Daily Project Round 6

[Mumtobabyhavoc]

Here ya go!
Share your clear outs, re-orgs, seek motivation etc. Lurk if you like to get the gist. Friendly group here.
No drama. 😊

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

No news Chez Lobelia. Hope everyone is fine and good and that our @Peridot1 is feeling better with teeth. Congrats @SpiritOfEdna on Dry January! I am considering Dry Feb because I have put on half a stone since Christmas.

Bets wishes to everyone.

Lobelia, I've gained a bit, too. Not from alcohol, but lots of sweets and use of cream... must cut back!
Happy packing, Peridot. Hope dental check was good.
Frog, sounds like a lovely way to start the day.
Aria, I thought recipe looked good, too.

Mixed up pancakes for a snowy morning breakfast then realized I forgot sugar, so threw away batter, but was unable to remake batter as no more vinegar which my recipe needs. So, fruit platter, warm croissants, Nutella and a latte (for me) it was.

Heading out shortly for some fresh air with dc. I think a good walk is in order. Need to get to Costco as I stupidly forgot to go yesterday which means going today along with everyone else near and far. I want cook up lamb chops tonight otherwise I'd skip the grocery run.

Morning! Thick frost here today. And just felt like the sun was up much earlier today so a lovely start.
I did not do my wardrobe floor yesterday because our littlest came visiting, so we played with her instead. And then had to clear up the trails of destruction. I am grandmother to a baby havoc 😂
Off to meet DD and her dog at the beach 😊
Shall aim to do wardrobe after walk.
Have a great Sunday everyone.

Ed as i clearly can't spell Havoc before I've had coffee

Morning all! A walk at the beach sounds lovely @WinterFrog !

We have breakfast out at our local greasy spoon diner planned. Then a quiet afternoon of prep and watching a film- Ds1 is in a school play so we have bought the dvd of the film and plan to watch it tonight! Hopefully it does not put us off.

I ordered a second clothes rail and it has arrived and DH put it together so I am on the way to turning the spare bedroom into a walk in closet. It won't be pretty, but it will be functional and hopefully without all the clothes being spread around the house the bedrooms will all look much nicer.

Have a great day everyone!

Dental check went well thanks @Mumtobabyhavoc and @FourSeasonsLobelia. Although I need a crown replacing on the tooth I’ve just had the root canal on….. It all feels never ending. But everything is healing well. No issues after the second session of the root canal. And the dentist gave me antibiotics to bring away just in case. And when I come back the process of finishing the first implant will start.

A beach walk sounds lovely @WinterFrog. Bracing this morning!

Not much planned here today. I need to nip to M&S to return a couple of picture frames I bought last week which are the wrong size and pick up an order. Then home and washing and sorting my packing. Note to self: less is more and you do not need to pack everything you own! I am a terrible over packer.

Have a great day all.

Happy sunny Sunday! Small victory here, got rid of two massive cardboard boxes through one of the reuse WhatsApp groups, they were such nice boxes and I'm glad they are getting a second use.

Sounds like everyone is having a nice time, despite the packing stress. D and I and two of her schoolfriends and their mums (who thankfully are some of my most favourite mum friends) headed into London yesterday after lunch (it's an hour-ish journey on the train) for a museum and pizza. It was pretty successful but also v tiring!

Main task today - other than taking D to a birthday party - will be doing some meal planning for the week, I think.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Oh museum and pizza sounds great @SingleThreadJoiner !

I hope you have a good and safe trip @Peridot1 . I am also a terrible overpacker. I managed 10kg (including several Christmas gifts) which I was very pleased with- but I STILL had clothes I ended up not wearing (including 2 summer dresses I gave to my mother).

We are back from our walk and I am about to do a load of washing. I also need to do a thorough revision of our finances and budgets. DH has a Very Expensive Hobby and I am not as frugal as I would like with household spending (plus we have a big summer long-haul trip planned and not yet paid for) so a tight rein will be needed for a bit. A friend of mine sells stuff on Vinted. I'll ask her for some hints and tips I think.

Another one on the beach today - our new weekend dog walking habit. Got back home with check tyre light on - to find a very flat tyre (I knew one must have gone). Organised replacement for Tuesday. V. spendy. Home alone this afternoon so a load of washing is on, meal planning in progress, maybe some ironing and shredding in a bit.

Safe travels @Peridot1

I've flopped now. Did the ironing and have the uniforms ready for the week.

Inspired by you, @SpiritOfEdna I did my meal planning as well! I am still using up alot of the freezer food I put away before my trip so we will have a mix of things like bolognese sauce turned into spicy nachos and a 1970s retro seafood pancakes and tonight is lamb stew with rice.

A fairly easy week really. I think there will be very little left of the batch cooking I did after that so I get to start again next week!

