Bargain buys for June - Charity shop tales

I love a bargain (dont we all)! Since moving to this new house i have become aware at the lack of furniture. My house looks plain boring and unlived in. Also with the lack of storage, a teen and a pre teen and a puppy that's going through a chewing phase, the house looks like a bomb has hit it most days!

We have found an amazing hidden gem in Mansfield. A local charity shop called Phoenix which sells items at really low prices!

Here is a few things we have picked up recently which i think are fantastic!
(Excuse the mess, we are still finding homes for all the crap)

Here's a surprise... I started Avon!

Anyone who knows me has probably heard e say that i would never do one of these work from home jobs! Well i bit the bullet and i signed up to Avon.  

Recently we have hit a bad patch financially, hubby is on reduced pay and i needed to find something to do which would pay the rent each month. My sister who is an Avon Representative suggested trying Avon myself to see if it could help things at home. 

It was not just the financial side of it that i signed up. I have 2 girls who do not understand the value of money. They believe the magical money tree appears each night and drops me £100 so that they can have the things they have and the roof over their head. I didn't want them growing up with this attitude and needed to find a way to set the idea, that the tree does not exist and it is through hard work that we have what we have. As well as this being a long term sufferer of social anxiety i have become aware how much me being a hermit is effecting my children. In order to kick this in the butt i need to get out there, meet new people and show my children that it is not scary and making friends is possible. 

Meet Max - The newest member of the Saving Mummy's Pennies Household!

You are all aware that i went MIA for a few months. Ill explain more in other posts but it it has been a busy time. One of the reasons were this little bundle of fluff! 

We were given the opportunity to adopt Max, a very energetic orange roan working cocker spaniel. It has been 6 months since we adopted him so i thought id do a quick meet max post. 

Here's Max

#MHAW16: Dear Gareth

This is one of my favourite quotes regarding mental health. One that i believe is very true and one which i think personally reflects me. 

#SMPBehindTheBlog- Get to know the mummy behind Saving Mummy's Pennies

I have a confession, my guilty little secret. Have you seen those little notes that go around facebook, the A -Z of questions, what is your favourite etc? I like to do them and like to read other peoples responses. I was recently tagged in a 20 questions post which i found quite interesting. 

I thought it would be fun to share the responses.  

365 day penny challenge - UPDATE

Last year i posted about doing a penny a day challenge. The aim was to save up all the money for Christmas in one go without the need to stress about it. It worked out so well that i thought i would do an update and show you all how it went.

Firstly lets go back to the beginning. What is the 365 day penny challenge?

Welcome 2016! Our 2015 update.

After a long holiday with family i decided now was the time to pop on here and say a big welcome to 2016! I hope you all enjoyed seeing the new year in as much as i did. 

2015 was a hard year for us. The first 6 months was as good as it usually is but the last 6 months was hard. 

Here is an update of our 2015 and a look back on last years resolutions. 

New years resolutions 2015 

I did make this post with good intentions (dont we all?) But as usual, i didn't stick to them all. You can see all my resolutions in Welcome 2015!  

Giving up smoking - I did give up smoking - for 7 months. When we went through a rough patch i started back up again. I have however cut right down and will be back to vaping again in February. 

Reducing waste - I did reduce our waste. It is a work in progress but i got more crafty, more imaginative and had some fun along the way. I plan to work on this more in 2016. 

Budgeting better - I did manage this one! We are much more in control of our money than we ever have been. We are by no means perfect but we now have spare money and we can now save for the things 2016 has in store (like getting married) 

Making handmade gifts - I did manage this too. It made Christmas alot easier (and cheaper) and meant that some members of the family got a gift that they usually wouldn't get if we had to pay for them. Check out the 50 gifts i made for £25 i made for Christmas. 

Losing weight - As with most people, this was one i didn't achieve. Keep an eye out for a post later today to find out why. I started the year off great but then i found out something which turned all the hard work i had done, upside down and forced me to reassess and restart a diet. 

2015 Highlights 

Not too much happened last year that was worth raving about. 5 things really stood out and made 2015 much better than most and has set the path for 2016 to be potentially much better than any other year. 

We had our first family holiday 

To Cancun of all places! It was wonderfully relaxing and very much a once in a lifetime experience. 

You can read all about it in Cancun Review 

While it wont be a holiday we could ever afford to go on again, it did make us realise that we need to go away as a family. We try to make as many memories as we can for the kids but after this holiday i feel that we should make more of an effort to go to different places and experience different things. 

I started a degree 

This is something i have wanted to do for a while but was unsure how to go about it. I had studied previously with The Open University, but life got in the way and i had to defer. This time i am much more determined. I know a degree will put us in a position where we can leave living below the breadline and even though it is 6 years away it is making out future look much more brighter. 

As an added bonus, me starting a degree has encouraged, not 1 but 3 members of my family to also study towards one. My mum is joining me doing a Psychology degree, my sister is further her studies in Health and Social Care and my hubby has taken the plunge to study for his dream job in Environmental Health. The support between us all is fantastic and 3 members of my family are finally working towards something they would love to do. 

