Aim update

At the beginning of this year I set myself some aims for the year. I haven't looked at them for a little while so I want to see how we are getting on.

The aims set were

to finish decorating/ making our home our own

to save for the future

to enjoy more family fitness

frugal- I want to make what we have go further

to fix things- I have lots of things around the house that need mending/ altering that I haven't got around to doing.

to finish things, I have several craft projects started 2013 is the year to finish things

1. I haven't done anymore decorating since finishing the kitchen. I need to do the upstairs bathroom and my bedroom. I am going to get on with this soon. I know what I want to do in each room it's just time to do it.

2. I am saving hard for the future. I have an end of year treat I am saving for in the short term. I have approx. half the money required for this. I am also saving to buy our first home I have £700 so far, a long way to go but it will happen. I want to save a bit more and then get some financial advise as to which method of buying is best suited to me.

3. We have been getting much more active as a family, especially since the weather has got nicer. I have been going out each morning before work to have a run and then after school I have been taking the children out on their bikes. Today we were accompanied by a neighbours 2 children as well.

4. I have been trying hard, had a few slips, at being more frugal. I am definitely spending less and saving more. So something is working!

5. I have got better at fixing things and not letting them pile up. I have not had many items sitting around for months waiting to be mended. I did catch up on the items from last year which needed mending.

6. finish things. This one is not so easy. I start new projects for various reasons and old ones get pushed back. I did finish the jumper I made Stephanie. I have also finished several other projects I began this year. I still have not finished the cross stitch I started before Stephanie was born. I am needing to do this in the holidays more as I am too tired to concentrate on it properly after work. It will be finished before 2014!

 

Today's bike ride, I didn't get a picture of Dylan as he was riding too fast! LOL

Birthday week

Monday last week was Stephanie's 7th birthday. We have had a busy week as a result, we had dinenr out with family on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I had after school meetings at work. After work I was trying to get the cake made, and all the other food prepared and organised. Friday night I took the children to a local, large shopping centre as Dylan had got Stephanie a build a bear voucher for her birthday. So off we went, and arrived home several hours later with lots of shopping, mostly Stephanie's from her birthday money.

Saturday and I was up early cooking the last of the birthday food before taking Stephanie for her 9am swimming lesson, then to the bank to open her a bank account which she can manage herself before taking her to her Dad's. Then I went to the hall to set up the party. I am pleased to say Stephanie had a fantastic disco.

All ready for her guests to arrive

The birthday cake ready to go, made as per Stephanie's request

Enjoying the party food.

 

I didn't manage to get very many pictures of the party itself as I was so busy, but one of my friends who was there helping me took lots and is going to put them on to a disc so that I have a copy.

 

I am lucky to have some very good friends!

7 years ago today!

I had not been long home with my gorgeous new baby girl! I was about to embark on the only night she slept for about 2 years, and I didn't sleep as I was too busy watching her waiting for her to wake up! LOL

Now look at her all grown up;

opening her presents before school

 

Quick ride on the scooter before school.

 

We went out after school for a meal with 2 aunts, 1 uncle and 4 cousins. It was a lovely meal and great to catch up, could have been improved by quicker service in the restaurant but we'll gloss over that. We have had a lovely day.

 

 Happy 7th birthday to my beautiful princess.

Sunny Sunday

I am loving that the weather is finally warming up, I do hope that it is only going to get better now!

I have spent today baking a birthday cake, tidying the garden, cutting the grass, planting seeds and doing school work at the garden table. Bliss!

I have also done a little housework, I was sorting some bits out in a pot I keep chucking in a flowerpot on the kitchen side. Put everything away that shouldn't have been in the kitchen and discovered this in the bottom;

I counted it up there was £3.21 in small change. I don't even remember putting it there. So I put it all into the sealed pot. Which incidentally is a figuratively speaking sealed pot as I still have not put a lid on it LOL

The pot is now full, so the plant pot has become sealed pot #2

 

I also put up this bunting, Stephanie made it yesterday at the English festival, it looks perfect in my hall. I think I may get some pretty papers to put some in the other rooms in the house. I do love bunting, it's so cheerful.

 

I must go and empty the washing machine ready for going on the line in the morning, and to decorate the cake.

English festival

Today Stephanie and I went to a local country park where they were having an English festival. Dylan chose not to come so went to his Dad's instead.

We had a lovely day here are some of the things we did;

grooming a pony

fussing guinea pigs, Stephanie has decided they have scratchy claws so we don't need them after all! LOL

Making rope

Riding the top deck of a child sized bus

showing her face paint off

bunting she designed and made

watching the dragon parade

climbing high

 

We had a fantastic day, I thought we would be there for a couple of hours max, we were there all day. We got the park and ride bus to the park but the queue for the bus was huge. the policeman organising it said we had an hours wait! As there was no on site parking and still masses of visitors there when we left at closing we decided that we would walk back to the car. The weather was lovely all day so it was a very nice walk back to the car. At 3.6 miles it was slightly longer than I had anticipated but Stephanie managed it perfectly fine and didn't complain once about the distance. Just a little upset when she fell over just a few minutes away from the car. Bless.

 

It wasn't the most frugal day but we didn't spend as much as we could have;

 

parking- free

bus- free

children's rides- £3

donuts- £2

ice-cream- £2.50

cake- £2.50 (for 2 huuuggee pieces)

mussels- £2

------------------------------------

total spend- £12

 

that special someone

I am used to my family asking if I have met someone yet, I have friends who ask me as well. This evening I took the children to Stephanie's uncles engagement party. Without getting into it to much her dad has fallen out with his whole family. I got a message via facebook from stephanies uncle in the week asking if I would bring her as he'd really like her there and his family miss her. I think it's important that the children maintain contact with their families so I went. I had a nice eve, I found a few people I know to chat to. I was a little taken aback by stephamies grandad and great grandad surprise that I wasn't with someone new.
Is it so unusual to be on your own for a while after a break up, or to not have time outside of work to actively hunt someone new. I'm of the mind when I do meet someone it'll happen because it's the right person/right time. Or am I wrong and should look for someone purposefully?

Life is very hard to fathom sometimes, and right now I'm too busy trying to work out what is irritating my right eye than the best way to live my life lol

making extra money

I am trying to save in order to buy our own home. Saving is going well but I want it to happen faster. I have been trying to find ways of making extra money. I filled I'm an online survey and got paid £4, then the other day I stumbled upon a blog post telling about the money saving blog post where I could earn £30 for sharing thirty tips for saving. I have since been reimbursed for both of these meaning an extra £34 has gone into the 'get a mortgage pot'.
I have also listed some items on amazon, I have sold one of them. After amazon fees I have made another £6, I haven't factored this into my extra income as I've not received the money yet but I have made a nice extra amount so far this month. I am going to organise more items to sell over the weekend. I will use what I have to make more money (within reason!)

How have you made extra cash recently? Do you have ideas I or others can try?