well i got the results for my blood test. my white count is NEARLY at normal level, so she said not to concern myself with it for now. however my calcium level is still low, and she suggested i take calcium tablets and get another blood test in about a month and a half. she's also checking my vitamin D levels and my parathyroid something or other. ??? she said it could be the cause of the low calcium.

sorry but i must run to work now! more updates later!

OH! and it's DDay on the mortgage finance! I am handing in the $5000 cheque today, and hopefully will find out about finance approval too. EEk!

Well, yesterday was a NSD for me. It was also a NSD for DF. YAY!
Also, it is Thursday now and since Monday I have only spent $3.50 of my personal allowance. Today though, I have to pay my 'tab' at work for drinks (it is only $6.40). When I don't have cash in my wallet I just write on a piece of paper 'I owe X'.
So that means i have $50.10 left.

Yesterday I did some more organising around the house, trying to get it as baby-proof as possible for my brother and his family. It's not easy!

DF's sister has not picked up the rest of her stuff yet, so one of our spare rooms has a huge pile in it.

I had to move all of her stuff from her room into the spare room, because her room is better for my brother to stay in. So I did that, then vaccuumed it and dragged two mattresses in. So it's all ready to go for them now.

The bank has not called me yet and I am meant to be taking in the deposit cheque tomorrow! I don't know what is happening. DF transferred $5000 from his Bankwest Account into his main account. I called the solicitor and she said that if the bank just needs an extra day or two but you are 99% sure you are getting the loan, take the cheque in anyway so it shows you are serious.

I have a doctors appointment at 2.30pm today, after work. I am getting a skin check too, which is something I have been putting off for ages.

When I put plans and goals down for an entire year, they seem too big to even begin thinking about. I've decided to make mini goals each month. I've already listed my February Goals in a previous entry, but I want to outline some health goals to be more specific:

[] walk or cycle three times per week, for 20 minutes or more - unfortunately i slacked off for a week or more so my fitness levels have waned. also, in the middle of the house-buying process i am not going to have a lot of time. three times per week is an achieveable goal for me.

[] drink 1.5 litres of water a day. my goal is 2L, but I want to start with 1.5, as sometimes I just simply forget.

[] do not buy any more flavoured milk when at work. a big ask! it fills me up, which is why i buy it in the first place. i buy the low fat one which doesn't have as much calories, but at $3.10 per 500ml, it's just not a wise financial move.

[] begin to replace coffee and coca cola with teas. (green tea, caffeine free black tea, herbal teas)

[] do not purchase cakes or snacks when having coffee with friends, for the whole month of feb.

[] cut down significantly on processed/sugary/fatty foods. ie. limit it to be ALMOST non-existent in my diet (aim for 95% wholegrain, natural, processed sugar free, fresh etc)

[] begin to MAKE desserts. this will also decrease DF's consumption of sugary fatty foods (as he has an icecream and chocolate for dessert every night - i have been choosing fruit sorbets and fruit based desserts - which cost more though. by making them, i know what goes in them, they are cheaper, and healthier). desserts i will make: stewed fruit with yoghurt, crumbles, puddings etc.

[] consistently serve up smaller portions at dinner time. i have been practising this already, but i want to do it every night without forgetting (or having eyes bigger than my stomach!) I have also been using smaller bowls, which help. I want to start with reducing them to 3/4 the size of our meals now, then to 2/3, and then maybe 1/2, atleast for me.

[] chew my food. obviously its a given, but i find if i'm starving, i forget and wolf down my food, then realise, staring at an empty bowl, that i just inhaled evreything in about five minutes. terrible? i know. bad for me? very likely!

[] SNACK! I know most people try to STOP snacking, but my problem is I hardly ever snack, and then there are times I'm so hungry I end up eating a whole meal between lunch (which I hardly eat - I dont finish work til 2pm, then I think - why bother eating lunch if I make dinner at 5pm?) and dinner, when I really should have just some crackers or a piece of fruit. So more often than not, I'll go and have a 'coffee' with a friend, and end up ordering a plate of chips or something equally gross. Then I eat dinner! BLAH! So yes, this month I want to trial a few cost-effective, easily portable snacks which are GOOD for you. Any suggestions?

