Yup we are all under the weather a bit here this week, full of colds and sneezing. The glorious (not!) weather probably hasn't helped but I am feeling very sorry for myself today. Thankfully MR G.T has taken the kiddies to his parents for the morning so I have been able to get some things done (house looks so clean *sigh* shame it won't stay that way very long!) and will now eat a meal all the way through in peace (luxury!) and maybe read a bit of my book afterwards!
Jeddy has turned 6 months this last week, wow, he just doesn't seem a baby any more, quite sad if I dwell on it but hoping not to. To celebrate he has cut his 1st tooth, which I am pleased about as he has done it really without too much fuss, but problem now is he seems to have adjusted his latch or feeding style as I am sore again, like really sore! It's like starting all over with breastfeeding again! Hope that a few tips I have picked up online can help, but as he won't take a bottle or dummy I have no choice really but to grit my teeth and carry on, hoping it improves in a few days. I don't remember this problem last time with GS and he had his 1st tooth at 4 months, and I BF until 8 months. I suppose it just goes to show all babies are different, and when you get painless feeding you can get an unsettled baby with teething, and when you get a fairly fuss free teething you can still get nipple problems, all swings and roundabouts. If the pain continues I will get some advice at my breastfeeding support group on Friday, they are fantastic ladies and the lactation consultant there is also wonderful, anyone considering breastfeeding or wanting to get support, try and see if your local Surestart, hospital or Children's centre has one of these as their guidance and friendly approach has been such a boost for me.
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
I know...
two posts in one day... big shocker!!
I am now determined to keep on the blogging wagon so will try and update as often as I can (read- as often as children allow)
Thank you so much for the handy thrift/fitness tips from my last post, really appreciate all advice as I can literally feel the squeeze on our finances now the summer is approaching. Even trying to keep costs down and buy the bare minimum my shopping bill this month is still about £30 more than it was this time last year (and buying similar stuff) and diesel is costing us an extra £20 per tank, these little additions all add up, and yet Hubby hasn't had a pay rise in 3 years and I now take home a lot less, so where is it supposed to come from? I had a financial advisor call me last week to review our life insurance that came with the mortgage and I actually laughed aloud when she asked me how much savings we had and whether we had seperate life insurance for illness/loss of earnings etc, how are average people with families supposed to afford all these insurances/savings. Yes we could probably save loads by not having a car, but we live in a rural village with one bus service that runs hourly to 2 towns, it would be impossible for hubby to get to work on time without a 3 bus/2 hour trip each way, and as far as bus/train fares go probably as expensive by the time we are all travelling to appointments/work/visits. There are however areas I know I can save us money on, clothes, toys, food (kind of), holidays/days out etc can all be done cheaply it's just getting in to the habit of thinking that way and finding the best offers at the best places.
The school half term looms ahead next week (didn't they literally just have Easter?!!) and I am dreading it. I love GS to bits, but he is at that stage where it's almost impossible to capture his attention for more than 10 minutes with any one activity, and as much as I try, Mary Poppins I am not, so that moves me to the question many parents ask... How do you keep a 3 year old entertained (possibly by themselves) for an hour? I have already purchased a few cheap colouring packs, activity books, new felt-tips (the old ones are worn out and don't work), I am armed with a few ideas (teddy bears picnic, board games, treasure hunt etc) but I am worried he'll exhaust all these before noon next Tuesday! It's pretty tough when he won't entertain himself for very long, if at all, without needing one of us there to supervise and play with, which we try too but sometimes stuff needs doing (like going to the lavatory!) and any time he is left alone he seems to start this bored/hyper/play up creation of whirling up in to a tantrum or path of destruction that inevtiably ends up with him sat on the naughty step screaming whilst I nurse a headache. I am hoping full time school might tame the beast within here and provide him with that much needed full-time attention, structure and a little self-discipline, but thats 4 months away, I may go completely bald before then tying myself up in knots of ways to entertain a pre-schooler... Are there any good blogs/links/lists of (cheap!) crafts/activites/games for this untameable age group you may have?
