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[northender]

Lots of support and advice here for frugaleers old and new.

Yep Wreck I went to Sainbury's earlier for fruit and a baby gift. Came back with treats and posh things that I wouldn't normally buy. Although I did get free biscuits and tea bags as part of their 150th birthday celebrations!

cag I’m so so glad you managed the gym. If you can, go again tomorrow. Listen to music or an audio book while there (Unless you go to a class/trainer). Just get out of your head for a while. That’s my main reason for going, that and I want a six pack of gin

I just cried. Proper ugly tears at dh. Because right now I feel:

• fat (I know I’m now)
• huge (as above)
• exhausted (true story)
• useless because I’m struggling to lift things/ds (true story but I know I’m not useless)
• ugly/unattractive (ha!)
• back hurts

Dh listened. Wandered off and left me watching the simpsons. He put ds to bed (I waddled up to say nightnight). Brought me a seedlip and tonic. Made the Jamie Oliver slammin ginger beef. Brought the laundry in from outside. Has cleaned the kitchen. And has run me a hot(ish) bath. With Epsom salts and lavender oil and a veritable fuckton of bubbles.

I want to shop at Aldi!!!! We don’t have one here. Our nearest one is probably in France. 14 miles away. 😭

Oh em this feeling is only temporary! DS broke my heart the other day when he asked me to pick him up then said “no I’m too big” because that’s what I’ve been telling him (he’s just too heavy for me now). It’s so so tough. But soon you will be back feeling your old self & you will forget all about this last crappy bit. Virtual wine for your bath 🍷🍷🍷

I just watched the finale of Big Bang Theory & I’m a blubbering mess.

Haha em that's closer than my closest Aldi although mine is definitely easier to get to

Oh gosh mrsg that’s a bit cringey isn’t it 🙈

Aw thanks em I am seeing a friend tomorrow (so will get out of my head that way if we disappear for lunch :o after some board games and stuff at mine) she’s in her first pregnancy but isn’t enjoying it much bless her. Huge hugs, it’s horrible feeling useless and overwhelmed xxx

Hopefully doing gym again Monday or swimming. I love the steam room after. Touch wood, I haven’t had a single cold or dodgy chest infection type thing since I started sitting in there in January, even when I’ve had that pre-cold feeling it’s not developed. It may be coincidence but steam is supposed to be very good for that and normally by late May I’d have had at least two! 🤷‍♀️

Just found out DSDs are taking DD to HP studios for her birthday present, she is going to hit the ceiling!

Mrsg it was a lovely end wasn’t it, that show means so much to me (happened to start watching just after I realised I have Aspergers, Sheldon genuinely helped me through it even though they’ve never actually said he has it) and I’m gutted it’s over.

Oooh I love a steam. The posh spa which I like to go to must see if dhs credit card can stretch to a preggo massage and or facial has a couple of amazing steam rooms. All salty and aromatherapy-ey. Not that I’m allowed to use them right now. But I always feel a gazillion times better after sitting in there for a bit. Steam. Sauna. Plunge into cold pool. Invigorating.

Managed to haul myself out of the bath. Win. I thought I’d need dhs help. But managed it on my own. 😊

Loved the Big Bang ending.

Just gone to bed. Catface was bouncing around the garden trying to pounce moths (moffs)

Curvy it took me a few weeks to feel able to go back to work, but I am a nurse so have a heavy job that has lots of lifting. I was doing normal things in the house within about a week, probably because dh was at work so I had no choice. The only negative thing for me was that I started having flushes and other menopausal symptoms after it even though the doctor said that shouldn’t happen as I still had my other ovary.

Lsd. Petrol as drove to a dog event. Already paid entrance so just a couple of coffees and a sandwich for lunch. Today out for lunch and my turn . Working tomorrow so that should be a nsd.

Forgot to mention my new frugal idea yesterday of taking our own ice creams to the park in a cool bag with an ice pack. For 5 of us ice creams from the can cost nearly a tenner. The park is 5 mins
away so they don't melt if we eat them when we get there. I shall be stocking up on ice creams from Aldi this week.

