Catch up

I've been lackadaisical as usual here. I turned a big birthday 😑 and got lovely gifts from some people, but treated like used toilet paper by one person. And in a way that you wouldn't believe, even if I explained. So I look back on that week now as a valuable life lesson on who and what matters in my life.

Christmas was nice. 🎄 Little X had a grand old time kicking balloons about and tearing paper, and scored big-time on gifts. I hosted, it was a day without fuss or fanciness, and I thoroughly recommend a Basic Christmas Lunch. I think what I appreciate most is that people said they had a nice day. ♥️

I ordered my bed before Christmas, it was on sale and had a delivery window running until the beginning of February. But I've just discovered the company cancelled it without telling me, weeks ago. Idiots. How have I managed to deal with so many idiots in seven short weeks? 😂 Anyway, I am still missing so many bits and pieces for the home, that I've done a new order from a different shop. It has completely wiped out my bank account, and I even had to borrow from my bills account. But sleeping on the floor, without a quilt, enough is enough.

It isn't even everything I need, but I'm hoping to get other items from charity shops over the next few weeks.

Spendy McSpenderson: a new skirt, $30, and out of my allocated clothing budget, so it wasn't even very naughty. It is the only nice piece of clothing I own. 

A Good Day

The one spent with Mum, that is. It's a lovely spot, beautiful gardens, and it was good to see everyone.

I got my mop and it's brilliant 😍 and I have a clean floor plus a beautiful new floor mat. 😍 It's an outdoor one, made of plastic twine, so it's light to lift outside and shake, and I can even hose it down. Over the moon.

Action Shot. 

I've finally gotten some potting soil (thanks sis) and today I planted out 13 lettuces in a polystyrene box while kiddo slept. Thanks Bunnings for the $1 seedling tray. 👍 And for the 50c Calendula shrub to help keep bugs away. 🌸 It was "only" 24 degrees out there, but it was so hot in the sun. I'm still recovering half an hour later! I think it will be smarter to do my gardening at 7pm from now on. There's still 8 more lettuce seedlings in my kitchen plus zucchini and radish seeds to plant, and hopefully a few succulent cuttings will root over the next few weeks. 

I also got my play money set 💷 and I was very excited to sort out little piles of cash for all my expenses. Looking forward to my pay day... There is so little left for any gift shopping 😕 but fortunately I have loads of food so I can hopefully wrangle a bit there. Little X's main present is already bought so just the relatives left. 

The solicitors are apparently doing the sale contract for my flat - which I'm told is good news but I've no idea what is still to do. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Feeling Super, Super

Super, super sorry for myself. Yesterday I was flexing like a boss for being on track with my painting deadline, decided to get ahead while Little X was having her daytime nap, and... one shoulder began screaming, which called a halt. Today I got another patch done before my legs began wobbling (I have learned to stop climbing ladders with the wobbles). 

On top of that I've got horrible hayfever with sneezing and crying thrown in. Related: absolutely exhausted and trying not to fall asleep all day. I have absolutely rotten physical fitness and zero stamina. I need to remember the aim. To live in a place where I actually want to walk down the street, where I've got a space for flowers of my own, and where I actually do those things (walk, and garden). I just need to keep my feet going forwards and more tasks ticked off my mental list. ✅ 

Good Stuff stack sorted ✅ but still too much of it and hard decisions need to be made. Next up will be more paperwork and some "crap boxes" to sort.

Two more bank defaults. ✅ That's 9 out of 11. They've locked me out of the apps so I will have to set up token payments manually. 

I cashed out £80 from Testerup 👏 and found another gaming rewards app too, so I'm trying that out. 

Spendy McSpenderson: clear pouches. There are loads of little things I want to sort through and not bin, so this will let me corral them and see what's inside. I also bought loads of things that were sat in my checkout list for weeks - I did actually think carefully and take my time before buying! 

Flex: I added some more money into the moving fund and it felt good. 

Checkmarks ✅

I tried: offloading the last of the nappies to the baby bank, but they just can't give them away. Into the charity bin they go.