Having moaned about him, he did get a lovely report from school last week totally singing his praises, so I am one proud Mummy I'd like to add.
I am now determined to keep on the blogging wagon so will try and update as often as I can (read- as often as children allow)
Thank you so much for the handy thrift/fitness tips from my last post, really appreciate all advice as I can literally feel the squeeze on our finances now the summer is approaching. Even trying to keep costs down and buy the bare minimum my shopping bill this month is still about £30 more than it was this time last year (and buying similar stuff) and diesel is costing us an extra £20 per tank, these little additions all add up, and yet Hubby hasn't had a pay rise in 3 years and I now take home a lot less, so where is it supposed to come from? I had a financial advisor call me last week to review our life insurance that came with the mortgage and I actually laughed aloud when she asked me how much savings we had and whether we had seperate life insurance for illness/loss of earnings etc, how are average people with families supposed to afford all these insurances/savings. Yes we could probably save loads by not having a car, but we live in a rural village with one bus service that runs hourly to 2 towns, it would be impossible for hubby to get to work on time without a 3 bus/2 hour trip each way, and as far as bus/train fares go probably as expensive by the time we are all travelling to appointments/work/visits. There are however areas I know I can save us money on, clothes, toys, food (kind of), holidays/days out etc can all be done cheaply it's just getting in to the habit of thinking that way and finding the best offers at the best places.
The school half term looms ahead next week (didn't they literally just have Easter?!!) and I am dreading it. I love GS to bits, but he is at that stage where it's almost impossible to capture his attention for more than 10 minutes with any one activity, and as much as I try, Mary Poppins I am not, so that moves me to the question many parents ask... How do you keep a 3 year old entertained (possibly by themselves) for an hour? I have already purchased a few cheap colouring packs, activity books, new felt-tips (the old ones are worn out and don't work), I am armed with a few ideas (teddy bears picnic, board games, treasure hunt etc) but I am worried he'll exhaust all these before noon next Tuesday! It's pretty tough when he won't entertain himself for very long, if at all, without needing one of us there to supervise and play with, which we try too but sometimes stuff needs doing (like going to the lavatory!) and any time he is left alone he seems to start this bored/hyper/play up creation of whirling up in to a tantrum or path of destruction that inevtiably ends up with him sat on the naughty step screaming whilst I nurse a headache. I am hoping full time school might tame the beast within here and provide him with that much needed full-time attention, structure and a little self-discipline, but thats 4 months away, I may go completely bald before then tying myself up in knots of ways to entertain a pre-schooler... Are there any good blogs/links/lists of (cheap!) crafts/activites/games for this untameable age group you may have?
Having moaned about him, he did get a lovely report from school last week totally singing his praises, so I am one proud Mummy I'd like to add.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Back once again...
Hi there!
Well, our little one is now just shy of 6 months old, it's flown by in a haze of sleep deprivation, adjustment and fun all jumbled in to one big half a year! Phew, no wonder I am a little exhausted. Jenson is doing very well! There have been times of despair when he won't nap (still working on that one), won't take a bottle to give me a break (given up on that one so breastfeed 100% now, well as well as solids that is), or on a growth spurt so pretty unsettled & un-fill-able for weeks (learned to go with the flow there!), but I am a lucky mummy to a gorgeous smiley happy chap most of the time who seems easily pleased and full of fun, so long as his needs are met, I'll take that and rejoice as GS was much tougher to placate and keep happy (and still is, but thats for another post).
We've just returned from some time spent in West Yorkshire, it was fantastic and although the weather was typically British we managed to get plenty of fresh air and long walks in. GS loved walking and is now able to keep up our pace and was enjoying the hikes even when my legs were aching (I am so unfit, more on this later!) I will pop up some pics later of the gorgeous scenery & attractions around Haworth, Keighley and Skipton.
