A new royal start

QueenJess

DD has now slept through the whole night (12 hours) for the last 7 days… 🤫 *whispers* don’t tell anyone in case it doesn’t stick.

I should be feeling better, but my sleeping pattern is well and truly messed up at the moment. I was awake most of last night for no reason at all. But at least it is possible to sleep, so all promising. Am looking forward to getting back to some sort of normality! Only taken 21 months 😬

Mrs_Money_Penny

So pleased that your daughter has slept through. I really don’t know how you have  been managing. I know myself that without much sleep I’m grumpy and short tempered. I hope that you can finally start getting some rest. Love hearing about your cooking. Have a lovely Christmas xx

MagicCat

That's amazing about the sleep, it gives me hope!! Can I ask if you did anything particularly - I'm currently torn about night weaning, it didn't help with my older children and i got even less sleep but everyone says to do it so I'm not sure 

I always think it takes a while to get over sleep debt, even if you are able to sleep for longer stretches, but hope you feel better soon.

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas 

QueenJess

MagicCat said:

That's amazing about the sleep, it gives me hope!! Can I ask if you did anything particularly - I'm currently torn about night weaning, it didn't help with my older children and i got even less sleep but everyone says to do it so I'm not sure 

I always think it takes a while to get over sleep debt, even if you are able to sleep for longer stretches, but hope you feel better soon.

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas 

No, I just waited it out. When I fed DD in the night I could hear her tummy rumbling, so she just seemed to need the food. I do still try to stuff her with food almost up to the minute she goes to sleep and when she gets up on the morning she is ravenous.

She’s now on two feeds a day; one first thing and one last thing. DS was on that pattern at about 12 months! It’s difficult as every baby is different. I knew mine genuinely needed the food and never weaned overnight. DS ate in the night until 4.5 years (we had to leave him a snack out!), despite attempting to stuff him with food before bed.

I hope you have a good Xmas too.

QueenJess

Mrs_Money_Penny said:

So pleased that your daughter has slept through. I really don’t know how you have  been managing. I know myself that without much sleep I’m grumpy and short tempered. I hope that you can finally start getting some rest. Love hearing about your cooking. Have a lovely Christmas xx

Lol... I don't function on little sleep either, so I've probably been very fun to live with for the last two years!

Knackered myself out today already!  Been tidying the house, changed all the beds, put a load of empty boxes up in the attic (they always come in handy), on the second load (of three) washes for today.  I also made the largest amount of red cabbage ever (now in separate portions in my freezer) as I got some in my veg box this week and would hate for it to go to waste.  Am now just putting some fairy cakes in the oven which DS wants to ice and decorate later.  More tidying to do in a minute before DD needs to be picked up.

Tonight will be relaxing with some board games with DS after DD is in bed.  Lunch was fish finger sandwiches.  Dinner is lamb tagine from M&S as a treat (been in the freezer for ages) with some of the red cabbage, cauliflower from the bottom of the fridge and rice.  Possibly wine as well...  Pudding is more fig and apple crumble with custard (banana and custard for DS or some leftover shortbread).  Must stop eating all the candied peel, but it's so good!  I think I've perfected the recipe now.

Hope everyone has a lovely xmas.  I will try and relax but I suspect I won't have the chance given that the in laws are descending and I have two little monsters running around.

QueenJess

Well Xmas day was survived and was fine. The kids got a bit excited and then were all emotional on Boxing Day. Back to being “on holiday” and so we venture out everyday (otherwise the kids go stir crazy inside). Today was National Trust inside and out, then lunch. Spent a bit as ended up buying 2 second hand books for the kids (only £2), a hot lunch, then also a very small cuddly toy each for the kids. To be fair, it is very unusual we buy the kids anything out (aside from second hand books when I see them).

Also picked up some free kids toys/books this evening and did some ys hunting at the same time as I was driving past. Got smoked mackerel, chips, two loaves of posh bread and a massive chocolate cake for £5.

Dinner was cottage pie from the freezer, followed by ice cream for the kids. We are tucking into the massive cake!

Jessy103

Merry Christmas and a happy New year to you and the family Jess x

QueenJess

Not much happening over here in the royal household. I have felt awful for the last two days and felt very odd last night with very cold hands despite the rest of me being warm. It feels like it’s just exhaustion, which is a bit frustrating given DD continues to sleep through the night. I’m not quite sleeping properly yet though and I guess it’s going to take time to catch up on all the missed sleep. I’m going to try and instigate a bedtime each night as the routine should help.

What won’t help is that DH is off for a night out with friends and won’t be back until tomorrow as it’s miles and miles away. Somehow need to survive until then. Currently am lying down as DD is asleep so I can rest until she’s back awake. DS is happily playing with his new toy he bought with his own pocket money from a charity shop earlier. Today we trawled round a few charity shops, but was uninspired. I did go into my new local ish zero waste shop to see what was there and how it works though (only taken me 6 months to visit!). Now I know, I can pop in there next time I need something with my jars/boxes. After decluttering my postal bags etc earlier this year, they seem to have crept back in again and I’ve decided I order too much by post. So 2023 I’m going to try hard to be more organised and pick things up locally or wherever we are in advance so I really reduce online orders and hopefully my carbon footprint. It would be great to stock up and support the local economy as well in the zero waste shop/charity shops. Less to recycle would be good.

