It's time to attack the mortgage!

macgirl

Evening all :hello: just had to change my browser as I couldn't access MSE tonight. Panic :eek:

Yes, Gally you win the hardest working day contest :T (though 2-3 days a week??!! Easy street or what! )

Sorry to hear about the different results from BT Hurdler, glad you got sorted with a better deal with O2. I looked at them, but we don't have fibre optics in our area yet, so they couldn't provide us with BB. I'll check in with you to see how they perform for when we do get FO.

Well, I have missed running club again tonight. DD1 has eczema which has been really bad since before Christmas. Today she was very down in the mouth when I collected her. It seems she's had too much attention today, from well meaning teachers and after school staff and "Urghh's" from children and it's started to get on top of her.

We've been down the whole GP/Dermatologist route of increasingly stronger steroids, wraps etc and in the end she begged me to let her stop. she's very mature for her age, so I want to let her have a say - plus I don't like using steroids on her. I don't feel like we get told the whole story with regards to long term side effects, plus they do initially cure it, then it comes back 10 times more ferocious than before.

So we're starting again with her taking daily cod liver oil and manuka honey and moisturising intensively. She hates it and says she's fine to avoid the attention. Bless her, but I just want to make her better

On a positive, an NSD :T Payday tomorrow :j Worked out with Jillian this morning :A

Hope all's well with everyone (sorry for veering off topic, must stick to money chat only)

SJ1

Hi Macgirl

Feel for your little one with the eczema, my little girl gets this too, especially at this time of year although not quite as badly. We have tried, and love, Aveeno - she washes with the bath wash and we then apply the cream and it's worked wonders for us although it leaves the bath v oily. You may well have tried it but thought it was worth a post - it's v intensive and has worked well for everyone we have recommended it to.

SJ

P.S. I love my ironing lady, I am NOT giving her up. I work 7am until 5pm 4 days a week .... the woman is a godsend, worth every penny and then some!

Hopeful1

macgirl wrote: »

Evening all :hello: just had to change my browser as I couldn't access MSE tonight. Panic :eek:

Yes, Gally you win the hardest working day contest :T (though 2-3 days a week??!! Easy street or what! )

Sorry to hear about the different results from BT Hurdler, glad you got sorted with a better deal with O2. I looked at them, but we don't have fibre optics in our area yet, so they couldn't provide us with BB. I'll check in with you to see how they perform for when we do get FO.

Well, I have missed running club again tonight. DD1 has eczema which has been really bad since before Christmas. Today she was very down in the mouth when I collected her. It seems she's had too much attention today, from well meaning teachers and after school staff and "Urghh's" from children and it's started to get on top of her.

We've been down the whole GP/Dermatologist route of increasingly stronger steroids, wraps etc and in the end she begged me to let her stop. she's very mature for her age, so I want to let her have a say - plus I don't like using steroids on her. I don't feel like we get told the whole story with regards to long term side effects, plus they do initially cure it, then it comes back 10 times more ferocious than before.

So we're starting again with her taking daily cod liver oil and manuka honey and moisturising intensively. She hates it and says she's fine to avoid the attention. Bless her, but I just want to make her better

On a positive, an NSD :T Payday tomorrow :j Worked out with Jillian this morning :A

Hope all's well with everyone (sorry for veering off topic, must stick to money chat only)

Bless DD1, I do feel for her...and you. My youngest has eczema which doesn't seem to be improving. I don't want to go down the whole cutting things out of his diet route, so am hoping creams will manage it. I think it was the Food Hospital program, they recommended pro-biotics, so I've bought children's yoghurt drinks from JS for him to try. He loves them anyway regardless of whether it works or not!

Oh and I want an ironing / cleaning lady *stamps feet and slams door shut*

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi MacG, sorry to hear about your little one. I wonder whether it is worth seeking a second opinion? I have also used Aveena on my DS when he was little and it worked well for him.

Have a good day tomorrow.

Tilly x

macgirl

Morning, a quickie before work as I have a later start this morning

Thanks everyone for your input :A:A:A

Thanks SJ and Tilly, we bought some Aveeno at the weekend, but it worked straight away in making her skin softer - which can get like course sandpaper. But she also has raised areas that are bright red all over her face and her arms look like she's been dragged along the tarmac, they are so grazed where she scratches them in the night.
We've tried cotton gloves taped to her hands in bed, but she got very distressed with that. Anyway, last night I resorted to Eumovate (which I don't like) followed by Pure Potions (a natural salve which is meant to calm it, but I don't know if it really makes any difference) and Aveeno on top - the full cocktail!

DH is concerned that we are over-loading her skin, so then we have periods where we leave it to do it's thing, but now that's got out of hand, so we have to act - against her wishes poor thing....

Hi Hopeful, yes I've asked about allergies and did take her off cow's milk when she was younger, but it made no difference and my GP said it is topical, not allergic due to the fact she doesn't get asthma or hayfever.

I'm sure it will get better over the next few weeks, then kick in again once we're on holiday :cool: Oh well, I know it's not the end of the World compared to some people, so we're thankful it's only eczema.