[] At the moment, because of lack of time/laziness/the weather/weekends away etc I haven't been able to go to the markets, so I have been buying veges at the supermarket. I don't like buying fruit at the supermarket (or veges, but it cant be helped) so I have been buying tinned fruit, in fruit juice. One of my goals is to keep this up, as atleast I get SOME fruit into my diet this way. I also aim to find the best deals on tinned fruit at this time, and package them in small containers for DF for his lunch too (otherwise he buys the snack packs - which are a ripoff!)

[] Weightloss of 1kg is my ultimate goal for the month of February in the health department. I want it to be an easy goal for starters, seeing as this month is going to be a little stressful. Atleast if I can tick this goal off, it will motivate me to try harder in March!

Hmmmm! I think that is all my health/diet goals for this month!

There was an announcement on TV tonight from the Prime Minister announcing a second stimulus package. Every person earning less than $100k a year would recieve $950 from March. (which means DF and I both get something this time!)
Honestly, I don't know why they didn't do that sooner. Most people my age I know are just going to spend it. Isn't that what they want?
There are also construction projects being started, and they are building 20 000 houses for defence families (and providing work for many people).

The stimulus package will place the country in $22 billion dollars of debt, so obviously now the Prime Minister is getting a bashing from the opposition.

Honestly, if he stood back and did nothing, he'd get a bashing as well. Everyone has to blame someone, and you can't always do everything right. Prime Ministers can NEVER do ANYTHING right, according to about half of the population.

Personally I think it's all ridiculous, he's doing the best job he can under these circumstances. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes, that's for certain.

I also find it laughable that a lot of people lazily fall into the trap of blaming a NEW Prime Minister for everything wrong with the country. Ummm... hello? He's like the cleaner who's walked into a house after a 21st party. Everyone's hungover, there's a lot of damage, and someone's thrown a beer-soaked sheet into the ceiling fan.

Ok well maybe not the last bit.

Anyway. I know it's pretty pointless whinging on a site where everyone is predominantly from the US, but anyone who's listening, GIVE HIM A CHANCE! He went to my high school, he can't be all that bad!

Oh, and I'm thinking of SPENDING my stimulus cheque. On a fridge, maybe. And DF might use his on the air conditioner, maybe.

[] pack items that won't be used in the next two months
[] survive having my brothers family visiting me (oh yes, i'm serious!)
[] stick to my 'allowance' each week of February (as a practice to the real thing starting in March)
[] sort out accounts with new bank (savings, offset, everyday, EF etc)
[] decide on a starting amount for EF and a plan of action to build it up
[] get my car serviced
[] cook three new dishes
[] ride exercise bike 3 times per week
[] swim atleast once per week
[] read a book
[] begin to organise new budget
[] make an appointment with doctor to go over blood test results
[] clean my car!
[] lose 1 kg.
[] try to incorporate a healthier eating plan into our day ( i will write a separate entry about this!)

I am overly ecstatic about an event that occurred yesterday:

DF went to a friends' childs birthday party yesterday (I declined the invitation - i wanted to start packing). I asked him to pick up some milk and sugar on the way home, as we were running low.

When he arrived home, he came in with his purchases:

MILK and SUGAR!

Ok, you are thinking. What's the big deal? It's what you asked for!

Let me explain a truthful example of ALL previous shopping expeditions where DF has been allowed to roam free:

shopping list:
an onion, tinned tomato, dishwashing liquid

actual purchases:
1kg of onions, tinned tomato, dishwashing liquid, potting mix (what the?), 2 blocks of cadbury chocolate, 2 litres of icecream, pack of cheezels, pack of potato crisps, some fancy deli cheese, two boxes of cereal, milk, icecream topping, hazelnut spread...