Our local buy nothing group shows people are having a good clear out after Xmas.
I’ve already picked up a toy for each of the kids and a whole bag of books. I can never resist a good book! I’m keeping a close eye on it and planning ahead so I can get stuff I need for 2023. I already picked up Xmas cards for next year! Next time I have a toy clear out that’s where my stuff goes, so it’s local and circular.

Tonights dinner is easy fish and chips as I’m on my own. After DD is awake I said we could have a party - so music, leftover balloons, the disco light, some old battery powered glow sticks we were gifted and lots of dancing and messing around. Free and hopefully wears the kids out before bedtime!

The rough plan for Jan is to use up the freezer as I seem to have refilled it with a number of ys items. I’m going to do an Aldi order for next week and get the basic stuff I think I need for the whole month. Some things I have to get elsewhere, but I’m not low on any of that stuff yet. Will continue to ys shop whenever I drive right past the local Co-op and pop into M&S on an ad hoc basis (I have loads of vouchers I need to redeem). Everything else is too far away. Am really hoping I can cut my food bill in Jan. Will have to keep a closer eye on the budget and see how tight things will be post income reduction. At least we have a few months before that happens. 

My current joint account budget is calculated for the year and divided by 12 to work out how much to put in the joint account. However, I then track it by using whatever I need that month, then stashing the rest in a few pots like house/garden stuff, holidays and then yearly payments (insurance, TV licence etc). I changed it as I otherwise kept borrowing amounts from other pots all the time. This way I want to spend less so I can stash money into the important pots like “holidays” or save up for any needed furniture items etc. I am slightly light on the budget, but it can be pulled back by making savings on energy, food and kids stuff. Just need to get myself into a more frugal mindset.

themadvix

So glad to hear that DD is at last sleeping through the night for you! I'm sure it'll take a while for your body to get used to the idea too, but gradual recovery is better than no recovery!

Hope they behave for you tonight!

QueenJess

themadvix said:

So glad to hear that DD is at last sleeping through the night for you! I'm sure it'll take a while for your body to get used to the idea too, but gradual recovery is better than no recovery!

Hope they behave for you tonight!

No such luck. DD decided to start teething late yesterday afternoon and has been on edge and silly since. At least she seems to be sleeping fine for now…

Lazy day today as I slept really badly (for absolutely no reason). Just messing around at home with the kids, plus did a load of washing and changed all the beds.

Lunch today was everyone’s favourite (leek, pea and cheese orzotto). I’ve never seen DS eat so fast! Pudding was yogurt - I got them some individual yogurts as a treat and they are so excited 😆. Usually we have a massive pot of Greek yogurt in the fridge we dish out into bowls. I had clementines instead.

Dinner is veggie sausages, mash and some veg dregs from the fridge (greens, kale, carrots and some frozen broccoli to make enough). Pudding is fairy cakes or ice cream for the kids and we have more of the ys chocolate cake. We splashed out and so tomorrow have an expensive lamb thing from Waitrose and the kids will have some of my fish pie from the freezer. Also made a huge load of banana drop scones as we have too many bananas (very rare!). We’ll have them for breakfast tomorrow and then I’ll freeze a load. They’re yummy with cinnamon sugar and more bananas.

I have started creating my Aldi order for next week to get all the basics for Jan. I have an extremely rough max budget monthly of £100 on milk (we use a lot!), £100 on Riverford deliveries (veg, fruit and eggs), £100 on basics and £100 for everything else (ys shopping and a few branded things I get elsewhere). I would absolutely love to get to £350 rather than £400 a month, but I think it is asking a bit much right now! My Aldi order is up to £90 and I am struggling to see where to cut it further. Will rifle through the cupboards later and discuss with DH. I really want to try and get the actual right amount. £100 is a maximum, not a target! My freezer seems to be quite full, but I’m not sure why. I think the three loaves of bread, 8 portions of fish pie and 4 portions of cottage pie are at least 50% of it. The red cabbage everywhere isn’t helping either! A lot of this will be eaten in the next week though as I still have lots of hungry mouths to feed until Tues for DD and Thurs for DS.

Tonight I am popping out on a ys run as I am picking up a few free bits again from the local buy nothing. I try to do as many together as possible to make it worthwhile. Just planning ahead and doing what I can to try and cut a few costs. Picked up some great things recently including DD’s two favourite toys. She’s so young it feels a waste to spend lots of money on a toy as you never know what they’ll actually like. This way they are free and if she doesn’t like them, I can list them back again. No risk!

Lazy evening planned tonight. Just TV (we are always behind on recordings) and I will multi task with a puzzle I got free from work secret Santa (actually it was 7 and I am on the 4th!), then will put them onto buy nothing once done. Might look at the big sewing pile if I feel up to it (99% DS’s stuff… boys 🙄).