Lockdown (almost) over and frugalling continues!

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New thread. All welcome

We talked that over yesterday too Life - I think that would be a bigger mortgage jump. And we’ve invested quite a bit in the garden and bathrooms - higher spec than if we were planning to sell, as we thought this was the forever home. So it would be a shame there. I haven’t ruled it out but we’ll see where we get to with the architect.

DS has been horrible after school today, all because he’s upset that we’ve returned the school library books (he got a bit attached during lockdown). Argh!

I have always wondered where your name came from sea 😅

£14 petshop on food for catface.

Took ds books back to library.

£2.40 coffee.

I love Christmas and I know what shop you mean Em.

Sea I've written myself a list of things I want to do to the house, sadly I can't extend though I would love to. I am still wondering if it would be better to sell, but I'd have to give up my view and my wildlife which give me great pleasure

Spent an hour filling in an attendance allowance form for dgm. Will spend Friday writing it up and then I bet she won't bloody sign it even though she's asked for it to be done. We have to get something in place dps are knackered and it's taking its toll on them. Dm was in tears this evening df was venting his frustration this morning

Home. Dm made sausages for dinner. Dh went paddleboarding. So Dm fed me and the kiddos and then dropped us home. She also helped get kids to bed.

Have put bins out (ick) put recycling out, done nursery bags and put them in the car, lunches for tomorrow, and thrown a load of laundry in the machine timer on for tomorrow and a wet load in the dryer. Busy.

My storage baskets arrived. They are glorious.

Two for handbags two for shoes. I’m pretty sure I have another 3 on the way. So excited!!!!

6 new corona cases here today. Three days since borders opened. This does not bode well.

Quiet day here. I've done a lot of cross stitch, which isn't what I was wanting to do this furlough, I think I need a daily timetable!!

The rain finally stopped so there's 2 loads out and one waiting for space.

£3.10 postage and £5 in the co-op.

Oh, and £110 at the vets that's Erik's first injections, wormer x4 (dogs and cats) and 2 x 3 month spot ons for the cats. Phew!

Was a slight polava as we're not allowed in with the pets, but are allowed in to pay .

My parents met the kitten (they are our bubble) and he's slept since we got home.

We had porridge for tea.

snuggly we went 2 the park and it was gr8!!

sea what Christmas crafts do u do? I’d luv 2 start sum. The loft sounds lyk a good idea.

Had a luvly day 2day and bought sum clothes 4 the kids cost £25. Need 2 stop spending now tho.

Mummy I’m a knitter, mostly, but do a few other things - bit of crochet, occasional sewing. I want to try my hand at making solid silver jewellery with silver clay - I got some kit for Christmas but need a stretch of time to play with it (lockdown has seen to that - we’re busier than normal with work and kids home).

I’ve had a lovely evening on a zoom knitting group - normally we meet in the pub but we’re not ready to face the stampede yet. Zero spent, though I need one more ball of yarn to finish this project, and then I won’t want to pay postage, so.....

Wot you stitching, Lonely?

Girlie, meant to say I’m glad your DD is eating a bit better 🤞🏻

I've done more stitching tonight. Quilt is nearly done. Once it's done, I'll be carrying on with a floral quilt I started a while ago, but I also need to finish some Christmas projects. I'm making a couple of cushion covers and a quilt, all with scraps left from previous projects (mainly bunting!)

Sorry to hear the disappointing extension news Sea.

I love storage baskets em! I’ve been trying not to buy new storage for ages but I think we are getting to the point where we need to figure out what we need to help us sort stuff better, even as we are decluttering a fair bit.

I have finally settled on a long yearned for item... a comb binder 😳 I’ve wanted one since using the massive one at the library I worked in. And can now justify it as home ed is at the point of needing to make topic packs etc. YAY! Love a new gadget.

My storage baskets arrived too but mine were first the cupboard under the kitchen sink so I now have one full of cleaning products we use a lot at the front that's easy to grab and another behind it with products we use less often. I'm hoping the newly organised system means we can see what we have more easily and will stop us from buying duplicates. The tidying also meant there is now space to put vases in the cupboard so there is no longer a line of empty vases gathering dust on the window sill. I don't know why we have so many really, we never buy flowers!

These have handbags in them. I have two more for shoes. And some smaller ones for socks and pants.

Others to arrive soon. Yay!

Morning all.

Work was long Ystd in meetings and training all day. Today I'm seeing patients which will be quite nice actually!

Dd is still up and down with food, she will eat some lunch and then tends to eat well at dinner time with a few snacks in the evening. The risk of pushing it any further is she will back track and reduce her eating to prove a point. I'm just keeping an eye for now, she doesn't appear to have lost any more weight so that's good.

I decided Ystd I need some work clothes, I literally have nothing to wear for this time of year! Colleagues around me all seemed to wear Capri type trousers (is that even the right word?!) and a loose shirt/blouse with little shoes. I felt a right scruff in my skirt/leggings/converse combo 😶 any recommendations for where to buy work clothes on a budget?

Oooh they’re cute em!

