The Ultimate Hard and Fast debt clearing mission

Dinah93

I was looking at the hotel for my cousin's wedding last night, assuming the baby can go. It's £165 a night and we'd need to stay for two nights, the one before and the one of as it's all the way down in Surrey. Looking on cottages4you we could rent a whole house for 7 nights for only about £50 more, I'm not sure if that would be better or worse. It would only mean NIM taking an extra 2 days off work, but I don't know whether we'd find it more stressful being away from home with the baby for a longer time, or less stressful because we could go down and settle in a few days in advance. I was also thinking it would be a lot easier having the baby at the hotel where the wedding is so I could pop up to the room to feed it or if it needs a nap it's a lot easier for us all to take turns sitting upstairs with it and still enjoy the wedding. But then I also know my parents and probably my other cousins would let me use their rooms during the day to feed etc. Advice from any mummies on babies in this situation is very welcome.

Got some more MSs this morning, specifically set them for my birthday so we can go after the scan and get our first pink or blue type outfit

wendz86

Personally I don't think it would make much difference, depends what would make you feel more comfortable. On the plus side staying longer means you don't have to do the long journeys so close together as i found that to be the worst thing she spent half the journey back screaming. We stayed in the lake district in a cottage when Poppy was 3 1/2 months and didn't find it stressful being away from home. They had a travel cot but at that point she was still in her basket so we took that and she actually slept better than she did at home.

You will find they are actually easier to travel with and do stuff at that age as they are quite adaptable. At least you have the option to go in someones hotel room if needed. When we took Poppy to wedding at 5 months we popped back to hotel (not same one as reception) after wedding and she fell asleep in car so gave her a feed when she woke up and then later just found somewhere quiet to sit to feed her. We changed her into her sleepsuit in the evening and she had a bit of a sleep in her pushchair but got a bit grumpy later so we left about 9. You would be surprised what noise babies can sleep through though. Poppy can sleep in really noisy places but when its all quiet here she wakes at the tinest noise.

That is so exciting about the scan being so soon. Can't wait to find out what it is. Found out yesterday my friend who already has a 5 year old is expecting again so Poppy will have another playmate yay.

Birdie85

I'd probably stick to the hotel TBH Dinah,it might only be £50 extra for the week but then you'll spend loads more on food, petrol, days out etc. If you're just going to stay in the cottage on the other days you'd probably be just as well doing that at home! I'd also prefer to be able to nip upstairs with the LO rather than stressing about getting back to the cottage or finding someone to let me into their room, you'll also have a bigger pool of people willing to watch the baby such as oldies who want to escape the noise of the disco might be happy to sit in the room with the baby so you don't have to leave the party quite so soon. Is there a cheaper alternative to stay in the night before so you're not spending quite as much?

Ahhh how excting about the scan and going shopping for pink or blue things! Or yellow if s/he decides to be shy and not show anything!

Dinah93

Have plenty of yellow already, I don't want any more! I'm very 'leave it to fate' though - if he's being modest it just means we're meant to be surprised. It also means NIM will have to come to the other 4 scans I'm scheduled for in case I get flashed and find out

Not really, there is an inn in the (village, town?) that's coming up less but if the rooms are actually over the pub I'd be worried it might be loud for the sake of saving £30. Even if they're not for a small saving I'd rather not have to move locations on the day of the wedding. There are two more hotels but they're within £10 so I don't think it's worth the hassle. I think I'll just keep an eye out, see if any offers come up. I guess I just feel that with the cottage it might feel like a nice holiday rather than a hassle. I've always looked forward to weddings before, this is the first one where circumstances have meant I'm stressy about it.

ETA: Just googled the location - for someone with a Geography degree I'm seriously crap at where places are. I thought it was in the East of England, the dog leg bit. It's on the blinking south coast! Given it'll take about 8 hours to drive each way I'm thinking we're going to want to break it up a bit, that is a very long journey to do with a baby with only a full days gap before doing it again. So either take the extra 2 days off and stay a week or maybe stay a night somewhere in the middle on the way back since it will be the weekend anyway. Why in the name of God is she holding it there?! All their family are Surrey, London, Teesside or his are Coventry way I think.

Sorry rant over, I'm more thinking out loud than anything.

