A new royal start

QueenJess

This is what I squashed into my lunch hour:

- Made a huge mackerel salad for lunch (tinned mackerel, mixed leaves, tomatoes, beetroot, cucumber and red onion)

- Put the slow cooker on for dinner (chicken thighs with kale stems, potatoes, parsnips, 1 lonely carrot, a leek, mustard, stock and some beans to go in later)

- Sowed 72 seeds for my wildflowers

- Filled a bucket of leaves from the garden that have gone into the compost

QueenJess

Got a ridiculous amount of work to do this week... it's just not going to get done and I'm trying to accept that.  I'm distracting myself with garden plotting.  DH hates all my crazy schemes!

So after my success with convincing DH we need a wildflower patch, I am now onto plot no. 2 where I am trying to convince him that the other stupidly small patch of grass at the front is also pointless.  Part of it is either baked to death in full sun, in full shade and weirdly a part of it is next door despite being 30cm away from the side of our house (and they don't want any maintenance at all).  It is a silly small patch and so I am looking into doing ground cover low plants instead which once established should hopefully be zero maintenance.  If I'm successful (doubtful since DH likes having grass), I will try and do it as cheaply as possible of course.  It's a bit big so either I need someone to dig it up, or alternatively I could do it very slowly over time myself.  Probably a mix of seeds and plants as I can afford it.  I considering creeping thyme on some of it as I planted some last year and it is very large - I could split that for free!  I'm thinking a mix of plants suited to the area like vinca minor in the shaded bit by the side of the house and some native UK ones including clover and birds foot trefoil.  Next door will likely be happy with anything I do with it!  Anyone any experience with this sort of thing?  I guess the fun with gardening is the experimenting!

I daren't mention to DH that I really like the moss that has grown into the lawn at the back.  It's green, fills the holes, looks pretty and is really soft to walk on.  Another bridge to cross for another day   I really think DH thinks I'm a bit loopy - he wants a monoculture perfect lawn with someone else to come round to maintain that with horrible chemicals etc (he's even found a local person to do it).  Sometimes I feel totally alone with this stuff... DH doesn't really get it and neither do my family.  I'm obviously not going to force anyone to change their views to mine, but some understanding of different views and discussion wouldn't go amiss!  It's an uphill struggle..

Interestingly, my mother in law knows I'm a bit loopy about environment stuff and she always buys wooden/cardboard lovely gifts for the kids with no plastic.  Whereas my parents use Amazon to post plastic tat to me for the kids.  Not sure how that works.  Maybe I should talk to my mum more as I used to be quite good at influencing her - I remember her leaving at dinner time and she liked what I was cooking as it was fast (probably a stir fry) and then started making them at home!  (She hates cooking btw so doesn't like to spend any time thinking about it).

Anyway, enough rambling for now.. must get back to this horrible workload.

QueenJess

Wow, what a long week and now it’s the school holidays.  I’m working 3 days a week next week and the week after, so hoping to get some quality time with the kids.

Three days this week I’ve ended up working past midnight 🙈. It’s the fun of project work when you can have nothing to do and then suddenly too much. It’s hard to take given I really want to send my work life balance the other way at the moment and the majority of the work I am given is just stuff… it doesn’t need my skills to do it, I don’t enjoy it and it isn’t particularly challenging. At least I got to run some training this week which I like, although find a bit stressful, and people seemed to actually enjoy it given it is probably not the most exciting topic! 

Got to bed after midnight last night, then was awake for a while as I can’t switch off right from working to sleep. Then was kept awake by DS coughing. When he finally stopped, DD started 🤦‍♀️. I am now so tired today. Hoping for a sit down whilst DD goes for her afternoon nap.

Need to do an Aldi order for next week as apparently the serial eaters have been at the cereal and we are going to run out. I’ve decided I will aim to spend £80-£100 and then see how long I can make it last. After switching to eating way more veg, we’ve been eating a lot less bread. I bought 3 loaves for the freezer last month and we have half of them left!

Yesterday I managed to get all the beds changed and two loads of washing done (plus nappies), plus made lunch and a pear and redcurrant crumble for dessert. DH offered to help as I was stressed, but then failed to actually help. I did get him to hang the washing out and make dinner though.

