Still frugaleering into Autumn.....

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

New thread for us all to chat, support each other and hopefully save some money!!

spicy pork stir fry for dinner Yum..

Was thinking earlier .. Is coppersulphate still here but with new name? if not i havent seen her posting for a while.
Dpusscat is asleep in a cool bag (left out from shopping earlier ) onthe hall floor right now .

em dont watch anything about babies or children or read any newspaper stories or novels where anything happens to a child from now until DSis about 20!! . You will weep buckets.. I had a couple of years when i thought i could handle sad things about kids and then the DGCs came along.

spends £15.40 Co op and £20 cashback.. just food

Evening.

Collie I'm so sorry that you and DS are having a crap time. It's fine to post and moan, we all do plenty enough between us, it's just your turn.

Cag Will you bloody take care of yourself woman!!

Mammy How did the half marathon go? Dying to hear!

Holly The 3 hour thing is not really a rule per se, I just can't see the point in going much further. Your got the training adaptations by then anyway. Hope the 21 miler went okay.

Been something of a day here. Worked all day and came home to Ddog1 who had a poorly tummy. It was everywhere bless him and he was shaking thinking I would go mad. Course I wouldn't, bless him. He's fine now and we have 2 lovely new fleecy blankets for the tub chairs that they sleep in.

Working tomorrow too.

Spends.
£32 Sainsburys on Sunday
£60 big Boots shop.
£30 Aldi
£25 Aldi - new blankets, door runner, cleaning stuff.

My went/go to an outstanding primary and secondary and were/are not at all hot housed in either. Just saying that educational experience is entirely individual, it's something of a generalisation to suggest it one way or another. Definitely go and see them Collie, you will get a feel for what feels right. The secondary that the DC go to really do not have great facilities at all, but the money is in the teaching, other schools put money in other places as they see fit. It suits my DC, but wouldn't suit other folks, definitely you need to see a school.

*DC

My dc go to a Good school and I think it's great. It has its downfalls but most schools do. It's small which has good and bad points but it has a swimming pool and a lovey community feel. The pre school is outstanding and really is just that. I visit over 40 primary schools throughout the year and they're all different. You really can get a feel for them just by visiting.

Just be sensible about it, that's all - which I know you definitely will be. You are a sensible and realistic sort. Hope your DS feels better, poor soul.

We had pulled pork for tea, it was in the SC 12 hours by the time we ate and lovely. Wraps, salad, roasted peppers.

Being virtous I made a massive salad for lunches for the week yesterday. Giant cous cous, roasted peppers, chopped red onion and pomegranate. Dressing just oil, balsamic and smoked paprika. Fried off some halloumi this morning. All ingredients from Aldi.

Cross post - but exactly Wrecked.

ps - DH left the bed unmade, a soaking wet towel on it and the curtains closed, half a cup of tea on the bedside cabinet today. I feel your pain.

Yes he's really in my bad books right now. Although he isn't talking to me now because he overheard me asking ds why he likes daddy more than me when I made him all by myself and do everything for him 😂😂

On a more positive note the extortionate swimming lessons are paying off. Ds swam a whole width on his back, jumped in twice and was gliding off the side in his lesson tonight.

Ha ha! Least you will have a break from him. That's fab news about your DS. I remember that overwhelming feeling of pride when the DC achieved swimming stuff.

Fluffster Bad news - dishwasher broke again, had to call someone in, £100. Bollox. Still having a good months though.

We have visited the primary one and love it. The "outstanding" primaries are huge. Absolutely mahoosive. The primary we love are a small surfy / sporty school. The SATs results are above average. So it's good enough for us we're happy to fill in any gaps in his education.

The nearest secondary schools are all fantastical too (have 3). So I'm not worried about them at all.

And who knows - he may not get into the primary school. He may automatically get one of the outstanding schools. I'm not really worried. There's pros and cons for all.

Just want a motherfrigging job y'all.

I'm just slinking back in sheepishly, feeling like a total idiot...

Soooo I saw the consultant, who was not happy with how I'm feeling (I was still pretty woozy in the appt and she even asked if someone would be with me at home). Talked about the dietary changes and she was horrified that I had in cut out so much. But I really thought that's what she meant last week, as she said avoid pasta bread and potatoes etc. Being autistic, and panicking about new GD diagnosis and what it meant for the baby, I took it somewhat literally .

So what she actually meant was more in line with what the nurse had said, to cut down but NOT out - half the pasta, one slice of bread not two etc. The aim is apparently to eat reasonably normally otherwise. And my numbers are too low - she was not happy with this morning's 3.9 and some of the lower post-meal numbers as she would expect them to be higher.

Told me to go and eat something carby before I gave her a heart attack :o

I'm such a twit but somewhat relieved as I can now have a much more balanced diet which seems a lot more achievable, although I am really loving the higher protein etc (which I still have to do i.e. higher proportion of meat etc). Also on the plus side I have at least two more weeks without insulin and she reckons if I can stay diet controlled I have a decent chance of not needing induction at 38 weeks (they would still induce at 40 regardless).

Seacow I am amazed too, but they would have struggled a heck of a lot at your DS' age too. If it makes any difference they are classified as ASD 'level II', I don't quite get what that means really as I'm more used to the older style diagnoses (mine is technically just an Autism Spectrum Condition but in old money I am definitely an Aspie :o). But anyway they are fairly 'high functioning' I guess which is the main reason it took until 10 and 7 to diagnose.

