Our Free Day Of Fun

Hello all hope everyone is keeping well. We had a smashing day yesterday and the cost of the day was zero it was all completely free. Once a year the local churches get together to arrange a free fun day for the children in the area and it takes place on the big green just outside my house. This year they had giant noughts and crosses, glass staining candle holders, making a spiders web from wool, giant garden pick up sticks, giant snakes and ladders, learn to play the bongos, general drawing and colouring, sandpit, face painting, bouncy castle, and free tea/squash and cakes. We had a lovely time we found a nice spot on the green where we could keep tabs on Brandon and enjoyed our free drink and cake whilst Brandon made full use of the facilities on offer.

Such a wonderful idea and it helps bring the community together. Personally I would be happy to pay a small amount in order to have something like this more regularly in the community. It was a wonderful day and Brandon thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Much Love
Claire xx xx xx

Flowers For Pennies

Hello all I'm back and feeling so much better. I had a couple of rough weeks following my operation but the last week or so I have felt very well and almost back to my old self again. Yesterday Lee had a day off of work so we went into Salisbury for the day. We took Ben and Brandon for something to eat and then went to visit my friend in Salisbury hospital. She has broken her leg very badly and has had to have an operation on it and is awaiting a second operation to put a metal plate in her leg. After spending a few hours with the bestie we decided to treat the boys to a cinema trip (Lee's treat) and we watched Smurfs 2. The kids loved it and it was nice to be able to watch a film in the cinema without the worry of having an attack. On the way home we stopped at Tesco and got some really good end of day bargains I got the following
6 white hovis rolls 12p x3
6 large bananas 6p
4 organic gala apples 25p
6 everyday value apples 20p
Large bag of grapes 20p x2
Bag of lettuce 10p
2kg of potatoes 14p
6 tomatoes 12p
Large bag of mushrooms 9p
Bag of sliced apples 5p x3
Bunch of pink freesias 30p
Bunch of pink roses 30p

That's right I have treated myself to this beautiful bunch of flowers which cost me the grand sum of 60p (the orange flowers which I think are some type of Lilly have been cut from my back garden).

They are lovely and for 60p I cant complain about the cost and they really brighten up the kitchen. Tomorrow I will be catching up on housework during the day and then in the evening we will be going over to Lee's for the night. I also hope to do my school uniform check and order what they will need new for September. I will let you all know how I get on with that and how much it ends up costing me. I have looked around for the best prices so I am armed and ready to go.

Much Love
Claire xx xx xx

Just Checking In

I am still about but have been incredibly unwell with my MD and on top of that I have sprained my knee which has also triggered an old injury in the same place. I was given a strong dose of Tramadol to help with the pain but it made me really sick and as high as a kite so I stopped taking it after the first day and I am managing on paracetamol alone now. I also had a phone call from the hospital on Wednesday evening a cancellation has come up and I will be having my surgery on Monday now. I have had the surgery before and it is only a grommet to replace the one that fell out last year but it really does help with the MD. So as nervous as I am about it all I am also looking forward to a bit of respite from the dizzies. Anyway I will check back in on Tuesday and let you all know how the surgery went and in the mean time its leg up and rest.

Much Love
Claire xx xx xx

Summer Holidays Are On The Way

Well it is almost that time of year again the school summer holidays are almost upon us and boy have I been busy making plans for this over the last few weeks. I have leaflets detailing events at our local libraries and museums, I have looked at cheap days out at theme parks, and I have made plans for camping trips and visits to family and friends. August is almost completely booked up now which is a relief. Brad will be going on a ten day camping trip with an organization that specifically caters for teenagers with special needs. The cost of the trip is 350 pounds however there is a small pot of money to offer those on low incomes a free place and Brad has been lucky enough to secure one of the free places. They do ask for a donation towards the cost of the trip and I have agreed to pay 100 pounds towards the cost. This is the most I can afford to contribute and they are very happy with this amount as most families only give around 20 pounds towards the cost. I had to give what I felt was fair and 100 pound for a ten day trip seems more than fair to me. If I had the money I would pay the full 350 but am just not in a position to do so right now. Now that I am aware of the trip I will put money aside monthly so that Brad can go again next year and I will be in a position to pay the full cost of the trip and the free place can then go to another deserving child. They also very kindly lend the kids any equipment they do not have so that we as parents do not have the added expense of going out and buying a load of new camping equipment for the trip. Brad and Ben will also be spending five days with their dad and step mother and I will be doing several day trips with Brandon while they are away to ensure he does not miss out. Brad and Ben will also be going to their nan in Wales for ten days again I will be doing lots of day trips and maybe an overnight in Weymouth so that Brandon does not miss out. Despite Brandon not being Dee's grandson she never leaves him out and would have happily had him for the ten days also. However due to his toileting issues I felt it best that Brandon stay at home with me this time around. So this is how our summer holiday calendar looks at the moment although there may be a few day trips thrown in here and there in addition.

