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Frugaleers dripping their way through a wet January...

999 replies

SneakyGremlins · 13/01/2019 12:26

Hang on, that makes us sound like alcoholics Blush

OP posts:
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19
MeadowHay · 15/01/2019 12:22

Ugh morning was has been tough. Took DD's passport application but was too anxious to ask for the fast track option so will now spend the next few weeks stressing about whether it will come in time for our holiday or not. Also playgroup was...well, it is good for the bigger ones once they can walk, but the 'baby area' had virtually nothing in it, and lots of the other parents & the volunteers were not really supervising their toddlers so they weren't arsed that they were all running about in the baby area, that is supposed to be quiet and safer for the babies...and then DD got overtired and fussy and then when I was wrestling her hysterically screaming into her snowsuit in the pram, someone came and tried to talk to me about that prams need to be left in the church unless baby is asleep cos of fire hazard, when a dad was leaving at the same time with their much older baby and she didn't say that to him (there were loads of prams there, but it's a huge church hall so there was plenty of space). Then she walked off and there was a little bike in the way of my pram path which she had to squeeze past, but didn't move out of the way, so I had to move it awkwardly out of the way then struggle with the doors out of the hall whilst she stood there and watched...obviously I can go in and out of double doors now with the pram after over 6 months of practice but I don't understand how you can stand next to someone clearly struggling a bit with doors and not offer to hold it open?! I always used to hold the doors open for people with prams (well, still do if someone else is out with me and pushing the pram, or out alone). Isn't it just common decency? I got the impression she was annoyed that DD was crying loudly (for about 2 minutes as I put her snowsuit on to take her out)...but it's a playgroup, surely that's kind of to be expected?! So...will not be going back! She will be in nursery on Tuesdays once I go back to work in March anyway.

MeadowHay · 15/01/2019 12:35

Also SPENDY. Passport application was like £71 or something (passport + PO Check & Send with SD postage + SD postage for the docs I sent to be returned to me). Jeeeeeezus. Then £2 for playgroup. At least I got a nice brownie from that.

WreckTangled · 15/01/2019 12:40

Meadow that sounds horrible! Btw you can't fast track a child's first passport as far as I'm aware so check and send is that fastest way of doing it and it should all be fine. I need to renew ds' passport actually I'll be sad that he won't have his cute little passport photo in the new one. He was so sweet

Frugaleers dripping their way through a wet January...
lifelongfrugaleer · 15/01/2019 12:56

No I don't think fast track is for first pp.
Sounds stressful meadow and the volunteer sounds like a dick.

SnugglySnerd · 15/01/2019 13:42

What a cutie Wreck!
Meadow sorry the play group wasn't great. Also dd1 was like Happier's she didn't nap until about 9 months unless on me or in the car/push chair. I learnt not to worry about getting things done and to always have a book with me! Once she started napping properly she napped for 2 hours stretches and then I got absolutely tonnes done to make up for it!

Ggreengrass1 · 15/01/2019 16:00

meadow some playgroups are just like that, and some people are just super rude. Never take it personally. Could your HV recommend a nice friendly one. Well done for getting the passport off.
I came downstairs this am to find 3 lights on and that drives me crazy. So I would probably have gone freaky ape after leaving the heating on wreck and cute ds
happier your little boy sounds a honey.
Working on my ironing mountain.

ememem84 · 15/01/2019 16:16

wreck cuuuuutttttttteeeeeee

Ds looks like he’s been stunned in his.

SnugglySnerd · 15/01/2019 16:17

No Em he looks really sweet!

Happierwithouthim · 15/01/2019 17:47

He looks like a cutie pie as does your younger ds wreck

Happierwithouthim · 15/01/2019 17:48

€10.80 on pill
€5.98 on two handcrafted cards for two significant birthdays

Lovemaltesers · 15/01/2019 18:05

Haven't read back fully but meadow my DDs first passports both came back in just over a week

Wolfcub · 15/01/2019 18:14

Girlie definitely go for it!

Meadow I’m sorry baby group was crap

Sea I hope you get some sleep tonight

Manic day again.

