The Other Love of my Life

Once upon a time many many years ago when I was only knee high to a grasshopper a pop group burst onto the scene sparkled so brightly and then left, left me in a wilderness until earlier last year when they announced they were reforming I was beside myself with excitement who am I talking about - New Kids On The Block - as soon as I heard I was like a teenager again - much to the entertainment of my hubby who has never seen me like this before and I finally got to meet them, paid an extortionate amount of money (which probably accounts for budgeting going pear shapped in previous post !!) by attended a meet and greet with them and finally got to meet my heart throb - Donnie Wahlberg !!!! I presented him with a Liverpool Football club shirt and then he wore it EVERY night in the last song of the show - what an amazing experience - cant wait to do it all again - will budget more carefully this time ! Lets Get This !! I love em x x x x

Budgeting

So we are coming up to the end of the financial year, tying up loose ends, filing all up to date, ready to be archived.

Right.... and then I woke up and smelt the coffee, unfortunately towards the latter end of the financial year things have gone a bit pear shaped, so another one of my mid-year resolutions is to get more organised, and to try and get straight financially.

I'll be honest with you this year has been a struggle, living from one pay day to the next, and for a family of five, with a mortgage and loan to pay off it really hits home.

The things that you do learn along the way are lessons that money cant buy such as:

1. who your friends are - your real friends are the ones who accept that things are tight at the moment and wont pressure you or treat you any differently

2. How to cook properly - I have always (as far as I can- and I do have the odd slip up !) made meals from scratch, even on junk food saturday we make our pizza, but I have learnt how to cook more creatively with leftovers, making stock and making up stews, bulking meals out with more vegetables and freezing leftovers and also turning the ratio to putting veg on plate first and adding meat as a side dish.

3. how to budget, although we are paying off loans, - if we stick to our budget plan (pear shaping taken into account ! we still aim to have these paid off by mid next year, I have also found a great web site that has great advice http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ advice and tips for claiming back any money due to you and up to date money saving coupons, and much much more

4. that any family can adapt no matter how young or old each family member is, you may have to explain in simpler terms but we try and explain to the whole family that there wont be any luxuries for a while and they seem to accept the small changes.

5. the wide variety of free activities that are available it may take a while to find them by searching various sites but the rewards are amazing.

6. Love of my family, as dramatic as it sounds - with my husband and my children by my side we are a team against the world, in times of crisis, be it financial, emotional or physical we pull together no questions asked, we as parents lead by example and if we manage to keep the family buyant then the kids are great.

anyway going back to my organisation for budgeting, in advance of 6th April I have, 2 lever arch files, one for wage slips/bank statements and the other for bills, a diary to write down any upcoming direct debit /standing order dates, 2 small notebooks (one for menu planning and one for day to day spending records) so we are all cooking on gas ready for the start of the new year and together we will do this - debt free future here we come hopefully - Ill keep you updated as we travel along this rocky road - wish me luck - Im going in !! x

Nature v's Nurture

I was always one that thought that boys and girls behaved depending on how they were raised, but how come I have 2 girls (9 & 5) who are proper girly girls, they seem to have fairy dust that follows them with all the glitter that is thrown around,they play princesses and school and are so engrossed in paint and sequins that it looks like an explosion in a factory,

Then comes along my son (2)( who's daddy is admittedly a footy nut but the football is mainly on in the evening after bedtime) who thinks nothing of using the lounge as an inpromtu football pitch and really boots the football (maybe another Gerrard on our hands), who sits under his highchair pretending to be in a car driving, and then lies under his trike with pencils pretending to fix it like a mechanic.

Maybe its a genetic link as Hubby used to be a mechanic but changed jobs before son was born, who knows, all I know now is that I now have Princesses riding round on Thomas the Tank Engines, and still go skating on a strategically placed car every now and again - ahh well crash helmets at the ready!!

Come and join me for the ultimate blog party,

I'm new to blogging and as far as I can see so far is still relatively new in the uk - certainly none of my friends do it or have even heard of it - so I hope to meet lots of new friends at the party.

follow my blog and find how one happy housewife from Liverpool muddles through life and hopefully comes out the other side smiling - I have my work cut out for me I am a mum of 3 ( 9, 5, and 2), a wife, and a housewife - and I love it !! hard sometimes but so rewarding, look forward to hearing from you all - love to you all x x

Thought of the day

It is better to have lived one day as a tiger

than a thousand years as a sheep

Frugal Living

So this weekend the whole family was set to work, husband has just put up our new greenhouse, and the kids and myself have all spent the day planting seeds in our new resolve to :

1. cut back on weekly foodbill helping the family budget by growing our own vegetables

2. eat more healthily

so here we are, surrounded by trays of soil, full of the wonder of nature waiting to burst out. so far we have planted 2 types of tomatoes, strawberries and carrots, to be joined next week by 3 sacks waiting to be filled with differing varieties of potatoes. keeps us all healthy, helps to teach the kids where food comes from and how easy it is to produce these small nuggets in your own back garden. we have, by no means an orchard in our garden we have an average sized garden, but one tip that I have learned is that no matter how small your garden is you can always find space to plant some seeds, be it, herbs in flower beds, or hanging varieties of tomatoes and strawberries to plant in hanging baskets, (although hang them in the back garden otherwise all your visitors will eat them while they wait for you answer the door !!)

so hopefully, in a few weeks I'll have some seedlings to show you before they are planted out in the big world.

