Wicked!

Halloween

A time for pumpkin lanterns;

For people act even sillier than they normally do;

Not too sure that kissing is normally in the mix mind!

For strange scary faces;

For funny coloured hair, adorned with bats;

And for daughter to be allowed to act like the living dead;

(I know that sounds like a normal teenager!)

Even the pumpkins tried to get together!

So how was your halloween?

X x

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly!

It is scary just how quickly this year has passed us by.

Here are my high/lowlights of the week;

The Good

Being Frual

Image from squawkfox.com


Its always good to save a few pennies.


Kassies Birthday

Where did the time go?


The Bad

Trying to get a teenager to be frugal too!

This sums it up to be fair.

(not that I want her to move out for a few years!)

The Ugly
Getting a speeding ticket!

Enough said!

How has your week been?

X x

Freebies And Frugality Of The Week

Well as I have been all thrifty and saving/not spending I thought I really ought to look at how I have done for the week;

• Whilst I was upset about the ruining of my suit trousers I am now the proud owner of a new pair of long smart shorts!  No spend at all as my mother in law adjusted them for me (new trousers cost would have been £20)

• A new blusher due to mine being empty, however still free as I used my boots points to replace it. (new blusher £3)

• We have had enough vegetable given to us to last all week, kindly given to us again via the in laws from the allotment they own. (vegetable/fruit costs £5)

• At a meeting I attended in which we had a presentation from a well know toothpaste company I was given four tubes of toothpaste to take home.  Should last us a while. (four tubes of branded toothpaste £5)

• No paying out for ironing to be done, even though I hate it, instead my kind mom has taken it all away to do and will return it tomorrow.  Thank you mom x. (ironing cost £15)

• I have saved approximately £10 this week in parking, just by thinking where is free even if it does include a little extra walk. (parking costs £10)

• All mileage has been claimed along with any stationery items from work so should add £100+ back into the account.  This is only for the meeting etc that I have attended. (fuel £90, stationery costs £8)

• I have said no to meals out, coffees out with friends and even to the youngest for wasteful things. In turn this little word must have saved me a few pounds this week that would have been wasted.  It doesn't mean I have missed out on catching up with my friends either, just that we have had coffees at each others houses rather than an expensive coffee shop. (coffees etc £10, meals £15, Ashleighs rubbish £20)

• And I have had three free lunches too, as at meetings we have it provided. (3 lunches £9) and as for the other days I have taken in my yummy home made soup and banana cake. (2 lunches £6)

• And of course I also stayed out for a night so had a slap up meal and wine, yummy breakfast and was even able to bring a few freebies that will be suitable for Christmas stocking fillers too. (a slap up meal and wine £30, breakfast £16 and gifts £5)

(overall saving of approximately £267!)

So all in all a frugal week I think.

What frugal things have you done this week?

X x

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly!

Good grief the weeks are passing quickly!

Here are my high lights;

The Good

I have been so spend neutral it has been amazing!

I am well chuffed with myself. 

The Bad

Working through the whole of half term!

I don't mind working but I do miss being able to spend time with my daughter, not that she's missed me more like I missed her!

The Ugly

Has to be the physio.

Yes its for a good reason but my god it hurts!

How has your week panned out?

Tickled Pink!

Tickled Pink is a great fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) which I am sure you will agree is a fantastic cause.

As I was unable to do race for life this year we have been raising funds at work by having pink days, wearing pink (as little or as much as you like) making pink cupcakes to sell and having pink cocktails too.
(all non alcoholic of course!)

And we were also given a few of these too;

And it would have been rude not to eat them, well it is all in a good cause!

Have you been supporting Tickled pink in anyway?

On a funny note I must share the following with you;

Last night as you know I stayed away from home, talk about a catalogue of errors!
Firstly my key didn't work, so after dragging my suitcase to the second floor with my one good hand I had to turn straight round and head immediately back down stairs to get it sorted.  Then I was just stepping out of the shower when my room door opened and a lady walked in.  I don't know who was more shocked me or her, they had made a huge error in giving her the same room number as me.  Then to top it all of my key then no longer worked so I had to get it reset for a second time!  Shocking!!  They did give me two free drinks vouchers but I will be complaining as it was terrible service, not at all what you would expect from the Hilton! It could only happen to me.

Well you have to laugh don't you?!

X x

Away Again!

Yes, yet again I am away from home for work.

This time it is the opening of a new store and I shall be spending the night here,

In the Hilton hotel in Tewksbury.

Yes it may sound all lovely, which of course it is, after all it is the hilton!

However I am such a home pigeon that I always prefer to stay at home if I can.

That said tonight I shall be eating a lovely meal, all paid for by the company, as is the room.

I shall be able to claim back my mileage and I shall be using free toiletries, so from a thrifty point of view not bad at all!

The hotel is fab, as is the room.

Laid out with all the usual;

The obligatory tea tray.

And not forgetting the lush toiletries, which will of course be coming home with me ready for someones hamper. (I actually remember to bring samples with me to use instead, thirty or what!)

