A new royal start

QueenJess

@themadvix thanks, I do try, but I have to work round a picky DS and a fictitiously picky DH (he says he doesn't like things, but then is generally happy to eat them so I largely ignore them whilst trying to not push him into mutiny!), whilst trying to get variety and use everything up.  If I left it all to DH he'd probably have smoked salmon and steak every night!

Thank goodness DD slept properly last night (although still getting up every few hours for food).  No idea what the issue was the last two nights.  It's exhausting second guessing it all.  It's anyone's guess what might happen tonight.

I rounded up all the veg earlier that was lurking in the fridge and in a box in the garage.  I cleaned out the veg drawer and packed it all nicely in there in a single place so I can see what I've got.  There was more than I thought - some mushrooms, a pepper, some pots, 4 leeks, 2 parsnips, a large swede, a huge bag of onions and a large purple cabbage.  Will have to work to use those up and I have a veg box coming tomorrow too!  Oh - and a lonesome cooking apple which I am sure will make its way into a crumble at some point.

So my efforts to clear out some of the fridge and freezer today include, using the penultimate amount of compote in my porridge this morning, using the leftover curry from Sunday for lunch (the last portion went into the freezer) and using the chickpea water I saved from making the curry to make lots of meringues.  Dinner tonight will be leek and smoked mackerel pasta bake with peas.  Pudding will be the last of a couple of packets of frozen fruit (mango and raspberries) with yogurt and meringues.

I should get a move on, but am struggling to get up from the sofa now DD is napping happily.  I am on my second load of washing, but need to hang it up.  I also need to cut up leeks for dinner and should carry on packing up DD's clothes and putting the new size in the wardrobe.  Maybe I'll get myself a hot choc and shortbread, have a bit longer to myself and watch a bit more of Vera from Sunday night...

QueenJess

Oh dear.  Just wasted most my evening looking for replacement parts for my baby monitor as the sound wasn't working.  Turns out that DD played with it and turned on a function in a sub menu(!) that meant if no sound was detected or it was very low, it turned the sound off on the monitor.  Doh!

Anyway.... I am setting myself a mini challenge to try to get to £55 in vouchers as quickly as I can for DD's birthday present (I am not waiting to see further if DH obliges with his actual vouchers..).  Funnily enough I hit enough points to cash out £18 (although not yet cashed out).  £37 left to go..

QueenJess

Popped out this morning to buy DH's bday food for Monday from M&S.  Somehow I managed to spend £50!!!  At least it was free since I used a voucher, but wow.  DH would definitely bankrupt me if I kept him in the style he'd like to become accustomed to.  Anyway, I bought all DH's favourite foods and a couple of ys items fell into my trolley (including another key lime pie for the freezer, because I don't have enough desserts?!).

I now have what I would class as an outrageous amount of food for the freezer and fridge.  No food shopping for me for next week and possibly very little the week after too.  So lunch was meant to be fish finger sandwiches, but I completely lost it today and forgot, so we had more of the spicy parsnip soup I made yesterday.  Never mind, all needed using anyway.  Dinner is pesto pasta with cherry toms, red pepper, mushrooms and salad (DS will mutiny so he can have his with peas and broccoli).  Pudding is banana ice cream (frozen bananas and a tiny bit of milk blended), chocolate sauce and meringue for DS.  For us it's anything from the freezer, but I will have an orange drizzle muffin with the last scoop of creme fraiche from the fridge.  At least it'll use something up!

DH now has food for his birthday, chocolate shapes which are cooling in the fridge, a wrapped pressie from the kids (mine is a subscription already paid for) and everyone has done cards.  Other pressies/cards have been intercepted from the postman and hidden away.  I just need to make his cake at the weekend and then I'll be done!

Better get back to some surveys whilst DD is asleep.  Can't decide whether to cash everything out for DD's bday pressie or start doing some for food shops and other things as well.  Maybe I'll check and make sure I choose the cheapest option and then whichever is harder to get hold of.  I have time yet for DD's present and found I already had £5 of gift vouchers.  Will start cashing out soon/this weekend.