Maternity leave is beginning to take its toll financially, the reduced income plus recent government changes to child benefit, gas/elec bill increases and fuel costs have all hit hard; we seem to start saving in one area only to have that gain taken away from us by something else thats gone up; food, fuel, insurance, blah blah blah. Its hard juggling it all and i know we aren't alone and there are lots of people much worse off too. I only pray our jobs are both safe (I work for a council libary and we all know they've been heavily targetted for cuts- I wait and see). So, once again instead of burying my head in the sand I am on a thrift-drive to save our outgoings as best I can and make sure we have the money for the basic essentials, that will hopefully mean I can take the unpaid leave at the end of my paid maternity period to spend valuable extra weeks with my boys before GS starts school in September and Jed will hopefully be a bit more ready to be left with Granny Nanny while I return back part time. That's the plan anyway. It worries me as it was during such unpaid time in my last maternity leave that I was made redundant landing us in terrible debt and in a right mess, I hope history does not repeat itself but what can you do, just take it a month at a time.
I will be trawling all your blogs and forums for thirfty finds, ideas, recipes and projects from now on and PROMISE to update this blog more regularly so I hope you'll join me in discovering how it pans out, and I will in return try and add my own thrifty finds to share along the way!
My first thoughts are now about getting fitter, and more specifically, whether it's possible to get fit in a thrifty manner? Yes, starvation is definitely thrifty, as is lots of free outdoor exercise, but the actual logistics of eating a well balanced diet (as I am still breastfeeding) and combining exercise with looking after two young children in often less than sunny weather is not as easy as it seems, or at least I am not finding it so. I have a skipping rope I have yet to find half an hour to use without a little one within accidental whipping range, a free guide from a magazine to get fit in 10minute stretches which I am too exhausted at the end/start of each day to do, and a bike in the shed I similarly get no time to go on as I can't afford a baby seat. I suspect there are ways around these if I look closer, but I am lacking a real option to fit in any exercise other than the occasional kick about with GS & walks when the weather is fine, and several trips up and down the stairs every hour. Cooking more lower fat is slightly easier, although convenience foods are, well convenient, they are not healthy and I do actually enjoy cooking most days so I find homemade food is easy enough to do fairly healthily, I think my downfall is needing a bit of a social life every week I'll pop with friends or Granny Nanny to a cafe and then consume fatty & expensive drinks and cake no doubt, really need to bang this on the head but without going to these places I don't get out much and end up a bit cabin-crazy! Portion control is another naughty, I am so tired I feel the need to stodge up until I am full, and then seem ravanously hungry an hour or two later, I know breastfeeding means I need to eat regularly and when hungry but i think i need to train myself in to having smaller portions and of course better snacks instead of naughty biscuits and cake! I have a few friends that are doing Slimming World and blog about their experiences and recipes, so I am sneakily (thriftily?!) stealing their menu plans and recipes to try and semi-follow the principles in a light manner, particularly the portion/fat control side of things, so we will see where that gets me, if necessary I may need to buy a guide or two or even join up for access to the full plan to shift things if all else fails, but really hope to avoid that cost if possible. Does Nutracheck still do free trials, I found that a handy website before for keeping me on my toes? I shall have to google that and see. I need to state that this is NOT a need to lose weight for me, it's about toning up the parts that have gone extra wibbly after pregnancy and increasing my fitness so that I can keep up with my 3 year old's pace and not be out of breath walking up a relatively small hill, so I won't be doing weigh-ins etc, the proof will be in the (lack of) pudding of whether I can feel more healthier inside as well as out.
Wish me luck, and by all means offer tips you've found helpful if you have been/are on a similar mission!
Well, our little one is now just shy of 6 months old, it's flown by in a haze of sleep deprivation, adjustment and fun all jumbled in to one big half a year! Phew, no wonder I am a little exhausted. Jenson is doing very well! There have been times of despair when he won't nap (still working on that one), won't take a bottle to give me a break (given up on that one so breastfeed 100% now, well as well as solids that is), or on a growth spurt so pretty unsettled & un-fill-able for weeks (learned to go with the flow there!), but I am a lucky mummy to a gorgeous smiley happy chap most of the time who seems easily pleased and full of fun, so long as his needs are met, I'll take that and rejoice as GS was much tougher to placate and keep happy (and still is, but thats for another post).
