The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Waving Goodbye To Summer Nights, Sipping Mocktails.

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse Welcome to the Bus. :)

Well, it would appear that Autumn is on it's way I have the heating on and can't wait to use the log burner.... shhh!

So, who are we? We're just like you. Married, single, divorced, lots of children or no children, working or a SAHM, it doesn't matter, we all breathe the same air.....

We're just trying to live our lives on the Bus, like you do each day. Well, except for one thing...

I know don't start my day with a swig, or seven, from a litre bottle of vodka (choose your poison) any longer.

And that's what has kept me here, for years now. And no doubt many more to come. Reading the stories of others struggles, wanting to say "I feel like that" or "I do that too!" but being to ashamed to be the first to put your hand up.

Well, let me reassure you here and now, there's not much that we haven't read about on here or done ourselves over the years.

We've laughed at stories of haphazard nights out, we've cried at the loss of loved ones and we've shared the pain that only an alcoholic knows when all that they want is to STOP!

Push the pause button, get off the ride, shut the door, bury yourself under the duvet for days. We've all felt that sickening feeling in our gut that makes us want to curl up and hide forever. And we've shared it all on here.

You see I don't know you and you don't know me, so we're just words on a screen to each other. Eventually, you'll get to know me more and I you, and the other fantastic Babes too, some will stay, some leave us, then some come back.

One thing I can PROMISE - here you are safe, here you won't be judged, turned away (unless you're not genuine) and we even have a huge stock of Opal Fruits but that's all down to Ma.

So, if you think we're you're kind of lovely bunch of people to help you stop drinking, slow down, hold your hand while you decide what to do, then come find a seat!

OUR MOST RECENT THREAD

AND A VERY SOBERING READ, THAT LEAD TO THE BIRTH OF THE THREADS THAT FOLLOWED

Don't beat yourself up pop.

You didn't just post in a motivated way, it was also motivating to others.

It was a stumble, far from a binge. What can you learn from it?

Thanks april. I can learn that it's not worth it for a couple of drinks! I could have been feeling so much more chipper today.

Any advice on the sleep issue also welcome.

it sounds really hard. How old is DD?
A chat with the GP is a good idea.
i have a 2 year old so am far from an expert on sleep....

battle are you there? How are you doing?

Just talking to DP about GP appointment. Will make one next week.

Where is everyone tonight?

I hope everyone was having far too much fun to post last night. Any bonfire parties?

I had a posh hot chocolate and an early night with clean bedding. Sometimes the small pleasures really are all that's needed.

Anyone got exciting plans for the day? I've got DD's music class this morning. The other highlight is tackling the pile of ironing in front of Strictly this evening.

Have a lovely day y'all.

Morning All.

Pop, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and just keep trying . I don't have any advice for you with DD - for all his other frustrating idiosyncrasies, DS was always a good sleeper unless he was ill. I think the GP is the way to go, and to go back to the school if the bullying hasn't been satisfactorily dealt with.

Venus, not much leaf crunching around here, more leaf squishing, but in the same vein of simple pleasures, since getting Pup, I have rediscovered the joy of wellies, and if you watch me carefully on walks, you may just spot, that I deliberately walk through puddles, just to test them!

April, Hope you have fun at the drumming session, grab one for yourself and join in .

I finally had a really solid sleep last night, and didn't get woken up by my bladder at 5.30am, so I'm feeling up for a day of getting stuff done. What does everyone else have planned for the weekend?

Morning babes. We are having a small firework display tonight in the garden. I have a haircut booked this afternoon. That's it! So glad it's Saturday and no work.

Morning all. Was just too exhausted to be on here last night. Early bed.
Plan for today is dropping bro at airport, taking mum shopping, visiting dad, tidying house and lots of other fun, fun, fun

Morning babes. Torrential rain here. I have dodged a bullet and got ds's coach to take him to a race. Spinning class with friends at 10.00 then girly day with dd planned with facepacks, nails and rubbish TV. Plus mountains of washing and ironing . Day 7 here and feeling ok but staying with friends tomorrow in the NE prior to work tour starting Monday, and her hospitality is very much the pizza and wine variety.... Hmm

Hope you all have a good weekend and stay warm and safe x

Good morning babes,

pop I have had 2 children that weren't good sleepers. My 5 year old was up til 11.40 last night and that's not unusual. It was a big trigger for me!!!! Hearing other mums talk of lights out at 7.30pm and knowing my wee one would still be staggering about after 10 really made me want to drink, hell still does.

I'm decorating her room this weekend, I'm hoping a new bigger girl room and some nice wee Nic nacs, bed canopy, fairy lights etc may allow to "start again" with a new routine. What age is your dd? Xxx

Well it's a horrible day here, IKEA are having a family fun weekend with lots of kids workshops and discounts on kids room accessories so I'm going to let dd learn to make a den while I try to find storage solutions to jam a million toys into and still look tidy.

It's so so wet I just want to lie on the couch and watch trashy tv and eat!!!

Back later xxxxx

Thanks for the empathy baby. My DD1 is 9.

I love ikea. Especially the meatballs and the storage solutions. My kids won't go in the crèche so I let them loose in toys. Bad parent. Sadly my DP despises IKEA so we go once every two years.
I'm de cluttering too ahead of the big house near school hunt. Strangely therapeutic. DP thinks I'm a borderline hoarder so I'm challenging myself to really get rid of stuff.

