So far, so good

Yes, I'm trying!
Must say that, the fact That I got my first Apple helped... I'm so excited that I can just carry my new toy and write whenever I feel like it is great!
It was a gift from my boss and it's to play games... So I've been told!
I'm trying to be reasonable, and I'm sure I'll use it for work as well !
Right now I'm blogging and hope this is also a way for me to keep doing it... Even if I'm outside and want to share the world around me with everyone else!
Must say that I am pleased to be writing even though I feel it's not coming out as it should... Too much on my heart and mind...
By the way, can't wait to share the pictures I took when shopping in Paris last week! And I hope to share lots of pictures of all the things I've done around the house and in my little work room!

A bientot 👍

Again and again

Hi there!
Trying hard to break the circle! Usually I start blogging in January (as a new year's resolution) but this year it's a Christmas one!
I did not accomplish any of my goals this year and just realized it's already the end... So I have decided to just go with it! Not having goals or ideas of what might, what if, that can be a good thing!
I'm specially happy as I just returned from my little Island where we spent Christmas in family, yeap we were all there. From all over the world we came... It was amazing, hadn't realized how much I really miss my family.
The rain has started and we may have snow! How awesome would that be! There has been a while we haven't seen snow... Well, it hasn't snowed since we moved to the countryside...
But I did go to Paris to seen the Christmas decorations! It was beautiful. Went to the big shopping stores and well known brand stores... Just "washed" my eyes! Was really needing it!
My favorite items?!👜👠👚👛💍💎👟👔🎀

A bientot

And Life continues...

Hi there!
This has been a good week! (I like saying/writing that because if I do it enough it becomes true!).
I've been spending sometime in the park, pruning trees! It is fun and I do like spending time outside... it's so relaxing, although it's very cold and that... well you get used to it that's all.
I've also been busying myself with lots of reading on budgeting and meal planning... I'd like to say that I found a place that sells bread at 0,47€ a french stick bread! (ok, they are not very tasty and they are very white... and I really don't like it!) It goes all against the things I've been reading and my better half keeps telling me that he is "not willing" to stop eating fresh bread for breakfast because we can spend 15€ a month instead of 30€! And that his dream is not to get rich and that he doesn't plan to live eternally, so, while he does live he wants to eat his bread... he's ok about meatless dinners but not about the bread! I suppose I can cut on meat expensives and have bread instead...
I know it's ridiculous but it is an example (and a real dispute that ended only yesterday as we did our weekly/monthly shopping!), and I must admit he is right! I'm a girl that likes her brand bags, nice shoes and clothes and who likes to travel and get her hair and nails done... but I'm also a girl who (had to learn to)prioritises. If I must not eat meat for a whole month to get a new pair of shoes... I will not do it! If it takes me three or four months to get it I'll wait or just forget about it all together. On the other hand if I have to not eat meat or bread for a week to buy a magazine I really want, I will do it! Because I'm just not a sacrificing person who likes to cut on eating and mind you I almost always cook from scratch, I pay attention to prices but I refuse to get quantity and not quality. And while I do believe that in some ingrédients and foods we do get exactly the same thing wether we buy a brand leader or a shop brand good, bread, for instance is not really the same... (I'll get out of bread now, because it's allready irritating me and I am the one writing about it!)
So, to cut a long story short, when I budget and make a meal plan it works... but then I don't do it and it doesn't work so well! It's like being "wonderwoman", I once read the following (or something like it) "People sometimes ask me how do I do it! I'm the perfect business woman, wife, mother, housewife... well, I'm not. When I'm a good mother my husband does not get the attention he wants, when I'm a wife (a reeeeaaaaally good wife, my kids don't get all my attention and I run late for work and we might have frozen pizza for dinner!" I sincerelly don't remember where I read this, but I was thinking about all the organizing and planning and it's exactly what I feel... it just depends on how much effort I put into things and how much sleep I really need (and believe me I need my sleep! and I'm a morning person!)... promise to keep you posted on the subject...
You might ask how the dispute about bread came to an end yesterday... Yeah, I gave in, hey, would you rather be right or be happy? I chose HAPPINESS!

A bientot

Frugal... here we go again!

