Tactical Tuesdays (House work hacks)

Welcome back to another week of #TacticalTuesdays,  which I am co-hosting with the lovely Vicky from The Tactical Mummy. I'm loving that many of you have been joining in with our linky so far. 

If you haven’t joined in with #TacticalTuesdays  before the idea behind the posts is that you share with us your Tactical Parenting Hacks for the week.It can be anything such as a day out or a clever craft idea you have had to entertain your children. 

Every Tuesday we share a post this can be new or from the archives and we invite you do the same as part of this linky. The following week we will share one of our favourite posts and link back to your blog. 

Please don't forget you can use the hashtag #TacticalTuesdays over on Facebook, twitter and Instagram) 

If you would like to link up please grab our badge and share with us one of your hacks of the week. We are looking forward to reading your posts.

Our featured post of the week is Peppa Saves my Bacon by mamamia blog.

We can all relate when it comes to annoying children's programs.

<center> <a href="http://www.joannavictoria.co.uk"><img width="200" alt=" Tactical Tuesday at Joanna Victoria " src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFkwe9QqdMEdljlZbU2AIBV8Jdv3odDk_5ZKygNz54_EN7dAfp34ku3unCiFLePHWsziQKZDjYXPsVipYsBy7Uo5o-Dt42cAUYbCGY4ikzIaMSPmedAEs5il93hyphenhyphenIMTsHUmli8gcevTU/s1600/tacticaltuesdays2.jpg " height="200" /></a></center> This week's post is all about House work hacks for keeping your home under control and I hope they are helpful for you wether you are a stay at home parent/ working parent etc

An InLinkz Link-up

Flitterbee Wooden Jungle Name Plaque

As a child I can vaguely remember having my own personalised plaque on my bedroom door. So as someone that loves all things personalised I'm surprised we didn't have a personalised plaque for Blake's bedroom door until now that is. 

The jungle themed plaque by Flitterbee is a handcrafted wooden plaque with beautifully painted illustrations of a Giraffe, Monkey and Toucan. The lettering is 3d and painted in gorgeous animal print which than has a varnish finish. 

The plaque can be hung with a brown ribbon and wooden buttons like the one we have or provided with double sided mounting tape. The size of the plaque is 14cm high (excluding the hanging ribbon) and will vary in length between 25cm and 35cm depending on the length of your child's name.Each plaque is lovingly handmade hence you should allow five days after payment for it to be dispatched. 

We love that the plaque is neutral so suitable for either genders and can see it being handy for children who share a room. Blake loves jungle animals and so this is a perfect design for my little cheeky monkey. I feel that by having a plaque on Blake's door it now gives his room a finishing touch that we didn't realise was needed.  The plaque retails at £24.50 and I feel that price wise it is worth it due to its excellent quality and being lovingly made. 

Flitterbee sell a wide range of different plaques, fairy doors and other great quality prodicts so be sure to check them out. 

House Work Hacks: Keeping Your Home Under Control

Running a home can be hard work when you have a little one running around and making mess wherever they go however there are things you can do to help run your home more smoothly. 

Designate a play area 

For us our living room is where Blake plays the most. We allow him to also play in his room also but try to stick to the living room so there aren't too many toys all over the place.  

Cover the sofa

Using a washable throw is a great idea to protect your sofa from sticky finger marks and it can just be chucked into the washing machine. 

Tidy as you go along

This is a habit that we need to start doing more often as it will save us a lot of time in the long run. 

Great storage solutions 

Toys get everywhere and so having a wide range of places to keep toys out the way is important. We have fold-able storage boxes in our living room, a main toy box in Blake's room, a set of drawers we keep games in and a handy bookshelf that we also use baskets on. You can find so many different ideas online to find something that is right for you and your home. 

Door mats

Use 2 door mats one for outside and inside your door this will help there to be less dust enter your home. 