Sorry DD’s eating is still a bit worrying girlie I do think you’re right not to push the issue though

It's raining. Again.

I watched 'Room' last night. It was really good. I was afraid it would be very dark (obviously the subject matter is very dark) but since most of it is told from the son's point of view, it was actually quite an uplifting film. It's on DD's school book list for September so I asked her if she wanted to watch it, but she's going to hold off until she's read the book.

I booked two nights in a hotel for August. I'm going to meet up with my best friend. It's a lovely hotel and they do spa treatments, so I'm really looking forward to it. They had a good deal for 2 nights B&B plus one evening dinner. I heard some Irish hotels have been massively inflating their prices because they've a captive audience this year.

I got a date for DCat1's tooth extraction. Poor thing has been waiting for it since February/March but we couldn't get it done due to lockdown. Then their x-ray machine wasn't working. I got a quote a while back - think it will be something like €450.

Got my tyre puncture sorted yesterday. Yaay! Then the washing machine flashed some warning message - I think I need to clean the filter. Hopefully that will sort it. There's always something.

Gorgeous storage baskets em

Gosh that’s a heavy subject matter for a school book tayto! I read it a few years ago, must get round to watching it on Prime (when DSD moved out she said we could stay signed in to hers 🤫). I’ve been trying to “use up” stuff rather than spending on new, which has included watching DVDs I’ve bought but never properly watched, and even working through kindle books and Netflix stuff feels like an achievement at the moment 😅

Yes, I thought so too Lane.

I've sorted the washing machine and flooded the utility room floor. So now I have lots of wet towels to wash.

I texted my counsellor yesterday to see if she's back doing counselling sessions (face to face or by phone). I'm waiting to hear back from her. The last few months have been tough.

Sorry it’s been tough tayto I’m really hoping mine will do face to face sessions soon. I’ve had three zoom sessions and they were useful, but absolutely not the same. I’ve not booked one this month (I usually go monthly anyway) as we have so much other stuff that needs spending on, and while I’m glad I’ve still been able to support her business too (she’s actually amazing), I don’t feel it is worth the money this time.

Room is a good read but I agree, a bit heavy for school. How old is she tayto?
Dcs are climbing the walls today, they are driving me mad.

Only 2/3 of my household has emerged so far today. I called and got responses from all the girls. That counts as parenting, right?

I wrote a list of todays jobs. But persistent rain has put paid to getting 2 more loads dry. As the drier has a smaller capacity and takes way longer than the washer there's no point washing more loads as they just back up.

No spends yet, but I forgot to fill dp's car yesterday and drove home on empty. This means I also have to drive out on empty 😬
So I'll go and do that later.

sea that all sounds really fun. I’d luv 2 have a hobby like knitting or maybe cross stitching but I’m just rubbish at it all :(.

girlie sorry 2 hear ur DD’s eating is still worrying❤️

tayto I luv that film and I have read the book 2 and it was rly good.

NSD 2day have just had a movie day and dun sum housework weather is crap!

Went to Iceland for food for Mum & Bob & Wilko's for bird seed and floorwipes, & to look at bench's , Dh said to me to let her decide what she wanted because it would be my fault , so we took the Argos book up for her to decide for herself she wants a 'pretty white bench' for Bob's patio it's a present for him & she will sit her behind in it too ordered one from ARGOS , will see what it turns out like Dh & l will put it together tomorrow or Thursday, am not looking forward to it, these things never have the holes drilled where they should be and inevitably the screws are missing
However it has got 20 quid off it and next day delivery was only 3.95 so l suppose it's a bit of a bargain really , fingers crossed
TBC
www.argos.co.uk/product/3363012?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d2a559621874c&istItemId=ipxaaxpqm&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7cacid:844-913-7556%7ccid:9555148935%7cagid:99725692044%7ctid:pla-890634812811%7ccrid:422972006110%7cnw:g%7crnd:2115054846543620633%7cdvc:c%7cadp:%7cmt:%7cloc:1007407&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9555148935&utm_term=3363012&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=99725692044&utm_custom2=844-913-7556&gclid=Cj0KCQjwupD4BRD4ARIsABJMmZ_sZlHA3q_YaNxNeFA6fnH1_sOF6VtxypNLYhYj8jikYFo1_3NjVBoaAkdGEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Sorry about the huge linky

Spendy day today

Storage baskets in JYSK - €26.98
Storage boxes for Ex's stuff - €25
Cat litter (3 bags) - €36
TV licence - €160
School locker/book rental/insurance fee - €140

Total spends €387.98

This adulting is an expensive business.

I was verrrry tempted to indulge in a McDonalds take away but I resisted. I had stuff for lunch at home already. Also, I figured I'd spent enough today.

I saved on parking though. The parking machines weren't working (I tried both machines), so I took a chance and left a note inside my windscreen. I was a bit panicky that my car would be gone when I came back but all was well. Tbh I'd rather have just paid a few € for the parking and saved myself the stress.

The counsellor got back to me to say that she's doing face to face sessions again and I've made an appointment with her .

Snuggly DD is 15. She has two years left in secondary school so will be doing the book at some stage over the next two years.