Daily Fail Middle classes!!!!! an example that leaves me cold.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1369760/From-single-mums-benefits-stately-home-owners-middle-class-now.html

Why do I ever look at the Daily Mail!!! It only server to infuriate! the first example can work - she has one child at school and there is a child care element to child tax credit which will pay 70% of her fees which will not be astronomical as her child is at school.

The others and their superficial vacuous lives leave me cold. The last woman is vacuous. I have some time for the woman married to the landed gentry  but that's it.

If I had lots of money like the examples I would still wear preloved, drive economical cars, camp, bargain hunt - I may indulge more in locally grown farmers market produce but that's about it etc Not very green people are they ( shakes head wrinkles nose  and screws up mouth at he same time as if driving past a slurry tip in the country)   Now I am not the deepest most philosophical type but I like to think I have a little more depth than a puddle on a hot day in August in Spain and I bet  no one turned off their lights for Earth Hour!

Earth hour and other stories!

Well we have  cleaned out and re organised the shed, a couple of  drawers and a cupboard in the kitchen and planted anything salvageable from the tubs to the garden in prep for the planting of seeds! Carrots, cauliflower, kale,  I like my garden, pottering, planting, barbecuing - its nothing to shout about but considering it was a postage stamp of mud it has plants and flowers and shrubs and grass and bushes and hanging basket things. I am not a patient gardener more of a chuck it in and hope for the best type.  In the name of frugaldom I am removing the flowers form the planters/bucket type things and replacing them with food!! I would plant in the ground but I have a cat turd problem so would prefer the edible stuff to be a bit removed.  The weather changed before we could get any  finger painting accomplished so we retreated inside and made dens till Biggles called in for Thai green chicken curry which we stuffed our faces on - all of us! Roo is fond of spice not too hot but flavoursome! Got prepared for Earth Hour - tea lights, story time and she fell asleep.  Yes it was a bit late but I thought it would be fun with the candles and stuff.Still a fair few lights on around - I checked the street - which is a shame - Am sure the awareness raising will grow albeit slowly!!! Its only an hour - read, sing, dance, bath by candlelight - bake ,  Its only candlelight and think about how you can save energy good for you pocket and as a bonus good for the earth! Lots of other things you can do by candlelight some say it could even be romantic! No luck as Biggles was off home as is on early's tomorrow
( double early's given the hour we loose for the clocks.)

Pork Sundays dinner tomorrow with white sauce and the usual trimmings. I am tempted to go booting tomorrow but I cannot justify it in petrol or spends or needs... just wants. Hmph - maybe the cupboard under the stairs may get a good going over after the joys of house work, hoovering, brushing, dusting and washing the floor not to mention horrid horrid evil ironing!!!!


Making dens! I am not precious with furniture!

Little windy spot of pennies!

I have some expenses from my  court experience - only £41 but if I add this to my pot of £39 I can afford a new divan base to be delivered all in  for £70. one of the hassles of living in the country being that you need to factor in delivery.  I am desperate for a bed base given the frame that I have is on its last legs given age, use and a bed bouncing child!!!


There is a headboard I  have my eye on  for £5 on ebay! See what happens eh- its only in Newcastle.  My freecycling attempts  to get a king size bed base or frame have failed on several  occasions and I am now getting desperate. I could go for another frame and save the space under the bed but risk developing an annoying squeak thanks to  the jumper roo weeny girl. She loves a bounce!!! They always sneak in when you are not looking !!!

Not a bad  start to the weekend!!!

I really need to get into Ebay as well. Have a car boot provisionally arranged with my chum (s) for a weekend in May so am stock piling for that. Will also do enviroclothes again  once the sister has gone through the old clothes pile!!!

A cheery Eeek off to get grubby in the garden!

Sleepy Thursdays and TGI Friday.........

Finished days at school - all went fine - have some research and finishing prep to do. Good news have been offered said job at the local FE college so have accepted and need to hand notice in on Monday!!!!!!!  whay hey - Money not great and I will be working full time again but at least when I come home I can focus on the small child properly rather than be stressed about targets, doing crappy admin that I should be able to do during work hours and not rely on my personal broadband connection!!! Its more money but still nothing close to the previous salary  or the hourly rate I am on working part time and I will be travelling everyday but  its not a horrendous target driven job and I am no longer Pauline from the League of Gentlemen!!!! yay No more ''Pens are our friends Mickey love''

Treated oneself to a a necklace and two flowery tops - no labels in them just liked them. All second hand!!!

Me and weeny  girl will be shed and gardening tomorrow and maybe some hand/finger/foot painting!!!

Fell asleep early yesterday - We went to bed early to snuggle! We are off to bed again now after the Friday ritual of  Doctor Who!  Biggles keeping the terrorists away this weekend monitoring the skies for threats and erratic plane type things. Thai curry tomorrow - love it and Sundays dinner on ... you guessed it Sunday all made with Lidl produce and cheapies!!! Ok not the green curry paste or coconut milk but they were bargains too!
PGCE interview next Wednesday see if I get in then see if I can do some financial wizardry and house renting to actually finance the damn thing!

Enjoy the weekend Bloggers!!!!

A much happier Eeek

Ahhhh the silence and some free cycle!!

Well after the boring changing of the bank accounts I picked up a freecycled small three drawer chest of drawers and hit Lidl! Only spent £25 but need to pick up yoghurt's and cat food, children's toothpaste and some fruit not a great deal of fruit apples maybe and whatever is cheap! - should get away with only spending £30 this week  Ahhhh bread flour - sold out at Lidl - Over a pound a bag at other stores so plumbed for the 99p stuff - only 1kg rather than the 1.5 bags but no choice. Will keep monitoring!!!! Roo is at the beach - I sent her off on her own for some fun am sure she Will be fine -very sensible three year old  - not really away with friends - mine not hers so I have enjoyed a lovely cup of coffee and some uninterrupted blog reading.  Have  admin for work work to do later so will be busy and bored senseless. I do hope I get some sort of other job/direction soon  this current post is sucking my soul away!!!!!!

The freecycle item was much like the ret of my furniture - nothing interesting all rather bland- all second hand hand and given to me/ free cycled. Its every where!! I have alot of that cheap mock pine effect stuff. None of it has cost me a bean however so I am not complaining. It has no character, personality - it is all bland and very plain but gives me somewhere to put the books, photos. I don't really have Nick knacks anymore they were deemed non essential during one of the my house moves and as such boot sold, gave to charity. I would love a dresser however to collect and display my own particular brand of crap!!!

One day maybe when I am resettled again.... shame I will say tarrah to the kitchen - excellent space and lots of room for a dresser.......... ho hum soon I hope

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!!!