Hello there – it seems a while since I was here in my little space and I can’t even remember now where I have got to so apologies if what I say here has already been said once.
You might have guessed I have been busy – what’s new!
We had a weekend at home and to ourselves – if I remember we were both in the garden and I also did a few more cards – but more about that later.
This week began with our usual shopping trip on Monday, first into town for a few bits and pieces and then round to the big Sainsbury’s on the ring road for the weekly food shopping.Ā I say bits and pieces which they were individually but the cost collectively was surprisingly a bit much for one day.
I went to Primark first to look at jackets.Ā I have a brilliant hooded jacket I bought from Primark for Ā£6 in 2004 when we bought the cottage.Ā It is so useful in the garden in Scotland – an all-weather coat – it has a light waterproof nylon fabric on the outside, so no bits of vegetation or the like sticks to me, with a warm fleece lining and the hood is small so doesn’t blow off with the first puff of wind – absolutely necessary when you live by the sea.Ā It is still going strong after many washes.
The reason I want to find a similar jacket is because I have recently taken to bringing it back down home with me to wear in the garden here but I know the day will come when I will forget to pack it when we go up to the cottage and so I thought it would be a good item to duplicate.Ā I looked in the ladies section of Primark but their lightweight duvet style jackets have no hoods and are very fitted; then just as we were leaving I noticed the men’s display ah ha …idea….I went to the men’s section and they had a perfect one with a hood and just a little bit more roomy which is much better for gardening.Ā I came away with the extra small but I will need to go back and change it for the small size for a little bit more ease so I can wear a thick jumper underneath should I need to!Ā Ā Cost – a cosy Ā£15
Then across to Wilkos to look in the gardening section for Tomato food to feed both the bulbs and the tomatoes (when I get them sown) – it was much cheaper here than anywhere else at Ā£3.25. 
On the way I noticed (as you do) a white Dicentra for Ā£2 hung in the packaged bulbs display – I was tempted as I have wanted one for the garden at home for a long time but in the garden centre the plants are Ā£10 which I thought a bit steep.Ā I bought one and have planted it in the garden but I am doubtful about it growing as it just looked like a bag full of dry peat but I thought for the price I would give it a go – I also treated myself to a white indoor plant pot for Ā£2.
Before leaving the store I had a rummage in the crafts section as they have a lovely range of inexpensive Easter crafts to keep the kids busy. I came across these garden signs for Ā£2 which will be useful for the Easter egg hunt we intend to do for the children at the party on Easter Sunday, weather permitting of course and, for Libbie, a sew your own felt chicken Easter basket Ā£1.50.
I then popped into the Works as I had a Ā£0.50p voucher and wanted to buy some polystyrene eggsĀ – ten for Ā£0.50p with the voucher – I have an idea to cover them in printed tissue papers for Easter decorations for the party.Ā It goes against the grain to buy polystyrene but I will be keeping them for a long time to reuse – had I got more time I would have done some hand painted real eggs – but that will be another year.Ā I also bought a pack of stronger dowels to attach the garden signs to for Ā£1.Ā The bamboo basket in the photo above was a great find in Sainsbury’s for Ā£2.50.
The final stop was one of our local independent whole food / health shops – I often alternate between the two as I like them both and would hate to see either of them close down.Ā I prefer them to Holland and Barret as they sell more organic foods and are often cheaper.Ā Here I bought Almond oil which I use as a face cleanser and for massage, my high dose Solgar Vitamin D capsules, some Omega 3 oils and two packs of Kalo tomato stock cubes for the soup and to add flavour to rice – a grand ‘sit down’ total of Ā£39.03.
The food shopping was pretty normal and came in a bit cheaper than usual at Ā£52.38 this included a few extra salad bits and some nice breads for the lunch I prepared today for my sister and brother-in-law when they called in on their way up north.
I made sure to carefully whiz past the clothes and magazines – but I did buy these.
I bought myself one for my desk at the beginning of the year and I love it (see here).Ā Now you might be wondering what I would want with five more calendars that are all for this year especially now we are in April…..well I had another idea ( I think they must have put something in the water recently!!)…. Sainsbury’s had reduced them down to Ā£2.10 and the metal stands which are gold or black are very sturdy and allow you to remove each calendar page by unscrewing the little nuts – my idea is to keep the stands and attach my own version of next years calendars using photos DH and I take throughout the year and give them as presents to my friends at Christmas.
