Saturday 20th January 2018

Bargains – Boots Discount Codes | 50% off | boots.com & Cotton Traders Discount Code | 50% off | cottontraders.com & Ribble Cycles Discount Code | 10% off | Ribble Cycles Discount & Wallis Discount Code | 60% off | wallis.co.uk & La Redoute Discount Code | 40% off | laredoute.co.uk & Garden Plants For Sale | 50% off | gardenbargains.com

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday it was beautiful and this day it was cold and very wet. We went to buy the paper and then walked around the orchards. They are still grubbing some of the trees and have chopped a lot of the breaker trees. They have also put new notices up.  Nothing mattered to Ellie, she spent the time chasing rabbits and trying to get down their burrows which have huge entrances! She had plenty of exercise chasing them.

A very muddy dog by the time we arrived home. We lit the log burner straight away.

We watched Hammers in the afternoon. 

Thought for the Day – “Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers , the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.” 

Friday 19th January 2018

Bargains – Select Fashion Voucher Code | 60% off | selectfashion.co.uk & The Hut Voucher Codes | thehut.com & Cheap All Inclusive Holidays | mercury-direct.co.uk & Glasses Direct Discount Code | 50% off | glassesdirect.co.uk & Make Savings With A Coggles Discount Code And Coggle Sale & Designer Bags Sale | mybag.com

Mal decided it was time for a haircut and his barber is in Broadstairs so I dropped him off and Ellie and I went to Stone Bay. The sun was shining and it really was a glorious morning. I did chat to a guy down there who told me he has worked all over the world and yet we have some of the best beaches right here in Thanet. I had to agree and because the sun was out everyone was smiling! I must remember to smile more often, I get a bit into my head and some days forget. I must keep reminding myself as it makes me feel better.

When Mal had finished having his hair cut he joined us on the beach. From there I popped into the supermarket on the way back home and also bought some primroses for my pots. I planted them in the afternoon and Mal washed the car. The temperature started dropping quite quickly even though the sun was still out.  Log burner alight and very cosy!

 

Thought for the Day – “Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” ~ Lord Byron

Thursday 18th January 2018

Bargains – The Toy Shop Discount Code | 50% off | thetoyshop.com & Argos Kitchen Electrical Sale | 50% off | argos.co.uk & Hobbycraft Discount Code | 50% off | hobbycraft.co.uk & Made Free Delivery | £10 off | Made Voucher | made.com & Wickes Decking Boards | 25% off | wickes.co.uk & Groupon Deals Glasgow | 15% off Local Deals | groupon.co.uk

We walked Ellie in a very strong wind and then drove over to Sandwich. It is the first time we have been properly able to look at the house we want to buy . So we met the estate agent and Lou and Rhys over there. I have to say there is more needs doing to the house than we first thought as now everything is cleared out and the tenant has left, you can see all that is wrong. Some of the decking in the garden has rotted, so I guess we will redo the whole garden.I can’t say I like decking anyway.

The agent also had a problem finding the keys for the conservatory!

We made notes of everything we will need to have done. We intended having carpets fitted before we moved in but everywhere needs decorating so perhaps we will do it room by room. 

It gives us something to think about and will keep us busy which is possibly exactly what we need.

It was so nice that it was still light at 4.30! Spring is coming!

Thought for the Day – “LISTEN and SILENT are spelled with the same letters…….think about it.”

Wednesday 17th January 2018

Bargains – Check Out Just Go Holidays Special Offers For Coach Holidays & Look Fantastic Promo Code | 15% off | lookfantastic.com & Cheap All Inclusive Holidays | mercury-direct.co.uk & Gousto Discount Code | plus Free Delivery | gousto.co.uk & Find Out What Travelzoo Local Deals Are Currently Available & Snapfish Promo Code | Snapfish Offers

 

A cold and windy walk with Ellie but she loves the wind.  We saw Stu with the dogs and he told us his daughter has had an offer from Cambridge as long as she gets her grades so that was really good news. I needed that as I saw something really upsetting on the TV. It just hit a very raw nerve with me. I’ll hold on to the good news. I guess I have to learn to cope with all this. I’ll get there.
 
In the evening we went out for dinner. Things didn’t go quite as they should have done. We had a Groupon voucher for the Hop Pocket in Bossingham for a 2 course meal and a glass of wine each. We have been there before and it was very good. We were going to ring and book but checking the voucher it said there was an online link to book through, which we did. It’s not the easiest place to get to, lovely in the summer driving through the country lanes but not so good on a cold winters night going down single track lanes.
 