£5.70 coop on bread, lurpak and garlic bread which gave me the change I needed to give df £3.50 which I owed him for milk and parcel postage

Unescorted · 15/01/2019 18:38

They are all so cute...ds looked like an extra from Peaky Blinders. He has got more photogenic as he has got older. meadow even when we had that year where UK passports were really backlogged his was back within a couple of weeks for a first.

Em thanks it took me a moment to workout what the questions was. I have the brain of a tadpole. I could cycle around that. Is there a coastal path? I should google shouldn't I.

Wolf hope things are quieter for you this evening.

North pee in a pot and tip over....not ideal as the direct method mind.

I have just had a thing on my FB feed - a potato planter made from 2 large plastic pots. Cut4 large panels out of the inner one and place inside the outer one...then at harvesting lift out and you only need to pick the ones you need. Sneaky that is one for you to try for us all.

After yesterday's spectacular spend fest was a NSD (for me ...dh may have spent)

ememem84 · 15/01/2019 18:52

unescorted there is indeed a coastal path. North coast has cliff paths which are a killer. South coast has a nice flat ish path.

There’s an annual walk (I’ve attempted it twice completed once). It’s a killer. Took me 16 hours. Couldn’t walk for a few days after!!!

It’s lovely here.

Dhs flight got in. Phew!

We’ve just had chicken Kiev’s for dinner. Mmmm.

Spends £15 to nursery to get tax cert so I can complete my tax form. Sigh.

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 15/01/2019 18:59

Evening all, adorable babies 😍 so cute!

I'm now home and back to cooking dinner, clearing up, putting washing on and away - such fun 😕

Dd came home with 3 awards for effort and gaining lots of praise points so feeling very proud esp given that she doesn't find school easy at all.

Spa cost £89 for the two days which included overnight accommodation plus 3 course dinner last night and cooked breakfast this morning so not bad really. I had £60 worth of vouchers which I spent on 3 treatments and only other spends were £6 on drinks.

That said I've got about £40 left till payday to buy food with!!

Justanothermile · 15/01/2019 19:01

Never mind the kid, nice nail colour Em😂

Seriously, two cute lads there.

Do it again girlie, it might not have been the right time last time - might be meant for you this time.

meadow it's extremely hard I know, but don't take it personally. And in particular about Dd crying. I used to think everyone was watching DS cry and being irritated, and he cried a lot believe me, but I bet they weren't. I then think that me being anxious probably made DS more anxious too. That woman was unpleasant, I'd find another group - they seem to have always been a bit of lottery.

north, I promise your kindness will be so appreciated. I don't know if you remember my friend with breast cancer - she's three years into remission now. She said she'll never forget us always having the door open and just listening.

wolf - did the same Saturday night and was cross with myself.

It's been a busy day as I'm trying to crack on with a list of jobs and to marathon train but thankfully a NSD.

sneaky you okay? You haven't posted for a couple of days?

Justanothermile · 15/01/2019 19:02

Cross post - brill news about your DD girlie, I'm pleased for her, she doesn't have an easy time.

Unescorted · 15/01/2019 19:48

Em I may have to make a visit.

girlie go girlie DD you must be so proud.

lifelongfrugaleer · 15/01/2019 20:23

Well done girlie dd.

£31 Sainsbury's as my DC with the poorly tummies have scoffed the fruit. £8.80 prescription, £12 Argos but on a voucher.

MissingMo · 15/01/2019 20:36

@girlie glad you had a good time at the spa, I think you did quite frugally on the whole thing.
@meadow don't stress about the playgroup, you can find a new one or like you said she will start nursery soon so she will have social interaction, endless play etc there. It still shocks me how many people don't hold a door open for people with pushchairs.

Spent £1.15 on reduced seeded bread and some chicken snack things for DD. Popped in on the way back from the doctor from my first ever cervical exam. Tesco shop came this morning so shouldn't have to buy anything for a while except the top ups and maybe cereal. Will have to do a batch cook when the meat delivery comes on Thursday as my cupboards are bursting now.