Have an area for coats and shoes to go

I find that coats and shoes tend to get dumped on the floor so we have an area for shoes in our hallway. If you are able to having coat pegs in easy reach for children is a great idea.

Order larger bottles

Order larger bottles of shampoos, conditioners and body wash. This means you will have less bottles dotted around and they will last longer.  This can also apply for other items around your home not just for the bathroom. 

Cleaning Products

Having a cleaning kit is ideal I have post on what I include in mine here. My favourite cleaning must haves to make life easier are: cleaning wipes, magic erasers, squeegee , cloths , a good hoover and steamer. 

Invest in items that save you time

Forget soap bars, buy flip top toothpastes, invest in a toothbrush holder, have a toilet role holder that you don't have to unscrew each time to replace one, 

Over the door organiser 

These are so handy we have Blake's soft toys in his one but you can put in so many different things in them to keep rooms organised especially for children. 

Laundry Baskets 

We have one in our room and then for Blake's stuff in his own room. This way the clothing don't get all mixed up. 

Encourage children to help 

For example Blake loves helping with the washing. We get him to fill the machine, we put the powder in and then he turns it on for us. He also likes to help us put toys away and is starting to have more interest in the hoover. 

Do you have any more hacks that are ideal for keeping your home under control? If so I'd love to know your own ideas. 

Giveaway: Creepy Hand Game by Megableu

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sober October with Eisberg

October seems to be a month of change for people for example there is No spend October which I attempted in and then there is stoptober where smokers attempt to give up there habit and then there is of course sober October where you give up alcohol for a whole month. 

If you are doing sober October and are starting to miss your usual glass of wine than Eisberg sell a wide range of different alcohol free wines so that you can enjoy the taste just without the alcohol content. Eisberg sell in total 6 different bottles of alcohol-free wine so there will be something to suit you including sparkling varieties. 

With Eisberg you can enjoy the experience of drinking a real glass of wine, but without the alcohol units, and with just a third of the calories. This is ideal for this time of year if you are wanting to cut down alcohol in the lead up to Christmas and even help you loose a bit of weight due to their being less calories. 

If you are doing Sober October you don't need to miss out on the fun either as you can create amazing alcohol-free cocktails with Eisberg. Their website has a wide range of cocktail ideas so that you can enjoy one or more that suit you. 

This weekend I'm looking forward to enjoying a glass or two, or more of Rose in the evenings knowing that I wont be waking up with a hangover especially with the clocks going back too. 

Tactical Tuesdays (Surviving the clock change)

Welcome back to another week of #TacticalTuesdays,  which I am co-hosting with the lovely Vicky from The Tactical Mummy. I'm loving that many of you have been joining in with our linky so far. 

If you haven’t joined in with #TacticalTuesdays  before the idea behind the posts is that you share with us your Tactical Parenting Hacks for the week.It can be anything such as a day out or a clever craft idea you have had to entertain your children. 

Every Tuesday we share a post this can be new or from the archives and we invite you do the same as part of this linky. The following week we will share one of our favourite posts and link back to your blog. 

Please don't forget you can use the hashtag #TacticalTuesdays over on Facebook, twitter and Instagram) 

If you would like to link up please grab our badge and share with us one of your hacks of the week. We are looking forward to reading your posts.

Our featured post of the week is Ode to Gina Ford by Mama Grace even though I haven't read anything by Gina Ford I am a believer in a good routine. 

<center> <a href="http://www.joannavictoria.co.uk"><img width="200" alt=" Tactical Tuesday at Joanna Victoria " src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFkwe9QqdMEdljlZbU2AIBV8Jdv3odDk_5ZKygNz54_EN7dAfp34ku3unCiFLePHWsziQKZDjYXPsVipYsBy7Uo5o-Dt42cAUYbCGY4ikzIaMSPmedAEs5il93hyphenhyphenIMTsHUmli8gcevTU/s1600/tacticaltuesdays2.jpg " height="200" /></a></center>

This coming Sunday the 29th of October the clocks go back an hour and so this means not only the darker mornings/nights but also loosing an hour. Now if you are a parent this is the time of year you most likely dread. Children don't understand and so you may find that your usual 6 am start is a 5 am start. 