Morning all. Woken up half hour ago to “bubbi weeeeeaaaaaaarrrrrrrruuuuu” (Mummy where are you) which is cute and lovely. But man so early.

Off to Iceland this morning and am also going to buy ice lollies. Yay. As well as things to make Bakewell tart for dessert.

Swimming with ds today.

Haven't managed to post this week, but have been keeping up.
Curvy sorry to hear about your cyst. Take care.
snuggly great idea for ice creams at the park, great frugaleering.
Girlie sounds like you had a lovely trip to London. To answer a previous question, I'm 47 & apparently perimenopause can go on for up to 10 years before menopause. I've not felt great this week, up & down emotionally & so tired. Hope you get some answers from dd's assessment.
Em I can't believe how far on you are.
cag sorry to hear you're having such a tough time, hang on in there.
wolf have a lovely, restful time away
madden have a good weekend away, but definitely planning & prep needed in future to eliminate station/airport spends! My family roll their eyes at my level of prep for those sort of things!!
life hope the fundraiser went well.
Great to see some new faces too, welcome.

Busy work week here, but low spend. Friday was the only day I resorted to buying lunch as I hadn't got anything prepared.
Went out with dh on Thursday & Friday. Thursday was to see a relatively well known comedian, which was disappointing (£23 each) Friday we saw a local folk/rock band who were amazing & really uplifting (£12 each). You win some, you lose some.
Yesterday & today is cricket tea duty so I'm about to bake more cakes as yesterday's flew out of the door. Had a good meeting on Wednesday & there are quite a few people willing to help out so I should be able to start sharing the load more soon.
Have a good Sunday everyone.

I thought it was the perfect end cag & I’m so often disappointed with the endings to show like this. I’m glad Sheldon helped you. To think, the original plan was to make the show about Leonard & Penny with Sheldon just as a background character!

Good idea snuggly. DS keeps eating all my ice lollies (I have the YooMoo yoghurt ones) 😡

Sounds like a better wake up call than DH got yesterday morning em. He woke up to “Daddy poo poo! Daddy poo!” Cue DH running in to see what mess DS had caused 🙈

My sister & mum are planning on joining our local David Lloyd this summer. Since I’m having a year off work I’m considering joining but is that crazy with a newborn & 3 year old? I’d only be joining for the pool & company (have a home gym). I was planning on spending a lot of time with mum & sister during Mat leave. DS will be at preschool 3x a week & goes to MIL twice a week. Happy to take him with me though. DH works from home so could have DS2to-be a couple of hours a week I’m sure. Sister said they could hold baby while I have a steam etc. I want to join, I just don’t want it to be a waste of £. It’ll be £66 p/m (off peak) plus something for DS.

On a positive note, judging by the conversation I had with the CEO at work on Friday, it looks like they will have me back regardless of my manager’s plans which I’m really please about. Of course things can change, but I think by that time even my manager will be happy to have be back since I’m super efficient 💪🏻

Thanks Born, I work in a nursery so that can be challenging at times. I guess I'm just a little scared as I'm now single. The DCs are with their dad until Tuesday so I can do some research, ready for the Drs appt.

Hi north, thank you. Sounds like you have a busy day, really pleased that people have offered help.

Had a spendy day Ystd in the end which is fitting end to a spendy month 😬

Spent £15 at the garden centre on some plants for a rockery I've started to create, I did take a cherry tree back that I bought and it had died despite my best efforts. I have a credit voucher for £49 now which I might use towards a patio at some point.

Spent at least £30 😵 at the fair, honestly those places are money pits and they must see me coming! Dd spent around £10 of her own money on top of that!! She also managed to win a bloody fish 🐟 so now I need to think about what we need for that, it's currently in a temporary bowl 🙄 I can't believe they still give fish away as prizes!!

Today I need to do a dump trip as my brother pulled our hallway carpet up Ystd ready for the new floor next week.

May end up getting some fish stuff...