Unexpected: I thought I owed work 4min 48s of overpaid leave, and was waiting for them to request their pound back. But £13.54 arrived in my account instead, so I guess I miscalculated and they owed some leave to me instead. Good employer is good.

I've been continuing with the walls and stripping the wallpaper around the windows. It's gross work, there's mould and grime and, just, how do windows get so yucky? In my ebay basket: net curtains and wall attachments. I am waiting until the windows are almost ready. I will also need to visit a hardware shop for the rods. I should have bought them years ago so that I could open the drapes in nice weather and still have privacy. But for selling, drapes open is a necessity (I have a water view!).

Well done me: I finally cleaned up J's fridge ready to sell. 

Marking Time

I am currently playing a game of chicken. My microwave's days are numbered (it's rusted under the turntable, is getting worse, and it's only a matter of time before it becomes so bad it begins to spark). This is because it gets such heavy use and there's often steam inside... I am far too lax in wiping it out under the plate. Anyway, they're on sale for £35 (about £15 off) on a website where I have about £20 on a gift card AND work is paying me a Christmas bonus in a few days' time which can also be spent on the same website. This would make my new microwave "free" so please cross your fingers that they're still available at that price when the bonus arrives. Thanks!

Netflix cracked down on sharing accounts a month or so ago. That meant no more freebie Netflix from a very cool friend - so it was time to decide on buying myself a cheap subscription. But then I forgot to do so and it occurred to me this week I am perfectly fine without it. I've been watching documentaries on YouTube and I still have plenty left to watch. 

During the week I pulled out a tin of minced beef and onion, from Food Club, trying to make myself use things out of the cupboard even when I don't like them. Along with a tablespoon of porridge oats, a teaspoon of gravy powder, and tins of peas and carrots, this made two meals for me and three for Little X (on baked potatoes, on toast and on potato waffles). That's really good value in my book and it was pretty tasty.

For the past few weeks I've been constantly thinking about money, and it has affected my mindset. I am feeling more at peace now that I've survived my Hell Month, but the almost-at-zero brain pattern is permeating everything I do. I'm always counting how many days worth of X I have, how many days my Y will last, can I make do without Z, can I use Q instead... there's a certain comfort in establishing new routines, but I don't know if it's good or bad overall.

It's almost Universal Credit Day. Time is now measured in Reporting Periods. UC day is where I add up what I'll need and learn whether we'll scrape by for the month, or whether I'll be whoring myself out via survey programmes. 😂 It's nothing new, but it's really getting old (pardon the pun) because by now I really thought money would stabilise so that I'd know in advance. And still, time and time again, I simply do not know until that day. It's tiring. I can still make adjustments (take extra paid leave... return an item from the middle aisle) but those are finite. I dream of reaching cruising altitude and just... sitting there. ✈

Pressies: Little X's birthday pressie from Vinted is fantastic. I also got a really brilliant toy for her from the Baby Bank for Christmas. I wasn't sure it would work properly (being electronic) but fresh batteries in and it's excellent. So at least she is sorted.

Typical Isn't It

Job #2 is messing about with my holiday in asshat fashion. Citing rules and policies and blah, blah, never mind such trivial things as laws and entitlements. Clown admin has agreed to put in a special request to the CEO to allow me to take all four weeks that I have earned (like that's supposed to make me feel special?) but if they don't play ball I will just go on Unpaid Parental Leave which they can't avoid... and they still won't have me in the building for those four weeks 😁

Big Boss at Job #1 has been absolutely stellar ⭐ and will work with me however I want to swing things ⭐ which now looks like me lowering to a small contract, dragging my earned annual leave out for months, and then returning one day per week. 💙

My application for Healthy Start has been rejected as I still earn too much. I will try again next month as it will have fallen further. Council tax reduction is only 40% (not 75%) due to my "high income" 😂 but again, I'll have to reapply next month.

I've bought some more nappies. £50 worth. I think I have a problem with buying nappies 😂 in my defence Little X is outgrowing things and it was a good deal. Yeah, excuses. I also bought her a bundle of shorts in size 12-18 months, but unfortunately half of them are still too small to go around a cloth bum, so I bought another larger bundle. Plus I bought myself some shorts. And t-shirts, as two of my old faithfuls have holes.