Thursday 25th July Trowbridge Tudors cost is free and all 3 boys will be coming and it is Brads birthday that day.
Saturday 27th July Brad goes away for ten days camping cost 100 pounds.
Tuesday 30th July Summer safari workshop cost is free and Ben and Brandon will be coming as Brad is away camping.
Thursday 1st August Picnic at the park cost is free and Ben and Brandon will be coming as Brad is away camping.
Friday 2nd August Stumpy's decorate it day cost is 1.50 each and Ben and Brandon will be coming as Brad will still be away camping.
Monday 5th August Brad and Ben will be going to their dads for 5 days.
Thursday 8th August Creative collages cost is free and Brandon will be coming as Brad and Ben will be at their dads.
Friday 9th August Make a mobile workshop cost is free and Brandon will be coming as Brad and Ben are not due back from their dads till later in the afternoon.
Monday 12th August Day trip to Longleat cost unsure as yet (we get discount tickets due to disabilities and being carers) all 3 boys will be coming.
Tuesday 13th August Summer safari clay modeling cost is free and I will be taking all 3 boys.
Thursday 15th August Luscious Landscapes workshop cost is free and I will be taking all 3 boys.
Friday 16th August Brad and Ben will be going to visit their Nanny in Wales for ten days.
Saturday 17th August Carry on card weaving workshop cost is free and I will be taking Brandon as Brad and Ben will be in Wales.
Monday 19th August An over night in Weymouth cost unsure as yet and I will be taking Brandon as Brad and Ben will be in Wales.
Wednesday 21st August Flowery felts workshop cost is free and I will be taking Brandon as Brad and Ben will be in Wales.
Thursday 22nd August Treasure chests workshop cost is free and I will be taking Brandon as Brad and Ben will be in Wales.
Saturday 24th August Picnic at the park cost is free and I will be taking Brandon as Brad and Ben will be in Wales.
Tuesday 27th August Fun with wool workshop cost is free and I will be taking all 3 boys.

So as you can see lots has been booked and the boys will be kept very busy this summer holidays. Hopefully this will make my life easier as they wont have a chance to get bored and play up which will equal a happy mummy :)

See You Soon
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx

Back To Normal Life

Hello everyone. We are now back in to our usual routine after being away for the weekend all the washing has been washed, dried, and put away, the shopping has been done (not much needed as we are still eating down the freezer I reckon I have a good 2 weeks of food in there). It's a good job I'm on top of everything as I have come down with a horrible cough and cold. I have a banging headache, stiff neck and joints, sore throat, bunged up and can't breath properly, and a yucky cough. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are my best friends right now that and lots of rest. So I am spending most of the day on the sofa either watching TV or reading but at least I don't have the worry of housework not being done. The good thing about being stuck at home unwell is I can't spend any money. I don't spend much when I am out anyway but being stuck in I can't spend anything which is good for my purse :)
For dinner tonight we will be having roast beef (yellow sticker), roast pots, Yorkshire puds, mixed veg, and gravy. Total cost 2.84 and will serve four of us so 71p per person.

I want to share something I have been thinking about since I got back from my trip to London. My family are very different to me and they don't really get the frugal homebody thing. They seemed to gang up on me a bit at the weekend (Lee included) that I don't go out and do stuff enough. That I should be going out with my friends and doing STUFF. I tried to explain that I do go out occasionally but that with my MD it can be difficult at times and that I prefer to be at home with my little family and enjoying my hobbies. I explained that I have interests such as jewellery making, knitting, reading, and learning how to sew, that I enjoy baking, making my own laundry detergent and such like. According to my family this makes me old before my time and I was referred to as grandma. I have to say this hurt a little especially coming from the Mr as I thought he would have defended the things I do in the home as he benefits from these things when he is here. I realise that simple living is not for everyone but it is a life that I enjoy, a life that has shown me the meaning of true happiness, a life that has enabled me to pay off almost 5000 pounds of debt in just under 6 months. Although their words hurt I am pleased to say that it has only made me stronger in my views and I will not be changing my lifestyle for anyone or anything I love my life just the way it is. So to my family and the Mr as much as I love you all it's a big two fingers up to you all now go pick on someone else lol.

See You Soon
Much Love
Claire xx xx xx

Our Weekend To London In Pictures

The Journey Down

 

Ben and Brandon

 

Brandon

 

Brad

 

I went prepared with books, games, paper and pencils, drinks and snacks and we had a pretty good journey and the boy's were very well behaved.


