Busy busy busy .. Longtime no blog!

Longtime no blog!

Basically:

Weeny has homework = less play time for both of us!
Weeny is starving after school = good hearty meal making
Work is mad busy- loving four days and getting loads of stuff done  on Fridays.
Camping - check- went well
Sister visit combined with the above- check - went well
Biggles - check - all fine

Preparations for winter, Christmas and a fifth birthday also going well
Cache of Free cycled BRATZ dolls- 15 of all ethnicity's and skin tones plus boy dolls, a motorbike and horse plus dress up clothes. Birthday pressie sorted!
More bits bought for xmas - candles from Marks and Spencer for £1 from chaz shop. Some recycled unwanted gifts earmarked for xmas gifts. Even Biggles is getting in on the action and has some recycled unwanted gifts to be earmarked for Christmas.

We have items for EBAY- must get this done asap.

We now have extra curtains at the windows, a heater in the bedroom and a quilt on the bed. Weeny and I retire earlier and earlier now that darkness is making an appearance. The days are still reasonable though.

Motor bike- fixed and we have been out together once.

Weeny also starts French after school club. I figure she is at wrap around care might as well make good use of the time. Costs however!!! More skintness sigh!!!!

SKINT - completely
Car - timing belt and exhaust plus car tax and 25 squids for the replacement photo licence!!!!!
French and Swimming lessons all cost.

Weeny now has my stand alone set up for use of www.educationcity.com. She loves it and while she is in the bath she has deigned to allow me to grace its keyboard hence the blogging!

School sodding items - I am supposed to purchase a book bag, PE kit and PE kit bag all from school plus a cardigan for £12, tops for 8.50 each. Errrr I think not and it will be essentials only. School can go swing for all the matching items with silly embroidery on it which is the bit that costs. And they are pants to wash!

Final doctors fertility appt- IVF. Errr not we think. No money and the odds are pants. We knew what was coming and were prepared.. mostly still a bit shit when its official but as someone once said get off your pity pot..... ( they can f*ck off actually) ............and life plods on.... a little brighter a little duller a little darker, a bit windy seasons and seasons and years la de la de la de dah!

A Whimsical Eeeek still eeeking!

C word list so far

Christmas bargains so far.... for Weeny

Hungry Hippos type game £4
Barbie £6  Very Basic
10 Julia Donaldson Books £12 including delivery ( The author of The Gruffalo)
Felt picture thing ( £2.50)
Alien that climbs walls ( £2.00)
Early learning centre paint art thing £4
Heroes chocs £1.49

Total  so far £31.99 I think

Biggles bargains

Some stuff ha ha not saying as he drops by from time to time!

Going to get her a trampoline for the garden,  £ 100 max
New scooter ( inline one to help with the bike balance) ( Biggles has offered)
Pyjamas/clothes for next year etc etc
New Storio Cartridge to listen to or maybe two as she has her birthday in January. Some of this stuff will do for her birthday as well. Prob keep the scooter and make Biggles re think lol.  Storio cartridges are not cheap. Leap frog pad thing to read maybe...??? She has mentioned an ice cream maker but they have not so great reviews... the ones for kids that is.

Some make up stuff, jewellery bits and sweets for her stocking and thats it!

I have gone through the Argos catalogue with her and we will write a letter to Santa. If she has a strong desire for a particular thing and its not too expensive I may indulge her. Last year it was Doggie Doo - the game where you collect up the dogs doo... £18 but she was very chuffed with it. And was her fav present over all I think.


Will limit her to £200 max including birthday.

I love approved food.....

Product	Cost Each	Quantity	Cost
Pride Pure Creamed Coconut 198g	£0.33	12	£3.96
Weightwatchers 6 Tortillas	£0.17	6	£1.02
Aunt Bessies Vegetable Gravy Granules 170g	£0.33	3	£0.99
Community Ground Cumin 50g	£0.50	2	£1.00
Maysan Concentrated Curry Sauce Paste Mild 448g	£1.49	1	£1.49
McVities Digestives The Original 250g	£0.33	3	£0.99
Toffee Dodgers 140g	£0.25	4	£1.00
CASE PRICE Sharwoods Thai Red Curry Paste 12 x	£0.01	1	£0.01
CASE PRICE Sharwoods 4 Plain Mini Naans x 10	£1.00	1	£1.00
Owen Potts Italian Dressing 240g	£0.50	2	£1.00
Gourmet Kitchen Worcestershire Inspired Sauce 270ml	£0.50	2	£1.00
Hellmanns Lighter Than Light Mayonnaise 430ml	£0.33	3	£0.99
Old El Paso Original Mild Fajita Cooking Sauce 395g	£0.75	2	£1.50
Cadbury Heroes 200g	£1.49	2	£2.98
CREME EGG CLEARANCE Cadbury Creme Egg	£0.10	10	£1.00
Nestle After Eight Chocolate Mints 300g	£1.49	1	£1.49
Swizzels Matlow Loadsa Lollies 189g	£0.89	3	£2.67
Swizzels Matlow Loadsa Chews 189g	£0.89	3	£2.67
Fruit Hit Fairtrade Orange Juice 500ml	£0.25	8	£2.00
Time Liquid Bio 735ml	£0.75	2	£1.50
		Sub Total	£30.23
		Discount	£2.63
		Shipping	£5.25
The only thing that was a bit of a rip was the fajita sauce can get two for a pound from poundland. oops my bad! Have purchased sweets in advance of Halloween. get em while they are cheap and will be hidden as will the chocs for christmas stocking fillers. Great for condiments and sauces.Can you tell we like fajitas and thai curry!		TOTAL	£32.85   

