Final countdown! 5 more sleeps

I am in my final count down before I move! This is the last ever Monday that I will come to work from Matt’s Mums house and I will never spend another weekend there again!

After our mammoth packing fest over the bank holiday and then my back playing up (a mixture of pulled muscle and stress as I found out) we failed at packing last weekend…. In actual fact I’m pretty sure we did nothing all weekend.

This weekend however we were fully aware that this was it and all the last bits and pieces had to be done and we were in full packing mode. We cleaned the upstairs room out, took 10+ bin bags up the tip and packed everything but the bits and bobs we need for the week ahead! I am feeling bare today with no necklace on!

I’ve been on a bargain hunting mission. Most the items I have bought have been on offers or some I even got for free! My barging hunting ways started on the 26^th December (well actually I did get some bits before then too) but in that week between Christmas and New Year’s I got my WHOLE collection of Christmas decorations around 75% off. In House of Fraser alone I think I got about £80 worth of stuff for about £17. I did get rather carried away and I have MORE than enough stuff now to kit my new flat out. I also got a really nice tree for about £35 reduced from £70 odd. I wish I have documented a little better what I got but on the plus side I think it will be a great surprise when I open all the boxes again and get the decorations out!  I also got myself plates and glasses and towels.. and I got a lovely bedding set from Debenhams, that was half price (£70 - £35)

These last few weeks though I have had to really splash some cash on things that to be honest with you are rather boring buys, but essential to everyday life. I am particularly proud of some of my bargains. I have learnt that shopping around means you can get some really high quality pieces are really low prices, and in one case I didn’t pay anything!

My clothes airier, this was annoying me as they were considerably more expensive that I thought! Matt had seen the one below and wanted it, but it was £20 and I said it was too much. However I then noticed Tesco was doubling up their Clubcard vouchers so I thought I would get one with that and I then noticed it was 20% off! I got that and an airier for the radiators. I paid nothing! And spent £10.50 of clubcard vouchers so I was more than pleased!

Pans were something we wanted to upgrade. We had a look round and found in Robert Dyas a Salter pan set for £59.99 reduced to £24.99. Very pleased with these they seem like great quality pans and are ceramic.

I managed to get an ironing board on offer for £12 but was advised to spend a little more on an iron, so I picked out a Morphy Richards Turbosteam Iron which was half price and cost £25 from Debenhams.

We needed new bedside tables and I got two that were listed as never used just sat in a spare room so I got those for £48 which I was very pleased with! And we picked up a second hand solid wood chest of drawers for £50.

I also got a Wok reduced from £25 to £7.50 and some kitchen utensils as well which saved a few pounds on as well as other things I have managed to save the odd pound here and there. I think it is well worth having a good shop around and starting in advance so you have time to wait a see if a bargain will come up! I also got some pillows for £12 instead of £40 and I order a few bits from Debenhams and I got a £5 gift card when I collected my items so I used that on certain things too!

I think I have saved myself a tidy sum of money! It is really helpful working in a town centre. The weather has been so naff lately that I have been happy to wonder around looking for said bargains!

Now the deadline date is looming so closely! 5 more sleeps and then a whole week off. We plan on going and signing the paper on Saturday for around 9am, and then back to mine to load up the van and get moving. Saturday night will be the first night in our new flat and I am so excited!

To end of a cheery note, I have wanted a little backpack for some time. I dislike bags greatly and I find them annoying, they get in my way and they can make my back worse. I only like using tiny ones, but  our trip to London on the bank holiday week proved that I needed something a tad bigger because I couldn’t fit all my belongings in it such as my glasses case… but bring a bigger bag and my back aches and I get exceptionally annoyed. Since going to France last year I’ve wanted a backpack handbag. I love my backpacks but find them far too big, so I found this mini one and it is JUST PERFECT!. I got this in the Debenhams sale. I paid £35 reduced from £49 and it is real leather.

From Debenhams, Mantaray bag. 

I cannot wait to use it properly and get some better photos of it! I probably shouldn’t of bought it as I am moving but I sold some old bits on eBay that more than covered the price of it! It is just the perfect size for all my essentials for a day out! 

Have a lovely week and the next time I update will most likely be of my lovely new flat! EEEEE I DO hope this week goes quickly!

Long bank holiday weekend!

So we have a date the 13^th June. I got an email through a week ago today that it would be available from the 11^th June. We were hoping to get in on the 12^th, I had planned on taking a half day and heading off to pick up and Matt and get the keys. Alas they are unable to do it then, so 9am Saturday 13^th June (which my grandma will be happy about as she keeps telling me it is unlucky to move on a Friday) is when we will move!

