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Countdown to a Frugal Christmas, The Friendly Frugaleers still knitting,nattering and money saving!

999 replies

QuiteFabULousDahling · 07/11/2018 13:48

New Fred

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Unescorted · 20/11/2018 21:51

I keep finding sleeping bags in my knickers drawer. They appear to be breeding here.

ChristmasSeacow · 20/11/2018 23:53

How big is your knickers drawer Unescorted? ShockGrin

Hope the diagnosis helps Autumn.

Sounds as though you had a lovely day Lonely!

So cute when the littlies start talking! Dd (16m) is not very typical I think - she talks loads and in short sentences that are clear to anyone (even Alexa has started obeying her occasionally Shock). I hope you all understand that I’m honestly not boasting when I say that... I do enjoy her progress and find her quite cute company but I also find myself fretting about whether it is ‘normal’ or whether her precocity might turn out to be a sign of ASD. (And as I’ve said before, I hope that doesn’t offend anyone on this thread who has a diagnosis - I just know that life for my DS is so much harder than for an NT child and it affects him a lot, and the rest of the family too. I doubt he will ever live completely independently and that’s a huge worry for me so I’d be really daunted if both DC had ASD). Only time will tell. I try not to think about it too much but every now and then she really surprises me with her speech or something else (like today, she counted backwards from 20 with only one error - she’s heard us do it for DS a number of times but even so!) and I worry anew Confused.

About £10 top up on fruit and £3 for a coffee with a friend today. Plus £20 Amazon for a child’s Christmas gift that I’ve been allocated by the local woman's Refuge. I had fun choosing that.

Work tomorrow but not going into the office so I’ll be loitering in a cafe for a bit to hide from DD.

Been researching flights to India for our friend’s wedding next year. I have cold feet about leaving the DCs for a whole week and going so far away but he’s DH’s oldest friend and best man so I think we will do it. Probably. Dither dither...

ememem84 · 21/11/2018 00:11

Ds is awake. Sigh.

Overtired and teething I think. 40 minute nap at nursery yesterday. Sigh. Not their fault they can’t force him to sleep. He’s just a nosy fella. Doesn’t want to miss out.

According to wonderweeks he’s also at the start of another developmental leap. Sigh.

Anyway. Dh is in with him. I miss not having a bed in his room. Must get something comfy. Or bed guards for spare room.

AutumnLeaves12 · 21/11/2018 00:45

I totally understand what you mean Christmas. My ds and I are the sort that have some skills too much and some too little. The extra skills are nice, but the problems are definitely problems. Good luck there with your dd. Flowers I'm awake because of a cold, but off back to bed now.

ememem84 · 21/11/2018 06:27

Wahooo payday.

I’ve moved some cash around paid a chunk off credit card etc. So we’re in a good position.

Just contemplating getting up and getting ready for the day.

Wolfcub · 21/11/2018 06:40

Morning all. Happy frugal Wednesday.

I suspect work is going to drag today as lots of colleagues are out of the office and I like to be busy

ChristmasSeacow · 21/11/2018 06:46

Thanks for understanding Autumn, I didn’t want to cause offence. I suppose that whatever the outcome with DD, at least she looks as though she will be able to communicate (barring any regressions). As my DS does not have much speech and is basically echolalic, and also has trouble with receptive language, the power of communication would be a massive help for (and with) DD! Kids are such a worry!

Slept okay but I really think we need to bite the bullet and get a new mattress. Ours makes both our backs ache. The only thing stopping us is not actually knowing what to buy as I don’t want to make an expensive mistake again. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is that makes a mattress comfy (but definitely not fecking memory foam Angry). Any advice?

I am wondering whether I can work quickly today and then go to Westfield for a bit of Christmas shopping this afternoon. I need to get a few things from RL shops and really don’t want to go on a weekend (would also prefer not to take DD as she is becoming a very noisy buggy refuser 🙄)

Have a good Wednesday everyone.

LonelyOversharer · 21/11/2018 07:02

seacow it's because of your experience with ds that you are worrying. Honestly, I think your dd is very like my dd1, she was talking in sentences like an adult at 18m, could count and read and write at 3. Very precocious, but utterly NT. Her peers caught up by school year 3. It never occured to me that she might be asd, she just talked a lot and soaked up info like a sponge. (Plus she was my pfb and I thought it was my job to teach her to read and write! The others have learnt at school!)

Try not to worry 💗

I might have slept for about 12 hours Blush. Bar some very dreams, that is. I guess I needed it.

Take care out there today if you have some weather, just rain here I think.

LonelyOversharer · 21/11/2018 07:03

*Very wierd dreams that is. Bonkers.

lifelongfrugaleer · 21/11/2018 07:08

Tired here. I feel over twice on Monday in the end and now my knee and fore arm are sore. Late night as looking after a friend DC then couldn't get comfy. My brain was wired from WFH last night but I got a shit ton done.

