Help! OH 40th Birthday

I have been getting myself all in a tiswas thinking I need to do some many special things to show my husband I love him.

I looked into buying him a specially made cake for £35.00 to £70.00 until it was pointed out to me that it was too much but a guy at work.  I had thought about a party for him but he is from the North and we are on the South Coast and having spoken to his friends and family most of them couldnt make it.  Then I decided to take him on a cruise on the Rhine - this is what I am saving for.  I am also booking a table in a restaurant for a meal for the two of us.  Then I think I can I get him to unwrap.  Its doing my head it.  I am 40 this year as well.  It is a nightmare I am worried he will think I havent made much of an effort.  If anyone has any ideas that he would remember which doesnt cost the earth I would be most grateful.

Free book

I signed up for a free book from Radox.  I entered for February's book which was chick lit however, I got March's book.  Now this is confusing as it wasnt March when I entered i.e. I entered on 1st February and also Radox changed it to a competition for end of March and I received my book mid March.

Here it is with a splash free cover:

No idea whether the book is any good but hey ho.  Its going on my long pile of books!!

Veggie Chilli Sausage Pasta

We eat this  quite often and its not expensive.  Veggie sausages 10 in a pack were two for £3.00. I use about 8  for  two of us and there is always some left over for lunch the next day. Then I get a carton of chilli chopped tomatoes with onion and basil.  It is quite expensive at 59p but it says to use to cans and I just use the equivalent of one so its the same price as to value cans of tomatoes without chilli, onions and basil.  I use more than enough pasta for two and this should cost lesds than 50p.  Cheap and free on slimming world I believe.  Dish up some salad and beetroot nom nom nom.

Doesnt it look nice:

A sunny walk in Dorset

What a lovely sunny day we thought, we packed some water, flask of coffee and value cake and off we went to Frampton Wood.

Up the hill:

Then through the wood :

Then more of the wood:

Lambs already??

Then approaching a bridge designed by Christopher Wren:

A closer look at it :

An even closer look at it :

The lovely stream running underneath it:

We then came accross a Pill Box:

Then through the village - how quaint:

Then back to the Village Green near where we started here is my OH and I:

Can you see our flask and cake have a closer look:

It can cost a pretty penny to buy coffee and cake out, this is two pieces of Sainsburys fruit slab which cost just 95p.

The ducks come and visit us:

Then just enjoying our refreshments whilst looking at the stream :

Hope you enjoyed the pics - rather a lot of them.

That was my afternoon of 20th March 2011! What did you do. I love nature on a shoestring - save the petrol of course!!

My beautiful daughter

This is a photo from a recent photoshoot of my daugther needless to say I am very proud.

Sorted . . .

Boss has sorted my problem at last after 8 months of hell and struggles months before that.

Going on a picnic with my sister later.  Nice and sunny here x

Just a quick post to say . . .

Have given boss an ultimatum sort things out or I go.  I cannot take anymore, tbh so stressed was on the edge.

So what if I leave?  I cannot afford to but I will not let my health suffer.  I look dastardly at the moment.

Before and After

Now this is me in Menorca back in May 2009 two months before I joined slimming world  I weighed nearly 15 stone - lucky I am tall.

 This was me at Christmas 2010 about 3 pounds over target just as I was about to go to the Christmas Ball :

As you may know I lost 2 and a half stone.  I dont have any pics of me dead on target.

Then Christmas happened.  I put on about 7 pounds and about two since then.  I went to SW after Christmas but what with the stress I have been in some difficulty.  I have now decided not to go for a while.  I am really worried that I will put all that weight back on.  I am trying to do SW at home now.  Today was my first proper day.  I dont have any pics of me at the moment but I do feel a little over weight.

I also realise its not just the eating, last year I was really quite active until the Winter.  I then only managed once a week as opposed to 3 or 4 lots of exercise weekly that I had managed earlier that year. Then in December I signed up to the Local Councils Leisure initiative whereby you increase your activity to three times 30 minutes a week and claim a £5.00 M and S  voucher. I managed to do it and I am awaiting receipt of the £5.00 voucher.

Dont forget those money off vouchers or the extra points coupons!

With all the rises in the cost of living, I find these absolutely essential. I have a host of vouchers but even though I am organised even I manage to forget to use them on occasion.  It is usually when I am feeling tired.  Last Friday I needed some petrol and I forgot the double nectar point coupon I had received in the post.  That was on top of forgetting to use the  nectar points coupon in Sainsbury last week. 

In am using Sainsburys more than I did previously. I was using Asda more however, I always needed to pop to Sainsburys for various items.   In addition, they send me vouchers for points for items that I alreay purchase.My OH had an idea put them in the bags that we take to the supermarket.  So we did,  today I used four coupons and got just under 500 extra nectar points.  The assistant had problems putting some through and did question whether I had bought the product in this case Walkers crisps and tried to say that I couldnt use it.  Went to customer services and they put it through no problem.  So I used that it gave me 100 points, 150 for using Quorn, 120 points for spending over £30.00 and then double points coupon having spent just over £46.00.  Most items will do us for two to three weeks. 

In the meantime, I have put some coupons in my purse in the hope that I remember to use them.

Our Nectar points pay for most of our food at Christmas.  My TNS points pay for a lot of the presents.

So please do not forget your coupons.

Picking out the positives

Although things at work are still stressful my boss has now stopped me from taking on legal aid.  That means I can bring more money in i.e. legal aid brings in a third of private and is three times the work and in the long term more income for me.

I am spending the Saturday day, evening and night at my sisters for a games night.  I am so looking forward to it.

Next I have two tickets for Wimbledon Court one in June - not money saving but thats what I save my money for.

Finally, checked my premium bonds online and I have won two lots of £25.00.