'supporting each other through really tough times'

Aria`s_Tail

Happy New Year everyone!

I know i'm a bit late but had a manic couple of days.

(((hugs))) to Kidcat, :jto Stiltwalkers littlies.

I ended up working NYE behind the bar in our local so at least I earned a bit of extra cash. Finished at 1 then went to a private party, got home at 5.30 am. Went for drinks with a couple of friends yesterday afternoon and one friend ended up staying over. Not a `rough`night but a nice, sociable one.

I`m another one who needs to shift my arris and loose some weight. I have a range of clothes in sizes 12, 14 and 16 and i'm ashamed to say i'm living in the size 16 slobby ones at the moment. I can't calorie count as all I then think about is food so need to do more exercise. I do second the protein shot for sugar cravings, i will often take a hb egg with me if I know I might miss a meal.

I was supposed to be back at work today, thought it was strange I hadn't had confirmation of my shift by yesterday so I rang them to find they had changed my rota and I'm now in on Monday:eek:. Nice of them to think about telling me. :mad: Am gonna have to work a double week to get my weekly rota back to what it was as we and my parents plan our lives around which weeks i'm at work and which i am off.
Will try and get loads done around the house before Monday at least!

silvasava

Well I've got the leftovers sorted not much) but two turkey, stuffing & mushroom pies in the freezer along with 3 pints of mushroom soup.
Took a friend out shopping today for shoes - she managed to get 2 pairs in the first shop! Spent the remainder of the day trawling the sales .... I bought a £2.50 pair of knickers..lol. I tried on a blouse in M&S - SHOCK HORROR - a view of my back in those pesky mirrors - 5:2 diet here I come

m155piggy

Well the pea and ham soup was well received by DH and DS1,2&3, the moroccan (not mediterranean) pork and rice was a huge hit too - as were the cookies and the cinnamon and fruit bread. I dug some mini naans out of the freezer and made pizzas for the kids lunch tomorrow and even managed to make something out of the inedible burned, dry tonne of fruitcake we were given - sort of fruit cake bread and butter pudding without the bread and butter - really moist and yummy. Really enjoyed my cooking day and no money spent other than the milk!!

Hope everyone else is having an inspired day as it sure makes you feel more confident about days to come.

elizabunny

I was just reading through the things you all did with your Xmas leftovers etc. I wondered if any of you could beat this (our tea).
Leftover cold Beef and last of the boiled Ham, lettuce, extra strong pickled onions, beetroot, gherkins, pickled red cabbage, pic**lily, sweet pickle, tomato, celery, Mayo, HM Oatcake thingy. We laughed so much because we both ate it with our faces screwed up for much of the time:laugh: It was sooooo pickley oooooooooh. We haven't recovered yet:)

Mrs_Veg_Plot

The decorations are down and all boxed away waiting for OH to put them into the attic. I have given downstairs a really good clean. it looks lovely but looks bare IYKWIM. Have also been into town and bought the crackers cards and wrapping paper for next year as there were some good offers on.

Have started a new page a day diary for keeping a record of appointments, birthdays, weight, meals, things to do and any important phone calls etc.

Did HM low fat chicken curry for tea with HM nann and boxed up 4 portions to freeze to take to work for lunches.

Have decided to settle down to some knitting whilst I wait for Mr VP to get home from work

SDG31000

Evening all

fuddle I can completely understand where you are coming from. I planned on becoming a research chemist and then found out at Uni that I am asthmatic and failed the 1st year. I then had DS1, DS2 and very bad PND that never went fully away. I have no work experience and no usable qualifications and probably couldn't deal with working fulltime. I just feel the need to learn something or do something and have no idea what. So you aren't alone. You will work out what is best for you and your family and I'm sure you will do wonderfully xxx

Today I have had to admit defeat and throw out a big pot of mushroom soup. I think blending it did something to the potatoes in it and it had a very strange texture. it would have made good wallpaper paste if nothing else.

DH has taken DS1 out a day early to Wagamama for his birthday treat. How the heck is my baby 14 years old tomorrow? :eek: I love their food, but it is very high in salt and my blood pressure needed a break. So DS1 and I have had toad in the hole with sausage meatballs as I have lots of sausagemeat in the freezer brought at 55p a pack. I still need to make brownies for DS2 and a traybake for a friend as it's her birthday on Friday and she asked for it as a present. I think she is getting lemon and orange drizzle cake to use up fruit that is lurking.

I feel the need for some chocolate. Once the Christmas stuff is gone I won't be buying anymore, but i have peanut butter cups to use up.

Take care everyone xxxx

Softstuff

fuddle wrote: »

Truth is I'm lost with what I want to do with my life. I would like to retrain but in what? I would like a job but in what? Any job would mean a car but the flip is I can't afford a car without a job. I'm thoroughly mixed up and just don't know what to do.

