Category: Views & Ramblings

1. 8 weeks to Christmas : 8 things to do to save money

   Posted on 9:22pm Wednesday 30th Oct 2013

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   As of today folks there are exactly 8 weeks till Christmas.

   I know I am mentioning the C word again but 8 weeks folks! 8 weeks!

   So what can you do in 8 weeks to create a few extra pennies to spend over the festivities?

   1. Don't get coffee or sandwiches from anywhere other than your own cupboards and fridge. It is amazing that so many people spend over £10 a week on lunch and coffee. If you saved this money over the next 8 weeks, that is £80 you will have saved in time for Christmas!
   2. Reduce the Christmas list. Agree with certain friends that you won't exchange gifts this year, or set a price limit for family presents, particularly those for adults. Alternatively, have a "children only" rule, or set up a Secret Santa, which is kind of exciting as well as helping you to save money.
   3. Create a Christmas cupboard, then pounce on the biggest discounts. Don't waste time and money, Decide on who you need to buy for and what you want, make a list, get a Christmas cupboard ready to put stuff in, then search for the cheapest price. 
   4. Make the most of your vouchers! Whether it be Tesco Clubcard, Boots Advantage or Nectar Card Points, work out the best deal, don't just use them at the till, it maybe better to convert them into vouchers to get the best value.
   5. Sell your Stuff! I know that this sounds obvious but it is amazing how many people have clothes that they have grown out of or gifts that have been put in a cupboard and forgotten about. I recently blogged about doing a car boot sale to get rid of our old dvd's and "things" cluttering up the house but I wouldn't necessarily recommend that now the weather has changed but there are still sites like Ebay that allows you to sell from the comfort and warmth of your own home.
   6. Meal plan. We are all guilty of buying food on impulse. Don't. Set out your shopping into meals.
   7. And if you can't do that, walk down the reduced / whoops aisle. It is amazing what you can pick up to cook the same day. If you have the time to pop into the supermarket every day, you could easily save another £10 a week or more, which is another £80 towards Christmas.
   8. Be social media savvy! Get on Twitter and follow money saving experts such @myfamilyclub @familybudgeting @pennygolightly and @moneymagpie for sales hints and money-saving tips.

   Do you have any other money saving tips?

2. I love Autumn because .....

   Posted on 2:19pm Thursday 24th Oct 2013

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   It seems to have been raining for a while now but the sunshine came out today and with the crisp autumnal air and the sun in the sky, it reminded me of all the things I love about Autumn.

   Sometimes we just need reminding .....

   

    

   1. There are amazing colours everywhere, from the leaves on the trees to the shades in the shops. Autumn is all about colour.
   2. I love the cool, crisp fesh air. Especially in the morning, you walk outside and you get that little nose tingle from the air.
   3. The temperatures have definately dropped and there is a calm feeling all around. Things are much more relaxed in Autumn.
   4. Autumn is the start of the festivities and Halloween is great fun for children (and big kids too).
   5. Creating delicious homemade soups.
   6. Going out for a early morning long stroll together, it’s nice to have the Autumn wind as an excuse to walk a little bit closer — or to buy him a gorgeous wax jacket from Joules and steal it when you need another layer.
   7. And if you can't beat them, join them. Autumn brings a whole wardrobe of possibilities, from new scarves, boots, hats and jumpers. A change in the season is a great excuse to buy new clothes in my book!
   8. Shorter days and longer nights herald the start of great TV nights in. Snuggling up on the sofa at its best.
   9. The food ..... pumpkins, spices and the scent of mulled wine.
   10. For my children, Autumn means half term and the fact that it is just that little bit closer to Christmas ....

   How about you? 

   What do you love about Autumn?

   Disclaimer : This post was brought to you in association with Joules but all thoughts are our own.

   Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3. Sleep is for the weak!

   Posted on 8:51pm Wednesday 23rd Oct 2013

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   My blogging mojo has been a little sporadic lately and this has more to do with a lack of sleep than a lack of blogs! Its ironic that with the amount of hours we have been awake, that I dont have blog posts coming out of my ears but it is official, the littlest member of the Lilypad family has decided that sleep is for the weak.

   

   Our little angel is totally adorable, a complete cutie and a true gift to our family. She is interesting, funny, chatty and gorgeous but apparently she likes an early morning party. Everyone tells you that no two children are the same but with my first daughter being a text book baby, sleeping 7pm to 7am, I was quietly smug in my abilities to create a routine and I will hold my hands up and say I was so wrong. (This maybe the only time you ever hear me utter these words, so it maybe wise to keep this blog post).

   In the early hours of this morning I was woken with the little lady shouting me to "come get me" and once my eyes were open, I automatically reached for my phone to check the time and saw that I had emails, messages and social media notifications. Now admitedly I should have be wondering why I was getting all these messages in the middle of the night but you have to be thankful for a permanent broadband connection eh? Technology is such a big part of our everyday life now, it seems crazy to think that it doesn't seem all that long ago I was using a dial up on the computer to access the internet once a day.

   

   But I digress .... I sometimes think that the light nights have woken the little one, so as the dark nights draw in more and more, maybe we might just get a little more sleep. Although with the threatened power black outs, it looks like we might all be in the dark ..... which might also put an end to the midnight emailing too!

   Disclaimer : This post is brought to you in association with Virgin Media.

   Image courtesy of supakitmod at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

4. 50 things to love about life that are free!

   Posted on 10:00pm Friday 18th Oct 2013

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   I see lots of lists such as 50 things to do before you are fifty or 50 free things to do with your children but what about creating a list about 50 things to love about life ..... that are free?

   

   
   

   50 THINGS by littlelilypadco on Polyvore

   If you asked my two year old what are the things she loves, it would be a different list to my eight year old and a completely different list to mine. So I asked a group of amazing ladies what they would add to the list, so here is our collective list of the best things to love about life .... that are free!

   1. Love
   2. Family
   3. Drinking a cup of tea while it's still hot
   4. Fresh bed linen
   5. Freedom of choice
   6. Sunshine! Warms the face and the soul
   7. An unexpected lie-in on a Sunday morning
   8. Hugs - giving and receiving
   9. Second chances
   10. Paying someone random a compliment
   11. When your teenager asks if you are ok
   12. Chatting to a old friend and completely forgetting the time
   13. Being able to have a hot bath without someone needing the toilet
   14. Hope
   15. Counting your blessings
   16. Time - either having it for yourself, or giving it to someone else
   17. Hearing your child say mummy for the first time
   18. Cuddles
   19. The smell of cut grass
   20. Real caring and genuine friendship
   21. Waking up on a morning to find one your children snuggled in beside you
   22. Watching one of your children be kind to a sibling for no reason
   23. Dancing to your favourite tune
   24. Wearing your best clothes just because
   25. Being awake before anyone else in the house is pretty amazing.
   26. Playing 'Pairs' with the children and they genuinely beat you
   27. A bedtime without a tantrum
   28. Sleep
   29. Hearing your child giggle
   30. Showing kindness to someone - especially when they're having a bad day
   31. The unexpected things
   32. Reading a great book
   33. A song evoking a happy memory
   34. Exercise
   35. Learning a new skill
   36. Laughter
   37. Creating an adventure for your children
   38. Finding something you thought you had lost
   39. The crunch of autumn leaves under foot
   40. Snow days
   41. Being spontaneous
   42. Smiling at a stranger - especially on the underground escalators
   43. Writing ..... a love note, a blog post or a story
   44. Peace
   45. I love to fall asleep next to someone I’m in love with
   46. I love to wake up next to someone I’m in love with
   47. Watching the stars twinkle in the sky
   48. Stories around a campfire
   49. Kissing in the rain
   50. Walking barefoot on the grass or in the sand

   What would you add to the list?

   Thank you to the following lovely ladies for their contributions, Molly, Jenny, Mary, Jenny, Pink, Annie, Donna, Cat, Carolin, Michelle, Helen, Andrea, Helen, Aly, Cass, Liz, Becky, Anya and Kellie.