Wish me luck !!x

wife and mother

Now what I am about to say will go against what a lot of people agree with or have strived to achieve over the past few decades.

I am a Housewife and Proud of it

When I had my first child I went back to work part time and it broke my heart to leave her each morning at nursery, luckily my husband is very supportive and so when I had my second daughter and then my son said that if I wanted to stay at home then he would totally support my decision, which trust me is no soft option to stay at home.

I work harder, longer and have picked up a wide spectrum of skills that I would have never experienced through sitting behind a desk in an air conditioned office.

I love the warm feeling that you have when you watch the old 1950’s films where the mother stays at home pinny on baking all day (not that it happens in reality!!) I don’t feel that I was born in the wrong era, I love the independence, and strength that modern day women have, but I personally feel that my best job is to stay at home, running a busy household and making sure that the children are ready and to respective classes on time.

During my time as a housewife I have learnt to

Budget as a single income family, which is no mean fete as hubby is a postman so not earning millions – yet !

Time Manage – trying to co-ordinate 3 children, 1 husband, 1 dog and 1 rabbit, remembering, school, after school classes, parties etc

Cleaner – refer to previous post and my 6 binbags full, and that’s just the start.

Cook – working out how to cook nutritional food, healthy, within budget and more importantly that the kids will eat, not always the same thing

And these jobs are only the ones that spring easily to mind, if I was an executive I would be hailed as a wonder for my multi-tasking and paid a small fortune, yet I do all of this for nothing, just for the love for my family, the respect from my family and the wet sloppy kisses that I have off the kids when their faces light up when I am there every morning and afternoon to pick up and drop off at school.. we have very little money spare….money can’t buy everything….and do you know what….. I wouldn’t have it any other way x x

End of an era

Early last year I embarked on a business venture, I started my own business, www.mumztheword.biz making and selling nappy cakes and baby shower/party goods, and unfortunatly have nad to succumb to the old credit crunch, and had to close the business, just had to put the last few items on ebay, really disappointed, and maybe even secretly hoping that they dont sell ! my youngest is now 2 and with doing the nappy cakes was such a good excuse to have newborn goodies around the house - there is something about the smell of baby talc or lotion, - oh well I'll just have to go and lurk around the baby aisles in the supermarkets instead x x x

new member, check it out

spring cleaning in La La land

Being a parent involves several skills that you won’t find in any parenting book, you will need all the peacemaking skills to give Kofi Annan a run for his money and all the secrecy and espionage to put James Bond to shame. The latter of which was put into practice over the past week, I braced myself and battled my way through the waste ground that according to our house deeds is a second bedroom commonly know as my daughters bedroom. As we have our two daughters sharing a room we cant really afford to have it too messy, which is where I come in, while the kids are at school I go in like a stealth bomber and blitz the whole room, so that when they arrive home from school everything is pristine (for at least 10 min !!)
Last week it took me 2 days, I managed to get 7 bin bags full of junk out of their room, (don’t know where from) and after those 2 days it didn’t look any different – why?
It does get easier though, before, when my youngest daughter was only in playgroup for a couple for hours in the morning, I had to move fast, tidy, dust and dispose of rubbish down to the tip before picking her up, couple of times we were late, daughter all seatbelted up in car, picking up binbags that start playing all sorts of tinny, tinkly music when you pick them up, so there we are unpacking all sorts of trinkets never used but as soon as I try and throw them out they become treasured possessions (until next time !!)
Which brings me back to last week, and my 7 bags of rubbish, and the icing on the cake is a 2.5ft tall La La courtesy of the teletubbies, hasn’t been looked at for the longest time hence the top of the rubbish pile, as the clearing had taken so long we were late to the rubbish tip so had to go after school pick up. Down to the rubbish tip we go, 7 bags of rubbish into the skip, no problem, soon as we get to La La, youngest daughters bottom lip starts to wobble, oh ohh….. so back home we go, trip to the tip over, and we have a visitor with us, yes La La has decided to extend his visit with us indefinatly – so now he is back home, gracefully decorating the kitchen floor, twice I have moved him, along with the several times the baby has tripped over him…… seriously outstaying his welcome…….till next time !!!

