Well what a lovely day its been! I was up early while everyone was still in bed, I absolutely love that. The house is so quiet and I can get on with the housework and enjoy a coffee in peace. I was up at half 7, pegged out a line of towels i'd washed last night ( was tempted to put them in the dryer but resisted), I stood listening to the radio in the kitchen and did a pile of ironing while I watched the birds stealing the moss from my hanging baskets and troughs to make their nests with - cheeky things!! Then I tidied the lounge, diningroom and kitchen. Dusted and polished, washed my kitchen sides and units down with stardrops - wonderful stuff! Cleaned the bathroom then ran the push along sweeper over so as not to wake everyone. House was spick and span and I was sitting having a coffee by the time they surfaced. Think i'm going to do the same again tomorrow as I really enjoyed it. How sad is that? Does anyone else value time alone just to take things at your own pace? I did really well today with the agoraphobia too. Hubby is still poorly and we popped out just to get a newspaper and to take the dog but he didn't feel well enough to walk around the fields so he stayed in the car reading the paper and I took the dog around the fields on my own. Doesn't sound much but I did go further than i've dared to go alone before so I felt pretty proud of myself. I was a bit cross though as my brother has downloaded an app on my phone that shows the distandce and route youve covered and I forgot to turn it on. Blonde moment! The idea being that I can see my acheivements and push myself a bit further each time. Sounds good if I remember to turn the bloody thing on! I made some fruit salad this morning for breakfast. A bit extravagant but I did buy the fruit on offer and thought it may tempt hubby into eating as he has lost his appetite and get some vitamins into him. So I washed and sliced strawberrues, grapes, blueberries and plums and put into a tupperware container in the fridge to chill. He said he didn't fancy it when he woke up so I thought stuff it and filled a bowl for myself. "That looks really nice" he said when he saw it and ended up eating a bowl so it was worth the effort. I've had to buy strepsils, lucozade and ice lollies today which I hadn't budgeted for but as we haven't actually been anywhere this holiday then I guess i'm still up on the money due to not using fuel or buying coffees and meals out. Must be the cheapest holiday we've ever had!

So house tidy, fresh fruit breakfast prepared and lovely pile of dry towels, folded and ready to go back into the bathroom all by lunchtime. Not bad going. The towels were a bit hard but they were bone dry in about 4 hours. I have 4 lines set up under my carport which is ideal as it still gets the wind but keeps off the rain. This is ideal when I peg the washing out in a morning before I go to work and it starts to rain.

Right everyone i've rambled on for long enough tonight. Any more and I won't be able to get up early again in the morning. I've washed tonight ready to go out again first thing and when the house is tidy I will have a relaxing bath in peace too. I've also started crocheting a blanket for my stepdaughter who is expecting a baby in June. So I will have to get a bit of that done too. I will post pics when it gets a bit bigger than a dishcloth! I've been thinking also today about how I could possibly make some money from selling cakes as I love baking. Every little helps. Ideas most welcome. Thanks for reading. Take care all.

Jules x

Evening everyone. Firstly I want to say that one of my home remedies must of worked as i've managed to hold off the flu and feel much better today. How i've dodged hubbys germs i'll never know. Maybe its my caring bedside manner "put those dirty tissues straight in the bin, cover your mouth when you cough, get out of bed while I boil those sheets!"I've got through a whole bottle of antiseptic/antibacterial handwash and been dosing myself up with all my home remedies to. Burning teatree and lavendar in the oil burners, making honey and fresh lemon drinks and for the past 2 days i've lived on homemade soup full of fresh vegetables and vitamins. Whatever it was it seems to have worked! Yesterday I made a tomato and red pepper soup and added a few chilli flakes for heat. Todays soup was vegetable, this consisted of onions, carrots, parsnip, swede and potato. To this I added mixed herbs, sea salt and freshly ground pepper, a few chilli flakes, a pinch of smoked paprika and a good squirt of tomato puree. I gently fried the onion in a little olive oil just to sofdten then addes the other finely diced vegetables and gave a good stir, finally I added the spices and stirred around for a couple of minutes. Finally I addes about a pint and a half of boiling water and put on to simmer until all the vegetables were soft. I then blended it as this is how I like my soup but you could leave it chunky. I made spaghetti bolognese for everyone else as hubby has had little or no appetitie and he said he just fancied it.

