Day 1322 a fairly regular day

Was up at 1.22 for the loo and had to take painkillers for my knee. Amazing how quickly a dog walk hurts it again.

Slept until just after 6am which was great. I felt refreshed and my knee’s not been sore all day.

So after all the festivities and excitement, today’s been a fairly regular kind of day…. But this is ok.

I was actually really focussed at work and got lots done… I even cleared out the catalogue cupboard which has been a mess for ages. I bloody love that 😂😘

Not a great photo as the foreground at work is nothing special, but there was a lovely sunset before 4pm.

The photo didn’t do it justice.

I went straight to Tesco tonight and did a food shop…. Came home and put all of it away and made a lovely salad in my Tupperware tub. I don’t feel I’ve had many salads since I was in Turkey.

I love that I have to eat it out the tub!!

I’ve got one made up for lunch tomorrow too. It was really tasty. Salami, olives, feta, sundried tomatoes on baby leaf salad with rocket. I love rocket!!

I then tidied the kitchen, again…. Seems a never ending thankless task, put a washing on and loaded the dishwasher.

Then I went through my drawers and wardrobe and tidied everything up…. Dark clothes on yellow hangers, light clothes on black hangers…. There’s an OCD coming out in me there. A black T-shirt on a black hanger is just wrong. 😂

So I’ve finally sat down and it feels very nice to relax.

A productive day.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1314 decorating the sun room!

We had no idea when we got up today that we would decorate the sunroom…. Yet here we are.

These are the before pics.

Actually I look at the photos and it looks fine but any room with an open fire or stove… and 4 dogs living in it…. Is always going to need a refresh….

I should put it out here and say that if anyone loves me enough to decorate my house for free, then that will be gratefully received. 😌😆😂 it’s not my favourite pastime.

It was super frosty outside and I painted in bare feet. My feet were FUREEEEEZING!!!

Here we are after a couple of coats. It still needs one more we reckon but I lost the will to live 😆

It reminds me of how the room looked when we first moved in as it was all white then. It’s so much wider now that is not green!

We painted all morning and then had some homemade soup that I made late last night. It is a good pot this time around. It worked well. Still Ellison’s recipe. 😂

I then, of course, had to tidy up the house as my brain won’t allow me to live in a complete mess for any length of time.

I love that quote. It’s so true for me. I get all antsy when the place is a mess.

I bought another new duvet cover, which seems decadent but honestly I love the new sheets. This is the same as the last one, just a different colour.

I think this one looks really bright… and more importantly it doesn’t have any dog hair on it woo hoo!!

I then had a shower as I need to be clean for clean bed. 😆 so many rules in my head.

Then we took the 4 dogs out.

We headed into the pub next door when we got back. I had two 0% Gordon’s Pink Gin and slimline tonic. We had a catch up with Rachel two doors down. 😘

Craig’s also made lasagne for dinner tonight and I’m soooo looking forward to it!!

It’s been another lovely weekend, memories made, plenty of relaxing and getting things done around the house. ✅✅✅

This is your Sunday evening reminder that you can take everything life throws at you this week.

As my friend Ruth always says, you’ve survived 100% of days so far…. 😘

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1293 spring cleaning?!?

Another great nights’ sleep… slightly more restless but that’s down the beached whale Indian food belly…. But still… I woke early and went back to sleep until after 8am. That’s late for us!!

I did my usual Sunday morning positive FB trawl. It’s so good when you get your social media feed set up exactly as you want it. I only get positivity from it.

I love this next one.

It’s cold but a beautifully sunny day… it’s definitely the calm after the storm. There wasn’t a breath of wind today.

We randomly started “spring” cleaning the whole of the kitchen. Every cupboard was blitzed. Simple things but I love it. I love a good clear out.

4 big bags to go out (just from the kitchen) and a sneaky tub of one cal spray has been in this kitchen since 2020!!!

All the cupboards have been cleaned inside too. We’ve moved things around. a change is as good as a rest!

That took us until lunchtime. I only fasted for 15 hours today, but that is ok.

Quick shout out to my friend Tracey in Canada who is waking up on day 4 of a 4 day fast!!!! Wow!! I would love to do this at some point.

After lunch… Ellison’s recipe home made soup…. (Yum) I started putting away washing and hoovered the house. I’ve done nothing this week as I felt so rotten so it was good to feel better and tidy up.

I then went outside and poop scooped and dead headed the beautiful hydrangea!

They are all gone now!!

We sat outside for a few minutes as it was really lovely in the sun. It was soon really cold the minute the sun went behind the clouds.

I’ve had a really good day. I haven’t needed a sleep either!

I’ll leave you with our gangly Khaleesi who’s making herself at home!

Oh I’ve also booked to go back down to Devon to stay with Helen at the end of February, start of March. Amazing what’s possible when my head is clear.

It’s been a rough week but, so many people I’ve spoken to, have said it’s been a difficult week. The change in temperature, the darker nights, the worsening weather… we need to be kinder to ourselves and allow ourselves to rest when we need it the most.

I certainly have this week. So onwards and upwards with a fresh head and let’s see what this week brings.

Gone are the days where I’d have opened a bottle of red on a Sunday and forgotten that I have to get up super early the next day. I’d have been DREADING work. I can’t stress that enough, I hated my job at the time… and that’s a strong word.

Now I just sit here with it all and allow myself to feel what I feel. There’s no dread AT ALL….. Fresh head on a Monday is always a blessing. I am so grateful for all of that.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1222 a lovely wee Saturday!

Wide awake at 6am. Of course I was…. on my day off. 🙄

I’ve had a lovely day. Blitzed the house this morning, well particularly our bedroom.