This weekend I had 5 days off in total. I had booked some time off as we were going to a gig in London on the Wednesday, but we started really packing and getting bits for the moved. I spent a fair amount of money this weekend on bedside tables, washing basket, iron, pans etc… all the bits I could think you need to have. I got some pretty good deals too. I didn’t realise how much work it takes to move. I think 9 years of us living in one tiny room means we have crammed so much stuff into every nock and cranny that was in there… We have thrown over 10 bin bags of stuff away. I think I took about 8 bin bags to the dump this weekend, including two big A3 printers. It’s such a shame to see a lot of this stuff go, but I of the attitude at the moment of if you can’t think of a time you will use it, then it goes.

We have filled my Grandma’s garage and its spilling into her spare rooms’ haha! It will only be for 2 more weeks. I can’t believe it is this close I am so excited, however at the same time I seems so bloody far away.

Other than packing and more packing and generally being exhausted and eating ice cream everyday… I had two nice days.

The first was Saturday and a trip to Brighton with my Grandma! We got some bits she wanted and did a bit of shopping, had fish and chips and an ice cream by the beach and we took her first selfie haha!

Wednesday was the day I was really looking forward to. After all the hard work of packing I was looking forward to a day of relaxing. We headed off to London about midday. I had my new dress on and felt very swish and summery. The weather was stunning and to make the most of my travel card we went to forever 21 first to return something and then the natural history museum. We did the dinosaurs which was very cool and headed off for dinner at Pizza Express. That was a lovely meal I really enjoyed that..

The gig started at 7:30pm at 100 Club on Oxford Street. It was a tiny venue but really nice, had a nice atmosphere. The support band was…. Let’s just say not to my taste at all. Astronautalis came on about 9pm and he was fantastic. The reason I started to listening to him was because of his stage presence when he supported Tegan and Sara and he hasn’t lost any of that. I didn’t know many songs as I have a few favourites I tend to stick to, but it’s made me want to listen and get to know more now!

It was my first gig with Matt for YEARS! And I really enjoyed it.

Now I cannot wait to for the next two weeks to come and go. I imagine it will go quickly this whole year has done so far! Fingers crossed all goes well.

Happy Thursday all…. And have a fab weekend. 

Moving house update...none boo!

So not much has moved forward after the excitement of putting down a holding deposit!

I was hoping things would go quickly and we would have some more news, but alas it has been a slow process. I chased on Thursday and had to give my manager a nudge to send off my reference, but on the plus side I found out that we have passed the credit checks and everything else. So now it is full steam ahead and just waiting for a date.

We started to pack at the weekend. We have so much to sort out its silly! We wanted to make a start as soon as possible so we weren't going to be in a mad crazy rush at the end. I am glad we did. I would say we have done a quarter maybe a third of the room. We have packed 3 big boxes and I have 3 bin bags of soft toys. We however got rid of 4 bags of soft toys and about 4-5 bin bags of rubbish and a huge box of CD’s and unwanted DVD’s. It is a nice feeling to just get rid of so much stuff and so much clutter.

This coming weekend is the bank holiday. I plan on taking my Grandma to Brighton for a day out on Saturday. After that we are off work until Thursday, we have a gig to go to on the Wednesday but Sunday-Tuesday I think we could get LOADS of stuff sorted and start storing some boxes at my Grandma’s. I am hoping to get a MASSIVE chunk done this weekend. I would say we have thrown away more than we kept which is definitely a good start.

With the crazy rush of trying to get the flat and the excitement it has all died down now, things are much calmer and I have some more time to think. I am still so excited though and I cannot wait!

I keep picturing all the little things I will do to the place and how my things will look in there and stupid things like getting out of bed at the weekend and having breakfast and making a cup of coffee! I am hoping maybe only another 4- 5 weeks fingers crossed. 

Moving on to some general ramblings from the week,

We went and saw Mad Max Fury Road on Saturday after an exhausted day of cleaning and lugging boxes here there and everywhere… All I will say is WOWZA that film was EPIC, with a capital E! I haven’t seen the originals, but now I really really want to! Perhaps tomorrow night as I am about to pass out today. I need a good snooze.

I also had a little accident surprise surprise. I slipped in the rain on Thursday down a ramp that leads to the underground car park at my work. I fell down it and then skidded down it. These are my war wounds! 

Ouch is all i have to say! I took pictures because I think they look impressive and when you hurt yourself that much, DAMN IT you want it to look impressive :p
I had a pretty annoying limp on Friday and to be honest 5 days later it is still pretty sore!

