April Fools!

Hi Pink

How is your job going ? Still loving it ?

@adam123 Thank you Adam. Much appreciated for your continued support on here 💙.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

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Day 245.

Another good week at work (well 3 days in total actually 😆), which I am loving. Just long enough before my aches and pains kick in from all the dancing, ball catching practice in the playground with the kids and up and down the stairs. Then when Thursday 5.30pm arrives, I am more than ready to say my goodbyes, take the short walk home or, if it’s raining and I am feeling really tired, I can jump on the bus (with my free bus pass and take the 2 stops to practically my front door) and have a nice long rest ready for my return on the Tuesday 👌.

I got some more lovely feedback again this week from the agency. They advised me that the area director had been at the nursery all week and they had contacted the agency to say they “they are absolutely loving having me and how perfect I am for their centre”!!😊. I have also been asked if I would consider a contract working for the nursery instead of the agency! That way, I would be able to accrue holiday pay 👍. I told my agency that as long as I could work the same days/hours and for the same hourly rate then I will consider it. Watch this space!🙏. A far cry from my previous line manager, who I believe, took great joy in trying to pull me down, destroy my confidence and self worth 👊😡 - see ya!👋👋👋🤣.

Last Monday, I went to visit my brother and sister in law and took them some “thank you” gifts to show them my gratitude- the least I could do after them helping me financially when I became abruptly unemployed 💙🩷. I also took a nice gift to my sister’s yesterday. Again, just to show my appreciation for all her emotional and financial support whilst being unemployed. It has been so nice to be able to treat myself and others now that I am back in work 👍. Long May it continue 🙏.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with my sister. She then treated us both to a “fish n chips” takeaway 😋. I am going to reciprocate today with a homemade spag Bol for dinner and some drinks and some nibbles beforehand around at mine this afternoon.

After today, I still have another two days off work which is just a great feeling at my age!🤪. I have done my quota over the years so now a bit more time R&R 😊.

Take care all and hope you all have a lovely weekend and remember - “if today hasn’t been great for you, tomorrow is a new day and anything can happen”. I am proof of that. A few weeks ago, I was just about to start to panic at the prospect of still not having a job and then all the above happened! 😲👌.

No thoughts of gambling. No money spent on gambling. No money lost on gambling = Tick, tick, tick”💪👌.

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Spot the mistake!! - It’s actually - Day 246!!

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Hi Pink

Wow 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

You really have found your vocation in life. This has been waiting for you and you are embracing it. You said no gambling or thoughts but there is also no space, need or desire for gambling.

You give me hope that I can find my vocation and work in this sector one day 🙏😊

@lp5vut869c Thank you Stuart 💙. I have every faith in you that with your continued hard work at remaining g.f and giving yourself and your family a more peaceful life, the rest will also follow. Including another job further down the line 🙏.

Keep doing what you are doing and the rest will eventually iron itself out and fall into place for you.

Take care.

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Day 250!

Another small milestone I suppose 😊. 

Take care all and good night God bless 🙏.

”No thoughts about gambling. No money spent on gambling. No money lost on gambling = Tick, tick, tick)! 👌💪.

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Day 254.

Currently resting in bed after being struck down with the dreaded lurgy 🤧🤕😷👎. Not surprising really, given I have wiped what feels like hundreds of babies, toddlers and pre-school children’s noses these past few weeks!🥴. Still, proud to say that I have taught many of them how to blow their nose properly into a handkerchief 💪👌. Every cloud!😆.

I have picked a great weekend to be poorly - not! I have basically been glued to my bed/settee since Thursday evening and not seen a soul. I am bored stiff. I should have been going to sit in my sister’s beautiful garden today for a girly afternoon of chit chat, fizz and nibbles (my sister bless her, has been bringing stuff over for me and leaving it at my front door 😇). Instead, I have spent the bank holiday alone and stuck at home 👎. Thank goodness I have a nice balcony, overlooking a nice view of our gardens/surrounding houses 👌. I may sit out there later in this lovely weather with a cuppa 🙏.

Remaining g.f and now having a job again, has meant that whilst resting up, I have at least been able to shop online 😆. I have just treated myself to some new shoes and a sun dress for the holidays - my treat for reaching another mini milestone of 250 days four days ago 😊.

Hope you are all enjoying the bank holiday and the great weather and if like me you are not, just remind yourself that tomorrow is a new day!🙏.

Take care all.

”No thoughts of gambling. No money spent on gambling. No money lost on gambling = Tick, tick, tick”💪👌.

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Hi Pink 

Sorry to hear that. We all had the bug and it last four about four days so hopefully you can still enjoy bank holiday tomorrow. The trials of being around children lol. They are so generous, love, hugs and all the illness they love to spread lol 

@lp5vut869c Thanks Stuart 💙. In bed now and still full of cold and chest virus 🤧🤕😷👎. Can’t see myself being fully recovered tomorrow but at least I have not taken as many paracetamol today so hopefully tomorrow I will feel a bit better than today. More importantly, I need to be feeling much better for work on Tuesday (and to face a load more germs no doubt from the little cherubs)!🥴🙏.

