A rich life through simple pleasures!

As we are heading into a New Year it is most natural to think about what I want out of 2014. This year I don't want to set myself unrealistic goals like 'lose x amount of weight' or 'stop eating chocolate' because I never stick to them. I also think why should the 1st of January be THE day to decide to change when it could be anytime. 
I just want to reinforce a few simple 'rules' to live by to ensure a rich life at a time when we have little money due to saving for a house -

• LOVE - Sounds simple but give time to your children and invest in them. Teach them new things, read them new books from the library, walk with them to the park, talk to them endlessly about funny stories and interesting facts. Listen to your partner, your mum and your sister. Help them out when they are in need.
• REMEMBER the value of money - I once was a very materialistic person when I was living at home and earning a good salary in my career. I bought my first BMW 1 series at the age of 18 and only shopped at high end stores such as Reiss and Ted Baker. I didn't save a bean. When I look back now I realise how foolish it was but I was young and didn't know. I'm so grateful for this stepping stone in my life where I did fall pregnant when I did and moved into our first rental home. I really understand the value of money now. 
• BECOME less materialistic - I am the worst for browsing online stores such as Topshop, Joules, eBay etc but I've thought about the past couple of shopping trips I've had where I've bought a couple of hundred pounds worth of clothes (a hundred doesn't get you much when you need a few new bits) and by the next week you've forgotten about everything you've bought and just feel that depressing feeling of the money slipping out of your bank account. I am now all for investing in a few key items which are good quality and that I know will last.
• LESS technology - I know that sounds funny as I write an online blog. What I mean is less of spending hours aimlessly browsing facebook or twitter (we all do it!) Last year I had two weeks where my computer was in for a repair and it was the most productive two weeks of my life! I have never been a huge fan of sitting in front of the telly (mostly because there is nothing good on!) and I know of a couple of people now that have gotten rid of their telly. Slightly drastic for me with Benjamin as he might have cbeebies withdrawal but I'm seriously thinking of investing in a radio!
• KEEP the mind busy, keep it learning, keep it inspired by things. I can't stop wanting to learn new things. I want to bake bread, I want to knit, I want to sew a quilt, I want to explore parts of the UK I've never been to before and I want to read so many books. I am one of those people who never get bored on a day off and I could happily not go to work and keep myself busy.

Do you have any 'rules' that you like to stick by and remember throughout the year?

Bye for now x

There's no such thing as bad weather.

A Frugal Walk
Since Christmas I had been looking forward to a crisp, winter walk somewhere but the weather was unpleasantly cold. It wouldn't have been easy with little Benjamin as we wouldn't want his head to blow off.
But then yesterday, we woke up to a beautiful, dry, still cold day and that to me is the perfect mixture for a winter walk. No nasty wind or rain.
Recently I had discovered on our Natwest Gold Account that because we pay a monthly fee we receive two family day passes a year to any National Trust Park. So I printed off the vouchers and off we headed to Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. It's only a 20 minute drive from us and the drive itself is beautiful. We showed the car park man our pass and parked for free.
We packed up a picnic and had a long walk together (when I say long, I mean as far as Benjamin's legs would take us). What I love about walking is observing the scenery, breathing in the fresh air, short jolly greetings with other walkers about their dogs or other funny moments. Everyone is happy.
We eventually found a picnic bench and ate our cheese and home made chutney sandwiches, carrot sticks and hummus and pieces of fruit. This gave us more energy to carry on.
Unfortunately, the house was closed but it meant we got to save the rest of our free pass so we can use it later in the year at some other National Trust place.

Me on the left, my sister on the right.

Whilst I love nothing more than spending time in my own home, you can't beat getting out there and smelling the country side and getting some exercise. Of course I also had my new Joules wellies which I got for Christmas that were desperate to be walked in mud and puddles and piles of leaves!
So there we have it a frugal day out which only cost the small amount of petrol we used. The result? Lasting happiness which couldn't be created with a day clothes shopping or an expensive meal.

TTFN x

Post Christmas CLEAN UP.

In the run up to Christmas, organising everything, doing overtime at work, trying to see everyone, Benjamin getting ill followed by me and what with Luke's dad being in hospital I realise now I have completely forgotten to look after myself.

I got a cold which took ages to get over and my skin is spotty and disgusting. I haven't been eating right, partly for lack of money and mostly for lack of time SORRY JAMIE OLIVER! (I know it's possible to eat good without both of those things but sometimes you just can't) I know I don't do exercise because I am constantly on my feet all day with Benjamin but I can tell my belly is less taught than it used to be (actually, I don't think it ever was?!)

I realise these are all common feelings around this time of year when everyone is wanting to detox after Christmas but I'm not going to make drastic changes, just necessary steps to make me feel a little happier with myself.

1) For example, last night I just pampered myself and shaved/tweaked all necessary areas (i.e. eyebrows, legs etc...), I applied a face mask and moisturised my whole body. I know this sounds silly but I literally haven't done this for so long!

2) I made myself a salad from my Food Doctor book. It is simple, wholesome and healthy!