Catch you all tomorrow.

X x 

Casual Admin

The one great thing about being able to do admin from home is that the normal business attire doesn't apply and you can be as relaxed as you like.

So today I put that well and truly into practice;

Jumper - H&M thrifted (years old)
Trousers - H&M from america (years old)
Long sleeved top - George at Asda (years old)
Boots - New Look I think (again years old)

Smart enough for if the postman knocks (no pun intended!)

But casual enough to be able to be relaxed too.

The other great thing is that I don't have to style my hair more than just a ponytail.

(lazy I know!)

The bit of bling is added as I have a hole in my jumper which I have been too lazy to sew.

(Note to self, must do)

Necklace - Primark

As for the necklace I just like the sound it makes.

(And the colours obviously.)

The other great thing is that as I am listed my clothes I see that most have been with me for years and will, I hope see a few more yet.

Look at me being all thrifty!

X x

Wrist update!

Today saw me attending my first physio appointment for my wrist.

It is very stiff and sore, as well as weak, which is driving me nuts! 

The physio consisted of.....

Pulling up and Pushing down....

And lots of flexing!

Now I am back home I shall reach for the ice pack,

(aka frozen peas)
 and hopefully reduce the swelling and bruising.

All this from falling over who knew eh!

To keep to my thrifty ways I have had home made soup for lunch, which was yummy if I do say so myself!

Instead of paying £3 to park at the hospital we parked further along for free and walked in, so I even got a little exercise too!

I did however pop into boots for a new blusher as mine has none left at all.  But still I spend no pennies as I used my boots points to pay instead.

So yet again a zero spend day.

X x

Smartly does it!

Now it really grieves me to have to spend money on work clothes and as we are on a spend free moment (maybe even months!) I have had to be a little more creative with my work wear.

As it had begun to get a nip the air, plus the fact I still can't manage to pull up tights, this morning I opted for a trouser suit.

Smart and warm.

So you can imagine how miffed I was to find that my trousers had a big bleach mark on the bottom!

(I have obviously been by a mop at work and brushed past)

The quandary it put me in was the fact that I hadn't ironed an alternative and had 5 minutes to rectify the situation.  The result ended up as such;

Suit jacket - Next (years old)
Blouse - thrifted
Skirt - eBay

Not quite as warm as I would have liked but thankfully the offices are heated well. 

A sign it has gotten colder is the draft excluder reappearing under the door!

As for my trousers, well in true thrift style my mother in law is going to make them into very long shorts which I should still be able to wear as a suit and suitable for work also.

Win, win I'd say!

Further adventures of the thrifting kind saw us getting our shopping yesterday from the local aldi.
£56 for around two weeks worth of food for the three of us, not bad I thought, even a few treats for Ash in the basket too.

I baked a huge Sunday roast with a leg of lamb that will also see us for tea this evening and I baked a banana loaf for us to take as a snack to work as well as a home made tomato soup for lunches.
(Using the last of our home grown tomatoes.)

A very busy day yesterday!

X x

Cutting The Cloth.

Not literally you understand, I can't even thread a needle so that wouldn't be good.

More like tightening our belts.

This year has flown by and Christmas time is fast approaching.

(I know this as Wrapping paper, cards and even Christmas decorations are in our stores as I speak!)

So to quote the advert every penny counts and I shall not be spending any pennies at all!

The accounts have been done and there really are no pennies to spend!
(only essentials and gifts allowed!)

Any bit of entrainment must be free, all clothes must last and meals are to be made with what ever is in the freezer/cupboard.

So my dear friends I must ask what do you do to make your life interesting whilst being frugal?

X x 

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly!

Another week bites the dust and passed us by in a haze!

Heres my week in a nut shell.

The Good

Freedom!

I finally have had my cast removed and I am over the moon.

The Bad

Still no driving allowed!

Not for another two weeks at least and the wrist is strong enough.

The Ugly

Being broke!

After the accounts have been checked it really is a case of being very frugal.

Every bill seems to have gone up yet the wages are not following suit.

Thankfully I had purchased almost all the Christmas gifts and the freezer is daily full!

So what has your week been like?

X x

What A Difference A Day Makes.....

24 little hours...

(ok I won't sing, but only because your eardrums couldn't stand it!)

Bloody hell I am only cast free!

At 2.40 this afternoon I took my place in the waiting area with my mother in law to keep me company and after a very short wait I was called through to be set free.

I skipped in as excited as a child on Christmas morning.

Ew! Crusty skin!

I'm free I tell you!

(Can you tell I am excited?!)

Wrinkly lines from the bandage.

Out came the cutters and promptly it was chopped off.

(The cast not the arm obviously)

Yes it was a little minging, so would you be if you hadn't washed for 6 weeks and it looked a little odd to say the least.

Looks like a right old biddies arm! All that tan that disappeared.

I keep forgetting to bring my arm with me as it's now so light and it feels so weak its ridiculous.
(I can't even pick up a cup of tea!)