I added some free course options for those who would also like to take the plunge but not sure where to start or if they are ready. There is lots of free course providers out there. 

You can read about the free course providers i have used here 

We are almost debt free! 

This was a long hard process but now it is nearly over we can see the difference it has made. It was by a stroke of luck we were able to do this. We had already budgeted down as much as we could and sacrificed alot in order to keep up with the monthly payments. A family member had some money given to them which they offered us a chunk of. By combining some haggling skills and using the fact that some of the debts were in fact Statute barred, we were able to turn 13k into 4k and clear most of the debt we had. 

This did take alot of haggling. All i did was phone the debt companies which were active and ask them what their best settlement offer was. I had a price in mind that i though was acceptable and was willing to go up to £100 over it. I didn't tell them how much i had, but after each offer i informed them that it was too high but if they have a lower offer at any time i would be willing to consider immediate payment. 10 of of the 12 of my creditors ( 8 of which were not statute barred) were willing to accept 75% off settlement meaning that i could pay all 8 of them. 

I did request a letter or email prior to paying this so i had a copy of the settlement offer and did request a letter to say that the debt had been settled after i had paid. The 2 which were active and refused to offer a settlement offer under 25% are now being paid at £10 per month. A much more manageable figure. I hope to have these paid by the end of 2016. 

We set a date to get married! 

When we paid our debts off we started to plan what we would like to save up for. We have been engaged for over 5 years and decided that we would start plans to get married. We have set a date for 2 years time giving up plenty of time to save up. Of course, it will be a frugal wedding so hopefully i can share some of the things i make if i make anything. 

We moved house. 

This wasn't planned but ultimately turned out to be a fantastic idea. We were given notice to leave in June and after 2 months of messing about with the council (who ultimately couldn't help us), we were offered a house with a housing association 2 days before our notice was up! We had to move out of the area and the kids needed to start new schools but as it turned out, the house is much cheaper in rent, much warmer so our gas usage is low and its stable. We wont be kicked out unless we do something wrong. We have had to fork out for carpet and white goods due to it being gutted prior to moving in but that was just a small price to pay for the stability of the tenancy. 

2016 Resolutions 

This year i have not set up a plan to do anything important. As mentioned we moved home and are planning to get married so that is pretty much taking up my planning. I shall lose weight again and will give up smoking for good. However this year i will not be stressing myself out trying to keep up a years worth of personal goals and just enjoy whatever 2016 throws at me :) 

Did you plan any new years resolutions?

#HughRiceChristmas - My Hugh Rice Christmas Wishlist

As a everyday, normal woman, i love jewellery. Its something my hubby rarely buys me on his own because i can be quite fussy with what i like to wear and often tend to pick out jewellery which suits my mood as opposed to what suits my outfit. 

As usual the Mr asked me to look around for a nice bit of jewellery and while browsing online at Hugh Rice, i spotted a competition asking bloggers to show them our wishlists and knew i had to get involved. Maybe it will give some of you ladies and gents a few ideas for your own gifts. 

Here is my #HughRiceChristmas Wishlist. 

Housework no longer needs to be such a chore!

I remember before i had my children, i was a teeny bit of a clean freak! Everything had a place, i was organised and consistent with the house work. I became a mum at 17 but i made it a priority to always help my mum with chores, she did after all spend 17 years raising me and my siblings. I started studying my A levels, took on a part time job and threw myself into being a mum and within a few months i noticed i was becoming lazier. My time was precious, i wanted to be playing with my daughter, i wanted her to see her mums face and bond with her. Not clean all the time. Studying and working alongside sleepless nights took its toll. I would sit up till 6am daily to do my coursework, grab 4 hours sleep a night before big K woke up and the same things that happened yesterday began again! When i was 21 little K was born and i naively thought it would be just as easy. Little K was difficult, she screamed all the time and i was back to living on 2 hours sleep a night. Only this time big K was in nursery. I lost my whole routine, and as a result of some bad experiences happening around that time, i sunk into a deep depression i have never fully recovered from. I made sure the kids were clean and fed, dirty nappies were never left on the floor but i was disorganized, the carpets were getting stained and i was moody, taking it out on those around me including the children. In short i gave up. 

The back to school blues!

Well thats it, Christmas is now officially over.. well it is tomorrow if you celebrate the official 12 days of Christmas. For me it is pretty much a waiting game, from the second the last present is open to the day the kids go back to school. I am champing at the bit to get our tree put away and the decorations down, finish the Christmas food and just go back to normality. Its exciting for the kids. They have all these new things to play with and for them its a little break from school. Hubby still had to work so we couldn't go anywhere as a family or do much together. I done what i could but it wasn't the same. He has a week off in February so we will do something then. 

Like a good chunk of the UK, my youngest went back to school this morning and this happened!....