Today

• starting to flag as up at 5:30 to get to refpilates class on the bus 😄 must be bonkers
• ironing board is up from yesterday as no ironing done at all
• did do some shredding yesterday, so need to do more today
• walk SpiritDoggo - she is sitting looking at me hopefully
• there is sand everywhere - more hoovering and brushing of floors - it never ends 😄
• finance spreadsheet - all big bills out of account today

A skimpy list for today, have a good one, SoE

SoE, shredding is soooo satisfying.... 👏👏👏

Another snow day today. Had a good walk with dc despite -1c of about 45 mins. Went home for a bit then back out to playground with Havoc for about a half hour then another half hour walking through the neighbourhood. It paid off- both were deep into sleep by 8:30pm. 🤗
That allowed me to vacuum, steam clean floor, bathroom floor and shower tile, area rugs, front door (inside and outside) and then both couches. Then I wiped stove with vinegar for an extra clean. So, it smells very vinegary here as I added vinegar to the steam cleaner water as well. Also got a load of white towels and washcloths washed with bleach this morning. (I'm back on bleach).
For dinner I mixed up a pizza dough and made a pizza using left over lamb chops which felt extra special this winter day for some reason. I guess it just added a cozy feeling having the aroma of dough rising and baking.
I just noticed it is snowing again and the road is covered. I might need to do some baking tomorrow....🤔😛

aaah I am envious of snow @Mumtobabyhavoc . Baking and snow. Just lovely!

a 5.30 start for pilates is pretty epic @SpiritOfEdna !
Not alot to report here. I have put up the new wardrobe rails and sorted out various clothes. Almost up to date with washing and ironing. Gardeners came yesterday and clipped back the climbing roses so I am calling that my achievement because I pay them!

Have a great day everyone.

@FourSeasonsLobelia did I read that right, you went to Australia with just 10kg?! I am more than impressed!! I don't know if that or the 5.30am pilates from @SpiritOfEdna is the greater achievement 😄

@Mumtobabyhavoc enjoy the snow....it sounds like it's perfect, snowy and cosy but not too freezing.

House is tidied and ready for the cleaners. H made a lovely chicken and rice dish for dinner last night - will see if I can find the link.

Extra task yesterday was listing a small bundle of toddler clothes on the WhatsApp group and having it collected just a few hours later, yeay!

Extra task today is...hm. Maybe the meal plan for the week I still haven't made 😆

Here it is! From the Ocado website
https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipe/Chicken-and-Veg-Pulao/253392?selectedCategories=208393

That chicken and veg pulao looks amazing @SingleThreadJoiner ! All those spices. I do a version of chicken and rice pretty much every single week so will definitely try that out.

I did go to Australia with only 10kg!! I came back with 15 kg but that did include 2 hardback cookbooks that I had been given. I did have access to a washing machine though so it was easier than it might have been.

DH and I have just rearranged the living room Turkish rug which had creeped itself into an awkward position. It is one of 'those jobs' we have been putting off and that took under 10 minutes in the end. The biggest difficulty was persuading LobeliaCat to vacate her chair.

Now I am about to wrap and send a gift to my SIL. Then lunch out with a friend I have not seen for ages.

Hope everyone has a lovely day!

Dipping in and out of the thread, but yesterday's project was to finally change the battery for the lights in my make-up mirror. For some reason I thought it took those little round ones that I never have in stock, but it turns out it takes bog-standard triple As, which I have loads of. Also cleaned the dust off the mirror, although I must say I preferred the dim dusty reflection rather than the excruciatingly clear and sharp one I now have....😬

Busy evening here with swimming, football and gymnastics to be slotted in at various times and locations, so not sure whether I can get anything other than basics done. That said I have just followed up a work email to opt out of the childcare voucher scheme, so I'll count that - easy win!

ohmydays I am tired today after yesterday's early start - the dog was restless and my legs achey so it was a long night (boo)

Today

• went to pick up keys for my friends house, will drop off at another estate agent tomorrow if I get the time after work
• walked the Doggo and she'll need another one shortly
• car fixed so can go and get some stuff ordered by click and collect from BandQ after tea
• I've filled out the form to change the name on my pension - i am known by a nickname and that is on all pension documentation. Just need to find an envelope now. and send forms and passport away,
• I've been wandering around picking shoes, socks, coats and gloves up and putting them in their rightful homes
• more hoovering up of sand

Have a good one, SoE

Morning! I can still feel my thighs after my beach walk with DD. She's a hiker, and naturally walks a lot faster than me. She would slow down if I asked (in fact offered) but I have my pride to consider 😂 So I marched! It was only later that I realised why my legs ached. Thoroughly enjoyed the walk and the company 💕 I find we have our best conversations when we're on the move.

@SydneyCarton your dressing table mirror was a great daily project. Should stay done for a while. I agree about dusty mirror- the old fashioned version of a beauty filter. I saw my reflection in my car window and thought I looked rather lovely. A real (clean) mirror tells the more truthful tale of how I increasingly resemble my ancient mother.

Another lovely chicken recipe! Thanks @SingleThreadJoiner We're stuck in a bit of a rut meal-wise here so I need to start giving some of these suggestions a go. I'm generally quite delighted when we're organised enough to have a cooked meal, but it's got a bit samey.

