It's a catch up day!

or maybe I should have called it a wilting day - given the weather!

With nowhere to go, I had planned a day of getting on top of things.



First up was some sewing - its been ages since I have had a chunk of time to "play".  Sewingbuddy and I had found a free pattern on craftsy which we both fell in love with.  Called a magic pouch, it is a small clutchbag with two pockets for your keys and phone - complete with a wristlet handle for ease.




Next up was more general housework - hoovering, tidying and washing - before settling down with a second sewing task.  My partner in crime has created a second pattern to be published so I am one of the testers.  I have to say that it goes together like a dream so I look forward to showing you all in the near future.




It was a real joy to have lunch in the garden - if under a big parasol - but I couldn't put it off any longer - the lawn just had to be cut!  Dad had cut the back one last week and that was long enough - but the front one - yikes!  We keep being told that Britain in bloom will be round to judge our village - erm that would be a no then!  Let's just say that I emptied the mower once doing the back lawn and 4 times doing the front - I won't say which one is bigger (but its not the front!)

The final sewing task was the completion of a Christmas present - this was started nearly two months ago and kept being shoved to the back of the list - it feels really good to cross it off!




I have saved the ironing for this evening, when it will hopefully be a tad cooler.   I am also going to enjoy my first batch of strawberries and raspberries - mmmmm, I love just going out and picking my pudding!  There's not quite enough - but its a start!

Don't give up the day job!

Today, my taxiing skills were required (Mum and Dad's car should be fixed by the middle of next week and then it has to be transported from one end of the country to the other!).  When I arrived, Mum had an extensive list of shopping to be bought (can they honestly fit anything else into the house you might well ask!) - with items such as toilet brushes and pedestal mats.  So, naturally , our first stop was an Oak furniture place on the way into Grimsby to see if Dad could get another bookcase into his study - he can!

Next up was The Range for a cuppa (we all think better with a cuppa in front of us now don't we and I did have a voucher for a free drink!).  Having opened my bag of mini party rings ( 4 1/2 syns per bag) in walked someone from Slimming World - now why did I feel compelled to explain myself?

 Next up was a pop into Dunelm to buy said toilet brushes etc (after much discussion about colour schemes) before heading into the middle of Grimsby and Mark and Spencer for lunch.  I will confess - I took my own SW lunch with me and really enjoyed it! (I also bought a coffee - well I had another voucher for a free drink - so no one challenged me about eating my own food.)

After a stop off at B & Q for padlocks - they now have a "he cave" and a "she cave"!! - it was nearing 3:30pm by the time we got home.  Whilst the kettle boiled I sorted out their "youview" box and how to retrieve recorded programmes - it's the high life as you can see! -before leaving them to have a nap and coming home to walk the dogs at the beach.



The visit from my brother and his wife last night has resulted in a cut lawn and more boxes being unpacked so you can definitely see progress.  The next job has to be the removal of this corner cupboard (Sorry Wendy!) before Monday afternoon when their new fridge freezer arrives.  They also have to do something about all of these boxes!



Tonight I am at home, chilling, and enjoying some finishing off crafts.  At the moment I feel as if I am drowning in craft projects!  Thank goodness I am staying at home tomorrow.

I can see clearly now .....

here (good old Lincolnshire)Apologies for not posting yesterday - I arrived home far too late!

Having had a leisurely start to the day, it was then off to the groomers for Daisy, up to Mum and Dad's for  cuppa, back to pick up Daisy, home to drop her off and then onto Market Rasen to buy a fridge / freezer, washing machine and tumble dryer.  Whilst Mum and Dad could do their laundry at mine, the lack of a fridge in this weather is causing some problems - they are currently using two of my cool blocks and rotating the freezer blocks (thank goodness they have a freezer in the garage!)

Mum and Dad had done their homework so, although they wanted to see the products in reality, the transaction was relatively swift.  Everything will be delivered and fitted on Monday afternoon - and they gave a discount for the "bulk buying"!!

