I Earn Too Much

So said the council lady about getting a discount on my tax. Ho hum. But in a pleasant surprise, I wasn't charged for my car insurance this month as apparently there's no instalment in January. Nice! My MOT also went through flawlessly. That's never happened before for me with any car. Lovely. 

Since I hadn't watched a single holiday movie so far, I finally sat down with The Princess Bride and quite enjoyed it. It hasn't dated despite it being 36 years old.

My glasses arrived from Zenni... the backup cheap reading ones are exactly what I expected. But the progressives (multifocals) are just not going to work for me, focusing on my phone is so low down in the lenses that it hurts. They've agreed to refund me which is outstanding, since nothing is actually wrong with how they made them up. Zenni doesn't have the low-profile half height frames anymore so for my "outside" pair I found another website and we'll see if they are any good. 

I also ordered myself a head cam to get more pics of Little X but it's way too heavy, so that's going back for a refund too. 

Currently eating my cheap Christmas trifle, and it's delicious. 😋

Tinsel Time

Merry Christmas, I hope you had a peaceful time and were able to enjoy yourself in some way.

Little X scored a pram play chain thingy, a hand rattle, and a teddy to snuggle. Plus some stacking cups for when she is bigger, and some books (The Very Hungry Caterpillar and a Vegemite book). She also got a bear hat. More than the four standard items I mentioned, but definitely no extravagance in our house. For myself I got Bailey's, chocolate seashells and After Eights. 

I did cook my roast and had it with tinned peas and carrots. Still enjoyed it and was honestly flabbergasted that Little X was kind enough to snooze more than an hour while I cooked - which is a gift in itself. 

Way too much on the plate, so of course I couldn't finish it. 

I also prepped snack bowls of cheese and crackers, antipasti, mince pies and sweets, but didn't have room for them. 😂 Nor did I get stuck into the Bailey's, but fortunately it's legal to enjoy special food and drink on other days too.

Tomorrow I'm going for coffee with Poppet and then I'll contemplate a day of housework, since I have the health worker coming in a few days and my flat looks like survival mode. 😜

Yuletide Eve Expeditions

So during the week I went a'foragin' (read: into the supermarket) with a view to finding Christmas grub. I thought that Fave German Supermarket would do just fine, but unfortunately, everything Christmassy was also Deluxified and expensive. When I saw that the miniature hams were ten pounds, I decided I wasn't having ham. But I then I realised I was too early for the Christmas veg bargains anyway, so I can try elsewhere later, right?

Well pfft, today I went into Fave Chain Supermarket and PFFFT. They had no carrots, no cheap veg at all, and as I picked up my ONE POUND TWENTY potatoes I forgot completely to look for sprouts. But considering I saw no retail evidence of a holiday, they probably didn't have any left anyway. (Supermarkets are supposed to have a giant display of chocolate tubs, mince pies and fancy biscuits, assaulting your senses as soon as you enter. It's the law.) In the end I've bought a pork shoulder for a fiver. It's huge, so I'm going to cut it and freeze half. 

I did manage to keep She Who Will Scream chilled for long enough to pop into work and spend £9 on an additional clothes airer. We're battling for drying space. It was nice to visit and see Star, Good Boss, Model and Bluey. But there were so many new faces and I'm reminded how fast retail staff turnover is... and it was slightly odd to see, for the second time that day, a major shop that wasn't overrun with customers doing last-minute panic shopping. I did score a free loaf of bread from Star (surplus, before it got binned) which is much appreciated right now.

It's so late in the evening now and Little X can't unwrap things anyway, so nothing is getting done in that regard this year. I'll no doubt skip 90% of the traditions for tomorrow, but I'm still looking forward to it. 🎄🎁

I Drive!

I managed to get clearance to drive. 👏 Fantastic. We're still not going out much, since we're still getting into a routine. We've seen the midwife and also had a health check this week at the clinic. I even picked up a handful of onesies for Little X there - she is really keeping the washer busy and I'm battling to avoid the tumble dryer (I'm winning so far, but only just). 

