enough to do.... when can I have a proper life again...

Ok first of my three prep days at school. Twas grand. Tomorrow I have the bank accounts to change back again!  How dull, some boring work stuff to do and if time the job application. Sigh. The weather is getting nice and all I really want to do is be outside. I have numerous gardening and decorating jobs but I suppose the prep comes first.  On with trying to establish the new life or rather career!!!  Apart from the money aspect being made redundant is a real pain in the butt. I really want to be focusing wholeheartedly on  Roo at the moment and what is best for her not splitting my time with a new career! But money being the root of all evil is also important ..... at the moment - well having the potential to earn enough to keep a roof over our head and have a reasonable standard of frugal living. Enough to live and make provisions for our future. Nothing consumerist required - no need. I have no interest in the high street, shopping centres, retail parks, package holidays, flash cars, furniture, spa days, expensive hobbies -Zilch, nadda, nothing, leaves me cold cold cold. Or gadgets, dvds, games consoles, brand named food, ready made frozen food, delicacies, jewellery ( expensive)........

Enough for wholesome food, my bills and worthy enriching experiences for my darling daughter not necessarily expensive ones. A few classes - ballet, swimming, music maybe one day, camping, the occasional holiday non flash type - Euro camp for the foreign experience type thing. I def do not want her to be used to the med every year!!! eurgh - fish and chips Spanish style!!! One day I would like a dog if I am ever in the position to have enough time to meet its needs satisfactorily.

Dave you are a git!!! If it was just me then I wouldn't be bothered I wouldn't be here anyway but the life I had crafted was not for me alone and the changes from you choices effect the most precious person and that makes you a super shitty little git.

Treasures.............. very pricey treasures!!!

My my those charity shops know a find and how to price one!!! Everything I looked at today was priced accordingly  from handbags to a fabulous pink maxi dress - lots of sparkle and polyester- very 70's. I wouldn't have bought it as no where to wear it but..... and  for £24.99...... not my price range!  Anything of age is priced accordingly. Lots of shirts  too but all size 18 including polyester pussy bows  also made in England and a great handbag  - patent brown with snap lock circa 1970 which was £9.99

I really don't think they will sell particularly well in the area but ho hum. I checked out Relate in Ashington and then done the usual circuit in Alnwick. It was lunch time and post interview I figured I deserved some relax time!!! Interview went well I feel. How well time will tell. I would like the job but the money is truely pants and the college is being taken over by another college so can only offer a fixed contract till end of July. The  likelihood of being kept on and given  a perm contract is good. If offered I will probably take it on  4 days a week and look for other stuff just in case. I could really get my teeth into it and would enjoy it so.... travel could be worse. On four days I will do 120 miles. On Mondays I do over 80miles so some savings to be made in petrol me thinks. ( 60 miles on Thursday and 40 on Fridays  meaning a bit of a difference) Better than dreading work and hating most of the time spent there and bringing work home due to the dire state of the ICT available working remotely. You also don't really  get to see your colleagues which is half the fun of working- well ok a perk.  I see people but only once a week.  Have another to draft and also prep for the uni interview next week.

Busy day tomorrow - up early  to take Roo to a friends for the day as its typically a non nursery day then to  Alnwick. Will be doing approx 100 miles tomorrow!!! 

Roo wants feeding - tut tut how dare she!!!  Then  we are off to an early bed!! Its pretty chilly now after a glorious day so warmest place is bed!

Sad about frugal queen her frugal examples and tips were great.

Maybe she is still reading blogs just not writing. Sending small hand wave if so

Have a picture of the very pink dress which I will  post at some point. its fabulous darrrrrrrrhlings! High necked sleeveless, Flash of sequins and beads around the middle....... garish!!!

I have dided the facebook thang! Here is the dress - 22/3/11

 Doesn't do it justice really - Anyway it says it was a size 14 - more like 12 so too small for me!!! A saving thus of 25 quid!!!

Nothing on a Sunday!

Well I achieved very little today.. best laid plans of mice and men eh Slept in till 11am!!! I couldn't believe the time when I got up!!!! Biggles was already on his way home. Managed all but a quick tidy, breakfast, and food prep and long conversaqtion with my sister re future mum plans before he turned up around 2;30ish Hadn't even managed a shower!!! 

