Wednesday 25 January 2012

January nearly over...........

We are now four!!! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! I shall have to change weeny's name as she is no longer weeny! Maybe I can get away with it for a bit longer.... Bless.

She had a lovely birthday. Friend for tea on her actual birthday with homemade birthday cake, then another party at the local soft play for her chums. Not frugal at all really  but its her birthday and worth it. She got loads of pressies - many I have snuck away and will recycle for other birthday pressies for other other children. You do not need three of everything..... I have at least two more birthdays coming up so it will save me money!!!


My phone is knackered. The touch screen is not working.. I have till May before the contract ends!

I have I believe saved £200. I have probably tempted fate now!

Next month I need to pay off the gas fitter - Fifty odd quid and  start my cooker payments. So £100 out of the  paycheck.

We are off to London to visit Biggles next month. Though this does not need to be too expensive. We have a free ticket paid for by loyalty points ( Biggleses),  we shall stay in and eat and do all the free things and catch up with friends.  Travel around London will be the biggest expenditure when we are there.  Flask and bottles of juice. Might buy some pigeon feed in Trafalgar square....


Eeee am excited. I am going home lol. And though it is very metropolitan, busy etc it doesn't really change too much in essence still the polluted smokey old place it ever was. roads in the same place, shops might change but other than that.....


I have Herman sitting on my kitchen bench bubbling away. If anyone localish would like a portion of Herman to grown their own I am sure I could work something out.....

Herman is a sour dough friendship cake passed on around the world.....

Monday 2 January 2012

Am going to write my resolutions on Weeny Girls blackboard which sits in the living room.

1. Be a more patient mother. Shout less talk more.  I have slipped into bad habits. This is not good for our relationship. I can focus now. No Excuses.
2. Cook something new each week - frugally of course! Add to my repertoire using leftovers, back of the fridge, yellow stickered goods.
3. Get fitter and loose some weight. I bought three full length evening gowns approx three years ago for some militiary functions. They do not fit anymore. They need to fit again,
4. Save and pay off debt. yes the frugal challenge - should be higher up the list really!
5. See more of friends/family who live further away. I will be visiting London, Scotland and as such should combine visits  and catch up.
6. Take the weeny camping again
7. Once the four day week has been mastered!!!  Dancing lessons for the weeny and maybe some horse riding if we can.
( Piano would be nice but I have no where to put an upright anymore.... .. well unless I got rid of a chair...... and siad piano would need tuning and I know nothing of music stuffs.).
8. Justify any further clothes purchases till at least September. I have everything I need in abundance as does Weeny girl who ok may grown out of shoes.
9. freecycle all other requirements - carpet, paint, plants etc etc etc
10. Do one nice thing for the Biggles at least once a month - something special nice not just general nice!


that was the ADRIAN MOLE ten now for the biggie....

I need to decide on a few things...

career stuffs - circumstances outwith my control may effect this ... house exchange in good time for example.

I shall make enquiries to sources tomorrow.

Home ownership or pension investment???? 


The last one is the biggie . Any suggestions??? or advice???

Sunday 1 January 2012

My Year....

Hmmmm

Good things by month
January 2011 - Burns night with friends and weeny girls 3rd Birthday
February 2011 -  Valentines - we always do something just the two of us.
March -  New Job
April : Getting accepted onto a PGCE - ok coulnd take the place but it done the ego good!!
May - Caravan weekend with Biggles and Weeny for Mums birthday in Scotland
June - Camping in the lakes - Ullswater -  finding Nara with weeny and a boat ride
July - Summer - barbecues and the beach! alot
August - Camping in the lakes - keswick - troll hunting
September - A new term! Visiting Scotland and my sisters new home
October - A sold house and halloween and Weenh girls first day at big school
November - A lovely anniversary meal just Biggles and I
December - a new home, and a first nativity play - I couldn't go but B iggles was impressed as was weeny!

Biggles doing well and lovely as ever
Weeny girls troll hunting in the lakes and her speedings development, my mum settled in her care home



bneed to think about what I specifically want to achieve for next year and what I want to do for weeny and Biggles!

Review- the end of 2011.

Well this time last year lol or rather the year before that at the end of 2010 I still felt we had much to be grateful for. B had returned from Afghanistan safely - mentally and physically.  Though I miscarried we were still full of hope for the future.  My house was on the market and thought a reasonable sale may occur and we could plan our lives together with a few bob to cushion us.

We considered postings to Germany and all that it woudl entail!!! returnining to uni, I really did not believe that we would see another Christmas in either Northumberland or as a threesome!

neither of us would  really give two figs about the negative equity and loss of funds if  we could become a foursome.

Lol onwards and upwards eh and as I have nowt left to loose things can only really get better!!


B wants to do well at his job to contribute to his case for promotion to Wing Commander. I hope to be able to have something arranged for September - more training/return to uni etc.  Infact maybe something for Feb through OU.   But these are all consolations really - plan B's


BY next year bar losing weight and getting fitter I woudl liek to have achieved something tangible - or  be in the midst of achieving something tangible. - a qualification or something. I can' t let my self even think about plan A. It has to be put to bed.


Onwards, upwards and forwards the ascent out of the financial mire starts tomorrow lol

Christmas adventures 2. Sheffield to Stirling and home again

We set off on Boxing Day to South Yorks for two nights then journeyed back to Alnwick for a ngiht before heading off again to Scotlandshire - Dollar, Clackmananshire to be precise. Biggles family and my family. We spent the 30th going to Ayr for lunch and to see my mum in her care home.


Lovely time spent with famillies. B and I managed to get to the pub two nights in a row!!!!  My 17 year old neice looked after her little cousin. Whoppeee!!! 


We came back home for new year which is also my birthday ( 39sigh). we ordered a curry for last night curled up on sofa and drank wine. Phew tired.com

Today B is having a blast on the bike. I have made some more brownies and have a roast dinner prepped to be cooked for his return around 4ish.

Christmas and other adventures. 1- Pavlova in a gas oven.

After baking ones biscuits and brownies on 23rd having taken delivery of th enew cooker on 22nd ahh I endeavoured to make the pavlova ... ooops   Not as simple using a gas oven as a fan oven. I miss my electric fan oven. sigh


The pavlova cooked on top but not the bottowm and took forever much much longer than the 3hrs it normaly takes.  Anyway it broke up and looked as if we would be having eton mess on Christmas day. It was salvagable and using a quiche dish it looked very nice in the end.

We had our tradditional fajitas on Christmas eve before retiring .. falling into bed.

Woken up at 7:30ish which is good time.  Weeny girl very spoilt. As ever. Loved all the bits and pieces. We took our time with starter and chicken and pavlova before falling into bed again ...

Happy New Year!!!!

Moving house seems like a lifetime ago!!!

Where shall I start.... The move went very well!!!  We were all about done by Friday 23rd which left me some time to do some baking and them prep for Christmas day.

I still have a few things to do online - driving licence, passport etc etc TV licence Ebay etc etc.

The washingachine attachment is leaking so no washer. There is a slight leak in the toilet - where the clean water flushes down to the pan so not a perm leak and I cannot have hot water and heating on at the same time.   Other than that all good. And I don't need to worry about getting them fixed!!! Yipee!!!


House insurance and car insurance have gone up. Car insurance significantly - by £17 per month!!! And £3 per month for contents insurance. I am in credit by £120 to gas/elec. I shall save this for the forthcoming winter bill.


I should get land line, internet connexcted on Friday at some point.... we shall see!!!


I think I may in sections as this woudl be a very long post otherwise!