Yep, full on back to school paddy! Screaming, telling me i'm horrible! She hates school and don't want to go back. The truth is she loves school. Even when she is ill she is getting me up to take her. However after 3 weeks off school she was settled into a new routine and didn't want anything to change. I have often said the half terms are too long. 3 weeks solid off is alot to a child like little K. She likes routine and she likes that her days are pretty much the same. She knows what time things happen and she is comfortable. Being the holidays though, she was allowed to stay up a little later and i was more lenient with allowing them use of the TV and the computer. While she understands the difference, it didn't make preparing her for her school routine any easier. 

From the 2nd January, i started reducing their bedtimes, their TV time and organizing their school clothes. Despite all this i still found this morning a huge battle. Her boots mysteriously went missing from the shoe rack, her jumper grew a hole in the sleeve and her coat apparently does not fit. By the time we got near the front door, she had worked herself up so much that i had no choice but to sit her down and allow her to take it all in. She couldn't go to school like that and after persuading her to go to school, i found myself panicking and phoning the school when i got home to make sure she was ok. I knew she was of course, but it was horrible seeing her work herself up to that point. She is 8 years old so not little any more, and just as i did when she done this in nursery, i found myself feeling guilty. 

I have all this to face again in a few weeks time. Half term is the end of February, then they have just 6 weeks of school then they are off for another 2 weeks for Easter! I understand that half terms break school up. I love having them home, i do not see enough of them now they out for 6 hours a day but even for children who do not have learning difficulties, some find the transition between "off school" to "in school" hard. The 6 weeks holidays are by far the worst, with almost 7 weeks straight off school! There is no simple answer and it is impossible to please everyone. I wouldnt want to see an extra week added to the half term weeks to shorten the 6 weeks holiday. All i can do is go along with it and hope that as she gets older, she finds it easier :/ 

Welcome 2015!

Well that come around quick! Is it just me that thought the New Year come quickly? December just flew by! I am a firm believer of the new year being out with the old and in with the new but i didn't want to make any new years resolutions, Like many i do not stick to them, i do really well and stay really positive... for about 2 weeks! I think it is the word resolutions, it is just too much pressure for me. I work very well if i give myself little goals, things i can realistically achieve and thing i can reward myself should i achieve them. So i sat down and thought about everything i wanted to achieve and jotted down my goals for the year.  

• Stop Smoking 

Every year i say this one. "I'll stop, i really want to".... 2 weeks later... "ill cut down, it will be easier" This year i have a reason to give up and as bad as it sounds its actually not mine or my children s health which is motivating me. 2015 is going to be a very expensive year so i have to cut back on everything unnecessary. Smoking is one of them unnecessary things in my life.  I have been smoking now since i was 13 (so 17 years!) I have given up successfully in the past and know i can do it again. I didn't want to waste time at the doctors when i know i can do it myself so i purchased a vapor pen from eBay. I have heard good things about these but i didn't want to spend alot of money to find out they did not work. This pen cost just £1.99 with free UK postage. It comes blister packed, in a range of colours and is rechargeable via USB. The idea was that i would use it temporarily until i purchased a more expensive one. The liquids are cheap enough at £2.50 for a weeks worth. So far its working and im pleased with it. Im not aiming anything with this one, im just taking it day by day but am hoping to be nicotine free in 6 weeks. 

You can buy the same pen by clicking here 

• Reduce my waste 

I decided in November that i wanted to reduce the amount i was throwing away. We have a fortnightly collection and if im honest, our bins were full within 3 days. The food we were throwing away was horrendous and very unlike me. I can usually turn anything into a challenge. A cereal box can be reused, old clothes can be turned into something else. Food!... my nan would be turning in her grave if she knew how much we had thrown out! Food can always be something tasty (providing its not off or obviously disgusting) I never got round to committing properly to a no waste November so i wanted to give it a fully committed go this year, I am hoping this will help save some pennies over the course of the year. 

• Budget better 

I'm good with money. I've always been good at separating money and leaving it in the bank. Life always throws something at us though that mean we are forever dibbing into what savings we do have. Last week i sat down and using our expected incoming, worked out how much is needed for the big events this year. 2015 is going to be very expensive. I am 30, big K is 13, school uniforms, the winter gas bill, a holiday, hubby needs a new motorbike, the summer holidays and of course Christmas. I worked out how many weeks i have till each event happens and divided the amount by the number of weeks. 

Eg: Winter Gas bill = £360 for 12 weeks plus £40 to round it up and give me a little extra. 

12th Jan - 16th November = 44 weeks. 400 / 44 = roughly 9. 

It seems silly but we cant afford gas in the winter without doing this. the £36 a month is abit of a sacrifice to ensure that we are warm during winter. This money is then put into a money tin which we brought from 99p shop. It can not be opened without using a tin opener but on the 16th November it will be opened and taken to the bank ready for us to top up our meter. 

• Make hampers and homemade gifts

I want to be more crafty this year. I have the attention span of a gnat! i flitter between project after project and rarely finish one before starting a new one. For both Christmas and birthdays, i do not buy the adults gifts, we rarely have the money to do so. This year i thought i would tie the 2 together and am making gifts for the adults in the family. There is 16 adults in total so some months will be one project and others 2. Ill keep everyone updated on those :D Im also planning hampers for the family's, little ones nothing major. If all goes to plan, all 24 gifts should cost me no more than £25. 