So how will you be coping? There are many ways other parents go about it and I thought i'd share some ideas I have come across below:

- Embrace it and know it will take a few days to settle back into a routine 

- Keep your child/ren up an hour later than usual in preparation 

- Go to bed earlier yourself

- Move bedtime gradually over the week before 

- For older children use a gro clock 

What has worked for us is keeping Blake up an hour later than usual the night before and also if he does get up earlier than just embracing it as it doesn't take him too long to get into the routine luckily.

If you are unfortunate to having to get up at silly o clock than entertainment in the form of TV/DVD/Tablet may help you get a bit more shut eye failing that dose up on the extra coffee and take time out of your day to have a bit of time for yourself is a good idea too. 

What do you do for preparing for the clocks to change? 

An InLinkz Link-up

Car maintenance - some useful tips

*This is a collaborative post

Firstly ,when it comes to cars I am no expert. However when it comes to choosing a car its a good idea to purchase one where spare parts can be easily sourced. If you are getting a car for the first time it's a good idea to know at least some basic maintenance so you don't have to keeping to the garage every time you have an issue. 

Checking your tyres

There are a few things you need to do such as checking your cars tyres pressure regularly and checking your tread depth so that you replace tyres when needed. The pressure of your tyres can impact on your fuel economy. 

Engine 

When it comes to checking the engine you will need to check a few things such as the  rubber drive belts that loop around various pulleys and oil and coolant levels because if the oil level is too high or low it can cause trouble to your engine. 

Paint work

Keep your interior and exterior looking like new by using decent quality waxes and polishes. Also, let's face it: a clean looking car looks so much nicer too!

Electrical

When  dealing with electrics you must make sure that you disconnect the battery first. If you're unsure how to do this than you will be able find how to online. 

Lights

Sometimes the bulbs can blow and it is important to replace them. Your car manual should tell you how to get at the indicator bulbs to do this. 

Knowing your warning lights 

If you know your warning lights you will be able to make sure you sort out any maintenance issues, ASAP!

Looking after the exhaust

The gases from your cars exhaust are poisonous. If your exhaust is leaking than it can allow the dangerous gases to seep into your car which is hazardous for the driver/passengers. It's important that if you have a leaking exhaust that you get it seen to. Trained car exhaust mechanics in Dundee will help you out in Fife Autocentre if you are living/near the area. 

Finding the Best Toddler-Friendly Breaks

As a parent of a toddler who is an expert of getting himself into mischief, finding somewhere relaxing and safe for the little one isn’t exactly easy. In fact, it can be a bit of a nightmare, which is why I wanted to share my experiences of the feared search for a family getaway.

What I Have to Consider

With the little one who has mastered the art of running in any direction he please, we need somewhere I can feel safe that he cannot run off, but I don’t want to be stuck in a box for a week. Ideally, nowhere little man can run into any danger.

Just like any other three-year-old, he can be prone to having a temper tantrum, so somewhere aimed more at adults probably isn’t on the cards, but I also want to be able to enjoy myself. Family parks are certainly the best place to look, as anyone that stays there does so expecting to be around young children. One of the best examples is here: https://www.allenscaravans.co.uk/locate-a-park/

Accommodation

As we are travelling as a family (two adults, one child), we require more room than a simple room with a double bed as little man will need somewhere to sleep. A caravan, or static motorhome, is ideal for us as we can have our own space to sleep, while never being more than a few steps away from our toddler. Of course, we cannot have any potential hazards in reach of him, so any cookers or other materials must be kept out of the way.

Whenever we search for somewhere to stay as a family, we like to ensure that our accommodation offers inside activities in case the weather means that it is not suitable to venture outside. When we stay in the UK, this is often the case, so a kids club is something that we certainly make sure is part of the package.

