Project 52 2025 week 44
This week’s been lovely to have off work for half term, although I was doing my own thing with N being out on the farm. Various trips out and a few coffee shop visits, as well as some Christmas shopping and display viewing. Here’s my week 44 for Project 52.
Sunday – clocks went back overnight (changing the oven clock I managed to somehow set the alarm for 10 mins after I went to bed so had to race back down to turn it off before everyone else woke up). Had a nice lie in, then to the farm shop for meat, Waitrose for bread, then back to prep for dinner, do washing and yet again unload the dishwasher (it seems to be permanently on at the moment).
Monday – nice autumnal day, and first of my days off work. I decided to finally use my Blenheim Palace pass from this year, and headed there for a mooch around to see what was different in the palace. It was busy thanks to half term. The under stairs and state rooms weren’t as much as I’d expected. I’ve seen much more with the tours, so I was underwhelmed. And very little Christmas stuff was in the shop. So it was a fleeting visit. I stopped off at a nearby garden centre to check out their Christmas range but no decorations up yet, just food gifts. Very disappointing, although it was nice to get out and check out some different places.
Tuesday – went to Burford Garden Centre. It’s huge! Gorgeous Christmas displays (gorgeous enough that it’s not really toddler friendly, so there weren’t tonnes of pushchairs and toddlers around like at other garden centres). I bought a couple of nice baubles for the tree, and couple of gifty items. Then picked up a Next order of jeans for N. In the evening I had dancing and was late home after spending half hour after chatting.
Wednesday – with the week off I decided to try the day time dance class. There was only 8 of us, but the floor was lovely so nice and smooth for dancing on. One person I didn’t know was very complimentary about my dancing which is always nice to hear. I stopped at the nice bakery on the way home. Helped N pick some more apples from the trees (another 3 bags full, not all for us) – my job was holding the stepladder steady. My blog is fixed! Whoop, thanks to the guy who sorted it out last time. Turned out the database did a weird thing so he fixed that. Annoying that my hosts couldn’t see that when they supposedly looked.
Thursday – I decided to check out the relatively new Cotswold Designer Village. It was a nice drive over towards Tewkesbury, and it’s a lovely little shopping village. Nowhere near as busy as Bicester Village which is hell on earth usually. And normal shops – lots of outdoor wear places, Adidas/Puma, a small M&S and other places. I got some new jeans because I’ve worn a hole in mine from dancing (no thigh gap here!), a stocking gift for N, and 2 Denby plates as a couple of ours are chipped. It was a nice way to spend an hour or so. Back to our home town to return the Next items I’d bought for me, and pick up the ‘jeans you bought me fit, can you order more’ order for N.
Friday – early get up as I had my Tesco delivery. Costs are bad when only 2 crates of food come to over £60, and I didn’t even have expensive meat or washing detergent in the shop. I booked for the opening weekend of Wicked 2 at the cinema. Then headed out for my final Christmas decoration purchase attempts with a trip to The Range. It came up trumps with so many nice baubles. Made me wish I had 3 trees all with different themes, but that’s not realistic. So I bought a few new baubles. I think that’s all I’ll need for a few years.
On an aside, our oven appears to be broken. It worked fine for dinner on Thursday, but now the fan goes with no heat. The grill part seems to be ok, and the hob. But it’s 25 years old. It cost me a lot to get someone out the last time, so it’s probably better to get a new one. I’ve no idea how one gets a new ‘fitted’ oven that will fit and who will fit it. So that’s a job for Saturday – I’m not sure our local independent does inbuilt ovens, so might need to go elsewhere. Takeaway tea tonight, and no roast this weekend, unless the Aga gets turned on before it’s serviced.
Saturday – went to our local independent place and got some advice on ovens. Went home and measured the space for the hob, and ordered a new oven and ceramic hob. Will be nice to have a nice clean (and working) oven again come Thursday (fingers crossed). No Christmas present for the OH this year, having to buy a new washing machine and new oven has been quite pricy! Otherwise I just did lots of washing (it’s never-ending the amount of clothes N gets through in a week), and other bits and pieces.
New posts this week:
Things I’ve enjoyed this week:
- Celebrity Traitors – Alan sniggering when he had to state he was a faithful…I couldn’t stop laughing.
- A week off getting immersed in Christmas decorations (yes, already).
- Spotting Trick or Treaters when we went to get our takeaway
Things I’m grateful for this week:
- A slow cooker, air fryer and still working hob, plus enough money to pay for a new oven this week.
- Time off work. It feels a bit of a waste when I take time off but N is off on the farm and we don’t go anywhere. But it was so nice to have that week off.
- My blog is fixed, Adsense reaccepted me after I switched it off by accident when I moved to Mediavine Journey network, and I should be set with a Google Ad Manager account which I need for Mediavine to upgrade me (although I don’t meet their criteria by quite some way so that’s a mystery).
Glad you managed to get the oven and hob sorted and it’ll be ready by christmas. I always feel this time of the year to be a bit stagnant, all the promise of christmas but not a lot happening. We’re not far from the new designer village, bit cheeky to call it the Cotswolds though. I’m like N, when I find jeans that fit me I tend to buy two pairs. I’m currently finding Next are the best, but a bit pricey.
He always used to have Gap on their special offers, but it’s been so long I didn’t want to risk buying online. At least Next is easy to return to store. EVidently Tewkesbury is the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’. We’re right on the edge near here, although I wouldn’t think it was
Nice to have a week off and enjoy doing your own thing. How lovely to be complimented on your dancing at the daytime dance class. Food shopping has definitely got a lot more expensive – I find the same with shopping deliveries – it often seems like a surprisingly small amount for the cost. Cotswold Designer Village sounds like a lovely place to shop – is that where your photo was taken? Hope your new oven has arrived and is working well. #project365
The photo was at Yarnton Garden Centre I think. Unusual sculptures to put in a garden, although these were outside their reading rooms/shop
I should visit a garden centre, as your trip sounded lovely. I’m looking for some huge planters and online is not the same experience as seeing them in person.
Food is noticeable more expensive, I agree. I have been surprised a couple of times by how much the total was, while on the weekly shop.
It does sound like you had a lovely weekend!
That’s a shame that Blenheim Palace wasn’t amazing but big garden centre sounds wonderful!
I am glad you’ve got your blog issues fixed and yes food shopping has got so expensive. Eek to having to buy a new oven but a brand new one will be great!
Celebrity Traitors has been fab! We laughed too when Alan was sniggering. hehehe x
New oven is going to be amazing. It’ll be clean and the door will shut properly so I’ll need to remember things will cook faster!
It sounds like you made the most of your week off work and squeezed in lots of lovely days out.
I’m glad to hear that your blog is fixed.
I think Alan gave himself away at the last hurdle, so I’m sure he will be the first to go in the final next week.