I did venture out a couple of times today as hubby thought he felt well enough. So we went out ot the local garden centre but when we got there he didn't feel wekk enough to walk around and so we had to just sit and have a coffee. Never mind, it saved me spending! He felt quite poorly so I had to drive home. This is a rare occurance as he usually insists that he drives. He said he felt sick on the way home, not sure if it was his illness, the winding lanes or my driving!? Anyway he didn't feel up to calling into the petrol station to get fuel so that will have to wait until tomorrow. He is usually very fit and walks for 10/12 miles at a time with the dog at weekends but this afternoon he insisted on taking the dog to the fields in the car and then said he would sit in the car and watch while I took him for a quick walk. He did decide to get out and have a small walk but was shattered after walking halfway around the field. This flu is nasty and I feel really sorry for anyone who is suffering. I've downloaded a few free books onto my kindle tonight. I onlt ever get the free ones unless there is something that i'm absolutely desperate for. Today I managed to get a couple about frugal living so I will start reading them  tonight in bed. My life just gets more exciting by the day!!! Right then have a lovely day tomorrow friends and take care.

Jules x

Finally got the chance to sit down and write my blog! Only because i'm now too ill to do much else! So I broke up last Thursday for the Easter holidays and had big plans. Friday morning hubby woke up and felt really ill with the flu ( at first I thought it was a case of man flu I admit it!) anyway i've been running up and down at his beck and call since then. Alongside this i've had housework, shopping and my grandaughters birthday tea which i'd promised her. So i've been baking and making and then had a house full of guests yesterday. Its taken me all morning to clean up. Why do 2 year olds like to see how many hand prints they can get on the french windows and how many sandwiches they can hide under the dining table???? Maybe i'm geting too old for this! Then this morning i've woken up with a headache and a tight chest. So unfair. But i'm not letting it get me down. I have decided to cancel the gym membership as i said earlier on the understanding that I get out and about more. I want to start going on my bike. The problem is that I can't get very far YET due to the agoraphobia but my idea is to work on it. I'm so desperate to beat this as its ruining my life. I know there's only me that can do anything about it but its just so hard. I have been really careful with money this month and as today is a new month I will be even more careful. I learnt a few things last month and made quite a few mistakes with regard to saving myself cash. Transforming your whole life and the way you think doesn't happen over night though and as long as i'm making some chnges and progress then i'm happy with that. I'll post a few photos that i've taken over the last few days that I managed to take even though I didnt get to post them.  First two are the snow. Well obviously. It has mostly gone now except for the patches against the drystone walls and at the sides of the road where it was ploughed to make a road through. Saying that, it has been snowing again this morning just small light flakes. Dont think it will amount to much though hopefully. I still haven't dared to plant anything in my greenhouse due to the very cold weather.

Here is my lovely cosy fire, thank heavens for it the past few weeks!

 Random pic of my favourite mug. Just love the little mouse on the side. I bought this mug last summer from Boscastle in Cornwall. I went there with my son while I was visiting him in Devon. It was handmade by Roger the potter who has a studio in Boscastle. Everything was ruined when they had the tragic floods years ago and had to be rebuilt. Reminds me of a lovely summer and of how I was brave and well enough to go!

 Heres my Easter baking efforts. I made the first cake as a gift for my elderly neighbours. He is lovely and lets my dog out during the day while im at work. In the summer I always make him a cup of tea and a slice of cake if I see him pottering in his garden. The second 2 were for grandaughters party.

Right im off to put some washing in. A womans work is never done even if they are ill. ( No violins please!)

Take care all and if I have anything to report I will come back and blog later.

