Over the past few weeks I have been avidly reading some thrifty blogs. Some of the bloggers out there are just incredible at spending absolutely no money! Thrifty Queen is the most hardcore blog I've seen and she is incredibly productive- quilting, baking, sewing,, upcycling whilst doing a full time job. Frugal Queen, I salute you! I've also really enjoyed reading the blogs by a thriftymrs and just a little less by Dolly Mixtures. In fact, I think it was her blog which opened my eyes to this way of being.
In the past, I've always been very careful with how I spend money and if I want nice things, I save up/ ebay other things first. I also buy most our furniture from ebay and prefer handmade stuff from the charity shop than big chainstores. I hate going shopping in "real" shops and would much rather go to a carboot sale or buy from Etsy or Folksy. I love reading the Money Saving Expert Grabbit boards and have bought some brilliant toys through there. So the thrifty blogs are not completely unfamiliar to me, but I realise that I could do more.
One of the things I've learned from the blogs is that being thrifty is not about being stingy or having a miserable life with no joy in it. It is about thinking hard before you spend your money, making things yourself and with love and sharing this love with the people around you. It is also about leading a "lighter" life- less stuff, less worry about acquiring more stuff, having a calmer home and a calmer mind.
I'm not going to stop buying nice things but I am going to have a good old think to make sure it's something I really want and need before I do so.
With this in mind, I have started to have a major declutter. I have gone through my drawers and thrown away clothes which dont fit me or that I dont like but felt guilty about giving them away. I have advertised my beloved pushchair in the local paper. I have deep cleaned my bathroom and given a load of toys to the charity shop. It feels really good.
I've also decided that it's time to let go of some mental clutter that was bothering me. I was feeling miffed that a job I had expected to get when my boss retired was cut, as part of the NHS cuts. I was fed up with trying to find babysitters when all my friends seemed to have lots of support.
And do you know what? This week, amazing things have happened.
I have been approached to do some work by three different people. I have had old friends get in touch. I was given free tickets to see Jack White and had a great time dancing. And I had an offer from a friend to babysit my kids next year so I can go and see my favourite band in London with my husband. How good is that.
Do you have areas of your home or life that could do with a good declutter? Honestly, I feel as though I am on a roll now. Dont just think about it, do it!
Friday, 9 November 2012
Monday, 5 November 2012
Bonfire night art
It was my turn to help at playgroup today, which meant I had the pleasure of creating 30 fireworks pictures with the toddlers! I quite enjoyed myself actually.
Here is my son's effort: (art critics go easy, he's only 2!)
This afternoon, in some uncharacteristic fit of domestic goddess-like behaviour, I cleaned the windows, scrubbed the stained glass window and scrubbed the tiles in the shower with a toothbrush until it shone. Then I made homemade pizza with the kids.
Here is my son's effort: (art critics go easy, he's only 2!)
This afternoon, in some uncharacteristic fit of domestic goddess-like behaviour, I cleaned the windows, scrubbed the stained glass window and scrubbed the tiles in the shower with a toothbrush until it shone. Then I made homemade pizza with the kids.
(wow, that's my first photo collage! Chuffed :))
Unfortunately, both kids said "yak" after they tasted it and I ended up making them sausage and spaghetti hoops. Not such a domestic goddess after all... looks like I'm having leftover pizza for lunch tomorrow.
Sunday, 4 November 2012
52 weeks of happy- week 2
I'm joining in with Little Birdie's 52 weeks of happy. Weeks 2 and 3 were a bit rubbish, so I'm just going to forget about them and start again.
4 things that are making me happy this week:
1. Flying paper aeroplanes in pyjamas...
2. My son's new favourite game. Rolling his metal truck down the slide with huge fits of laughter.
3. Enjoying the last flowers of the summer. I picked up some really reduced clematis viticella plants and planted them. They need to be heavily pruned in the Spring but will then be as good as new. I heard someone on Gardener's World call it the "Valentine's day massacre!", so hopefully I wont forget to do it. I'm hoping that next year, our old pergola is going to be covered in flowers.
4. Wrist warmers- yay! How can gloves make you smile so much?
4 things that are making me happy this week:
1. Flying paper aeroplanes in pyjamas...
2. My son's new favourite game. Rolling his metal truck down the slide with huge fits of laughter.
3. Enjoying the last flowers of the summer. I picked up some really reduced clematis viticella plants and planted them. They need to be heavily pruned in the Spring but will then be as good as new. I heard someone on Gardener's World call it the "Valentine's day massacre!", so hopefully I wont forget to do it. I'm hoping that next year, our old pergola is going to be covered in flowers.
4. Wrist warmers- yay! How can gloves make you smile so much?
Saturday, 3 November 2012
sneaks in at the back...