• Lose weight

I was working on this last year and am still as determined to do it. I am going to step it up a little though as i want the weight to come off abit faster than it was. We are going on holiday in May so i am aiming for as much weight gone by then ideally. Like before ill give an update on a Monday :) 

I have many other goals which i will not bore you all with :) These 4 are my main ones. 

From a blog perspective, my goals are: 

• To run a monthly competition
• Post more recipes
• Find more money saving tips
• Be more social on Facebook and Twitter
• Add more personal things, so more of me comes through instead of the money saving side.

What are your resolutions for 2015? 

Christmas 2014 :The after thoughts

Its that time of year. The presents have been opened, the recycling bin is full and most of the country and spending the next couple of days eating left over treats. I hate this time of year, that awkward break in between Christmas and New Year. I do like the calmness though. 

As you may have noticed, i have gone quiet. I am not MIA (missing in action) i am like the rest of us, darting all over the country to visit family members so will not be online now until the 2nd of Jaunary. I wanted to write a very quick post to let everyone know, say that i hope you had an amazing Christmas and wishing all my amazing readers a fantastic new year. 

I have quite big plans for this blog in 2015. I will be reconnecting with my cooker and cooking more, plus with a very expensive year coming up, ill be budgeting quite hard, so expect some more frugally money saving stuff in between the yummy food. Plus competitions, reviews and all the other things we know you like to read. 

Ill leave you with a look at how our Christmas went :) 

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my blogging journey in 2014. I hope you stick around to see what 2015 holds for us all :) 

Our yearly tradition is to wrap up the door. This used to excite the kids alot more than it did this year! But is was fun :) 

                                        

This picture just sums it all up :D 

My youngest surrounded by wrapping paper and gifts. 

First thing Christmas morning. Santa brought stockings, not pillow cases :) 

Not the most amazing picture but, the next day (Boxing Day) The heavens opened and it snowed! It made Christmas just perfect, 

How did you celebrate Christmas?

My toxicfox.co.uk christmas Wishlist

One of my favourite things about Christmas is the planning, the stress. I am a compulsive list maker and I enjoy planning things down to the last penny. I always leave the main present to December and never buy something because the girls want it. Their tastes change so regularly I can't keep up. Remember I wrote a review about toxicfox.co.uk last week? I mentioned that there was such a variety of gifts on the one website that I could buy mostly all my presents in one go. 

I spent 3 days searching every aspect if the website again and come to the conclusion that there was many gifts that I could buy at the last minute, for when the fad has worn off, which is perfect for me. I do not want to waste money, I want to get the best value I possibly can. So I compiled a Wishlist of items I will be buying or would buy.

For the Hubby

From Left to right: 

(Top) Emergency Underwear - £4.99 / Luiz Suarez Bottle Opener - £4.99  

(Bottom) Bathroom Duck Shooter - £4.99 /  Farting Undies - £4.99  

I choose this selection because my hubby is a joker. He likes a laugh. They are also on the 3 for 2 deal which saves me £5. He likes novelty gifts and for just £5 each they would make great stocking fillers or presents. He already has his main present and his birthday is 2 days before Christmas so i didn't want to spend alot on him. I could have easily added so much into the basket for him though as all of the novelty gifts would have been perfect for him. 

Click here to see a whole range of funny gifts from Toxicfox.co.uk 

For Big K 

From Left to right: 

(Top) Strawberry patch bath bomb gift pack - £12.99 / iDuckie Wireless  Speaker - £24.99  

(Bottom) Bev's Indulgent Bathing Set - £14.99 / ClaireaBella Polka Dot Cushion - £22.99

Big K is starting to get interested in her smellies. She is a normal pre teen, she likes her music, her make up, long soaks in the bath and wants her space (bedroom) to look and feel like hers. This selection of gifts would appeal to her because they tick all the boxes. These wouldn't be stocking fillers and are around the price i would spend on the medium sized presents. 

Having already received and thoroughly enjoying the ClaireaBella jute bag we were sent to review, i knew an additional ClaireaBella item would be a perfect present. A girl can never have too many cushions so i chose this to help her personalise her space.

Click here to see more ClaireaBella items

I used the Gift Finder to select these gifts. It is really easy to use. If you want to try for yourself find the Gift Finder here 

For Little K 

From Left to right: 

(Top) Cupcake Toothpaste - £7.99 / Heart Mug - £9.99 

(Bottom) Personalised Pink Bath Towel - £14.99  / Love Cloud Bath Bomb Gift Pack - £12.99

I have to admit, i struggled a little with gifts for little K on Toxicfox.co.uk. Little K is still very much into her toys. Not wanting her to be left out though i found some little bits which would appeal to her nature. She is still very girly and likes all things that are pink, sparkly or smell fantastic! 

I received a Typography of Love frame as part of my review which little K loved! I already knew that i would be buying a TOL item just for her and decided the heart mug would be perfect. 