Shirley Valentine Syndrome

"Hello Wall - Its me Shirley"
Anybody remember the 80's film Shirley Valentine, where Shirley tried to escape her humdrum life and spoke to the kitchen wall with the hope that someone would listen and whisk her away to sunnier climes, well as soon as I finished my last post I thought about it and dont you think that blogging is like a modern day Shirley Valentine? you take a few moments every day share your thoughts with your pc and hope that someone, somewhere listens to you and helps your day just that little bit sunnier, well wall I'm off now, I'll speak to you tomorrow

So many thoughts, so little time

I have come to the conclusion that as soon as I had my kids I have become the queen of lists, I write a list of what I need to do then write another list of lists AAGGHH - lists of lists!! I have no time which is why I write lists at least it gives me a sense of some organisation - - One list that I do write and try to keep to is that of the new years resolution, although it is March, I dont think that you have to start in January as long as you take the time at some point throughout the year - (preferably before december and the next new year is due up) which is why at about the end of Feb/Beginning of March after all the festivities have calmed down (and we also have daughters birthday January sons at the end of February) I take a morning to sit down and take stock on what I want to achieve throughout the following few months, which is where I am today.

My mid-year resolutions

1. Start a blog - and to take at least 15 min per day to get to grips with blogging and to learn as many tips as I can to make this the best blog that I can for my own personal achievement

2. Start to scrapbook - I have so many photos all in wallets/folders fro our wedding, Children born, Holidays, relatives no longer with us, and what better way that to take the time to arrange them in such a creative way and what better way to reminisce as you are arranging the pages together with loved ones

3. Learn how to make cupcakes - I've got the baking of the muffins/cupcakes down - no problem but I love the way that they are decorated with the buttercream on top and to also learn how to decorate cakes I would love to have the discipline to sit down and to take the time to make icing/marzipan roses.

4. To chill out more and to not live by the lists as much as I been !!

5. and the old favourite ----- to declutter as we go along so that I dont need to have a full blown blitz every couple of months, logic says do it as you do along, practicality says - I'll do it tomorrow. not no more - down in black and white now (even though that goes against number 4 about the lists - o oh ! its started already !!!)

pointers for the day

20 Affirmations for Busy Mom BloggersBy Jennifer James
I have been blogging since January 2004 and now, five years later, I feel a powerful shift in mom blogging taking place. There is an incessant flurry of blogging information to soak up and learn, more and more companies to connect with, phenomenal opportunities around every corner, tons of products to review, and increasing competition to rise to the “tipping point” ranks of the mom blogosphere. To be sure, it is a thrilling time to be a mom blogger. But it is also an optimal time to take a moment to reflect on why we all started blogging in the first place. For me, it was to connect with moms, voice my opinion to the world, and hone my skills as a writer and I never want to forget that.Here are 20 affirmations for busy mom bloggers perfect for times when life seems to go a little too fast and blogging seems like it’s more of an obligation than a gift.
1. I love my blog.
2. My job as a mom blogger is to be true to myself.
3. There are plenty of opportunities for everyone.
4. Meeting new mom bloggers is an experience I treasure.
5. Mom blogging is a cherished gift.
6. I am a great blogger.
7. I am not afraid to challenge myself as a blogger.
8. I have an influential voice in the blogosphere.
9. I am grateful for my blog.
10. I am thankful for each and every one of my readers.
11. I am appreciative that my family supports my need to blog.
12. Every experience I have had as a blogger has been worth it.
13. I am thankful for my ability to write.
14. It is gratifying to know I am chronicling my life’s journey for my children and grandchildren.
15. My blog is my personal sanctuary.
16. I will do my part to make the mom blogosphere a nurturing community.
17. My blog is an extension of myself, not my whole self.
18. I will cherish every comment.
19. I love being a creator of good content.
20. I am a mom blogger and I love it.

got the house back

Well the kids are back in school after the half term holidays and husband is back to work, baby is in bed and I am sitting with a HOT cup of tea. Normally running around so much cup of tea is luke warm by the time I get to it, so, tradition is 1st day that the house is back to normal I do nothing, put a video on and settle down with a hot drink - lovely ! take 5 min to myself get organised ready for tomorrow onwards - oh and before I forget we have parents evening to look forward to this evening- let you know how we get on

Isnt it funny how life catches up on you!

Just the other day I went to the shops to buy a magazine - nothing unusual there but isn't it funny how your tastes change as you get older, and reflects where you are in life- years ago it was the Beano comic then, Smash Hits and all the teenage angst, through pregnancy magazines, and the inevitable diet ones to follow after the bundle of joy was born (although I'm still on the dieting ones !!) and now I am at the other end when articles are starting to look interesting in Prima and Good Houskeeping - yet I can assure you that I most certainly dont feel older than I did when I was buying Smash Hits, which brings me to today, and here on blogging, taking a few moments in the day couple of times a week to catch up, get my head straight to tackle the rest of the week as a busy, wife and mother it takes time to get organised - so through the blog as it develops hope you enjoy the little snippits that I share with you on here - and welcome to my world x x x