QueenJess

Feeling weirdly virtuous as I had saved the cocoa/bits of chocolate in the bottom of the packet of vegan truffles I had from M&S for xmas (by the way they are so amazing).  I managed to resist buying some more earlier, but I used the saved bits to distribute over my orange muffin and the last of the creme fraiche and it was lovely!  Absolutely nothing wasted and DH has noticed the difference since I took over the cooking/food shopping.  He said the bin was very empty this week and was confused as to why there was nothing wasted from dinner.  Yay me!

Slight fail though as I used what I thought was the last pack of cherry tomatoes for dinner that were getting old (but were absolutely fine) and didn't realise there was another one in the fridge.  Oops... Better factor that into some meals pretty soon!

QueenJess

Now I have control back on the cooking/food shopping front, I am hoping I’ll be able to cut down my spend over the next few months. It is already looking like it’ll be cheaper this month than any of the previous months.

It also means we eat more of a variety as DH just makes the same things and doesn’t really think much about getting enough fruit/veg etc. It irritates me that he never provides DS with fruit for breakfast, but the only way to do that would be for me to get up earlier and have even less sleep, which isn’t happening right now. I’ve already noticed a difference in DS though as he is very slightly less picky, more happy to try different things and is wasting less food on his plate.

I would like to eat more fruit and veg, mainly because I love to eat this way and if I didn’t have a meat loving DH, I’d probably ditch it and just keep fish. I will try and drag DS with me, but it’s tricky when he doesn’t like lots of veg things that I like. Will see how it goes. Mind you, this week we will have had 3 veggie dinners and no one noticed 🤫

Today I had my usual porridge for breakfast with pear and sultanas, followed by a clementine. Lunch was fish finger sandwiches - I insisted DH made peas for DS as he would have no veg otherwise 🙄, I left DH to his own devices and I had salad leaves, broccoli stem cut up and purple cabbage shredded and sweet potato chips on the side. I then had raspberries & blueberries with vegan yogurt (was trying one, but am indifferent to it really - needs using up though). I made DS yogurt with banana and raisins.

Dinner will be beans on toast for DS (doesn’t want pizza, strange child) and me and DH will have a pizza with vastly different toppings. I will have mozzarella (last pack to use up), cherry toms, sweet corn and purple broccoli and will have a side salad with carrots. DH will probably just have mozzarella, toms and chilli and may share my salad too. Pudding is the usual selection out of the freezer - may go for the chocolate brownie and ice cream since it’s the weekend (it does have beetroot in it..)! That’s as much veg as I can squash in for now and I’ll probably have a banana as a snack later.

Two loads of washing already done and hung up, my mums birthday present purchased and letters posted. Apart from survey stuff, I’m done for today. Tomorrow I will need to make DH’s cake for Monday.

Off to put my feet up whilst DD is asleep. A rest is the nearest thing I can get to sleep right now. At least I think DD is getting a bit better at nights. I’m slowly teaching her to get back to sleep on her own. I hope she continues to improve!

QueenJess

OMG, DD is driving me completely nuts. As I don’t really sleep much at night and in fits and starts, I rely on some in the morning when she gets up and DH takes her and putting my feet up for 30 mins for her afternoon nap.

So today I got no sleep in the morning as DH was in and out of the room, saying he didn’t know what she wanted and so assumed food despite me saying she wouldn’t need any before 9am for definite. Then she slept for all of 15 mins for the afternoon and whilst I was getting her to sleep, DH decided to take out DS on his bike. DD didn’t want to sleep, eat, play, sit, lie, stand and drove me bananas. So I went out for a walk with her for an hour, aimlessly wandering the streets and feeding her snacks.

So now I’ve had too little sleep and absolutely no respite from DD at all.  Hopefully a pizza and chocolate brownie will help later..

themadvix

Sorry to hear you had a tough night Jess! 😔

 Meals sound much better now you’ve taken over. Spent the day yesterday with my niece and nephew who are very similar ages to yours and was shocked at how little fruit and veg they had. (Actually was mainly horrified at niece’s (4.5 yo) behaviour. Absolutely atrocious and entirely down to bad/lack of parenting. I will not be making such an effort to spend time with the family in the future (although baby nephew is an absolute charmer!). (This is northern BIL’s family, not my sister’s daughter - it made me realise how good she is!)

 Hope you managed your morning sleep this morning!