I have made a timetable re how to get the copious amounts of stuff I have to do this week done!

Roo returned at 5pm - hadn't been anywhere despite being late. She was OK a little subdued as ever. I would feel happier if I knew she was the focus of his weekend - or rather the kids were the focus of the adults weekend and not just additions to be sent to the garden to play while the smoking of fags and watching of telly takes place. This may change as I will have a lot of running around to do in the future and Roo has other family to see who may be living in Clackmannanshire which is not that far away from the northern reaches and also a grandmother in a care home in Ayr.

Cheapie chicken pasta bake was rather nice and will feed me again tomorrow.
cheap passata, pasta, chicken breasts, array of veg to hand,onions, garlic, mozzarella and cheese to top seasonings of choice - rather yummy and Biggles who is just a little fussy about anything with tomato in it  enjoyed it and looks forward to the next batch.

Interview tomorrow - job sounds grand but the pay is absolutely rubbish.   Have another application to complete for the 28th and the uni interview to prepare for. Ahhhhh I am juggling so many balls that related to plan b,c and d as well as trying to sell up. Plan A is a bit personal and rather a long shot so am keeping mum on that one.  

It would be nice to have just one goal to achieve at a time  (and I mean goal outside of the really important parenting stuff.)

Back to the grind - I will get my camera at some point!

Disappearing Frugal Queen???

Has frugal queen disappeared or is it just me??  When I try to access her blog  - Zilch, Nada, Nowt! Do hope she hasn't given up the ghost or her blog has become lost in the ether!!!Her frugal example is excellent! Much missed Frugal Queen!!! 

Drying outside is lovely and makes your clothes smell so fresh!!!

Guilts

And now feeling guilty over the uneccessary spend, use of petrol and wasting of time...... oh well tis done now. Must do better next time!!!. Found out today that council tax is only going to be £43 per month so that alleviates the guilt a little!!

I cannot help myself..........tales of a waistcoat, jelly mould and barbie!

Have managed  one of the things on my list so far! But did nip out after dropping off the Weeny Roo with her 'other family' to help a chum with an application form! On the way back drove through Morpeth and told myself would only call in at the charity shops for a perusal  if I could find an easy peasy high street parking spot!!  not easy in Morpeth High Street on a Saturday. I Kind of did just as I was on my out of the main shopping drag opposite the Relate shop!!! Now I can walk away from most goodies but not a waistcoat - Black fitted, plain (- not the leather or special variety but a cheap one in good nick from the high street), a small jelly mould - just enough for 2.3! and a winter coat for 2.99 for Roo aged 4-5!! Full length, very pink made by........ barbie  - boooo (Am not a fan of the out of proportion plastic moulded thing with a waist the same width as her neck!)  Couldn't turn it down though -  in too good  condition! It has barbie written on the back and on the front. I have a cunning plan however to tart it up ( as if it needs tarting up with that name on the back!)  Daisy, flower and other style girly  patches!!!!  I have a goodly while to find said customising items at a reasonable price - very very cheap other wise could have bought a coat from primarni new!!! And if I don't it will be fine for playing and daycare and getting grubby!!!!

Waistcoat - 3.49. Cheaper than the ones I saw on ebay with postage which were nonetheless equally plain and black and nowt to shout about. Dinky knobbly jelly mould 1.49 and coast 2.99!!!  Put away for next year.

Have managed one of the work tasks, have a few more to do - OK 2 items to put onto a database online and then an article to read and make notes on and a skeleton job application to draft! (I have a hand written application to complete! Boooo much prefer online.) 


My left leg is missing, my heart beats slower with a dull thud- I miss her lots. She didn't want to leave me this morning and has been saying that she does not like her dad's girlfriends son. He is about 7, her half sister is also there and is 7 as well. She has an older cousin 9ish who often goes over as well. The entire crew were there today which is nice in a way but they are older than her and I think they get a bit tired of the small one spoiling their grown up games. I know that the kids will be left to amuse themselves while the adults do adult stuff- watch telly and smoke fags. I hope she is OK. Time will tell. She comes back tomorrow at 5pm. Sigh
I know he was going out to work and leaving her with the entire crew of kids and his girlfriend. He  was outside with his work van and in work clothes. Shame - he only sees her every other weekend for approx 30 hours and she spends 12 of them asleep ( OK closer to ten as she sleeps light)


OK I look for excuses not to work!!!!!!!!! Biggles back tomorrow afternoon. Mother Biggles liked her birthday pressie from us and from Roo and the cards. All good. Now I really really must get on!!!