The DWP has reduced my UC debt repayments, which is a relief. I've still never resorted to a cash advance from a credit card to stay afloat with bills, and I'm really glad about that.  👏

Konniption Fit

So today I got notification of what my Universal Credit will be. I lose half of it thanks to my maternity pay and UC debt repayments. 😒 I've sent a grovelling note asking if the repayment part (£92) can be reduced... Watch this space.

Anyhoo, my new budgetary quackalations began, and I almost had a heart attack - thankfully I realised an enormous calculation error and was then able to breathe. By February, on an ordinary month I'll be only £100 shy of covering necessary bills. Very survivable via surveys. And if my fuel/food/extras stay under 170 per month from there, the bill costs will begin to reduce. Challenge accepted. 

MOT booked and the dealer is going to kindly collect and return the car for me 👍

Free MOT, Yes Thanks

50 into my bank account this week.
Please and Thank You. 🙏

So technically, my MOT is not "free", but I've been a good girl lately in getting all my YouGov surveys done and reached cashout level of £50. The timing is very good indeed. I have also had a pile of small redemptions that all add up, many of them from games that I play on my phone while trapped under a small baby. Might as well earn something while I can't do much else!

I ended up buying my new bra on credit (well, everything is on credit these days) and the journey was not fun in any way, with Little X screaming the street down as we walked home from the bus stop - and me getting drenched in the process. I cannot wait to be cleared to drive. Right now the closest I get to that is in moving the car around the carpark every few days to stop the brakes/wheels seizing up. Bus trips themselves I don't mind, it's the fact that places I need to go take a long, long time to get to. Little X is not nearly as patient as I am.

We've had three home health visits now and the next one is at the clinic in town. At some point this week I should get to register her with my GP and then we fight to get a timely appointment - mostly because I want to be cleared for driving! It would also mean I can visit Food Club again.

Today I defrosted my freezer. The ice came off in huge slabs which is so incredibly satisfying. Mind you, it means the freezer was incredibly inefficient until I did this. 😖 I must be far more careful not to load it up so full, it's the air getting in the seal which makes it do this, and the door seals perfectly when it's not over-filled. Must think of all the saved pennies.

Reality

I think of myself as someone who doesn't really get stressed easily. And then I realised that it's not typical of me to be looking in my bank account every day to see what has gone in and come out. Normally I trust that I've set things up for the week ahead and don't need to think about it until next pay day. Ponderous. I'm not sure if it's submerged stress or merely knowing that my usual strict money management is currently slightly chaotic. 😁

But in any case, I do a lot of "it'll be fine because X payment is coming in on Y date" these days. I can't wait for my income to become regular again later in the month. Having irregular income is annoying, to say the least, and makes it hard to plan anything, like for example when I can go and buy my new bra (currently delaying this, because [1] pram expeditions so far away are un-fun; and [2] my MOT is due in a months' time and again falls right in the holiday season, meaning I have to find the money to organise it very soon). Related: I'm currently doing Prolific surveys for pocket money. 😉

Job #2 has again given me a £20 tax refund. It's weird indeed, but I certainly won't say no to it. I also got a notification that Poison-Ivy credit card was going to go over limit when the interest charge goes on in the next few days (can I just note, incidentally, that these notifications are outstanding, despite the shitty high interest rate on that account, and means that despite the fact this card has eye-watering costs, makes me think the lender is at least not a complete tosser?). This heads-up gave me the chance to put some money onto the card to prevent an over-limit fee. I'm grateful for that. 🙏

I started another mindless game for InboxPounds which promises quite a high payout and so far doesn't involve any kind of skill or attention to the game, which in my mind makes the perfect "get paid to play" activity.

Mini-spend: I managed to buy four Christmas gifts for a total out-of-pocket of less than £3, thanks to existing Amazon credit and the fact that I'm on a trial of Prime. Right now I'm deciding whether to keep Prime once the trial is over. I haven't used Prime Video at all, but that would be a potential perk. Mostly I've been eyeing whether the site in general becomes more useful once postage is free. eBay is definitely cheaper, but post can be slow and the items can be hit and miss. We'll see.