QueenJess

themadvix said:

Sorry to hear you had a tough night Jess! 😔

 Meals sound much better now you’ve taken over. Spent the day yesterday with my niece and nephew who are very similar ages to yours and was shocked at how little fruit and veg they had. (Actually was mainly horrified at niece’s (4.5 yo) behaviour. Absolutely atrocious and entirely down to bad/lack of parenting. I will not be making such an effort to spend time with the family in the future (although baby nephew is an absolute charmer!). (This is northern BIL’s family, not my sister’s daughter - it made me realise how good she is!)

 Hope you managed your morning sleep this morning!

No morning sleep today as DH had decided he wanted to leave early with DS to an event thing which he is claiming as a birthday thing.  It's just frustrating that I am with DD 24-7 looking after her.  Obviously I love being with her, but everyone needs a break.  If I could just get a couple of hours a week when I know I can do whatever I want that would be great..

To be fair, at that age (4-5 ish) they are annoyingly picky about everything (particularly fruit and veg) and it drives me nuts (DS doesn't like tomatoes which is particularly limiting... I still make him have tomato pasta though and he happily eats spag bol anyway).  At least DS is now trying everything and we've recently discovered he likes cabbage (which is an interesting one).  I am at least making sure he has fruit and now sultanas/raisins everyday as I know he likes those (and obviously veg with his meals).  Plus I make him eat what's on the plate even if he isn't amazed by it (rather than violently hating it).  It's a work in progress, but he is definitely better off when we have lots of different things.  I'm sure I read something about them getting variety when they are weaning and that helps them be less picky later.  I did do that, but I am the one who enforces rules in this house.  DH is a pushover with the kids, but I've been struggling when DD is so demanding all the time.  Hopefully we're slowly getting back on track.

Not much happening today.  Lots of washing done, lots of help practicing walking with DD.  Also made DH's chocolate sponge cake for tomorrow; just need to stick it together tomorrow with apricot jam and whipped (vegan) cream.  Lunch was sandwiches out (took with them) for DS and DH.  I had the last portion of spicy parsnip soup.  Dinner was beef burgers for DS and DH and spicy beanburger for me (with fried onions and salad leaves).  We had it with sweetcorn, sweet potato chips and a huge portion of coleslaw that I made with purple cabbage, apples, onion, broccoli stems (and yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and white wine vinegar).  I had my usual porridge with fruit for breakfast (pear and sultanas today) followed by a clementine, so I feel very full of fruit and veg today!  I now feel justified with my orange drizzle muffin and vegan yogurt for pudding and some squares of dark chocolate.

Oh - I have also cashed out £15 of vouchers for DD's bday present and am close to getting another £10.  I need about £55, so quite a bit to go.  I also have £20 saved up of M&S vouchers for some Feb treats.

jennystarpepper

Jess you do a fab job of looking after yor family.... Could you and DH maybe agree 3 / 4 hours a week for 'you' time for you both.... bank hours not used / save for a later date?

Maybe if you agree on this, time / outings can be managed to be agreeable to all in advance?

QueenJess

jennystarpepper said:

Jess you do a fab job of looking after yor family.... Could you and DH maybe agree 3 / 4 hours a week for 'you' time for you both.... bank hours not used / save for a later date?

Maybe if you agree on this, time / outings can be managed to be agreeable to all in advance?

I’ve tried, but he just doesn’t seem able to do that. I love to plan, but DH likes to do everything last minute depending on how he feels. There should be a happy medium somewhere..

I have only to look forward to DD going to nursery at the end of Feb where I will get a break, but I am more dreading it than looking forward to it. It feels horrible to hand over your child. I set it up a month before I go to work because when I did it with DS, it was only a week before and he wasn’t settled when I went to work and it was very stressful. Still feels crazy though. 

I do want her to go because they are brilliant there and do things I can’t. Being with people her age will be great for her too. But already feeling the guilt. No choice though as I can’t afford to pay back maternity fees, so I have to go back to work for now.  Trying not to dwell on what can’t happen as it’s pointless. Might download a counting down app again. Did it last time I hated work and it was pleasing to see the days go down. I have to only be back a year from about mid March and that’s only if they don’t make me redundant before then.

Sorry.. was a bit of tangent there. My brain is all over the place trying to think of everything all the time!!