My weekend...

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd tell you about my weekend... it has gone so quickly and not that much achieved! I always have a plan in my head of what I want to get done each day, but normally only achieve half.

On Saturday we went to Toys 'r' Us and Mothercare in Northampton. What an eye-opener! I cannot believe the amount of money being spent at these retail parks, yes it's Christmas,and some people will have saved up for this time of year, but I saw people just pick up toys and throw them into their trolley without even really looking at them. There were loads of families getting cross with their children because they wanted to pick up toys and look at them. It's a shame that the children had to go too. They were bored and started to mess about! There's enough stress at Christmas without creating more for yourself. Shopping online would have been a better idea???

Why do so many people feel the need to be glued to their phones while shopping???

They could be looking at a shopping list, or calculating how much they have spent, or comparing prices with another shop, but I suspect they were on social media. I saw lots of men (mostly older than me) playing on their phones. They didn't appear to be actively shopping (no trolley or goods), just busy not looking where they were going! I wonder how much time each day is spent on a phone? I use mine to phone people, text and for the calculator. I don't have a smartphone. I am a blogger, I write a blog and I read blogs. Sometimes it's for entertainment purposes, but mostly to learn new things, but I don't sit on facebook all day. I tend to watch videos on youtube rather than watch the tele, but it is while doing something else like my ironing. I would love a smartphone to nosey around on instagram for ideas and interest, but I cope fine without. 

We purchased what we needed for Daisy, having written a list and thought about each gift and how much fun and enjoyment she would get from them (as well as their educational value). We couldn't get everything we wanted in there, there was a load of rubbish looking toys for older children, but thankfully the pre-school section is good, so we headed over to Mothercare...

They has 20% of all toys!!!

Daisy loved the freedom of being able to walk around with Grampy safely while Grandma shopped. She did choose herself a rather large pair of Spiderman boots though! The 20% savings really did make a difference and we travelled home again.

The day was finished off with my favourite tele programme...Strictly Come Dancing! I love it and have my two favourites...Susanna and Sophie. I have been voting for Susanna and Kevin for the past two weeks (I only vote near the end) and was convinced they would go. I was planning to switch to Sophie if they did.

Yesterday we did our usual fortnightly shop, only getting the turkey towards my Christmas stash. What a nightmare! I hate shopping when it's busy so we go early, but everyone else now has the same idea. It amazes me how rude and ignorant some people can be! I waited for some to pass without so much as a smile in return, I even had a staff member give me a cross face when she was in my way. I stood back to let her pass with her trolley of rubbish and she didn't thank me and a smile was definitely not going to happen. MANNERS COST NOTHING!!!

Another moan... the prices are good in Asda compared to some other supermarkets, but some of Daisy's toiletries that we purchase every time have jumped up by 25p!!! They were not previously rolled back or part of any offer, they have just gone up. Her skin is sensitive, so I won't switch brands, but I am annoyed. Our shopping bill is creeping up every time we shop. Things will be changing in January for us and I will be blogging about this after Christmas.

We got our turkey, a small one, because that's all we need. It isn't actually that small and it cost £12. I wanted a crown, but they were £16, so we went for the whole turkey and I will use the darker meat for different meals...any ideas??? I only like the breast meat and actually prefer to eat it cold. 

The remaining Christmas shopping will be done this week by my OH (armed with a list of course) and we won't be going over the top! Our next planned shop falls between Christmas and New Year, but we will only top-up locally with a couple of fresh things and not do a massive shop. I have a huge store at the moment (although I am working through the freezer at the moment) and this will see us into January. We always crave 'gravy dinners' after Christmas, casseroles etc.

Would you like me to post my menus as I work through my stores, saving money on the food shop throughout January? 

Back to my shopping experience...

The till ladies in Asda are always lovely. Daisy has her own fan club! The lady who served us yesterday said that she thought it was quiet in there and next weekend would be horrendous. She said that people seem to be getting a few things in their weekly shop towards Christmas this year and the remainder will do a huge shop at the weekend as they normally would for Christmas. We are doing a separate Christmas shop, but we will be using our savings tin which we have been adding to throughout the year.  So maybe shopping habits are changing to spread the cost, but there is so much choice and Christmas convenience out there to tempt people into spending too much.

As I was leaving the store with my heavy trolley, I was faced with very rude people who barged past me and I was struggling to control my trolley in the wind and sloping path. They could have let me pass as I had the full trolley, but no, they barged past, eager to shop. Not one person let me through! It was my right to walk on that path as much as there's, it's just that I have good manners and they don't. I suspect that all they could think about was getting out of the wind and getting on with their shopping. We get up early on a Sunday to travel to Asda to get on with our shopping. Incidentally, not one person said thank you for me waiting! I accidentally knocked a lady as she barged past me (well I suppose she knocked into me as I was stationary) and I said sorry...she ignored me, didn't even look at me.