Click here to see the Typography of Love range 

For Me 

From Left to right: 

(Top) Candy Land Bath Bomb Set - £24.99 / Paris Postale Hand Bag - £19.99

(Bottom) Nail Varnish Crackers - £14.99  / Love Hearts Tea Lights - £6.99

I adore candles, sparkly items, hand bags or purses and nail polish is a weakness of mine. Using the gifts for her section i found lots of items i could easily buy myself for a treat but decided these would be the perfect things to keep me pampered for a few months :) 

Click here to see the Gifts ideas for Her section. 

So thats my wishlist. There is still plenty of room in my budget to buy a few bits and pieces for other family members too so i could easily complete the adults presents in the one shop. Totalling it all up i would actually spend less on Toxicfox.co.uk than i would if i went out shopping! It means more money for my kids :) I suspect this is because its organised shopping rather than impulse buying in the stores. I have to admit though a few cheeky items landed in my basket while i was browsing as i was continuously thinking " ooh mum would love this" "oh that is so my sister!" The fact that there such a range in prices means i can choose things according to my personal budget. Nothing is too overpriced that it puts me off buying from entirely. Postage is reasonable and fast and just being in the one store means my money stretches further. All round fab for me!

Why not have a look for yourself. What would you choose? 

Follow Toxicfox.co.uk for special offers, competitions and first hand knowledge of products on facebook or twitter. 

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Diet time: Week 8 - 17/11

It's measurement week! I was super excited about this one as I am sure I have done well. My last measurements were very small, which I expected but a nice number is always a boost. I forgot to do a meal plan which I was told off for. She reminded me that is important for me to stay focused. She is right, I am a visual person, I work well off a list and there is simply no excuse for me not to follow something as basic as jotting down my meals.

It's been 2 months now and I have found I am eating regularly. I am less tired and now I face the harder job of not only sticking to this routine but motivating myself to excercise and work on my body image. Since I was young, I have cared little what people thought of me. I am a tom boy I always have been, I preferred playing with mud or kicking a ball around with the lads, to make up or crying that the stray wild hair meant I was having a bad hair day! The result is I am now at 29 completely clueless on how to be feminine! Quite literally my boobs are the only thing that seperates me from the male side of the human race! Because of this I just tie my hair up, bung on jeans and a tshirt and (here comes the trampy bit) worry about washing my hair every 4-5 days! I do realise that I need this confidence in myself. If I feel good I look good right? When the girls were younger I got away with the excuse that with a 4 year old and a newborn I had no time to concentrate on myself. That quickly turned into, no time now I have an 8 year old and a 4 year old, then a 10 year old and a 6 year old! Big K is 13 next year and it did occur to me that when it comes to her asking me advice on make up or clothes... I am, in the politest way possible... Screwed! This is my new goal this month. I am to learn something about myself, something which will make me feel better and motivate me to push myself further on my weight loss journey. I chose to be more feminine. I want curves in the right places, glowing skin, silky hair and all the other stereotypical femine things. Most importantly I just do not want to feel like such a man! 

After having that discussion with my nurse she agreed that this is a good way to work on my body image. She warned me that I may be pushing myself too much but I am up for the challenge. She wrote "baby steps" in big red writing across my progress book and told me it will come in handy on the days when I feel like giving up. 

With regards to my weight, I stayed the same. I expected to be more dissapointed but Mother Nature made a call last week so I am one big bloated sack of water! We decided that I would be measured next week when I can be given a more truer sizing. I prefer that. Although I would like to go back in 4 weeks time and see this massive inch drop, she is right. The truth is better in the long run as I rely on the figures in my book to keep me on a positive train of thoughts. Without them I likely would have given up by now. 

This week I am preparing lots of vegetable soups and with the cold weather now in full force, stews will be filling up most of my meal plan. I am determined this week to start an excersise routine which I will add to future diet update posts :) 

Here's to next week! 

Diet time - Week 7: 10/11

I was having a bad week last week mentally. So much has happened and I just couldn't stop myself from panicking. The result was a total meltdown! My motivation just left me, I had that "what's the point" voice nagging me and I gave in. I have spent the week sitting around,hardly talking and just doing nothing. I thought cleaning may help... It did a little I felt better having a clear bedroom and felt proud I had achieved that dispite a voice telling me it's pointless as I'll give up halfway through. My diet would have originally been the first thing to go but hubby has been really pushing me he isn't bring home cream cakes daily and is not letting me skip meals. 

We are off to Mexico next year. Hubby was chosen as a winner for a family holiday and while I am excited, I am also terrified. I am going to sweat my backside off! The thought of even getting on a plane at this size terrifes me more though. I have visions of the plan tipping to one side like they do on the cartoons. I know it won't happen of course and know once there, I will enjoy every second of it and even though it's worring me, it's a good thing right? The fact that I am worrying must mean that I know there is a problem, It just makes me want it so much more! 