The Tube In To London

 

The boys with my dad

 

Buckingham Palace

 

Adam (my step nephew), Ben, Brad

 

Brandon looks so unhappy in this picture I can not remember why though

 

And 2 seconds later he is happy again lol

 

The palace guard

 

 

The queens water feature a bit to grand for my back garden lol

 

 

Big Ben

 

Little Ben and Brandon with Big Ben oh and grandad

 

Brandon with Big Ben and the top of Lee's head lol

 

 

We had a fabulous day the sun was shinning and we walked a good 4 miles seeing all the sights. London pride was on also but we did not stop to watch any of it as I think we just caught the tail end of it.

Saturday Night At Dad's

 

Brad and Brandon with their great grandad

 

Incase your wondering yes my granddad only has one leg he lost the other a few years ago due to an infection in his foot which spread up his lower leg.

 

Lee and Dad enjoying a beer and a game of chess

 

 

Shortly after this photo I went to bed as I was so tired from the days events Lee and Dad however played on in to the night with Dad being the overall winner.

Sunday At Mum's

 

I love this picture of Lee and myself

 

Brandon with aunty Carina

 

Brandon with aunty Leanne (my sister) and her partner Carina

 

 

We had a lovely day at my mum's having a good catch up and playing swingball in the garden with the boys.

The Journey Home

 

Some very tired boys on the journey home. We had a taxi booked for 5.50pm to take us the 10 minute car ride to the station so we could catch the 6.26pm train. The taxi did not turn up and as a result we missed our train. Furious does not come close to how we felt with this taxi company. We had to work out another route to get home which added an extra 2 hours to our journey which meant a 5 hour journey and we did not get home till midnight. Considering all this and how tired they were the boys were extremely well behaved and I was very proud of them.

Much Love
Claire xx xx xx

It's Turning Into A Costly Week

Well first it was the PC 95 pounds, then it was the broadband 114 pounds, now it's rail tickets. I have of course been doing all I can to save pennies where I can and they are all items that are needed and not just wanted impulse buys. But it is still taking money out of my purse. We have been planning on visiting my family in London for a few weeks now and due to my MD I am unable to travel that distance without Lee with me in case of an attack. So we have had to wait until he has a weekend off work this weekend Lee has a weekend off so we decided to make it then. Of course there are 5 of us 2 adults and 3 children and neither Lee or myself drive due to medical conditions (my MD and Lee's epilepsy although he has been fit free now for 5 years so we are hoping he can start driving lessons in the near future). We therefore rely on public transport for journeys especially ones of this distance (it is a 2 hour drive and a 3 hour train ride). I sat down last night to book the tickets through redspottedhanky.com. I was interested to see how much it would normally cost for the 5 of us to travel without any discounts and nearly chocked on my tea when it came back with a price of just under 174 pounds. I of course would never pay such an obscene amount of money to go visit family no matter how much I love them and how long I have gone without seeing them. Thankfully I am a frugalist and know most of the tricks of the trade :)

A few weeks ago I received 3x 5 pound vouchers for redspottedhanky.com through Tesco clubcard rewards totally free. I was alerted to the offer via Martin Lewis at MSE newsletter which I receive regularly through email and snapped them up quick before they had all gone knowing we would be making several train journeys this summer. I also have a 2 month free family and friends railcard which gives me 60% discount for children and 1/3 discount for adults on train travel. Armed with all my discounts and tricks I set to work to get the best price possible. I managed to get all 5 of us on the exact same trains that would have cost 174 pounds for just 62 pounds a saving of 112 pounds. I did have to do it in 2 transactions though as the 5 pound vouchers I received can only be used 1 per transaction. By doing it in 2 transactions I was able to use 2 of the vouchers instead of 1 and as there was no card or booking fees I was able to do this at no added cost. So the tickets are all booked and paid for and we pick them up on the day of travel just before we go from the ticket machine saving a further 7 pounds on delivery.

We are all really looking forward to our trip as we very rarely get to see my family and see my dad, nan, and grandad even less. Due to poor health they are unable to travel to us. Brad has not seen a lot of the family for over a year so I felt it important that he came with us this time and have cancelled his restpite this weekend so he can come with us instead. I have arranged for a friend to look after the house and animals whilst we are away so I won't have anything to worry about other than having a good time and enjoying the company of my family. On Saturday we will be going into Central London to visit some of the tourist spots as we thought the boys would like this and it will be free of charge just to go look and take some pictures of places like Buckingham palace, tower bridge, and the London eye (we will not be going on the London eye at 20 pounds a head its way out of my price range). We will be getting travel cards which will cover all our transport costs for the day for 21pounds for the 5 of us and I will take a picnic so we wont have to pay to eat out. I'm not sure how my brother will react to my extreme frugal ways but I am who I am and wont change for anyone not even for a day lol. I will of course take lots of pictures to share with you all of our day out in London.

So as you can see it has turned into a costly week here at Tilly towers the only consolation is that I have paid a hell of a lot less than I should have done and saved myself 100's of pounds doing it all the frugal way and that deserves a little smile don't you think.

Much Love
Claire xx xx xx