Today I should probably be catching up on stuff, but I just want to lie around. I’ll do the Aldi order and everything else can wait. At gym waiting for DS and instead of sorting stuff out on my phone, I plan to just sit here and read my book. I picked an easy Agatha Christie read as my brain isn’t going to cope with anything too complicated. Later I’ll pop out to the garden centre with the kids as I need another tray for seeds and they can feed the fish.

Lunch today will be poached eggs, kale, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and crumpets. Dinner is spag Bol from the freezer and dessert is crumble and vegan cream. The kids have 8 large yogurts this weekend to eat (last weekend they polished off 12 mini yogurts in 2 days!).

Finances look terrible and if you add the joint current account and credit card, it is negative 😬. Need to take a closer look and have a frugal April to try and bring it back. Sadly water and council tax will be up, somewhat offset by decreasing electricity bills as it gets warmer. But the last two months I didn’t have a council tax bill, so not sure where all the money went as nothing exciting was purchased. I suspect it was just bills and a few things we had to get fixed in the house. I also need two new tyres for my car, so that’s something else. It never ends. Maybe I need to see if my budget is still realistic…

QueenJess

Working hard this week to get through my to do list at work as I have Thursday off.  I obviously miscalculated as I've already finished

More spending this week and more planned over the long weekend with some exciting days out with the kids.  This week I spent £160 in Aldi 😱, another £40 on a very large case of my favourite 85% chocolate and another £40 on kids snacks.  In my defence I think the Aldi order will last 2 months, the chocolate is months and months and months worth and I am hoping the kids snacks are more than 1 months worth.  Just all needed buying at the same time sadly and I prefer to stock up and then avoid the shops completely, using up what I've got.  I think I spend less this way (and also spend less time shopping, which I dislike).  Somehow I need to bring the joint account deficit back down this month or we will be putting extra cash in at the end of the month.  We may have to anyway with a holiday booked in August to pay for .  Will see how it goes.

The plan of action for the next financial year (i.e. tomorrow!) is to save as much as physically possible for the 10% overpayment allowed on the mortgage.  We will only pay it towards the end of the year (Jan) since my interest rate is 1.14%, so I am definitely better off leaving it in savings.  On the plus side, DH should hopefully still have a whole year's worth stashed away and so I am hoping to save up the other year between us so we can immediately overpay for the start of the next year.  Actually, I have a feeling that we can overpay 3x (i.e. 30%) because when the fix ends the year ends and a new one starts, but then the new fix kicks in a month later and it resets the year and you can overpay again.  It's bizarre.  30% would be quite a challenge!  If I have anything left over in savings (or maybe from rounding), I will dump it in my emergency fund that also covers the cost of a new (to me) car since mine is now 10 years old.  🤞 it lasts for many years yet, but it's good to have the money ready.  I scrape money out of my account into my savings at the end of each month.  Nothing from March as I already scraped everything out into my pension that I could, although I have an ongoing £300 a month going to a regular saver, so that will be £3,600 towards the mortgage when it finishes next year. 

The current mortgage is £145k and the slightly insane part of me believes that between us (and considering we have 10% already in hand saved), I could tip below £100k in May 2024 (13 months).  I would be very excited to get into 5 figures!

I accept that my current costs are very high due to nursery bills, but they will go down next year and go away after 2 years.  So I will batter the mortgage with nothing to spare, but as the mortgage decreases the amount I need to save goes down and my costs should theoretically decrease and then I can start ploughing money back into my pension and ISA for retirement.  I still do the max contribution with a match for my pension, so anything extra would mean earlier retirement.  Anyway, that's the long term plan!

I am currently trying a to do "list" where I just set myself 3 tasks a day to do with a possible max of an additional 2 if I have lots of time.  Today I:

• Did 3 loads of washing and hung it out to dry
• Sowed the remaining trays of wild flowers (some of the first ones I did are growing now) and threw a few more buckets of leaves in the compost from the garden
• Put away all the kids clean clothes
  

In theory I can feel achievement with completion of these and things get slowly done.  A bit of money saving yesterday as a neighbour came out whilst the kids were on their bikes and asked if we wanted one they had that's too small.  As DS's one is now set at the largest for him, he will grow out of it soon and so we now have the next size up for free!

Nothing happening on the job front at the moment as I have so much going on as usual.  I will be asking for a 4 day week at the end of this month and I got hunted by an ex-colleague who wanted to recruit me.  Sadly he works too far away for me and the commute would be unworkable with kids to pick up/drop off, so I had to decline.

