Need to stop spending and chasing dopamine!

Pink_Butterfly

I was right, I had gained… 6lbs!!! 🙈🙈 So that’s it now, I’m going nil by mouth until Christmas 😂 Lol. I’m kidding obviously but I am going to be upping my exercise game again as I’ve been slacking. I did 12K steps today so a good start! I had to take my umbrella though ☔️

OH likes Slipknot and their tickets go on sale tomorrow. I have O2 Priority so I’m going to try and secure a couple for his Christmas 🤞🏼 Hopefully his brother will be up for going with him because they’re not really my thing 🤣 I’m more of a Coldplay, Britney and Rihanna girl lol. I probably won’t be successful getting tickets anyway but we’ll see.

I get paid tomorrow finallyyyyyy. OH gets paid on 16/10/26 but that pay day is for November, so when my money goes in tomorrow it’s got to last until the end of October. We still have plenty of money in the account from OH’s last pay day though, so we’ll be ok 😊 I did a big food shop earlier so we have plenty in for a few days! I just wish food wasn’t so expensive 😭

Pink_Butterfly

I got the tickets!! 2 standing tickets are now in my posession 😊 They were above budget but not by much, and I’ve taken the extra off his birthday budget, so it’s all good 🤣 I know he’ll be thrilled when he realises he’s going. He apparently told his brother that he wanted to go but they were too expensive for him to justify buying them. Unfortunately his brother can’t go but his son (who will be 19) loves Slipknot, so maybe he can go with him instead.

I’ve ordered 2 fake tickets from Etsy so he’s got something to open on Xmas day, as that will be his only present from me 🤣

DD2 did night one of the school open evening tonight and she did well. I got there 15 minutes early to look for her and while I was there I saw an old friend who I haven’t seen in over 4 years. She gave me a hug and said we should catch up but I don’t know if we will. I finally saw DD2 after looking around for her and we started walking out of the school, but then a lady came running after me asking if DD2 was my daughter. I said yes, and she said how she’d been her tour guide and she was brilliant, confident etc. which was lovely to hear. And then I realised, this lady is our cleaner!!! She literally cleaned our house today aswell!!! I met her once, months ago, so I didn’t recognise her at first, but what a small world 😁 I told her I know when she’s cleaned my house and when it’s someone else because she cleans my house like no other!!! She scrubs the floors sooooo so well 😍

DD1’s new clothes arrived today and she likes them all so that’s good, hopefully she’ll stop moaning that she has ‘nothing to wear’ for a few months 🤣 Her dad will transfer half the money to me soon for it all.

OH is due to wake up any minute which is good because I’m tiredddd. Last night I went to bed and he left for work 10 minutes later. I fell asleep quickly, but then 20 minutes later our smoke alarm went off! It scared the life out of me!!! It soon stopped but it took me ages to get back to sleep after that. Hopefully it won’t do it tonight 😬

Pink_Butterfly

It’s the 1st of the month (October, yay, one of my favourite months!) so most of the direct debits have gone out. I’ve updated our budget spreadsheet accordingly. It’s going to be a long, tight ish month I think, but we’ll see how we go. The cost of fuel definitely doesn’t help! Or the fact OH and the kids love eating all the snacky snacks 🤣 I need to put a lock on the food cupboard 😉

I tried to book an appointment for DD2 at the doctors surgery today for an autism and ADHD assessment, but they basically said I have to fill the Right To Choose forms myself, and then wait in a queue for them to make a referral. Two close friends are going through the same thing with their children and they didn’t have to do this, so it’s a bit annoying, but it is what it is. I also tried to book an appointment for DD2’s verruca as it doesn’t seem to be improving with over the counter treatment, but they said I’ve requested too many appointments today, so again they said no 🤣 You’ve got to love our NHS sometimes!

OH is on his way home from work now. I’m working from home today so I think we will go for a walk at lunchtime together. He doesn’t have work tonight so he hasn’t got to go to bed, though he might have a short nap at some point.

Pink_Butterfly

It’s Saturday night, my favourite programme is about to start (Strictly Come Dancing 😁 though Traitors is a close second and it’s been brilliant so far!)), and I’m sat on the sofa with a bar of Galaxy. Heaven! All 3 girls are in their bedrooms chilling and OH has just gone to bed, as he’s back at work tonight. We’ve had a nice day at the pumpkin patch and getting into the Halloween spirit 😍 I absolutely love this time of year! DD1 decided to wear her brand new white jumper to the pumpkin patch… big mistake, it was not white by the time we left 🤣

After we got home me & OH decided to take a load of our old clothes and shoes down to the clothing bank, as they had been living in our downstairs loo for a few weeks and I just felt too overwhelmed to put them all on Vinted. There were sooooo many items 🙈 Hopefully now it’ll be much easier to manage our clothes 😬

Me & OH also looked at our budget spreadsheet today, as we can’t decide whether to get a new (to us) car now, or wait until the credit card is clear. Obviously it would be sensible to clear the card first, but his car keeps getting poorly, and it might not be the best financial decision to keep it. If nothing else goes wrong then the card should be clear in February 2028. I’d personally rather wait until then, as not only would we have no debt, but OH’s 13th payment would hit our account on 3rd March 2028 (he gets paid every 4 weeks, so 13 payments a year) which would give us a nice chunk towards it! His pay this year has averaged at £3.8K every 4 weeks, and it may be even more by then. Another reason to wait is DD2 is currently going through a growth spurt, and we want the car to be comfortable for all 3 girls, so waiting would at least allow us to see if it’s comfortable for them all. Lots to think about!

Pink_Butterfly

The rest of my weekend was ok, though I struggled on Sunday as my body decided to wake me up at 4:30am 😭 I just couldn’t sleep afterwards. I go through very early morning wake ups every now and then. My friend has suggested I get my cortisol levels checked 😬

OH has been asking me what I want for Christmas. I came up with an idea of putting the budget for my gifts and the budget for my mum’s gifts together, and booking a very nice spa day for me and her in January. 1) We both hate January, so a spa day would help! 2) The budget would mean we could book a really nice one that involves 2 amazing treatments and lunch. 3) It would be something I genuinely want, not something I’m trying to think of just for the sake of it. 4) It would be something I know my mum would love. 5) OH wouldn’t have to think of what to buy me 🤣🤣 He said he would feel bad if I did this, and that he would want to get me something else, but it would literally eat up the whole budget 😬 These spa days aren’t cheap are they?! I’m fine with it though. It would be very nice 😍

I think me & OH, my ex and my parents are all going to chip in and buy DD1 a new phone for Christmas. Her phone desperately needs an upgrade, as the one she is currently using has a terrible battery and low storage. I’ve seen an iPhone 14 on Music Magpie in very good condition with a new battery for £340, so it would work out at £113 each. I’d still have £87 left in the budget to buy her some other bits 😊 MM gives you 12 months warranty too!

DD2 gets set new homework every Monday (due in the following Sunday) and I’ve received the usual texts from her tonight saying she hates it, she can’t do it etc, however I’ve just looked and she’s already completed all her science homework and 1/3 of her maths, on night one, so she’s just being a little worrier as per usual 🤣 She keeps saying to me that she’s rubbish at maths but then she’s getting scores like 18/20 on her tests… hardly rubbish! She puts herself down a lot bless her.

Work was busy today but I’ve still managed to do 12K steps which is good! I need to get back to the gym really, as I’ve not been in ages. The weather is going to turn this week so the gym will come in handy as walking outside won’t be nice! I’m not a fan of walking in the rain 🤣

Pink_Butterfly

We are almost at the weekend! Which is good, because I’m TIRED 😴 We had a big presentation today at work and it completely drained me 🤣 We have them 3 times a year and they last all day. They provide lunch which is very nice of them, and it’s good hearing all the updates from various people, but there is so much information to take in so by the end of it I often feel wiped out 😅 I thought I was going to be called up to speak, but thankfully I got away with avoiding it.

DD2 got moved up to top set in maths this week. Bearing in mind there are 7 sets, and she’s in the top one, despite her continuously telling me how rubbish she is 🙄 I’m hoping soon she will calm down about anything school related. She gets so anxious. Sometimes I think we’re getting somewhere but then she’ll start getting upset about going to school or doing her homework. She just doesn’t seem to be able to cope with it ☹️ We have another meeting with the school in a couple of weeks so we will see what they say.