Not a Visionary

Having spent two weeks focussing on a phone screen in semi-darkness, my sight really is pretty bad. Long story short I've shelled out £30 for a test and ordered varifocals plus a standard reading pair - just under £60 for the two including postage, which is an absolute bargain. Once again I used Zenni Optical (I'm not paid to recommend them, either, I just think they're great). You need a bit of patience, and you need to check very carefully that you enter your prescription correctly, but even if I've gotten it wrong and need to reorder, I'm still miles in front of the usual store prices. So now, the nervous wait, since I've never ordered nor worn varifocals before...

Money Out (in a big way): Crowded House ticket for June at The Eden Project (£65). No, I can't afford this. No, I couldn't resist. It's probably the one band I would choose to see if given all the choices in the world.

Out: £11 for Little X's birth certificate. (Just one of the many things I need to run around setting up, ie, I had to take her birth records to the council registrar's office to prove she exists. This is where I really miss Finland, where everything is automatically connected in the system... I really wanted to ask the UC website, then the registry office, and then the Job Centre, and then the Child Benefit website, why they can't just ask the hospital to confirm that she exists.) Related: about £10 in bus fares running about doing these things. I still have several weeks of not being allowed to drive after my surgery.

In: Council payment of £250 and Universal Credit advance of £360. There will shortly be a further UC advance, for kidlet, of £260.

Also in: payments for four survey programmes, plus two game programmes (about £30 altogether).

Visionary's Observation: I have spent basically zero time on my pc in the two weeks since Little X was born, essentially living my life in my new tiny sofa, and accordingly, using my phone. It's freaky how fast we adapt, since I've been able to do 95% of everything I needed on there, including dealing with my bank accounts etc. I still much prefer a desktop when it comes to most things, but it's surprising how phones can manage so much these days.

Agitation and Time Constraints

So the Barclays switch offer runs out on the 30th, and that's £175 which desperately belongs in my hands. I finally got the required 2x Direct Debits to show up in my throwaway account, then after eight attempts and three phone calls (yes) my Barclays application and switch went through on the app. Half a days' work, but still worth it. 👍

I've been a bit spendy, bought two small toys for little X for Christmas (£2 each), both of which are sorta "need" items. I also bought us Christmas hats (£1 each). I didn't find one to fit her so I am armed with needle and thread to create a baby size from an adult one.

We're getting the hang of the reusable nappies and so far so good. A few damp pyjama patches, just need to make sure the outer wraps cover the nappy properly. 🙂 They really feel lovely and soft.

Cooking: curried sausages.

Hello World!

Little X and I are getting to know one another. That's a phrase I never would have used with my first two - I think like most young people I viewed the newborn stage as a whirlwind to endure, a hell time of sleeplessness and misery that you just somehow hope to emerge from in the end.

But this time? It's been entirely different. Whether that's down to knowledge, experience or just age, this time I know what she's communicating to me and I have more than enough patience. We've had a couple of feeding and sleeping challenges (to be expected) but honestly she is a typical baby, and she is also lovely 😍

Today I have felt organised enough to try a reusable nappy for the first time. Disposables have been a good choice for our first week at home, especially since they were given to me free by Food Club, but I'm hoping to only need them for outings from here on. Incidentally the reusables seem a much better fit! 

It's a good thing I was given all her newborn clothes for free. She's too big for them and is in the next size up - which I also have tons of. People in this world are good and have given all the clothes she needs.

I had yet another episode of outgrowing my bra... this is the fifth time for those playing along at home... to the point where I couldn't even wear my latest one. Beyond ridiculous, and to be frank, completely shit while trying to establish breastfeeding. But being unable to drive plus really not in a fit state to bus it, meant no real options. Well you know what they say, necessity is the mother of invention, so my crafty self cut an old bra and made an extender. It's not a perfect solution but it's a damned improvement on none 😁

I'm almost through my stash of ready meals and I've apparently timed it well, as I'm feeling more human and able to cook or even walk to the shops. The plan is to empty one freezer for defrosting. Let's see how that goes.

