Here we are, just two weeks left until school starts again! I have no idea where the time is going but the last four weeks have just flown by.There have been times (more than I care to admit) in the past where weekday mornings getting ready for school have consisted of tears, a little bit of shouting and the odd phone call from the school to say the kids have forgotten their packed lunches!Lots of things make for a stressful morning, some of which can't really be planned for - like the child who wakes up in a foul mood for no reason at all, the sudden poorly tummy that has more to do … [Read more...]
#ThriftyThursday – My favourite meal planning templates from around the internet….
It's no secret that I'm a fan of meal planning - I even have a blog dedicated to all things meal planning related!I used to write my meal plans down in a notebook but I found it's actually easier to stick to if I have the week's meal plan on display where everyone can see it so today, I thought I'd share with you my favourite ways to display our weekly meal plan.I have a menu planner that I have up on my wall in the kitchen that we made a few years ago but it's looking a bit past it's best now so I may remake it using a different background paper - any wrapping paper is great for this … [Read more...]
Thrifty Thursday – Make money from old clothes….
Until last week, I didn't have proper wardrobes in our bedroom *hangs head in shame*.We always meant to buy some but we kept putting off buying them as we've been planning to get some fitted wardrobes installed since we moved in. It's never really been a top priority though and we've always had something else to spend our money on so the temporary wood and canvas wardrobes we bought when we moved in became less temporary and ended up staying for almost five years.Then my Dad bought some new wardrobes and arranged for his old ones (less than a year old) to be collected and delivered to … [Read more...]
Thrifty Thursday – Make your own curtains (take two)….
I wouldn't usually re-publish a post but every now and again, I remember about a post I wrote that's hidden away in my archives craving a little bit of attention (aren't we all?). This post, for example, was originally published a year or so ago but I really wanted to share it with you again today as I've just made a second pair of curtains using the same method.I've been after a pair of thick cream curtains for my living room for a while now but I'm struggling to find a pair that I like enough to buy! It's not that I'm fussy though, I just have very specific requirements ;-)I want … [Read more...]
It’s time for the Summer Bag….
You all know that I have a present bag, which was replenished yesterday with some brilliant bargains from the 75% off sale in Claires and the '5 cards for £1' offer in the Card Factory, but I don't think I've told you about my Summer bag yet.My Summer bag is basically a bag filled with all sorts of outdoor toys and other things that mean we can have fun wherever we are and without having to plan things or spend time getting ready.This is what's in there at the moment, starting with the sensible stuff:Sun tan lotion. Hats - not their favourite hats just cheap ones just in … [Read more...]
Thrifty Thursday – 15 Ways to save money in the kitchen….
It's OK, I'm not going to go on about meal planning again although that's clearly my first way to save money in the kitchen - if you don't already meal plan, you should. If you do, you'll be nodding your head right now agreeing that this is by far the easiest way to save money in the kitchen. But even aside from meal planning, the kitchen is one area where you can save money easily without really changing much at all. Here's my favourite kitchen moneysaving tips.... Cook and serve the right portion sizes - Pasta and rice are the main foods that I regularly over estimate the amount I need to … [Read more...]
