Friendly Frugaleers Festive Preparations and Financial Accountability

[Wolfcub]

New Fred

Nsd planned today.
Clearing tidying and stuff to charity shop.

He will get it em but it can feel quite frustrating. I remember one day a few days in being spectacularly awful for accidents and I was about to give up. Cracked it the next day.

I do think the later you leave it the quicker the process is (depending on the child) my nieces and nephews who were left until they were almost 3 all got it straight away. Those closer to 2 were still having accidents for a good few months.... that said dd was the same age as your ds em when we went for it. She was dry pretty quickly (but has always had a bladder of steel!) but we had issues with pooing for about another year.

We all had a decent sleep last night, dpup slept for 11 hours which is the longest he's gone without needing the loo!! I had 9 hours and dd is still asleep now!!

Here's a pic of a Christmas pup 🐶

He's very cute Girlie!

Oh wow, that is a very cute puppy! What type is it, a sort of collie?

Hubby took kids to park yesterday so they didn't spend anything. Dinner will be stuff we have in (chicken and mushroom pie with leftover crimbo veg) and going to put together a picnic from whatever random bits I can find.

Going to pop into Wilko when we go to Centre for Life though as need new silicone baking sheets and also found they do a toilet cleaner suitable for septic tanks for £1.

He was reluctant yesterday to sit on the potty (despite sitting on it previously and being quite happy).

This morning we’ve had breakfast, he’s had about fifteen pints of water and he was happy to sit on the potty. No peeing though.

I kept him in the bathroom with me while I showered. Kept him nappy off and nothing. He’s still in his jammies with his pants on so we’ll see how we go.

Couch cushions are in the wash. Luckily we have wooden floors downstairs....

Me he's a terrier mix (yorkie/jrt) but there's a running joke in the family that he's actually half collie as there was one in the family home we got him from!! He's pretty small and very terrier like so am fairly confident he isn't actually half collie 😬😄

Morning all. Had a lovely day yesterday. Spent some time outdoors with bil and dnephew in the afternoon. £3 car park, £15 food & drink. Then chilled evening at sil's eating up leftovers. Only spend was £5 on some lager for ds.
Today ds & dh are going to football & meeting up with friends at pub before. Spending will be drinks at pub & taxi to ground. I'm going to shops with dd & my friend from Cornwall is coming up on the train so we're going to go for a walk & have a good catch up.
Will catch up properly later. Have a good day everyone, whatever you're doing.
wolf When we get home, I'll send you dh's behaviour statements from last application if you don't mind. 2020 is going to be his year!

Me too wolf if that's ok? I will also pm you my email address if you would rather reply on there. Btw did you see the yha 25% off January sale email

Ooo 25% sale I will have a look at that thanks

Life, North that's all fine with me, I might not look until 6/1 though if that's ok? If you have application deadlines before that let me know and I will prioritise

Christmas has been put away for another year and with df's help I have fixed the kitchen blind which I've not been able to raise for a couple of months.

Looking for a new regular saver as mine matures next week and my bank are no longer doing a regular saver. Also thinking about premium bonds but don't think I have enough to invest to potentially hit a win.

Might try and drag ds for a walk in a bit. He is doing my head in and is in full stroppy teen mode

Seems like dh has seriously checked out of everything today. He’s been for a nice walk to the shop alone (which was fine because ds is not in nappies). Has come back. Has made lunch alone (shut kitchen door and left me with both kiddos).
We had frittata. I swear he decides to make the most complicated things so he can check out.

I’m exhausted. As haven’t been sleeping well. So I’m now upstairs. On bed. With a cup of tea. Some water and a couple of biscuits.

Ds is in his bed. Napping. I’m hoping he doesn’t have a pee while he’s in bed as I changed his sheets earlier and haven’t put them in to wash yet!!

If necessary I can throw them in on a quick 30 minute wash and dry them again for tonight but I reeeaaaaaallllly don’t want to! Must also set up the mattress protector sheet layering trick. Haven’t done that either.

wolf I have premium bonds - have the max invested as this was the remainder from our house sale. I tend to get at least £25 a month back. Which is a much better return than savings ac.

I was in the midst of potty training the dts this time last year at a similar age to your ds em. It took a good few weeks to be accident free and both of them have had little patches of regression. We're now contemplating night training as they're dry 99% in the mornings. We were in a hurry packing up and travelling yesterday and didn't realise we hadn't brought pull-ups until it was time for bed. The nearest supermarket open at that time around here is a 20 mile round trip down windy lanes. Dh was just about to head out when luckily, mil found some pyjama pants that must have been used by dnephew. So crisis averted and frugal! Typically they were both dry this morning so dh was very glad he hadn't done the supermarket dash!

£7.50 spent this morning in village shop.

We had frittata for lunch too Em. The dcs helped to make it so it took rather longer than usual but they had fun and I like getting them involved in the kitchen.
I feel like I've checked out since then. I'm very tired and achy and can't get warm. Hope I'm not coming down with something just as dh goes back to work tomorrow.