Hello there. It feels like ages since I've been on here. I was doing two jobs, a course, looking after two little children and an elderly mother in law. Things had been difficult at work too. My manager, who I was very fond of, retired and one of my colleagues passed away after a long battle with cancer. I was getting more and more exhausted and depressed and was fighting off coughs and colds, but kept on soldiering on.
As soon as half term arrived, I got sick. Proper sick and I just couldnt get out of bed. Not exactly great timing when you have to be responsible for a 2 year old and a 7 year old for a week. Luckily my friends and my husband rallied around and took the kids out as much as they could and I stayed in bed. After a week I still wasnt better and got some antibiotics. Almost a week later and I still feel a bit rough but am definitely on the mend.
I didnt feel like blogging because I wasnt feeling happy. Each blog I read made me feel as though I wasnt cool enough, not creative enough, not popular enough...just not enough. Even thinking of little things to share became a struggle.
I started to wonder whether I should give up blogging if it was making me feel this way. But I really dont want to do that. This is a little space where I can create some time to be me. Not particular cool, or popular or creative, but just me.
I have started to read a few blogs on living a simpler life, with less possessions, spending less money and enjoying the simple things. The song I walked down the aisle to was "All I need" by Air. We didnt have an expensive venue or flashy reception. Our wedding car was our yellow vw camper, covered in balloons. We then took our friends to the pub and had a BBQ in the evening. It was my happiest day ever. I want to try and return to that philosophy of living simply and having fun.
Anyway, if you are reading this now, thankyou for bearing with me and I hope you will stick around x
As soon as half term arrived, I got sick. Proper sick and I just couldnt get out of bed. Not exactly great timing when you have to be responsible for a 2 year old and a 7 year old for a week. Luckily my friends and my husband rallied around and took the kids out as much as they could and I stayed in bed. After a week I still wasnt better and got some antibiotics. Almost a week later and I still feel a bit rough but am definitely on the mend.
I didnt feel like blogging because I wasnt feeling happy. Each blog I read made me feel as though I wasnt cool enough, not creative enough, not popular enough...just not enough. Even thinking of little things to share became a struggle.
I started to wonder whether I should give up blogging if it was making me feel this way. But I really dont want to do that. This is a little space where I can create some time to be me. Not particular cool, or popular or creative, but just me.
I have started to read a few blogs on living a simpler life, with less possessions, spending less money and enjoying the simple things. The song I walked down the aisle to was "All I need" by Air. We didnt have an expensive venue or flashy reception. Our wedding car was our yellow vw camper, covered in balloons. We then took our friends to the pub and had a BBQ in the evening. It was my happiest day ever. I want to try and return to that philosophy of living simply and having fun.
Anyway, if you are reading this now, thankyou for bearing with me and I hope you will stick around x
Saturday, 6 October 2012
52 weeks of happy- week 1
52 weeks of happy is a great idea from one of my favourite blogs, Little Birdie.
www.jasminestarblog.com/index.cfm?postID=1294&friday-randomness-bad-ideas-optimism
So here are my 4 favourite things this week that are making me happy.
1. Singing along with my kids in the car to the Beach Boys...ba ba ba, ba ba baran (or is it Barbara Anne) !! Pretty similar to this youtube video, if you want to join in :)
2. Winning an amazing carrot cake in a raffle at work, in aid of Macmillan nurses. Everyone in my team was desperate to win this, so I am going to donate it back to the team and we can scoff it together.
3. It is the Beatles' 50th anniversary, so I am going to include this lovely picture, which makes me smile whenever I see it. This vintage print is from pedlars.co.uk.
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| misofunky.com |
3. It is the Beatles' 50th anniversary, so I am going to include this lovely picture, which makes me smile whenever I see it. This vintage print is from pedlars.co.uk.
4. I should put something about my kids in here, shouldnt I? But I've got to be honest, they are driving me crackers this morning, having spilt apple juice on the carpet, splashed water on the floor, creating general mayhem, not allowing me to write this blog post as they wanted balamory karaoke on cbeebies and woke me up at 5.45am. My husband has just taken them out, so I can get some work done. So what I'm grateful for right now is....
Silence. That's better.
Silence. That's better.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Autumn checklist
- blackberry and apple crumble and custard? YES!
- granny squares blanket out on the sofa for snuggling under? YES!
- red wine instead of cider? YES!
Hooray, it's officially Autumn and I blooming love it.
| Image:artbywoodbine.co.uk |
My favourite Autumn song was one we sang at assembly when I was little..if any of you are seventies children you might remember it.
"Autumn days when the grass is jewelled
and there's silk inside a chestnut shell
Jetplanes meeting in the air to be refuelled
All these things I love so well
So I mustnt forget, no I mustnt forget
To say a great big thankyou, I mustnt forget"
and I've just found this song by Yo la Tengo called Autumn Sweater, which I think is rather lovely :)
Monday, 1 October 2012
Lazy weekend.
