For the third year running I'm taking part in A Buyer's Archive inspired by Elise, to keep track of my spending on clothes and accessories.

THIS YEAR

When I sat down to write this post I was convinced that I hadn't bought a single thing this month (for the first time ever), but a few things did sneak into my shopping bag.

Firstly, I went into town with a long list of chores on a particularly chilly day. I'd forgotten my gloves so I bought a pair in H&M for £3.00 (in the sale) to keep me warm. Nobody likes cold hands, and being cold makes me really grumpy.

On a second trip into town, I was killing some time before an appointment and found these heart print PJ bottoms in a charity shop, originally from Next. I don't normally buy PJs second hand but these had the original tags on, so I snapped them up for bargain £2.00. Some of my much loved and oft worn PJs are starting to look a tad shabby so these couldn't have presented themselves at a better time.

And lastly, it seems I have a bit of a thing for long grey cardigans. I liked the 3/4 length sleeves on this. It was £4.75 from my local charity shop, originally from F&F, it's super soft and perfect for spring, when the need for super cosy knits begins to wane a bit.

LAST YEAR

In February last year I purchased just one item. A maxi dress from ASOS that cost me £8.00 in the sale. I tried it on and loved it, hung it up, and waited for the sun to shine. But the next time I put it on I didn't like it. It's been waiting to go on ebay ever since then. I'm thinking I should try it on just one more time...

I've been splitting my purchases into two categories - wanted and needed. Most things seem to be falling into the former category, but I'm not surprised by this at all.

I'm hoping to buy more pre loved than new this year and the current tally stands at 3 pre loved vs 7 new. Not the best start, but there is time to turn it around.

Total for February £9.75

Total so far for 2018: £65.24

Total at this time last year: £55.98

Left of £600.00 budget: £534.76

What have you been buying this month?

Look out for the #buyersarchive hashtag to see others taking part.

This weekend we went out and bought a tree. We took our time choosing it, picking the best specimen when we'd selected the variety. We came home with a flowering cherry that will come alive with double purple-pink flowers year after year.

We haven't planted it yet. We're figuring out the best place to put it, it'll be near the pond, we know that, but the exact spot has yet to be decided.

It's important that we pick the best spot, taking into account the changes we plan to make in our garden over the coming years, but the spot has to be just right because this is our Remembrance Tree.

There may not have been a first breath, but there was a heartbeat, with a heartbeat there was life, and when the heart stopped beating, death. But there can be no funeral when a life is not legally recognised.

Planting this tree will be our time to say a proper goodbye. And as it grows it'll be the only proof of existence, save for the scars on my body that will fade, and the feelings we hold in our hearts that never will.

9am.
I started my weekend by slipping on my wellies, and going outside to take some photos of the misty, frosty morning. One of my Day Zero goals is to photograph the same landscape across 12 months and make it into a calendar for next year. My chosen landscape sits at the back on the house and every time I see frost or snow or a beautiful sky from the window I'm out there with my camera.

The photo above is a view out over the fields at the front of the house and to the right a bit. I liked the low mist, and the sunshine promising a glorious day ahead.


10am.
I faffed for a while, so I was still in my PJs, cuppa no.2 on the way. It's amazing how much time can be lost sorting washing, emptying and filling the dishwasher, but I think the real reason I lost an hour was because my Mum gave me a 'quick' call.


11am.
Just out of the shower I decided to share this pic of Socks, the boy cat. He slept right through me getting dressed, making the bed around him, and repeatedly kissing his head.

12pm.
Having finally gotten myself sorted I started the decorating I had planned for the day. Not very exciting, but something I've been meaning to do for ages. It's not a huge project, just priming some wood that boxes in some pipes.


1pm.
I didn't fancy my usual sandwich for lunch and so I used up the last two eggs, crisped some streaky bacon, and piled them on top of toast and spinach. It. was. delicious!


2pm.
I'd moved into the downstairs loo to paint some pipes that have been there, bare, for nearly 12 months. It's hellishly boring, and as I needed to leave 12 hours between coats I still haven't finished them. I've done a second coat but they need the final coat of colour. I love the end result of DIY but the actual doing it can get rather boring.


3pm.
Once the pipes were finished I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do. So I went outside to enjoy the sunshine, and drink another cuppa whilst walking around in the warm air. I spent some time in the greenhouse, accompanied by my cats. They always follow me in there and find a warm spot to curl up in. Some general pottering led to me taking the tall step ladder outside and unsteadily balancing on top wielding a pair of loppers to tidy up the conifer trees (which one day soon I hope we'll be replacing). Andy would've had a shit fit if he'd seen me, but he was at work and he hasn't yet noticed my pruning efforts, so I think I got away with it.


4pm.
Still outside I'd wandered around making a mental note of all the things I need to do. It's an exciting time of year in the garden.


5pm.
I sat for some time Facetiming with my sister-in-law, a few minutes after the conversation ended the sun dipped behind the hedge and a chill entered the air. I went back inside to stoke up the fire that I'd been maintaining all day.


6pm.
I often get stuck under Tinker, the girl cat, if I sit down for any length of time. Not that I'm complaining, I'd had a busy day with decorating, gardening, housework, and bringing in firewood. A rest was most welcome. I grabbed my book and sipped my cuppa, I told myself I'd get up when Andy got home.


7pm.
I gave up waiting for Andy and started cooking, he's normally home by this time but the sugar beet was being lifted which elongated his day. He went to work at 5.45am, and was knackered by the time he got home. A hot meal, that was ready quite by chance as he walked through the door was most welcome. He was snoozing on the sofa not long after he'd finished.