3) Today I polished all my leather footwear so it felt like new again. Just doing something little to what I own can make a big difference if you can't afford to buy new footwear all the time. It's not about buying new things, it's about buying good quality items and looking after them!

4) I've turned ORGANIC. Where I can afford to anyway. Me and my parents are really into organic products not just because it's a fad but because it's a lifestyle change. With all these parabens floating about in beauty products you just don't know what you are putting into your body so for Christmas I got lots of The Green People goodies including shampoo and moisturiser - they actually work! We have also (on our tight budget) decided to buy important food items organic where we can. If you think of a non-organic carrot being sprayed with chemicals, it's quite easy to wash a carrot and peel it. If you think about the structure of a non-organic broccoli after being sprayed with chemicals, all those little holes will be filled with chemicals and it will be hard to get out.

5) I've decided to slow down our life a little. I'm going to try not to dash here, there and everywhere and fill every single day of my week up with plans. Yes it's nice to be busy, but most of my weeks have been none stop and I need to appreciate the odd day 'off'

6) I've had a ten minute pilates DVD in our TV cabinet for over a year now but never done it. I can't afford a gym membership and don't fancy running on the streets so I'm going to dig it out again and do this now that Benjamin is in playgroup for two mornings a week.

Hopefully, if I stick to these my skin and overall well being will improve. Fingers crossed!

And then it was over..

Bye bye Christmas of 2013. Cannot believe you have been and gone already.

December seems to be over before I even had time to breathe. It always is a busy month with so much preparation and organisation, not including that this time we had a family trauma with my 'father-in-law' having a serious accident and spending most of the month in an induced coma. He seems to be on the up now but we spent most nights visiting Notts QMC Intensive care unit and the whole thing has been physically and mentally draining.

Christmas wasn't, for us, a happy, jolly time as usual but we still made the best of it at my parent's house where we indulged in far too much alcohol and rich food, spent a lot of quality time with the family and tried to recharge the batteries. We ended up dashing here and there quite a lot and I look forward to one day having a large enough house to host Christmas at ours but in our little two up two down we just haven't got the room.

Here are a few of my presents.

I am now looking forward to rolling into a new year and seeing what 2014 brings. I know this probably sounds premature but we have taken down our Christmas tree already only for the fact that most of the needles dropped on the floor and the tree was almost bare and it really frustrated me how much extra hoovering I had to do! (Eurgh, who wants to do more of that?!)
Today was our first full day back home and we mainly spent it catching up on jobs; washing and ironing,  washing the cars, hoovering and sorting out our presents into new little homes. I also made a Sally Bee butternut squash and carrot soup for us three for today and tomorrow to inject some much needed vegetables into our systems. And for tea I made a simple butternut squash risotto which was divine. I am, however, now all butternut squashed out.

We usually like to go for a big boxing day walk but because Luke's dad is out of action we are going to wait until he is better to do that. And today was far too windy to go for a walk, especially as Benjamin's head might have got blown off. I know there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing but when you have a little one it's never that easy.

I am currently counting down the minutes to Benjamin's bed time so I can curl up on the sofa with my new Kindle. I don't know why but whenever I get it out when he is around it  just attracts him like a magnet and he tries to touch the screen which is FORBIDDEN.

TTFN X

Two.

So Benjamin turned a whole TWO years old last week. With it being the end of the month and all the bills had been paid and most of the Christmas Shopping had been bought we realised we had very little money for his birthday celebrations. Luke also couldn't get any time off that week either so I was a bit deflated by it all.

But then I realised he won't be thinking miserable thoughts like I was. As long as he had a few gifts and family around to see him I'm sure he would be happy. All I needed was a bit of imagination to rustle something together.

In the morning I collected all of the presents which people had dropped off for him and piled them on the arm chair. Ben actually walked straight past these without noticing anything different, doh. We spent the day playing with his presents and waiting for family to come round in the evening for which I made a cake and put on a small buffet.

The cake was an Annie Bell recipe - Angel Cake. I just HAD to make it on the basis that the sponge mixture consisted of 12 egg whites, 375g icing sugar and 200g flour. It turned out light and fluffy and with a raspberry/marscapone centre and cream cheese/icing sugar outing it was delicious if I do say so myself. I just decorated it simply with smarties, last years candles and some ribbon I had received on a present. Et voila!

I had to use my resources when it came to the buffet and had to use what I had in the cupboards with the addition of two packs of mini birds buns £1.75 each (I think) and some 50p popcorn from Asda. The doritos and dip were from Aldi and together cost less than a pound. No-one could tell any different. I had tuna, cheese and eggs to hand for my sandwich fillings and I had two pizza's in my freezer. It just goes to show you don't need to spend loads of money on an extravagant buffet when mine didn't have a crumb left at the end of it!

I filled the floor with balloons from a big pack I bought for his first birthday and hung the same 'birthday boy' banner on the door.

We only have a two up two down house and somehow we managed to fit 13 people in the living room and all were sat down (even if they were on the floor that still counts!) Everyone went away and text me later on that night to say how wonderful the evening had been and that was the most important thing.

Happy Second Birthday my boy x