Well, I have been trying very hard to save money... not because I want to be rich but just because I don't want to have debts. And so far it has not worked... I know, I bore you with this subject but I can't seem to get it out of my mind... specially when there is not enough money to pay bills and keep on surviving... not even living!
But there's hope, yes. I found out I was actually saving! At the bakery two times per week if we buy two french stick breads (baguettes) we get one for free. So we buy the bread on those days and since we have one per day we freeze the others and only buy bread twice a week! I was really proud of myself, for 4€ I was buying bread for six days, instead of spending 1€ each day. Not bad, ha?
Today I went to the supermarket where I usually buy my groceries, it's at about 15kms from my home and so I don't go very often. I didn't know the price of bread because I was saving so much at our local bakery, I didn't buy bread anywhere else. Well, guess what? The same kind of bread at the supermarket costs 0.60€, so I can buy three breads for 1,80€... ok, it's not much but, since I'm going to freeze it, I might just as well get it at the supermarket once a week along with all the other groceries!
Today I found out, as well, that one other supermarket, quite near the one I usually do my grocery shopping, has a coupon on it's website or on it's publicity of 4 to 6€ reduction if you have a total of 40€. My usual supermarket has a fidelity card and we get 25 cents for a total of five products we buy of the supermarkets brand but we can only use that amount from the next day on... so you are forced to go back the next day (or week) to get to use the money on your fidelity card.
So I made a seperate list of things I bought at the new supermarket, and next week I'm going to buy exactly the same products at my usual supermarket to see if there is any diference and if I can get more for less!
As I've said before I'm not a very "brand" person, except for shampoo, dishwasher and clothes washing detergents (and these are always expensive anywhere you buy them!).



By the way... did you know that blue could also be Shabby? Maybe with all my savings (the ones I don't know yet how I'm going to get, bien sure!) I'll be able to have a nice home... all Shabby, but only if I don't have to clean it because it is a lot of work...

A bientôt

The Weekend...

Hi there!
I love weekends and this one could not have started better. As I've already said, I've been dog sitting my boss' dog. Today got up at 7.30 am, went for a walk with the dog, came back, brushed it's hair. Then it had breakfast, some cereal with Evian water, "comme d'hab". I had my breakfast, pancakes with some butter and honey... love it! black coffee and some fruit... I think the first meal of the day is very important.
Then went to take a shower while the dog played outside with it's toys and ran around the park... because it's saturday there was no one around, all was peaceful and quiet! Bliss!
From my bedroom window I could see the happy dog running around as if it knew it's owner would come any minute to take it home... to the civilization!
I dried my hair, put on my riding clothes to go play with the dog (I haven't got a poney yet on the park!). As I came downstairs again I served myself another cup of coffee before going outside to face the cold weather. I'm going to miss this dog, I went outside to make up for all the time the dog would be gone... missing it allready! My house is spotless, as usual and I had no cares in this world... Life is good! Now, the dog is gone, my boss is gone and I'm sitting here, in my cosy living room, writing my blog and having a drink... after all it is the weekend!

NOW LET ME TELL YOU HOW MY DAY REALLY WAS!