Currently waiting for Universal Credit to get their shit together, watch this space. 

Slight Blogging Delays

Apologies for the posting delays on my blogging entries this week. I've been a tiny bit busy. This is little X and me, about half an hour after she arrived via a very rushed and dramatic roof hatch hustle.

I'm the one on the left. 

I'm feeling fairly good and just need to behave myself while I heal from my surgery. So far it's been easier than expected, and my biggest issue is not having enough hours in the day! 

Back soon x

Best Things

Trigger warning: emojis.

A pregnant woman's
perfect accessory.

What's the best thing to do while you wait for a baby to arrive? Sanding, scrubbing and painting. Just kidding, I don't recommend it, but the wall is now primed and this is an enormous improvement from its awful patchwork mess. It's creamy white with pink streaks showing through now.

I also took advantage of work's special staff discount day, and didn't really buy much at all, about £30 worth. It doesn't make sense to stock up on things that will take more than 3-4 months to use, when that money would be more effective tackling the interest on my debts. But I did get to spend a bit of time with Good Boss and even Mogwai, who is a whole different kiddo, well-respected and actually Getting Shit Done™. It's heartening to see.

Mine looks like this one, but
patterned, and think smaller.
Also: think uglier.

I wasn't able to find a decent single armchair for sitting with kidlet, but I did find a tiny two-seater sofa which isn't much bigger. Obviously I paid over the odds for it 😒 but delivery was a flat fee for three items, so I also bought a storage wardrobe, for storing lots of crap. They are happily in place and I'm very pleased (although I have sacrificed space in general, to hide more clutter).

Still waiting for direct debit payments to come out, so that I know they are working in my burner account before I switch. Speaking of payments, yesterday my Universal Credit advance arrived, £360 😲 much to my shock. I have put it to work, some on bills, and the rest plonked onto my poison-ivy credit card. I felt really accomplished. 😊 

Then UC made a new appointment at a different town, one full of hills and empty of all parking, for right when baby arrives, at the time that I'm busy with, you know, being a post-natal mess and not sleeping. I told the work coach that walking miles with a (probably) two-day-old newborn is a problem. He's now made it three days later. I'm clearly dealing with an idiot. Oh how I have missed the joy of dealing with the benefits shit-show. 😂

Long, Long Ago

...I used to buy supermarket gift cards online at a discount. That website is long gone now, but this week, MoneySavingExpert told me to check my employer's rewards programme in case I can buy certain gift vouchers online. So I did. And I can, at a 7% discount, which is not shabby at all!

Unfortunately it has limited options but I can buy a physical card for one "discounter" supermarket that's local. It breaks even on just over £20 worth for the first purchase (£1.50 yearly fee), but if I wait until my C-word bonus goes in this week and spend the lot, I'll be getting a saving and spending "free money" to do it. Plan sorted. 👍

The new direct debits are still not showing in my new account. Ho hum. I know it takes a few days but I need them to appear so I can do my £175 switch. Patience.

Baby has been a bit of a monkey this week but I've been checked over and she seems fine. Just a waiting game now. £25 forked out for a weekly parking permit at the hospital, since I have to be there at least three times this week for more scans and monitoring. Stupid Universal Credit invited me to an in-person interview which lands right on top of an appointment, too. I've told them, but we will see whether they try to argue!

Money Is Really Hard

Never mind the
old pound coins.

And I don't mean having enough of it... I mean getting the brain around what's happening with all my accounts and bills. I have changed payment arrangements so many times that it was all a mess, so I just went through, deleted lots of them, and set some up afresh. From next month it should happily get paid automagically.

Assuming the money exists to pay it 😁

I'm not panicking just yet, I think I'm ok for another month and I can get a wiggle on doing surveys. I'll give those moved direct debits time to shift over and then I'll do my new bank account switch for my next £175. The account I'll be disposing of is a new one, which has never been used, so the only thing on it are three new direct debits for bills (a condition of the bank switch bonus). I should receive the payment by C-word.