We came home via the most useless tea room - no lunches / sandwiches etc -and picked up some lovely strawberries from a side stall in the middle of nowhere (good old Lincolnshire).  Once home it was all systems go - unpacking and rearranging!  When I got home I sure needed the rest.





The plan, this morning, was not to go back but I felt guilty that we hadn't managed to finish the lounge and the dining room (and my brother and wife are visiting tonight).  It may only have been two days ago that the furniture was delivered but Mum wanted to show the progress that they had made!  So, this morning, off I went back to Mum and Dad's - this time with the dogs in tow!

By the time I left, we had finished the lounge and the dining room was nearly ready.  The kitchen annexe was sorted and Mum was going to tackle the mountain of boxes in the kitchen.  They are slowly getting there! Meanwhile the dogs really enjoyed bombing around the garden and playing with each other - by the time I came home mine were dropping off!








Of course I have managed to get some crafting in (at last!)  Before I set off this morning I managed to finish these two Scamblesby blocks.






I also had an annual check up re my single kidney- pleased to report totally normal blood pressure (and after the week we'e had as well!!)  I have to wait for the results of a blood test and a urine test but hopefully everything will come back okay.

We are in!

Yesterday was non stop - well, sort of!  We arrived at the new house mid morning - with Wendy, a good friend of mine, in tow.  She had offered to be chief cook and bottle washer and, with the furniture arriving at midday we had time for a cuppa and a quick tidy round(!!)  Sadly the furniture didn't arrive until nearer 2pm so there was a fair bit of sitting around!





Meanwhile I had to nip through to SW.  I had had a week of being good - and then gained a pound!!  On the plus side I won the raffle which consisted of potatoes, a jar of curry sauce (which I gave away) and two china pots for my chips - elevates them to restaurant style!






When I returned my sister in law had also arrived and the home was taking shape - we made sure that the armchairs were in place and the tv working before I nipped home and picked up the dogs only to return to a nice supper of sausages and mash!  By the time I left at 8pm, they were both ensconced and the bed had been made so that they could get an early night!

This morning saw the arrival of the second van full of furniture (I am really not sure where everything will fit!)  I had stayed here to attend a WI meeting but took Maisie up to her home after lunch and worked to get Dad's computer up and running before embarking on box emptying!  Mum had already done 7 this morning but we managed to move some furniture around and unpack another couple - this time of glasses and china!

I was asked to post pictures of house with furniture so here goes - but be warned - it's not pretty!

The dining kitchen is rather overflowing but the table is in situ.  Mind you this lovely tub of flowers arrived this morning from my cousin - its in full view of the french windows!

This area has to be the current favourite - we even sat out in the rain this afternoon, they like it so much.









This is now called "Maisie's Room" and is a sort of Kitchen annexe - this is where we spent the afternoon filling the dresser.







Whereas the lounge is more of an assault course at the moment - you can just about see the old bureau that my grandfather made many years ago - its nice that its given some prominence rather than being tucked away.









Meanwhile the dining room is just a dumping ground - at the moment of course.






Considering they only finished moving in this lunchtime, I think that they are doing remarkably well and its lovely to see them enjoying the house already.  By this weekend they would like to get fairly straight downstairs - I daren't show you upstairs just yet!

Maisie comes home!

I suppose that we probably didn't actually need to go to the new house today - we could have simply gone early tomorrow morning.  However we had decided that Maisie (Mum and Dad's dog) should see the new house and that we would take my two pooches.  So, after another early start (I think that Daisy is waking up when someone uses the upstairs toilet so am hoping that we can soon get back to normal), and two shepherds pies made to see us over the next few days, we all set off.

I think that it is safe to say that the dogs loved it - they romped around the garden as we enjoyed a cuppa - chasing each other and a ball that we found.  Once they had tired themselves out, and Maisie was lying contentedly on the patio, I think that Dad felt happy that Maisie had given it her seal of approval.





