How do you keep life fun while DFWing?

carriel_2

Any suggestions??

We've been living like this now for a good while, probably 9months ish & for a while, you dont miss going out, shopping, take aways etc.

But now, i'm struggling (being 3mths pregnant doesnt help) how do you keep life fun?

The weekends come around, & I want to take the kids out & enjoy ourselves, but the same old country parks get abit boring week after week & everything else costs.

I cannot just pop to the shops & treat myself to a magazine, or nip to the coffee shop, i'm having cravings that I cannot indulge (mainly pizza) & just feeling really frustrated with it all.

We have another 2 years of this & it seems like a bit of a dim future at the moment.

So how do you keep things fun?

Queen.Bess

Hi Carrie, congratulations on your pregnancy!

I can't comment on entertaining the children, not having any of my own (DH doesn't count!), but to amuse myself at lunchtimes I go to my local library! I borrow loads of books and also, if available I look at the magazines and newspapers whilst I'm there. What you could do is get a recipe book out with pizza recipes and make your own (dough and topping) and maybe have a takeaway style meal! It could be done with indian food too I suppose! I know homemade is not the same as proper takeaways, but when times are hard you make the best of it!

Might be worth scanning the local papers for events at local places. I know that at least once a year English Heritage places are opened up free of charge.

Hope this helps a bit.

poodlehorse

not sure of your kids ages but we have a soft play area round here which is great fun and very cheap, I tend to take a snack for in the car after as the food there isn't the stuff DS would eat or I won't let him ( a lot of sugar) and he is happy at that. I know it isn't outdoors but it is something different and we only have to pay for DS. Can you do some preparation for your trips and go for a walk in the nearest forest and see if there is any downloadable stuff from their website or things to look out for on their nature trail? DS and I spent a great afternoon constructing a pirate ship from an old cardboard box and making him a pirates hat and cutlass etc. We did it together and he played with it for ages after. I think when you have to do free or cheap stuff what you can bring to the party is your imagination. HAve a look in the library for any books about activities to do with kids at home and see what you can adapt. Can you set up a treasure hunt? Rounders on the beach and a disposable BBQ after? Part of growing up is having sand in your sandwiches. Is there anywhere to feed the ducks? A petting zoo? A sand pit in the garden? Dressing up and pretending? When you go for a walk bring back different leaves etc to do rubbings. Father's Day is coming up can they spend an afternoon making daddy something special if only a card. There are downloadable poems etc online, one is called footprints and I have that on PC if you want it pm me. Scrapbooking (I don't mean buying stuff for this either just a cheap scrapbook and some glue and the old NExt directory or similar and old magazines and let them get on with it. HAve a sports day in the back garden/local park/invite friends/have some cheap prizes (an apple, a funsize bar/an eraser/fancy pencil. Make biscuits (maybe for Father's day), play pooh sticks, sorry if these are a bit too young for them but I had a look in my "entertaining the preschool child" book and that is what I came up with. I would have a look in the council website and see if the library or other local agency has anything on, we have ranger walks in forests around here that I know of and the library does loads but usually through the week to be fair as Saturday is a very busy day for them. You are probably going to tell me they are 12 and 14 and so this list is going to look a bit lame. I just wonder if the kids are as bored with the same places as you are. And maybe you could still do a pizza night but make your own together with all different toppings and have ice-cream for desert and make it into a banana split or knickerbocker glory. or have a mexican night with chilli and cheesy nachos(we buy the smartprice/value tortilla chips and lay them on a baking tray and sprinkle on loads of cheddar and drizzle with sweet chilli sauce, maybe spring onion, maybe jalopenos and shove under a grill for a couple of minutes to melt cheese. Yummy. Make it an event and play board games or cards (does library lend out games?)

Dithering_Dad

Well I'm frankly amazed that you have the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery on your doorstep and you say that you can't find anything to do for free?

The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery reflects Northampton's proud standing as Britain's boot and shoe capital by housing a collection of boots and shoes which is now the largest in the world.

Admission is free, but I think I'd be happy to pay at least 10 or 20 pence to view such a cornucopia of historical shoes!

catewithers

who is this guy?!!!!

SPAM - reported

carriel_2

Thanks for your replies, I hope its not me that has been reported as SPAM, I dont think I have done anything wrong have I?

Most of the suggestions I have done & thank you Dithering Dad, I didnt say there was NOTHING for free & I'm glad that you enjoy the museem, but for me, with three generations of workers from the shoetrade in my family, it wouldnt be my choice for the day out!

I think maybe i'm just feeling abit jaded by it all, I want to be able to take the kids to the zoo, or on holiday but I cant.

Poodlehorse, my kids are 8 & 5 & love the country park things, we do the naturetrails, fly the kite, picnics, feed the ducks etc, we have the sandpit in the garden, we do the crafty afternoons etc

I might try the pizza night, knickerbockerglories sounds lush, although the other things made me feel ick lol, gotta love the morning sickness.

We do the card games & board games too.

I will look out the local paper at the library Queen Bess, thanks for that, they might have some open days or fayres local. Was it October time last year when the English Heritage opened their doors for free?

Snaggles

Lol carriel, Cate was joking about reporting Dithering Dad as spam I think - not you, don't worry!

Can't think of anything else to suggest, but I do sympathise with the morning sickness...bleurgh! Hopefully it will start to pass soon if you're 3 months pregnant.

Country parks are great for 'treasure hunts' - you make a list of things to collect (eg a daisy, a conker, some bark, an oak leaf....that sort of thing), and the person that collects the most items from the list wins.

lynzpower

what about doing a baking day?

Or pizza making etc? It is an activity- but youd be doing it anyway- cooking that is

there are LOADS of vouchers around at the mo for bogof days out?

Do you not haveANYTHING in your budget for these? Its a long haul, even a tenner a month would break things up a bit- and that could get you into a bit of crazy golf? Or a bogof attraction?

Mozette

I drink..... lots! (but cheaply...)

smashedbooboo

I dont think that was spam. Its a place i would love to visit when i go there. And as DD said it is free. It was meant to be a sugestion as somewhere to go in that area that costs nothing. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sea78

tirednurse posted about the site videojug.com which has lots of how to videos (how to make pizza, curry etc). might be some how to have fun free ones...might have a look and see

I can understand how it gets frustrating - do you shop at tescos? If so might be worth looking to see if any of your local attractions take clubcard vouchers for admission (look on clubcard site?) and using them to pay for days out for the family.

Sea xxx