Aspiring to Affording April Amusements

[mammymammyIRL]

Any other suggestions?

It does sound like a lot of work. I make some stuff like curry pastes in massive bulk and then freeze in portions. I feel as though the effort is worth it for the dozen times I can pull it out the freezer and cook with almost no effort. Poppadums though...

Sea so glad your dad is able to come home. Hope you have a good visit this afternoon.

Jamie Oliver irritatingly faffy lasagne made. One for tea tonight, one for the freezer and a one person one for the freezer for

Fluffy I am in awe of you making your own creamed coconut 😲

Ds is being a bit challenging, I am struggling!

I haven’t done it yet Wolf, it’s on the worktop. I feel it’s mocking me.

Curry paste looks easy, rolling poppadoms thin enough will be the hardest bit.

Between two sheets of cling or grease proof would be my recommendation fluffy. I make some coconut flatbreads which have to be super thin and they are super sticky too before cooking

I have greaseproof. Right I’m going to break into my coconut.

That's dedication fluff. I'm looking at 2 years of cookery mags and think I'm going to chazza them as I like looking but never get round to cooking.

Deep breath wolf, you can do this. Is the acting out cos he's missing his dad? It tough as there is not much you can do. Do you have RL support?

Oh no wolf, I suppose it's to be expected. Consistency and love is all he needs (plus food I suppose ).

£13.50 hair cut for ds
£38 top up at Tesco. Thieves. Got garibaldis though yum!

I take a few days off and you've moved to a brand new thread!

Wolf I'm not sure what's happened to you but I gather it's something momentous and you probably feel like your whole world's been turned upside down . I'm really sorry to hear this and just want to offer my support if you ever need it - on this thread or through a PM. I hope you have some real life support too. Glad they're being supportive at work - good luck with the new job. It's going to be tough for DS especially as he was so close to his Dad. He might need some counselling. Actually, you could probably do with some yourself, when you feel ready for it. Right now your head's probably all over the place.

nocuts sounds like you had a nice few days out. That's hilarious about DD's decaf soya lattes . Re the headlice, you might want to check your own hair too voice of experience

em glad DS is settling so well at nursery. DD started at her creche when she was 6 months old and settled fine. When they get a bit older, they start to make strange. That breakfast sounds fab. Enjoy the dinner later.

Wreck hope DS starts to feel better soon. That was a great saving on the David Walliams books.

Seacow glad your DS enjoyed the cable car trip but the double meltdown sounds like the stuff of nightmares. Your lovely Dad is in my thoughts. Hugs to you.

mammy did you view the cottage?

Bandit sounds like you've been in a difficult situation with your family. I hope the break away from it all makes life more peaceful and uncomplicated going forward.

Sunny I'm sorry but I roared laughing at your description of the pelvic floor machine - "electrocuting my rear end".

Girlie that trapped nerve sounds painful.

DH has been offered voluntary redundancy at work. It's a tempting offer but he'd have to pay tax on his lump sum and the balance wouldn't clear our mortgage. So he'll probably turn it down. We need to discuss it in more detail though. It's a big decision to make.

NSD today.

I got my overtime money on Thursday but I've already spent most of it (in my head). I've to make some payments for activities DD is doing during the summer - Scouts camp etc. I might get some new bras too.

In case anyone is wondering, I usually do a big catch up once a week or so. I make some quick notes in Excel and then delete them once I've posted. I don't work as a journalist or anything - I just enjoy your company. During the week I have a quick read but usually don't have time to post.

Tayto that is a tough decision. How much of your mortgage would it pay off? My aunt has just cleared her mortgage

It's so lovey and sunny here! Makes me want to spend money. Actually everything makes me want to spend money

13 degrees here and we’re out in the garden. DDs are in their t shirts, i’m In jumper plus cardigan but it is lovely! DP has put up the new washing line (old one blew down and bent when full of clothes when we had freak rain/wind storm) and filled in a hole he has been meaning to fill for four years.

How far off paying the mortgage would you be tayto and could DH get another job?

Tayto I'm glad I gave you a laugh. I hoped I would. I haven't tried the machine yet. I don't think it's a thing to do in company really. That will be the new fun for after school starts back.

wolf fluffy a pasta machine works for rolling things really thin. It is the only reason it is given kitchen real estate here.
Em that sounds the queen of breakfasts.
Lonely Baba ganush (sp?) In Kendal and the bakers 2 doors up down the first ginnel on the right coming from Booths.... This is why I leave gaps between meetings in Kendal. Pastry heaven.

If we put the entire lump sum off our mortgage, we'd still have 5 years of repayments to make, based on our current monthly payment. I work myself but I'm only part time so I'd have to pay our mortgage and bills out of my part time salary. If he got a new job straight away, we'd be in a brilliant position. But if he didn't...... The jobs market is a lot better than it was during the recession. But it's still a gamble.

Ds went to the beach this afternoon.

It is glorious here. 18 degrees. We also went to the park next to the beach. Swings and a slide. Yay! (Disappointingly no baby change in the public toilets - only in the disabled ones which can’t be opened without a radar key so no use to us). Ds had an alfresco nappy change. 😀

Em I got a radar key when ds was tiny as it makes things so much easier. They are just £2.50 at the council offices, and you don't have to be disabled to have one. It's been a bit of a Godsend that.

Seeing as we are all sharing on this thread 😂 I thought I’d announce that I am wearing an under wired bra for the first time in six months 😱😂 I took Cagletini for a walk to the shops (£7ish plus cash in preparation for chessington on Tuesday) and figured I wouldn’t be stopping to feed her as we’d just go there and back. So I could get away with it. Yay! Was nice to get some sunshine. I really need new nursing bras though. Sigh. Nearest place to get decent ones is Brighton.

Cagletini is grabbing everything. According to the BLW book she has all the readiness signs so once we get the little high chair we shall start. Eep. Reminds me (I should do a tayto style spreadsheet!) was it audit who offered to send a high chair? Thank you 💐 but our table is so unstable that I don’t think that sort of attaching chair would be safe. Much appreciated thought though. 💖 a friend has an old booster one they don’t need so we are having that 😀

Gorgeous pic! He’s growing up 😍💖

I am getting a radar key myself soon, not sure what local policy is on just buying them, but the kids and I are technically eligible anyway and I think we can get one free via the local autism group

tayto could he have a look about on the quiet for a new job. When we have a redundancy round we all use the 90 days to see if anyone in the sector has a job we want.... No firm offers are given until the redundancy has been paid.

Cag That's fantastic! Well done (On the bra I mean). I am psychologically still working my way free of the nursing top phase. The new gear from M&S is working out well. LOL!

Frugal win. Ish. I’ve just won £62 on the grand national. Woop.

em thats proper sitting up! Such a big boy. He'll be running around before you can blink. He's utterly gorgeous btw.

Filled my c1 to the brim for a tip run. I had two black bags in the passenger seat! Picked up dd2 and went to asda £30, but £7.50 was diet coke and £7 t-gel (dd2 almost 12). £14 in b&m on 3 laundry baskets and sweets to order my literal laundry mountain, currently taking up 1/2 the tiny living room floor space. Soup and bacon rolls for tea as I cba cooking.

That must have felt good cag I ditched nursing bras for cheapy underwires for the last 2 dc as I hated the boobs round the waist look/feel. Means you 'scoop' rather than 'unclip' to feed, but so much more normal inbetween feeds.

unescorted I cannot go near a Booths!! The pasty shop we go to is right up the top of the town in the little lanes above the cobbled pedestrian bit. We go rarely though, as I spend far too much in the outdoorsy shops.

Wreck your Garden and view look lovely

All the pasty talk is making me hungry. I remember when my friend and I went around Devon/Cornwall when we were 16 we once got an amazing huge pasty in tintagel for £1. Yum

Love the beach pic Em. Ds is so cute

Lost 6.60 on the National which means I won 3.40. Ds and I went to the pub with his friends/my friends to watch it. We needed to get out of the house and he was refusing all other ideas to leave!

I’m need a tip run lonely. Might do one on Monday after I’ve seen the headmistress

Love a booths hot beef sandwich and gravy. Nom nom

Unescorted he has a month to decide. I should have said that I'm very grateful it's not compulsory redundancy. At least we have the luxury of choice.