Whilst Mum set to tidying up the kitchen, I finished cleaning all the upstairs carpets and Dad rehung the curtains that we had taken down, the dogs settled down.  They enjoyed the freedom of wandering in and out (Mum's previous house had a garden but it wasn't attached to the house so this is a novelty for Maisie) but soon settled in the Kitchen "overspill" room.  Dad had bought Maisie a new bed for the new house and they took turns claiming it as their own - well Maisie and Daisy did - Millie just gave up and slept on the floor.

After a late lunch (all of this eating out means that I am planning more than ever with an eye on my weight loss but I am not holding out much hope for tomorrow!), it was onto last minute cleaning and the last carpet to be cleaned - ready to take the machine back tomorrow (I can't tell you how much sand and dog hairs have come out of the apparently clean carpet) -before coming home for a much needed nap (Mum and Dad with Maisie in the lounge and me in the conservatory with my two).  I just have the kitchen curtains to iron (I took them down for washing) so that we can rehang them tomorrow.  The furniture vans arrive tomorrow lunchtime and, with the Slimming World groups as well, I am not sure whether I will be able to post a blog tomorrow - so I am apologising now!

Isn't it lovely when family come together?

Leaving aside the 4:22 am alarm call from Daisy, the day started early with the delivery of my housewarming present for Mum and Dad.  I had "commissioned" a box of biscuits (always useful when moving house) from a local company. They loved their biscuits rather too much ( look at the detail of the snail plus trail!) - they don't want to eat them now.






The plan was to get to the new house by 9am and receive a delivery from Tesco's - which arrived almost as we did.  Then the postman arrived (with a rather dashing red mohican) and Dad picked up his first piece of post - the bill from the solicitors!





Pretty soon my brother from Caistor and another from Manchester (plus his wife and dog) arrived and it was all hands to the deck.  Graham sorted out the garage, and it literally sparkled when he left, whilst Phil started by sorting out the wifi (you've got to get those priorities now don't you?)  I was dispatched back to Graham's house for the industrial cleaner and then to B & Q to pick up the rug doctor carpet cleaner - leaving Mum and Chris on cleaning duties.





Lunch was a causal affair (yes I even refused the afternoon tea again!) and Penny enjoyed being the centre of attention!).

After which it was back to work with Dad and Graham painting ceilings, Phil cleaning and me hoovering and carpet cleaning.  Although the carpets looked clean, I am always fascinated by the dirt that comes out!

By 5pm we were all ready to come home (thank goodness I had put some chicken in the slow cooker!) but i came home to a lovely surprise - my new gift to myself - a motivacelet!  You add the different sized beads to reflect your weight loss and looking at it, as you reach for that goody,  is supposed to motivate you!  Let's see shall we?

What a day!

Well, at 10:10 I received a text message whilst at the hairdressers - "We've bought a house!"  Needless to say the hairdressers felt as if they took longer than normal and I then hurried round to pick Mum and Dad up to go and get the keys.  Sally, the former owner , was a tad tearful when she passed the keys over but they had worked hard to get the place ready and had left a nice plant, card and chocolates, which I thought was nice touch.

After we had ceremoniously taken the Devonshire Primrose (remember that one?) in and placed it into the garden (it should be added that Dad chose to take a new bed bought for Maisie as his first item), we took time to look round and reacquaint ourselves - where will this go, where will that go etc.  Over the inaugural cup of tea (yes we had a kitchen bag with kettle, mugs etc) the inevitable list of jobs was started.  Tomorrow, with several members of the family over, the plan is to paint and freshen up the kitchen (we've already taken the curtains down to wash) and clean the rest of the house (it's not dirty but you always want to do it yourself now don't you?)  With the furniture arriving on Monday it seems to make sense to do these jobs tomorrow - even if it did mean a trip to B &Q for paint etc - and a return to the house to make sure that we were ready for tomorrow.



My Sister in law and nephew came over for a sneaky peak (he came in very useful when it came to taking down the curtains) and made a number of suggestions - pinching some elderflower heads to make cordial!

So, all in all, a good first day - with just a mountain of jobs ahead of us!