NursieBernard · 15/01/2019 20:42

Well done Girlie DD Smile

Great news here DS1 got a conditional offer for the Uni course that he wants to do, he has come along way as he was a school refuser at secondary school. We are super proud of him Smile

I've sorted 2 bookcases out today and from this I got - 1 bag of rubbish, 1 bag of recycling, 1 bag for charity shop and 1 bag to sell (£20 from We Buy Books) How the bookcases held all this I'll never know.

Spent £4.35 on a pair of wellies for DS3 from eBay.

MeadowHay · 15/01/2019 20:46

Snuggly She won't nap on me either though really, if she did then I would do as you suggest and just watch a lot of Netflix, that's what I did a lot when she was smaller, but now she won't sleep on us really either, only in the pushchair, and still only for 20 or 30 minutes even then. I wouldn't mind except she cries all the time from being overtired. Today she was awake from 1pm until she fell asleep in the pushchair at about 7.15pm, but she cried and rubbed her eyes on and off from about 3pm, and then woke up at about 8pm, and DH is currently trying to get her to go to sleep for the night now by rocking her on his legs for the last 15 mins...but I know in the grand scheme of things this is only a small portion of her life.

Grass The HV here just seem to tell you where your local Children Centres are and tell you to contact them to see what they have going on, they never seem to know about anything else. I do already go to a nice one for under 1s on Thursday afternoon at one of them and another for under 1s on Friday afternoon at another. And yesterday I went to 'Storytime' in another local church hall for the first time which was ok, the people there were all really nice, it was a bit 'churchy' which I wasn't expecting and I'm not a Christian, not sure if I should have said or not Confused but I will probably continue to go as DD seemed to enjoy it. I may take her to another new one in a different church tomorrow morning but it's at 9.30am so not sure if I will be ready in time/have the courage. I am smashing this week though tbh! Two new playgroups in one week so far! Go me (special thanks to diazepam, but still...).

Thanks for the reassurance about the speed of passport returns, fingers crossed. We go away on the 28th Feb so a fair few weeks time. I just worry stupidly about everything. Love the baby passport photos, would put up DD's as it's super cute but don't want to reduce my relative anonymity (or lack of) even more Grin.

Just Yes I do think always think my anxiety and poor mental health may affect DD. I convinced myself when she was a constantly crying newborn that she may have been like that because I was so horrendously anxious throughout my pregnancy and I'm sure I read during my pregnancy some research indicates that anxiety during pregnancy is linked to certain behaviours in babies like crying more and sleep problems etc. I mean that obviously doesn't mean causation but yeah. But even if so, what can I do about it? I try my best. I am starting my CBT tomorrow, DM is watching DD for a few hours for me while I go.

Well done to Girlie's DD.

DH has his driving test tomorrow morning (2nd attempt). Fingers crossed! It would be ace if he passes and when I get my PIP money through we need to do some number crunching but I'm hopeful it will mean we can afford the insurance for a car as that will be astronomical.

WreckTangled · 15/01/2019 20:47

That's great for your dd girlie I know she has had a rough time previously.

Nsd today.

SnugglySnerd · 15/01/2019 20:58

Meadow I actually think 6-12 months is the hardest phase with naps they change so much in that time and are getting used to food and learning to crawl/walk/babble etc. It's a lot for them to deal with. Good luck to your dh with his driving test.

Just trying to get my head around latest part of the Brexit fiasco.

Yes where is Sneaky? Hope you are OK.

ememem84 · 15/01/2019 21:04

meadow you are absolutely smashing this. You got this!

Ds’ nap schedule has varied so much. He naps once a day now (on a good day - twice if we’re lucky). At nursery he’s so busy/nosy/afraid of missing out/having so much fun he doesn’t nap much. Today it was 45 minutes. In the toddler nap area. Not the baby nap area #proudmummy

You mentioned dd will start nursery. When is that? Have you enrolled her to start before you go back to work? Unless you can’t help it don’t do first day back at work combined with first day of nursery. Xx