A new royal start

savingholmes

You make the cooking all sound so easy - while balancing a baby - I remain in awe. 

QueenJess

Thanks @Jessy103 and @savingholmes. I generally feel I am existing rather than achieving anything and I want to spend so much more quality time with DS and do a better job playing with DD (she's most awake mid to end of the afternoon when I start to really struggle with tiredness).  The reality is I just can't do it because I am permanently so sleep deprived.

Mornings are my best time at the moment, but DD is always asleep on me so I cook. Cooking makes me feel like I'm doing something useful and makes me feel better - especially if I fail to do anything for the rest of the day!

Everyday is a bit like wading through treacle and I have permanent brain fog and constantly am trying to remember what I am meant to be doing. Twice this week I had pick ups from the free local buy nothing group. I would usually leave the items outside, but forgot and looked confused when they knocked on the door, apologised for totally forgetting and then ran off to get then their item 🤦🏼‍♀️. Literally can't remember anything at the moment! This is why I don't ever pick up DS as I don't feel very safe driving.

Now DD is 3 months old, I am trying to implement a proper bedtime for her. Really trying so hard with a few techniques to get her sleeping better and also making sure we don't cement ones that I know will be hard to fix later down the line through experience with DS. Can't make it perfect though as she is a greedy little thing and feeds quite often still and she still suffers with mild reflux. It's night 2, so early days, but as always you have to take the pain first .. means even less sleep whilst she settles into it and we see if it is even working... Wish me luck!

QueenJess

I was going to try and get out into the garden for 30 mins today, but not sure that will happen now.  Not sure where the day has gone!

Spent a bit of time with DS last night teaching him addition and subtraction and showing him a few ways to work it out/think about it.  Apparently anything becomes interesting when you include vehicles as part of the calculation!  This afternoon I made a bird feeder with DS out of an old plastic bottle, 2 old pencils and a piece of string saved from some packaging.  It's now hung out the front and we are waiting for the birds to find it (and obviously the vast amount of seed on the floor after DS was helping to fill it up!).

Otherwise today I've prepped the yorkshire pudding batter for the roast chicken dinner later, done a huge load of washing and am now about to finish making the beds (stripped but not remade yet).  If I get time later I'll pick some redcurrants and see if I can rescue some crazy plants in the garden that need tying to the fence and possibly the rhubarb that needs moving (not easy as I have to decant all the soil to move the large ceramic pot and then put it all back again).

Maybe I'll have more time tomorrow  Will need to get DS to tidy up his vast road network tomorrow before the cleaner comes on Monday... it is in 2 rooms at the moment and is currently expanding into a third one!

themadvix

Love the sound of the road network!

 Your red currants must be ahead of mine - mine are only just beginning to turn. Just as well as there’s plenty of other stuff I need to pick out there at the moment (don’t mention the rhubarb!!😂)

savingholmes

Bird feeder sounds fun.

QueenJess

Yikes - not sure where the last week went. DD was ill for a couple of days and I spent the whole time cuddling her better. She's fine now and in not looking forward to the next set of jabs later this week which always make them feel grotty.

Lots seems to have happened. DH went to a meeting at DS's new school and he will be going for a stay and play later this week. DD had grown out of more clothes and is going through a new leap - she is better at holding things and loves to "chat" with you.

Both sets of parents visited over the weekend. I also rebooked my second jab for a few weeks time. Means I should be fully protected for when DS goes to school.

Despite buying a few Xmas presents early (saw good prices on some second hand items), I have spent very little this month so far. Should be good to wipe out a fair chunk of my debt to myself in the joint account.

Running a bit behind to earn enough for the tech fund. Also getting fed up with all the things to get rid of and so am having a massive effort to list all of it this week and get rid of as much as possible.

QueenJess

Trying to start as I mean to go on this week.  Think I will do a mini challenge for myself this week to see how many things I can list/get rid of from the piles as I am sick of seeing them around the house..  Hopefully I will then see more progress by concentrating on one thing at a time!

Already listed another 3 things, sold 1 thing online and had a couple of pick ups from the local buy nothing group.  Lots more to go yet.  Will be very happy if everything was listed or otherwise sorted out from the random piles this week.  Will package up my two sales later when DD isn't screeching at me!

I'm sure I have more cupboards and things I could work through for a few more bits and bobs, but will take a look at those in a different challenge.

Mini Challenge week: 
Listings: 3
Sold items: (bundles count as 1 item, otherwise I am going to get confused!): 2

QueenJess

Has anyone seen the 0.94% mortgages? Apparently HSBC has them. It's getting crazy out there!

QueenJess

Urgh.  Finding the news very stressful to consume again.  After thinking the government may have finally come to their senses and promising data not dates, they are just throwing their hands up and saying "we can't be bothered to deal with this anymore, so you do it".  I already found people invading my personal space irritating before the pandemic and I have no idea how I'm going to deal with no social distancing anymore.  It's insane.  The reality is that I will be trapped inside the house now 

Yesterday's news was even more depressing with the reduction in aid.  I can't believe we would really vote for that, but it has happened.  I spent some of yesterday researching what organisations will be missing aid from us so I can donate to them in my monthly charity donation (I donate to different people each month depending on what I feel is most important at that time).  I doubt my puny donation will make much difference compared to a $4 billion reduction, but that and my democratic right to vote is all I have and I need to do something.

Going to try to take my mind off it and reduce news consumption again.  So back to my mini listing challenge.  I have another pick up today, so if that happens I will have "sold" 4 items and listed 9.  Will see how many more I can list today.  Am hoping to have sorted out everything this week so it is all listed or otherwise sorted into a charity/tip pile.  I've avoiding throwing anything out so far (which is actually quite amazing), but I think I am going to struggle with a few bits that will have to go.  Will ensure they get recycled though.  Will have to think up a new challenge for next week

Does anyone know whether the fabric banks in supermarket car parks are meant to be all quality of clothes or just ones which aren't the best and so would be reused as sofa fillings etc?

Haven't been doing much baking and now waiting for my fruit/veg box delivery tomorrow.  I ordered a small veg box for the first time in a while and plan to use it to make lots of veg filled lunches. 

DD has decided she wants to feed every 2 hours on the dot, except for a 4 hour stint from about 9am.  Why can't she do the 4 hour stint at night?!  Somehow I need to try to convince her to do longer at night rather in the day, but she has her horrible jabs tomorrow and so all bets are likely off for a few days..

Need to catch up with MSE diaries as horribly behind.  Managing to get DD to sleep on her own between all the nightly feeds, so I have a bit less time than usual 

QueenJess

Ooh - just noticed that you can post clothes for free to Oxfam and they said they sort them and nothing will go to landfill.  Will be applying for a bag from them then!