Got up feeling tired because I didn't go to bed very early yesterday (and whose fault is that?). Got downstairs using the same clothes as yesterday because I knew I would get dog hair all over me! My husband had already taken the dog for a walk (or the other way around I never know!) and had turned the coffee machine on (oh! it smelled so good!).
The dog ate and was all over the place, I gave up and just let the door opened, it smelled of wet dog so I thought I might as well leave the door and the windows open, too! I worked all morning but useless to clean downstairs as the dog wouldn't stay still!
Finally my boss arrived, made a tour through the big house, went to lunch at a nearby restaurant and left the dog (I was hyperventilating at this point thinking it might not go home today yet!). But it did, the gate wasn't closed yet and I was already busy dusting, cleaning, vacuuming, pushing all the furniture around not to miss a spot... incense and candles everywhere... it started to feel like home (here I'd like to write the following... my house had dog hair everywhere because I didn't even have a brush to comb it, I'm sure, as I know people who have dogs, and their houses are always clean and don't smell of dogs, but I have no experience in this domaine so I didn't do much because I figured it wasn't worth it until the dog finally left!, but that is just me, I don't know any better. Although something tells me I'd better start to find out as I might have the dog more than I wished for!).
So, as a treat (for me) I decided to take a bath, with real bath salts, wash my hair... all that I deserved. So off I went, took out my contact lens, started filling the bathtub (tried not to think too much about the quantity of water I was wasting, not that I had to pay for it but for environmental reasons!). Got in the tub, wetted my hair, shampoed it, but somehow the shampoo wasn't making any foam so I put some more... still nothing... damn it! I was washing my hair with conditioner, s...., put the shampoo over the conditioner and then it happened... yes I needed to pee! I never, ever have a bath, always take showers, but today, after having had the dog for a whole week, cleaning and recleaning, had my first bath and... I didn't pee before going in. I opened the tub so the water would run out and started to wash out the shampoo as quickly as I could to get out and pee... I wasn't sure I'd make it, but I had too, I couldn't just pee in the tub... the next ten seconds I spent washing my body and finishing my hair seemed like ten minutes... BUT I MADE IT! Oh yeah! Got out just in time to pee... in the toilet! (this will help me remember to never take a bath again!)
It's my life...

A bientôt

Dogsitting...Really?

Today was a "sunnyalmostspringday" on the country side!
Yes, life is goooood... especially if you're a city dog, spending a week in the country side where you are aloud to do everything you want (I'm not risking getting fired here!), go outside with or without leach anytime you fancy! At this very moment, it (the dog) is passed out on the floor because it ran so much today!
Tomorrow is probably, (yes we are praying at this moment, hubbie and I) it's last day in the country, for this week anyway, pompering at the beauty salon tuesday! (not me, the dog!). I'll have my kick at cleaning the house from top to bottom many times! Yes that will be my workout as I won't have the dog to walk me... I'm going to miss it... (I'm lying!) If I had a camera here I would take a picture of the dog to prove how exhausted it is... the poor thing (not literally because this dog usually is driven to the summer vacation home by the chauffeur!)...
This week went by so fast I cannot even believe it... I didn't even have time to spy on the chipmunks! Now that I think of it, having seen them for... a week? Must make it a point to look for them tomorrow!
Today, while the dog was walking me through the village I realized how lucky I am to live here, the street is calm, with just the right amount of traffic, the shops are open when you need them, the services as well... the people are very nice, always say good-morning or good-afternoon... (yeah right!) well actually the people are very nice... but the shops are never opened when you need them to be and the services "non plus"! I actually begin to think that these people nap! (must remember to tell my boss this! maybe I also have nap time...) I did meet one person while the dog was walking me... and as friendly as ever the dog tried to attack the man and throw him to the ground, all because the dog wanted to play... he's that friendly! Of course the man was very nice and tried to cuddle the dog and in the next second the dog (seeing it's opportunity!) tried to lick the man's face putting his dirty paws all over the man... after I explained the it was not nice (to the dog) to do that, the man spoke to me non stop and I nodded all the time, even though I didn't understand a word he said... not because of the dog, but because the man spoke french (nothing strange because well, I am in France) with his mouth closed, very softly and not understandable (I think he was cursing me and the dog, or just me because let's face it, I was supposed to be in charge of the dog and not the other way around...) I'll try to avoid the man in any other outing, even alone! And that's a promise I made to myself.
Well, will try to get away now... as the dog sleeps, to go take a bath and go to bed because let's face it... I can't stand my smell...

A bientôt

Oh, what a day!

Can't say it was a good day, but it was not the worst day of my life either... it was just, not a good one. I've said (in other posts) that I'm not a very constant person, as in, someone who has routines, who likes the same things all the time, meals at the same time... things like that, but there are two things in which I can say I'm very constant! I don't like exercise (unless it involves lifting... of bottles of beer, for example, I can lift one time with my right hand right to my mouth and the next time around I'll use the left arm and so on) and I'm very bad with money (I mean I don't have any money, I cannot save money, if I have it I spend it and hope for the best...). It's been like this for years and once again this year I made the resolution to start being frugal, so I started, again, looking through frugal blogs  very good ones I've already said but today, as I "looked" at the what I had left until the end of the month... I was shocked!, again, this month, like any other month, I didn't save a cent, it has all somewhere to go and I have a feeling the end of the month is going to take a while to get here...