Payday today :j - Not that any of it is really mine! So tonight will have a money evening, after a DVD
Have a good day to you all x

museumworker

Aww, sorry to hear about DD's eczcema, it is horrible when there's not a massive amount you can do and you can see they're uncomfortable. Hope the creams help. DD gets urticaria, if she gets all sweaty from running around she'll get an itchy rash come up. Not much she can do - if its bad we give her daily anti-histimines as per consultants instructions. Luckily it seems to have improved the last few months.

Sounds like you did a great job on getting your monthly costs down :T.

Isn't today your day off? Hope you're having a good one.

macgirl

Hello MW, yes today is my "day off" for cleaning, decluttering, decorating and anything else that needs sorting!:D Thankfully DD's eczema is 100% better. The evil cream did it's job and she looks back to normal. Thanks for all your kind words of support x

Had a productive day so far:

• Been supermarket shopping and have done the meal plan for this week

• Blitzed the girl's bedrooms - in prep for a demolition job when they arrive home with friends in tow for tea :cool:
• Made Choc and orange cupcakes
• Done 2 loads of washing
• Spent 15 minutes on my *February Mission - more below
• Arranged for 2 builders quotes to repair the roof, which is leaking into our bedroom. It's listed, so we're expecting the worst moneywise.
• Done 30 minutes of my No More Trouble zones DVD and feel grrrreeeaaat! :j

I work my months payday to payday, so as I was paid on Wednesday, time to reflect back on my monthly goals...


MEAL PLANNING - Have done this religiously. The main benefit is stress reduction - which was definitely much needed
GROCERY BUDGET - I'm delighted that this came in under £250! :j
I will aim for that this month, but anything under £300, will be a huge improvement on what it was.
EXERCISE - I have exercised at least 3 times every week but mostly 4. This habit is ingrained now and I have so much more energy - I feel on top of the World! :j (Lots of jumping in this post - blame Jillian M)
AMAZON/EBAYing - Have sold 4 things on Am. Have started preparing my pieces of furniture to upcycle, with a target to catch the Pre-Easter DIY trade.
PACKED LUNCHES - I have taken lunched to work every day this month - except on payday when I went to M&S VERY pleased with that, it has saved £'s

OVERPAYMENT - Only the regular £132, but the promise of £1000 from DH and everything crossed that my bonus will provide enough to match that and pay off my 0% CC



So, for February the plans are thus:


A SPACE OF MY OWN - Inspired by this book, I am going to begin a project to create creative workspace in our attic bedroom. At the moment it is DH's computer graveyard (he's a terrible hoarder), but I'm going to turn into a lovely bright and airy guest room/creative space! . This will in turn lead to....
UPPING MY INCOME - or at least coming up with a credible way of using my creative talents to generate a career after this one has finished (sorry if that sounds a bit cryptic, but I want to remain anon )

DECLUTTER THE CELLAR - we have a few rooms, most of which are full. When we moved in, we just dumped it in there, but now I can feel it growing and am going to spend 15 minutes down there every day (flylady styley), starting at one side and moving slowly through it until I have restored order and zen like calm :A


Of course, I will continue to take lunches to work and try to save where I can. We are taking a trip to Ireland to a family wedding in April, planning a holiday to my parent's house in Spain in May and then need to pay for whatever work needs to be done on the roof....

If there is anything left in the pot, I'd like to OP by even a small amount this month. I'm aiming for £100.


Sorry for the long post, hope all's well with everyone in MFW land x

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Hi macgirl

Sounds like you have all your goals set out and good plans to achieve them. Fingers crossed that the roof isn't as much as expected... could always turn into a waterfeature in your room!!!

I was compelled to reply as I have (sort of) a room of my own too. It's our box room, DH has a brick built workshop as his own. It's nice to have a functional space for sewing, mystery shopping/auditing admin, reading, wrapping presents... do you have any decor/layout plans yet?

And on the eczema front, most children grow out of it. I never did. I've tried cutting all manner of things out of my diet - nothing works but avocados do help a little, I think it's the oils. Through years of testing I've found that sticking to only one face wash and only one moisturiser at a time helps (too much mixing of creams causes little red bumps). When it gets bad, it gets infected and I have to have antibiotics. The steroid creams thin the skin over time so even when I'm having a good week, my skin is red on the areas most affected. It can take up to a week for a cream to start to work so being consistent with treatment is the only way to know if it works.

macgirl

Hi MRN and thanks!

Yes I think consistency is key, but sometimes when it is not bad, DD begs not to be moisturised and says she is fine, so I have to give in....Hopefully she will grow out of it.

The room will start off as a blank white space, it's currently a sickly orangey organic egg yolk colour, so that's the first thing to go. Other than that, well - watch this space

macgirl

DH has been trying to get home for the last 3 hours and is stuck due to crashed lorries in the snow. It usually takes him less than an hour

I am comforting myself a chilled glass of white and Nanny McPhee :beer: