long time away.......but always here......

Isn't it amazing how you come on here every day, maybe a few times a day and read all the brilliant blogs and marvel at what all you lovely people get up to.......then you think right! I'm going to start this week....I know I'll make a little plan so I'm not just rambling(note to self...stop rambling!) Then each day or couple of days I'll post something and it will become habit and the words will flow and it will all lovely!

I've done some wonderful things this year and for the most part it's been absolutely gorgeous....there's photos to share adventures to tell you about but life as a working mam with three children, a husband, a dog, there gerbils, a rabbit and a goldfish seems to blow my amazing plans out of the water!

This blog was a form therapy in a wierd and wonderful way...getting my thoughts, some of my worries and ideas I thought might help other people out there into the big wide world!  Events over the past month have made me want to get my blogging mojo back and today is a baby step towards it...

So my famous last words will be  "Watch this space......"

I will  be back very soon

TTFN

Natalie xxxx

Frugal February!

Well hello there,

I have decided that this month is going to be a frugal month.....

A month of no spend days, using up what is in the cupboards days, getting my seeds etc sorted days, planting some seeds days that will hoepfully turn into free food days later in the year...

I want February to be a month of creativity with my finances, my culinary skills and my gardening skills....

I want February to be a month where I save money and make money.......sealed pots will be filled with anything below a £1.... another pot will eat up my £2 coins......I have quite a few bags of clothes that I will be taking to cash for clothes and I will be music magpie-ing my CDs and DVDs and seeing what I can get for some old mobiles.....

I will be giving homemade/handcrafted presents to the people I love....if it's their birthday....Hubster and I are only doing cards, which I will make...with the craft stash I already have.....

These things are my hopes for February!

Here's to a Frugal February!

Love n hugs

Natalie xx

2013........?

Hello all,

Long time no see, as the saying goes....

I was so full of promises last year! Oh well, what's past is the past...nothing can change it!

Well 2013 is hopefully going to be a more frugal, self sufficient and simpler year!

I want to grow as much of my own fruit and veg as is possible in a little garden!

I want to live a more frugal existence(Slimming world and Gym not included, will explain this at a later date!) - eating healthy, tasty meals that don't cost the earth!

I want to live a simpler life, less stress, less clutter, more organisation!

I want to make a little bit of money doing or making things I love.....Dog Walking/pet sitting....craft....boot sales etc!

I will endeavour to make something every week, post a photo that sums up my week and keep you posted on what I'm up to!

I do come on here regularly to see how you are all getting on and to be inspired....

So have a blessed 2013 everyone!

much love

Natalie!! xx

Olympic Fever

Hello All,

Well even the most ardent non royalist must have cracked a smile at the Queen on Friday night..She was a star!  This Olympics has had a positive effect on my family already after only a few days.  All of my children wanted to join their parents(even the teenager) to sit in amazement at the wonderful celebration of the UK that Danny Boyle created! We sat together eating Olympic cup cakes, and Olympic shortcake and all went to bed in the wee small hours of Saturday morning! 

The sports on show have ignited a passion in the kids to seek out new sports that they hadn't heard of let alone watched!  And I have taken a trip down memory lane watching the gymnastics, which I did myself from the age of 4-16!!  My children are amazed that I could do some of the things the tiny little creatures are doing and find it even harder to believe that Mam was one of those tiny little creatures many moons ago!

I can honestly say that I have always considered myself Welsh rather than British but its kinda cool to be British right now!

Have a fun week ahead all,

love

Natalie xx

PS there is a recipe for Gluten free quiches on my Recipes page, cheap and tasty!!

Hello Everyone,

It's been a while!  Here a little bit of what Ive been up to the last few months

I ran for local county & community Councillor where I live! Hectic!!!

Trained as a  Forest school Assistant

My very first fire made by myself!

Had a little weekend break after the election to charge my batteries!

And worked hard on making the Jubilee a fun event at the nursing home I work at, we also took the children to see the lighting of the beaconbs which was a great night!

Well I know its been a long time and please forgive me for not getting on here as much as I could have.  I promise to keep up my blog(s) and keep an eye on what's going in in all your worlds

Love and hugs to you all!

Natalie xx

Valentine's Day

Hello All,

I hope you are all warm and well and happy!!! Not too much to ask is it?!

I can't believe half term is upon us already....since I turned 40 the time seems to be going much quicker!!!  The childcare this week has fallen to my parents for two days, my hubbies parents tomorrow and my husband Thursday and both of us on Friday so we can spend at least one day together as a family!!  It does annoy me sometimes that with school holidays, teacher training and the contingency plan for the chance of 1 or more of my three children getting sick at some point too that my husband and I only manage to have a week or maybe two off together!  But that's life(well the life I've chosen to have!).

My hope of sticking to £300 is a bit shakey but i will only go over getting stuff like milk and fruit so it will be close so I am happy with that!  I have got loads in the freezer and fridge and enough beans and chickpeas to sink a batleship so I will be able to rustle up something tasty in a flash!! This week so far I have made a beef chilli and rice and today we had stick pork stir fry with noodles(Kids had chicken nougats, homemade potato wedges and beans as the pork dish was one I haven; made before and wanted to test taste it myslef before making it for all 5 of us!)!  My mum in law cooks us tea every Wednesday.I have cooked all the meals from scratch and as I shelled out quite a bit of money on herbs and spices I hope that I will see a reduction in my food bill next month as these should last a wee while!

Happt St Valentine's Day to you all, I spend it with the residents in work we had a valentine singalong with the assitance of my dad and my son on their ukuleles and my daughter singing and shaking her tambourine!  My husband is happily watching Shameless in the lounge as I type up here in the attic!!  But I do admit that he is my gorgeous man who I have had the pleasure to have as my partner, lover, friend and husband for the past 16 years!!! He still makes my heart skip a beat with one kiss!! and I love him very much!!!

Nos da/Good night everyone

Natalie xx

My frugal journey so far!!

Well Hello There!

2012 has been a very frugal year so far!!!  I stuck to a £250 shopping budget which I was impressed with as there are five of us and a labrador to keep fed and watered! I obviouslyquite a bit of food left over from December so that made it a bit easier.  February's budget for food etc is £300 and I will hopefully not go over that as I have planned meals etc for 3 weeks!! only time will tell but I will try my very hardest to stick to it ;o)

Reading the blogs I follow has inspred my in several different areas of my life...gardening, crafting, being frugal and trying to live a greener and better life!  Thank you all!!

I am cream crackered so it's off to bed for me!

Nitey nite all

Natalie xx