November 2012 - All our babies are 18 months, where has the time gone?

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/2079383-November-2012-Roll-on-summer-we-want-paddling-pools

I need to shop around a bit, I only ever do the shop at tesco as my favourites are already stored online so it is easier. A big aldi has just opened not far from me so I might try there and go in the evening when dp is home so I can take the car.
We've only just really started to go through the finances because of the moving house talk, also dp is wary that he might be losing his shift allowance at work which will be about £8k. With me not working now either it will really make a difference.

I'd definitely go for an office radio. Call it a pregnancy treat

Fuck me Fruit that is a lot of money!

I haven't forgotten your request Wanda. I will post my list soon x

Due to yesterday's meat arrival my monthly spend is hugely increased this month but I won't need to buy meat for quite a while.

I collected the meat yesterday and have spent most of today deciphering her labels, putting the batches into smaller packets and freezing.

Instead of labelling the bits of meat by what joint they are she has written things like "this bag is good for beef and carrot casserole" and "I use this for osso bucco" and "can be roasted in oven" and "this is best ground into mincemeat".

Am also annoyed that she cut the fillet up into steaks, labelling it "top quality steaks". I knew there'd be fillet in there and was going to freeze it for beef wellington for xmas.

There are also "medium quality steaks" and "bbq quality steaks".

I appreciate her thoughts on what to do with the meat but would have found proper labelling easier to deal with and a beautiful fillet being left intact would have been nice ffs.

We had a rib for dinner last night and it was vvvv good so not complaining.

Fruit I find Tesco soooooo expensive nowadays, I didn't use to. I get literally a basket full in there for what I could buy a trolley full for in Aldi. My dairy free bits and bobs from Tesco (and free range chicken - you can't get that in Aldi) this week came to £37 - largely because I'm tempted by treats which Aldi doesn't have much in the way of. That's nearly half my shop. I got all of our meals, cleaning products and pet food from Aldi for only £43. Give your new store a try. I hate the fact you can't pack your shopping at the till but have to drag it to the counter (not good if you use a basket rather than a trolley as the feckers don't let you keep your basket!!!) but it's worth the faff TBH. Just avoid the 'Aisles of Shite' as DH calls the centre aisles full of bargains that you never knew you needed.

PR I'd be cross. I'd give her a ring about the fillet in particular explaining that you didn't want it cut into steaks and give them the option of swopping the steaks for a whole one. It does all sound vair yum.

Thanks vq

Well done R that is amazeballs! Lucky you.

So even though this week has been dubbed a holiday week I have started tweaking around my routine, mainly because I now have some time to focus on the boys and partly because I have realised DS1 will be off on his adventures in education come September. I want him to go in confident.

So the first thing I needed to deal with was our eating routine. We only all sit together round the table for breakfast and Sunday dinner. The boys eat around 4 - 5 ( broad window I know) and we eat around 7. So I have rescheduled all of ours tea till 6 as when DH is in his office he is home for 6. If he is not home on time I will eat with the boys and he can eat alone. Me and DH will eat on our own on Friday and Saturday.

Anyway this regime seems to be working so far. Three days in anyway. I have had to introduce a decent, afternoon tea snack at around 2:30 - 3 though or the boys wouldn't last. Banana bread today.

Next week is more focused activities. What yet I don't know.

Oh yes, and yes I have found Tesco to be getting more expense, this week is the beginning of the Lidl trial. I need to do my meal planning tonight .

eliza sent me a great meal planner which also outlined any prep you could do in advance. I love this. But it took me away from meals I love and also I love using my recipe books. So I wondered if I could not set myself up a template to do something similar. Then I could have my shopping lists set up from each week. So I my start that this week. I did do something ages ago as like this so I just need to resurrect it. I think I had a three week rotation.

We have had to buy extra bread, ham and cheese today as DH and I are now taking packed lunches. We are just learning to use this new budget tool and we are being reviewed by the CTC people so I just pray they do not pay us less, or say we owe them like they usually do. I hate being reliant on them but with a childcare bill of £1500 or so a month I have no choice.

I have been told I can have all my annual leave I have requested though so all holidays are now covered. That is such a relief as that is £200 a week extra we don't need to find.

Pr better put your next cow order in.

VQ there are some PJs on sale. Link on FB

Pp well done r.

H just passed me As muslin. He is getting good at it. Lol.
Also decided he would feed me Cheerios.

And another mile stone. H said fuck. 3 times. I've ignored it so far just hoping he doesn't say it in front of other people.