Todays fun..........

Was unable to make the phone calls due to that other thing called work getting in the way. OK  day however- have cleared the family loan with the relevant people so good good!!! Putting the super frugal plan into action asap after Easter. Easter will be an expense. I am going to the old country  (Scotland) to  collect my dear ole Mum from the airport avec big sister and take her to her new home - care home- she has advancing dementia/Alzheimer's. I will then spend a few days making sure she is settled. I have chosen Ayr as I really do not know how long I am going to be here and I would not want to move her again. She is from Ayr and other relatives will be able to visit her. I am just not sure how often I will be able to visit. Train may be cheaper mid week - leave on Monday night after work or Tuesday morning and come back Wednesday - will have to investigate . Weeny girl Roo will be joining me. These things always cost extra money - coffee, food stops  etc etc but cannot be avoided.  Not part of the financial plan and def not one the folks from CAP had budgetted for. Am looking forward to seeing mum interact with Roo - last time she responded very well to her and was smiley and happy. It will break my heart having to leave her so far away with strangers and not her familiar carers and in a new routine but its got to be done.

The  rest of today....... no charity window shopping just a quick trip to Morrison's for essentials!!

Look at my food booty!!! For only £10!! approx  Essential lasagna sheets  x4 - 23p each,  fruit and veg essentials - onions, carrots, broccoli, apples, pears, apple juice, 56p,  milk , yoghurts 44p, butter for baking, 55p, lower fat spread on special offer 62p!! Yorkshires - as I am pants at making them, I think they were a pound and last for three meals for 2.3 of us!! Bargain of the day -five jars of curry sauce 9p yes that's a whole 9p each!!!  45p Enough for five curry meals for two and a bit if needed or one and some for the freezer. We tried some this evening with some chunky homemade in their skins  oven chips and naan -Its  much like 70's school curry but spicier with a few raisins - fry up some chook and onions and its not half bad. (Curry powder would only last for 5/6 meals and cost more. Think it was about 80p  last time - Makway mild curry powder - bright yellow stuff) This way I also get jars for jam making!!! Large ones!!!

I will have to call in at Lidl next week for bread flour ( its only 69p)  light mayonaise and Salad stuffs but that's about it really. Apart from fresh produce should be an easy one on the budget for a while.  I always figure that if I want a proper Balti I will go out to a restaurant or takeaway - last one was new years eve with Biggles ( My birthday) and it was great, oh and a takeaway with Mother Biggles!!!! Who was  a big Goa fan  for many years but has now moved on to Kenya!

I don't have my camera software yet I uploaded photos to fb from my mobile then downloaded them to the lap top and uploaded to blogger from there!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't really do anything for comic relief - Weeny girl had to do something funny for nursery. We went for the Mr Tumble look - Those with kids and a TV will know Mr Tumble!!! Here she is in her glory: We had lots of random sticky out plaits which she is sleeping in so she gets frizzy hair tomorrow!She was very impressed with her look and couln't wait to show off!!

I also had some pics on my phone of childrens clothes finds which I will add too!!!

 99p Marks and Spencers floaty blue dress!!!
Has bed head hair in this pic - but she wanted to put it on!!! Good sign she likes it!!

 For age 4-5 - nothing over £2 mostly below as I recall - love the flowers and the colour of the cardighan!
A sweatshirt is missing from the haul!

I just like this one - looking out to sea!!! Can't wait for summer!

This year I have a promise that Biggles will spend it with me regardless of the military type things in Libya. Last year he was away  in the land of red dust  and long haired dogs doing war things. I made him promise over his curry that no more this year and no volunteering till ...well October when he is due to be posted anyway!!! He would volunteer for it  eagerly despite doing his over seas bit last year so no expectation on him to do so. Promised me no volunteering!!!!  Like he says its what he signed up for and its his job and he does it well......just give me summer then go answer your call xx