Horrible weather here. Will dig out waterproof trousers for commute.

Hope the signposting and help helps autumn.

Cute toddler chit chat.
Idkwym sea as mine are nt but I can totally empathise with the worry and seeing the asd kids at the scout group.

Nsd planned today.

Go see fantastic beasts, it's good.
I need a Christmas audit.

AutumnLeaves12 · 21/11/2018 07:23

Christmas I'm very glad to hear any of your thoughts on asd stuff. I don't think I am offendable, and I totally understand the worries and the frustrations.

The assessor said that I am gold dust for ASD research because I have all the sensory stuff that others have but I am completely articulate and have a cast iron biomedical research background. So she's going to try to pass me on to the research community here as a sort of very informative guinea pig. LOL!

If I can ever help you with figuring out what your ds is thinking then I'd be very glad to give it a shot. I spent my whole interview yesterday carefully adjusting the lighting in the room, because I just couldn't get it right. The assessor said that all her other patients have the same problem, but most of them can't talk to explain what is bothering them. It's nice to feel that I might be useful that way, instead of being a light-adjusting nuisance. I like to be useful.

btw I like lonely's interpretation of your dd's behaviour. I bet she's a wee Star

AutumnLeaves12 · 21/11/2018 07:26

btw last time I bought a mattress I followed the sleep council instructions:
sleepcouncil.org.uk/tag/bed-buying-tips/

They were good. I've heard other people say that memory foam is not good, so probably if you steer clear of that then you can't go far wrong.

I don't have to do anything life-changing today. Yay! More clarinet practise I think.

Fluffycloudland77 · 21/11/2018 07:35

Sea We lay on the beds for about 15 minutes each till we found the right one. Still comfy nearly 9 years later. Dh thought I was mad though.

If the bed shops do cashback you could order online after trying them I store.

mammynowanauntyIRL · 21/11/2018 07:43

Place marking - I got a long sleep last night too 7.5 to lonely's 12Grin

Yesterday I took the plunge and signed up ds for play therapy through our local community service, instead of costing €50/€60 per session it's subsidised and we can pay from €5 to €20 per session donation, I will pay €20. H not entirely on board but he will sign consent and says he'll attend first parents meeting.

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 21/11/2018 07:51

Morning all its my birthday! !! The big 4 0 😮 can't believe it, does this mean I have to start behaving like a proper grown up? 😉

I only took the naproxen for about 5 days back in August but think it was the volterol gel that tipped me over to the problems I've now got. Am wondering if I may have a underlying h pylori infection as well which obviously wouldn't help...

Anyway am hoping it will behave itself until after the weekend now as long as I'm careful with what I eat etc.

Dd has completely spoilt me, she bought me some lovely soaps, a beautiful necklace, a pot for the garden, some chocolates, a scarf a friend of hers made and some little good luck elephant ornaments. She's a good girl bless her.

Wolfcub · 21/11/2018 07:54

Sea. Pocket springs. That’s all I’m going to say

Wolfcub · 21/11/2018 07:55

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY Girlie 🎂🍾👑

mammynowanauntyIRL · 21/11/2018 07:57

Happy Birthday girlie StarCakeStarWineStar

AutumnLeaves12 · 21/11/2018 08:03

Girlie the voltarol gel sounds very probable as the source of the problem. It's related to the stuff that I got to put on my neck for the sun damage (both NSAIDs) and that went for my stomach in a big way too. I looked up the literature online and it said (at least as far as I could tell) that those kinds of drugs could cause gastric bleeding at any stage of treatment (right away, or after several weeks) even applied topically.

At least it's something you can stop using and hopefully things should get better.

More importantly, Happy birthday! I hope you have a great party at the weekend. StarStarStarStar

ChristmasSeacow · 21/11/2018 08:18

Happy Big Birthday Girlie! I hope you have a lovely day (not working?) and a fabulous party at the weekend 🥂🎂🎉🎈 SouNSD as though your DD did a great job too!

Pocket springs definitely 👍🏻. I think DH and I do need to go mattress shopping together but we’ll need to ditch the children 🤔

ChristmasSeacow · 21/11/2018 08:18

Do you see what autocorrect did there?!!!!

lifelongfrugaleer · 21/11/2018 08:18

Happy birthday girlie

lifelongfrugaleer · 21/11/2018 08:22

Oh and no 40 doesn't mean you have to grow up

Fluffycloudland77 · 21/11/2018 08:22

Happy Birthday Girlie 🍾 I hope your day is lovely.

Wolfcub · 21/11/2018 08:22

Sea you have your autocorrect very well frugalised