N.I.M

Dinah93 wrote: »

Have plenty of yellow already, I don't want any more! I'm very 'leave it to fate' though - if he's being modest it just means we're meant to be surprised. It also means NIM will have to come to the other 4 scans I'm scheduled for in case I get flashed and find out

Not really, there is an inn in the (village, town?) that's coming up less but if the rooms are actually over the pub I'd be worried it might be loud for the sake of saving £30. Even if they're not for a small saving I'd rather not have to move locations on the day of the wedding. There are two more hotels but they're within £10 so I don't think it's worth the hassle. I think I'll just keep an eye out, see if any offers come up. I guess I just feel that with the cottage it might feel like a nice holiday rather than a hassle. I've always looked forward to weddings before, this is the first one where circumstances have meant I'm stressy about it.

ETA: Just googled the location - for someone with a Geography degree I'm seriously crap at where places are. I thought it was in the East of England, the dog leg bit. It's on the blinking south coast! Given it'll take about 8 hours to drive each way I'm thinking we're going to want to break it up a bit, that is a very long journey to do with a baby with only a full days gap before doing it again. So either take the extra 2 days off and stay a week or maybe stay a night somewhere in the middle on the way back since it will be the weekend anyway. Why in the name of God is she holding it there?! All their family are Surrey, London, Teesside or his are Coventry way I think.

Sorry rant over, I'm more thinking out loud than anything.

Hunni the dog leg is not east of england...

Dinah93

Yes it is, unless we're discussing a different bit. The bit roughly opposite to Wales.

Actually just found a cottage for a week for £45 less than two nights in the hotel.

Birdie85

N.I.M wrote: »

Hunni the dog leg is not east of england...

It is if she's looking at the map upside down!

I'd be tempted to stay somewhere half way on the way back although you never know what it'll be like with a baby, you might just be desperate to get home! Argh, who knows?!

Dinah93

I'm just really struggling with the idea of 16 hours in a car in the space of 48 hours with a 3 month old baby, and only a very busy wedding in the middle, sounds like dire plan!

Birdie85

Would it be possible to go by train?

Dinah93

I hadn't considered that, so thank you for the suggestion. To be honest I think it would be more challenging though. I've just looked it up and we'd have to change train 4 times although it would cut about an hour off the journey time. I'm sure the hotel could provide a cot and bedding for the baby, but I also bet there is loads of baby related baggage we'd need to haul about. Yet again, I have no clue what they actually NEED and all this fun is yet to be discovered, but I'm guessing bottles, changing stuff, the buggy, a steriliser, and lord knows what else. Plus the price for an off peak super advance booking return (granted I'm looking at March but likely to be similar?) is £137 each so it'd cost more than taking the car by a fair whack. I'm even wondering if a plane would make things easier as it's so much faster, but I think we'd end up having to fly to London and then still rent a car or get the train down to the coast. I'm going to wait until the baby is here to make any decisions though. When I was little I would only ever sleep while moving (in the car or pram) so if we have one like that the journey will be alright. Equally I was talking to someone the other day who said their baby just screams the place down as soon as it goes in the car, so I need to see what we end up with. It does look a lovely place though, nice historic little town right on the beach, in the first week of September it could be quite nice to spend a few days there. All the cottages have kitchens so it wouldn't cost any different in food to eat there as at our house, and it would be nice to spend a bit of time as a new family once we're hopefully a bit more settled into the sleeping-feeding routine. My parents would stay at the hotel itself as well, so there wouldn't actually be any hassle in where to feed or put the baby down to sleep during the day as we could use their room. I'm trying to talk myself into this wedding not being so bad and actually be a good experience. I've looked forward to her wedding for 2 years, I guess it's always hard the first time you try to go away with a baby (although we may have already been to Ireland by this point) and I'm probably just freaking myself out with the logistics. At the end of the day babies go all over the place, I know a lady at work drove hers to the South of France when she was 6 months old, although she did end up flying back and getting her husband to drive back alone as she said the drive was never to be repeated .

ETA: Just remembered babies aren't supposed to be in a car seat for more than two hours without an hours break. We bought one which has the most reclined position (apparently) so it is suitable for use up to 4 hours, but I still wouldn't use it for that long. Drive could take even longer than anticipated!

I've looked back and I don't think I actually posted to say well done on the settlement Birdie, I'm glad to hear you already have good things planned for it.

Wage slip arrived today. I'm impressed to see that they have absolutely no idea I'm off sick and are paying me normal wages. Makes no difference to me as it's the same amount of money, however I bet it makes a difference to their payroll department.