Dancing, Dancing

We went to see Crowded House this week. I am absolutely exhausted and my everything hurts. Little X behaved like, well, like a baby. She refused to sleep until far beyond exhausted. Next time we'll arrive earlier to attempt to get ahead of the game.

More shoes sold. 👟 Also sold my pregnancy ball. Other sales on Vinted are slow. Such is life. I've applied for two assistance schemes. 🤞 Still waiting to hear back about the maternity grant. My Nationwide £100 and council £100 cost of living payment both arrived though. 👏 

Huge splurge on this. 

It folds forwards instead of sideways and is also tiny and very light. 

It supposedly folds and opens one-handed - realistically you need two hands so it locks into place as doing it with a knee isn't the smoothest move. 😂 But since I merely wanted to fight less with hauling a heavy unruly stroller in and out of the car boot, this ticks the boxes. I did try to get one used, these are well known with a good reputation, but I was looking at £50 plus shipping for the grubby examples I found. Then I saw this for half price from the manufacturer (discounted because the newer model has been released), with free shipping. Winner for £99. No regrets. 

Time to clean the old one up and try to sell it for a tenner (it was free, but I bought a new footmuff and liner). 

The Shoe Saga

Walking shoes - were too rigid across the foot, resold and broke even. 

Trainers #1 - too small. Cleaned up for resale as-is on eBay. No bids yet. 

Trainers #2 - same brand and still too small. Cleaned up and repainted toe leather with sports white. New laces. Need to photograph for sale. 

Trainers #3 - intended for me but not comfy, almost new, dirt cheap, missing laces, unexpectedly they're limited edition 😀 but also suede. 😒 I should be able to recoup the cost and the postage if I manage to clean the stain on the front. 

Trainers #4 - bargain, bought to resell. No laces, very good condition, washer time 👍

New #1 through #9 - heels and espadrilles - from a wholesaler for £22 altogether. Hopefully £100 profit from the lot but may take time to sell. 

Trainers #5 - not arrived yet but bargain, so let's hope they fit my fat feet 😁

Trainers #6 - I bought these because I made an offer then bought another instead, and then my first offer was accepted. They will be Fighting A Duel (tm) with #5 to see who are the supreme trainers. 👟

Bonus... My first posting error, an item which cost me £1.56, I sent to the wrong buyer. She said nothing (I assume her correct item also arrived). I refunded the lady who didn't get her item. Education is never free they say, I was incredibly lucky to only lose pocket change and safe to say I'll be far more careful from here on. 

Enthusiasm

I sold £2 and £3 items on Vinted, and it's required a printed postage label both times. 😒 Little X and I had to walk in the rain, to print it at the library, an hour's work for my £2 profit each time. Thankfully I've now figured out how to disable the "print" postage! 

Anyway, I needed trainers. So I checked Vinted and found a pair for £3. Too narrow, so I've relisted them at £8 and already had an enquiry. Then omfg, the comfy brand-name trainers I wore in the 90s, for £4. They were muddy but seemed barely worn. Sold. Unfortunately they were too small. 😔 I then found others, there are tons, all going for under a tenner.

I checked eBay pricings, and DUDE. OK, 15 minutes of cleaning and a spin through the washer, the too-small shoes are near-immaculate now. I'll list them over there for £25 and cross my fingers. 🤞 If nothing else they might pay me back 😂 even if they take months to sell... 

I've been browsing about for some fleece to make more nappy wipes and found a second-hand fleece blanket for £4. I reckon I'll get about a hundred wipes, much cheaper than paying £30 for the fabric. 🕺

Stupid eBay has blocked me from listing nappies. I've posted some in a nappy group on Facebook, I really want to shift some of the sheer piles of stuff in here. 🤞

Spendy: trainer cups for Little X. And I can't find the receipt 😡 and I suspect we won't need them all. 😔 

Spinning Around

Me and Little X. One day's adventures: supermarket #1 for snack food, fuel with my Nectar points, class party for my course, supermarket #2 for discounted veg, supermarket #3 to post something I sold. Every stop required lugging a pram in and out of the boot or hauling a baby carrier. Plus we got caught in a storm running for the car, the rain cover was blown aside, Little X had rain and wind blustering in her face, poor little thing got all wet but didn't complain, just had a face full of frothy drool 🤤

Two hours in my sofa that night and I was as stiff as a robot. I found myself thinking that I really needed to walk more. Yes, I was so tired I forgot I'd spent the entire day running around 🤣

Some nappies arrived from Vinted (threadbare & smaller than expected) and a completely un-ordered set of kids clothes... the seller had a day like mine and sent my cot sheets to a person expecting kids clothes. I also got the pram liner, a box of baby toys, and my bed risers. 