It could well be a gift that keeps on giving because you can use the stands over and over again so in following years I could keep giving a new set of calendar pages toĀ my friends to fix onto their stands.Ā Each year I might choose photos of a different theme such as seaside, towns, gardens etc.
Did I mention last week I bought this cardboard Peter Rabbit egg from an old-fashioned sweet shop in Saltburn.Ā I then bought a Ā£1 Cadbury’s chocolate Easter egg and my idea is to remove the wrapper and decorate with little iced flowers and Libbies name to put inside.Ā If the chocolate egg is in two halves then I will put some of those tiny shell coated eggs inside.
So as you can see I am full of ideas – oh and they don’t stop thereĀ – oh no – nothing that simple – somehow I am now doing the 40th birthday cake for my SIL’s (son in-law) party on Easter Sunday …..mmmm…how did that happen…..retirement – exactly what is that??
A day of dazzling ideas and bargain buys. x
Before I go welcome to my new followers.Ā I will be back with more on my craft cards, the March Tally, the cottage update and a host of other things.
I wrote at the beginning of March that we were beginning to lose that cold nip in the air…. but here at the beginning of April we have it back again and a possibility of snow.Ā Really isn’t it Spring now?Ā …..well it has hailed once or twice here and covered the grass with icy crystals.Ā March was certainly a busy month …I would even say a ‘far too’ busy month, and if I didn’t achieve all my intentions then it wasn’t for the lack of trying.Ā It is always a shorter condensed month at home when we spend some time in Scotland and usually I have to roll over some things I had intended to do.
…and the lower drawer that contains anything money related – current receipts, card readers, some left over travel money and cheque books (that are rarely used now). 
I hope you can tell these are the ‘after’ photos as I had a big clear out and only put back the items that are frequently used.Ā Any infrequently used items have now been moved into the craft cupboard in one of those sectioned A4 storage boxes and the older household receipts are in a box file on the shelving unit.
Moving on to the craft items my first task was to sort through the mass of ribbons I had collected over the years.Ā I had a stack of narrow ribbon hanger loops that are used to keep garments on the hangers in shops and I always cut them off – they are perfect for using on cards and tags and I have tied them up into neat bundles by colour range.
I still have to sew the little knitted jumper together before I can finish knitting the hood.Ā I think I would have done it sooner if I felt I knew what I was doing – but ready or not I will have to have a go.
The cards turned out quite well – they are not great works of art but they have reduced my pile of decorative papers and blank cards and will save me money on buying them – so a win win situation.
On Shrove Tuesday I made savoury pancakes stuffed with leeks and mushrooms and baked in a cheese sauce.Ā This year to save money I didn’t buy the buckwheat flour and used ordinary, that was a big mistake as they came out a bit too ‘claggy’ for me; the buckwheat has a better flavour and makes a less ‘gooey’ pancake more to my liking.Ā I did eat them but did not enjoy them as much. 
Mother’s day I spent the whole day gardening at home – which is just what I needed after being away so much.Ā We had easy meals –Ā just DH and I togetherĀ – so for me this was a perfect day.Ā We had a visit in the evening from my elder daughter who lives locally and brought the beautiful bouquet; the day before we had been staying at my younger daughter’s house and she gave me gardening vouchers.Ā Libbie (Little L) chose the card with the sequins – they change direction to reveal a golden heart – I will keep it for her.Ā Of course both my daughters are mothers themselves now, so I try and take a back seat so they can enjoy Mothering Sunday with their children.
Afterwards we had a change from Tissington and went instead to the nearby little village of Hartington to test out their tea room of course.Ā I bought a knitted thermal hat for Ā£4.99 in the sale at the Country Store for next winter.Ā I may need it now if it does snow.
So that was my month – full of ups and downs as most of them are but everyone managed to keep well and although the spring cleaning didn’t really get underway I am now the proud owner of an empty ironing basket;Ā the days of the ironing mountain are long gone – I am keeping up to doing a little each day and it feels so good to walk past the empty basket.Ā It has become such a habit I can now focus on something else that I wish to change.
where the journey takes me 2 