MOAN OVER!!!

After putting the shopping away and a spot of lunch, we took Daisy and the dogs for a walk. Daisy loves it in her back carrier, all wrapped up snuggly in her snowsuit, watching from up high. It was raining and really windy, but she was happy and dry. I'll share some photos soon (I haven't loaded them onto my laptop yet).   

The evening was Strictly again!

I was so pleased to see both Susanna and Sophie through and look forward to the final next weekend. Does anyone else enjoy strictly?

Thanks for reading, I would love to hear from you.

Mandy x

Changing the way I food shop...

Hi everyone!

On Sunday we will head off to the supermarket to do a fortnightly shop. We haven't been for a month because of lovely hubby's back and had the last shop delivered. My last shop was considerably cheaper because I worked to a list (and yes, a cream cake treat was on there!) On Sunday I will take a proper list, not just the reminders that I normally take and stick to it.

I will need to get nappies and baby stuff for Daisy and her birthday card etc because our next shop falls on her actual birthday. We will do online that week for a different day. The 1st September will be all about our precious little grandaughter.

Tomorrow I will sit down and meal plan for the next two weeks, taking into account what I already have in the house. With all the braising steak left in the freezer, beef casserole and dumplings will definitely be on there. The slowcooker will be out again! It's raining here today and making me think ahead to the Autumn months and what needs to be done in preparation. More lists ahead!

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Sylvia - nice to hear from you!

Lean thinker - great to have you back! I have made a bbq sauce and poured it over the belly pork slices before going in the oven. You need to line the roasting tin with greaseproof first, or deal with a sticky mess to clean off. We had it with veggie rissotto...really yummy!

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Have a great weekend,

Mandy x

Dealing with someone else's clutter!

Hi everyone!

That someone else in the title is my youngest daughter. She hasn't lived with us since Christmas but the house and loft are full of her stuff. She stays with friends and calls herself 'homeless' even though we have a spare bedroom here and her bed! The fact is that she doesn't like living with us (even though her beautiful baby is here) and really doesn't get on with her sister now. She can't afford a flat (done that before and failed) because she is totally greedy with money and just spends it as she gets it. I musn't grumble, as she came to visit for the afternoon this week and bought Daisy a bottle of baby juice and some snacks that are too old for her (in the cupboard for when she's bigger now). Last time she came she bought her some bedtime nappies. We have simply asked for her to start paying back what she owes for Daisy's shopping, little by little. We both know that we will never see a penny from her, sad and very selfish.

On a happier note, Daisy is crawling!!! Exciting, but hard work because she is into everything... now the house needs sorting fast!

So far...

 I have sorted a kitchen drawer that contains my linens and Daisy's bibs, muslins, face cloths and cling film etc. It's much easier to find things in there now and I have kept it tidy.

I have emptied, scrubbed and decluttered my fridge, grouping items logically so I don't have to search.

I have tackled my huge pile of ironing and done about a third of it while Daisy was sleeping yesterday.

I have started on Daisy's room - it normally looks beautiful, but I have stored most of her mummy's things in there because she told me she was going to collect them the next evening. She never came and there is no new house, so the stuff is still waiting for removal. She has no space where she is staying, so we are stuck with it. I am hoping that my OH will put it in the loft where the rest of her c*ap is, so Daisy can have her room back and we can finally move her cot in there and make her nursery beautiful once more. Yesterday I looked at Daisy's old clothes and sorted two boxes to be sold. I battled with my hoarder instincts because every item reminded me of her and what she was like back then. I coped... I have photographs of her wearing these beautiful clothes and my other children don't want me to save them for when they have children, so they are going to the carboot sale in September. I have still kept quite a lot... all of her premature/tiny/early baby clothes to show her just how small she was. We bought everything for Daisy's arrival, so we can sell it. Any cash raised from this will go towards our home improvements. We want to live in a calmer environment, surrounded by nature and wildlife and our our animals. We want Daisy to be able to enjoy this lifestyle too. Hopefully when we move, she will come with us and her mummy to start fresh and build a better life and a better future. So, I will keep some memories for Daisy, just not everything! We are keeping the moses basket, bedding, bath and stand etc for any future grandchildren we may have, but not the clothes now. It's a start...

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Taaleedee - Thanks for your advice, I will look into it again. The doctor didn't sign him off work anyway and he's getting better, thanks.

Alex - It was actually a pack of 4 eclairs! I only ate one though. I agree with you about budgeting being like dieting. Don't worry about rambling, I love reading the comments, although I don't get many now, just like before the lovely Frugal Queen linked my blog. I do have more page views than before, so people are still reading!

