Juggling, Organising, and Holding it All Together - 2011

Triggles

We made it awake to New Year's... just barely. I did watch the London fireworks display on television. I understand it's a big celebration, but it seemed a bit excessive. When you think of the cost involved, and all the smoke it produced. It did seem to go on for quite some time. Ah, well. Happy New Year anyway, eh?

Now we're debating when to take down the Christmas stuff. I'd like to wait until tomorrow, so we can enjoy the Christmas tree and lights for one more evening. Although to be fair, if we did it today, it's all done then. (feeling tired and still ill with a nasty cold, so will probably end up waiting until tomorrow, if I'm honest! )

I'm going to sit down later today and review the budget for this month, then organise some PECS symbols to be printed out for laminating for DS2. We've procrastinated long enough and just need to get it done. I think mainly because I hate scouring the internet for the right ones!!

Triggles

I've decided to do some research this week. I want to see whether it's more economical for me to utilise the bus for the month or to use the car. We do a grocery shop regularly, however, I could easily break it into smaller segments and walk to the supermarket and put the bulky stuff once a month on an online shop with delivery (tinned goods, etc), with a lower delivery cost.

What do we use the car for?
- school run when miserably rainy as DS2 doesn't cope with inclement weather well
- driving into town to high street for miscellaneous shopping (trying to use some of the more local shops rather than big stores - such as butchers, fruit market, and so on) and then paying for parking as well
- driving to MIL's house (unavoidable - cannot afford to pay extra bus fare for this as it's just out of the city proper and so will have to drive there when visiting)
- once a week for DS2's RDA session (again, longer bus services would mean he was much later for school, so this will mean driving)
- trips to local entertainment for children (most likely can access all of it by bus if necessary)

Because we tend to impulse buy at the grocery store when we make "off the cuff" drives to the supermarket, I'm hoping that not using the car for this type of thing will not only cut down on petrol, but will also decrease our grocery spending as well.

So... I need to research how much it costs for a bus pass for a month in our area, as well as how much it would cost for a pass for perhaps 2 or 3 trips into town per week, and see which is more feasible. Because a pass can be used by more than one person, a regular monthly pass might be helpful as DH could use it for any errands as well. Something to consider.

I like the idea of focusing my shopping on more local business. We have 2 butchers that we like. One we use for regular shopping that we go to on a Friday, and another in town for more specific or occasional purchases. We found two fruit/veg market shops, however, one has significantly lower prices and actually better quality produce, so I plan on going there more often.

This does mean that we buy less produce and meat at Sainsburys, which is our usual supermarket, however, DH & I discussed recently that we felt in this economic climate that it was important that if we could afford it, that we should be supporting local shops as opposed to chain supermarkets whenever possible. There will still be some things we will need to purchase at the supermarket anyway.

I'm also going to look into making some bread. A friend has given me a recipe for a lovely bread that doesn't require kneading, so I may be giving this a try. I also would like to try making soda bread, which is one of DH's favourites. Bread has always been a bit iffy for me, so it'll be interesting to see how this turns out. If I can do that, it would mean less room taken up in the freezer by loaves of bread, and more room for other things.

I'm going to work on slowly moving DS2 to trying oatmeal. He is particularly wary of mushy foods (as in refuses to eat them! :rotfl:), but I've managed to get wheetabix into him a couple times. I'm hoping to get him to try warm wheetabix, then gradually move him over to oatmeal. He likes raisins, so I'm hoping that will help encourage him as well, as we usually put raisins in the oatmeal. Again, oatmeal is filling, inexpensive, and we can cut down on cereal purchased.

I saw the price of tinned tuna fish the other day and nearly fell over!!! 70p for basics tuna!! for ONE TIN!!!! I remember getting aggravated when it went over 50p!! and now a huge jump over the holidays!! It's so maddening as DS2 has tuna mayo sandwiches at least twice a week. I really need to work on introducing cheese sandwiches or something again!! :eek:

I love january... always pushes me to update and reorganise. I need to get a new insert for my filofax as well, so I have a current diary! Must make my list for items on the high street so I don't forget anything!

Speech and language therapist is supposed to be visiting at home (to see DS2 in home environment as school can be very distracting) and to see if we have any concerns. Between DS2 getting over chicken pox and expecting DS3 to get them any day, and me having a rotten cold, I'm sorely tempted to tell her we need to reschedule. I can tell my stress level is racheted up there as I'm still awake this late... I always have difficulty sleeping when I'm stressed (and coughing!!).

I suppose I'd better try to get some sleep. 5am comes very very early!!! :rotfl:

Triggles

Just a brief note. Approximately £45 for a monthly bus pass, whereas a day pass is approximately £3.

Triggles

Not the best day ever today really. DH in a rotten mood as very busy day at work so he was tired. He was home by lunch (started very early), so managed to basically tear into everyone all day. It's been a combination of a few things lately really that I've spoken to him about. Shouting at everyone for every little thing, trying to take a nap in the middle of the day in the living room and shouting at the boys to keep the noise down (sorry, if you're that desperate for a nap, go upstairs to the bedroom, don't plunk down in the middle of everyone else and expect them all to tiptoe around you - isn't going to happen!!) things like that. Just being grouchy, unpleasant, and inconsiderate.

We have the speech and language therapist doing a home visit tomorrow (well, as it's almost 2am, I guess that's today!). Because the boys were ill, and I was ill, and now DS3 is coming down with chicken pox, I asked DH to help do a general overall clean yesterday to get things going before the home visit. He stalled and said he'd help today. Then today, he said he'd help once we got the boys to bed, as it wouldn't take that long. And then he went to bed just after the boys did!! Without helping with the cleaning! :mad: So I've just finished cleaning the living room (brushing carpet with stupid hard brush as hoover will wake up the boys and they won't go back to sleep - just in case in the morning I don't have time to hoover - the noise upsets DS2), cleaning the kitchen, the dining room, sweeping the bathroom, entryway/hallway, kitchen, cleaning the bathroom. And had to be kind of quiet about it all as I didn't want the boys to wake up. So much for getting some rest and some sleep... I'm never going to get well at this rate.

