All Change

We've (ok I) had some progress on the current arrangements regarding our over cluttered home. {TH} decided to sell his PC. We have 4 PC's in this house (3 desktops 1 laptop), {TB}'s desktop which lives (out of my sight) in his bedroom, my desktop which lives in the lounge, {TH}'s desktop which lives in the corner of the dining room and {TH}'s laptop. Now, ignoring {TB}'s comp, out of the 3 left, the only one to get used daily is mine. I keep everything on mine, bill payment dates, available cash etc etc. So it's always my machine that gets turned on, plus I have to check my mail and blog everyday hehe. So {TH} decided it was time for his desktop to go, several phone calls later and we have some interest, but no confirmed 'yes I'll have it'. 

This meant it freed up a corner in the dining room. So we have moved my pc and desk from the lounge into the dining room where {TH}'s used to be. {TH}'s desk has been dismantled and popped in the garage, the pc itself, monitor and bits have been boxed up ready for whoever buys it. I'm no longer crammed in the corner of the lounge, I'm in the corner of the dining room instead, but I do have a little more room to move and I no longer need to struggle to study on my desk, as the dining table is behind me, so I can literally swivel between the two.

We also made the (hard) decision to rehome our 3 corn snakes. They live in my lounge at the moment in a 4' tank on a 5' table. It takes up quite a chunk of the lounge. So they are going to live with my mum in her art studio. This means we can rejig the lounge and have a litte more space in there. As much as I love the snakes we just don't have the room for them anymore. So hopefully next weekend they will be going to their new home.

Another decision we made (told you it was all change) is too move the tv and games console out of the bay window in the dining room and pop it (on a smaller table) in the hall (under the stairs) There's plenty of room under the stairs and all we need to buy are a couple of bean bags for the kids to sit on. Meaning the coffee table the tv and console are currently on, can once again be a coffee table in the lounge. The crafty stuff of the kids that was hidden stored under the table is being moved the cupboard in the garage (safe from leakages). It's easier to access at weekends and holidays when the kids want to play/use it. While mooching through the cupboard in the garage, I found a set of craft drawers {B} got for xmas a few years ago. It's empty of all the crafty items now but we kept the drawers just in case they ever came in useful. I'm going to bring them inside, give them a wipe over and can put all their colouring stuff in them and hopefully their colouring boos will fit too. It's not huge so won't be too much of an issue to find a nice (neat) little home for it (I hope)

All in all, I think it's been quite a productive day. We are moving the snake tank tomorrow to another part of the lounge,s o we can put a sofa where the tank currently is, then once the snakes go, a table with a lamp on will go in its place. We have it all planned out and are quite happy with ourselves today. There's still a few things that nat tweaking here and there, but overall it seems to be coming together. Unfortnatly I don't have any before/after pictures of what we have done today, mainly due to my camera being dead. I've got it on charge now and will take some pics in the morning, of how things are now, half way through and then when everything is moved, some more.

I also checked the Avon site again and the bag I ordered is now online so I grabbed a pic to show you all. I think it's just fabby and for a fiver I just couldn't say no hehe. Click the pic to visit Avon's site

Better?

Personally, yes. I feel quite alot better in myself. Think maybe I was having a few off days as today (and yesterday) I was quite springy. {TH} however, he's still really poorly, still not 100% whats wrong with him, but if he's no better tomorrow I will be calling the GP out. So I've been running solo these last 2 days, just me and the kidlets. I've not done great at keeping on top of the housework, in fact yesterday all I managed was load/unload the dishwasher and wipe the kitchen surfaces down. I was so tired it. Due to {TH} being ill, I decided it was safer to sleep on the sofa Tuesday night. OMG how uncomfy of our sofa's to sleep on? We have 2 2 seater leather sofa's that are kinda square in design and you just can't get comfy on them. So I only managed to get about 5 hrs sleep and that was broken. I'm an 8 hours a night girl so trying to manage on 5 was awful. I managed to sneak in about 30 mins with the kids while they watched TV, but as any mum knows, sleeping while the kids are awake is no easy task! 

