A new royal start

MagicCat

Happy birthday to DD! Hope you all have a lovely relaxing day 

I love that she likes fish and chips  none of mine will touch as much as a fish finger, it's so nice to be able to share a meal like that.

QueenJess

MagicCat said:

Happy birthday to DD! Hope you all have a lovely relaxing day 

I love that she likes fish and chips  none of mine will touch as much as a fish finger, it's so nice to be able to share a meal like that.

Both of mine absolutely love it and is their favourite meal.  If we didn't have it once a week there would be a mutiny Mind you, at the moment DD is at the age where everything gets shovelled in!  At least they've both always been good eaters (as nursery keep telling me everyday I pick up).  Apparently DD despite only have 1/3 of a tooth (it can't be bothered to come the rest of the way), she eats better than all the other babies with way more teeth.  I was told frequently that DS was by far the smallest in his class but ate the most (and sometimes had two whole meals).  They are going to bankrupt me in food

themadvix

Happy birthday to DD! I'm glad you're beginning to feel better too. I hope you've had a good day today and enjoyed the fish and chips!

Aimingforthegoodlife

Aww I hope she loved her tent!! Its all a balance isn't it, and finding that balance can feel impossible! Glad you are feeling a bit better!

QueenJess

DD loved her birthday presents and her tent, loved being the centre of attention and has very quickly determined that she absolutely loves cake - she demolished two pieces for pudding!  I can only imagine she is on quite some growth spurt, plus basically walking all the time and so her eating is getting ridiculous.  For dinner she had more food than DS, who is 4 years older than her!

I have started to try and catch up my lost two weeks, although obviously it won't be completely possible.  I've set myself a daily to do list which limits the amount of things I do each day to try and balance getting enough stuff done with having time at the end of the day to relax somewhere.  Looks like I already have a jammed packed week next week and I still need to figure out what we are doing in the Easter hols as I have the whole 2 weeks off.

I panicked a bit with only a week left to go to squeeze full working days into what I usually do and so I did the world's biggest shop at A*di.  It was so large that I can't fit everything I need to into my freezer (will have to juggle a few more things around) and every cupboard and drawer is totally rammed full.  It broke the budget, but after I lost those two weeks and with going back to work, I feel so much better if everything is full and so if I don't get to do anything other than grab the odd thing or two as a top up, we will be fine for at least 2 months!  One less thing to worry about.

House still a bit of a mess, but I am prioritising the garden as this is what I want to do and I would rather do it whilst it isn't raining.  Whenever I get trapped inside I can revisit my indoor tasks and I usually do a tidy up after DD is in bed.  Sounds a bit mad, but I've discovered that the most efficient use of my time is slightly randomly deciding to tidy up X number of things per day.  The reason it works is that if I set a too high number I start to flag and waste time, if I set X mins to get it done then I waste time clock watching etc and if I just "do some tidying" I am not as efficient as I need to know when to stop and often am not sure where to start.  This way I know if I do X things I will be able to sit down and so I am motivated to do them as quickly as physically possible.  Seems to be working for me at the moment!

Back to the garden centre tomorrow as I've run out of compost and I need more pots for my patio.  I'm not planning the whole thing in detail as it is too overwhelming and so I'm doing it bit by bit and then considering what next to do.  I've already got seeds germinating, but there is loads left to sow in my piles of seed packets (not too worried since some of them are April and I consider I have a whole month to get through them) and I will likely need more containers on an ad hoc basis until all seeds are germinated and out onto the patio.  I also need to sort out the two huge trugs so I can start sowing carrots/beetroot etc.  Hopefully it'll all come a bit clearer at some point and maybe this week as I am planning on doing as much as I can!  Spending a bit more money than planned to get containers, but am hoping this is a one off expense and then I can repeat the exercise in future years for almost zero cost since it will only cost me the odd extra seed packet for the ones I've used up.  An investment hopefully as I want to fill my patio with fruit, veg and some cheap annuals.

So just ploughing on really.  Slowly working my way through my list of things to do everyday and hoping that one day the overall list will be very short (I can hope right?!).  Money is taking a bit of a back seat at the moment because there is only so much I can do at once.  It'll come back into view soon and I've only spent on stocking up and then some garden pots.  I will have to buy DD some shoes very soon as she's getting pretty good on her feet.

Popped out to National Trust today (we are members) and had lunch.  It was definitely a bit of an experience as I've never taken DD out to eat before.  She ate an entire jacket potato and half a huge slice of cake AFTER having had some snacks in the queue as she was hungry!  It all went ok (although obviously it's never relaxing) and we had a nice walk.  I also had a few nice flowers and cards and bits from DD and DS both from home and from school/nursery.  DS's school card had a seed bomb, so I will add that to one of my containers and see what grows as he couldn't remember what it was.

Dinner tonight was salmon teriyaki stir fry with whatever veg I could find in the fridge and noodles.  Pudding was various goodies from the freezer as I really need to make some space in there urgently.  I will have to pull out all the veg peelings to make a soup next week as that will create lots of space.

Lots to get done next week and some things in the diary, so will see what I can get done everyday.  Starting now, so am off to bed and will see if there are some quick things to tick off my list before I get to sleep as I have a couple of emails I need to send on there.  Will make me feel better!  Hopefully some or all of that actually made sense as my head feels fuzzy now...

QueenJess

After a chilly start, it's warmed up and is lovely and sunny outside.  Job job I layered up today!  We had to turn the upstairs towel rails back on to take the chill off for DD (otherwise we wouldn't bother).  She hates the cold more than me and likes to be a very cosy warm baby.