Meals

This sounds obvious, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of places that fail to offer healthy meals for children. As anyone does, when we are on holiday we let our hair down and, when it comes to meal times, treat ourselves a little bit more than we would at home, but that doesn’t mean pizza every night.

With our toddler, we want to encourage healthy habits. Just as any young child is, he can be extremely fussy and we have to do our best to get him to eat his greens. Before deciding to go anywhere, we always try to look at the menu to make sure that there is something for little man to eat; otherwise it will be a very long holiday.

Price

This is something that everyone looks at and, unfortunately, when you travel with kids you do so at a premium. Luckily, as little man is three and hasn’t yet started school, we can still book our breaks during term-time, but we know that the day isn’t too far away when we are beholden to top end prices for exactly the same break you would take a month before or after.

When it was just the two of us, we had no issue cutting corners to keep the costs down – a budget room in a quaint B&B did us fine, but now that isn’t an option. It is definitely worth shopping through comparison sites for hotel rooms, adjusting the filter settings to exactly what you are looking for. We also ensure that we have an option to cancel for free right up until the day before you check in, which most places now offer, in case little man is unwell or circumstances change.

These are our main points of interest when searching for breaks that are toddler-friendly. For those that have travelled with a toddler, you will surely be able to relate to this post – if you haven’t, then your time till come.

No Spend October : Poundland broke me

I wrote my plans for No spend October and so I wanted to give you an update and unfortunately I only lasted 13 days before breaking the ban and giving up. Poundland broke me, Poundland have really been upping their game recently and after seeing loads of people sharing their Christmas bargains online I couldn't resist much longer. 

However even though I have given up the no spend month I did manage to save around £400 during the 13 days which I have put into savings. Usually as soon as I got paid I would have just splurged on Amazon. 

During the 13 days I managed to stick at it I did learn some things: 

1. That I actually enjoy saving more than I do spending

2. Its made me think more before buying something

3. That it's worth saving for something I want as it would make me appreciate it a bit more

4. That I need to think of my money/finances long term 

5. I spend too much on things not needed especially things for Blake

6. That we need to cut down on takeaways 

I also feel that some of the ideas that I mentioned in my previous post are easy to stick at such as using up what we have in, borrow books/films,walk rather than getting the local bus, enjoy free days out. 

When it comes to No spend months I don't think I'll try it again however I do feel that I can cut down my spending and at least once a month do a no spend week or weekend. 

Have you done a no spend month? How did you get on?

Living Arrows 42/52

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth by Kahlil Gibran

This week Blake has been more of himself although he still has a cough it isn't as bad thanks goodness. This week at Pre-School he has spent of the time outside which is where he is the happiest. Luckily the weather hasn't been too bad which has meant that they were able to let him be outside for the majority of the 2 hours each day. 

This weeks photo was taken on Sunday when we went to a little park and was trying to get him use to playing on his scooter. He has taken interest with the ones at Pre-School so we decided to try again with him on his one although he does keep sitting on it .

How to get the Whole Family in the Kitchen

*This is a collaborative post

Knowing how to cook yourself a wholesome, tasty and nutritious meal in, in my opinion, pretty important. I’m not exactly Jamie Oliver myself but I do think that the importance of basic cooking skills and a knowledge of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods is highlighted more and more in today’s society. Getting the whole family in the kitchen can not only be beneficial to family life in general but can also mean your kids are taught to nourish themselves properly (the occasional microwave meal never did anyone any harm, but it’s probably best not to make these meals habitual). Granted, it can be hard to make every mealtime ‘fun’ by involving the kids in the cooking process (particularly when there’s about a million and one things to do before bedtime and you only have two arms and two hands) but on the odd occasion, you can follow these tips to show the family that you truly are what you eat and that eating healthily can be delicious.

