I had such a productive day yesterday. I had loads to do, and was determined to cross as many things off my to do list as possible. Sometimes you just need to get things done!
Getting up early to get things done
It’s easy to go for a nice lie in at the weekend. I went crazy and set my alarm for 6.45 rather than 6 am! I had a cup of tea and fed the cats, then started my day with a half hour yoga session. When I can fit it in, early morning is the best time to practice yoga. It is quiet and my mind isn’t filled up with the general busy-ness. This set me up for the day.
Shopping
I like to get to the supermarket early if I go at the weekend, before it gets too crazy. I hit Aldi just after they opened. We didn’t need a lot. As we are eating really healthily I bought lots of fruit and salad bits, some chicken for Mr S, cheese, milk, etc. I had already been into Asda the evening before and got some yellow stickered pork chops, carrots and courgettes. I was in and out in 40 minutes – no hanging about.
eBay sales
I sold a couple of pairs of boots in the week so popped the parcels in to the post office on my way home. I had a little chat with the owners. We both go in there so often we know them well now. Mr S gives them honey from his brother’s hives and they let us forage the amazing blackberries at the back of their car park.
I had no sooner got home than I found a message from another eBay customer. If she paid for a dress she wanted today, could I post it straight away? So I packaged that up and shot back round to the post office!
It has been quite a good week. If you are interested in selling on eBay, you can read my guides here and here.
I have more items to list. It has all been washed and ironed. Yesterday I listed a few things whilst watching TV and will do more this evening.
Cleaning
Well….it can’t be avoided. Cleaning is not something I enjoy, but I do love a nice clean house!
I got into a great pattern over the summer of cleaning a room each night after work. This worked well as it meant I had more time to do other stuff at the weekend. I am still working on Emma Drew’s blogging course*, which I am thoroughly enjoying, but need to find time to finish it.
As it is now so much darker when I get home after work, it is hard to be motivated to do any cleaning. You just want to curl up on the sofa in front of the fire. However, next week I aim to get back into my routine.
I did the whole house from top to bottom yesterday, so I have a few days’ grace.
*This is my affiliate link – if you use it and the code BLACKFRIDAY you will receive a £50 discount until 30th November.
Super soup
I am back into the soup making now the weather has turned. Yesterday I used two of our pile of home grown pumpkins to make some. Jamie Oliver’s glorious roasted pumpkin soup recipe is delicious! I made a ton and have already put it into the freezer in old butter containers.
Black Friday bargains
I was on the go all day and it was a very productive day. As I said before, sometimes you just need to get things done! Talking of which, I want to buy myself a really good planner for 2018 so will get onto Amazon to see what I can find as it is still the Black Friday weekend. I fancy this one – it looks so good for the price! Being organised and getting more done means I have more time to do the stuff I like.
My best Black Friday bargain was my new laptop! It is a Christmas present from Mr Shoestring but I couldn’t wait a month so he let me have it now. He got it from Argos on Friday morning. We watched it for a couple of weeks hoping it would be reduced and it was – by £160! I have never owned my own laptop before and I am really excited. We got this one from Argos, an Acer Aspire.
Today we plan to take things a little easier. A long Sunday walk followed by some of the pumpkin soup, then I am going for tea with some of my girlfriends. Whatever you are doing today have a lovely Sunday. I hope you also get things done.
ratnamurti says
how lovely to have a nice laptop!!! I agree that early morning is the best time for some yoga.
Julia says
We had our monthly walk with our group on Saturday, and as we don’t have a walk in December, it was rounded off with our Christmas Meal. Good food and good company – very nice indeed!
We also started decorating DS3’s room on Friday afternoon and I was hoping to get more done yesterday but we were still so stuffed from the Christmas lunch that we couldn’t face all that bending and stretching! So had a leisurely weekend in the end!
Just as well because things are getting busier and busier during the week now.
Margaret Powling says
I have never had a laptop, nor an iPad, or an iAnything, nor a Smartphone or whathaveyou. I have a tower block of a computer and my computer guru says that no laptop would be able to manage the volume of work I have on the hard drive (I do have backup, though.) I am a touch-typist (I think this is a term that will soon disappear totally, like dolly blue bags and setting lotion) so I don’t want a keyboard designed for elves’ fingers, but it must be lovely having some great new technology. I am very un-technical, which doesn’t mean I’m technophobe, I just don’t long to have new gadgets, but if you needed a new laptop, great news and a very good buy.
I have bought some new things this week but not because I have been constantly bombarded with adverts landing in my inbox proclaiming Black Friday, but because I actually needed some new things.
How lovely to tackle the cleaning! This is a job I must do before long but even though we’re not quite at the end of November, I am – well, for me – ahead with my Christmas preparations (oh, I’ve read the awful word, “Crimbo” again this evening on an Instagram page; I really dislike this substitute word for Christmas) insofar as all cards have been bought, the ingredients for the cake are ready and waiting for me to bake the cake, and many of the presents have been purchased.
I have read in the paper that huge sums of money have been shelled out on Advent Calendars and one letter in yesterday’s paper brought it home to me that we don’t have to spend huge sums on calendars for children, and we can do some good at the same time. There is a company called The Meaningful Chocolate Company and although they don’t sell directly from their website, it does mention shops that stock their Advent Calendar. The letter says that the Calendar is aimed at children and behind each date there is a Fairtrade chocolate and also donations from the sales will help equip a clinic in Kenya. This calendar retails at £3.99 plus p&p. I have now ordered one for our little grandson. An inexpensive purchase and it will do some good, too.
So, I have been getting some things done, Jane! Oh, and I love having my extra freezer, Freddy as we call him, and now there are 10 meals in him for the days when I don’t feel like cooking. Why has it taken me 53 years to get an extra freezer?
Margaret P