Year: 2016

Bargains – Monarch Cheap Flights | £29.99 | monarch.co.uk & Zavvi Voucher Codes | 10% off | zavvi.com & Wow! This Is The Best HQ Hair Discount Code Yet & Look Fantastic Promo Code | 15% off | lookfantastic.com & Mankind Discount Code | mankind.co.uk & Zavvi Discount Code | 10% off | zavvi.com

A real November day but we hadn’t realised what a bitter cold wind there was until we walked along Minnis Bay with Ellie. I keep hat/scarf/gloves in the car but didn’t realise until we were on the beach that I needed them. It was freezing. Ellie loved it with the wind in her ears and it didn’t stop her going in the sea. Coming back wasn’t quite so bad as the wind was behind us.

 

Bargains – Holland and Barrett | Free UK Delivery | hollandandbarrett.com & MandMDirect Discount Code | 85% off | mandmdirect.com & Maplin Voucher | £10 off | maplin.co.uk & Glasses Direct Discount Code | 50% off | glassesdirect.co.uk & La Redoute Discount Code | 40% off | laredoute.co.uk & Groupon Deals Glasgow | 15% off Local Deals | groupon.co.uk

Happy Birthday to Ollie who is 10 today.

I drove Mal to Sturry as although he is only working half a day, he had to go in early as HR photocopied the incorrect page of his passport! It all has to be done again! He had another very easy time and again the kids were pleased someone knew what and how to teach them!

I cleared a lot of rubbish in the garden.

In the evening we went over to Rhys’s for Ollie’s birthday celebrations. It poured with rain all afternoon and Rhys, ever the optimist, told us it would stop in time for the BBQ and fireworks. It was quite a bit later but he was right and we had the BBQ and a very good firework display. The older boys had bought enormous fireworks. I think they were competing with each other, whose was the best!  At the end of it all we had birthday cake, a really nice one that Lou had made. It was a lovely evening. We also met River’s girlfriend, Maddie, for the first time.  She seemed to enjoy herself.

This was just ONE firework! I am sure the boys had bought “display” ones.

I think we were very lucky with the weather.
Thought for the Day – “Family is the best thing you could ever wish for. They are there for you during the ups and downs and love you no matter what.”

Bargains – Buy your Sorgenfresser Worry Eaters before they sell out! & Valid Travelodge Discount Code or Travelodge Voucher Codes & Wallis Discount Code | 60% off | wallis.co.uk & Make Savings With A Coggles Discount Code And Coggle Sale & You Are Guaranteed To Be Pleased With All Sole Footwear & Designer Bags Sale | mybag.com

We took Ellie for a very long walk and met up with one of our neighbours Jo. We hadn’t seen her for quite a while. She has just returned from India where she buys a lot of her stock for her business but while she was there she managed to catch chikungunya and has been quite ill.  I have to admit that I had never heard of it before. Poor Jo, at least she is starting to improve now.

Back home and Mal received a phone call checking that he will be going back on Friday!! The teaching assistants and the kids loved him and said he made it all sound easier than anyone else ever has! No wonder they keep sacking IT teachers. At least Mal was pleased to hear it even though he knew it had gone well.

We decided to go out for lunch as we had a Groupon deal for Harvester. It was the endless salad that appealed to me! I can’t say that I have ever been to a Harvester before but this was so cheap. It was a main meal and beer/wine or soft drink. It did say on the voucher that it was a single soft drink and not refillable but the waitress told me she would give me refillable. Also Mal didn’t fancy any of the lagers on offer and they told him he could have a real ale!! We gave the waitress a big tip, she was very good. We both had half a rotisserie chicken, it was huge, so Ellie benefited from the size of it. I always have self seal plastic bags in my handbag!

Thought for the Day – “Kindness – the most valuable gift you will ever give someone.” ~ Mother Teresa

 

Bargains – How To Use An Allbeauty Discount Code To Save Money & Buy your Sorgenfresser Worry Eaters before they sell out! & Cheap Coach Tickets | Tickets for £5 | nationalexpress.com & Hertz Discount Code | 20% off & Maplin Voucher | £10 off | maplin.co.uk & Are You Looking For a Hawkins Bazaar Discount Code?

The college miraculously found Mal’s references! What a surprise. So, we were up early and I drove him to Canterbury station so he could catch the train for his first days work. Typical, this was the first morning that there was a patch of ice on the wind screen and it was a bit frosty. The work is only half a week just for a couple of weeks. Mal was excited about going as he loves teaching and I know has missed it.  It seems they have drastically changed the IT course and no one can teach it!  He has access to all the courses so has swatted up!