Anyway, you get the idea.

So NOW you must understand how unbelievably excited I am! I actually JUMPED up and down like a bunny rabbit on cocaine and hugged and kissed him.

But really, it IS exciting. ALL the other things he's been doing lately, like talking to his friends about his allowance (yes really!), about budgets, trying to remember his personal spending each day, trying to remember the costs of different items he buys, and the total of dockets too, keeping his reciepts, saying no to movies, not even LOOKING at the V Festival lineup (oh my god!)...
anyway, all the things he's been doing lately just make me feel very reassured that we're in this together and he's 100% on board with all our savings goals and plans.


OH! and he has been researching ruby rings too. The cost, designs, metals, jewellers etc.

I have been wanting to share this recipe for a little while anyway, and Joan.of.the.arch just asked me for it so I thought I better post it!

Sweet Potato & Pea Patty:

1 Large Sweet Potato, peeled & cubed
Handful Sesame Seeds
1 cup peas (i used frozen)
1 tin cannelini beans, drained
salt & pepper
cumin powder

In a large saucepan, boil the sweet potato until soft. Meanwhile, mash the cannelini beans with a fork until the form a thick paste (you could use a food processor but i don't have one!). Drain the sweet potato, allow to cool for a while, and put in a large bowl. Combine all ingredients and form into patties.

I individually wrapped each one and froze them. Before cooking, it helps to coat them in rice flour if you are pan frying. I use a small skillet and a touch of olive oil.

I think at the time I made them I didn't have any eggs in the house. They can be a little soft so you just haev to be careful when flipping them, when cooking. You can add an egg if you want to, but really I don't think it needs it.

Serve on a bun with salad and plain yoghurt & sweet chilli sauce.

Just some random tidbit updates:

- DF says he doesn't want to bother with the pest inspection now. Like I mentioned previously, it's a high set house on steel posts, and you can SEE underneath that there is nothing going on in terms of bugs/pests/termites. Personally I also think it will be a waste of time and money getting it done. I am going to find ut if we HAVE to get it done, but if we don't I think I will leave it.

- Tomorrow I am picking up my little brother and sister from school again, then having coffee with some friends. I am ONLY having a coffee! I am going to work REALLY hard on the takeaway/beverages issue this month!

- My friend just rang me to tell me that a store we sometimes go to is having a closing down sale, and all these shoes that I am particularly fond of the style, are $10 a pair. HMMM! If I do pick up a pair, that will leave me with approx $47 for the rest of the week in Fun Money.

- I pulled out all my clothes (except for the three baskets in the laundry) and sorted them into piles of 'wear sometimes' and 'wear all the time'. The 'sometimes' pile is on the left:



yes I realise it's utterly ridiculous. Factor in the three loads of washing that I haven't done and I am starting to realise I don't ever have to buy clothes, ever. EVER.

- I packed several more boxes today (clothes, art & craft) and yesterday I packed all our dvd's, cd's and xbox games. And now DF is complaining that the box is too damn heavy! (I suppose it is... it's a 1m high square box...I can barely PUSH it accross the tiles)

- DF started clearing his 'crap' cupboard, then got distracted and started playing texas hold em on facebook. *sigh* Well I ain't packing his stuff!

- I am making a time to see the house again, this time with a ladder so DF can look in the roof. I am starting to calm down from my stressout the other day.

- I have two garbage bags full of clothes for charity, and a stack of old books too. I was going to attempt to sell them but I honestly don't think I will make any money from any of it. And I can't be bothered. Still burnt from my last ebay experience.

- I am starting to get motivated to work on my fitness again. I have had, what, a three week break? I have probably undone everything I worked so hard on. Grrr.

- Now I'm off to have an early dinner (it's 4.30pm here). DF is having tandoori chicken and I am having sweet potato & pea patty burgers - with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, beetroot and cucumber, and yoghurt and sweet chilli sauce. YUM!