A new royal start

edinburgher

Your meals always sound delicious and were it not for all the cake baking, odd statements such as having a kiwi for a treat would make me think you were an joking

Another one here who ends up using Fridays for housework (or overtime), although that will need to stop in a couple of weeks when DD2 goes to nursery.

QueenJess

edinburgher said:

Your meals always sound delicious and were it not for all the cake baking, odd statements such as having a kiwi for a treat would make me think you were an joking

Another one here who ends up using Fridays for housework (or overtime), although that will need to stop in a couple of weeks when DD2 goes to nursery.

Ha ha.. well there are things are rarely eat because I only get a UK based veg box and the fruit one is seasonal with some things shipped, but never flown over here. Plus silly picky kids and DH mean there are things I rarely have. I would normally never buy kiwis as it’s only me that eats them! I’m definitely looking forward to the summer fruit season as I think I’ve had my fill of apples this year! If it makes you feel better I have a secret major weakness of chocolate, although it is one for 85% dark chocolate so less sugary. But still… I definitely eat too much of it and need a daily fix 😁

Been sticking to the way I like to eat all week and feel better for it. Won’t call it a diet because I don’t do diets and this is genuinely the way I like to eat. Could do with toning up a bit, but I’m hardly big (I am for me, but overall I’m still petite), but that’s what gymnastics will sort out in no time. Pre pregnancy you could even see my abs! Absolutely loving being back and feel so much better for going in every way. Arms still aching today and already plotting the silly things I can try doing next week 😂

edinburgher

I strongly suspect that exercise is the cheat code to a long and happy life, I only wish it hadn't taken me 40 years to find a variety that I enjoy, starting back at my class after Easter I have come to terms with the fact that my abs will probably never be seen but if you need a 140kg lump o' metal moved I'll be there with bells on. I have the least "Instagrammable" reason for wanting to be strong ever - very tall daughters!

Mrs E and DD1 have a very sweet tooth for chocolate, I try and pick a bar of the Tony Chocolonely stuff when it's on offer for them because they're huge, tasty and have very good ethical chops. Chocolate (like coffee) is one of those luxury products where I would feel very guilty unless I bought the ethically produced versions. Would rather have less overall than skimp on this.

QueenJess

Yes. Finding the sport that you enjoy is definitely the key. I always think there’s something out there for everyone. Gymnastics/circus stuff has pretty much always been mine. I tried the local gym and running, but it is just not me.  I never tried to have abs showing.. I really don’t believe in dieting (for me) or trying to have my body be whatever the fashion is. I just try to eat a balanced diet and do the sport I love. I just got really into gym/circus stuff and so was very strong at one point and it’s all ab based really.

I’ll bear you in mind in case I need to lift anything heavy 🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♀️. Mainly I’m just hauling my own body around and I only have teeny tiny kids to lift. A press handstand is the holy grail for me and I was almost there previously, but starting from scratch again. Must get better so DS doesn’t completely leave me behind 😂

I agree with the chocolate and I have a ridiculous amount of environmental guilt I carry around with me. My secret weakness is Divine 85% chocolate (another ethical one)…. I suggest it as a gift idea from the kids for Xmas, birthday, Mother’s Day…. 😀 Tony’s chocolate is ok, but just not dark and bitter enough for me. I don’t have an overly sweet tooth and prefer sharp/bitter tastes. My 6 year old tries to steal my chocolate though and has loved it from 3 years old… weirdo 🤣

QueenJess

Oh gosh, just got a message that DS’s after school club price is increasing by 8%. I am dreading the nursery increase for next academic year. It never ends does it?!

Ive been thinking about it for the last few days and I think from April I will need to try to save every penny to go towards getting the mortgage down given the current rates. Pension and dreams of any early retirement are going to have to take a back seat. Too hard when you have nursery fees of over £1,600 a month 😭

themadvix

Ouch! But remember this is just the (very expensive) season of life you are in at the moment. Will the changes to childcare costs help? Suspect DD would have qualified by then anyway, given the staged introduction. Which is harsh!

You will get there!

QueenJess

themadvix said:

Ouch! But remember this is just the (very expensive) season of life you are in at the moment. Will the changes to childcare costs help? Suspect DD would have qualified by then anyway, given the staged introduction. Which is harsh!

You will get there!