I planned to get more done today, however things never go to plan and apart from a quick whip round with the hoover didn't do much else. I have decided I dislike my house, very much today. Before christmas I had a major clear out and moved everything out of the lounge that we ({TH} & I) deemed un-nessassry, it went into boxes in the garage (in parts  that don't leak!) The bare bones of our lounge, however, are not bare bones like people would think. I have DVD's, Wii games, PS3 games & books that are at the moment housed on either the shelves of my fireplace or in the unit where the Wii/PS3/Sky Box live. Neither of which look remotely tidy and no matter what I do, everything always looks crammed in. I've run out of idea's of what to do. We don't have the finances to buy any storage units, nor to build shelves. I don't want to put my books in the garage as it's damp in there and I don't want to ruin them. I also do not want to part with them. So short of kicking {TB} out and using his bedroom as storage, I'm at a stop. I hate it when I feel like this, as not matter how clean and tidy the rest of the room is, these 2 spots make it look untidy, so I think (and I know I shouldn't) why bother with the rest of the room? It's going to look untidy no matter what I do so why do anything. {TH} is neither use nor ornament as he has no idea's or says 'just wait till we have some spare cash and I'll put shelves up' Problem is, I don't want to wait. I want to get at least one room fixed up and finished so I like it. I've been all over the net looking for idea's, they are either way out our price range (even in future) or just not suitable for our room. The alcoves either side of the fire are not the same size and the radiator goes into on and the ceiling lowers where the window is. It's a total nightmare

I'm also going off the shelving idea, I would love to have floor to ceiling cupboards in both alcoves, not full cupboards, half cupboard, half shelved. I could use one side as a desk, meaning my huge desk could go, the other side as storage, however that woud cost a fortune and {TH} isn't that good at DIY. I'm going round in circles and getting myself more and more worked up over it.

All in all I think, at least today, this house is my enemy. Or at least the landlady who,(in my opinion) didn't plan it too well when she had the extention build and doors bricked up and moved. I guess the layout worked great for her and her family, it just isn't working to well for me and mine. Thing is, I love the size of the house, I just dislike certain aspects of it. Until I win the lottery I will never have the 'perfect' house. To be honest I think even if I built my own house it would still have flaws. Life changes, so what suits today may not suit tomorrow. Today not much suits, yet I know that like everything else I will get over it, fix the issues and move on. {TH} has said when he is feeling better he will check the charity shops and see if we can find a solution there. I love charity shops, one mans junk truelly is another mans treasure. We've had many a bargain from the charity shops over the years. So hopefully they will come good again.

On a different note, the kidlets and I have been watching the Harry Potter films. We started at The Philosophers Stone and are now 1/2 way through The Half Blood Prince. We had to stop 1/2 way as {B} was getting tired and I wasn't making the mistake of watching more after she went to bed only to have to re-watch it so she could catch up. We did plan on watching the rest of it tonight, but {TH} is watching his beloved Liverpool so no Harry for us. I've read all 7 books and loved them, not that I haven't loved the films, just not as much. I think I may have to watch the end of #6 tonight and let the kids watch it tomorrow day. I can't remember exactly how the book ends, so am eager to watch the film hehe. I also think that Helena Bonham Carter is great as Bellatrix LeStrange. I especially like the part where she is running through the (wheat) fields singing 'I killed Sirius Black' it just makes me giggle. 

A Busy Day

I've had a quite a busy day today. {TH} got up this morning feeling awful, in fact is exact words where "I feel like I'm dying" not sure how he knows what it feels like to be dying and didn't ask. I had to go out today the pole I reserved yesterday had to be collected today or I couldn't guarantee getting it. I also had a few other things I needed to grab, like dog food. I explained to the kids that daddy wasn't feeling very well and they needed to be extra good while I nipped out. I prepared their lunch for them and made up juice, so {TH} didn't need to do anything, except tell them when it was lunch time. I got all the colouring stuff I could find out and dug out some lined paper for them too, found glue and child safe scissors and gave them the stack on junk mail and flyers that were awaiting being took out to the recycle bin. I figured they could cut them up and make pictures etc etc and that would keep them fairly happy while I was out.
I got what I needed and stuff I didn't, bleach was on offer 3 for £2 so I grabbed 3, well I won't have to buy it again for a while. I nipped to see {TH}'s aunt & uncle, they live round the corner from the shopping center. Picked up my Avon order that arrived today 4 x 1lts bottles of bubble bath, it was on offer in the last brochure so I stocked up. Of course I had to take a look at the new brochure....I ordered a new hairbrush (1/2 price), 4 bottles of detangling spray (1/2 price) for {LM}'s hair and the coolest tote bag I've seen (£3 off) which I thought would be fabby for school and college. I just tried finding a pic online but it seems they haven't updated to the new brochure yet. I can't say no to a bargain lol.


Home I came, my table was immaculate and the kids were watching tv with {TH}. Apparantly after about 20mins they got board of cutting up paper and glueing it and wanted to watch TV instead. {TH} made them tidy away all their mess before letting them watch TV. 


So with {TH} being ill it looks like my curtain pole will have to wait, as capable as I am to wield a power tool {TH} believes it to be 'his job' and gets uppity when I do things like that. So I will leave it till he is feeling better and get my curtain pole up and curtains too.