Current project: to rearrange furniture and sort through the mountains of stuff. It's really rather difficult due to the sheer lack of space. I spent today moving furniture around, which was a bit like those parking games...

Moving furniture in my flat is actually like this. 

Boxes and bags are stacked everywhere but I also have a whole empty shelf unit which I'm going to use for stuff which I list for sale.🤞 And most importantly there's now space for Little X's cot, which she's now snoring away in as I speak. 💕

Happy Easter if it's your thing, I hope the bunny was good to you. 🐰 

Chuffed With Today

Today we popped into the baby bank. It's only open once a week, for two hours, and no matter how organised I am, I always feel rushed and forget something. Anyway, we got some fabulous sensory toys for Little X. Plus some musical instruments so that I can hate my life. 🤣

I'd been meaning to check for funky outfits, but she was starting to grumble. I did find a few cute rompers and some tights, but nothing coordinated or fancy. Then in chatting to another mother, I mentioned we don't have a cot yet. The coordinator pulled out a ratty red bag. It turned out to be an immaculate travel cot. Then on Facebook marketplace I found someone giving away a mattress that is also immaculate, and fits perfectly.

Fairly decent fit.

I fashioned a waterproof cover from an old work food satchel, then washed the mesh zip cover and zipped it over the top. Another lady on Facebook gave me some fitted cot sheets. 👏

I sold the big pram today for £10. Mainly I just needed the space. I also received my new £9 changing bag off Aliexpress and when I saw the quality I was over the MOON. 🌙 I've also spent a bit more on resellable items. Touch wood.

Tempted to spend some time charity shop browsing, to see if I can find anything amazing to sell.

Spendy: an £8 set of risers for my bed, so that the crates in my storage shelves fit under the bed. 

Accounting

So my phone is driving me insane and after a year of battling, I quit. I simply need one with more memory (I have plenty of storage, but I've nearly gone bananas having to make space for app updates). 🍌

New phone has been chosen, £120 on offer, plus I have bought via a cashback site for ten quid in hand 👏 and I also did it with my work perks card. I discovered through the hellish purchase process that I can buy a virtual mastercard at a 7% discount which I can use online anywhere. The drawback to these is you can't top up later, so you need to purchase exactly the amount you need in order not to waste any. That's OK, I'll just use them for Amazon, eBay, Aliexpress.

Speaking of the latter, I've given the pram bag a go, but it's not big enough. I went to look second hand and saw what I think are brand new, from the same site, at double the price... So I did buy another and also nabbed a couple of other items that I'll list for resale. If it doesn't work, I've lost ten pounds. If it does, I've gained ten and I'll do it again. 🤷‍♀️

I was rejected for subsidised housing on stupid technicality. 🤦‍♀️ 🏡 I recalculated my expenses for post-June, and it will require creativity. Survival will require kicking the can down the road cash-flow-wise, but it is what it is. Little X is getting bigger and eventually there will be more working options to get the debt down. 

Currently eating yummy snacks that Poppet gifted to me 🍪

Mathing

I have several options for buying discounted supermarket gift cards (app, work perk, cashback sites) but none of them seemed worthwhile for different reasons. I almost bought at a 3% discount yesterday on the app until I realised they only take debit card... but this in theory ring-fences cash that could be paying off interest. The rabbit hole beckoned and long story short it's about 40p bonus for a £10 voucher if I spend it within a month, so I bought one, but not from the app 😁

Next day: £2 TopCashBack bonus on gift cards 🤦‍♀️ so I bought a £5 one too, to get the bonus. 