Can I have a moan? None of my summer clothes fit. While it’s colder I can get away with my leggings & already baggy tops but I have no shorts, my dresses make me look too big in the hips. Going to lunch @ my mums today & I can hardly rock up in black jeans & body it’s too bloody hot. Yet I’m trying to be frugal & not waste money on clothes I can get minimal wear out of. Can’t win. Urgh. Rant over.

I didn’t realise they still gave away fish Girlie! That’s seems a bit of a pain!!

Girlie try Wilkos for the fish bits. It will be cheaper than the pet shop. From what I remember bowl, gravel, food, fake weed/toy to swim around. This is where we need @LonelyOversharer our resident pet expert

Thanks, the fund raiser went ok. About £270 for the group. It's wasn't our event so we had little outlay. The main event for us is 15 June.
Still need another £48k for our roof but baby steps.

£51 Sainsbury's this morning.
Was going to buy DC new trainers but mil had fallen so we have the dog as a&e is in our town. That spend will now be Tuesday. Faffing about the house today before diving. £2 parking.

Em, you are beautiful and are growing another cutie pie.
Tiredness makes these things worse so hope today is better.
Will read yesterday now

Interesting morning.

Skyped mil. She’s all good. She mentioned that dhs cousin from Aussie will be her in August. The same time as her. And it’s be nice for us to catch up. All good so far.

Dh suggested we host a bbq for all the family and friends (around 20 family plus friends).

Mil will be here 16 August. So two weeks ish after due date. Mil said to dh “that’s a nice idea. But wouldn’t it be better if someone else hosted?” Dh questioned this. And mil reminded him that babies can be up to two weeks late and sometimes mother’s have c sections. And if that happens most mothers wouldn’t want approx 40 people descending on their house for a party. 😉

I’ve since spoken to dh. And have said that if dd arrives two weeks early and we’re all ok and it’s not a c section and if he does all the organising and cleaning up and/or we get caterers in to do the bbq/food I’m all for it.

I’m fairly safe in the knowledge that dh won’t organise it. Doesn’t want to pay for things we can do ourselves (even though a client of mine runs a superb catering company and we could probably get mates rates). And he also knows I won’t help if I say I won’t. 😉

So I think mil has drummed it into him that it’s best if we don’t do it.

Spends £27 coop on ingredients for bake well tart plus and a few other bits.

£10 Iceland on ice lollies (g&t calippos - Which do actually have alcohol in them!; Iceland rocket lollies, mini vienettas on sticks and mini mills). Crumpet and soreeeeen malt loaf.

Have Bakewell in the oven now together with a chocolate cherry flapjack.

Em that’s brilliant after all the bother you’ve had with her. Hopefully she will talk some sense into dh. I can’t believe he expected a pregnant woman to help him carry a wardrobe upstairs

Productive morning, took loads down to the dump which felt cathartic!

They had some lovely pots for the garden down there at the reuse shop so picked up 3 decent size ones for £9.

Went to pets at home and got a small tank, with stones and a filter for £15, it will do for now anyway, also got food and water neutralise stuff £4. Dd is very happy with her new pet who she has christened Sherlock 🕵️‍♂️ 🐟 Wilkos is a good shout for other bits wolf we will have a look tomorrow maybe.

£6 in Greggs on lunch as we were suddenly hungry.

Plan to finish jobs in the garden this afternoon, will take a few pics so you can admire my handy work 😁

Me neither wolf I just helpfully pointed out the bump to him. He apparently forgets sometimes. I do too (then catch sight of myself somewhere and am like “ohhhh yeah I’m doing that again.!!”).

Swimming done. Bakewell tart baked. Flapjack done (and delicious). Now just have to do a few chores after my cuppa while watching postman pat.

£12 pre order breakfast in the restaurant for Tuesday morning. The other three days we will just have toast or whatever in the lodge

Girlie I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with your garden. The pots I did last week are looking good. I’m particularly loving the ground flowering clematis.

Wow, Em, your MIL is being unusually considerate!

em are you full time up until you go on maternity leave? I’m currently 3 days a week & was going to continue that in June & perhaps drop down to 2 days for July but the extra £ from doing 3 days would come in handy. Not sure what to do 🤔