They were waiting (including the time I was in my appt) 2 hours in total but all that pent up stimming etc got released pretty much as soon as we walked out the door and they have been quite hard work since. This is a much milder version of the problem they had at school - they were like little tightly wound springs of rage and anxiety that suddenly got released at 3pm!

Still I am grateful that they did manage. Scan tomorrow but they rarely run late thankfully!

Agree re: ofsted not being the be all and end all. Obviously I am biased due to the Caglets' experiences but for one thing the outstanding school was fabulous for DD (who at that point presented as NT, very quiet and never made waves) but utterly awful for DS. Attendance pressure was big there and one of the things that pushed me over into HE was realising they really didn't give a shit if DS was actually happy, they just wanted his bum on his chair. All schools are different so I'd go by visits, talking to parents etc over ratings any day. TBF the junior school that DD went to was rated poorly so it's not clear cut at all.

Wreck rant away, he is being a knob.

Collie don't be daft you aren't pissing us off! It's like you're making up for lost time as we missed you .

Speaking of missing posters where is @MeadowHay - I guess she must be busy with new job etc but really hope all is ok. :)

So, spends £35 dinner - that was quite possibly the most delicious pasta I have ever tasted since I thought I wouldn't be allowed any for a couple more months :o. I did the cheaper half portion thing but it still seemed huge and I left a bit.

£4 bus and a few quid in the hospital shop where I sent the Caglets for water etc. Got home and nearly tripped over our resident hedgehog by our front door!

You are NOT a twit Cag. I've overdone it this week too and lost too much weight by stripping back too much. I would have taken it literally too. You've made positive changes, but realise they don't need to be as extreme. I go lightheaded without some carbs. I know it's all the rage, but read a running magazine and they will give a more measured response - make sure your carbs are from wholegrain, natural sources blah blah seems more sensible. Even if you are at risk of GD it would seem?

I'm actually watching Superfoods on C4 and it's very interesting. Porridge, or at least oats are defintely a Good Thing!

Was wondering about Meadow too Cag. Right, enough of me tonight!!

I think Coppers gone. She has a woodburner

Cag I'd have done the same. You have to be very precise with patient advice or we go rogue.

Ah cag your consultant sounds lovely! I try to do my plate so it's 1/4 carbs 1/4 protein and 1/4 veg or salad so maybe something like that?

Pleased to hear all is ok Cag and you can get back to more normal eating.

To be fair cag if someone told me to avoid xyz I'd cut it out completely. You're not a twit. Xx

I just Pm'd Copper, just to see if she is ok..

Ah thanks all. I have to say despite the embarrassment I am pretty relieved and if I can stay diet controlled then that will be awesome. If I can contemplate cutting stuff out altogether then just reducing should be simple by comparison right? I would do whatever they told me in baby's best interests but I was getting pretty freaked out by how I've been feeling over the weekend.

Am already diagnosed GD need - my midwife had said the glucose tolerance test result was 'just a little high' but then when I saw the consultant she said nope that is still officially GD. So as she had just told me that and I was shocked, I was more panicky and didn't really ask the questions I probably should have!

But yes she is absolutely lovely and I'm pretty pleased overall, I expect I'll be monitoring sugars for the remainder of the pregnancy but it's a small price to pay, especially given that I probably got worse as the pregnancy progressed with DS and that may happen this time. Really grateful I am being well looked after even if it does mean I feel like I live in the hospital :o

Well that better news cag 🍔 To be fair, you sound like you did a great job cutting out the carbs, most other people wouldn't have done it so successfully! But glad you don't have to continue that drastically

wreckDH stop being an idiot!! I assume he does have some plus points?

I got my lindor and the dark chocolate fluffy using green Jin, thank you

I had a great day. I got to train my newbie to do the more admin type work I have been doing for months, which might let me do more of my actual grade of job . And she was really good!

Glad you are relaxing em but you are allowed to be fed up, teary or whatever you feel. EmDS is almost in sight

£28 in Dorothy perkins on three tops in the sale. Haven't tried them on yet
£9 ish in sainsburys on lunch and chocolate

Also as a positive, I am finding it all quite interesting and it's definitely making me more mindful about what I'm eating and the effect it has on my body. So if I can continue that even after the birth (hungry breastfeeding days notwithstanding) then that will be fab too.

Ah Life that is so so kind of you! I will definitely pay it forward, but I hope you are also the recipient of a random act of kindness to even out the universe! I shall think of you whenever DD wears them

Em I agree with Laska, you'll never be the same again as far as crying is concerned.

I also agree that OFSTED is also just one (and not the most important) factor in school decisions. We bypassed the nearest primary, which happens to be outstanding, for the next nearest primary (just came out of special measures 2 years ago). It has an optimistic on-the-up feel and places a high importance on kindness and inclusion. The other school felt very results-driven. Horses for courses. I don't yet know whether this school can meet DS's needs but I am confident that the outstanding one wouldn't have done. I think you have to find a school whose philosophy and priorities match your own. That may or may not come with outstanding status and results.

The biggest determinant of a child's academic performance is not the school but maternal education.

Can my DH join the naughty step? He's just thrown a full glass of Ribena over our chenille sofa. Can't see the colour but the water mark will never come out don't ever buy a chenille sofa . I was so cross I have come to bed. Hoping I won't have both children shrieking simultaneously at 2.30am like last night... DS seems to be having bad dreams most nights. Probably due to anxiety around school changes.

On the big plus side I AM IN BED BEFORE MIDNIGHT! 💪🏻