I never did deal with my wardrobe floor. What I do have, which would have caused my younger self to be over the moon, is a generally tidy, cleanish and clutter free house. That's a big win round here! My ex was/is a hoarder and when he left, much of the hoard remained for me to deal with. Even the loft is vaguely curated these days (ie we know what's up there and where to lay our hands on things)

Clutter still creeps though doesn't it? So wardrobe floor it is, today!

Thanks everyone for these lovely snapshots into everyday lives, and as always, the inspiration. Have a great day 💐 And hoping @Peridot1 has travelled safely.

Hello all! So much productivity! @SpiritOfEdna your car just keeps coming back for more attention!

I have been buried deep in things to do.

Yesterday I had the cleaners in for a deep clean which I only do once or twice a year because it's expensive and it takes forever to tidy up for them. Even in a mostly tidy house it took me probably about 4 hours to clear (they started on the areas that were already tidy, and then I tidied ahead of them).

It's impossible to tidy it enough in advance as the kids mess it up as fast as I sort it out.

Then I had a stressful afternoon with work. My client said again that the tool was bugged and he couldn't use it. Then later in the day without me changing anything he seems to say it's working. He didn't say 'hey it's ok, actually I figured it out', he just blanked the fact he had twice told me it was broken.... I am confused!

In the meantime I spent a lot of time trying to figure out ways to fix it. Sent a new version today. We will see if it works I guess!

Short day today so no time for projects. Soon I need to pick up the cellar clearout (I threw away about 15 bin bags of stuff yesterday from last week's efforts) and (aargh!) the parent organization tax stuff....

G’day from Sydney! Got here safely.

Very impressed with your 10kg to Australia @FourSeasonsLobelia. I can categorically state I would never manage that. And I have access to washing machine too!

No tasks for me other than to walk my friend’s dog before I do what ever I decide to do today. Friend is working so I have day to myself.

Glad you arrived safely @Peridot1

My extra: changed baby's bed, wiped it down with vinegar, then wiped a wall. Did a load of white towels/washcloths on hot, extra long cycle with bleach.💀

Morning all!

Good news you arrived safely @Peridot1 Hope you have a wonderful time and it is not too hot.

Our lovely cleaner has come down with Noro poor thing so I am going to do her routine today. She manages to have the house sparkling in 90 minutes- I'm not nearly so efficient but will give it a go. Other than that it is the school run, a gym visit for me and I need to bake another cake. DCs have requested banana and chocolate chip. Dinner will be seafood crepes. I (as I often do) was binge-reading the food threads on MN and someone said they like to do savoury pancakes every week and I thought that was a very fine idea. There is a fighting chance the DCs may eat it, anyway. To be followed by pancakes with jam for pudding.

Eating out of the freezer is finished with. DH was rummaging in it, got distracted by the postman and then a phone call and came back to the open freezer door to dripping and defrosting meals. So last night we got through as much of the spagetti sauce as we could. Thankfully we really were at the final 2-3 dishes so I will have a soup for lunch and we are not really any worse off. Our freezer is very small thankfully so not a disaster. DH though is batch cooking mushroom and spinach curry for him (he likes it several times more spicy than I can cope with) so it will soon be filled again nicely.

I hope everyone has a lovely day.

For me today:

• might have to do an errand of taking sibling's laptop to work for them - they have forgotten it
• am stalking the pilates studio site for a cancellation for this evening - though it is soooo foggy and miserable out I may be happy to give it a miss
• Gym this morning - so scraping the car counts as my extra task
• have a go at blocking out the gaps where the new door frames where fitted with expanding foam
• shredding
• just placed an order for recycling/destruction of an old hard drive which emerged from a cupboard. It must be from a very old computer.
• Walk SpiritDoggo x 2 today
• Desk needs a good tidy - although there is no random paperwork on there - just a pile of notebooks and dead phones 😄which I can't decide about getting fixed (photos!)

That's it for today, although also need to decide what to cook for tea tonight, SoE

Some great extra tasks here, I particularly like @SpiritOfEdna 's hard drive destruction - very niche!

Incredibly foggy here too, can barely see out the window. Glad I don't have to drive anywhere. Going to London in the late afternoon/evening with a friend, and very much looking forward to that.

All sorts of sickness bugs are tearing through D's school and I am crossing my fingers we stay clear of them, especially as we're going away for half term at the end of next week.

I've done the online shop while listening to a meeting, yesterday I renewed one of D's clubs for the coming term, and today I also sorted out a birthday present for a party in a couple of weeks.

Big task I've been putting off: figuring out what to get my H for his upcoming birthday...

@FourSeasonsLobelia I love the idea of savoury pancakes/crepes. D asked to make them the other night for dinner and first I rolled my eyes and sighed but then realised it was really quite quick, she was able to help with it a lot, and we enjoyed the end result very much. So you're right, we should embrace this!!

My mother used to make chicken crepes or asparagus and white sauce crepes for dinner parties in the early 80s. So I am thinking of enjoying the full gamut. The DCs thought it was a bit special and treaty also, so a big win.