First things first, I don't like exercise, physical exercise, I hate it, the only time I like walking is when I'm shopping and I can even do it in heels! But, as you might remember I'm dog-sitting, that implies walking, a lot, it's a big dog the dog likes and needs to walk, it likes to run (dragging me...) in the park I have to throw it's ball or toy so the dog can go and get it, then the dog gets tired and I have to go and get it, but then the dog doesn't want to come home and runs all over the place... because there are workers at the big house (in our park!) the gate opens a lot of times, so I have to run after the dog so that the dog doesn't run away (that would mean mental exercise to explain to my boss why the dog had run away... I wonder if it would come back home, like cats do!). When I finally get the dog inside it's all dirty because it has rolled in the mud and it's a golden retriever, so you can imagine the golden all brown... all mud... everywhere in my house... not good to imagine and even worst to see... but it's adorable and then it jumps up and down all over me and I get mud everywhere and... then I remember why I like animals... when they are not mine and I don't have to take care of them, don't get me wrong! I do love animals and I could get used to have a dog in my house (actually in the house) but I'm a very lazy person who doesn't like working very much and likes to have the house a bit cleaned and organized... and there's dog's hair everywhere... but again I could get used to it; but I), just not! But that's the least of my problems...

The, money issue... one accident 3000€ repair... taxes 335€... electricity 1050€... teeth (my daughters braces) 750€... rent, water, TV/net/telephone, mobiles/insurance 2000€ +/-... if you had supermarket... I don't have the courage to! I read a lot about frugality and I follow a lot of American blogs, but in France coupons aren't the same as in the States... I mean, I get coupons here for a brand ice-cream that even with the discount is three times more expensive than the supermarket brand! Sometimes I do get a 6€ reduction for a 40€ minimum buy, but that's as good as it gets. I try the promotions... but the promotions are all on brands and even on promotion they are still more expensive than the store brand and I'm not really a brand person! I subscribe to every site that has coupons, I have fidelity cards to the all the supermarkets, sometimes I get a bit on the cards, but it means I have to pay full price and the savings goes to the card and I can only use it from the next day forward... Tomorrow I have to start at looking at this blogs more seriously...

One more walk today and I can get a bath and go to bed... Yuppie... Oh the joy! I know... if it wasn't for the money thing I would appreciate the dog a lot more... yeah! it's not really me... it's all these things that we call "life" happening all the time and then I get lost... 

A bientot

  

blogs I follow

I don't know why but the links are on my profile...www.livingwellspendingless.com, www.ashleyashwellshabbychiccouture.com/blog, I'll try to get better at this!

A bientôt

Dimanche (not by the sea!)

