KNITTING

Just a quick note, I have been working today and was back out tonight for a couple of hours, so rather a busy day for me! I did, however get another square done on the blanket I am making for my mother in law's birthday, so I am getting there! I'm off to bed now as I am out early in the morning. Nite nite. x

STARTING AGAIN!

My blogging days fell by the wayside pretty quickly, so i am going to start again, even if I come on just a couple of times a week. I read other people's blogs nearly every day, so it is selfish of me not to do my own, it only takes a couple of minutes!

I will have lots to write about, the C word will be here before we know it, can I purchase my gifts in a frugal way? I have a couple of projects underway, I'll get these finished in time and then post some pictures.

I have got myself a new job since my last post, that is going well and I am able to save a bit more because if it.

My most exciting news is that I have got an allotment! I'll not be able to do much until the spring comes around, but my plans are already underway, I am really pleased about it.

So, that's all for now, I'll be back soon. x

DAY OUT AT THE BEACH

Sorry I've been away for a while. I went down to Ayr today to visit my brother and his girlfriend who are staying at her gran's caravan this weekend. It's really nice and right next to the beach which their 2 dogs enjoy going to. It turned out to be a really nice day so one of them decided to have a wee dip. My brother was chucking a ball into the sea and he was fetching it. I had visions of him getting swept out to sea, but he was enjoying himself.

We then went for something to eat, I enjoyed it but that will be me for a long time, I enjoy holding onto my money too much now to eat out nearly every night!

See you soon. xx

resisting temptation!!

I didn't have anything organised for dinner tonight. DH is away back to work (briefly) and I thought my mum would have something on the go. How wrong I was!! Sam was being groomed, so everything grinds to a halt!

How tempted was I go to the chippy? VERY........ But, I thought I would have bacon and eggs instead, with home made tattie scones, (one of my specialties). Until, my sister revealed that she had made spag bol and wasn't going to use it, she was having fajitas instead, so I snaffled the mince, problem solved. It was delish, and free, it also curbed my craving for a chicken supper with gravy, for now.. (It only costs a fiver). If I counted all the fivers I had spent over the years on chippies, chinese etc, I could wallpaper a room.

It's a small triumph in my continued quest to change my ways. Ta ta for now.

Putting something to good use

I have decided to use my blog to record what I have done during the course of the day, and also to record what I have spent.

I intend to deep clean 1 room today, and go on my wii fit for 1/2 hour. I'll come back later and let you know what I have actually done and how much money I have parted with.

I'm back in business. A dodgy internet connection and some busy days put paid to me posting on my blog.

Now, I am hoping for a very productive weekend housewise. DH is going away for the weekend and I can maybe get stuck in trying to get this house into some order. I hope that I don't get sidetracked!

It's the weekend - again!

I'm back from the work trip. The chat with the boss was interesting, it confirmed my suspicions that she (and her superior) are on a different planet.

Never mind, it's the weekend, I will get a list going and hopefully complete a lot of it. Him indoors returns on Tuesday, so it will be housework galore, what joy!

At least I won't spend anything, apart from a small amount for fresh shopping, like bread, milk etc.

I am going to do a mini ban on the laptop, will have limited use over the weekend, I'm allowed on tomorrow after 8pm, so will see you then.

Preparing for travel

I am away overnight tomorrow, I've got a busy couple of days ahead. I hate staying in hotels, it's no fun when it is work stuff. Never mind, it will soon be over with.

I've got everything ready, so it's just a matter of getting ready, having breakfast and going in the morning. I'm meeting my boss tomorrow afternoon, so that should be interesting. :)

So, it will be Friday before I am back, I will likely get a weekend list ready, how many of my tasks can I complete?

See you all later. xx

Put a bit of light on the subject............

Hiya,

I didn't get anything organised at all today, just done a bit of work from 'home' again. I am out and about for the rest of the week though, and have to stay overnight in a hotel on Thursday night, I am not looking forward to that!

We were out for dinner tonight as it was my youngest brother's birthday on Saturday past, but he waited until tonight to go out, it is too busy for him at weekends. It was nice, but I ate too much, as usual. When I think that we used to do that as a normal everyday occurance, it makes me shudder to think how much cash I have spent on eating out over the years.

When I was dropping them off at home, all the lights went out, in the street, in the houses, everything! It made me realise how much we depend on electricity and how unprepared we really are if it does cut off.