My usual nurse was not available this week so it was a quick weigh in and a quick chat. Nothing much has changed really. She does not want to mess with my routine too much as she does not see me every week. I did however lose 2 & 1/2 lbs something that I am extremely proud of. 

I actually can not wait till next week now. I am excited and fully motivated. Hubby has kicked me out of my funk and for the first time in my whole life I feel like I have some personal support. Here's to next week :) 

All i want for Christmas is.....

A Wii U!!

But not just any Wii U... a Zelda Wii U! 

Its not a lie that all members of my household are huge Nintendo fans. From the tender age of just 9 i was happier playing Mario on the SNES than i was playing dollies. When i was 16 and got my first job, i saved up and i spent 3 weeks wages on a NES console and 2 games! Happy wasn't the word. By then i was pregnant and i had spent 3 years, mentally in a pretty bad place, my computers were my escape. As i grew older and my list of responsibilities grew i still found i turned to the computers to relax and have fun. As technology has advanced i can communicate with family online while playing games, perfect now we all live in different parts of the UK. I have and still do (all be it in my mums loft) own every console that Nintendo have produced, still in their boxes, with original instructions. They are like my gaming babies, quite literally the only thing i every really have a splurge on. In 2012 the Wii U was released and i have been on a mission ever since to save up enough to buy one! Each time we save up the money towards it, an unexpected bill pops up, we need more food, the kids need clothes. As fast as we save up money it was gone! Then i heard about the release of a new Zelda game and i was hell bent on buying myself the console. Being Nintendo fans too the girls have asked me now for 2 years, for both their birthdays and christmas, if we will buy them a Wii U. Financially though it is still out of our reach so i have spent the last few weeks looking for deals, reading game reviews in the hope i will find a second hand console for under £100. 

These are the games that interest us all the most:

Angry Birds Trilogy 

Little K is angry bird mad. She was brought a tablet for christmas and it is by far the most used app on the whole thing. In GAME, angry birds trilogy is just £21.99 pre owned. It is abit more than i would like to pay for a second hand game but despite being a game released last year in some places it is still selling for over £30! If i ever do buy a Wii U though i know this will be one game i have to buy! 

Super Mario 3D World

This is more for family entertainment. We could all sit and play this together so appeals to us alot. We often have a gaming or a film night where we just sit and act like kids for a few hours. Its fun and free! At £42.89 in Toys R Us though this is a big chunk of my christmas budget so i may have to wait till i can find this second hand. 

Mario Cart 8 

Another family game. Can you tell that Mario is a big favourite in our house? :) This is actually the hubbys choice. On its own in Smyths toys it is £40 but it can be purchased as a bundle with the Wii U console for around £250.  

Just Dance 2014

Personally i have never seen the fascination with this series of games but big K loves them! This one, she has told me is the best of them all so if it ever comes to buying a Wii U, i know this will be on my list of games to buy! Priced in Play.com for just £28.75 i think this is a great buy. 

Hyrule Warriors 

Ok i admit... this is for me. I am the biggest Zelda fan. I own and have played over and over again, every single title that has come out. I love the story, the characters, the graphics. I honestly wouldn't be seen for days if not weeks after christmas if this turned up in my stocking! It is brand new having only been out a couple of months. It is available in most shops but priced at the Nintendo store for £39.99

So Santa.... we have been good little Bennetts this year. Here is my families Wii U wish list. As i am of course looking at saving up for the console and possibly being able to buy it in a couple of years time :) What games would you recommend? Do you or your children have a favourite? 

When you move do you miss home?

When I was growing up I was I insistent I would never leave home. My whole life, my memories and my friends were in London. My kids were born there and the thought of being somewhere else was just not an option. When I met the hubby we discussed the option of moving. I dismissed the idea for 3 years, using the excuse that I was Dagenham born and bred and living elsewhere was just a stupid idea. I am proud of where I am from, despite the areas faults. It wasn't until we started looking into secondary schools for big K that I realised it was an area I didn't want my kids growing up in. After 9 years the council had no intention of doing anything to sort the mould problem in my flat, jobs were non existant so we sat miserable on job seekers allowance, stuck in a rut of fighting to keep our flat warm and safe and not being able to move as the rental market was extortionate. When the idea of putting metal detectors up on secondary school gates come up, we started looking at affordable areas. If we moved, we was going out of London. I knew we couldn't afford Essex but moving further afield scared me.

My grandad was from Derby, I've always known that as I have been told a lot I have a little northern twang in my accent. As hubby is from Nottingham, we decided almost right away that if we could afford this area, I would likely feel more comfortable and not feel so alien. As luck would have it the cost of living is cheaper. My 2 bed flat in Dagenham was costing £700 a month! We found a 3 bed detached house for £500 a month and immediately started arrangements to view it. The whole process was quite quick, we viewed the house and gave the landlord our paperwork and deposit within 2 weeks. The week later we moved. That was 3 years ago. I have never regretted it, my kids are happier and in better schools. He found a job right away and the people were friendlier. Recently my sister had her baby and I arranged to go to Dagenham to see them both. As the day got closer I panicked about coming back. At first I was excited. I have heard that quite a few people that things are so different since I left. Arriving here yesterday though I am not so sure! 

