Friendly Frugaleers- Accounting Accurately All April

[Wolfcub]

New fred

Should say I’m not against screens when out. But want them to be last resort stuff. I have friends whose kids won’t eat (even at hone) unless they’re watching iPad or phone.

I’m holding off getting the dc a tablet until we “have” to. Suspect it’ll be needed at school but until then.....

I also bought magic painting books. Which just need water. 😀

Ah DD likes those magic painting books too Em. And so do I as there's so little mess! I'm very aware that DD hasn't eaten in a cafe or restaurant apart from one Macdonalds visit in the summer, in so long that she literally won't remember ever having done it. And that Macdonald's visit was awful as well, she wouldn't sit nicely. Im dreading taking her out again but I know she needs to learn those skills. I used to take books and colouring books, stickers etc but she still wasn't interested really. Hoping she will be better now she's older but who knows...

Glad your DH was ok Gen!

Making Jack Monroe's Tin Can Cook 'Pasta E Fagioli' for tea. Super easy and cheap.

Spend £8.30 on a customised visual weekly planner thing for DD. She gets really confused about whose going to be looking after her each day and gets upset if it's not who she's decided she's meant to be with and often asks us things like what are we doing today, do I have more nursery tomorrow etc so thought this might help her so she can see what's happening each day.

£68 Aldi but £50 cash back.
I used to be armed with stuff to keep occupied. And the planner sounds a good idea meadow.

Em that is a fab idea.

Have you tried watercolour pencils and the brushes which have a water reservoir? If they like the just add water books they might like them. They range from cheap as chips to artist quality and are priced accordingly.

I am torn with electronics at the table - DD uses her iPad as an art medium and DS as a book. I would be fine with DD sketching and DS reading.

I am getting the hang of waffling.... I have whizzed through a ball of wool. I am not sure my stash will have enough so it is going to be stripy - keeping my stash wool to put a cohesive stripe through periodically & top and tail. I might put a local FB ask out for unloved DK Marino and see what comes up.

I agree re screens. We haven’t really gone there with Cagletini yet - for a while she played on a phonics game a couple of times a week, but hasn’t missed it since the screen died. However we have the tv on for her waaaaay too much.

We might try breakfast at the local first when it opens, we did that once in summer and she did stay pretty well - less waiting and it’s super quiet. That’s the only time she’s been in a restaurant at all since covid.

It’s quite odd what a different year she’s had to the other two when they were that age, they obviously had a lot more experiences like public transport, restaurants, museums etc. All she’s really done in the last year is the park, nursery and the supermarket. Which is a shame when I think of all the stuff we haven’t been able to do! But also, she seems to have had a lot more fun at home than the others did at that age. And now I’m excited to do all those new things. :o

It is an odd year (18 months) - I worry that the 0-21 yo will bare the brunt of it long term. They will pay for it and they will be the generation that have had their education (in the wider sense) disrupted. I cannot explain how annoyed I am about about the hand wringing surrounding summer holidays & how long they will have to wait in passport control queues and if you will need a Covid passport to go to see a band / have a drink inside. Yet no attention is given to kids who have had patchy education for 14 months. How are they going to make that up and are employers going to look at their ages and decide that their grades are over inflated? Sorry for the rant.

Tis a totally understandable rant, unescorted! 💐

I might have some dk merino to bring you when we go to Bridgewater Unescorted. I used to contribute t woolly hugs so might have some left

Gen great news about your DH colonoscopy
Have a lot of birthdays to sort out , Twin 2 yr old boys, BFF of my Mum, my friend, my Mums friend . So this is going to be spendy
Aldi today 12 otherwise not too bad
Opticians appt for us both tomorrow , flowers for my Bf to the Crem , tip run and then meeting my Bff tomorrow for coffee and cakey at a garden centre can't wait haven't seen he for months !

Ah yes. Tv. The other babysitter. Mine love a bit of CBeebies. And ds is obsessed with “two little boys” (two obnoxious kids called Vlad and Niki and their equally obnoxious mother) and “man play toys” (random toy unboxing) on YouTube. I’m trying to break the habit. But so far not succeeding. I mean I do choose when the tv goes on. So in that sense I’m winning. But for a quiet life...I give in.

