Ticking off the 'to do' list

So I am making slow progress in the sitting room - I hope to have it all painted by the end of the weekend, well the walls and ceiling at least. 

Today the window man is here.

We've saved enough money to get Sophie's window changed - looking good and should make it warmer and quieter and then....

....the old metal sliding doors are going.

 

Well they're gone...... 

.....and a lovely new wide single door has replaced them. 

Just need some warm sunshine to enjoy the door fully open.

Keeping it off.....

2 Years ago I walked through the doors of Slimming World and changed my life forever. I lost the weight in 40 weeks but most importantly have kept it off now for 2 years. It has been hard work, old habits don't disappear but I'm determined now I'm in my mid 40's, that this time the weight is staying off. I still go to my Slimming World class and I believe that the support, encouragement and inspiration from there, motivates me to keep 'on it'.

I still find Instagram is a huge help and you can follow me HERE should you wish. I'm a few pounds out of target after the summer but am back to group weekly, planning my meals, recording everything, joined a yoga group, as my running has stalled due to a bad back and hip niggles - so I'm hoping to get back at 'target' by the end of the month.

You have to see it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet, as it is forever but when you can still eat a big roast......

..... and waffles and still lose weight, it's an easy plan to embrace.

As long as my size 8 jeans fit, I'm happy especially when they were once a size 18!

A week on!

So we've been back in the school routines for a week and as always, lovely sunny weather has returned as the kids go back. I'm not complaining.....

...I'm enjoying the warm sunshine, beautiful skies at night.....

and calm, sun filled mornings.

Although I have bought a jumper in anticipation of colder days on the horizon.

Seasonal russet apples, plums, home picked blackberries and delicious figs are high up on the list of 'must eats' at the moment and .....

......Friday's have become Waffle Night, using Sam's birthday waffle maker. 

Such a treat and any spare get toasted in the morning, extra bonus.

Now the kids are back to school, in between enjoying the lovely weather and keeping up with orders, I've made good progress in the sitting room - the room is now ready for painting. All the wallpaper has been stripped off the walls and ceiling! Everything has been sanded down and washed with sugar soap ready for the carpet to come up at the weekend and then I can get started on the paint. The new door should be here soon and when or rather if, Jeff gets any free time, he'll start laying the floor which I'll eventually paint. I want to get this room ready for cosy autumn nights, The floor has to be ready for the end of October ready for the sofa delivery and the room will be ready for Christmas at the very latest.

Back to school!

Back to school for Sam ......

......and Sixth Form for Sophie

Where have the years gone?

Sam has grown so tall and Sophie continues to curse her mother's height genes!

Here's hoping they both have a good year 

Farewell August

Wow August over already! The summer holidays come and go far too quickly, I'm not sure I'm ready for September, a return to the early alarm wake ups and back to the school run! 

August has been a month full of celebrations - our 20th Wedding Anniversary, Sam's 14th birthday, Sophie's GCSE results! We've pretty much spent the summer at home, doing projects around the house, Sophie has been busy doing NCS all month and Sam has pretty much been on his computer! Had a lovely catch up with an old school friend, bought new sofa's, become a redhead...

To end the month, had a lovely coffee and catch up with my sister and niece today - they are all growing up way too quickly. I'm sure Sam has grown another couple of inches this summer.

Once the kids go back to school, I'm turning my attention to the sitting room. We've had the gas fire taken out, Jeff knocked out the old fireplace and we've reused the floor boards of the old summer house to clad the chimney breast. We intend to use the same tiles as in the kitchen across the front and lay a wooden floor, which I'll paint. In a couple of weeks, new doors/windows will be put in and so I now have the joy of.......

.....more wallpaper stripping! 

Then filling, sanding, washing down and finally painting the room. New sofa's are arriving early November, so it should all be finished in time for Christmas! September is going to get off to a busy start!

RESULTS DAY!!!!!

One very happy girl and one very proud Mum!

GCSE results day today and she did brilliantly!

A*'s in Maths and Textiles

A's in Science x2, Geography and IT (Distinction - A equivalent)

B's in English Literature and English Language, Drama and German

She did better than she hoped in English and Geography, and German was so unexpected but so deserved given the hard work she put in.

So we celebrated with cheesecake x

Well Done Sophie x

Where has this week gone?

The summer holiday is sadly whizzing by - I love the holidays and no alarm clock, so am quietly willing the time to pass a little slower. We have finally put up our door number, it's been on the the 'to do' list for a while.

And we are beginning to make headway with the back garden and....

... the bit down along the side of the house.

The next big project is the sitting room, which has not been touched since we moved in a year ago now. It was pretty much the only room we had to live in whilst the builders were in and I want it done for Christmas, so best get started as there is a lot to do.

We have finally got around to sorting all the stuff that had been in storage and was still in boxes, in the front room. Some has been found a home, some has been thrown out and the rest car booted or taken to the charity shop. The plan is then to make this room a temporary sitting room, whilst I get started on the actual sitting room.

I've been sofa looking/dreaming!

And we were up a silly o'clock on Sunday morning for the car boot. The only positive at getting up at 5:30am was this view, as you opened the bedroom shutters.

Our time otherwise has just been pottering around at home. Sophie has been away doing NCS for 2 weeks, so it's just been me and the boys at home. Sam got a waffle maker for his birthday which we've had fun testing out and I can see will be well used. We've nothing big planned for the rest of the holidays - Sophie still has this and next week doing NCS but from home now and of course the dreaded exam results day next week. So we just need to hope for lovely sunshine over the remaining weeks, to enjoy the last few weeks of the summer holidays.