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My shopping arrived on Tuesday evening and a pot of single cream was split. It was refunded and I kept the cream. The driver actually refunded both pots, so the other was free! The shopping this fortnight cost a lot less than normal but I would still rather shop instore to pick my own fruit, veg and salad stuff.

Today we (Daisy and I) are off to continue sorting her room. She loves sitting on her blanket and playing with her toys, having the freedom to crawl and explore. My lovely hubby took the bed apart and moved it into the spare room last night, so we have space to move things around now. All the movement in there had disturbed a huge spider which had probably been hiding in the mountain of bags, and it appeared while I was in the shower (my daughter warned me before I left the bathroom). My lovely hubby hero removed it! I am scared of spiders and wasps...this time of year is an ordeal for me. Spiders like dark places to hide...another reason to declutter and tidy up!

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Planning ahead and making changes...

Hi everyone!

Sorry I've been away from blogging for a few days, but it's been pretty hectic here! My lovely husband has been suffering with his back (he had bruised the facet joints by lifting and twisting) and was having very painful muscle spasms that left him bedridden. My OH is and always has been a grafter, he hates sitting still and works very hard to provide for us, but his job is manual and his body isn't happy about it at the moment! He went back to work yesterday (against my judgement) because he already took a week off with no pay because he's self-employed.

This situation has got me thinking...

we seriously need to plan ahead for this happening again in the future. We have enough money because we are sensible, so we can afford for some time off, but a back-up plan would be more sensible...

He is thinking of a career change - looking into evening classes to train in something else. Our ultimate goal is to own a smallholding up north (hopefully in Yorkshire), but we need an income, even though somewhat smaller than what we are used to now. We want to live a very simple life, becoming more and more self-sufficient - we have already started this by growing loads of veg in the garden and keeping chickens. We have harvested strawberries and courgettes so far and they are lovely, full of flavour.

There is still a long way to go though...

yesterday I did an online shop that is coming this evening. I confess that I bought things that we don't need, they are things that we want. Today I feel ashamed because I don't need a chocolate eclair, but the last few days we have eaten boring food because everything has been used up in my challenge and I fancied a treat. I used a list, but still got tempted - this has to stop!

We are not in debt (apart from paying a mortgage on our house) to anyone and we are able to pay our bills on time. Food shouldn't be viewed as a luxury, but it is the only bill that we can reduce. I did meal plan, it's all the little extras that I can make myself but don't find the time to which have pushed the price of our shopping up.

I will change this now!!!

From now on...

 I will meal plan and write a shopping list and stick to it.

I will make the shopping I get stretch as far as possible and last longer.

I will continue to experiment, making up my own recipes to keep us interested in cheaper meals and not buy goodies.

I will make time to bake for the cake tin and use my approved food bap mix for lunches.

I will continue to use up leftovers and not waste a thing.

I will save money!

I need to go now and make more plans and write lists. I will be back with my progress and a mini challenge... I want to join in with austerity August and spend as little as possible...

I want to declutter, tidy, clean, sell things, make money for our home improvements to get on the market to sell, rearrange my house to be more logical with a home for everything and be more organised.

Our new life won't happen without hard work and effort, but we can do it and we will. Let the challenge begin...

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Recipe requests?

Hi everyone!

As requested by Grammyscraps, I am no longer writing in pink. I love pink and only used it because it's my blog and I'm free to choose the design of it. I hadn't realised that it caused a glare for some people - I'm sorry about that. Obviously I want anyone that finds me to be able to read all posts, so I won't be using the blue or purple either from now on. Welcome to my blog grammyscraps!

I didn't get a lot done yesterday because of the tennis, but while it's on I am spending time with Daisy playing. We bought her a playpen on Sunday and she is happy in it for about half an hour before wanting a cuddle. I never seem to finish a job that I start and the playpen means she is safely contained when the oven is on. Normally she will love to rush around in her walker while I'm cooking, but suddenly we are interested in the cooker and the cupboards and the chairs and the dog's bowls! I did manage to cook a tasty tea - spag bol. Simple but nice. Daisy really enjoyed it (I make a different version for her without the oxo and Worcester sauce etc) and was making happy noises while eating!

Daisy was 10 months old yesterday and had her first time in the big girl's bath! We also bought an aqua pod from Mothercare which is a bath mat with little seat attached. She still fits into her baby bath (she is so small) and we thought she may be scared in the big bath. Last week we put the baby bath inside the big bath and she was fine, so we moved on. She had all her bath toys in there and splashed away happily.

Thank you for all your comments. In reply:

Loo - is there anything you don't like in a cake (eg: I hate coffee cake), because I've got a lot of recipes?!