I phoned this morning yw with questions about a randomly unlabelled package (shin, turns out) and mentioned the fillet. She was very unbothered by my comment and asked if i wanted to go back on the waiting list for a future pack where she would leave the fillet whole if I reminded her beforehand but i declined. I can't plan my freezer anything from 9-15 months ahead.

I like meal planning but only do it a week ahead as I like to change a lot. A rotation thing is a good idea budget wise but i wouldn't stick to it.

I've been sharing your risotto recipe left right and centre wanda as I found a link to it on Tastebook (which is a time sucking monster btw). I'm going to do it again soon while asparagus is still in season.

We get the same kind of things each week, fish twice, mince, chicken maybe fajitas or stew and mix it up when we feel like it. We spend about £100 a week on our online shop and maybe about £30 for things we've forgotton about. We could probably get it cheaper if we shopped around but the money we'd save isn't really worth the time we'd lose. We do a tesco online delivery and get vouchers every month or so and the delivery charge was £30 for 6 months worth of deliveries.

Fruit that's not a lot less than my entire montly income

PR I've not done Beef Wellington before but MIL does salmon en croute with individual fillets, could that be an option? Bit more faff to prep but less cooking time perhaps?

Wanda in an ideal world we'd all eat togther at 6, and in fact did until it became apparent R needed to be in bed earlier. To me that's a sensible time so I hope it works for you :) Any suggestions on activities? I find myself taking R out all the time - groups in the morning, shops or park or my parents' in the afternoon - to wear him out and for a change of scene. I'm wondering if I should do more stuff at home but the couple of times I've tried to have a quiet time with him his sleep has gone to shit...

GT I'm trying to be careful of my language around R atm. Luckily his speech is still fairly unformed so if he did that I could get away with "Ooh, where? Can you see a truck?" if he did that!

R had an accident when we got in, but that was really my fault. He made for the stairs when we got home but was faffing instead of climbing and I was tired and grumpy after 2 hours of dealing with my elderly gran so I popped him into the living room to play while I cooked his tea. Wet trousers minutes later I'm still a little bit in shock though, I wasn't sure he'd get it even though all the signs were pointing that way. Oh Pidj of little faith

Pidj one pee on the toilet does not a trained toddler make. It could have been a coincidence.

Thank you for the link GT

Not at all, and I expect there to be many more accidents. But it gives me confidence that I'm doing the right thing. I don't want to waffle about the dull minutiae surrounding it but it was a very definite ask then pee in the correct place. The friends I was with commented that we hadn't been gone long.

The steaks are too thinly cut to make individual beef wellingtons. Plus I have my perfect recipe which gets a fillet perfectly cooked. Not sure I can bear to risk overcooking any fillet.

Paisley my DH is very against pink for a boy. I couldn't care less. He wore pink when he was wee, but he is growing up fast and DH wants him, and everyone else, to know he is a boy. He is even quite upset that I let him play with a doll and Upsy Daisy. He is worried he will be bullied. He is very old remember

Aw bummer PR any friendly neighbours you can trade them with?

I think this is illustrating why I'm going to wait to potty train - I can't keep an eye on him for clues every second for weeks and weeks on end. When he's bigger he'll be more verbal and quicker on the uptake about it I hope. I am watching with interest and willing you on Pidj! Lots of luck!

We've been playing with his trainset. He of course (when like King Kong he tramples the track), has learned the phrase "fix it peease" and "Mummmma fix it". There's one fecking bridge that collapses if you so much as breathe on it, that is seriously going to end up as kindling!!!!!!

Fruit that is my monthly wage I've got my weekly shop down to £50, but it is a helluva lot easier with only one adult mouth to feed. I do find Tesco expensive though, so as YW says, I would definitely give your Aldi a try

Thanks YW his clues are pretty big - I couldn't be doing with endless wet furniture and carpets associated with true "elimination communication" it'd drive me potty! - I just need to have a bit more patience with him

This is a deff FucK
At least it's in keeping with quiche sweary Wednesday?

Nah i will find another use for them. I'm not on meat swapping terms with my neighbours :o

Hallos.

Went to view house number one tonight. Reeking of damp sadly. Lovely house but defo damp. Good experience

I wish I could type telepathically. I have read and I have things I want to comment on but I can barely type.

We are also needing to budget massively. Money runs through our hands like water. We don't live an exotic lifestyle but we do the daily supermarket visits which chalk up hugely, we run expensive cars and I have a large commute. We need it sorted!!

Meat swapping with neighbours. Isn't that swinging?