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Day 266.

The start of my four day break away from work 👍. Still enjoying my new job/vocation and as tiring as it can be physically, I am no longer kept awake at night with the mental stress of it all as I have been in my previous roles 👌. The toddlers and pre-school children are so entertaining and it is really funny to see their different personalities and range of emotions play out on a daily basis!🤣. I also love to watch how they all push each other out the way to sit next to me, sit on my knee or to hold my hand in the playground 😍.

Again, leaving work last night, I confirmed with the manager that I would see her next week and she said that they have booked me in for my chosen 3 days continually until I tell them otherwise 👌. I feel so much more in control in my working life in this job and it is me who dictates going forward rather than my employers 👍. Getting paid weekly again is also great. I don’t know why but I just seem to be able to save better this way - I have set up a 1 year weekly savings challenge with Revolut. Just £20 per week with a good interest rate and I find it really motivating and encouraging doing this.

My sister messaged me last night to ask if I fancied training it into Liverpool city centre tomorrow and then to go for a late Tapas lunch at one of our favourite tapas restaurants. It was so nice not to be shuddering from behind my screen at the thought of “oh no, how am I going to manage this as I have no money to my name as I have gambled most of my salary away”!!,😱. Those days are well and truly over and a sign of the past!👋👋. My sister being her, then went on to say that it is her treat 🩷. I accepted, only if she would allow me to cook dinner and have drinks and nibbles at mine on Sunday to reciprocate 😊. It’s also been lovely to be able to order/buy things again. I went six months of hard budgeting without buying anything and solely just paying for my food and bills and nothing else 🥴.

Off out for a walk and a catch up with my sister later into our local town and to return some purchased items.

Just thinking about some mini goals (always love a mini goal me)!😆. So here goes:

- To have a zero balance on at least one of my credit cards (I have 3) by the time I go on holiday in August. I don’t have huge credit limits (which I am glad about), one with £1500, one with £900 and one with £600 limit.

- To continue to decrease my other credit card balances by the time I go away. I have already got my £900 credit card balance down to £450 so happy enough with this for now and have started making in roads on my card with £1500 limit 👍.

Take care all and so will I 🙂.

”No thoughts of gambling. No money spent on gambling. No money lost on gambling = Tick, tick, tick”!💪👌.

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Great post Pink and so glad it's going well for you. 99 days to go.

It's my big milestone on Sunday that I wanted at the start, that being 200 days 

@lp5vut869c Thanks Stuart 💙. Didn’t even think of that stat! Yes, next Tuesday for you and what a great milestone for you to hit!👏👏👏. When we think back to hoping to reach the first month as a massive milestone, one where we did not spend any of our hard earned salary and here we both are, seeing that time as a very distant memory.

I really do hope you treat yourself or you and your family to something nice, no matter how small as I always say. You have put so much into your recovery, whilst dealing with some very stressful situations so maybe a nice takeaway for you all to mark the occasion or something that you know you will all enjoy that won’t cost the earth.

Hope the move has gone well and you and your family are settling in well 🙏.

Take care and have a lovely weekend.

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Day 273.

Currently in bed with Shingles on the right side of my chest, neck, shoulder and back 😖🤢. It is soooo painful. Since starting work as a Teaching Assistant 7 weeks or so ago, I have had a cold and chest virus then last week, I got a huge cold sore under my nose. Then on Monday and Tuesday, I experienced what I thought was a trapped nerve in my neck and shoulder. 

Whilst working in the baby room all day Tuesday, 3 of them were sent home with suspected chicken pox. By the time I got into work on Wednesday, I had a severe headache, felt really nauseous and again was experiencing what I thought to be a trapped nerve. By the afternoon, my neck and shoulder were burning so much with the pain and I felt so nauseous. So much so, by the time I got home, I noticed blotches on my neck 😱. 

My sister insisted on driving me to the medical centre to be checked out and it was confirmed I had Shingles. Thankfully, due to me getting there as soon as I noticed the first blotches, I was able to be given the required medication to speed up the recovery process👌. I only have my sister to thank for insisting I get it looked at 😇.

Don’t get me wrong, I still feel lousy and just cannot get comfortable with the pain 😖. However, this medication should prevent any more blisters appearing (I have enough thanks)👊. They should also speed up the recovery process of 7 to 10 days, instead of weeks 🤞🙏. The joys of working with kids! Still loving my new role however.

So here I am thinking “day at a time” only this time it is in relation to my health and NOT the urge to gamble 💪.

“No thoughts of gambling. No money spent on gambling. No money lost on gambling = Tick, tick, tick”!👌💪.

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Hi Pink

Does the war ever end ?.I've had shingles twice and I really feel for you. They are horrible and attack the nervous system. Please take it easy as that's the best way to get better