No, they don't even start coming in until DD is already 3, so is too late for us.  Just seems so difficult with everything getting more and more expensive whilst we are looking to cut back hours and get less income in (DH has had his drop to 4 days approved, starting 1 April).  Plus the mortgage fix ends Feb next year, so the more I can throw at it before then the better.

Just hating work at the moment.  I know I have a very low boredom threshold if I am not learning anything, but it feels so depressing at the moment and everyday is a big struggle.  I'm currently dusting off the CV and updating it as I have only another month to go before I can in theory be free and leave.  I have also booked a UK cottage for the summer hols, so need to get the joint finances in shape before then as currently there isn't the funds in there to pay for it

I still think I am actually underpaid, so getting my CV out there should at least confirm that and after April at least I in theory have options rather than being trapped.  No definite plans really... just going to see what's out there.

QueenJess

Very tired and irritated today. Late one at gymnastics on Thursday night and had to get up early for a Mother’s Day play time at nursery with DD. Of course she was devastated when I left 😢

Then back to do some sole destroying work that is taking forever and is just so dull. I could have done it about 10 years ago and doesn’t hold any interest for me. Ended up working past midnight and now tired and annoyed.  It isn’t even nearly done for the deadline on Monday and I just don’t think I care as it’s so far away. They’ll just have to wait for it.  Today DH’s parents are coming for the day (and dinner) and I am just too tired for entertaining them. DH is making fish and chips for everyone later and went out to Waitrose to get it plus who knows what else, blowing the budget completely. Also no time to make dessert (I have an apple and blackberry Eve’s pudding in mind). I would usually catch up during DD’s nap, but we will have visitors. Might have to slum it with some ice cream or yogurt and fruit and make some tomorrow instead.

For lunch I’m going to do crumpets (I’m sure there’s some in the freezer if I dig down far enough) with kale, mushrooms, poached eggs and beans to get my usual vegetable fix. I’ve also asked DH to do me half a fish portion tonight, but make me 3 portions of veg. Might annoy him and ask for sweet potato chips as well! I do love eating like this as I really do like my veg and it feels like what my body needs now I’m back doing some sport.

Talking of sport, my arms are killing me. I worked really hard on Thursday. I know I only have this time once a week and so I have actually made myself a plan of what to work on and I am doing light conditioning and flexibility stuff about 5 days a weeks outside of this to target what I need to improve on for the next skills. Lifting DD is doable at the moment, but after 5 mins I need to put her down. I spent so long on the bars I got to the stage I didn’t have the strength to push up my own body weight anymore 😂. Must find some time to stretch later with DS as his flexibility is shocking and we have a challenge to see who can show the most improvement. We take photos once a week as it is motivating when you know it is actually working!

I think tonight I will break out the CV and get it fully updated. Then I can re-review it Monday and get it uploaded to a recruiter. If nothing else, it will make me feel better.

In theory I shouldn’t need much of anything for the monthly shop for April as with eating so much fresh produce, there is barely a dent in the freezer. I put some extra cash in my pension for the end of the financial year and sailed pretty close to the wind with it. I’m now quite poor until the end of April. I need to look back into savings accounts and rates in the next month or so as I will be looking to profit from my mortgage overpayment savings whilst my mortgage is still 1.14%! Will be looking to make the overpayment at the end of the year/Jan next year before we re-fix. Every penny will count! Hoping DH still has the full overpayment ready so we can max it a
out twice next year (end of this years overpayment year and the start of the next one).

edinburgher

I can appreciate you feeling tired and grouchy. This is our first month with regular childcare costs after a gap of nearly 7 years, I do not care for it and our costs are significantly less than yours. What does afterschool cost in your neck of the woods? We are a tenner a day.

Sorry work is getting you down, it feels that all our our moans have synced up at the moment Dusting off the CV sounds like a great plan. One of the things that I find so annoying about working in the public sector is that it's very hard to find a job that can be applied for with less than 7 pages of application form. I suspect that says more about bureaucracy and the inability of public sector managers to recruit than anything else...

I don't even want to think about remortgaging We are likely going to go from 2.09% to 4%+ 

QueenJess

Yep, I’m probably in the same place. I’ll be 1.14% mortgage to who knows what next year.  After school club is going up to £12.95 a day. Just another cost that is increasing with everything else, but I’ve been underpaid for years and don’t ever get decent increases/bonuses and there is zero chance of progression. Definitely time to look elsewhere.