Being original with a meal plan for 1.5 people

I really enjoyed last weeks meal planning for the week-  making and eating it. Shopping for it and planning it less so lol

This week I have had to adapt again as I only have myself and Weeny to feed.

Monday  - pizza and left over salad I get left over slices for lunch on Tuesday lol
Tuesday - Chicken curry with left over veg's - I get a lunch out of this one as well stored for the freezer.
Wednesday - Quorn Sausages and mash and broccoli & carrots and gravy ( veg of course)
Thursday -  Frozen fish and chips ( real ones) and pea

We stick to Ice Cream for dessert mostly unless I make crumble or apple pie or pavlova which is rare.

I can see this becoming a bit repetitive however.  I tend to stick to the same things quite often.
Weeny needs a proper meal at night now as she has a packed lunch during the day and does not get tea at holiday club. This will also be the case with School Lunch only then a long wait till tea.

I need ideas for easy, quick, cheap cook meals. For curry I use maysan mild curry paste that comes in a box.  Stir fry veg/meat then add curry paste and water.
She eats and enjoys Gammon so that's one substitute. Not keen on burgers or fish fingers or kiddie food.

Hmm thinking
Weekends we do fine as I cook larger style dishes for me and Biggles and she tucks in just fine.


Have worked out that not including shoes/underwear most of my outfits come in at under a fiver lol  I feel smug about this when I go to work.
Trousers - £1
Top - £1.50
vest - £1.00
Shoes were old ones form tescos - pumps that cost a tenner.  Still going strong.

A quick squizz down town...C word used!

We got some fresh air and used Biggles loyalty points in Costa for free coffee. One of the Charity shops is now open on a Sunday. And right at the back is the reduced rail or rather rails. I bagged two new tops for work for 3.50.  Both reduced from silly prices so common in the chazz shop today.

Also for Christmas were some early learning art thing sets at £4 each - brand new. One is for a wee boys birthday and the other to squirrel for Christmas for Weeny.

Bargain! I put a £10 limit on all birthday pressies including card/wrapping etc. I have wrapping in the house suitable for a boy and will purchase a card cheaply for under a £1. Prob get two for 1 as I for see another birthday in December for a girl. I have pressies for her already. Weeny got the same gift twice which will be recycled with a felt puzzle thing. So Boys birthday £4.50 and Girls Birthday 3.50.

I don't go to all of them as I just couldn't afford it. Weenys birthday this year will be a small affair with choice friends and not the all encompassing class birthday which seems so popular.

Ooops just remembered another one - Boy in December. Well may just give him the other early learning pressie if we get an invite.


Have £36 in survey vouchers saved up.

We are well on the way for Weeny's Christmas. Just need to sort out the trampoline big pressie.
I am limiting everyone else ( approx 10) to £10 each. Biggles and I are just doing small as well one off £20 max.

I have Ebay to do and maybe a booty so that's some more of the expense covered.

Bluddy Bugger and poo I 'ates christmas I doo. The grub is cool though but we never spend much over our normal budget so tis very much dooable.

A day for Goodbyes.

The teenager went home today. Biggles leaves later. All I want to do is curl up. Poo. Back to reality.

Weeny is away at the other family which has also annoyed me. He wanted her this week so he could have bank hols to himself. Buggered up all future plans but sod him he will have to deal with it.
better for me if I have her over bank hols we can do stuff rather than have it punctuated by his access time.  We will go away to Scotland most prob.

The teenager was a good distraction from no Biggles and going back to weekends andd routine. I will acclimatise again I am sure especially when the new academic year starts.

Also have shitty PMT and haven't been taking the anti D's at the same time everyday. Will get better, This too shall come to pass... In the words of the wise.

It has annoyed me. He wanted to change weekends. Fair dos can he collect given that its short notice??? No So weeny only gets Sunday 10-4pm
Selfish Selfish. he claims he does not have a car. He only apparently has hi work van. He has a car. Weeny has said she is not to tell me. He thinks he is getting one over on me. FGS he doesn't see that its Weeny that suffers and loses out but if he doesn't have a car then he can blame me for being tight. I might just get rid of my car and see what he does then. Hmmm

Appraisal at work....

Went swimmingly ! Am happy mostly that I stayed a bit of doubt as I would live to be a podiatrist and study again but overall happy. The house situation will always be a nagging point. The area OK but not the same as my last one, house is small, I don't own it etc etc no investment but I can't change that at all.