This year’s efforts follow on in part from having the heating revamped last year, me doing the bulk of the cooking and even a comment in the cats thread here…

Bathroom, Washbasin: fitted thermostatic mixer valve for hot tap, extended lever taps, click clack waste, paper roll dispenser, redone silicon sealant. Bath: fitted new waste and overflow, thermostatic bar bath/shower mixer. Other: tidy up grouting in tiles. To do: redo silicon sealant for bath (I don’t fancy that job), tidy up around toilet and old pipework, probably change bath mixer tap – I think the idea is right but I think trying a cheap one was a mistake for what we want.

Kitchen. Clear out of most pots and pans, replacing a couple with new ones – we have a better selection now and it is less cluttered, fit spice rack on cupboard door, fill gap left by old boiler with shelving unit under work top, replace cupboard hinges with soft close ones. To do: try to find bit of vinyl to patch floor where boiler extended beyond kitchen units, fit new curtain, try to better organise cupboards. Possibles, new tap, shelving on remaining bit of wall I could use.

Shed. We lost storage in the airing cupboard with the heating changes. I added new shelving in the shed last year but I think even with a sort out, we will still be short so I think I need to find some mobile shelving.

Other: Dispose of accumulation of junk. I’m not on clear the best way but probably some combination of mini skip hire, trips to recycle centre and council collection. Matters would be easier if everything could go in a skip but electrical items are a problem there.

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Oh and on the cooking, I got myself a few (cooks, paring, bread and super slicer) Wusthof knives. It seemed like a good idea but I’ve barely used them. Pip doesn’t like sharp knives in the kitchen so they are stored in a roll in a cupboard in my room. For say the qty of veg I need to do for the 3 of us and considering getting the knives out, I just reach for the trusty old bread knife (like this one – it’s got different serrations to other bread knives I’ve seen). That and a veg peeler get me through most things.

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Garden. This year’s mowing already started. Tomatoes, peppers and aubergine in pots on windowsills. Some other seeds in propagator. Visiting brother and family cleared a load of leaves at front of house.