Getting Sorted - Loving Betwixmas

 Now I did start this when it WAS Betwixmas, but somehow the posting slipped and I am now coughing like it's an Olympic sport and brandishing a nose that would do Rudolph proud! It's only a cold, nothing too serious, just irritating and producing the sort of brain fog that makes writing crazy...

Anyway, Christmas having been and gone has bequeathed out household with lots of yummy stuff...

 

And there's plenty of leftovers awaiting us in the freezer too.

Somehow I, rather perversely, love this in between period when there's lots to finish up. It reminds me of when we were small and Dad got the mincer out to grind up the leftover meat and produce rissoles and so on. I always enjoyed times when we got cheese and potato pie, or mini cakes or pastry. It wasn't till I was much older when I found out that these were always at the end of the month when money was running low! 

Getting things sorted often means shopping at home. Not the internet version. The type of shopping where you go round the house seeing what needs using up and making menus based on what you find. It's not just the food either. I love using the presents that arrive - bath stuff, moisturisers, whatever - far too good to put in a cupboard for 'later'. The only things I keep for another day are the small sizes or samples that I take on holiday to lighten the luggage load.

It's also a good chance to go through my clothes, sorting out those things on their last legs or the items that no longer fit. Previously it's been because they've got a bit tight, but since my new health kick inspired by that chat with the doctor, some are now too big - hooray! Some of the older stuff I'm again keeping for holidays - journeying in older, yet comfortable clothes makes sense, especially if that's the last wearing of a t-shirt that can be binned rather than transported home and washed, etc. I'm also acquainting myself with newer (to me) selling platforms to pass on clothes that are no good to me, but in good shape. And no I haven't forgotten the pleasure of passing on good quality gear to charity shops either.

So, this Betwixmas has allowed me the space to start a good clear out, making the most of what I've got and enabling me to save a bit of cash in not buying too...

Long live Betwixmas - and hopefully the clear out will include my coldy germs and I can get on with enjoying what 2024 has to offer!

Getting it Sorted - It's beginning to look a lot like...

 Nearly there..

I've managed to get everything to where it should be for the big day. The house is finally looking festive, the food is bought and we even got a little tree. Phew!

I'm not sure how it all came together as I lurched from one task to the next, but it did.

In amongst all the preparations was a long session on the phone with the doctor. The surgery made contact to suggest I went onto more medication. This time for cholesterol. To cut a long story short...

Earlier this year I was invited by my doctor's to a well woman check up. Until then I'd been feeling fine. Once they'd checked me out apparently I wasn't - high blood pressure it seems. I then had loads of tests (my arm looks like a pin cushion) and ECGs and so on. The upshot was that it was decided I needed medication. 

Compliantly I took it and felt worse and worse - the weight loss stopped, I got breathless, I won't go into everything, let's just say I no longer felt fine. After our Roman holiday where I forgot to take the tablets with me I felt so much better. So I decided on a trial of my own. I stopped taking the tablets and returned gradually to full health and felt great. I carried on checking my blood pressure - there was no difference to when I was taking the pills.

I reported in to the doctor who said a different drug might suit me better. Once again I behaved and took it. Once again I felt worse and worse. Then came the invitation for more drugs and the offer of a phone call. I took the phone call and found a doctor who was willing to try other methods to address the problem.

Over a few posts I'll chart what I'm up to with her suggestions and see what difference it makes before I'm due to be reassessed in 6 months time to decide whether I need medication or not. All I know is that once again I'm feeling fine, the weight has started to come off again and yesterday's ParkRun was completed without the laboured breathing that accompanied the medication!

The first thing I need is more nuts and seeds apparently, so I investigated and these little fellows...

are now a regular part of my breakfast. The porridge has had to go and fruit yoghurt and chia seeds have replaced it until I hunt down some lower oat alternative.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Back to the festives... I ran out of time for my usual hand sewn decorations to exchange with friends (old tradition between us) so took to scrolling through the internet. It garnered a quick and simple pattern that doubled as a card!

It also led me to some videos demonstrating water colour painting to make cards. As my search for nice children's cards had proved fruitless these were a gift!