I hope it's ok to join in, I'm a serial rejoiner but this year ive been spending and it's all spiralled... I need to get it under control and don't know where to start. instead of paying off debt we've added to it, it's been a bad year in terms of health and circumstance which has meant stress spending/shopping.

I've spent today sorting my kitchen and airing cupboard.... I have so many lentils and bars of soap. I don't even know what to do with lentils just keep buying them for a recipe which I never end up cooking.

I ordered some soap and glory in the sale yesterday but I might return.... I don't really need it even if it was free as I had boots points i had forgotten about.

Sorry for the really long post... once I've sorted out and put away Christmas presents I will have a read through (with a cup of tea using up one of my million tea bags!!)

Lentils - assuming red? I chuck them in loads of things. Bolognaise sauce, Shepard’s pie, curries, soups.

I think I'd keep him in nappies for naps em, keeping dry when asleep takes a while.

We're back from town,

Spends
£10 mountain warehouse (top in the sale)
£2 fat face (used a £30 voucher and got two tops in the sale)
£6 Greggs
£5 Charity shop a cookbook and half price Christmas cards
£36 M&S finally got dd measured and some bras plus 12 nail varnishes in the sale they were only £6 and some lovely colours.
£12 Superdrug a couple of cheap gift sets to go in the gift box and some toiletries.

My Next stuff doesn't appear to have gone through so saved myself £80 there 😁

Welcome back Nocuts.

We are sticking with pull ups for naps and longer car journeys for now Em. One accident so far. Not bad in 2 days.

He didn’t nap. So no issues. 👍🏻

Nocuts- we are having slow cooker sausage casserole tonight and shoved a load of red lentils, also make sweet potato and lentil shepherds pie which we all like and is easy if you want the recipe? I also have loads of soaps, try to avoid plastics (especially single use) and as a few friends/family know that, I often get soap. It's breat as lasts ages, but means I defo have a back log.

Only £2 spent today on a brownie which the 3 littles shared. Free entry to science centre (we have annual passes) and realised picnic was even (unintentionally) frugal for 5 of us (eldest was off with own friends): x12 Linda McCartney saus rolls (£2), x4 flasks of broccoli and cauli cuppa soup (£1.25), 5 fresh apricots (under 70p) and a bag of those pop crisp things (about 80p).

Home now and just relaxing, popping out to see a friend later, going to take some left over mulled wine from crimbo.

Trip to go outdoors with dm and DF. They bought ds a new coat for school. Very generous

Making sausage rolls to have with the cheese mountain for tea

New year plans have gone to pot as hosts poorly, might have a trip to the supermarket tomorrow and see if we can pick up something treaty for tea cheaply.

Working tomorrow a bit, didn't sleep last night as head full of work. This is not healthy.

Have made one massive list of meals we like/eat often. I'm also going through the cookbooks I use most and adding to the list things we've liked but I've forgotten about. The one thing I'm really struggling with is how busy we Are with evening sport/club commitments and me being away with work one or two nights a week. I feel I'm not doing my best dinner wise on those days so I need to think about what I can do better

www.facebook.com/wynyardplanetarium/
@methen

Slow cooker wolf. Make 2 fingers the night before and re heat?
Nsd todaty. House sort started then friend came over. Looks superficially ok. Need a tip run, charity shop run and possibly car boot at Easter.

Can I have the shep pie recipe please me?

Welcome back nocuts.

More good work with the leftovers here today. Froze a tiny bit of wine that we had left yesterday to use in Bolognese or something. Also breadcrumbed end of loaf and added to bag in freezer to use on things like stuffing. Then defrosted 2 lots of Bolognese (1 meat, 1 veggie) and used some of the cheese mountain to make cheese sauce so 2 lasagnes. Still seem to have a lot of potatoes so did wedges to go with lasagne. The whole lot got eaten.

Have meal planned for the next week using stuff we have in apart from NYE when we are getting a takeaway with friends. Just need to buy milk, fruit, yoghurt, nappies.

Nsd.

Hi Nocuts. New year, renewed efforts for a lot of us!

Interesting potty chat... I need to start DD on toilet training but I’m waiting till after NY as we are away and I don’t want to be worrying about other people’s upholstery. I’m not convinced it’ll go smoothly! I’d quite like to go straight to toilet training and forget the potty - easier when out - but not sure that’s realistic. DS was so much older when he toilet trained that he skipped the potty stage. I don’t know what normally happens with 2-year olds though!

Now, I’ve been asked to provide pudding for 14 adults and 9 children for NYE. Need a gluten free option. Ideas? I’m thinking tray bake type things rather than hot puddings as we’ll all probably eat / drink too much and be grazing rather than having a sit/down pudding. I don’t have loads of time tomorrow either as I’m working. Hmmm.

Mum and sisters came round today for a Christmas get together - posh fish pie and then pecan pie and presents. Was lovely, still not hungry 7 hrs later though! The children were really funny and lovely and played so nicely with their gifts. Just a lovely day.

Lurgy’s improving and I’m finally feeling more like myself too. Phew!

Left over wine?! What’s that?!