Oh yeah, I did get the paper for my priner and get it all hooked up and running. Although in typical fashion I made a slight boo boo. As part of the install process it wants to print a photo, so I picked a photo of my kids and away I went, however I didn't change the size, so I only have a 1/4 of the image lol. It's very good quality though

Yay

My new printer has arrived and it plugged and NOT ready to go. Everything you need comes in the box, printer, inks (+ spares), leads, install disk & photo paper. So you'd think I'd be a happy bunny and able to print out everything I need to print....WRONG. The one thing I didn't buy and didn't think to buy was plain paper. {TH} didn't think too either. Seems both of us read the description totally wrong.

Description read: 

HP Photosmart C4780 & 300 inkjet cartridge & tri-colour inkjet photo starter pack + 50 sheets photo paper

Now anyone (with a brain) can see that says photo paper but uh-oh not me or {TH}, we just read paper, so we thought I'd be getting some paper to set up the printer with. So tomorrow when I nip to pick up a curtain pole I reserved I need to grab some plain paper so I can finish the set up of the printer. I've got as far as printing the test sheet. I did try it on lined paper but nope that didn't work right - did I really think it would? Nope not really but a girls got to try lol


{TH} grabbed the most fabulous curtains from town the other day (in the sale) to go in the lounge. They have huge great big purple flowers on them and I thought it would finally mean not only getting rid of the yucky terracotta curtains in the lounge but also would mean I could at last paint the chimney breast wall, which is painted terracotta (to match the curtains). However it is not to be.
The curtains {TH} bought are tab topped and the window in the lounge does not have the right pole. It's a half bay window so putting up the right type of pole would be a nightmare. We'd have to cut the pole and try to join it where the bay bit is. Which is a no go. 
So the curtains are going in the dining room instead. We have a full size bay in the dining room, but we already have a pole up there and it's outside the bay. It also means the curtains currently up in the dining room will be going in the new laundry room so we don't have to look in there. Alls well that ends well I guess.


Will take some pics tomorrow before and after

1 + 1 = 3

it would seem (today at least) that my finicial skills have left me somewhat in the lurch, which means I don't have what I thought I had in the bank. {TH} is a little annoyed as this is becoming a more and more regular occurance for me. I used to be A1 when it came to the household budget. I knew off the top of my head what was coming in (to the penny) and how much was going out and on what date. Yet over the last few months I've been getting things wrong. I have occationally made slight errors in the budget where I have been £10/£20 ($16/$32) out. We can usually sort this out as it's only a small amount. Over the last few months I've been getting it wrong more and more and by larger amounts. Yesterday I said we have £220 ($332) in the bank. I was way out, I hadn't moved the rent money over the 'spare' account. Which meant we actually only had £79 ($126) available. Now I believe it is a combination of various things, {TH} spending on the debit card and not telling me. How can I budget when I don't know what he's spending?

I made myself a little 'what we spend' chart in excel earlier, I'm not very good with excel, in fact I'm crap with excel lol but I made this chart and {TH} has agreed to tell me every penny he spends so I can add it to the chart and we know at a glance what we have spent and what we have left. I'm hoping this will help with the finicial problems I've been having recently. If anyone knows of some easy to follow tutorials for using excel I'd really appreciate the links :)


I also think that in general I just have alot on my mind. I can feel the depression I've not suffered with for months sneaking up on me, getting ready for a full blown melt down. I've not had a melt down like that for over 12 months, yet I can feel everything getting on top of me. I've had minor bouts of depression, but this feels like a big one getting ready to come and bite me on butt. I don't want to go into melt down (who does?) but at this moment I can't see a way to stop it. I'm going to phone and make an app with the Dr in the morning and see what she recommends. I'm doing my best to try and please everyone and feel like I am failing miserably! Yeah I've had a good day today, got quite a chunk of cleaning done, but it doesn't end there, I still have a mountain of washing to do, tea to cook for {TH} and I (the kidlets have been fed), an assignment to finish and various other little jobs that need my attention. I feel like I have bitten off way more than I can chew.
Yet I also know right at the back of my mind, that it's the depression making me second myself all the time. I know that when I'm fine, I can juggle all of these things and more standing on my head, but when depression is sneaking up on me I become more and more incapable of doing the simpliest things in my daily routine. So for now I have to carry on as best I can, knowing that once the cloud lifts I will be fine again, it's just getting through the day while this cloud surrounds me making everything a little foggy.