Oh and on a good news note I got a pay rise last week. It wasn't amazing but it is better than nothing and I will get a little extra back pay this month which is PERFECT timing a little extra cash for moving out!

As I said above we have some time off this weekend and me and Matt are off to see Astronautalis live. I am pretty excited, we haven't been to a gig together for years and I saw Astronautalis live supporting Tegan and Sara years and years ago! I've been waiting for him to come and play in the UK for ages. We are going to head up to London (I will be boring and return something to Forever 21) and then we will go and maybe do a bit of shopping and the I have booked a table at Pizza Express (cause lets face it, I FREAKING LOVE PIZZA EXPRESS) and then we will walk across the road and go the gig :) So I am very much looking forward to that! 

So roll on Friday and happy Tuesday all!

New blog posts of my new journey!

So I start this with GOOD NEWS! We got the flat and put a holding deposit down hurrah! As long as the credit checks go ok and everything goes swimmingly this time next month we should be getting ready to move! Eeep it is exceptionally exciting.

I was very stressed out last week. I thought that I would know by the end of Tuesday if I was able to put down a deposit. It wasn't until Friday morning that I heard back and I excitedly put down my holding deposit!

Friday was a great day, I was in a great mood from that news and then a cider at lunch put me in a pretty jolly mood for the rest of the day! I then got home and the Friday before I had won a competition from Punky Pins and my necklace and collar clips had arrived as well as my Mumford and Sons album.

We filled out our forms and Saturday morning we headed off to Redhill to hand in our forms for the flat. We weren't in a great mood, I was stressed from trying to sort out car insurance and I have no idea why Matt was annoyed. We handed in the forms and then got Matt some lunch ate that in the car and on the way home I swung in to look at a second hand furniture store.

We were hoping not to need a new bed, but it looked like we would need to get one…. Our current one is quite mouldy, the slats keep snapping and it’s ripped holes in the carpet! It’s annoying as the bed is only about 2 years old! We went into the store had a good look around; I had no plans on buying anything just to get some ideas. Upstairs there were lots of beds, most looked in good condition but used (curled up corners and bobbling etc.) However in the corner there was a Divan 4 draw base and mattress. The thing looked almost perfect, and there were even strikers still on it. There was absolutely no sign of wear on it, only a few marks that looked like it gained from getting it into the warehouse! I had been looking at getting a base and that worked out at around £200-£300 for a cheap one with 2-4 draws…. I was however a little put off with the fact that it was a the cheapest I could find. One thing I have learnt is cheap beds are not always a good idea they tend to fall apart.

We noticed the bed was a ‘Sealy’ bed and we looked that up. It is a well-known brand and their beds vary between £500-£1,500! It’s a long going brand and is sold everywhere! There however was no tag in and we worried it had been sold… BUT SUCCESS it hadn't and then the even better news……. It was £95! £95 for what looked like an almost new Sealy divan 4 draw bed! We were so excited and few phone calls to my folks and then my grandma, we bought it! Took a trip home in the car with the draws and then 2 more trips in my Dad’s van but we got it back and it is now sitting in my Grandma’s garage. I am SO SO PLEASED with this find and that’s ones big expense that is now sorted out.

So my Saturday disappeared in the blink of an eye, I didn’t even have time for any lunch. We then went to see the film ‘Big Game’… it was awful…. So so bad I’m not even going to write about.

Sunday my sister talked me into going to ‘Cowpie’ which was a farming event! I sorted out my car insurance (which I am NOT HAPPY WITH AT ALL! It’s gone up!) and I popped round to see my Aunt and me and Sarah went to the Cowpie…. I actually ended up having a wonderful time and wish we had gone a bit earlier as it was a BEAUTIFUL day and there was so much to do! I took a few photos….

Sunday was quite relaxed compared to Saturday, although I think it went even quicker. We enjoyed ice creams while watching ferret racing, looked at craft stalls and went and looked at lots of farm animals… my highlight was that I got to hold a tortoise!

Next weekend I think we need to start to sort out all our junk. I may possibly take my Grandma to Brighton as we were meant to go this Saturday but she was unwell. Worked out well or we wouldn’t of found the bed! Other than that we are under even stricter MUST SAVE EVERY PENNY RULES! Every little counts towards us moving…. The flat is available a month today (11^th June) but now they are going to re-carpet the place so I think we will be looking at either the 20^th or the 27^th June or around there. I am hoping maybe even 4^th July because that means I can save a little extra money before we move in… and hey it’s only an extra week or two to wait… I’ve waited about 4 years so far!

I am hoping this week goes nice and quickly and maybe I will continue to be blessed with this good fortune I have had recently! Have a lovely week all.