Froglet

Seconded!! It's only since I stopped being full time that I realised just how important a proper break is! Plus you've had coffee and cake and grandchildren time - that is definitely an achievement!

I'm enjoying the temperature change too Sunnyday. I have had a last minute house guest - a friend's dog so have been doing twice daily walks and really enjoying the freshness in the air - especially first thing. Zigzag - how's your mum getting on? I've been in to school for a few hours to help set classrooms up for September and have made a coffee cake - I haven't made one for ages and had a sudden taste for it - I may have eaten far too much of it. What I haven't done is any of the house sorting out that I'd planned so feel I must do some of that next week. Have a lovely weekend all!

So sorry to hear about your mum Zigzag. Sending my wishes for a good recovering.

So sorry to hear that Sunnyday. Hope it’s not as long as you’re fearing.

Hi all, I just remembered what day it is! I am currently sitting on the sofa in a darkened room (having not opened the curtains in order to keep the heat out). It definitely helps but like you both I'm not good with heat plus I'm missing seeing the daylight! I've had a lovely week - time with my niece was good, we completed 4 crochet projects between us - I was so impressed at how much she's improved since I taught her in the autumn. Apparently she and her friend at school both do crochet and sit on the field crocheting together. She doesn't recommend it as you get bits of dry grass in your wool! There's a TA at school who's helped them and showed her how to do a granny square. We had one day out and then her last day was a 'crochet day' at home. My nephew got his A-level results yesterday and did brilliantly and got into his first choice of uni. We're all very proud of him but it's also a big change coming - I think my sister is going to need some TLC when he goes. I forgot to tell you all that the week before I made my first ever strawberry jam. So this week I invited a friend round for 'afternoon tea' in my garden - I made the table all pretty and she'd brought shortbread and cakes while I made scones and lemonade and we had a lovely time catching up with each other. Next week I am continuing the sorting and clearing - including emptying the bath so the plumber can actually get to it! Have a great weekend everyone.

Good morning! I feel like I need a drum roll here... My spare room is empty and clean! Admittedly much of the 'stuff' is in the bath because I have a very small house and there was nowhere else to put it! I can't use it at the moment as the hot tap's not working - a plumber is coming in a week and a half so that's my motivation to get it emptied! I'm popping over to mum and dad's to borrow a camp bed and will then set it up to make a lovely bedroom for my 9 year old niece who is coming to stay for the first time on Sunday. I've done various bits of browsing about things to do together and some crochet will definitely be on the agenda as I taught her how when I stayed last autumn and she's going to do some baking as we're going to invite granny and grandpa for tea and she's doing pudding! Once her visit is over I'm going to continue with sorting and maybe even start decorating the spare room - or at the very least visit B&Q!

My timetables aren't detailed - I just split the day into 1/2 or 1 hour chunks and allocate a task or two to that slot. I've found that planning to do the same thing for more than 2 hours inevitably fails but I give my permission to stop after the allocated time even if the task isn't completely finished and I make sure that I plan in 'down time' too. So the other day I had something like 11 - 1.00 sort spare room, 1.00 - 2.00 lunch/reading, 3.00 - 4.00 ironing/tidy living room etc. Sometimes if I'm really procrastinating I set my timer for 15 minutes and just do a task for that long. Mainly because I'm not really on Facebook and the whole idea intimidates me!! 😆 I just accidentally discovered an old episode of Bake Off where they were making Viennese whirls - now I want to bake something...

Thanks for that - I'll look them up.

I still have a TDL although it doesn't have school stuff on it so often. I am still a master at procrastination and today resorted to writing myself a timetable so that I actually got something done. My spare room is making slow progress although I still seem to have a ridiculous amount of stuff. I have various bits to get rid of but even the charity shops in town are disappearing now and I have no idea where to take the 'too good to throw in the bin' things!

That's not nice at all Zigzag. Rest assured - if I ever come to stay I am the kind of person who tries to leave a place even neater than it was when I arrived! I've just been browsing places in Northumberland for a September getaway - no luck so far!

I’m glad you countered Sunnyday and that it seems to be going somewhere - fingers crossed it speed up a little. Quiet week here too - lots of late mornings. I have got myself a new phone and I think have sorted out all the things I need to on it so I’m feeling quite proud of myself. I’ve got on with knitting my new socks but have done nothing on the spare room. My niece arrives in a week so I need to get going on sorting it! Other than that no current plans for next week!

Sorry to hear about the house sale Sunnyday, hope it resolves itself soon. Have a lovely lunch on Sunday. I finished for the summer yesterday so today I'm having a lazy day - I didn't think I would be as tired only working part time but I am definitely sleepy. No particular plans coming up. My niece is coming to stay in a couple of weeks so I need to research some things to do with her and also sort out my spare room so she has somewhere to sleep! I also need to try to sort out a new mobile which I hate doing - I get very stressed trying to understand all the terminology and tend to keep a phone until it is no longer useable - that's just about where I'm at now so needs must! There's a few films and plays I want to go and see but also want to wait a couple of days until I'm less tired - I think a darkened room would have me snoozing all too quickly! Have a lovely weekend all.

You know it's been a good day in Early Years when... you're still getting sand out of your shoes 3 hours after the children have gone home! I've worked lots this week doing extra days and so on, I'm tired but we have had some lovely times. I have been fed many many 'milkshakes/icecreams/soups' from our seaside cafe and we had an amazing time creating a siphon using tubing to water the plants. End of year 'do' tomorrow - it's starting early afternoon so I'm contemplating a visit to Waterstones as part of my own end of year treat. After that 3 or 4 more days to go next week then I'm done. Congratulations on finishing Louby and all you others enjoy your weekend plans!

I'm with you on the heat Sunnyday! How lovely that you are able to go to see your granddaughter's performance - hope all goes well. I also love that advice from your MIL, I think I might try to adopt it as my own guidance. I have had a busy Friday so far - friends coming for dinner tonight (we first worked together nearly 20 years ago and still get together semi regularly for food and a catch up. I've tried to plan a menu that is light and doesn't involve too much hot cooking so I've roasted some mediterranean veg to have with chickpeas, will do a lemon couscous, a simple tomato salad, houmous, tzatziki and flatbreads and lemon mousse for pudding. I've cubed a load of watermelon and put it in the fridge for a starter. Now the cooking bit is done I'm going to get on with the cleaning. I have to say it's so lovely to be able to do this when I haven't spent the day at work. I love hosting but I have never managed to leave work at a sensible time and it was always a manic rush! Other than that I'm planning a quiet weekend mostly inside where it's marginally cooler! Take care everyone.

That was exactly what someone at school suggested. I think I'm probably just being a bit careless and was also tired (less sleep 'cos of the heat). Mostly just feel a bit daft!