I think I’ve said before that I feel like we still have too much “stuff” and certain rooms become a dumping ground. Our bedroom had… so it’s all cleared and things put away where they should have been. I really enjoyed pottering. I cleaned the dogs room again. It wasn’t that bad but it’s good to stay on top of it. I hoovered the stairs. It’s much easier the more often they get done… obviously. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I put the van up for sale on Gumtree! Someone has already messaged to ask if I’d like to exchange… eh naw!

I put some camping mats, pillows, double sleeping bag and rucksack up for sale on FB Marketplace. sold the mats and pillows already.

You all know how much I loved being in The little gift shop but I am enjoying the extra time to get so much done.

I am way more content when the house is clean. A tidy house is a tidy mind as they say.

Gayle came to pick me up at 2.30pm and we headed up to Linwood and had a wander round the shops for a few hours. It was great to catch up.

I got this really random lemon sweatshirt and shorts but it’s made of towelling. It was £8.50 in the sale. I thought it would be great for wearing around the hotel room on holiday. (You so know why I have so much stuff to move around the house really eh?!!)

Unfortunate photo bomb by Calaidh!

So back in my comfies for a night of TV. we’re watching Wolf on BBC iPlayer, recommended by Rachel two doors down. It seems dark already and it’s only 7.15pm. It has rained ALL day! 🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️

Thought this next one was excellent food for thought. it’s another reason I write the blog, I know I can be the toxic person at times.

Not today though.

All sweetness and light me, today! 😂😘

Stay safe everyone 🌧️🌧️🌧️

Day 1209 another amazing day gutting the house (who ever says that?!?) 🤭🙄😆

Oh my god I love a clean and organised house. I love, love, love, love it!!!

Ok so you get the picture!

Craig has been on it too and we have really gutted the place. I wouldn’t say we have thrown much out, to be honest, but we have moved some things around the rooms. My Gran always said a change is as good as a rest.

I changed and dried the bedding today. Despite the torrential rain this morning, it dries up and was a windy day. It dried really quickly.

I’ve got a few camping bits and pieces to put up for sale. I’ll get to that one day.

I cleaned all the windows in the van. I cleaned the window in the dogs room and outside it where the white plastic had for all green and mouldy. I spent a half hour hanging out out upstairs window.

I was on a roll.

I’ve had a shower and washed my hair ready for clean bed.

I’ve made my lunch for work tomorrow.

I’ve made roast chicken dinner with a lovely dessert… pancakes with clotted cream and (wonky) strawberries, drizzled with warm Biscoff spread and Nutella. Dessert was amazing!!

I’m ready to sell Abbie the Campervan. Her paperwork is all in row. I’ve listed her unique selling points ready for an advert if we have to do one. There’s a couple coming to see her tomorrow. I hope they love her!! I hope she looks clean enough!

There are a lot of exclamation marks in this blog today… ooh forgot I even went to Claire’s for a Turkish Apple Tea which was very lovely.

I’ve had a lovely weekend!

I even have some lovely photos of our huge Hydrangea..

This next one really hit home for me. “If we keep them happy, they won’t turn on us”

I lived my every waking moment by this mantra…. That eventually broke me.

I am so grateful that it did, which seems really crazy to say but otherwise I don’t think I would ever have achieved this level of peace in my life.

Long may it continue. 🥰

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1207 a lovely Friday day off!

Another Friday off and another list of things ticked. I’m really enjoying super productive Fridays!!

I didn’t feel great when I woke up this morning…. Sore throat and headache. I got up to the loo and cooried back down into bed…. Thinking I could just lie there all day.

I knew I had loads to do and loads I really wanted to get done.

I got my running stuff on and took the dogs out for dog jog, first time since last weekend. I felt rotten to start, I had a shooting pain up my leg almost willing me not to jog. Yet I started to run and managed a fair bit of the way. I get so much better for it. I felt spurred on for the rest of the day!

I know that I’ve been feeling lethargic due to very little exercise. Despite fasting and breaking my fasts with lovely salads, I have eaten a fair bit of rubbish in between. It’s the first time in about 6 months that I’ve actually felt a bit bloated. Seems a tad unfair after a 19 hour and 45 minute fast today. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂😘 but hey it’s just a bloat day. If there is such a thing 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

So I have been like a wummin possessed today.

I have emptied Abbie the Campervan… seven huge bags full of stuff! Bet that wasn’t great for fuel economy?!

Also cleaned everything apart from washing the outside. I scrubbed, hoovered, dusted and polished and she’s probably cleaner than she’s ever been… and definitely emptier.

That took me until about lunchtime when I moved into the house and started hoovering, dusting and polishing inside.

I washed and dried all the blankets from the couches in the living room. It’s actually been a beautiful day today, unexpectedly.

I’m sitting outside in shorts writing this at 5pm. I’m shattered.

When Craig came home from work he brought in a parcel that arrived for him, started to unwrap it. I told him he’d better tell me how lovely the house looked pretty damn sharpish. 😂 it’s the first time we’ve seen the dining table this week since he unceremoniously dumped his wedding outfit on it last Saturday night!!! He said, of course he’d noticed…. Hmmm I’m not so sure!!

Check his wee face as he’s bought a new toy and didn’t tell me. “Hi julesie….” Big grin.

Anyway he took me out to The Canny Man for lunch which is just 5 minutes down the road. It was worth him feeling guilty to get me a late lunch out.

He had haggis balls in a peppercorn sauce to start.

With both had Salt and Chilli Chicken Burger for mains.

And I had a Caramel and Chocolate Sundae for dessert!

I enjoyed it despite my itchy nose!!

I am so tempted to go for a nap now but the sun feels lovely on my skin. What a beautiful day it turned out to be.

Oh well, what little peace I have is being interrupted…. Seems it might be puppy dinner time… feed me she says!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️