I had Ellie in the back of the car and so we stopped for a walk in the orchards on the way home. The most amazing sun rise.

Ellie had fun playing with the rabbits.

All went well for Mal. He said the College is in chaos. BUT he really enjoyed the day and said it was a “doddle” compared to the school he used to work at, the kids are much better and wanted to learn!
Thought for the Day – “Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning.” ~ Robert John Meehan

Bargains – Hotels.com Discount Code | 50% off | hotels.com & Argos Kitchen Electrical Sale | 50% off | argos.co.uk & Look Fantastic Promo Code | 15% off | lookfantastic.com & Wallis Discount Code | 60% off | wallis.co.uk & Cheap All Inclusive Holidays | mercury-direct.co.uk & Bon Marche Sale | 50% off | bonmarche.co.uk

It was quite a misty morning as we took Ellie out. It was very autumnal with the leaves actually falling around us like rain. We were also slightly lost in the woods because the recent leaf drop has covered the path we usually take.  You can see the leaves falling in the first photo.

As we walked past Rose Cottage, Jude and Rod were out in their garage pressing apples. They have now managed to pick all from their close by land, just have another couple of acres to do. They were telling us just how much it costs for the bottles and packaging, a horrendous price but they like making the apple juice every autumn.

I then went to Westwood to buy fireworks. It is Ollie’s birthday on Friday and so Rhys is doing a BBQ and we are having fireworks and Rhys has asked that everyone take one firework!  I think the two I have bought are suitably large even though I hate the things unless it is an organised display!

Mal should have started working today but they phoned late last night to say they had not received his references. Mal checked and they had been sent. Not a good start by them!

 

Thought for the Day – “Strong people don’t put others down…..they lift them up.” ~ Michael P Watson

Bargains – Cheap Hotel Deal | up to 50% off | laterooms.com & This Is The Last Stop For A Debenhams Plus Discount Code & Zavvi Voucher Codes | 10% off | zavvi.com & TKMaxx Shoes, Handbags, Dresses and Boots | tkmaxx.com & Debenhams Flowers Discount Code | Bunch of Flowers | £5 off & Find Out How To Get Blossoming Gifts At The Lowest Prices

I have offered to be a volunteer at Demelza’s charity shop in Canterbury. Demelza’s is one of the lesser known charities, hospice care for children. Today was my first day. As I was in Canterbury it was also a good day to leave my car at the garage to have a new clutch fitted. I left home quite early as I remember from the days when I previously worked in Canterbury, just how horrendous the traffic into the city can be.  I dropped the car off and as it was still quite early I walked into the city.

The shop is fairly central and as such, horrendous rent and overheads. So, they have to take a lot of money to cover costs.

It does get busy which meant the day went by very quickly. Lovely people work in the shop and we did have a lot of fun as well as getting things done. Mal’s prediction is that I will be coming home with much of the stock. I was very good and only bought a pair of lovely girlie curtains with black out linings for Josie for a fiver. They have never been used. It stuns me the things people donate that have never been used/worn. I guess it was a good day to start as lots of customers were coming in for Halloween costumes and we sold them all! Jack, the assistant manager (Manager’s day off on Monday) said it was the highest takings for a Monday since the shop had opened which he said meant I could never leave!! I have to say I really enjoyed the day.

Mal met me when I finished work and we took a taxi back to the garage to collect my car. All done with a new clutch.

Thought for the Day – “No one has ever become poor from giving.” ~ Anne Frank

 

Bargains – Matalan Sale Online | 50% off | matalan.co.uk & Hotels.com Discount Code | 50% off | hotels.com & Last Minute Voucher Code | 30% off Sale | lastminute.com & Make Savings With A Coggles Discount Code And Coggle Sale & You Are Guaranteed To Be Pleased With All Sole Footwear & Designer Bags Sale | mybag.com

Halloween is only a day away and everywhere you go now there are pumpkins for sale and each year it is becoming more and more commercialised. We even drove past a farm yesterday where they were selling 6 pumpkins for £10! We had 2 for the twins but didn’t find time to carve them as we were out most of the time so we sent them home with them. I wonder how many people realise originally turnips were used.

Out for our walk and it really was quite misty.

Mal spent the morning at his allotment and brought lots of goodies back, including a squash and I used some to make spicey squash soup.

Hammers didn’t do very well in their game in the afternoon.

Thought for the Day – “A child can teach an adult three things; to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” ~ Paulo Coelho