As SDG says Fuddle, you're not alone. When I left England I left a business I'd built myself there (one that I couldn't do here) and found a job here when I arrived. I worked retail management for 5 years, because it was closest to what I was most recently qualified for. And burnt out. I hate managing people, couldn't put up with ridiculously long hours (over 80 some weeks :eek:) and left.

Now I'm not sure what I want to do. Hubby has been so understanding and patient, but I'm always thinking I need to contribute financially more.

I started volunteering at a charity shop a couple of days a week, with some lovely people. And that's doing wonders for my confidence and feelings of self worth. So I'd say try volunteering a bit, it pays off even if not financially.

On another note, we had very few leftovers here this year at all, they were all long gone before New Year. The reductions in the supermarkets here have sucked, there was nothing this year, so my cupboards are unusually bare and I'm starting the new year with a very tight budget. It's a very odd January food wise for us, normally my freezer is full of meat and my cupboard is bursting with goodies.

bluebag

fuddle wrote: »

Just wondering pooky whether I would be better off volunteering for shelter or CAB. DH thinks, and I happen to agree really, that I'm too flakey to go it alone and that it would have a detrimental effect on my mental health.

I've applied to my new council about childminding although I have to ask permission from new LL and it will mean Alfie staying in a garden kennel while a child is in my care.

Truth is I'm lost with what I want to do with my life. I would like to retrain but in what? I would like a job but in what? Any job would mean a car but the flip is I can't afford a car without a job. I'm thoroughly mixed up and just don't know what to do.

I'm totally bored, watching daytime TV while crocheting. I've walked the dog, taken the kids to the park, done my bit housework and now there's nothing. This is my life and I want more.

How does a women earn money when she has children and no transport?

Have you thought about dog walking or taking in ironing, not the most glam of jobs but pretty stress free, hours that suit and easily fitted around the family.

missrlr

The boiled egg trick sounds like a plan. My danger point is 4pm. I go to the
Kitchen for tea and the donuts, cakes, chocolates which seem to be permanent fixtures SPEAK TO ME (just a small taste, with tea would be nice whisper whisper)
Currently the work kitchen is A MINEFIELD chocolates, biscuits and quality street too as well as usual baked goods!
Home is not much better, but it's contained in one cupboard DH reckons he will finish it about Easter time!

I tried to be calm at work, but honestly they are utterly beyond belief brains removed and put in a bin for collection on the way home. Sometimes I wonder how they keep a home - well actually they don't, they are the ones who ruin houses coz they didn't think (to call someone and report a problem)
Rant over I will be calmer tomorrow

CRANKY40

fuddle wrote: »

Truth is I'm lost with what I want to do with my life. I would like to retrain but in what? I would like a job but in what? Any job would mean a car but the flip is I can't afford a car without a job. I'm thoroughly mixed up and just don't know what to do.

I'm totally bored, watching daytime TV while crocheting. I've walked the dog, taken the kids to the park, done my bit housework and now there's nothing. This is my life and I want more.

How does a women earn money when she has children and no transport?

That sounds like me too. I wanted to be a nurse but due to my mum's shenanigans I never took up my place at training school. Then my boyfriend's parents left London so we moved in together and I couldn't afford to live on a bursary and that was that. I currently have two and a half years left of my career break then I either have to hand my notice in or go back. Unless things have changed dramatically there I won't be going back.

Could you be someone else's domestic goddess once you've finished your own stuff? I don't mean just one person's cleaner. I know it's not glamorous but maybe if you advertised that you are available for the odd bit of ironing or cleaning or pet sitting here or there. You know that feeling when you are dying of cold etc and the kids have no clean uniform....there could be a market there. You could be a kind of household fairy godmother?

ginnyknit wrote: »

We decided after that our new mantra would be ' I am not at home to Mr Stress'

That's my mantra for 2013. I love it. 2013 should also be the year we get to go for coffee, even if I have to bring (and therefore bribe) the elf to come too.

I put on three stone the year after MrC died, and I was no lightweight to start off with. I lost 3 stone with slimming world in 2011 but then the anniversary of his death, funeral and then Christmas threw me off course and it took a while to sort myself out. I put on another stone during this time which I lost in 2012. I would like 2013 to be the year that I finally crack the healthy eating thing and lose more weight. I always thought people were mad when they said "find an exercise that you enjoy". How could there be such a thing. Turns out mine is walking.

For those of you who struggle to leave the house or can't leap around one of my less able friends has lost 9 stone calorie counting and peddling a "mini cycle" from the comfort of a sofa. It's like an exercise bike but without the bike, it just has pedals. You can sit on the sofa and pedal away. It's cheaper on amazon or ebay than in Arg0s apparently.

Mardatha uncooked shortbread mix is gorgeous if you make it with real butter and icing sugar