Trying to make the most of my last week before I am back to work.  I am completely dreading it and it's making me feel really anxious and worried.  I honestly don't know why because it's the same job I had before I left although there have been quite a lot of changes and I know we can get by if I didn't have the job.  I'm not sure exactly what it is, but likely a combination of little unknowns like how I will squash everything into my life, whether I'm going to have the quality of life I actually want, dreading DD and DS being out the house for even longer everyday and not seeing them much in the week.  I will just have to see how it all goes and worst possible scenario is that I do this for just under a year and then quit when I don't have to repay my maternity pay.  I know it could be worse as I'm now allowed to work at home full time, so it saves so much time and I can get my washing done in the day etc.  Doesn't make me feel better though and I think once I've gone back I'll feel better about it, even if it's just because I'll be in a routine.

Anyway, been out in the garden this morning and going to go back out there in a minute to see what else I can get done before I have to do school/nursery pick ups.  Will work through my other to do items (admin generally) after DD is in bed.  Planted up some new strawberries (tried to mix up early, mid and late fruiting varieties - get me!), a few herbs which don't work for me from seed so I bought and an unplanned purchase of a dwarf patio raspberry plant.  Going back out there to plant some seeds which I really hope I can squeeze onto the window sills - I have marigolds (edible) and spring onions in my sights and will see if there are any other flowers/herbs I can do as well.  Might treat myself to another pot or two from the garden centre tomorrow as I need to plant up some sage and rosemary still.  I also got myself a new rhubarb plant as I do love rhubarb!  I've started working through preparing the big trugs on the patio, but they are big and may take me a while to work through.  Hopefully I will finish them this week so I can plant up potatoes, carrots and beetroot and then think about how to fill the remaining gaps with herbs/salad leaves/flowers.

I already have sunflowers, black eyed susan (climber flower), sweet peas and garlic chives growing on the window sills.  Tomato plants and white aquilegias I sowed at the weekend, so am still waiting for those ones to germinate.  I sowed some dwarf peas direct outside along with some mixed salad leaves, rocket, parsley, coriander and chard.  Still have a huge pile of seeds to go, so I am hoping we will be inundated with lovely fresh herbs, salad, veg and fruit in the summer   DD is already obsessed with my thyme plant on the patio and keeps running her hand through it as she knows it releases a lovely aroma!  It'll be sensory heaven for her by the time I'm finished!

No time for much food wise whilst I'm gardening so much and so will use the cooked chicken from the fridge to make chicken fajitas later with whatever veg I can find in the fridge/freezer and then attempt to wedge the rest of the chicken in the freezer along with some of the two bags of bread products .  Will take out the veg peelings from the freezer to make into a soup tomorrow as I just have to be able to get some more food in there!  Pudding will be a freezer dive for muffins/ice cream/cake as again, I just have to make some space in there.

TallGirl

Sounds like you’re making great progress with the veg. I love fresh veg from the garden too. Sow little and often so you don’t get loads at the same time. Also sow directly in the soil rather than window sill even if you have to wait a bit longer less faff too. 

QueenJess

TallGirl said:

Sounds like you’re making great progress with the veg. I love fresh veg from the garden too. Sow little and often so you don’t get loads at the same time. Also sow directly in the soil rather than window sill even if you have to wait a bit longer less faff too. 

You make a very good point there, but I think I’ve generally only got a little bit of everything so I shouldn’t be inundated with one thing, but you’re making me think now!

I did get strawberries and potatoes which are ready at different times at least. It is also impossible to grow enough carrots for our consumption anyway. Salad is being sown in bits as I’ve only done one small bowl at the moment and have lots left.

I don’t really have an overall plan, just a vague one that develops on a daily basis. I am sowing veg outside as much as possible, but perfectly happy to sow flowers and herbs inside to give them a head start. Also means I can use them to plug gaps.

More gardening today (even if it rains!) as I want to keep working on getting the veg trugs ready for planting/sowing and I want to sow most of the rest of the flowers and lots of herbs on my window sills (might run out of space!). You can never have too many herbs in my house!

Will wait to plant up some veg, but am hoping DS will want to do some of it with me in his Easter holidays.

MagicCat

The garden sounds lovely!

Going back to work after mat leave is really hard - I'm back end of May, trying not to think about it or I panic! I think it's ok once you get back, it's just the thought of it and panicing about managing (for me anyway!) - enjoy your week and good luck for starting back.

QueenJess

Busy day today trying to fit everything in before I go back to work. Popped to A*da first thing to grab weetabix (before a mutiny occurred) and fish for dinner. Got a few extra stock up bits and it came to £35! Honestly, I bought almost nothing.. Also dropped off batteries for recycling.

The went out to A*gos to get a couple of bags to store the spare duvet/pillows etc which are no longer on the spare bed as we got rid of it! It was the only place I could find something in the right size for the shelf in the cupboard of doom. We will have to buy a folding bed at some point for guests, but need to save up for that as I am spending on the garden instead (I think it improves my mental health more than a bed for once a year guests!). Means I should be able to finish the cupboard of doom spring clean at some point.

Then made a carrot cake and iced it for pudding and reheated the vegetable peel soup for lunch. Also planted out another couple of plants and rearranged some pots outside. Also did a big tidy in the kitchen.

Now on the school/nursery run (and dropping off plastic recycling at the same time) and will hopefully be able to put in a bit more to my pension (extra this month as I ignored the fact I was on full pay for a bit more as I am technically on holiday now) and will wrap presents for the parties that DS has coming up and do a tidy of clean clothes after dinner.

Dinner is fish and chips and pudding will be carrot cake. Need to run as DS will be out any minute!