I now have lots of red sore marks where the cast was rubbing.

Sore wrist.

It's very sore between my finger and thumb.

So I shall be doing lot's of strengthing exercises as I am desperate to get back behind the wheel and don't worry I shall warn you all when I do!

X x

2......1.....

Oh my C day is nearly here!!!!!

I'm so happy I could do a little jig, infact I think I shall.

(You want to be so glad you didn't witness it!)

The wrist is aching like a mofo but I don't even care, well maybe I do a little.

(I am a wuss after all)

So to finish off the count down please find below my 3's, 2's and 1's.

Top 3

Top 3 Foods

• Cream cakes, any kind I'm not fussy!
• Scallops, I have never been one for sea food however I adore these.
• Haribo, ok not exactly a food but yummy all the same.

Top 3 Drinks (you will notice they are all alcoholic, oops!)

• Pimms, it's not just for summer!
• Vodka, add a bit of coke and I'm a happy bunny.
• A good old pint of bitter. (You can take the girl from the black country but you can't take the black country out the girl!)

Top 3 Favourite Places

• Mexico, after this years holiday I am hooked.
• Disney, what can I say I am just a big kid!
• Home, well that is where the heart is after all.

Top 2's

Top 2 Favourite Blogs

•  Vintage Vixen , she always amazes me with her stunning style and grace.
•  Odd Socks and Pretty Frocks  Alex, not only do you always look fab but you always make me smile.

Top 2 Hobbies

• Thrifting, saves the bank balance depleting.
• Cooking, unfortunately this expands the waistline too!

Top 1

No 1 Thing I am proud of

• My family. I am without a doubt so proud of my girls and my hubby, all of whom have made me feel so much better about being stuck in this cast.  So to them I say a huge thank you and love you loads.

Thanks for all your cooking and ironing babe x

Thanks for all the help girls, from straightening my hair to emptying the dishwasher x

X x

Three!!!!

I am like a child counting down to Christmas, only my date is 18th October.

Forget D day, I am counting down to C day...

"Cast removal day"

Enjoy your weekend peeps.

X x

Four Days And Counting.

The countdown continues and as it does the smile is very slowly beginning to reappear on my face.

In order to help it I have decided to list a few of my favourite fours.

Four Places I go:

1.  Home (nothing better after a long day) 

2.  On my holidays (yay! The company is always great too)

3.  Visiting friends and family (always help me find my happy place)

4.  Work (sad but I do like my job)  

Four Crushes I Have:

1.      Hubby of course (had to be really)

2.      Robbie Williams (just cause)

3.      Ewan Mcgregor (he can act, sing and rides a bike, whats not to love).

4.      David Tennant (he can be my doctor anytime!)

Four Smells that I Love:

1.  Bacon frying (yummy)

2.  Fresh vanilla pods (reminds me of holidays in France)

3.  New car smell 

4.  Home ( not that I have a smelly home! But mare that it smells safe if that makes sense?)

Four Favorite TV Shows: (promise not to laugh please)

1.   Glee (guilty secret)

2.   Australia master chef

3.   Strictly come dancing.

4.  Shameless

Now I'm off to enjoy 4 glasses of wine and four chocolates too!

X x

The count down commences!

commences

At last I am now in the final few days count down till the removal of my cast and if I am totally honest it has well and truly got me down! I have lost my mojo for many things as the time has progressed, fashion (a little hard when you can't fit clothing over the cast!), going out (not fun when you feel a wreak!) blogging (nothing to blog about!) and even hubby (hard to feel desirable when you can't move your wrist!)

However no more feeling down in the dumps, I have but 5 more days until this thing is removed and have decided to be thankful for the countdown.

Sorry for the lack of inspiration, I hope it was only vacant for a short while and will be back soon.

X x

I H M!

Ok, so thats no strictly true.

I had a heavy week lasts week to be fair, not work wise so much but personal stuff.

And whilst it feels like a load has been lifted from my shoulders it also makes me feel very vulnerable and fragile too.

So I am not feeling Monday, it has to be said!

It hasn't helped that yet again I have had to stay away from home for the evening.

But before I know it I shall be back home (lets hope its a happy one!) and able to sleep in my own bed.

Hope your Monday has been a good one.

X x

What A Difference A Week Makes

Who would believe that last week we had glorious sun shine and we were donning our summer clothes again?!

Well we had a fantastic time in the sun and visited another National trust home.

The beautiful Croft Castle.

The sun shone and we even went for a walk for an hour and a half.

(note to self flip flops aren't correct footwear for walking in the woods!)

The cows were unfazed by us.

It was so beautifully quite.

Flip flops and autumn leaves were an odd combination.

The shadows cast were magical.

We sat in the garden and enjoyed the weather.

The walled garden truly was magical and reminded me of the secrecy garden.

A very grand entrance.

"Do you think Rapunzel lives there?" asked a little girl to her mum as we walked by this.

The entrance to the walled garden.

Amazing to think it was only last week!

 I shall look forward to our next visit to a national trust house.

X x