Now I'm too stressed to sleep. I'll have to set my alarm on my phone and make sure he takes the rubbish and food bins out tomorrow, as I'm NOT doing that again as well!!

This is the kind of situation that generally starts us off spending money unnecessarily. Case in point - £60 at Sainsburys today. Although, to be fair, we needed to buy trainers for DS2 as his literally fell apart (£12), another airer that was on sale as we're putting off the condenser dryer for a bit longer waiting for next winter to see how we fare (£10 at over 50% off!), and two sale DS games for DS2 (£17 total) that are both good for his coordination and concentration skills. The rest of it was just topping up basic stuff - fruit, veg, etc. I hadn't planned on starting my "use the bus not the car" plan until next week, as I have some specific things to organise first, but now that DS3 has the chicken pox, it looks like I won't be going anywhere anyway! :rotfl:

I need to find my interim diary that has all my appointments and upcoming events in it. I don't want to miss any, and it just seems to have disappeared. Hmmm.... probably buried under paperwork on my desk.

I did buy printer ink today as well. I am very pleased with the Kodak printer we have. I've noticed that Kodak ink cartridges are sooo much cheaper than the other ones! The printer was slightly more expensive than the other brands (all in one), but it really makes a savings on the cheaper ink cartridges!! Definitely a good choice!

Back to the condenser dryer - we saw the airer on sale, and decided to put off buying the dryer until next winter to see how we do this winter with both airers. They hold a huge amount of clothing and fold up well. I can put sheets or towels on one and put it in front of the radiator in the living room in the evening and most stuff dries overnight. So no clothing hanging out during the day. :j Between dog and boys, any clothing hanging out doesn't stay hung long - DS3 very carefully pulls everything off the airer or radiator and brings it to me "here mummy!"... :rotfl: I know he THINKS he's helping...

I think I may have cracked the smell in the washing machine. I alternate between liquid and powder detergents, and do a weekly very hot wash with bio powder. It seems to make a difference, so I'm happy with that as well.

I suppose I'd better try to get some sleep... sigh

Triggles

Looking at the bus pass prices £44 for a month vs £3 for a day, I'd have to make 15 trips into town for it to be cost effective to purchase a monthly pass, which averages approximately 3-4 trips per week into town. I can't see me going into town that frequently, to be fair. So I think to begin with, I'll purchase a day pass for £3 and keep track of how often I'm going anywhere. Even going into town it will save money, as parking is roughly £5 and that doesn't even include petrol used.

School back in session starting tomorrow. Always mixed feelings. I hate sending DS2 off to school, but yet I know he enjoys it and needs it, so obviously will go. It does, however, mean that his school lunch box needs to be made each morning. :eek: It just means a much closer eye on supplies again, as obviously I can't pop to the shop prior to lunch if we're out of egg mayo for his sandwich.

Better get to sleep. Long list of things to do tomorrow!!!!

Triggles

So far the new airer is working well. I can put about 3 full loads of clothing on both airers combined, or one load of clothing and one load of bedding/towels. This means I can have one airer up during the day tucked over by the radiator in the wider part of the hallway, and both airers up in the evening/night as the second can sit either in the hallway next to the first one, or in the living room by the radiator. Brilliant!! :j

School run taken care of this morning, laundry washing, picked up the kitchen (although waiting to do the washing up until DS3 is up for his nap). I picked up fresh bread rolls from the bakery on the way home from school run, so we will have them with tea tonight. The boys are having sloppy joes and oven chips.

DS3 is in relatively good spirits considering he's got chicken pox. No fever this morning, which is good.

A couple friends are having a girls night out this weekend and have asked me to go as well. We're all putting in £30 for the evening (pays for bingo, a couple drinks, and shared taxis home). Yes, we enjoy bingo. :rotfl: I would much rather sit and play bingo and chat with friends over a couple drinks than go clubbing with tons of people, loud music, and drinking far too much. I'll talk to DH and see if he's got any plans that evening, but I'm sure it'll be fine. We already had tentative plans made for this, and both children will be in bed by the time we leave, so no worries there. I never pay £30 for a night out, so I think as a one off it's not a problem.

Off to check budget, pay a couple bills, and go over some correspondence, I think. Might as well get it done and out of the way.

brizzledfw

Hi Triggles

Hope dreaded chicken pox leaves soon...

Brizzle

brizzledfw

Hi Triggles

Hope dreaded chicken pox leaves soon...

Brizzle

Triggles

Brizzle - thank you.

DS2 is doing much better re the chicken pox, and then came down with stomach flu and has spent the last 24 hours vomiting. :eek: Poor boy! And DS3 is still rather miserable with the chicken pox - he is STILL coming out with new ones!!!

Anyway, plans for tonight's night out were scrapped for me. Can't very well go out with both children ill. Ah, well, there'll be other opportunities to go out, I'm sure. They're finally tucked in bed, asleep.

I was feeling poorly today as well, so DH did the tasks today that I usually do as well as dealing with a fair bit of stuff with the boys. He finally said "OMG it's EXHAUSTING being you!!" :rotfl: Yup. It is.

brizzledfw

As you say there will be other times. Just sleep yourself when you can.

My 2 had chicken pox years ago and am rather glad they were tiny. Seemed easier that way. DD2 wasnt able to scratch for example!

Best of luck with week ahead

Brizzle