Set a Goal

Having something to work towards often means motivation is higher and so setting a goal is recommended. Whether that’s a weight loss goal (maybe you want to lose a total number of pounds collectively as a family), a goal to eat your five a day every day or a goal to reach 10, 000 steps before 8pm. Write down the goal and stick it on the kitchen wall – maybe plan a fun day out for when the goal is reached.

Mix up meals

Trying to eat five a day everyday doesn’t just have to be meat and pile of veg at every meal, you can incorporate vegetables into all kinds of recipes and even trick the kids into thinking they’re something else! Once you get busy in the kitchen you will see how easy it is to cook with a lot of veg – note that five a day doesn’t just mean fresh veg and you can use tinned, frozen and even dried fruit. Whilst a green spinach smoothie for breakfast might not appeal to your little ones, why not try baking oats, eggs, mashed banana and peanut butter for delicious banana muffins, adding warm chopped apple and apricots to Weetabix or blending frozen fruit with yoghurt for a healthy ice cream alternative. For dinner, why not try a tomato based curry using spices such as Garam Masala, cumin and turmeric and a tin of tomatoes. You can spice the curry up with any veg you like (onions, garlic, fresh chilli, tomatoes and peppers all work really well) and you can fill it out either with meat or chickpeas/cannellini beans. Serve with wholegrains. Need something a little quicker? Replace your usual baked potato with a sweet potato, mash avocado, red onion and tomato to make a quick guacamole and pile it on the top. So tasty. By making your meals exciting and full of flavour, you’ll be showing everyone just how delicious healthy, nutritious eating can be.

Splash out on the Basics

Whilst you don’t need a state of the art Nutri Ninja or an all singing all, all dancing food processor and induction hob, there are a few things that are worth splashing out on to make life easier when it comes to cooking. A slow cooker is a great investment and can be bought second hand if you can’t afford a shiny new one. Simply throw your ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning (great for making stews or even slow cooking meat) and it will be ready by the time everyone is home for tea. In an ideal home, everyone eats dinner around the table together and chats about what they’ve achieved that day – in a realistic home, dinnertimes are just as hectic as the morning rush and with everything going on its usually impossible to sit down and eat together. The slow cooker is great for dishing out a bit at a time as most of them have a ‘warm’ setting to keep the rest heated for any latecomers.

Tidy up your Kitchen

I’m sure many of us would love to totally renovate our kitchen, make it bigger with fancy islands and workspaces so we can cook without struggling for space or working around mess. However, even if you can’t afford to transform your kitchen totally, there are a few changes you can make which will make cooking less of a chore and more therapeutic (maybe!). Firstly, tidy and clear out your draws, find out what cooking utensils you need and bin any you don’t use. Get rid of the 10 year old tea towels you’re hoarding in the draw and the tins that expired in 2015 and start completely from scratch. You might want to think about installing some new lighting as this can make even the smallest of spaces seem bigger. Undercabinet lighting is great for those that do a lot of cooking as it illuminates the work surfaces, not only adding an extra dimension to the room but also making the use of knives/scissors/tin openers a bit safer as you can see exactly what you’re doing.

The sooner people realise that eating healthily doesn’t mean you need a degree in culinary cuisine, the better. I hope my tips have inspired you to get the family in the kitchen to cook quick, fresh and exciting meals - even when you’re a little stretched for time!

One month of Pre-School

It's been 4 weeks since Blake started Pre-School. Summer seemed to fly by and before long we were having to get into the swing of a new routine. After having Blake with me for near enough 24/7 since he was born, it was a new experience for me not having him around for 2 hours a day Monday - Friday. 

I had been feeling very anxious about Blake starting Pre-School, especially with his friends going to a different one from him and so he would not know anyone. I knew though that he would love it there and benefit from it in many ways. 

The Pre-School he goes to is attached to the school that we are hoping to put him in when the time comes It also happens to be the Pre-School that Stuart and his siblings went to when they were little too.  