QueenJess

Well I already caved and added some extra to the joint account.  It's not the full deficit, so we still need to claw some back this month.  Looking forward to my savings challenge for the mortgage and need to start taking money out of survey sites and be better at doing them!  I'm 45p away on YouGov and inevitably have stopped getting surveys

DH has taken out DS for a very long day and so I barely know what to do with myself food wise.  I can have anything I want without considering anyone else and I just feel lost So went to the fridge and went for poached eggs, toast, purple sprouting broccoli, mushrooms, kale and wild garlic for lunch.  Dinner is in the slow cooker and will be a mixed bean chilli with red peppers, carrots, wild garlic and onion and I can add some rice later.  Somehow I'll have to squeeze the extra portions in the freezer .  I very unimaginatively made another pear and redcurrant crumble as we had too many of both to use and I didn't have the time to look something else up to make with them.  I can have it with vegan cream later.  That'll be at least 11 of my 5 a day today taking into account breakfast (porridge with banana and blueberries and an orange juice).

I have a long weekend coming up with being off from tomorrow and then next week I am taking Friday off, so it'll be a 3 day week.  Better get back to some work as I seem to be in the mood for a clear up and have been ticking all those lingering work tasks off my list.  My three home tasks for today:

• 3 loads of washing (yep - I was behind and am trying to get ahead as we have plans over the weekend - 1 was nappies, then 1 towels and probably another dark).  2 down, last one to get on this afternoon.
• Will ring about DD's 2 year checkup as it's at a silly time, so need to get it rearranged.
• Will also chase a slight refund on DS's holiday club as he is only in for part the day one day next week.

I'm liking the 3 tasks a day as I usually try to do too much every day.  I will see if I'm still getting through it all with 3 and if not I'll add 1 extra for during the week.  Might be a challenge over the next 5 days as we are out everyday doing stuff, but I think I'll pick easy and quick tasks to do like putting away clothes or tidying up.

Tomorrow will be jam packed.  We are off to London with DS to the Science Museum, lunch at Pizza Express (reduced price courtesy of their club, which incidentally I only joined so I can pay on the app whilst the kids eat dessert as there is no telling a 2 year old they have to hang around once they've eaten to wait for someone to bring your bill and then later bring the card machine...!) and a walk around the sites (Houses of Parliament etc).  We have to be back to pick up DD and then DH will put her to bed whilst I get ready and leg it to gym (it's on earlier this week).  I'm going to be knackered!

I've been trying to get DS to be more indepdnent as he can be a bit lazy and DH lets him get away with it (he's a soft touch).  I have visions of him leaving home without any basic skills at all.  So on Tuesday morning I supervised DS making his own lunch and snacks for holiday club and last night I supervised DS making fish, chips and peas for dinner.  I did everything involving something hot for now, but he put everything on the trays and we talked about the different times everything needed to cook.  I've also got DH to stop cleaning his teeth for him and just supervise.. I mean he is 6!

QueenJess

Went out today to an Easter egg hunt with friends, their child and our kids.  We went for lunch just before and the food was really nice, but pretty expensive.  The kids had a great time, although DD point blank refused to nap.  No idea how she made it through the rest of the day!

I'm exhausted after London yesterday (then gym) and need to get up early tomorrow to take DS to gymnastics.  Thankfully not much happening tomorrow and we'll be messing around at home (before another couple of days out). 

Fridge, freezer and cupboards are absolutely rammed with food and we need to work our way through it (fridge first of course as it is the first to go off).  I think I have a bit too much veg, so will be working through as much as I can.  Probably need some soups and stews to use it all up.  Today's dinner was tomato pasta made with carrots, kale, tin of tomatoes, wild garlic and onions and garlic bread.  The kids had yogurt for pudding and we had pear and redcurrant crumble with vegan cream.

I'm still sticking to my 3 things a day tasks and I generally do feel a bit better and can relax more once I've ticked them off.  It certainly makes you prioritise when you can only do three things!  Today I:

• Emptied the veg drawer in the fridge, cleaned it all out, then repacked the veg (including my veg box delivery from yesterday)

• Changed all the beds, then put all the bedclothes in the wash and hung them out

• Sorted, put away, recycled etc the large pile of post that has been collecting in the hall for a few weeks 😳

Only money saving (rather than spending) activity for today is a complaint I made about my milk order as I will have overpaid.  I'm sure they will refund me as they are usually quick to do so.

