if you had funds for you what would you use it for??

[lisad123isgoingcrazy]

Carers gorup has asked me to apply for their grant which I can choose something for me, something that wil help my emotional, physical or mental health. I have no idea what to ask for
I can ask for a spa day, a gym membership, a weekly class of some sort or even a holiday, but it has to be good for me!
I dont know what to ask for, thats sad isnt it? Im tempted by spa but tbh once home again the calm wont last long lol!
if any of you ladies are in herts and want details of this feel free to CAT me :)

wont count towards respite i asked as yes wanted nursery fund for dd2, you know me well! that was first thing i asked!

I'd go for a weekly class (depending on how easy it is to escape regularly) and pick up a skills I've always fancied and which I could carry on at home (you know for all that spare time you have )

Or a skip full of chocolate.

DH could have the kids and mum will help out ifn needed but your right the carers is a pain!
I reallly think nursery would help, its helpful to give me a break and helpful to DD2

agree with star - the main problem for me would be carers for the girls.

would definitely go for a class, if at all possible. anyhting at all - what have you always wanted to learn to do?

I thik a regular weekly escape (as long as babysitting can be sorted) would be much more value than a spa day (I had a lovely spa day as a present from dh last year. oh, it was bliss - peaceful, tranquil, just me and a good book and the time and space to read it. and a couple of massages etc, of course.

but then I got dressed, came home, and was right back into thethick of it all.

it was a lovely day, but it highlighted for me just how unusual that kind of day was, iyswim? a regular weekly "me time" would do it for me more, I think

i used our carer break money last year to take ds to the Calvert Trust for the weekend, it doesnt have to just be something you do for yourself just something thats a break from the routine?

I would love to go to the gym to improve my health and to get out but again i would have the problem of child care whilst i'm at the gym .

Mmmm. Yarn. Squishy squishy!!

Actually, that's what some of my carer's allowance goes on, anyhow. Keeps me sane, gives me a creative outlet and a chance to achieve something and helps me maintain an identity other than that of DSs' mum/carer.

Just finished this for DS1's TA who is going on maternity leave.

oh, how beautiful, ouryve

made me a bit sad too - my mum used to knit all the time, and made us loads of lovely stuff when we were little. but I never learned from her (I always htought there would be time to later), and now there is no-one to make my girls lovely stuff like that

Thanks

My mum never managed to teach me, either because she always got confused by me being left handed. I ended up teaching myself a couple of years ago. I had to do something because it's not like I could keep a sewing machine set up on the dining table like I sometimes did, pre-kids and learning to knit was on my little list of things to do before I hit 40. Crochet was another one, but the flower on the hat is about the limit of my patience with it!

my mum could never cope with teaching me when I was little as I am a leftie too

she (another leftie!) learnt by sitting opposite her mum, and so copying as thoguh in a mirror, but of course I couldn't do that with her...

hmmm, may well investigate learning/courses. there are loads of things I'd like to make for my dds. maybe once dd2 is at pre-school i'll have a bash.

Well those loads of helpful stuff on the net, now. Ravelry, where my project page is happens to be brilliant and there's loads of fantastic blogs and free pattern sites out there. There's also a site knittinghelp.com that has videos of lots of different techniques. Youtube is also a great resource for technique videos.

Book wise, I found Debbie Bliss' "How to knit" good for the basics, though the projects are a little huge for beginners and the Stitch and Bitch books are really good for learning from, even though they have an American flavour. Most of the stuff on the net does, anyhow, so learning to be knitting bilingual is no bad thing, anyhow!

Is there a gym with both spa facilities and a really good nursery/ creche near you? ( there used to be one near me but I could never aford the membership) If there is perhaps membership and enough money to cover the creche whilst in the pool or spa?

What a good opportunity! If it's hard to get childcare, can you ask for something that you could do in your own home? Like a beauty therapist to visit you at home or a hairdresser? Or a home study course, maybe OU? Or alternative treatments like massage or reiki - I have friends who do that and they're happy to do home visits.

I know what I would do, but Star beat me to it. I would love to do a law course to help other people with statementing/dla/tribunal/whatever stuff. That would help me, because I am going stir crazy with a life of CBeebies.

So, think of it all. Think what would boost your self-esteem for longer than 2 hours IYSWIM.

OOh I love that Ravelry!!! My nan taught me to knit - she was a professional (used to knit up jumpers for the photos on knitting patterns).

Am constantly knitting socks or quilting.

House is a filthy hovel, however, and I do not encourage visitors.

I'd pay for a cleaner for as long as the grant lasted.

If that's not allowed it'd be yarn (big knitter here too), fabric and sewing machine lessons.

Something similar runs up here. I got my garden made nice with a lawn etc (it was full of rubbish and weeds).

hmmm tempted by cleaner. Evening classes sound good but with DH treatment and response being so unstable I wouldnt want to risk it.