Mine & my mum’s spa day has been booked for 16th January 😊 So that’s mine and her Christmas presents sorted! I have also ordered a couple of presents for DSD as the items were on sale, so we are definitely on a roll when it comes to Christmas. We still have a long way to go though 😬

I went to my neighbour’s house last night for a pedicure and eyebrow wax 😊 We are going out for dinner this weekend, which should be nice! I also went out for dinner with OH the other night but it was very cheap as we used Clubcard vouchers 😇

OH has built DD2’s new dressing table, so we need to empty her old dressing table and then I’ll try to sell it. I’m hoping to get a bit of money for it. It’ll definitely help, as it’s an expensive time of year 🙈

Pink_Butterfly

It’s Sunday night and I’m about to go to bed. Another weekend done already! They’re just not long enough 😂 OH has got work tonight, and none of the kids are here, so I’ll be all by myself. I’m also working from home tomorrow so I won’t need to leave the house at all, though I might go to the gym before I start work. Maybe… I’m not promising 🤣

I went to the gym on Friday night and Saturday morning for the first time in ages 😇 I didn’t realise, but when I cancelled the girls’ gym memberships in August (because they never went), the gym accidentally cancelled my membership instead of theirs 😬 I did wonder why it wouldn’t let me book a body pump class! And why my direct debit payment reduced by £2 😂 They have had to escalate it to head office, so I’m currently using a 7-day free pass while they sort it out.

Yesterday after the gym I met a friend for a coffee and a catch up which was nice. She’s the only one out of my close circle of friends who has 2 children in secondary school like me, so we were sharing what life is like for us as mums of teenagers and pre-teens! It’s basically lovely but it has its challenges 😂 After that I did some food shopping, and then in the evening I went out for dinner at my favourite Turkish restaurant with my next door neighbour. The food was amazing as always! I was very good and ordered the healthiest option, as I’m trying to eat healthier. I’ve had 3 days of eating well and I feel so much better for it! Of course, all the spends came out of my fun money pot.

Today I went for a walk with OH when he got home from work, and then I cooked us some chicken teriyaki with rice & veg for lunch. He then went to bed and I went to a charity event with another close friend so we could support our friend who works for the charity. Unfortunately after 2 hours I had to leave as I got a massive headache. The music was just too loud for me 😭😭 I felt bad, but I did buy some raffle tickets to help raise money for them!

OH has asked if his sister and her husband want to go out for a meal instead of buying each other presents, and they’ve said yes, so I’ve reallocated the budget for them and just put it as a separate line in the budget spreadsheet. It makes sense, as me & OH don’t want any pressies from them and we didn't know what to buy them. OH has booked the table at a nice Indian restaurant for next month.

OH’s brother has been texting OH about what to buy DD1 and DD2 for Christmas. I said if he buys them presents then we’ll need to buy presents for his partner’s kids (she has 3), and it’s just going to get too much. OH agreed. Our budget for Christmas is stupid enough as it is and we need to draw a line somewhere unfortunately.

The girls have been with their dad this weekend but I’ve been getting regular updates. DD1 sent me her Christmas list, which was hilarious - she had expensive items on there like a new phone and Ugg boots, and then she put down things like chocolate fingers 😂 She apparently went round her friend’s house today and then cooked mini pizzas when she got home. DD2 completed her homework finally, and she actually went out with one of her friends yesterday to get a milkshake 😱 This is the first time in a very long time where she’s gone out with a friend voluntarily. Hopefully she’ll do it more often!

Bedtime now 😴 Night! x

Pink_Butterfly

Heyyyyy!!!! So much to tell you 🤣

I went to see my GP at lunchtime today, as my jaw is playing up and I can’t open my mouth properly 😬 Turns out I have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain 🙄 The doctor sent me some information about what to do to help it, such as massaging and “goldfish exercises”. The joys! I’m having to chop my food up into tiny pieces in the meantime. Not ideal, but hopefully it goes back to normal soon. If it doesn’t then my hygienist appointment in 3 weeks time will be interesting! OH bought me some hand warmers so I can put one on the area by my ear to help it 😍 bless him.

I spoke to the surgery yesterday aswell about DD2’s autism assessment. The lady was very good and explained what I need to do, so I’ll do it this weekend 🙂

On my way to work yesterday some absolute idiot driving a truck very very nearly smashed into me on a dual carriageway, and he would’ve done if I hadn’t slammed down on my brakes. He was driving like he was on a mission to cause an accident so I rang 999 and reported him. Luckily I could read the registration plate to them while I was driving and I of course told them where he was. I’m so sick of drivers around here - it’s no wonder there are so many road accidents! People do not respect the road or anyone else around them.