I was referring to the hunt as big there , not the house!

Pop my ds didn't sleep. But he did stay in his room happily enough, just hard to get up in the morning. Hope the doctor has some solutions. I am also a bit of a hoarder and also violently IKEA phobic so don't have enough storage . House is a mess but today am feeling like Baby and planning trash tv with dd. 're: letting kids loose in toy dept .I used to do that in Debenhams when they were little and follow them with a notebook like Karren Brady on the Apprentice. Then I'd go home and order whatever they played with most from Amazon - Christmas shopping sorted !

Yes pop it's very very frustrating. The trouble is I can't get her up for school in the morning because she's exhausted which makes the school days a nightmare, I try to remain calm but it ends in a screaming match when we're running way too late every day. It feels like the evenings are a battleground and there's not much time to spend with dd1 and dh so I'm really keen to get it sorted.

My 16 year old was the same so I've not really had a relaxing evening since 1999!!!! I know that wine helped me zone out, even though the chaos was still all around me, the wine quietened it, for a while at least.

I really hope your GP can help, any tips gratefully received xxx

Pissing rain here too. Next jobs are to soak the fruit for the Christmas cake in brandy and chuck a beef casserole in the slow cooker.
7 days is excellent hope

Irritatingly not lost any weight though Ma, despite week of post drink paranoia and puritannical no-sugar, no white carbs diet. And away most of next week in various locations existing on buffet food / hotel breakfasts, and with two reunion meals / drinks with old friends factored in. How do people manage to stay on track when their lives are all over the place? Got a hotel with a gym Tuesday night and home Thursday but won't get to exercise on any other days. Do any of you get up early to exercise? I think that's what I need to do but I just can't face it. Maybe I need to get a dog... if I had one no other bugger in the family would walk it that's for sure!

Get up early to exercise????? People do this?
Anyway, you don't need to exercise. You are très gorj anyway.
Get a huge bitey dog and set it on WB.

I used to get up early to exercise pre DD. Now that I have no choice about getting up early, I wish I'd slept while I had the chance! On that note, goodnight babes.

Getting up early to exercise? Has the no sugar diet gone to your head hope?

Have you looked at slimming world? I've never done it as I'm better finding my own way but a relative of mine runs one and she's very knowledgeable. You can have a big breakfast, you can eat normal food, you should never feel hungry but you just have to stay away from too much of certain foods.

Lots of people find it easier to maintain as a lifestyle. Like all diets though it's mainly about forward planning and not getting caught 'on the hop'. And there's not much room for booze.

Regarding exercise, resistance training is better than cardio as it builds muscle and tones. Eating right will sort the weight loss and weights will build the muscle, so a combination of both is best. You can build it into your daily life rather than going out to classes if you want to. (Try lugging your suitace up the stairs rather than taking the lift).

Anyway, I've not been very good on my diet this week so don't listen to me

ma how is your dd getting on in Spain?

Hi babes,

Slimming world is a fabulous plan, if you commit to it and prepare for it, you can eat loads and still lose weight.

I'm constantly dumbfounded by myself, I know the plan works, I know excercise is good for me on so many levels and I hate carrying this extra weight AND YET, I cannot bloody motivate myself to get started in changing things!!!!! I'm very lucky to be a member of a fabulous club, gym, sauna, jacuzzi, soft play for kids and yet I'm sitting here with body I hate looking at and a ton of gorgeous clothes that don't fit me!!! Now I know from past experience when I embrace excercise my mood is elevated and I eat better because I see and feel how hard it is to work off a mars bar and my self esteem is higher because I'm respecting myself.

All that said I've just eaten a disgusting amount of mini flapjacks and very very wrongly can't see the point of going to the gym after stuffing my face, which is exactly why I should!!!!!

Anyway I've tackled booze, bipolar and Crohn's so surely I can eat less and move more, it ain't rocket science so why do I constantly overthink it????? Oh that's right it's because I overthink everything....

As Tammy says "sometimes it's hard to be a woman"

Hugs to all you fabulous babes on a wet, windy Sunday. Xxxxx

Hi faire DD is fine. Still no job though but she has been offered a flat rent free if she can just earn enough to keep herself.
Can't believe what a vile day it is here. Grey, dark and rainy. Christmas cake is in the oven and smells lovely...
I have been to IKEA and survived

Cold, wet and dark here too. Dh is cooking a roast dinner for later when ds gets back from work. I think I will be having lots of early nights and catch up on my reading. Don't feel like doing much else at the moment.

Horrid weather here too. So many friends posting on FB about enjoying a glass of red in front of the fire. "D"H being an utter twat. I'm tired, tired, tired and my skin is rubbish. Moan, moan, moan!

baby, maybe its precisely because you've tackled/are tackling all those things that exercise just isn't happening just now? Be kind to yourself, you've got so much on your plate at the moment.

Oh yay, just seen that The Bridge is back on TV later this month. Have to be sober on a Saturday evening to watch 2 hours of Scandi-crime with subtitles

Morning All.

Busy but sober day yesterday - I seem to have got a bit of the 'boing'. Must dash. Look after yourselves today.