QueenJess

Wahoo!  Finally cashed out on YouGov for the second time ever   That'll be going straight to the mortgage overpayment fund.

I think I've also pretty much convinced myself I can't do everything in the garden and so if it takes years, so be it.  As long as progress is being made, that's fine.  I did sow two more trays (48 individual pots) of flowers to go in my patio pots.  Apart from herbs and stuff that needs to sowed directly outside, I think that's everything from seed.  I've also almost dug up half of the wildflower area out the front, but am running out of places to stack turf, so I am going to have to work out the best way to get it into my car and to the tip before I finish the next half.  The wildflowers are starting to grow, so fingers crossed I get enough of them.. I did do a few extra in case, but I guess the worst case scenario is that I have to fill in gaps next year or later on.

My three tasks for today were:

• Sowing seeds and digging the wildflower patch whilst DD was napping
• 2 loads of washing (I decided to do the blankets over the beds as we don't need those now it's warmer)
• Put away all the dry clothes/bedding etc, which was no mean feat given the ridiculous amount of washing done this week!

Breakfast was banana drop scones from the freezer (with bananas and cinnamon sugar for me).  Lunch was leek, pea and cheese orzotto (clean plates all round) with yogurts for afters for the kids.  Dinner was spag bol courtesy of DH (I taught him how to make it years ago, although he conveniently forgets that) and then the kids had yogurt again (their choice!) and a biscuit.  DH and I will have more of the pear and redcurrant crumble and cream when I can fit it in later.

Better run... I have an appointment with DH, DS and a board game!

QueenJess

Had one of those days today where DD was incredibly hard work.  You can't reason with an irrational 2 year old that's over tired, but doesn't want to sleep.  It's interesting that she's now moved from 2-2.5 hours of sleep to just over 1 hour during the day with absolutely no inbetween.  You would have thought she would have gradually decreased, but then she has always torn up all the rules, jumped up and down on them and then burnt them for good measure

I am totally knackered.  I think the kids enjoyed themselves on the steam train in the main, but I found most of it just stressful!  I barely managed to fit in my 3 things to do after the day out (I should have found some easier and quicker things to target!):

• Replied to DD and DS birthday invitations from friends
• Cleared out the cupboard under the stairs and decluttered a whole bunch of coats, hats, shoes etc.
• Ordered myself some second hand bits and pieces for the summer (another pair of shorts as I only have one and another pair of trousers to lounge round the house in).  I also got a new pair of sandals for me... I tried second hand, but have given up after looking for 2 years and it's silly that I have none at all and I got a summer hat second hand for DD as she has a big head and has outgrown her other one!

I think I just need to lie down in a minute!  Lunch was out today at Pizza Express (although I had a salad).  Dinner was fish, chips and mixed veg (I had sweet potato chips to up the veg content).  Pudding was yogurt and a biscuit for the kids and DH and I will have more of the pear and redcurrant crumble and vegan cream.

Tomorrow is another day out at a museum.  Wish me luck as I might need it

Jessy103

Good luck Jess! You've certainly got your hands full. Be sure to make a few minutes for yourself too 🙂

QueenJess

Having a completely horrific week.  Due to the fact I ask questions/try to do things properly, I've uncovered a problem which of course no one will fix bar me.  It's a very time consuming project and I've been working all hours (past midnight yesterday) for the past two days to try and get through more of it, but I've had enough.  I want to work less not more and am fed up.  I have too much other work too and am similarly uninspired by any of that.

Today was the worst ever.  Didn't take a lunch break and then got a call from DH asking about DS's club I booked him in to as there was no one there.  The ticket/email never says the time, so I wrote it down at the time.  I logged onto the site and I had written down the one next to it rather than under it and it was the morning not the afternoon and he'd missed it.  Yes, a waste of money, but he loves this club so much and goes once every holidays.  I was completely mortified and am still really upset I managed to mess it up.  DS was in tears as well, but I dug out some Lego I had to give him as a gift and he opened an Easter egg and perked up quite quickly.  I still feel terrible about it.  It was a genuine mistake, but I feel like I would have checked yesterday/this morning if I wasn't drowning in work stuff.  Tried to fix some work stuff earlier by asking for help... one person did nothing and I couldn't even get the other person to respond to me.  Will have to try again tomorrow.  T-16 days before I ask for part time...