Dd likes Peppa and Bing. Two of my most hated cartoons. Bing is a pissy pants twat. And pepper is so bossy.

Happy Friday everyone

Wolf that would be awesome. I am going to try posting a photo via my phone. I have not had a huge level of success so far, but I will not let the photo posting defeat me.

Mrs I hope you don't get hay fever with all the flowers.

We used the TV - I am your quiz queen for Naughties children TV characters.

DH is away for 2 - 3 weeks from today. So it is just me and DS for the next few weeks. That is going to be quiet. Oddly one of our friends called in on his bike ride just to check I was OK. He got his days mixed up. i hope we aren't going to see him too much.

hopefully this works.

Tah dah!!!!!!

Left to Right .... waffly blanket, mum's birthday cake and my colour chart for my watercolour pallet.

Unescorted those are all amazing!

Fantastic Unescorted you are very talented

Fanks... The cake was a revelation. I used Ermine buttercream which is a lot less sweet than American, Swiss or Italian which helped with the balance.

unescorted so clever and so pretty!

I’m almost finished season 4 of LoD. “H” has just been mentioned. I’m so so excited to get to the end of the show! It’s so so good!

Day off today. Second load of laundry in machine. One in dryer.

I’m going to drop dh to work pop in to see dparents get cat food and litter. Park trip. Then home for more laundry and tv time with the kids.

Wow unescorted 😍

Em it is sooooo good.

And thanks for reminding me to put the sheets in the wash.

That cake looks lovely Unescorted!!

Oh yes DD watches a lot of telly. It's not so bad now that the weather is mostly dry and more things are opening but the lockdown periods were baaaad...! Her fave atm is suddenly Olobob Top just because that's what was on when she had her blood test and she'd not seen it before. So now she is watching all them on iPlayer.

Spends: £4.60 bus to/from hospital, £5.30 Tesco on a few groceries.

I'm so happy I'm starting to feel so much better. Early start today for blood test at the hospital, no vomiting. Got laundry on and done the dishwasher too. I'm actually starting to feel bored now I'm feeling better in myself so glad to be going back to work on the 10th.

Anyone got any weekend plans? We've got none so far except for DD's swimming class early tomorrow morning.

Afternoon everyone 😀
Going to see my friend at the local garden centre this afternoon. A nice cuppa and a teacake l think 😋
Unescorted ah thank you l have been fine from the hay fever thankfully 🙏 l have been taking antihistamines every day , l changed to Benadryl & l have been taking cold & flu capsules. I don't know if l should mix them but out of desperation l am taking whatever l can get my hands on and it's working 🤣🤣
Long may it continue! 😀

I forgot how can l forget cakethat cake looks delicious 😍😋😋😋 well done Unescorted

Ha ha em I agree re Bing. I forever associate him with feeling sick as I used to have to read DS1 a Bing book when I was pregnant with DS2 and nauseous. And he weed himself in that book too. I miss kids tv in general though, mine watched a lot. Though it’s great to be watching grown up things like LOD with them!
Fantastic cake and crafts unescorted. I’ve just had a pre diabetes test so trying to stay away from cake .
mrs hope you had a lovely time with your friend.
I’m at football training with DS2, going to have to do some work in the car as I keep falling asleep over my computer today. Feel like I’ve had a delayed reaction to my vaccine but that was a week ago, so probably too long?

Hope you had a lovely afternoon Mrs
Glad you are feeling better Meadow

Spendiferous day;
£45 haircut
£52 petrol
£60 Microsoft as ds has forgotten his school password for 365 and I urgently needed word, pdf functions and outlook on laptop for paperwork
£100 solicitor b on account
£45 to ds's dad for money ds apparently owes him

Bloody good job it was payday!

Bloody can't stand Peppa pig. She needs a slap.

£40 milk, £92 Sainsbury's, £15 charity
Great cake.