Meet Me On Monday

YAY, Meet Me On Monday posted on Monday! 
Onto this weeks MMOM :)

Questions:

1.  Did you get any Valentine's Gifts? Nope. {TH} and I don't do valentines, we never have, not really. It's something we agreed on very early in our relationship
2.  What is your favorite topping on something toasted? Paté, don't particually mind which flavour I just like paté.
3.  Do you pick out your outfit the night before? If I'm going to my placement at school, then yes, I pick it out, iron it make sure everything is ready. If it's just a regular day then no I just grab whatever comes out the wardrobe first...or I throw on what I was wearing yesterday (if its still clean)

4.  What food item do you absolutely despise? Tomatoes! I hate everything about them, I hate raw or cooked. They are yucky!

5.  Righty or lefty? Righty :) {TH} is a lefty and {B} can write with both, legibally too, athough her writing with her right hand is much neater


Linking up with Never Growing Old MMOM

And It's Only 3pm

First (official) day of the school half term and I've had it all. Tantrums, arguements, fights, you name it this morning {B}, {S} & {LM} have done it! it did partially go in my favour, I've not had to listen to iCarly, Ben 10, FiFi etc etc all day AND I got help with my cleaning. They've cleaned all their crafty stuff aay neatly after dragging everything out. They've tied their own bedrooms, helped clean the lounge, dining room and launchpad woohoo. We've had quite a successful day of cleaning, although I apprecitate all the help they have given me, but I'd much rather not have had the arguements etc etc and done everything myself.

So I'm having the rest of the day off, the upstairs/bedrooms/bathrooms can all wait until tomorrow

New Printer & Merit System

I ordered my new printer yesterday. I've had my old one around 7 years and it's huge! It doesn't fit under my desk properly and to replace the ink costs a fortune. So I ordered a new one, it was on sale and comes with extra ink cartridges and some paper

To be honest these last few years we (as a household) have not needed a printer. If {TB} needed to print something for school, he took a memory stick into school and printed it off in the library or ITC suite. On the rare occation I needed to print something {TB} either took it to school for me or I mailed it to my mum. However now being at college and a governor for the school I need to print stuff out almost weekly. So I decided I needed to buy my own. The only problem I have at the moment is, it didn't give any dimensions so I have no idea how big or small it is. As you remember when I sorted my desk out I put my nice basket underneath to store all my papers, folders etc etc. I'm going to have to rehome this now as the printer is going to have to live in that shelf, either that or I somehow manage to wangle it going on {TH}'s desk (not much room there either though). I think I may have to bully {TH} (alot) this net week to put up at least one shelf for me to put all my files on. I'll figure something out - I always do hehe

Anyway today is Sunday, {S} has been a total nightmare so far today, he's taken Polly (my chihuahua) upstairs, been messing in the snake tank, screaming, shouting, running up and downstairs, generally being a total PITA. Bfore school finished on Friday, I went in and paid £30 for all three of them to do after school clubs. I signed {B} up for choir, (she loves to sing), {LM} up for gymnastics and {S} up for rugby. However I'm not sure he will get to go if his behaviour does not vastly improve. At school they have a merit system, when they are good/do things well, they get rewarded with merits. Each child has their own merit card and when they get so many they can cash them in for a prize or they can save for better prizes. They are only small things, like a cushion for the day, sitting on the teachers chair, being the teachers PA for the day etc. The class where I do my placement, if they get 100 merits they get a subway lunch! paid for by the teacher, needless to say he is is quite stingy in giving out merits (who can blame him lol) So I went and spoke to {S}'s class teacher and asked if I could get a merit card and we could try the merit system at home. It's something all 3 children understand so I figured it was worth a try. I got 3 merits cards and then decided (as you do) to make my own lol. I'm currently trying to work out rewards and the merit system will start tomorrow, they will just have a temp chart until my printer arrives and I can print off the ones I have made. These are the rewards I have so far:

10 Merits                    Extra 10 minutes after everyone goes to bed
20 Merits                    
30 Merits                    Lucky Dip
40 Merits                    Have the TV choice for 30 minutes            
50 Merits                    30 Minutes PC time
60 Merits                    30 Minutes on either Wii or 64
70 Merits                    Have the TV choice for the whole night!
80 Merits                   
90 Merits                    Magazine of your choice from Tommy’s
100 Merits      

As you can see I am still working on 20, 80 and 100. I want the 100 merit reward to be specific to that child, so {B}'s could be a new book (she loves to read). The lucky dip was an idea from one of the teachers. She said go spend a couple of pounds on small things all the kids like, like colouring pencils, paper, colouring books etc etc. Give each item a number and put all the numbers in a tub and let them pick on. I'm trying to do things that either cost nothing or cost very little, it's actually not as easy as I first thought it would be lol

Anywho, my mum and wee sis are due to visit soon, so I best get on and get dressed and clean the table of breakfast remnants