Slept like utter crap again (for the third time this week) and am feeling rather worn out in general. I am actively avoiding much meal prep as my freezer space is full. So for this week, I have some easy dinner ingredients like cheese & onion rolls, quiche, prepared salads etc, all from the supermarket.

I figured out one of baby's C-word presents, so that's one thing checked off! 🎁

Time Really Flies

...when you're, er, not doing much of anything at all?

I didn't get the role I applied for in the next store, but that's ok, the timing wasn't great anyway.

I went to Food Club again today, with the mindset that I might not get a chance to go next week. I only did a small shop. I also got a couple of bits and pieces from Fave Supermarket across the road. When I got home to unpack it, I realised I really have too much food in my house (so much of it is still in my shopping bags...). No danger of starving to death this side of C-word.

Speaking of which, I bought myself some soft cheese which I'm not allowed to eat yet. I also bought some yummy foods that I like, but which I will save until C-word. Then there's the tree... which I have wickedly already put up. In my defence, I might not have time to do it if I wait. Must figure out what to get baby for C-word. I have one small very minor item, but the thing is, she won't know what's happening that day and there's nothing I expect her to really need. 💁 Maybe I'll wrap something for myself instead and "ask" her to give it to me 😁

Need to get myself together to do the other bank switch before I run out of time. Lots of weird feelings going on so I do not know if something is happening or whether it's just me being old and close to term 😁

I applied for Universal Credit as yesterday was my last maternity payment. The questions are useless... I had to send a long written journal entry on my real situation. Then I applied for a £300 advance. It was apparently approved, to be paid mid-December. I closed it in annoyance and did a "benefits calculator" on another site and the end result was: no entitlement, too much income. Well that was a nice waste of time, I will "enjoy" my high income of stuff-all, until baby arrives? Or... something. More pushing money around in a circle as usual 😁

Chow Time

Work get-together for dinner happened this week, the food was quite nice, company ok, but not the really great evening I'd been hoping for. Still, I was a bit social, that counts, right? Even if I did fork out £20. Was just a little strange that quite a few of my colleagues walked past me without saying hello. Poppet and I had been talking about that but then she did point out that we also didn't go say hello to them, either. Poppet's wisdom saves the day. I was also really grateful to be sitting with her, since half my "besties" were nowhere near and didn't seem particularly interested to chat. Best remind myself that work is work and life goes on. Big boss and good boss were cheery and happy to see me, that's something. 

Disappointing appointment with the midwife as Little Miss does not look at all ready to move! No problems to report, though.

My bank £175 switching payment has arrived already 😲 much faster than expected but good to see! I'm moving some direct debits around over the next few days and preparing to do my next switch.

Good Girl: I made three meals at once tonight and two are in my fridge. "Good" is relative because I really haven't cooked properly for a week. But here we are.

I keep forgetting to note the payments I receive from my surveys!

Check, Check, Check

✔ hospital bag finished

✔ checklist done for last minute baby stuffs

✔ car seat and pram in car ready

✔ kidlet corner finished and set up, moses basket ready, nappy changing station sorted

✔ large amounts of scented "fabric refresher" in use on somewhat unfragrant shampooed carpet

✔ bathroom cleaned

✔ kitchen mopped and mat washed

✔ surprise tax refund from job #2 of £20. Yes thanks, considering bills this week were tight

...and I must admit there's a sort of relief for most of these, although there are still random piles of "stuff" in my living space which I really don't have a place for, which is frustrating. Those, plus the necessary things (including my exercise ball, for the moment) take up pretty much the entire space. Ideally I need a second wardrobe for storage, which is money I shouldn't really spend - even if I do find one second-hand. We shall see.

Midwife did indeed brush off the baby's weight gain. She has also acknowledged that the current "negotiated" Plan of Attack™ by the hospital is too-little-too-late to actually meet my wants and needs, so she has added some things in to (cross fingers) try to get things going sooner rather than later. This is absolutely the best I could hope for, so, here's hoping.

