm… “dormant” as opposed to deid!

Morning all. Still really cold here. I seem to be feeling it more the last couple of days for some reason. It’s better than endless rain though so I’m not complaining.

@ChristmasCrackler - easily led is my middle name! . I had the coffee. Only used three tablespoons as thought it may be a bit strong but it wasn’t. Will use the recommended four today. I did get quite a bit done yesterday - not sure if it was the coffee. Hope so!

Hope the funeral planning went ok @RunningKatie. And best wishes for the new job.

We have gotten out of the habit of hosting lots of people @petalpower. Had all of my family one year in Bulgaria for Christmas and I had to be so organised as we lived half an hour out of town and could get snowed in. I had lists of lists! And very full freezers!

Good luck with the cushion @SpiritOfEdna.

that is annoying about the router @Aria999. We had similar happen a few times.

I did the charity shop run yesterday so the car is now cleared. Had to clear it one way or the other as need to take dog to vet this morning. Also cleaned the lights over the island in the kitchen, cleared out the tea and coffee cupboard and washed all the coffee and teapots and jugs etc and disposed of old teas that have been hanging around. Will be able to actually use the cupboard properly now. The kettle is supposed to live in there but there hasn’t been room. Brushed the dog (got enough hair to knit another dog!) and sat and did a slightly more detailed menu plan for next couple of weeks with DH. I have lists and he has a spreadsheet!

I didn’t fiddle with the tree so still have boxes around but am doing that this afternoon. All boxes and random Christmas stuff IS going into the garage today. Need a general tidy round this morning as cleaners are in middayish. Need to take dog to vet for her jabs. Want to write village Christmas cards today too. And do a shopping list for a Costco trip tomorrow. Also need to get DH to fiddle with the radiator in the walk in wardrobe as it’s not working.

Have a good day all.

I’m “lol’ing” about easily led. 😁 My coffee isn’t here yet - was @ChristmasCrackler cracker the girl who said “have a polo before you go in and your m&d will never know”? 😂

I think she definitely was @Hooverphobe!. Glad you got home safe! Sounds like an adventure but I’m sure it wasn’t really. Fingers crossed for the fish!

Sorry to disappoint but i was a goody two shoes until I was 40 when i went off the rails completely 😂
@Peridot1 I read it as 4 teaspoons! Which is enough for me tbf. I hope it's what got you going yesterday or my recommendations will get a very bad rep...
Hoover glad you made it home! Tough times up there though! We have sunshine and hard frost and snow, but all the power thankfully.
@petalpower for head girl on this thread! Not only do you host but you enjoy it #shakes head in wonder!
🤯 to your afternoon @Aria999 but envious of cleaners.
All the painting going on here and I'm looking forward to it being finished so we can get decorations up 🎄 DD is in charge really and I'm just in charge of the dustpan.

Good luck with the cushion @SpiritOfEdna and hope lunch and cocktails were lovely @WinterLobelia!

Ponies later. I shall be prising frozen poo off fields. Or possibly ignoring it for today. I will definitely be sniffing ponies though because they soothe my soul. And probably a coffee and some tack room chat!

@ChristmasCrackler envious of the ponies. I am on a wait list for riding lessons, at least I think I am they never said no! My local riding school closed down, it's such a shame, it was accessible, always busy, but Covid lockdown and local council shenanigans did for them.

My jobs for today are:

• take down living room curtains and wash them, alongside above mentioned cushion
• In the office clear out I found some bare wooden christmas tree balls, so will paint them with The Niece at the weekend - will prep so we have everything ready to go. First xmass-y thing I will have done
• I need to venture out in the shed to grab some paint stripper for a furniture restore I wouldn't mind doing before xmas
• Put up some pictures up in bedroom alcove, they have been lingering behind the bed for a while.

have a good day everyone.