Friday 28 August 2009

Economy Gastronomy

Is it me or is this programme a bit of a con? I really enjoy watching Economy Gastronomy and love some of the recipes they do. But I think I could save a family who spend £1200 per month a bit of cash on their shopping! Have these people never heard of a shopping list or checking their cupboards?? The woman this week had 6 separate jars of mustard open! But then again she did have 5 children....

The REAL challenge would be for them to save money for people who have much more modest food budgets. I wonder what they would make of my rather stingy, but necessary £200 per month??

Exam results hurrah!

My exam results arrived when I was at work yesterday. There were loads of emails bouncing around during the day from people on my course who had already found out their grades. I was in a bit of a tizzy by the time I got home but I'm proud to say I passed all the modules and have now got my Professional Certificate in Marketing at the first attempt (no mean feat as the pass rate is about 50%). I'm going to spend the Bank Holiday deciding if I want to move onto the Postgraduate Diploma in September or postpone studying for a year and concentrate on the house.

Yey!

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Exam results due on Friday - eeeeek!

The results of my Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) are due on Friday. I've managed to forget all about them for the past few weeks but now I cant stop checking the website to see if they have released the results early!

Monday 24 August 2009

The 14lb challenge - week 3

I well and truly fell off the wagon several times this week - a friend came over for dinner bringing a large cake and a bottle of wine, I went for a couple of drinks with another friend and then a cinema and dinner visit with work and that is before the little treats I had at work because I had to work on Saturday (boo!). I tried to stick to my healthy eating and portion control the rest of the week (what was left of it!) and managed to lose a pound!

Week 3/7 - 5/14

Saturday 22 August 2009

ID'd at 29

Just purchased a bottle of wine at my local co-op and was asked for ID - winner!!

Friday 21 August 2009

Cinema-tastic

I haven't been to the cinema since January and then I went twice in one week - crazy! On Sunday I went with OH to see the new Harry Potter film. I had forgotten what had happened as I read the book such a long time ago. The film is quite dark but Luna Lovegood is excellent in it!

Then last night I did what I said I wouldn't....I went to see the Time Travel(l)er's Wife (the whole one 'L' or two is driving me crazy!). I loved the book and didn't want the film to ruin it. I went with a group of ladies from work and to be honest it was quite good. It wasn't too long and perfect for a girlie night out.

Thursday 20 August 2009

Beach hut festival!

I just LOVE a beach hut! Ever since I visited Wells-next-the Sea a few years ago and saw all their lovely huts I have been hooked! Imaging my delight when I found out about the Beach Hut Festival in Lincolnshire! Not too far away from us! I think we may combine with a picnic on the beach for OH birthday!

Let's hope all I take away from the festival is inspiration (and not a hut!).

Wednesday 19 August 2009

Time Warp Wives

I can't remember who blogged about this TV programme recently but thank you very much - I loved it! Although I think they are a bit out of touch with reality on some things!

Tuesday 18 August 2009

My boy is back!

After 10 days my naughty little boy, Hobbes, returned last night. OH was out posting lost notices and found him on a garage roof a couple of streets away! He doesn't look like a cat that has spent a week on the streets but he was mighty hungry and polished off a bowl of tuna and a bowl of cat meat. Looks like he has been lodging with someone else, I want to find out who it is and pop a note through the door to ask them not to feed him etc as he is being looked after. But I suppose that is the nature of a cat....

He did spend all night curled up on our bed. I didn't get much sleep but I don't care - I've got my boy back!

Sunday 16 August 2009

Has anyone seen my cat?


My oldest cat, Hobbes, has been missing for over a week now. We regularly don't seem him for a couple of days but a whole week is quite unusual for him. I am hoping he will come back soon and check the cat flap every time one of the other cats come in but I am trying to prepare myself for him not coming back....

Sniff

The 14lb challenge - week 2

Well, this week has seen an ENORMOUS pub meal with a side order of onion rings and a work BBQ with a slice of cake. So I am chuffed to lose another pound! I have got two nights out planned this week and I am cooking for a friend tomorrow night so this week is going to be tough. I think I need to introduce some aerobic exercise to help me along a bit.

One thing I have found incredibly easy is to have one slice of toast for breakfast instead of the usual two and then have fruit when I get to work to stop the 10.30 hunger pangs. My water consumption is also up and my alcohol down (more to do with cash flow than diet though!).


Week 2/7 - 4/14

Tuesday 11 August 2009

The 14lb challenge - week 1

The first week was all about trying to establish good habits - drinking more water, not snacking on biscuits at work and having smaller portions for dinner.

I am pleased with the result and have lost 3lb! Although we went out for a meal last night with friends and am feeling fat and full as a result (this technically counts as week 2 so I'm not worried yet!).

Week 1/7 - 3/14

Saturday 8 August 2009

Lilac is not a good bathroom look!