Jane - (comment from the other day) I meal plan as I go, shopping for offers and creating meals to suit. I love AF for the giant cake and bread mixes, but I struggle for storage. We're about to start decorating our spare room, but hopefully it will double up as my sewing room, so there won't be much space for food. I keep them on top of my kichen cupboards at the moment, but it does look untidy.

I love to be stocked up with food, but in the past I have had to throw away food because I just had forgotten how much stuff there was and it was past it's best. I am a lot less fussy when it comes to best before dates now.

I'm currently not working (had to give up my teaching assistant job because of family illness), so I can cook from scratch, although it can be difficult if Daisy is having a clingy day. A couple of months ago we were eating way too much meat, so I have cut it by half. I bulk buy, then portion it into the freezer. There's only Daisy, my daughter, OH and me now so we don't need to be eating as much. We have a lot of meat free days too now. My OH is a self-employed builder and works very hard, six days a week, so he needs man food to keep him going - a salad isn't enough really! We had cheese salad last week but that was a change of plan because he came home ill and wasn't eating tea with us.

We shop at asda fortnightly and the local butcher now and then. We never 'top-up' shop in our village like many people do. The asda staff always think we've got a lot of shopping until we tell them that this is what we buy for the whole two weeks. A lot of people go several times a week, filling a small trolley. Half of the bulk in our trolley is Daisy's nappies! We're doing Frugal Queen's challenge to get into the habit of cutting our food spend. We still buy a lot of what we like, rather than just what we need! Spare cash would be good for our savings tins (holiday, Christmas and home improvements) and we want to move so badly, but the house is not ready for selling yet.

Update with my daughter situation - we speak every day and she is making plans for her new house. She has an awful lot of stuff to buy for Daisy (we are keeping everything because we bought everything), so moving in for Daisy will not be for a while yet. I've suggested that she has her for the day once a week until she's sorted and I can send her stuff in the changing bag etc.

Jane - (yesterday's comment) I'm not shocked by four freezers, I used to have three until one broke. I've got a chest freezer in the garage and a fridge freezer in the kitchen. I also have a fridge in the garage too. You can never have too much freezer space.

Well done on your weight loss!

Do you still want meat based recipes? I assume that your OH eats meat, as you said Daniel is not a big meat eater. On a good day, I would make a dinner and pudding and bake once a week. I make simple cakes mainly - my OH loves plain cakes like victoria sandwich with jam inside and a dusting of icing sugar on top or fruit cake. My daughter is also quite happy with cake without icing, where as I love icing! These sorts of cakes I make without a recipe because I've been baking since I was a little girl, but I also love to try out different recipes and if we like them, I will make them again. I cut recipes out of magazines, I write them down as I read them or hear them on tele and I have a huge collection dating back to when I did Home Economics at school!

If I get any specific requests, I'm sure I will find suitable recipes for you all to try. I love to bake and need to make more time  to do it (instead of reading blogs!)

I hope you're all having a good day and I look forward to the recipe requests...

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Food shopping and meal planning...

Today we braved the cold weather and did our fortnightly shop. Our main shop comes from the supermarket and I supplement it with purchases from approved food. We don't pop into our local mini-supermarket like a lot of people do daily, because you just end up buying things you don't need, there's too much temptation.

We have cut our grocery bill by quite a lot recently, but there's still loads of room for improvement! Meal planning is really important to save money and reduce waste, but I didn't have time :(  We have been looking after Daisy-May all weekend and she came with us, so I just tried to plan meals as I shopped - I wouldn't recommend it!!!

We bought:

 2 big packs of stewing steak which will go in the slow cooker with dumplings.

2 big packs of chicken drumsticks which will be roasted and eaten as bbq chicken with rice and probably cooked in the slow cooker as chicken casserole.

Sausages will be - bangers, mash, peas and onion gravy and sausage casserole.

Sausage meat that will be giant sausage rolls with beans.

Belly pork strips which I will turn into a mini-roast.

Bacon bits which I will use to make a quiche and other frugal bacon recipes (undecided yet).

A gammon joint which I will bake with mustard and honey.

I bought loads of veg etc, so I could make cauliflower cheese, vegetable lasagne etc. I can be quite flexible over the next 2 weeks because I already have a full freezer. The only thing we buy ready made is breaded pollock. This is handy when I need to do a quick tea. I am in the process of trying to fill the freezer with homemade ready meals when I batch cook, but my freezer is already full! I am making changes that I can stick to and sometimes it's a slow process. I'm learning which foods freeze well and still taste nice reheated. My family think that fruit cake freezes really well.

With all this cold weather, I think that stew and dumplings and treacle sponge with custard is necessary this week.

Sorry that my blog is lacking in photos, but I cannot upload from my laptop and I don't know what else to do.

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x