Hi there, today is a good day!
I love my sundays spent at home sleeping late in the morning, have my pj's on all day, having a brunch, drink lots of coffee, read the paper, look at some pages and blogs on the web... Yes, that would be an even greater day! if it happened, but no sire!
Today I'm dog sitting, just until wednesday! That means getting up early so I can take the dog outside for its morning walk, who cares if it's below zero and foggy... Although we have a park as a backyard and this once, just this once I would happily let the dog do his business and then go and pick it up later, no, it's a city dog, it has to have it's leach to go about and do its business... (hopefully no one about at that time of the day!) Got home, had breakfast (not me, the dog), and ran happily through the park as if there was no tomorrow (not really, while I tried to drink my coffee the dog jumped up and down around me almost making me spill all of it)! But she's gorgeous and I can't stay made at her and can't even get her to obey me, much to the despair of my boss (her owner!).
I finally sat down with my husband to have a wonderful breakfast, toast, jam, coffee, freshly made orange juice... (right! as if that was possible! coffee, yesterday's bread and... that's it!) Then I decided to go and work on my crafts... because I felt so inspired by my surroundings and the fact that I just felt so fresh and alive (I'm lying! I dragged myself up the stairs made my bed, didn't bother to wash my face or brush my teeth (got you, yes I brushed my teeth and washed my face because I usually do that right after I make my bed and today hadn't even realized I was doing it! the habit! otherwise I wouldn't have done it).
Then, and because my husband knows I have backaches, he made me a massage, oohh, it felt so good (right!). My eldest son just convinced him to have a page so he could send him lives (you know what I mean! those of you who don't have lives, sometimes...) now he doesn't want anything else, spends all his time on the computer and I can't work, read my blogs, play my games, because let's face it,  I have been playing for a long time... he has just started! I should have more computer time than him! But we are a very functional family so at lunch time I set the table with my linen tablecloth (my mothers gift) and the nice plates, monogramed, water and wine glasses and at 1300 hours we were sitting at the table... (NO! I'm getting carried away again, sorry!) At 1300 hours someone shouted, what are we having for lunch? You know, between games, dogs, blogs and TV who has the time to think about eating? Better yet, about making something to eat? I refused to go and make lunch excusing myself with the fact that I had to take care of a dog... and it's a big responsibility! (and no, I'm not kidding, they want to eat? they make it!). We finally had some leftovers for lunch, I think... like a pik-nik, inside, with very cold weather and a dog jumping up and down... don't get me wrong, I love animals but I'm just not used to having animals inside my house. I have the feeling that there's always dog hair everywhere and there's a smell (lots of candles everywhere!), but I'll get used to it! And it's time to get the dog out again... she's here looking at me as if saying... "you gonna be long!" (but in french, I suppose! French dogs bark in french?!)

By the way, found these blogs that I started following...

A bientôt

Oh lá lá!

The sun came out today... it was a gorgeous day!
Today I worked all day and just now did I get a "me" moment. Sometimes I wish I had "me" time all the time and then I realize I would drive "me" mad!
I'm really feeling tired... walked a lot through the garden, while working, and realized there is so much work to be done... thank goodness it's not for me! Yeah, I like gardening but only when I feel like it, not when I have too! Then again, I am a very "special person" just like everyone else, right?
Yesterday I saw in the news that our Island was being invaded by water (of course, it has water all around! It's an Island!) and the weather was not nice... and yet to my surprise, today my daughter called and asked if she could go to the pool and take a swim (?!)... during the summer, when it's hot and everybody goes to the pool or the beach she doesn't because "I just don't like it! Just because everybody else likes it doesn't mean I have to!" and today, plain winter, she wants to go to the pool...decided not even to comment, let her be happy... but just between us, I can't wait for summer, just to know what is going to happen to that teenage girl who is always going out of her way just to annoy me... nah... I'm just being a mom and she is a teenager! Normal stuff I suppose.
Foud a picture of her from 5 years ago... can't resist not to share, she is precious, my little princess...( yeah, when she wants she can be...)

We had just gotten júnior, the cat and she was in love... called me that day when I was at the supermarket crying because júnior was dying of hunger because he was so small and didn't have cat milk... of course I got the milk for cats (ouch, do you know how much 250ml of milk for cats costed back then?) At that time we weren't counting the pennies yet... that came 1 or 2 years later... but hey...I'm still standing....

A bientot

By the way...

You can find me on http://guiandmi.canalblog.com or on facebook, guiandmi and guiandmi crafts!

No wonder I get tired of myself...

A bientôt

Is anybody there?

Well, well, long time no see...
Last year came and went and my relationship with commitment was, well, non existent! Sad but true.
It's true I still have my www.etsy.com/guiandmi shop, spent sometime working for it... changed work, changed city, not country, yet!
Lots of changes took place and once again, this year, I want to see if I can get myself more serious about my commitment issues... I truly try...
The best thing about blogging is that you are your own responsible person and the one you have to account for... or so it has been just up to now but I want to take this to the next level!
Life is good... the worst part is that once again the family is scattered around the globe... ok some are in the same country but in an island while others are... far... and I miss them! A lot!
But I strongly believe what will be will be, we make changes always believing they are for the best and (yes, I start wondering if I'm a good decision taker!) the best for the future.
It just came to me, if last year, around this time, when I started to blog, someone told me I'd be leaving my paradisiac island I would say... yeah, right!...
What would make you change drastically your life?

A bientôt