8pm.
I entertained myself with a large glass of red and Despicable Me 2 on TV. This was my last photo of the day but I followed the film with another, Jurassic World, before heading off to bed for just a little more reading before finally sleeping.

I had one plan for the following day - Sunday lunch at my Mum's house, which are always huge and delicious, Andy was working again so I took a spare plate which was piled high for him to enjoy later.

It was my wish at the beginning of the year to avoid that Sunday night feeling of a weekend wasted. My goal was to have a plan in place for the coming weekend by each Friday evening, and this weekend I certainly feel like I achieved a lot!

Thanks to Jane and Louisa for hosting, I always enjoy taking part.

How was your weekend?

It was my wish at the beginning of the year to avoid that Sunday night feeling of a weekend wasted. My goal was to have a plan in place for the coming weekend by each Friday evening.
The last few weekends have been quiet. Andy was feeling unwell one Sunday and I came down with a cold the following Sunday. Sunday afternoons are our time. The time we potter about together so to say I was disappointed that illness put a spanner in the works two weeks in a row is an understatement.

I did go along to my second nephew's football game, as was my plan. Sadly I was late, I don't know where the morning went, and by the time I arrived he'd come off the pitch with a minor injury. Still, my Dad was there and we hung out on the sidelines until the game ended. It was reasonably warm and nice to get some fresh air.

Last weekend my plan had been to have a 'doing day' on Saturday. I'd have them with my Mum when I was growing up. We'd get up without a plan and just do what took our fancy. Anything that came to mind. Anything we saw that needed doing, we'd do it.

I knew I wanted to get on the treadmill again, and I did. I'm walking / running (rulking? wanning?) trying to up my duration and distance each time. I started on Jan 30th and it's been going pretty well, until this cold stopped me in my tracks.

On this particular day I also dug out an exercise DVD and completed 20 minutes of cardio. This was one of my many fitness DVDs, one of many that was purchased with good intentions and then put in a drawer. I've made a little promise to myself to use them all, get rid of any I don't like, and use the others to introduce some cardio once a week.

Anyway, my 'doing day' - with exercise out of the way I wandered around the house doing chores, laundry, filling up the log basket in the lounge, creating a poster for an Easter craft and cake stall that I'm helping my Mum with in March. I photoshopped a photograph for Andy to dupe his friend, which prompted him to say I dealt in the Dark Arts, which made me smile, and feel oddly proud. I tidied up, watered plants, finished my sixth book of the year - Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith - and did some knitting. It gave me a real sense of achievement and felt good to be moving about rather than being sat at a desk all day.

Since the beginning of the year Andy has been cooking a roast on Sunday evenings.  I love a good roast dinner but I find cooking them rather dull. I have to be in the mood to cook one, and that feeling doesn't strike very often. In a conversation recently Andy mentioned that he'd like to have a roast more often, to which I replied 'well, there's nothing stopping you from cooking'. This could very well be the best sentence to ever leave my mouth, because that's exactly what he's been doing.

At first I felt a bit guilty, I mean I do the cooking, that's my job (not because I'm the woman, but because I work part time and Andy works ridiculously long hours). But I did get this weird feeling that I wasn't being a proper wife, that I should be feeding my man. But the feeling faded, and it disappeared altogether when I told a few friends about his culinary efforts and they all said 'good for you!'.

He's mastered batter puddings, and made a delicious meatloaf. But mostly we have roast pheasant. It's nice to have one day a week when I don't have to think about our meal. I write a meal plan each week, but I do get bored with thinking of new things to cook, and when I ask Andy if there is any thing he'd like, he always says he doesn't mind, which can be maddening. I know he won't be able to keep up the cooking through the busier months of the farming year, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts!

So whilst my weekends were quiet, with nothing exciting to report, they have been nice, illness aside.

What have you been up to?

I can often be heard telling people that most of my favourite items of clothing are pre-loved, either from charity shops, clothes swaps or from ebay.

Over the years I've found some lovely pieces, here are my top five.

This is one of my very first charity shop finds, bought it back in July 2012. I had to dye it last summer to bring the colour back to life, but this yellow maxi is set to be around for a while yet. Not bad for £2.99 eh? The jacket and t-shirt I'm wearing in this outfit are also pre-loved, jacket from ebay, t-shirt from a clothes swap.


This Monsoon skirt is gorgeous. I picked it up in 2015 for £4.49. I've only worn this a few times but I can't see it leaving my wardrobe anytime soon. It's so lovely to wear, it swishes and sways and makes me feel incredibly feminine. The beaded evening bag is a charity shop purchase, and the necklace too.


I won this ASOS rose print dress in an ebay auction in July 2016, paying £18.00. I wore it for a wedding and hope to find many more reasons to wear it.


I used to steer clear of denim jackets, although I have no idea why. But then I decided that one would actually make a pretty good addition to my wardrobe, the first one I bought can be seen in the first image. But having not had one for years, I decided I needed two and my second one needed to have full length sleeves. I found exactly what I was looking for in January 2017 on ebay and paid the Buy It Now price of £6.99. I reached for it many times over the course of the year. It's been put away for winter but I'm looking forward to getting it out again in the spring.


I picked up these Oasis jeans in August 2017 on a whim, paying just £2.00. They looked brand new and although I don't normally go for wide leg jeans these have been worn so much! They're in my current capsule wardrobe and have been worn 12 times since the beginning of January (yes, I'm keeping a tally). The green jumper is also a charity shop purchase.

All of this is my round about way of saying - look what fantastic things await you in your local charity shops!! It's a fantastic thrifty and eco-friendly way to fill your wardrobe with great clothes.

Do you shop secondhand? What's your favourite pre-loved purchase?