Big win: all three bank switches have completed and all three paid me the £200 bonus. 🎉 👏 😁 I ended up putting £100 onto my poison-ivy credit card and £500 is staying in my bills account to wipe off the overdraft. Technically I'd be better off maxing the overdraft and putting it all onto PI CC, but it's only pennies different and I think it'd be nice to have a small cash buffer, since I haven't had an emergency fund for a long time. 

Last week I snapped up a mini dehumidifier from a German supermarket for £35. I didn't expect miracles but I thought I would try. Unfortunately even though its stated capability was only 300ml per day, I emptied it after 24h and found... 100ml. Unimpressed. 😒 Promptly returned for a refund. As an aside, I bought this on credit and returned it to my debit card because nobody checks and so you can essentially do small money transfers for free. I might have to remember this trick.

Spendy McSpenderson: a pram baby bag, a baby bottle handle adapter, a harness for Little X's mini high chair, baby ear defenders, and a baby bag in a backpack. The last two are for our two concerts. They're not until June but I saw the backpack and ended up buying the other four items because I was tempted by the free delivery over £10. Never mind that it went over £20 (they always get you this way). All except the harness have arrived and I love both bags, the bed bag especially is fabulous and really a bargain. It was £13 and I got a £5 credit for being a new customer. Not bad.

Child not included. 

Currently procrastinating about food club or the supermarket. Every time I visit one or the other I buy too many snacks and then gorge on them. 😒 

Snip Snip

We tried out reusable wet wipes and I was prepared to consider them a sacrifice, but they are so good that I've ditched the crappy disposables. I've been merrily snipping my way through a bunch of old clothes to make more squares. ✂ ✂ 

A weird rustling sound scared me earlier until I peeked out the window - the world is bathed in white hail. It's small enough to look like snow. ❄ This is only acceptable when you don't have to leave the house. I hope it melts quickly. I ordered a cheap little humidity meter off ebay and we're over 80% (no wonder clothes take forever to dry) but it ain't much better outside right now. 🙄

Annoying: Little X's vaccination was delayed... then cancelled... I get a reminder for the cancelled appointment 🙄 which I "cancel". They re-book (I turn up and they ask why I'm there 🙄) and when I actually turn up at the right time, I'm 10 minutes late and they won't see her. The waiting room was empty. If I weren't so frustrated with myself, I'd be angry at their general incompetence (or indifference?). 

Two bank switch bonuses so far 👏 🎉 and hopefully the third one comes through in the next few days. 🤞

Ehhh and Yay

So, the ehhh news first. Baby is gaining weight - too much weight - much too rapidly. Her length and head measurements are fine, but she is really stacking on the pounds, and there is a suspicion that I've finally lost my extremely lucky streak and might have gestational diabetes. I am waiting on the results of a glucose tolerance test to check for sure but my "last possible eviction date" has been pulled closer either way and it looks as though I'll be having her in the hospital. This is quite ok, because it's not about me, it's about her. Stay tuned.

I managed to get hold of two large knee-length skirts today for £2 because finding huge nightdresses for labour was impossible and I'm not going to keep trying over and over while time ticks over. I also went into a somewhat expensive department store today hoping to get maternity bras that fit - being a Lady Of Size™, I have already exhausted all the cheap-optioned shops attempting this so I didn't have many options left. To my relief, the very first one I tried on fit perfectly (this is a first, in my entire life, since as most larger women will know, the usual caper is trying on fifteen bras and then opting for the least-irritating one in disgust). £30 on a set of two, which is still £30 I didn't have, but it is done. We won't mention the fact that it took three different cards before I was successful and didn't get declined.

I also got an email for a free draw from Rev Comps, for no reason except it's Friday, and no, I did not win the free draw (for a PlayStation 5; well actually, it hasn't been drawn yet) but while checking out my free ticket I saw that I was down to £20 of my free £100 prize credit. So I spent £6 of it on tickets for the prize credit draws. And I won another £250 in credit 😂 so not a bad shout all round and giving me the chance to win about another 25 cars. Well, another 25 lots of cash alternatives to pay out my home loan. Gotta be positive, right?

