long time no blog....

Its been forever and a day since I last wrote here. I'm a horrible neglectful blogger.

Well, I moved again....and in with my bf. Its crazy and brilliant and great fun.
I feel like I'm really living again, like its my time to be shining and happy. Its all I could have asked for.
Today I've got school runs, housework, yoga, meals and ironing later while bf is playing football.
I've been through lots of changes, I'm back to using my maiden name aswell which is great.

Gotta go, I've so much to catch up now I've got connection again :) promise I wont leave it so long before updating again

Take Care
xxx

Where have I been?

Well I'm here, promise, just got so much to be sorting out right now.
Been spending time on MONEY SAVING EXPERT (that is when internet is working) I've been seriously thinking how I live and I need to re-evalute spending. saving and our way of living.
rent inspection went well and I am here until end of August, but I wont be here after that, I cant afford to be here. Even though I get some HB it doesnt cover the rent and I will move into the nearest town and start again, I feel a bit silly that I chose to be here knowing I really wouldnt be able to afford it. yet on that note my bf and I have been talking about maybe moving and renting together, the lovely thing is he knows I have no income of my own. Its something to think of, thats another reason to get all my finances sorted and get as much saved as possible.
Bad news on my car though its gone back in the garage. After collecting it last wednesday it started cutting out at junctions and roundabouts, blooming leathal! so it got taking back in sunday, so I am without a car again. They tried saying I had to pay to have it repaired but no way, I've had her 2 months she's under their warranty. Problem then is I lose faith I cant drive a car that might cut out at a busy junction and kill someone.
Sold quite a bit on ebay lately so have saved money in my EF (emergency fund) for anything I've not budgeted.
dd1 has now joined a drama club on wednesdays, suits her really. So she is at line-dancing Monday, Beavers Tuesdays and Drama wednesdays, busy little bee isnt she.
dd2 still goes to Pre-school one morning a week and thats her schedule done.
My head is filled with what my next step should be. Moving means finding somewhere for August, getting a new school, a new pre-school and all that implies. Going to work hard in the next 6 months to get this little unit strong!

Friday, thankfully.

Well most of today I spent listing ebay items, now I made to decision to stop crafting I thought it would be useful to sell them things I no longer need/want/use my mum still crafts so I can use her bits if needed and I'll keep a "project box" for A's school work too. Current I have 22 items listed.
I have sold an old carseat (totally up to saftey standard!) my old freezer, now I have a fabby new one (bigger!!) and loads of other bits, I made enough money last week to buy the new freezer and I am going shopping sunday to fill it up, I am hoping that with it being larger I will be able to cut my grocery bill down by storing and buying frozen food, with having to do atleast 10mile round trip to get a loaf of bread I need a fianically better idea.
My finances have been bugging me lately, its the uncertainty of handling it all. I write it down and evalute it all but I still stress out at the thought of most of it.
I have a house inspection on monday, the rental company are visiting to see the house and hopefully renew my tenancy for another 6 months. I hope I have kept it to the standard they want, must say some walls could do with a tough of paint but its cream and after having two children in it I'm supprised its not worse, when I clean the walls I tend to strip the paint off rather than the little finger marks lol.
Its my darling boyfriends birthday tomorrow, he turns 30. So I am joining him and his two children, his mum and dad and his nan and grandad for a meal, I'm nervous but I do know then so should be ok. I decided to wear my red dress and black cardigan, I want to look gorgeous by his side without being overdressed.
I've totally supprised myself with how much I really adore him, but he is a wonderful man and father, I'm blessed to have him in my life.
Grace had an eye appointment tuesday but passed very well and wont need another check up for a year. I've booked the girls a dentist appointment yet can get in until end of April!! thats a long wait but i do know people who havent even got a dentist. I went to the doctors on thursday as when I got up sunday morning I had a visable lump to the side of my naval, it didnt hurt but was obvious to sight that something wasnt right, by the time I went to docs it had gone down but was still there, the dr just said if it gets worse or causes pain to go back or go A&E I can still see it now, its a mystery.
Right I've chatted on enough tonight.
Take Care everyone
xxx

Electric! Bills and Evening meals.

Just been on the phone to my electricity supplier (E-on) who, in my latest statement, say I'm £168 in credit! Thats £168 that could be in my bank. So I call and have a chat with a nice advisor who has cut my direct debit payment from £70 per month to £35 per month, so thats good, but what I hope to do is still use the £35 I would have been paying in a savings account. I think I'm getting my head around everything now as well.
Ebay going ok, I've listed a few more pieces and have sold items to post tomorrow. Nice to make money from items I dont want/need any more. I left 7 big bags out for the chairty shop collection and a mini trampoline that my girls dont play on, I'd rather give it to chairty and help someone than take it to the recycling centre.
Last night the girls and I entertained my "boyfriend" its so lovely to have dinner all ready for when he gets there, we had tripple choc ice-cream for pudding too, girls were brilliant as usual adn went to bed the best they have for ages, they really like him, but then they've both known him since they were born. What I absolutely loved was having a tea and toast together and kissing him goodbye on the doorstep as he left for work.
xxx