The second I arrived in Kings Cross and got near the underground, the amount of arrogant people just hit me. I am used to people waiting till others are off the bus/train before trying to get on, ques of friendly people instead of idiots trying to push their way to the front in one huge pile, people offering a seat for a pregnant or elderly person, my kids not being forced to be squished against the door because some idiot wants to put a huge bike on the train! I deliberatly booked tickets a lot earlier than rush hour. Spending most of my adult life travelling on the underground I am fully aware how busy the 4-5pm rush is! Pulling up to St Pancras I immediately knew that I was no longer in Nottingham. Looking out the window all you could see was huge buildings and graffitied walls. The thought of being back now just filled me with dread. I was no longer excited I just wanted to get home! 

Dagenham itself hasn't changed. It's still dirty, the same shops I went in are still here with the same staff. I had a quick walk round to where my flat was and that's still exactly the same just a different occupant. I walked to the park where at 14 I once got so drunk on bottles of hooch and lambini that I had to phone my dad to come get me as I couldn't stand up! I was grounded for 3 months solid and made to eat plain bread and strong black coffee till I sobered up! At 13 I sprayed my tag on a wall behind the bowls building... It's still there! It was almost as if it was frozen in time, nothing at all had changed apart from the buses are now not taking cash! I also took a walk to some of the places which hold some not so nice memories, the places where if those things didn't happen I wouldn't be who I am today. It was hard to revisit them but I felt better doing it. 

Coming back I have realised how silly I was to not move sooner. I love where I am now. My family are not nearby but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. I am still proud of where I am from and will always call Dagenham home but since coming back I have realised that I throw that term around too much. Home is now in Nottingham, where my family are. When the time comes and we move from Nottingham, I will be excited about where my new life is starting and think next time round I will handle the whole move so much better. Next time I will remember the good memories and will look forward to where life takes me :) 

He needs me, even if he thinks he doesnt!

My sister has just had her baby, she lives back home in London so i am travelling with the kids next week to see them both. Hubby has to work so he is staying at home. I've been gearing myself up for a busy week this week as i have to clean the house, get a suitcase packed for me and the kids and make sure that hubby has everything he needs while we are away. We had a chat about it all before i booked the train and i asked him if he will be ok. Of course he said yes! although i know different!

I am not a stereotypical wife, Im lazy with the housework, his dinner isn't on the table when he is home from work and i dont have a cup of coffee waiting for him when he walks in or wakes up. He is more than capable of feeding himself, washing his own clothes and not burning down our house for the 4 days i am away but despite his protests that he is a big boy, him asking "how do you think i managed before i met you?" just reminds me of how much he needed a woman when he was on his own! Like alot of single men, he had beer bottles littering his kitchen and he lived off cheese toasties and beans on toast. He worked from home and openly admits that he sat around in his boxers and a tshirt typing away on his laptop without a care in the world.

While i know he will be ok i have spent the week making sure he has enough clean socks, enough clean pants, that his clothes are washed and ironed and that the house is clean. I worry because i know the lazy thing will sit in the same pair of boxers or worse in the buff on my sofa!!! and i will come home to find a mountain of washing up and discover this is all he has eaten for 4 days solid.....

Yummy right!

He thinks i am overreacting, he thinks that eating meat doorstops for 4 days is ok... selfishly i just do not want to come back to a greased up back splash, a blocked toilet and a house that stinks of cheesy feet and something that come out of the back end of a cow! 

I decided to make a plan and in true list making fashion i made several lists and have stuck them to the walls in the house. Just little reminders... dont forget the electric, dont leave the lights on, yes you like background noise when your dozing off but the tv eats electric so use the mp3 player! The toilet seat should remain down not left up for man pee to fester on... dont be a tramp, wipe it up! Maybe i am overreacting or maybe i come across as overbearing but he does need these little reminders or , as he puts it, forgets! 

To stop the meat doorstep from happening i am cooking meals ahead for him. While i expect him to want to order a kebab knowing full well he can enjoy it without us wanting some, i want to relax while im away not worry that he isn't eating anything. I might not be the stereotypical wife but i love him and want him to be looked after just like if i was here. All this has made me realise that i perhaps need to be less lazy with the housework. I do, do it but im happy to live in a disorganized mess instead of a show home. He works hard to provide for us and maybe a nice home cooked hot meal when he walks in is not a bad idea. Or maybe i am just being soppy because we will be away from him for 4 days! and when i return home i will be back to nagging him to get the bedroom sorted :D Whatever the reason he is enjoying being pampered and i am enjoying looking after him. 

Date nights?

When me and the hubby first met i had 2 kids. They were young and it was easy to make time for us. We have been together 6 years this December and although we have only been on an official "date" once, over time we just stopped spending time together like we did. Money is always an issue, we cant go out. We have no baby sitter so the kids need to be watched. Having kids and a house to run, school runs to do, dinner to cook and all the other housewife duties i have alongside him working nights, we are both tired. At the end of the day we just want out bed.