Hospital Bag Packing in progress. I have also bought a large second-hand rug for a tenner, for the kidlet corner of my flat (had the cash in my purse already) and I'm very pleased with it, hopefully I'll be able to shampoo it in the next couple of days. This month truly is skint. But I've applied for the second council Household Support payment and I'm sure I'll make it somehow until then. There is also money left in my work rewards account which can be used on Amazon, or one of my less-favoured supermarkets, so there are still options. The house has plenty of food, the car has fuel, and I think the only things left to buy will be less than a fiver 👍 Oh! And finally settled on her name 😊 plus I also have a well-overdue haircut booked. #adulting 😂

Postscript: I initiated a new bank account with Lloyds for the £175 switch bonus and in the process I will be ditching one of my useless accounts with Totally Shit Bank. Lloyds will cost me £3 per month, but in return I'll get free Disney+ to watch, so all up I think it's a win (and I can, in theory, switch away again fairly soon, to another existing bank of mine, for another bonus and the end of the Lloyds £3 fee).

Postscript 2: Sofa taken! Goneski. Very relieved to have the space.

Crankypants

For the first time in forever I'm coming close to my data limit for internet... I know it's all the tv-bingeing I've been at lately. So for the next four days I need to behave, and lay off the documentaries. 😁 I foresee a few days of playing my old games!

Spendy McSpenderson: I have ordered a new mouse for £6 from eBay, as the one I have is dying.

Cashed out: Nielsen £5 supermarket card.

Free: another baby car seat, from the baby bank. This one doesn't fit on my pram base, but it IS isofix standard, so will be simple to take in and out of the car to go shopping, and fit snugly into the car. I also got some bits and pieces which should be useful, like a stacking ring toy, a couple of kitchen items and some more tiny clothes.

Grateful for: Poppet, who chatted to me for hours, was a brilliant distraction, AND also made me laugh.

Snot Face

I have come down with a throat infection, and by the looks of things it's spreading into my nose. Oh the joy.

Meanwhile I'm looking over all the Vinted listings for baby stuff to gather plenty of research on what my "overs" pile is worth (the items that I bought, but realise I won't use). I think I can make a small profit from it, I have started taking pictures and uploading, so now I just need motivation to list the rest. I also clearly have too many "good ones" in the smallest sizes but at least having a huge pile will make laundry a bit easier in the first few months.

I received what should be (well, I think) the last bulk buy of nappies and at first was incredibly disappointed that almost all of them are either ancient or else require repair. Just as I was about to leave a yucky review, I picked up the bag and found another bag underneath full of good quality items. I've now glued a couple of items to fix them and I have more superglue on my fingers than on what I was repairing... the rest will be a huge sewing pile and we'll see when that gets looked at.

I called in sick to main job but as I told Second Boss I won't be off sick from the cleaning work unless I'm at death's door, so right now I'm working up the energy to go in. Fortunately I was in the mood to do quite a bit there last night so I can survive this evening just doing the essentials.

Dinner: a mince and onion pie, with vegies, if I can find the energy to open the freezer and then the oven, and then my mouth 😂

Washing machine going, once again.

Postscript: one of my Vinted listings has sold already, for £10. 😮

We've Dumped DilEmma!

FINALLY! And oh my god not before time. She has left her company (and nobody told us for weeks) and their "management" has been so terrible for the past three months that it really hasn't been management at all - there's talk of demanding a refund, but let's see if the other owners can be bothered with that... Anyway, today I've been on the phone to the LOVELY guy who I tried to get to replace her a year ago and he's already taken on another dozen of her clients who've also dumped that company.

Now we might actually get some maintenance and upgrades done, things which have taken a year longer than they should have already.

I mentioned earlier my cloth nappy purchases from eBay, well, after navigating the minefield that is types, methods and sizes, I have chosen out my favourites and bid on a few more of the same. I'm planning on selling the less-practical ones, mostly the "all in one" options. The main reasons are that although they're simple to put on (because they look and function just like a disposable) they take ages to dry, can't be tumble dried and have to be reassembled in fiddly ways after each wash. Luckily, these are still the most popular kind (see above, re: looks like a disposable) so I shouldn't struggle to sell them on. I'm looking at Vinted right now since their prices look good.