Ebay day

Been a busy day, and its not over yet. School run then dashed into town to the banks and to have my hair cut (which looks cool) then back to get G from pre-school, so I have been sorting bags for the chairty shop collection on thursday and listing crazy amounts on ebay. Still have loads to do but I struggle with this connection so I go to my mums and "borrow" her wireless connection. So I have 10 listings today that finish in 3 days, hope I made some money and also clear some things. I decided to stop crafting, as much as I adore it then money just isnt available for me to spend on things like that, so I'm selling some pieces.
Sorted my bank account and transferred bits around so hopefully I am all set.
My electricity direct debit came out today, £70 a month for the three of us and thats with oil heating and being careful too.
I'm still in a complete whirl as to what to do in August about my housing. You know I would love to be at the point where I want to share my whole life and home with my gorgeous fella by then and maybe find some way of renting together, I'll be honest I feel like a total tag-a-long with no income of my own.
Right, time to go back into the cold and dark to collect A from Beavers.
Take Care
xxx

Time for renewal

My rent is up for renewal so I am being "inspected" in a couple of weeks (monday 23rd) and my rent due on the thursday. I pay 6 months at a time, so at least I am secure here until the end of August in that time I need to decide if it is wise to stay here in this village or maybe move into a town, which may be the case but I really dont want to move A any more, she is only 7 and I dont want her to feel insecure with me keep moving and taking her away from friends she's made. G wont start school until Sept 2010 (she'll be 4 and 1 month when she starts primary school) I suppose I'm missing the point, if I cant afford to live here then I have to move.
today was "Living Room" day so I leave that until after our dinner so the children have played and had fun then I do it while in bed. Tomorrow is bathroom day, simple really.
I'm going to have my hair cut while G goes to pre-school (9.00am to 11.30am) and doing my business with the banks, extra supprise as I got a £50 cashback cheque for using tesco as my car insurence, so that was lovely to recieve rather than the usual misery through the post. So that can be banked and I have some Standing Orders and Direct Debits to rearrange too. I have to get ontop of my finances.
Love to you all
xxx

Friday 06 February

Half a snow day today as school closed at lunch time, although most children even when being collected went straight out and played in the snow filled playground.
Drove to the doctors this morning for G's inhaler and the snow started falling on our way home, as I turned into my little road I had my car slide and go sideways, its so easy for people to have accidents.
I got my set of steps from argos today as well as my boyfriend's (lol thats so weird) birthday present, he turns 30 in two weeks time, so I've brought him a DAB radio and a battery recharging kit to go with it. Want one myself now though.
i've been working through the way I do my cleaning and since getting my hands on "gudie to becoming a perfect housewife" I realise how in love with lists I am, I work so much better with a list. Write it all down and then cross it off, it feels such an accomplishment.
With my two darling girls at their fathers tonight and my sexy man having his two children, I'm home alone, so I'm pottering about the house, which is so quiet, catching up online with the HHWC and seeing how my ebay auction is going.
Take Care
xxxx

Snow day!

Well today Amy is off school with a snow day so we've been messing around outside with half the neighbourhood. So here's a few pics, took by my phone which I'm super impressed with.

Grace

Amy

Grace, snow-cat, Amy.

I've got to get some steps for home, I did the tops of the wardrobes today and struggled to reach the beacks from my chair so will have to get some to make things safer around here.

Cleaned all the oven and the glass windows this morning, considering I've only been here 5 months its quite shocking.

Was meant to go up to the doctors today for aprescription and into town for a few bits but in this snow I'm not going to. Its a 20mile round trip I can do without today.
Time to get back to my list of jobs.
take care,
xxx

I'm so spoiled

I invite a guest for dinner this evening, I planned on toad-in-the-hole, roast potatoes and veg with a steamed chocolate pudding with cream for dessert, and when he arrived he did all the cooking, I'm amazed and feel so spoiled, a man who loves to cook and teaches me, some of you might know that I try my best but I'm not the greatest at cooking (lack of concentration I think) so we ate and shared the washing up and tidying. Seeing as the cleaning is my job it felt lovely to have someone help because they wanted to not because they were asked. So yes, I feel that I am spoilt.
Another great thing today, my obsession for all books "homekeepy" increased as I received "anthea turners guide to becoming the perfect housewife" I loved the show (still do as I have the series dvds) and wanted the original manual, well apart from turning into a dirty lazy slob and appearing on the show I knew only one place where I might get one, hello ebay, its a copy of an actual one from the show sadly not much care was taken over the pictures being copied but the rest is there, tee-hee I'm happy I have at least got some kind of copy. I hope she does another series but I dont think she will.

Righty-ho I'm off to do some wii-ing lol I got the "wii My personal Coach" and have a 15min workout scheduled and a 15min game play on Wii fit, man are those Nintendo Wii's cool.

Take Care
xxxx

Feb 09

Here I am, better late than never in 2009, Happy New Year.
I think I'm organised again now, I have my routines all set and my chores marked and noted.
Trickiest thing I've faced is the fianaces and the laundry, well slightly both combined, the weather here and the position of my garden makes line drying the laundry almost impossible, if I have my heating on I feel worried about using the oil and after running out last month I'm slightly scared to use it, so my upstairs hall way often resembles a utility room with dryers and coat-hangers in the doorways, but I'm getting there.
I've sold some unwanted pieces on ebay to raise money for other things, my eldest, at 7, is being very mature to it all, she is such an angel.
My youngest has started pre-school for one morning a week, so tuesday mornings seem so very quiet, which allowed me to juggle a few things and have that day as my "door frame days" meaning the day that I do the high jobs that require to stand on something.
Think I'm going to have to get a window cleaner though for my upstairs outside windows, I just cant get to them properly and I'd rather not fall out of the window on the pursuit of cleanliness.

Its great to be back online if only for the little while I get, I wish I could afford to get a proper broadband back but thats just another bill to pay and I'm not stable enough right now, no-one wants to employ me as a flexible one evening a week person.

Take Care everyone, thanks for stopping by, promise to get some piccies of my new house up soon
xxx