DD2 finished her homework yesterday… 4 days early! It’s the earliest she’s ever completed it which is amazing. She didn’t ask for my help either 😊 She still says she hates school but she seems to be coping better these days.

I’ve lost one pound so far this week. As the weather is still nice I’ve been choosing walking outside over the gym and have been doing around 10K steps a day. It’s nice walking around the estate and seeing everyone’s Halloween decorations. They take it very seriously here 🤣 Speaking of which, I need to get the girls’ costumes sorted soon. DD2 wants to be an angel (as her friend who she’s going trick or treating with is being a devil). And DD1 wants to be…a…rainbow 🤔 I know, I don’t get it either! Then again she is my rainbow baby 🥰 as I had 2 early miscarriages before her. I also had a much later loss after her, which I think I’ve shared on here before. Today is the national wave of light for baby loss awareness so I’ll be lighting my candle at 7pm in memory of my 3 angel babies 💖

OH gets paid tomorrow. His pay slip will be showing later so I can update the spreadsheet as soon as he’s received it. We’re both low on our “fun money” but due to the time of year I may agree to bring November’s forward, as it’s part of tomorrow’s pay packet anyway. I’ll see. I’d rather not as it creates bad habits and it means we’d have to go 6 weeks until the next lot! Mine is only low because I’ve ordered some new hair extensions. I’m going bronde instead of blonde for the first time in decades! It’ll make my hair much healthier I reckon, plus I’m just over being blonde. Less than 2 weeks until my appointment 😬 I’ll probably hate it knowing me 🤣

OH has just gone out to pick up the girls for me bless him so they’ll be home soon 😊 He’s back at work tonight so he’ll need to go to bed at around 6pm. I’ll probably go for a walk and then will need to go to the supermarket to get some food for tomorrow and the weekend 😊

Pink_Butterfly

My jaw seemed to feel a bit better yesterday but today it’s feeling rubbish again 🙁 I’m yawning a lot which isn’t helping! I’m really hoping that it goes back to normal soon because it’s getting me down. Eating is so challenging!

OH got paid yesterday and it was the 2nd highest amount he’s earned so far this year. I’ve updated my little spreadsheet and have done a 6-week budget (so from now until the end of November) so it will of course include my wages that will go in at the end of this month. Between this wage and the amount we have in savings we should be able to finish off the Christmas shopping! 🙂 Unfortunately both cars need a MOT and a service soon (mine is booked in next week) which may cost a bit!! Hopefully it won’t be too bad 😬

We have all 3 girls here this weekend. Unfortunately OH is working, which he hates as I know he would rather spend time with us. We did see him for around 3 hours earlier before he went to bed though and we went for a nice walk. He missed the fun last night as we were naughty and had strawberries dipped in melted chocolate 😍

I took the girls to see my brother and his boys earlier. The baby has bronchitis bless him, so he was not a happy bunny. I managed to get him to stop crying in the end. Poor boy. My other nephew was telling me what he wants for Christmas (lots of play doh ☺️ so he will be having that!) and was playing with DD1, who is his most favourite person in the whole world 🥰 He adores her!

I am still doing 10K-12K walks a day and eating well (chocolate strawberries aside!) but the scales aren’t going down fast enough for me… I’m impatient! The girls requested chicken nuggets for dinner which suits me as I’m feeling lazy. I’ve been cooking nice healthy meals all week so it’ll be nice to not do a lot 🙂 I had a filling lunch (jacket potato with leftover chilli) so I’m not going to cook myself anything. There are some leftover chicken & peppers with fajita seasoning in the fridge so I might just have them in a wrap with some salad. And then it’ll be time for Strictly Come Dancing 😍

the_end_of_the_rainbow

If your jaw does not settle, find an Oral & Maxillofacial consultant (specialises in jaws). My daughter kept having an issue where the disc in her jaw 'popped out', and she was unable to open her mouth fully / could only eat soup / soft food - on one occasion this lasted for over a week. Two visits to A&E didn't solve it - in the end, we found an Oral & Maxillofacial consultant (privately), who got her to do one exercise & it clicked straight back into place. Her jaw was a bit sore for a few days afterwards as the muscles were all fatigued. She then had some exercises to do to strengthen the muscles.