FE college!!! Hair cut for £8 and other little gems!!!

After a lovely weekend and time spent with my sister and Biggles, I returned to  work yesterday....... boo  however there is an up side to working in an FE college Cheap haircuts!!! and cheap beauty treatments! Cheap food in the student run restaurant and nice food  - so good spot for lunches you take with friends! 2.50 for a main course of restaurant standard is not bad at all!! ( Won't be many of these however)  Hair cuts and hair removal of the epilation stylee for £2 a session may be indulged!!!

I would like to see them roll out their services to include painting and decorating and other household maintenance They have a joinery and carpentry departments,  plumbing, gardening (- horticulture) am a sure simple maintenance service would be very very popular! 

Some car valeting ( FREE)  goes on  but only for the chosen few - I feel I may try to wheedle my way into this group!!!

I would def recommend checking out your local  FE college if you want some ultra cheap pampering and lunch!!! Most colleges will have a working salon, spa and restaurant!! Downside would be that they are only available term time! Some offer an evening service - check it out!!!  The student let loose on my hair  who done a very good job was an experienced level three student. This means they have studied for at least two years  possibly three prior to being let loose and have passed qualifications and several placements in working salons outside of college.It will cost me just as much to get Weeny girls hair cut!!! They do not take children under 12 which is pants!!!

I think a treat or two may be in order for the princely sum of £2-3- not a bad to while away your lunch hour and for a self esteem boost every so often its cheaper than regular salons and you help a young person learn and achieve! I shall update you with my adventures in FE college as they happen!!!


I also have an invite to a free day/look around at the new college animal gardens! The weeny one will appreciate this. I have actually already been  but will indulge again!!! 

I like cheap and free!!

Lurching from one event to another!!!

Am hoping that life will calm down soon and I can get on with the saving!!! So far no chance!!!  Oh well theres always next month. Sheffield and Mother Biggles house again next week - am hoping to get to a car boot rather than a shopping centre! Food should be fabulous however.

Reduced the price on the house event further today in the hope that I may get a sniff of interest!!! I can always say no!!!  Biggles defending, Weeny girl at her other family's for the night. Today  I achieved nothing apart form sofa sitting and snoozing! Ok I purchased mould resistant paint and called in at the estate agents and made Thai curry for tea- a Biggles favourite.
Tomorrow I shall be productive!

I shall accomplish:
Painting the bathroom ceiling and cleaning the bathroom, cutting of  the grass, hoovering throughout and attack the ironing with gusto!!!!!! Change bedding in both rooms.  All before I pick up weeny girl at 4pm, then sister from station at 5:30pm and make sure Sunday Roast Chicken et al is well on its way for half six at the latest.  Biggles staying. First time he will have met the sister.  Will be grand! hee hee!!!

Royal wedding day and little tales

Ok we are up - Biggles still in bed  but then again he is defending the country and working Sat, Sun and Mon.  A few things to do today including cutting the grass for this afternoons barbecue fun!!! Watering the pots would be a good choice too - I am so rubbish at gardening style stuff - essential watering tut tut tut

Mum fine and the seating thing has been sorted  and many thanks to Lovely Grey for her advice.  Better seat- has been enjoying the garden and sitting outside. Royal wedding today so they will be flag waving or rather those able to will be and also watching the telly and ding relevant activities or just observing in mums case. I think the stimulation in so far as people watching will be more beneficial. Even though she has advanced Alzheimer's - minimal language and expressions, no recognition, no ability to perform personal care tasks of any sort including feeding her self-  I like to think that she might get something from a change in environment and activities around her changing on a regular basis and of course chocolate!!! There will be lots of this!!! 

Sister arriving on Sunday for a few days - have meals planned  - roast chicken dinner Sunday, carbonara on Monday and pizza on Tuesday.  Biggles being taxi driver for Sunday and Wednesday when she heads off again.

Ok more coffee before we start the days activities - we have a union flag flying on the washing line and a special table cloth for later!  Hmm what will go down better with the  weeny one- princess dress or red white and blue stuff!!! I know what my money is on!!!

Still tired!!!

Ok am off for an early one again. Work and snooze and such -  simple tea cheese on toast with beans- thick home made bread. Work fine. Car bill has the service but not the MOT or  wheel bit listed on it!  Mechanics billing can be very odd

Finances and change!!!

At some point I hope my life will calm down a bit and get back into a routine. This will be good for both Weeny girls and my bank balance. With al the goings on- interviews, parents returning etc etc Its costing me money that I should be saving or putting toward debt.

Got the car bill - less than I had predicted though will check the bill as it seems too good to be true - £161. Not sure if this includes the wheel problem thing. My mechanic is a bit scatty at times. You paywhen he sends the bill  which is always  weeks after the event. 

Foudn out today that if I have been ticketed for speeding will have to pay a £30 admin fee on top of  any fines - boo fingers crossed eh.