I also found out this baby is a girl 😊 and on the same day got given a ginormous bin bag full of baby girls' clothing, most of which looks like it's never even been worn. The whole lot is currently drying and then I'll go through my stash - again - and just keep my favourites. I'm not a huge fan of overly-gendered clothing and certainly wouldn't buy it, but I have no qualms about keeping the best quality items and those which are most practical. Included in that stash were several jumpers and mittens plus a brand new unused cold-weather parka suit (all of which I needed).

Currently cooking some sad and neglected old potatoes, plus some carrots, with a view to doing a bit of meal prep for the week ahead. I've even tidied my kitchen a bit taken out my rubbish and all my recycling! 😮 Now if only I had that kind of enthusiasm for everything else...

Earned today: about £10 from surveys, and also cashed out an extra £16.70 on two sites.

Do You Remember

...when I said that work looked like they were planning to train me some more? Well, lately I've been... running the shop floor. That's it. Which is what I was doing for them a year ago. I've asked over and over for more training and I might as well be talking to a wall. Big Boss insists that he's in the process of arranging it, but meanwhile, one of the other guys has completely finished his... and the other is half-way through. It's infuriating and annoying, but I am more disappointed than surprised. Star, at least, showed me a couple of admin-y things, but it went past me in a blur of menus and there's no way I could repeat the process myself without someone guiding me.

Also, I wore my new lovely black fitted maternity top to work (thank you eBay) and on the first day I was stopped by my manager asking if I need to order uniform? Waaaah. The last pregnant lady was somehow allowed to just wear black and several not-pregnant staff members even get away with that permanently. But me, apparently, I need to attempt a uniform order for the third time, just for the privilege of wearing a horrible green frilly thing instead. Booo. Hopefully if I keep my work jacket on over it, they'll forget to do the paperwork like usual.

I managed to give away the spare pram and car seat, my midwife found someone who needed them, so that was a feelgood moment for today. I also swung by Food Club and bought a bunch of tins I really don't need, but also some lovely pastries, fresh vegies and nice snacks. I even stayed for a piece of lemon cake, which was amazing.

Spendy: went to buy a cucumber plant but evidently it's too late as they had very little in the way of food plants left at the local nursery. I came home with a 50cm tall snack pepper plant though for a fiver 😊

Tonight: Supper club again with the other expecting ladies.

Clothing Fail

So NONE of the clothing I just bought will be at all useful. All items are too small. I am really quite annoyed as it means begging for a refund (I was so distracted by the malfunctioning self scan that I uncharacteristically forgot to keep my receipt). I'm sure they will allow me to just switch the t-shirts for larger sizes if there is no other option, but the bras, well, all we ladies know that the right size on paper doesn't mean it will fit you properly.

Anyway, I de-frustrated myself somewhat by spending a similar amount on eBay for some actual dedicated maternity tops. Even if these are too small later on, they should touch-wood fit me for now.

The Guardian had an article this week on how to save money where it comes to children's toys. I decided to see whether I could learn anything, and of course there were the standards like shopping second hand and using hand-me-downs. But to my surprise the biggest money-saving tip was nowhere to be found: the one that says "buy less, because your kids don't need most of that crap". I have a couple of rattles, some building blocks, and a brand new teether (all found at minimal cost or free) and now all I want is some stacking cups and stacking rings. I am actively avoiding everything else, at least for now.

Work is... well Dunstan AKA "Duh" is continuing his rampage of duh, his utter disinterest in anything "customer" and his complete disregard for important rules, such as not selling razor blades to small children. He is no longer just a cheery halfwit, he's begun to be seen as the staffs' arch nemesis as they catch him wasting time and screwing up, and realise they'll have to fix his mistakes and pick up his slack. Meanwhile, Duh wanders around oblivious and seems genuinely baffled that people don't adore him.

Spendy: Well, I spent the ticket money months ago, but last night I went to see Kasabian in concert and they were brilliant! I did spend a bit in petrol and on a nice picnic dinner (still budget items of course) but I had a thoroughly great evening.