I saw a conversation online a few months back about how couples who have one day a week to themselves are closer. It did get me thinking and opened up quite a conversation with the hubby. We have stopped cuddling in bed, he no longer rubs my back while we snuggle on the sofa watching random tv shows (unless i ask), he know longer brings me flowers or leaves me little notes. He used to grab me before he left the house and kiss me like it was the last kiss he would give me, hold my hand in public and all the other soppy things you can think of when you go through that honeymoon period. Equally i have stopped doing many of the things he appreciated. I no longer make sure he has clean clothes out on his working days, or do him a packed lunch. When he wants to go fishing, i no longer wave him off with a smile and i do not make any romantic gestures like try hold his hand, or kiss him before he leaves. It is almost like we have lost touch with each other and are just robotically plodding along day by day.

We both agreed this cant go on, we both like to feel as if the other one appreciates us and the role we play in providing for our family. While we are aware that the honeymoon period is supposed to subside and reality kick in, what's to say we cant make it continue? If we made a little effort and worked together we could bring that spark back, something i think we both desperately want. He knows i love him and i know he loves me. I have his back and much as he has mine but at the end of a hard week we need that to look forward to.

We discussed some options which i thought i would share. We plan to set aside one evening a fortnight for us, We still have the baby sitter problem and we still have no money but we both come to the conclusion that there must be more we have in common other than SVU or political debates. We want to add some fun but had to keep things free or as low cost as possible and we also want the experience of the teenage courtship that in an ideal situation we would have had so everything had to be fun.

• Play a board game. 

We are both competitive in a playful way. Monopoly is my all time favourite game and as it can be quite a long game it is perfect for us to play on a date night. We toyed with the idea of making things more interesting and adult like. If naughties we on the cards then introduce naughty and nice cards into the community chest and chance cards, Perhaps shot glasses and if one ended up in jail we would have to drink a shot. When we mentioned this to friends they were shocked! "its a children;s game, buy an adult game if you want to do that" Why not? We would of course remove the naughty and nice cards from the box so the kids didn't need to know but it made it fun for us as adults. 

• Watch a film on Netflix

We pay for this monthly anyways and always try to watch something once a week. As me and him have very different sleep patterns, i use it much more than he ever has. Sometimes though there is something that interests us both. 

• A night in front of youtube

One of the most things we have ever done is just sit in front of the computer and watch random stuff in front of youtube. Anything ranging from funny cats to his latest favourites - Epic rap battles of history! If you haven't seen them, you really must, some of them are hilarious! Warning though they may contain swearing. It is nice just to sit down with him and laugh. We can flick through video after video and easily pass several hours just laughing at funny things on the net. 

• Watch old game shows and get competitive. 

Me and the hubby when together are naturally competitive. It sounds boring and sad but we love nothing more than curling up with a full list of game shows and trying to out win each other. Catchphrase remains a firm favourite in our house. It can get silly and is generally great fun. 

• Go fishing/for a walk/for a picnic

Its an obvious choice for most couples. Its free and means you can spend lots of time together on your own and out of the house. As mentioned, together we are competitive. Hubby likes fishing so we choose that as it kills 2 birds with one stone. Think of Patrick Swayze in Ghost, that loving moment when hes helping her with the pottery? Thats about as romantic as me and the hubby get! The difference is he is behind me helping me hold a fishing pole or reel in a big one! Its fun its free and we have plenty to talk about :) 

• Cook together

We often do this anyway, i've never cooked alone since meeting him as we both prefer to cook together. It gives us a chance to talk properly as the kids generally leave us to it. Make some cookies or cakes or a homemade pizza and settle down to a nice film. Its a great semi free activity to do together. 

• Plan a sensual massage

Bit of a naughty one i suppose but we had to throw it in there. I love nothing more than a back rub but hubby is a typical man and his hands wander! Ok this usually leads to more but it is one of my favourite things to do with him. It is relaxing and we both get a chance to make each other feel better. 

• Nerf gun war! 

The kids were given nerf guns for christmas. Before they opened them i admit i hated the idea. Why would any parent want their child to shoot something, that at close range really hurts! at another person? When the kids eventually got bored with shooting their little sticky board and left them to gather dust,  i completely accidentally (on purpose) picked one up and fired it at his leg :D It set off a spur of the moment and very funny (even with the mass of bruises) race around the house firing little yellow foam bullets at each other. It was great to feel like a kid again and just have fun. The whole thing ended abruptly when he shot me in the eye! :) 

• Mcdonalds and the pub (at home) 

This is the one of the things that means spending money but we set aside a budget of £20 to do this. Buy a mcdonalds (or any other takeaway - we chose this one because the kids can have a treat too) Grab some alcohol and have a drink at home and a chat. 

• Penny date

This involves spending money but i found this on pinterest and thought it was such a fantastic idea i had to share. 

Just discussing our options we quickly realised how important this was for us as a couple. Do you plan date nights? What things do you do?