I am not spendiing other than essentials nor am I checking the bank balance till I get paid which is hopfully soon.   Its difficulty to stick to a budget and be frugal when you have to deal with stuff. I will also have to budget for trips to visit the mother as well. I am thinking the train may be cheaper if I pay in advance but royal pain in the but not having transport for a weekend. Will also have to stay at a relatives house to conserve funds. I am an unsociable bugger and prefer to just do my own thing. Mum is doing fine. Smiley again today.

Pizza with added bits - mozzarella on its sell by date, ham, old red pepper getting wrinkly and some onion. Not bad for Pizza for a pound.

Got my free \RHS seeds today - pumpkin, chilles, tomatoes and beets!!! Just need to acquire a few more  tubs, bags, and some compost.

Am not convinced by the queen to be...

Yes the day is nearly upon us an well thanks for the day off but not the expense. I am not a monarchist, royalist or what ever. I can see the use of the Royal Family I suppose- the charity work and such, ambassadors for the UK I get that, tourism blah de blah. I am not convinced by Kate Middleton. The supposed commoner who is marrying a prince. I don't think there is much to her really. In the grand scheme of royal pointlessness she is there with the best of them and I find her a bit transparent. I know she is compared or will be to Diana and am sure she will model herself on the charity queen of hearts thing. I just do not see anything to suggest there will be one tiny scrap of genuineness. So far what has she done? Went shopping for a living - accessorize buyer. A privileged expedition to  Chile. You know the type of expedition only for the priviledged who can afford the experience - where was the volunteering at the local youth centre, animal sanctuary, interest in children/animals/health/education.... no sorry it was just fashion she was interested in. I see no evidence of anything other than shallow type stuff. She is 28 not 21. Am not convinced she would want to take her accessories to a princes trust event, meet with the homeless, disabled children without being dragged there by William. Not sure she will be a 'natural' at having a snotty nosed baby with aids plonked in her lap or genuinely care. I think Colleen Rooney may be more genuine than queeny to be in this respect.

So far nothing more than a daily mail reader done good!!! I hope she proves me wrong. Not a fan of Diana but she was not never phased by the snotty nosed baby on the hospital ward with gruesome tubes or the child without limbs, or the dotty old granny  and she was 19 when she married and started doing the royal thing. really quite a bit younger.

What do you think??? Likey or no likey???

Shattered, skint and back to work tomorrow

Am very tired actually got back last night but have been washing and doings some domestics. Went well as could be expected.  Mum now deposited in new care home and as happy as someone with significantly advancing Alzheimer's can be. She is pretty much immobile now just squirms and wriggles in her chair. Quite a bit smiley and hopefully there will be more smiley and sleepy times than grumpy and upset time. I hope she is looked after well and they work on using something to stop her from sliding out of her chair. She is only little and when her feet are on the floor she is not sitting up straight in the chair if you know what I mean. Other than that it seems a decent place and very nice to its residents. I shall be popping in when I can. There are no visiting hours and people - visitors - regular ones anyways are given the door code and go in and out freely which is a good sign. As long as her weight remains constant and she does not develop ppressure sores and has more smiley days than not then this is as much as we can hope for really.

Had a nice time too  B& B was very cheap and you could tell especially if you looked under the bed - not hoovered for a very long time!!! but beds clean, shower clean and breakfast good. Eating out is a pain even for a few days but not much you can do. Could of stayed with relatives but you have less freedom that way to come a go as you please and stick to your priorities and agenda.

We spent time with older sister at the coast and had coffee at the Burns museum.  ( It is Ayrshire after all)  I am hoping I did not get a speeding ticket on the way home. The hire car accelerates very quietly unlike my banger - you know if you are going too fast when the car starts to shake. The 2011 reg focus was very deceptive. I really could do with out the three points and fine. I was flashed doing 60+ on a single carriage section of the A1. :-(  Ahhh it was a nice car to drive however. Not much I can do about it now bar wait.


Sunday we went to see a chum and his kids who now lives in Fife. Spent the afternoon playing in the park, hunting and rolling Easter eggs. Weeny one has had a fab time - spoilt by relatives and lots of parks and ice creams.  Home to Biggles waiting up for us around ten last night and I sank into bed. 

My sister is in Dunfermline scoping out houses and such for when she returns later in the year. I collect her from the local station next Sunday for a few days before she heads back to London and Heathrow and back OS.

Lasagne, salad and garlic bread  for tea. Lasagne - home made from the freezer - salad bits - iceberg, cucumber, carrot, a red/green pepper - from fajitas on Thursday plus onion, a frozen sweetcorn . Garlic bread on special only 30p for quick sale and also from the freezer. Ice cream, fruit then bed. We were all stuffed. I couldn't face cooking from scratch.

We have so much chocolate it is disgusting. Weeny girl will get through it I am sure. It will just take a while.

Hope you all enjoyed the break. back to the grind till Friday!!! Spose those royals are good for a few things eh!!! Another few days off - such a hard life!!!!