Day one arrived and both Stuart and I dropped him off and met his key worker who on here I will call J. I don't think he really understood what was going on and was very surprised when we left that there were no tears and on pick up was told he hadn't been upset but had looked around for us which we thought was such a great start!

The rest of the week though was a different cup of tea unfortunately. Day two I ended up having to pick him up early as he was tired (bless him) and they were unable to settle him. The rest of the week we left him in tears, however we were told that he stopped crying pretty quickly. 

Since then we have some days where he is fine and so excited to go in and see J and other days he doesn't want to and we leave him either in tears or fake crying (by that we mean just wanting attention/cuddles). Luckily he seems to be settling pretty quickly although since last Thursday he hasn't been himself with a cough and cold. 

The Pre-School has a website where we can access photos of what Blake has been up to which I really love as we can see what he has been up to and it's reassuring too. In the 4 weeks that Blake has been in Pre-School we have noticed a few changes in him, for example; although he still isn't really talking he does seem to know a few colours and has an understanding of more things. We have also come home with some art work which is lovely too as he hasn't really been into painting at home. It looks like that may be set to change. 

Sleep-wise, we have tried getting him to nap in the morning which just isn't happening so we are waiting til he gets in from Pre-School and still putting him to bed at his usual time. It seems to be what is working well for us at this moment in time though so we will be sticking with it for now.

Importance of Vitamin D

One of the important things when it comes to diet is getting the right vitamins and minerals into ours and our children's diet. However Vitamin D which is essential for helping adsorb calcium from food is more difficult to obtain this time of year as the main source is from the sun. 

With the evenings getting darker earlier and the sun not being out as often its important to get vitamin D from other sources. A vitamin D supplement like Fultium daily is a good way to do so. Fultium daily come in both tablet (for adults) and drops (for children and adults) forms. This makes it so much easier to get vitamin D into your body. 

Why do our bones need vitamin D?

The sunshine vitamin is important because when your vitamin D levels are low, you absorb less calcium from your diet. That means your bones may not get the calcium they depend on. This is why it is important for children and adults alike have the right amount of vitamin D. 

Why can't I get enough vitamin D from the sun?

Getting the right amount of vitamin D all year round, is very tricky. The UK sun just isn't strong enough for our skin to make the vitamin D we need. There are also certain types of people who need more vitamin D than others. 

What about getting enough vitamin D from diet?

It's hard to get enough vitamin D from diet alone as most foods contain very little. Only 10% of the vitamin D you need comes from your diet Oily fish is the best source; eggs yolks are also a useful way to get some vitamin D. 

I'm certainly starting to take more care into making sure the 3 of us have enough vitamin D.

Living Arrows - 41/52

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth by Kahlil Gibran

This week I didn't take many photos of Blake as he has been a bit under the weather and didn't want to constantly put the camera in his face. Unfortunately on Thursday when I picked him up from Pre-School I was told that he wasn't his usual self and advised we took him to see a Dr. We did this and was told he had a virus, he still has this awful barking cough but other than that seems a bit better now. We decided it was a good idea to have him off Pre-School on Friday and to have a relaxed weekend since he was also quite run down and sleepy. 

This weeks photo was taken before he was feeling poorly. We went out with my mother in law for a coffee (water and cheddars for Blake) one afternoon once Blake had finished Pre-School. 

Tactical Tuesdays ( Bedtime books for kids)

Welcome back to another week of #TacticalTuesdays,  which I am co-hosting with the lovely Vicky from The Tactical Mummy. I'm loving that many of you have been joining in with our linky so far. 

If you haven’t joined in with #TacticalTuesdays  before the idea behind the posts is that you share with us your Tactical Parenting Hacks for the week.It can be anything such as a day out or a clever craft idea you have had to entertain your children. 

Every Tuesday we share a post this can be new or from the archives and we invite you do the same as part of this linky. The following week we will share one of our favourite posts and link back to your blog. 