Jules x

Sunday again, where has the weekend gone? And I had an extra day off too! Today I woke up to it snowing yet again. This time it was only light but very windy and was blowing it all over the place. Our lane however was a solid block of ice. Thank goodness for the bags of grit we bought last year. After cooking hubby a breakfast, packing his sandwiches, making him a flask of coffee and having the on/off debate as to whether the 2 slices of lemon meringue would survive the journey in a tupperware box inside his rucksack off he went. Phew!! So I tidied up and ran the hoover over, put some washing in the dryer and then sat down with a coffee and a couple of slices of toast. Luxury! I then decided to visit my mum as it hasn't been fit for her to go out with the snow. She wanted to go shopping so out we went and got in mums car. Big problem though as it was skidding all over the drive. So we put salt down, sprayed de-icer on the lumps of ice and I got a shovel and chopped away at slices of it. Eventually with a good push from me and lots of revving and smoke we got off the drive. We only went to Home Bargains and this did me a favour as I was going to go on Wednesday to do my monthly shop. I buy all my toiletries and cleaning products from here unless there is something that is cheaper at Tesco or Sainsburys. I also buy teabags, foil and cling film, spices, juice, curry sauce and other sauces and toilet rolls and wipes. Total spend for the month was £48 which I didn't think was bad. I have ordered a shop from sainsburys that is £80 and so that leaves me £82 for the rest of the month for meat and fruit and veg. Think I can manage that just about. Going to the abbatoir on Friday and usually spend £40 so thats £42 for fruit, veg, bread and milk. Trying to keep my food spend for the month to about £200. I think that is pretty good for 4 adults and that includes lunches. Tonight I made a quiche with left over bit and bobs plus my tomato from the veg shop yesterday and I also made a few homemade chips to go with it. It was really tasty and there is a slice left for daughter and myself to take for lunch tomorrow. Not sure if we will be in work yet tomorrow as several roads in the Peak District are still closed due to snow.

Right have a good Monday folks. 4 day week for most of us I suspect so enjoy! Take care.

Jules x 

The snow here is unbelievable! Went out for a bit of shopping earlier today and as I turned into the country lane there was a road closed sign. There was however room for cars to get past so I thought I bet I can make it. Usually this road can be closed due to flooding and as I have a Freelander I have no problem. So I set off down the lane only to be met with a wall of snow that had driftes across the fields and was at least 6 feet high! So I had to do a 3 point turn and go the other way. Serves me right for being so cocky! I only went out for essentials today, a newspaper, some potatoes, 1 tomato ( I know, but I just wanted 1 large Vine tomato for my quiche tomorrow and if i'd bought more they would of been wasted), and a lemon. Actually I didn't intend to buy a lemon but we went for a coffee while we were out as I had a voucher for 2 free coffees at the local farm shop. Whilst there Hubby was drooling over the lemon meringue pie but at £2.65 for a slice I refused to buy it and promised to make one when I got home. So 1 organic lemon 35p, 2 eggs also organic from my friends chickens 10p each, sugar, flour, baking margarine and cornflour approx 80p and I have a lemon meringue for approx £1.35 with ablsolutely no additives. I also made some cakes incase we have visitors this weekend that seem to keep disappearing at an alarming rate! These were simple sponge cakes with icing and a mini egg on top. Well it is nearly Easter! Tonight we had chicken curry with the very last of the meat apart from some bacon that I bought from the local abattoir. I'm hoping to go there in the morning and restock. If not I will go next weekend and we will just have to either wing it or starve! I have got bacon so I could make a spicy bacon, cheese and tomato pasta and also a quiche. I also have vegetables, noodles and a jar of satay sauce so I cam make a stirfry. Last but not least if I get really desperate there is a box of cod fishfingers lurking somewhere is the freezer that hubby had me buying because he fancied fishfinger butties but we never got around to having them. We could have these with some homemade chips and i'm sure I have a tin of mushy peas at the back of the cupboard somewhere. I'm really looking forward to my time off work for Easter. I want to really get stuck into decluttering, sorting and reassesing things. Will post you a few pics of what i've cooked today and also my garden in the snow. You will see how deep the snow is on my garden table. Must be about 4". Have a good Sunday everyone. I'm going to visit my mum in the morning then maybe my brother. Think if I get chance I will call in to see how my grandaughter is too. I'm going to take her to the Wacky Warehouse for her birthday and treat her and her mum to lunch next weekend. I've also promised that we can have a picnic indoors with her and my nephew and niece next Sunday which is her birthday. Heaven help my carpets!!