I haven't been around for the past couple of weeks because I have been busy planning and recovering from my husband's 40 th birthday party. 24 of us (12 adults and 10 children) went away together to a youth hostel in the Peak District. Luckily we had the whole building to ourselves as we are a noisy bunch!
On Friday night, we had some amazing home made curries and beer. There were 4 children sleeping in our room (eventually, after much leaping around and late night chatting), but unfortunately, the little one woke everyone up at 6am, so we were all a bit frazzled!
Eventually, we rounded everyone up and made our way to the Treak Cliff Cavern, where we saw how they mine BlueJohn stone and thousands of stalactites. The man who did the guided tour was very funny and a wee bit bonkers, so that was certainly an experience. Then my husband took the kids mountain biking whilst I had a little rest in the pub and a nose around Castleton Village.
On the Saturday night, we had a meal at the YHA, which was very cheap but sadly not the greatest meal I've eaten. We finished it off with an amazing chocolate Chewbacca cake. He was absolutely awesome, the top bit was a giant chocolate rice crispie cake. It was made by my friend Jess, who runs a cake business called piccolina cakes.
Then we went back to the hostel, changed the kids into their pyjamas, gave them a glowstick each, put the disco ball on and then had a party. The kids learned how to DJ on our decks and made a runway/ stage out of all the benches in the kitchen.
On Sunday morning, we made breakfast together and a packed lunch, ate the Chewbacca cake with lots of cups of tea and finished off our weekend with a walk up Mam Tor. We used to do lots of hillwalking as a couple and it felt wonderful to share this with the kids. Our eldest really enjoyed herself and is proving to be quite an adventurer. Her idol is Helen Skelton from Blue Peter, "because she faces her fears".
See that bit at the top? We were up there!
I've to to say though, since we've come home I have been so shattered and cried most days out of exhaustion. I am so not able to party into the night as I used to, I wonder if I will ever be able to stay up late, or if it's just having young children?
So apart from a few hours of work on Saturday morning, I planned on doing absolutely nothing this weekend!
It didnt quite work out that way though, with more mountain biking, lots of saucepan drumming, high pitched screeching, kitchen dancing and general craziness going on.
We did manage to sit down last night to watch "Castle in the sky" by Studio Ghibli. It was aimed at a slightly older audience than the other films we have watched. I have to say, I prefer the cuter ones...
Hope you had a good weekend. I am just about to go and finish off a large bowl of apple and blackberry crumble before doing the school run...
On Friday night, we had some amazing home made curries and beer. There were 4 children sleeping in our room (eventually, after much leaping around and late night chatting), but unfortunately, the little one woke everyone up at 6am, so we were all a bit frazzled!
Eventually, we rounded everyone up and made our way to the Treak Cliff Cavern, where we saw how they mine BlueJohn stone and thousands of stalactites. The man who did the guided tour was very funny and a wee bit bonkers, so that was certainly an experience. Then my husband took the kids mountain biking whilst I had a little rest in the pub and a nose around Castleton Village.
Image:tripadvisor.co.uk
On the Saturday night, we had a meal at the YHA, which was very cheap but sadly not the greatest meal I've eaten. We finished it off with an amazing chocolate Chewbacca cake. He was absolutely awesome, the top bit was a giant chocolate rice crispie cake. It was made by my friend Jess, who runs a cake business called piccolina cakes.
Then we went back to the hostel, changed the kids into their pyjamas, gave them a glowstick each, put the disco ball on and then had a party. The kids learned how to DJ on our decks and made a runway/ stage out of all the benches in the kitchen.
On Sunday morning, we made breakfast together and a packed lunch, ate the Chewbacca cake with lots of cups of tea and finished off our weekend with a walk up Mam Tor. We used to do lots of hillwalking as a couple and it felt wonderful to share this with the kids. Our eldest really enjoyed herself and is proving to be quite an adventurer. Her idol is Helen Skelton from Blue Peter, "because she faces her fears".
Image:geograph.org.uk
See that bit at the top? We were up there!
I've to to say though, since we've come home I have been so shattered and cried most days out of exhaustion. I am so not able to party into the night as I used to, I wonder if I will ever be able to stay up late, or if it's just having young children?
So apart from a few hours of work on Saturday morning, I planned on doing absolutely nothing this weekend!
It didnt quite work out that way though, with more mountain biking, lots of saucepan drumming, high pitched screeching, kitchen dancing and general craziness going on.
We did manage to sit down last night to watch "Castle in the sky" by Studio Ghibli. It was aimed at a slightly older audience than the other films we have watched. I have to say, I prefer the cuter ones...
Hope you had a good weekend. I am just about to go and finish off a large bowl of apple and blackberry crumble before doing the school run...
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