Please don't forget you can use the hashtag #TacticalTuesdays over on Facebook, twitter and Instagram) 

If you would like to link up please grab our badge and share with us one of your hacks of the week. We are looking forward to reading your posts.

Our featured post of the week is Meal plan Friday by Mud cakes and wine.
We love getting inspiration for delicious and easy meals and I definitely want to give the lentil ragu a try.

<center> <a href="http://www.joannavictoria.co.uk"><img width="200" alt=" Tactical Tuesday at Joanna Victoria " src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFkwe9QqdMEdljlZbU2AIBV8Jdv3odDk_5ZKygNz54_EN7dAfp34ku3unCiFLePHWsziQKZDjYXPsVipYsBy7Uo5o-Dt42cAUYbCGY4ikzIaMSPmedAEs5il93hyphenhyphenIMTsHUmli8gcevTU/s1600/tacticaltuesdays2.jpg " height="200" /></a></center> This week's post I'm sharing with you a recent post on  7 favourite bedtime books for kids. We love reading and Blake has some books that we love to read all the time but especially at bed time. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Living Arrows 40/52

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth by Kahlil Gibran

If you have read yesterday's post you will know that I am doing No Spend October the first day went really well where I didn't spend a penny and we went for a lovely autumnal walk to our local park. Blake loved running around in the leaves and we stopped off to play on the swings and slides before heading home via a little garden that they have at the park that I had completely forgotten about until recently. The park also has a little railway we sometimes like to visit to go on the steam trains. There was an event on as the steam trains have been running for 50 years however with tickets costing and doing no spend October we  briefly watched the trains go by instead. I love these photos of Blake taken as even though he loved having the freedom to run and explore he kept looking back to see that we were still there close by. 

No Spend October (2017)

October is here and the last month has really flown by. Spur of the moment I have decided to do No Spend October. I really do need to cut down on my spending, so I thought by taking part in No Spend October this will really give me a kick start in curbing my spending.

The rules are pretty simple from the first of October to the 1st of November  no spending on things that aren't essential. All bills and personal bills such as my phone, insurance and Netflix are covered for.

I have also going to be accounting for special circumstances these are: 

- My slimming world countdown ends on the 26th so I will be buying a new one

- I'll allow myself to buy chocolate/Hifi bars occasionally as I can't completely go without them.

- Travel costs only if visiting my family

- Blake's friend's birthday gift

- If Blake needs anything for Pre-School.

So what will I be cutting out: 

- Takeaways/eating out

- Drinks when out and about 

- Alcohol 

- Clothes

- Toys

- Lottery/scratch cards

- Entertainment (movies, books,  day trips etc) 

- Cosmetics

-Home Decor 

- Bus fairs

- Anything else non essential you can think of.

 I'll be making sure there are no shopping trips or online spending this includes no charity shops, ebay, facebook selling pages, no amazon (eek) no matter how much of a bargain something is. 

I'll share with you if I cave in and buy something I shouldn't and I'll also be sharing with you some of my ideas on things we have done. Here are some ideas below on how I am going to manage during the month.

1. When going out take my own drink with me 

2. Eat before going out/take a packed lunch

3. Batch cook lunches (I'm going to make soups and pastas)

4. Use up what we have: Food, cosmetics, toiletries, cleaning products

5. Don't go into any shops other than supermarkets for a month

6. Go to supermarket with a shopping list and stick to it

7. Read books I own but haven't yet read

8. If I do run out of books to read I can borrow from the library instead of buying.

9. watch movies that we already have or are on netflix

10. Remove the amazon app from my phone/tablet

11. Find free days out and ideas of things to do with Blake that don't cost anything

12. Walk rather than get the local bus 

I know its not going to be easy especially with half term coming up at the end of the month and with Halloween around the corner too.

I'd love to know if you will be joining in or if you have any tips or ideas for the month ahead for me.