The painting took minutes and I was well pleased with the results...

                                           

So I guess that just about wraps it up (sorry couldn't resist the wrap bit) and it only remains for me to say..

HAPPY CHRISTMAS... may your days be merry and bright!

Getting it Sorted - Rather Sweetly!

 If you read last week's post you'll know I'm stealing my sister's tips and hacks - last time it was keeping the hand cream close, now it's the attack on my waistband.

I attempt at regular intervals to control my weight. It's not that I'm overly above where I should be healthwise - it's just that a few pounds would make a difference to my blood pressure readings. Often I get caught out when I've made a firm resolution about what I'm going to do and then don't have what I need with me.

Take these,

I'm trying to cut down on sugar. I have tried tea without sweetening. The problem is that as I can't stomach (quite literally) milk in tea I feel the need for something in the hot coloured water! I do use sweeteners to try and help me at home, but don't aways have them with me. These have now appeared at my sister's. Yes, the solution is not to rely on remembering to take mine out of the kitchen, but to have more than one supply. So now there's one pack on my sister's work surface and another in my handbag. No excuses now!

Craft wise I'm sort of repeating the bag making session. I made some tote bags for my mum and sister a while back which they find handy when out and about. Then, just recently, there was a book sale in the library and my elder niece's two bought up a stock of reading material. They then had nothing to put their books in and so commandeered the two tote bags. That's fine, but they don't want to give them back as they reckon that they are handy!

Hence these....

I feel another set of instructions coming on as these are simpler than the Bluey bags. They are unlined so are a bit quicker to make, lighter and fold up smaller....

Once I get to the instructions part of my Substack they'll have to go on it too.... Like the Bluey bags they started life in another guise. The orange bag started out as a curtain! Nice and sustainable eh? I feel some recycling posts coming on!

Getting it Sorted - Smoothing and Soothing

 I was in my sister's kitchen chatting about nail polish and stuff! She, my nieces and my great nieces all enjoy a spot of nail colour. They also like smooth moisturised skin - I usually forget, or apply nail polish just when the garden is calling and it chips off immediately! I've never been able to keep my nails in any sort of shape - I guess all those years in the classroom removing wall display staples without using the right tools didn't help....

Anyway, I noticed that on the windowsill, right near the sink was a handy tube of hand cream....

So guess what I felt the need to do on the way home - yes, buy handcream and (even more importantly) put it right where it's required.

So now I have it staring me in the face to remind me to use it. In fact, I got two - one for the kitchen and another for the bathroom.

Let's see if it galvanises me into action - mind you it doesn't solve my inability to flash gorgeous nails around, but one step at a time I say!

I've also raided the loft after last Saturday's coffee morning/craft fair to see what I've already acquired for the looming festives. I uncovered the pack of cards I found in a supermarket clearance for 10p that I knew was up there and also two lovely cards that I bought last Christmas Eve at a fraction of their normal price. 

Some of the decorations I had ready to give as mini gifts needed some extra embellishment so I turned to videos online to work out how to add to them. Low and behold there were some tutorials on making tassels...

Oh my goodness, I'm addicted. These aren't quite finished and neatened off. They are so simple and satisfying - even better than pom pom making and use up odds and ends of yarn and beads! They may even make an appearance alongside the gift tags on presents this year.... More reasons not to throw away ANY yarn........

Another set of instructions for when I get round to them on my Substack....

Getting It Sorted - Read All About It

 This week I really am going to focus on my reading! I keep getting sidetracked online and with my Kindle, but the real issue is the pile of magazines that I seem to be building!

This lot were loitering in a drawer under the TV and I've found some more in the garden room. Most of them I've skim read and dived a bit deeper into one or two articles. All of them sit accusingly of.. well I was going to say a task, but it's not, it's supposed to be an enjoyable pastime, The thing that stops me enjoying it fully, I suppose, is the number of unread issues. So.... this week I'm going to carve out the time to finish them all (yes, even the one from April!) and indulge the fun of reading before moving them off to new homes....