We've just returned from some time spent in West Yorkshire, it was fantastic and although the weather was typically British we managed to get plenty of fresh air and long walks in. GS loved walking and is now able to keep up our pace and was enjoying the hikes even when my legs were aching (I am so unfit, more on this later!) I will pop up some pics later of the gorgeous scenery & attractions around Haworth, Keighley and Skipton.
Maternity leave is beginning to take its toll financially, the reduced income plus recent government changes to child benefit, gas/elec bill increases and fuel costs have all hit hard; we seem to start saving in one area only to have that gain taken away from us by something else thats gone up; food, fuel, insurance, blah blah blah. Its hard juggling it all and i know we aren't alone and there are lots of people much worse off too. I only pray our jobs are both safe (I work for a council libary and we all know they've been heavily targetted for cuts- I wait and see). So, once again instead of burying my head in the sand I am on a thrift-drive to save our outgoings as best I can and make sure we have the money for the basic essentials, that will hopefully mean I can take the unpaid leave at the end of my paid maternity period to spend valuable extra weeks with my boys before GS starts school in September and Jed will hopefully be a bit more ready to be left with Granny Nanny while I return back part time. That's the plan anyway. It worries me as it was during such unpaid time in my last maternity leave that I was made redundant landing us in terrible debt and in a right mess, I hope history does not repeat itself but what can you do, just take it a month at a time.
I will be trawling all your blogs and forums for thirfty finds, ideas, recipes and projects from now on and PROMISE to update this blog more regularly so I hope you'll join me in discovering how it pans out, and I will in return try and add my own thrifty finds to share along the way!
My first thoughts are now about getting fitter, and more specifically, whether it's possible to get fit in a thrifty manner? Yes, starvation is definitely thrifty, as is lots of free outdoor exercise, but the actual logistics of eating a well balanced diet (as I am still breastfeeding) and combining exercise with looking after two young children in often less than sunny weather is not as easy as it seems, or at least I am not finding it so. I have a skipping rope I have yet to find half an hour to use without a little one within accidental whipping range, a free guide from a magazine to get fit in 10minute stretches which I am too exhausted at the end/start of each day to do, and a bike in the shed I similarly get no time to go on as I can't afford a baby seat. I suspect there are ways around these if I look closer, but I am lacking a real option to fit in any exercise other than the occasional kick about with GS & walks when the weather is fine, and several trips up and down the stairs every hour. Cooking more lower fat is slightly easier, although convenience foods are, well convenient, they are not healthy and I do actually enjoy cooking most days so I find homemade food is easy enough to do fairly healthily, I think my downfall is needing a bit of a social life every week I'll pop with friends or Granny Nanny to a cafe and then consume fatty & expensive drinks and cake no doubt, really need to bang this on the head but without going to these places I don't get out much and end up a bit cabin-crazy! Portion control is another naughty, I am so tired I feel the need to stodge up until I am full, and then seem ravanously hungry an hour or two later, I know breastfeeding means I need to eat regularly and when hungry but i think i need to train myself in to having smaller portions and of course better snacks instead of naughty biscuits and cake! I have a few friends that are doing Slimming World and blog about their experiences and recipes, so I am sneakily (thriftily?!) stealing their menu plans and recipes to try and semi-follow the principles in a light manner, particularly the portion/fat control side of things, so we will see where that gets me, if necessary I may need to buy a guide or two or even join up for access to the full plan to shift things if all else fails, but really hope to avoid that cost if possible. Does Nutracheck still do free trials, I found that a handy website before for keeping me on my toes? I shall have to google that and see. I need to state that this is NOT a need to lose weight for me, it's about toning up the parts that have gone extra wibbly after pregnancy and increasing my fitness so that I can keep up with my 3 year old's pace and not be out of breath walking up a relatively small hill, so I won't be doing weigh-ins etc, the proof will be in the (lack of) pudding of whether I can feel more healthier inside as well as out.
Wish me luck, and by all means offer tips you've found helpful if you have been/are on a similar mission!
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