Currently eating pineapple, which is supposed to be a good idea. Spendy: a small tripod for my phone (£3).

How to save money: Know vaguely that your windows are a huge heat loss area (last year you bought that small radiator to put right there, under your knees, because it was colder than the rest of the flat). Notice (during the huge storm this week) that your curtains are moving, and realise that the wind is coming through their probably-craptastic seals. Go to the Screwfix website (other hardware sites are available) and find a great price on a roll of replacement self-adhesive rubber window seals. Pat self on the back as you place it in your cart, then think, hey, I should just quickly check that I'll be able to fit this. Climb up on your pc desk (irresponsibly, since you're nine months pregnant) and yes, you can feel the wind coming in, an alarming amount of it. Open window, examine frame, think "yes", then latch it, and discover in annoyance that the stupid thing is able to be locked "shut" while open half an inch. Pulled properly, it closes just fine. Ditto on the other window. Smack forehead at own idiocy.

Trash your shopping cart, having spent nothing.

What To Do

My blood glucose test has come back as "normal". What the heck am I supposed to do now? 😂 I mean, I'm sure my midwife will shrug it off, but I'm not convinced I'm not at least pre-pre-diabetic (I felt like garbage for most of the day after that test, which I blame on the long fast). I've decided to at least try to even out my eating and avoid snacking so much. It's only for a few weeks. I got some "more sensible" hospital food today from the shop (protein bars, rice crackers, strawberry milk with no added sugar). Picking up some free freezer bricks from a kind lady tomorrow, to keep everything cold in my cooler bag. 

Got my hair cut, one more thing ticked off and £12 out of my purse.

I have been way too slack in getting surveys done. I am so tired of them right now and I run out of steam really quickly. You'd think that a look at my internet banking would cure me of that.

Maybe I'll go look at it again now, to improve the motivation!

Switchy Switcheroo: I've switched (during my banking switch) from a year of free Disney+ to 6 free movie tickets. I saw on a website by accident that they get posted to you up front and therefore you get the whole benefit even if you then switch away a week later (this is a better deal than the online Disney+ access going poof the moment I move on). The website where I saw this is called Be Clever With Your Cash which also happens to have a great weekly podcast. I recommend you check it out. ✔

Carpet finally all cleaned, so is the rug (draped over chairs in an attempt to dry everything out). Hoping tomorrow to actually put the furniture where it all belongs and get my bag packed for hospital. 

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.

Loose Threads

So I went into Food Club once I'd burned through the TGTG haul. Seeing as I haven't really cooked for a week - I had just bought food when I got first the salad bag then the sandwich bag - I really didn't need tinned food from Food Club. But I wanted to make the trip anyway, to get some other cupboard staples, and see what else they had.

Well, they had a lovely array of snacks (it's been a while!) so I've come home with a mystery bag of cakes. Turns out they are double-chocolate orange muffins, croissants, and halloween donuts, and also really lovely. I also went across the road to Fave Supermarket Chain (double duty from the car!) to get some items that I need for my hospital bag. I picked up a family assortment of biscuits, a box of chocolates and some sweets (all for the midwives!) plus, of course, the kinds of snacks I might like to eat during labour. Along with the standard Fave Soft Drink (in cans, so I can take it with me) I have overall spent way too much today. But I suppose it needed doing.

The whole exercise was absolutely exhausting and I am belatedly realising that my fitness is certainly not what it once was 😂 and that's the understatement of the year! But I'm otherwise feeling good and feeling well. And finally, I am feeling organised. I have everything that I need and know where it all is. Plus, I have my final ultrasound and measurement this week to make sure everything's on track. I don't expect any surprises as things have been so terribly routine and boring at every check up for the past six months. 😊 Exactly the way it should be.

Spent: £5 of my bonus from work on Raspberry Leaf Tea from Amazon. It's awful, tastes like grass, but it's supposed to be a good idea. I still have £32 in that bonus account and I get another £20 or so in a few weeks' time. 😊