So, I have made a note to make sure that I have candles, matches, torches with batteries in them and plenty of blankets in the house in case of power cuts. DH has a wee camping stove in the shed outside, so when I get this sorted, I'll put it to the front so it can be found easily. He also has lanterns which are battery operated, I wonder where they are. As long as I have something to read, eat and see with, I will always be okay. :)

Speak to you tomorrow. xx

I'm getting old!

I'll not be doing much tonight, my back is playing up again. My parents moved house last January, for the 1st time in 21years. I got allocated the wonderful job of clearing the attic and done my back in whilst getting rid of all the junk it housed.

This is the 2nd time since that I have had a sore back, so it's rest until it is better, although it is good to walk around as it was very sore and stiff when I got up this morning. It'll be better in a couple of days.

I was quite good today, done some work stuff early this morning so this freed me up to 'work from home', ie, the shop for the rest of the day. I actually did work, so that was well done for me.

I'm back in there tomorrow, so it will be more of the same. Perhaps I'll use my lunch hour to clear some of the clutter from in there though. TTFN. xx

CHECKING OUT MY CAMERA - LOTIONS AND POTIONS

Well, it seems that I can put pictures on my blog now, I am so clever! As part of my new organised self, I really need to see what I already have instead of buying stuff. People, especially my mum like to buy me cream and stuff for my face, as you can see, I have enough of it to start a market stall. This has been lurking in several places, so if it is in one place, I can see what I actually have. It will live on the spare room bed just for now until every last lotion and potion is there, then I can store it in one place. I have so much, I might need to sell some of it before it goes off!!

Lazing on a Sunday afternoon - not!!

Hi all,

Day 2 of my re-organising already, and guess what, I have done nothing except make breakfast. You've guessed it, I have been on the internet all morning, not good, but I needed the rest methinks. Now, this is the time to make plans for the afternoon, I will leave here about 4.30 to go to mum's for dinner, so I want to see some progress before I go:
AIMS FOR TODAY
1. Make dinner for later in the week in the slow cooker. - done
2. Get the washing on. - 1st load on
3. Set about binning all visible clutter. - Got started with this, an ongoing project.
4. Make a note of some lightbulbs I need (a few need replacing) - done this, will get
from the shops later. N.B. I got one type of bulb, but others were too expensive, will try lidl for these tomorrow.
5. Make a start on deep cleaning 1 room upstairs. - got started here.
6. Load the disc for my new camera onto my laptop so that I can put photos onto
the blog. - done, I am so much of a technophobe, it is untrue, but got there in the end. :)

That's enough to be going on with for one day, I'll report back tonight and let you know how it has went. xx

UPDATE - I have made a start with the decluttering and cleaning, but will take it easy, I shall continue with this tomorrow night. See you tomorrow.

First post!!

How exciting,

I've taken the plunge and started my own blog (obvious statement, I know!).

Why have I done this when I spend too much time on the internet already? Trying to be more organised!

I love reading about simplyfing life and frugal living, and on a whole, I do follow these principles. Put it this way, I am doing a lot of things that I would have laughed at 5 years ago. (baking, using leftovers, batch cooking, watching the pennies etc). I read about these things so much and along with having a busy working life, lots of things don't get done, eg, housework, paperwork and my veg patch going to pot!

So, my blog is going to organise me, if I keep a record of what I have done, then I can see what I have achieved and what is being left behind.

I started being frugal because although I am not old, time is going by and I did not have anything to fall back on, no savings, nothing. Sometimes, there was nothing left after slogging my guts out all month. Well, how come lots of people had money in their purse? Because they did not eat out in fancy restaurants every night of the week, they did not buy 5 cd's they did not need, you get the picture don't you. I need to make sure that I have something for a rainy day, you never know when it is going to pour down, do you?

I have some online like-minded friends who I have learned a lot from, and also a real life friend who has helped me along the way, so I have a lot to thank them for.

So, the plan is to log what I have done on every day that I can, perhaps I'll take some photos and make use of the fantastic camera my sisters gave me for christmas.

Tonight, I made home made potato scones from 3 leftover potatoes and storecupboard items, flour, salt, butter and milk. I got 14 of these, that would have cost around £2-3 in the shops, probably cost me about 30p at the most, and they taste better.

Well, that's all for tonight, I hope you will come back for the next instalment. xx