The bathroom is the first room we are tacking with the decorating. We tried several tester pots and decided on frosted steel from dulux. It looked like a quite funky colour which would go with the cream bathroom tiles and the duck egg blue towels.

Two hours later and the bathroom looks like a child's bedroom from the late 80s - not a good look! I hated it straight away but OH said it looked ok. Fast forward to the next morning an a phone call at work from OH saying he doesn't like it either!! The paint was a pricey £19 but I'll never be happy with it so we are going to paint it white for now. (the offending paint had been used up in the large computer cupboard). Photos to follow when the camera is charged up!

Tuesday 4 August 2009

Random acts of kindness - part two!


I got a flat tyre at lunch time today and just managed to pull into a car park. My RAC cover ran out last week and my new cover that is free with my car insurance doesn't start until next week (grrrrr). There was nothing else for it, I had to change the tyre myself (with lots of whinging on the phone to OH). I just managed to get the spare tyre out (Ford KAs are veerrrryyyy complicated!) when a lovely elderly couple who had just had their lunch stopped to help me out. 20 minutes later I was on my way and they were late for the dentist.

Thank you whoever you were!

Monday 3 August 2009

The 14lb challenge

I need to lose some weight. There, I've said it! It is part of my 101 in 1001 and it has always been my attention to 'sort it out' before I am 30 in January.

The plan is that OH and I both want to lose a stone before his birthday in exactly 7 weeks from today. I know it is going to be tough and if I'm exercising a lot I might be building muscle etc etc

So here goes:

Day 1/49 - 0/14
Exercise: 3 August- 15 minute ab workout (there are loads of free fitness videos on this site - it's fab!)

Sunday - progress report and the weekend round up!

I feel like I've had quite a productive weekend and have achieved quite a lot (not much resting or pampering was done...must factor that in next weekend!). Here is a run down of what has been going on (Blogger seems to have an aversion to bullet points this morning!).

Friday
Food shopping - Done
Washing - Done
Undercoat window ledges in two new bedrooms - Done (On Sunday!)
Sort out paperwork (the pile had been building since the work started 11 weeks ago - will probably find some horrendously overdue bill lurking somewhere!) - Done
Move my craft stuff out of my chest of drawers and into my Ikea shelving unit - Done
Work on mood boards if there is time - Done

Saturday
Prime plaster in two new bedrooms - 1 bedroom done
Washing - Done
take spare lights and tile trims back to Wickes (just need to find that pesky receipt!)
Get another tin of primer, sandpaper and tester pots from B&Q (don't forget to use credit note!) - Done
Sort out old paint in the shed and see what we can use - Done
Work on mood boards

Sunday (definitely NOT a day of rest!)
Undercoat living room woodwork - Done
Take cardboard which wont fit in the recycling bin to the recycling point at the supermarket - Can't do cardboard recycling at Morrison's so I'm going to have to wait until Friday when our recycling bin is emptied
Ironing - - Done
Clean house up!! - Done

Not to much stuff left in red still to be done and we did do some stuff which wasn't on the list:
  • Bathroom ceiling painted
  • Moved dining table and welsh dresser into kitchen
  • Undercoated cupboard door in new bedroom 2

The builders have now finished until we get the electric cable moved so we can crack on with painting and decorating.

Just one small job for tonight - Give cupboard ceiling first coat of white paint

Sunday 2 August 2009

Saturday - Progess report

Have had a fairly productive couple of days...let's hope it continues on Sunday!

Friday
  • Food shopping - Done

  • Washing - Done

  • Undercoat window ledges in two new bedrooms

  • Sort out paperwork (the pile had been building since the work started 11 weeks ago - will probably find some horrendously overdue bill lurking somewhere!) - Done

  • Move my craft stuff out of my chest of drawers and into my Ikea shelving unit - Done

  • Work on mood boards if there is time - Done

Saturday

  • Prime plaster in two new bedrooms

  • Washing - Done

  • take spare lights and tile trims back to Wickes (just need to find that pesky receipt!)

  • Get another tin of primer, sandpaper and tester pots from B&Q (don't forget to use credit note!) - Done

  • Sort out old paint in the shed and see what we can use - Done

  • Work on mood boards

Saturday 1 August 2009

Friday - progress report

A fairly productive Friday evening. Lots more to be cracking on with though...just off to undercoat my window ledges...

Friday
  • Food shopping - Done

  • Washing - Done

  • Undercoat window ledges in two new bedrooms - not done yet!!

  • Sort out paperwork (the pile had been building since the work started 11 weeks ago - will probably find some horrendously overdue bill lurking somewhere!) - Done

  • Move my craft stuff out of my chest of drawers and into my Ikea shelving unit - Done

  • Work on mood boards if there is time - Done and may have decided on the colour for the bathroom!!