A Day of Retail Therapy, Part 2!

frosty leaves!
 

My daily photo was taken at about 2 pm yesterday afternoon. The frost didn't completely clear even when the winter sun had moved around to the back of the house and the ice that had frozen in a couple of containers showed no sign of thawing at all. It was -1ºc when I checked the thermometer ... definitely too cold to play outside! Today it should be slightly warmer, if you can call a high of 4ºc warm, but I have no plans to go out and will find things to do indoors to keep me out of mischief.

I am expecting the rest of the storage jars for the kitchen today so if they do arrive early enough I will make a start on that part of the kitchen re-org. I still have a couple of baskets to get but am leaving that until the jars are in place and I know exactly how much space I have left but once I have those, it'll be finished. I'll be glad to get the kitchen organising over and done with and it'll be the last but one on the list of things I've been tolerating in that part of my home. The final thing is the new oven but that's a cost issue and I need to save to get that done ... I did have the money but used it to replace the garage freezer. 

The new clothes I'd ordered arrived quite late yesterday (9:45 pm to be exact) so I'll be trying them on today. The jumper is much thicker than I was expecting it to be and looks like it might be itchy but I think the rest will be okay. Once I know which items I'm keeping I can look at placing an order with Matalan for a selection of items to mix and match them with. I desperately need some new clothes, especially now my diary is filling up with social events, and I still have 75% of the budget I set myself to spend in the January sales so I am treating myself to lots of goodies ... my wardrobe will look completely different by the time I've finished! G reminded me to look at Bonmarché so I will do as I'm told and check what they have to offer as well!

Comments

  1. The frosty leaves look very pretty! Don't think I will like those temperatures, though! Well done on the kitchen storage organizing! You are making great progress on taking care of those situations you had been tolerating! Have fun trying on your new clothes!

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    1. I did think of you when I mentioned the temperature and thought you wouldn't like it at all. It looks pretty but is also slippery so walking on frosty days like this can be a bit of a nightmare.

      I'm pleased with the progress I'm making on the tolerances, It does make a difference when I get round to sorting them out and of course it is cumulative so it is worth the effort.

      All of the clothes fitted so I'm keeping the lot! xx

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  2. Those leaves do look pretty. I had to venture out yesterday morning and it was -3ºc in the car and it took a while to defrost the car. I don't blame you for not venturing out if you don't need to. It will be good to treat yourself to some new outfits and I hope you find some good bargains too.

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    1. Defrosting the car is one of my pet hates but it can't be avoided sometimes. -3ºc is colder than here, but you do have snow don't you. It was around 4ºc for most of the day here, so colder than I like and apart from trips from the house to the garage, I stayed at home where it's warm.

      None of these items were bargains but I do like all of them so am happy with my choices. I'm looking for skirts and trousers next. xx

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  3. You will be so pleased with the new jars, I am sure. They made such a difference ion my kitchen cupboards, so much more organised.
    Good luck with the clothes try-ons and the rest of the choosing and buying. Tu (Sainsbury's) had some really nice clothes in when I looked a couple of weeks ago. too. xx

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    1. Unfortunately one of the jars was broken and I wasn't too happy with the quality of the rest so I have returned them for a refund and will choose a different brand.

      The clothes all fitted and were all a size smaller than I usually buy! I still have Sainsburys and Tesco clothes to look at, maybe next week sometime. I'm usually lucky finding something in Sainsburys so fingers crossed! xx

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  4. I am sure the economy is thanking you for helping to stimulate (lol). I have always found it rewarding to shop & get new clothes especially ones that you know will go with other items in the wardrobe. I like your frosty photo :)

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    1. I'm planning to be good and send four items to the charity shop for the four items I have bought. I'll do the same when I buy other things although some of the old clothes are destined for the rag bag ... I can't see anyone else wanting them! I now need to looks for skirts and/or trousers that will match with the tops I've bought.

      Thanks re the photo. xx

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  5. ha! i am glad you got a nice warm jumper, and maybe were something that does not itch underneath. and a winter coat over top and maybe brave the cold :) We have a lot of moisture in the air here lately and every morning that husband of mine and I we do agree, -10 C comparing it to -30C still feels chilly. Yet i promise when dressed warm it is always exhilarating.