Take care,
Jules x

Well where has all this snow come from? At least I got to get a day off work as the roads were too dangerous to get there. I work in the Peak District so when it snows it really snows! So what have I done with my day? Well I didn't go back to bed which was my first thought. I did several loads of washing to put on the radiator as I knew I would have to have the heating on all day with the girls being at home too. I went to the local shop for essentials then I visited my poorly grandaughter. Poor little thing had been up all night coughing. Mum was worn out too and despite me offering to bring grandaughter home with me to give her a rest she wouldn't let me bless her. Shes a great mum. After this I took the mad cocker across the fields for a walk. He loves the snow but even he was glad to get home. It was absolutely freezing and blowing a gale. The snow was blowing across the fields and causing huge snow drifts. It was so windy that it was almost impossible to walk in it. My face is still red from being out in it.

I decided to get my housework done so I could have the whole weekend free. After I had finished cleaning I cooked some pasta for lunch and made a sauce for it with half a carton of sweet chilli philadelphia and some mushrooms, onions and left over gammon. It was delicious and I will definately be making it again. This afternoon I baked some cupcakes and iced them then decorated with mini eggs. For tea I defrosted some minced beef and then slow cooked it with some peas, sweetcorn, leeks, carrot and swede. I thickened it to make a gravy then made a suet pastry crust for it and baked it. It was really tasty. We had it with some homemade chips. I can really recommend putting a suet top on pies. The kids enjoyed it and asked if I could make it again. So it was a result and very cheap. I haven't got very much meat left now from the abbatoir and think I will need to visit when I get paid on Wednesday. I may see if I can afford to go Sunday if I can. I think I have 2 lots of bacon and one pack of chicken breast left. I could make a curry, a quiche and a pasta dish with those but that will only take me to monday evening so I will have to do some shopping to tide me over this weekend. I'll put you a picture of my back garden on in the snow earlier today. Its snowing really hard again now. Just hoping that the girls get home safe. One has gone to the local pub with her friend and the other is in Manchester at a Johnny Marr concert. I won't settle until I know they are both home safe.

Lets hope there's no more tomorrow as I've things to do!!!

Take care everyone, Jules x

Evening everyone. First an apology. I just didn't get chance to write a post last night. got invited to mums for tea and felt obliged to stay for a while after. As it is staff meeting on a Tuesday this meant that I was already late getting home. When I finally got home I felt shattered. Think it was all that paperwork, emails and phone calls. Anyway I've had a lovely day today as I was at a basketball tournament all day. Had a bit of a nightmare with the team I took out though. Firstly one of the lads was grounded at school due to poor behaviour, then my best player got injured on the court halfway through the second game and so spent the rest of the day with an ice pack on his knee. At one point my team consisted of 4 asthmatics and a lad whose had a major heart op a few years ago.  I don't know who was more frustrated, me or the poor lad with the ice pack on his leg. I had to smile when at one point things got so bad that the lad i'd taken as a reserve was the star player!! So thats my day. Lets see what swimming brings tomorrow lol.
Been to the supermarket tonight but only bought what I went in for and no impulse buys. And i've cut hubby down to one newspaper a day now. He is proving hard to convince about a lot of money saving ideas though which I find frustrating as i'm trying my very best to save the money. I'm going to sit him down over the Easter holidays and make him look at things with me. Hopefully this will help. Wish me luck!
Not been too bad today with the agoraphobia considering we were not in school and it is a very large venue. I do feel like I am getting a little bit better if I dare to say it. Onwards and upwards I hope.
I'm going to spend a day decluttering all the house over the holidays, well maybe i'm being a tad optomistic there so probably more realistically it will be two. Also want a day to sort out all finances and do an inventory of freezer and food cupboards. That way I can use things up and restock. I have got some paint that I may decorate the bedroom with but got to get hubby paint the ceiling for me first as I still have a few problems with my shoulder and daren't do it. Think I will be ok with the walls though. I'm not going to bother with changing the curtains and duvet covers as they match and there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. Gone are the days when I would just change things for the sake of it.
Hope you all have a good day tomorrow everyone.
Take care,
Jules x