I have, however, been busy with the sewing machine. A while back I needed some fabric with the characters from the Bluey cartoon series to make one of my great nieces a picture for her birthday - I've shared that photo before. The fabric seemed very expensive so I bought a duvet cover at a fraction of the price and had plenty left over.  I made some fabric pots with Bluey and family on them and a tote bag for each of the great nieces - there was still quite a bit left so I've made a few more bags and put them on the local sales page.

Amazingly they sold immediately and paid for the original duvet cover! I've still got some fabric, but the characters left are a bit big for bags so I'm off into town for some wadding. The girls can all have mini Bluey quilts for their dolls/teddies this Christmas!

I really ought to organise myself enough to take photos and write out instructions to show how to make these bits and pieces. It certainly spreads the cost of presents! I'll put it onto my to do list. Maybe I'll get around to sharing some of the 'how to make' ideas on my Substack once I've finished with Phonics!!

Getting It Sorted - Smelling Sweetly!

 

Now this one's a bit of a luxury, I know...

I seem to have gathered a whole collection of odds and ends of rather nice perfumes! Most are the last knockings of presents. I know I ought to finish one bottle before I start on the next, however, it only seems polite to wear a gift when it's given. Then the others sort of get moved down the finishing up line.

As a result I've a number of these with the remains of the scent sloshing about at the bottom of the container.

I also know that they should be used up before the air/light gets to them and spoils the smell so it's time to get going and use one at a time till each is finished. After all, Christmas is coming and you never know what Santa might have in mind.

I've also accumulated a number of samples, some of which I've used part of when on holiday (saves lugging a big quantity around in my luggage. Again, they are now on display to remind me to use them up. The newish, unopened ones are ready to go into our Christmas Eve lucky dip/tombola/treasure hunt (I can't remember what we're doing this year - or perhaps we haven't decided yet). 

This is a task I'll enjoy - definitely - now what to do with all the lovely bottles once they're finished?

I'm back on the card creation for a while. Firstly, because I've a craft fair looming next weekend and they always sell well. Secondly, it'll get me in the right frame of mind to start on this year's Christmas versions.

I'd seen some rather like this one in a magazine a long time ago and fancied having a try.

Once I'd worked out the template it was great fun fidgeting about with different fabrics to get the effect I wanted and to rummage through the button box for the 'cherry' on top.

What do you think?

Right, on with a bit of discipline now.. My next Substack post is due - all about Deadlines this time. I'm trying to be good about posting on time so it's probably the right subject... Perhaps you'd like to pop over there to have a look?

Getting it Sorted - Best Foot Forward

 It was daft really. Writing about my sister and her shoes and not starting from there myself. After all, they take up far more room than nail polish and the choices about what to keep and those to throw are far more straightforward.

So, this week the shoe rack has been emptied...

What made the task easier was the fact that the weather has definitely changed so the summer stuff needs storing away - and at least one pair that have still been in use, while only just surviving the ravages of use (and age) isn't worth saving till next year!

I've sorted, thrown and given away some and still have plenty to wear - result - I'm very happy and they are all organised and ready to go.

I also delved into the loft a while back to unearth some rather nice boxes and old wrapping/craft paper. During the recent half term these made it over for one of my sister's childcare occasions when all the relevant parents were working.

They all had individual approaches to covering their boxes with a patchwork of scraps creating their own personal storage boxes. It was not only a fun way to while away a rainy afternoon, but it also cost absolutely nothing as I had the scraps, boxes and PVA glue and found some wooden letters in my card making stores.

 

One great niece chose to cut small pieces choosing the pictures she liked, another decided to go for strips, whilst the 4 year old watched them use the PVA on the paper scraps and they position them onto the boxes. She decided there was a better method. First she pasted a small area of PVA onto the box, then cut out a shape or picture to fit and finally put it onto the pasted surface. It was quick, efficient and far less messy than the other two!

When it came to sticking their coloured, wooden intials onto the boxes, the oldest pair put theirs on the top of the boxes, but the littlest one went for the front 'cos that's where you look to open it!'

(I know the Z is reversed, but that's a normal trait for this particular great niece - as I say, they are all very individual!)

Right, now to tackle this week's Substack offering... I hope you get the chance to check it out. Last week I added the first in the series about helping the process of learning to read with phonics as a building block....