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    1. It's not so much the cold that stops me going out, it's that the roads and pavements are slippery with frost and in places, ice. I can't risk damaging my knee any more so the safest place is to be at home. We have floods at the other end of the village and the canal towpath is a mess, so easy walking close to home is also limited at the moment. xx

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  6. Bonmarche jeans have (or had) decent pockets!

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    1. Thanks. I'll have a look next time I go to town. We have a Bonmarché store in the precinct and I'm never sure what size I need with their clothes ... I'll need to try them on. xx

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  7. Lucky you, buying clothes a size down! Well done :o) We had a beautiful frost too, but can you believe my heating has conked out again? :o( It is SOOOOO cold. When I went to empty the dehumidifier in the loft, there was a layer of ice on it, which smashed all over the floor! I am bundled in two jumpers, my poncho and a blanket with a hot water bottle on my lap. I'm watching all kinds of rubbish on the TV as I can't even keep my hands out of the blanket long enough to hold a book. Brrrrr :o(

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    1. Thanks re the weight loss. It's not much but just enough to fit into the smaller size.

      No heating in these temperatures sounds completely miserable. Have you managed to find someone to fix whatever the problem is? I do hope you can get it fixed sooner rather than later. xx

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    2. I called the (new) plumber immediately and he was meant to come yesterday but rang saying he was laid up with a bad back. He talked me through getting the boiler fired up, which it did, but 10 mins later when the rads were still cold I realised that that was the problem in the first place: the boiler comes on but nothing happens. I phoned again and left a message asking if there was anything else we could try, to keep me going till he is able to come and sort it out properly but he hasn't phoned back yet. I'm getting fed up with being cold and eking out the hot water. :o( It will be a week tomorrow. Everything I touch is freezing: banisters, cutlery, books... My fruit feels as if it has been in the freezer and hurts my teeth! I have a little electric blower that I have on during the day while on the computer but it costs a fortune to run, so in the evenings I bundle up as described above and try to make do. I'm regretting not having bought an oodie-like thing that I saw in M&S last month: it was essentially a really thick, quilted poncho and not overly expensive but I talked myself out of it, reasoning that as I had my poncho and dressing gown, it would end up being just another bit of clutter which rarely got used. Hrumph!
      Shut up Ella.

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    3. That doesn't sound good if the boiler is working but all the radiators are cold. I hope he gets to you soon, or at least phones with a suggestion of what you can do to sort it out. Is it possible to go and stay with your sister or parents until the heating is working again? xx

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    4. It's the same thing that happened last time and seems to be linked to a loss of pressure in the system. However I don't know why it has happened again so soon after being primed twice and having new valves fitted only 4 wks ago. When he called yesterday his intention was to talk me through putting the pressure right as a first resort, but somehow that never happened as once the boiler came on he said it must just have overheated (or thought it had) and told me how to override that if it happened again before he gets to me. Only once I had hung up I realised that a) the rads were still cold and b) it couldn't have overheated on Saturday as it had only been on for 10 mins before switching itself off. If he doesn't ring tomorrow morning I will try other people. Not ideal as I would prefer continuity rather than someone new coming in without understanding what has already been done. I am also wary of who to trust as I don't seem to have much luck (eg. with roofers etc.) and have lost so much money on jobs that needn't have been done or were incorrectly done, and people not coming back. But I can't wait indefinitely and the back issue has been bothering him on and off for a month - he only went back to work last week and is now laid up again! Maybe a friend can recommend someone and I just hope they can come soon. Sister doesn't have a spare room and although I could go to my parents I wouldn't want to, and the actual moving would be a faff anyway.

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    5. A nightmare situation for you. I do hope you can get somebody in to sort it out for you ASAP. The forecast for February is dire ... maybe buy that oodie. Primark have reasonably priced ones (well, a fleecy replica of an oodie) if you have one of their stores near you. xx

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  8. Lovely frosty photo. I hate clothes shopping. I really need new trousers but I absolutely hate buying them as they never fit right. Sounds like you got some lovely new things.

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    1. Thanks Sharon.

      I no longer enjoy clothes shopping in store in the way I used to when I was younger. I seem to be having more success with the online shopping this time and I'm pleased with this latest haul. xx

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