We arrived 5 minutes before our booking. The pub was in darkness apart from a lone light. The doors were locked! We saw a man in there eventually and knocked on the door and told him we had a booking. He said they never looked online and didn’t open the kitchen for another hour! We asked if we could go in and sit in the bar. He said we could and then disappeared. So, we sat there doing a crossword for the next half hour. Someone else came in, maybe the bar man(?) and apologised, said we still had half hour to wait for the kitchen to open, then said because of the error we could have a drink first on the house, which we did and continued with the crossword. It was also cold in there. Mal kept his coat on all the time we were there.
 
75 minutes after our arrival we were shown a blackboard “Wednesday night is pasta night”. Mal said I really don’t think that was the menu on Groupon. He then managed to find another menu. Suffice to say that the food was nowhere near as good as our last visit . Ellie did well as I took a lot of my lamb rump home for her! We won’t be going back there. We then had the drive home back along many single track lanes again. Not a very successful night.
 

Thought for the Day – “Don’t compare your life to others. There’s no comparison between the sun and the moon, They shine when it’s their time.”

Tuesday 16th January 2018

Bargains – Marks and Spencer Discount Code | 50% off | marksandspencer.com & Warner Leisure Hotels Special Offers 2018 | 50% Discount & Maplin Voucher | £10 off | maplin.co.uk & Fashion World Discount Code | 75% off | fashionworld.co.uk & This Is The Best JD Williams Sale For JD Williams Clothes & How To Choose The Best Western Hotel That Suits You The Most

The sun was out and so we took Ellie to Minnis Bay. It was a good thing that I keep spare hats, scarves and gloves in the car. The sun may have been out but the wind was bitter. Of course it didn’t stop Ellie going in the sea. She loves it and then rolling in the stinking seaweed!

I was so cold at the end of the walk, I guess because so many other dog walkers stopped to talk. One lady kept her pointer on the lead as he was so lively he knocked her over last year and broke the owners leg! She is evidently the third person down there this has happened to in the past year , different dogs I hasten to add. I never knew dog walking was so dangerous!

We then dropped Ellie off at home and went to the skip hire place where we get the fire wood. The guys are so nice down there and even helped Mal load some wood into the car! All for free too. That kept Mal occupied for the afternoon. Lorna’s handyman came to put our french door curtain rail back up. I’m glad Mal didn’t continue trying to get it up as it took Russ 2 hours to do it!! Much cosier now the heavy curtains  are back.

Thought for the Day – “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” ~ Steve Maroboli

Monday 15th January 2018

Bargains – This Is The Last Stop For A Debenhams Plus Discount Code & How To Use An Allbeauty Discount Code To Save Money & AX Paris Discount Code | axparis.com & Groupon Deals Glasgow | 15% off Local Deals | groupon.co.uk & Mankind Discount Code | mankind.co.uk & Joules Discount Code | 20% off | joules.com

 
 I worked at Demelza and it was the worst day, as far as the money we took, since I have been there. I guess the weather didn’t help as it was pouring with rain and windy. 
 
As usual on Mondays Mal had dinner ready for me when I arrived home.

Thought for the Day – “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunday 14th January 2018

Bargains – The Hut Voucher Codes | thehut.com & Maplin Voucher | £10 off | maplin.co.uk & Expedia Sale | 40% off | expedia.co.uk & Make Savings With A Coggles Discount Code And Coggle Sale & Designer Bags Sale | mybag.com & Groupon Deals Glasgow | 15% off Local Deals | groupon.co.uk

 

We took Ellie out and then headed over to Lou and Rhys’s as Lou was going out with her trainer (Rhys) to run her first 15 miles, in her 7th week of training for the Brighton Marathon. She is doing it in memory of Torin and the monies raised going to Headway. It is her first ever marathon, bless her. So, Mal and I went over to cook lunch and entertain the kids. Mal tells the kids all sorts of amazing facts and they sit their like sponges soaking it all up. They then pretended to be robots to show how complicated they must be to programme! (One had to be blindfolded), Also we have another budding chef in the family, Oscar wanted to help me cook lunch.

Lou ran her 15+ miles in 2 hours and 43 minutes.  Very good for her first longer run. She didn’t look very tired either! We are very proud of her. I hope she gets a lot of sponsors.

Thought for the Day – “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”