Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

MichelleG123

Aw thank you so much for taking the time to write that all down! It's always good to just hear someone has been through similar but you have some great advice and it's lovely you have took the time to share. X
I am making a point now of building him up, he's fussy with foods but not like most kids, he really only eats fruit and veg, carbs are pasta and rice and meat is chicken, steak and also halloumi cheese so he basically has them on rotation but I am encouraging him eat more because he is too quick to say he's finished. He's too thin so I need to chunk him up a bit!

Sorry to hijack the thread with poorly child talk! Does anyone have any plans for the weekend? I am also looking forward to next weekend as I am going to Leeds with my sister, we say its Xmas shopping but we never really buy many pressies, just love a wander round, dinner out and gossip! Xx

helensbiggestfan

No problem Michelle.  Just hope I didn't overstep the mark and come over like a bossy interfering old woman. As I say, medical science has come on leaps and bounds since my son was little.  I also think there's so much more information available for lay people.  People are thankfully much more aware of asthma.  I had terrible battles with school teachers who just didn't understand, some refused point blank to allow him to use his inhaler. I told my GP and he sent the school a report.

My MIL would frequently sabotage my efforts, deliberately feeding him highly coloured and processed junk food (those orange wotsits were lethal).  She would openly ridicule me and undermine me, until my husband told her firmly to mind her own business.  When she argued with him.....he just calmly said "OK mum when he next gets an attack at 3 in the morning, I'll give you a call and you can look after him".  Bless him, he always had my back.  

I also forgot to mention that sometimes dairy products don't help people with asthma because it can lead to overproduction of mucus. We were advised to reduce how much milk he drank. The health visitor berated me for this "saying all children need lots of milk or they won't grow and thrive". I said yes I understood but that he won't grow if he can't breathe. She threatened to report me to social services so I told my GP and he told her to back off.  You couldn't make it up.😂🤣. Nowadays there are plenty of dairy free alternatives, the only alternative back then was goats milk but it wasn't easy to get hold of. 

My plans for the weekend include a meeting with my builder, a trip to Dunhelm and just generally pottering about.  Might pop over and see a friend who isn't too well.  

Wednesday...that's a good point about flats and pets.  I'd forgotten that.  

Well the sun is shining and it looks like a nice day.  My intention is to cut the grass. Not exactly a champagne moment but needs must and I will feel a nice smug glow when it's done.  

Siebrie

My daughter had eczema as a baby/toddler, and everytime we went to a doctor, they either said she'd grow out of it, we just had to learn to live with it, or prescribed cortisone cream. I asked if it could be related to diet, but they laughed and said it was fairytales. I never picked up the cream, but did remove dairy from her diet, and the eczema was gone within a month.... Look at your child, and see what he reacts to.

Wednesday2000

I used to have psoriasis (not too badly) but it cleared up when I went vegan and obviously cut out dairy.

helensbiggestfan

Siebre.....I think a lot of GPs used to Pooh Pooh the idea that some illnesses can be diet related but I think they are finally beginning to learn.  I have had one or two very sceptical GPs in the past.  You are right.....we have to look at the person, monitor what they are eating and see how they react.  

My second son had slight excema. His first breakout was when he was just 7 months and it was dreadful.  Poor little mite was covered in it.  And the contents of his nappy were absolutely foul.  As luck would have it the health visitor (a different one from the one who berated me for not giving my eldest son milk) spotted it because I was changing his nappy when she was there.  She told me no dairy until he was at least 12 months and then be very careful to introduce it very slowly and monitor his reactions,  

Well I've cut the grass,  so feeling smug.  Time to eat and then put my feet up. 

Siebrie

DDs and I went to the festivities around the arrival of St Nicolas in the small city next to our village. He arrives by (steam)boat from Spain with his helpers. Another team of helpers (called and facepainted as Black Pete - the discussion is rampant in the Netherlands and a little bit in Belgium) was already on the quay providing entertainment: juggling, dancing, unicycling, balloon animals, singing, etc. The weather was lovely, dds were happy to have been to these festivities before they got too old (they are 10 and 13; the festivities are more aimed at 3 to 8 year olds). It's almost a rite of passage to have been there; I get a lot of satisfaction from the fact that this is now ticked on our 'things to do before you're 12 list'.

phoebe1989seb

Glad you and your DDs had a great time at the St Nicolas celebrations, Siebrie 😄

I've been taking advantage of the sunny - but very chilly - weather today, by scrubbing my sheep before bedding them down for the winter 😉 Obviously these aren't living sheep, but lifesize resin models, lol, of which three reside in our garden. At nine years old, they're getting a bit past it, but they came up like new(ish) with a hot soapy water massage 😂

In other champagne moment-worthy news, the clear out continues apace - after successfully selling those unwanted large furniture items, I thought I'd take another trawl through the wardrobes for similarly surplus clothing and came up trumps, filling three large bin bags with mainly winter items for the charity shop.

In addition I decided to let go a reclaimed newel post, an Abigail Ahern style lamp and a reproduction art nouveau table that was taking up valuable floor space in bedroom two. Combined with a couple of *new with tags* clothing items I'd forgotten to return, these sold for approximately £250 😃

We needed a larger coffee table so used this money to buy an unusual one on eBay (new, with a third off the retail price 😉). It arrives tomorrow - hopefully it'll live up to my expectations, lol!

phoebe1989seb

I hope everyone is doing ok, that storm Arwen caused no issues wherever you are and that you all managed to stay safe?!?

We had a heavy fall of sleet and gusting winds throughout Friday evening, then - from 2am - a power cut that lasted twenty hours 🙁 This had the knock on effect of no running water and the inability to flush the loos because of course our borehole pump is powered by electricity. Fortunately our hob is LPG, so eating hot food wasn't a problem. In the short term camping out indoors with torches, candles and the wood burning stoves was actually quite good fun. Any longer would have been less so.....

I can't recall the last time DH and I were as excited as we were when the lights (etc) finally came back on, lol!!!

Today is sunny and bright - much better for the soul 😄

phoebe1989seb

There has still been time for a few champagne moments...

Firstly, the new coffee table is here!

Basically we are trying to disguise the fact that several rooms still resemble building sites and are therefore doing our utmost to transform the useable areas into the finished article in time for Christmas 😉

To that end, on Friday I painted some built-in bookshelves that were actually constructed by DH ages ago but never completed. This of course involved removing every book - having first photographed their exact locations 🙄 - which was a PITA especially as the dogs decided it was of interest to them and insisted on getting under my feet!

Anyway, the contemporary organic coffee table is replacing a smaller antique occasional table carved with peacocks, that will be moving to the extension next year. Its replacement is designed to draw your attention away from the acrow props that are currently holding up the snug wall, by offering a selection of arty reads and pretty 'objets' to feast your eyes upon, lol 😂

It's a huge success - not to mention actually huge - and totally enhances the eclectic look whilst complementing the arts and crafts/nouveau elements of the room 😉

On Friday evening - during that sleet storm - we drove over to TK Maxx as I had something to return. Whilst there, I found a snuggly burgundy, bouclé (almost like the old Astrakhan and almost as heavy!) full length coat. Priced up at £90 with a RRP of £250, it was a no brainer that it was coming home with me 😍

sheilavw

put a post on last night and for some reason its not here. Not posted for ages but been reading. I managed to get away at half term to Turkey with my family, it was lovely. We really enjoyed it, weather a pleasatnt 28c on average. Weather been cold and snowy here, freezing fog last night and roads look icy this morning. It's getting harder and harder to get up these dark mornings!