Sorting Out The Family Finances

Student Finances


My son goes to University this year either at York or Nottingham to study archaeology , eeek so I thought I'd roll out some practical recipes , he's probably going into catered halls but having basic skills behind you is good. He has good GCSE cookery behind him which is a life skill you'll not forget. And choosing a good university  is key to getting the most out of the degree course you wish to study and it will set you with skills for life.

Ingredients 

Can of Corn beef

500g of carrots 

Dice Butternut Squash ( I used some frozen )

100 ml of Beef Stock

1 teaspoon of Worcester Sauce

1 teaspoon of mustard

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

Method



Place your veg is a pan and fill with cold water adding your diced carrots and butternut squash to this.

Bring to the boil and boil for about 5-7 minutes.

meanwhile , heat some oil in a frying pan next add the onion when the onion is softened .

Add the softened veg to the pan along with the corn beef and cook for 5 minutes.

Next combine the tomato puree and mustard together along with the Beef stock


Pout this over the mixture and continue to cook for another 10 minutes , stir round so everyone gets a share of the crispy bits !

When you have finished cooking the hash , you can either choose to serve with an optional fried egg or eat straight away .

 

The other side of approaching university student life is the financial side and this week I've been looking into this with the teen as we sort out some other matters at the building society . The building society my teen is at is the Nationwide , he's been there since he was a baby and even though he's now 18 he still needs financial guidance .

He can't take out a student account till 2 months before he starts his university degree and this  must be accompanied with his UCAS number , and your student account must be your own student account.

There are so many student accounts out there offering many incentives for you to sign up with them like a young persons railcard for instance but this is something we'd buy the teen anyway. More importantly there's the overdraft which isn't there as a you must use it's there as a what if , perhaps the wages from your student job are a day late or your living allowance is late.

Hopefully one for his his subjects he is going to get an A* which in many universities means some sort of financial reward.

The teen is getting to get a part time job but doesn't want to work in the restaurant industry again which is totally his choice , we did miss out one Christmas when he worked that day. But there are job advice shops at universities so he should have no trouble in finding a job that suits him and his Archaeology course. I have my fingers crossed that he is going to get a job at Betty's tea rooms if he gets his first choice of York . He has a conditional offer for both York and Nottingham university and he has worked his socks off for this.

Family Finances


Sadly at the minute Rollie aka Ninjakillercat  is rather poorly and we haven't got pet insurance so far we have spent £234 on his treatment , he is on a drip and will be receiving antibiotics /steroids for what ever is ailing him. The vets bills will continue to escalate but Rollie is family and in the mean time I have gone and insured Jack other cat which was around 36 pounds for the year and I did this through Topcashback . This contains an affiliate link to Topcashback if you haven't already signed up with them and wish to do so)


If you are in a situation perhaps a urgent car repair or boiler repair perhaps and you are perhaps going to be paid from work in the few days ,therefore being able to pay the money back then quick loans could be an option for you. You'll need to be aware that these types of loans attract a high interest  , they are designed really as a quick fix for your financial situation. You will need to pay the money back promptly so as not to see the interest keep being added.


This is a collaboration post.

Rollie Isn't Quite his Ninjakillercat self

Not quite sure what's up with Rollie aka Ninjakillercat as currently in the vets on a drip , we all know he is a bit of a diva at the time and a bit of a calculating soul that's exactly why we call him Rollie ~ Ninjakillercat . Only the very best have such a surname as Rollie does .

 

 

 

 

The vet is really unsure what's up with him , he suspects some sort of poisoning but not sure what so it's a stab in the dark as to what it is . So for know it's a drip and a blood test  , we've not got petinsurance but you do what you need to as pets are family ( bet you're all singing now ) !

I'm not good at all in dealing with the myriad of emotions I go from sniffling to practical but I think the very very worst feeling is the helplessness in the not knowing , the unknown and for a person that likes to be in control it's making me topsy turvey. 

This blog wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the sarcastic calculating ball of doom that Rollie is , the carpet eater , the cardboard boxer destroyer . It's as if I'm writing an introduction for a boxer as they go for the fight of their life and in hindsight that's what I'm doing .

His brain is ticking over the vet says and his eyes were following the cotton wall the vet was dropping about him , it's just his limbs are not coordinating think Bambi on ice is the best I can describe it as . Rollie did try climb the vets legs to which the vet said " oooh sharo claws "

Personally Rollie was just trying to take down his pray.

 

 

 

I've never known such a stylistic poser of a cat in all the years of owning a cat ~ Rollie show off !

 

Then there are the James Bond villain cat stares ...

 

 

I'm off to suggest to the vets they play Rocky music at him , I mean where else would I find a cat that winks ?

I'm not just quite myself with and without  Rollie saggy old cat puss ( well more hardcore like a Kray of the cat world )

 

Dealing with Colds

Kids & colds: What tricks do you use to make your children feel better when they are unwell? 

#VicksTricks 

When children are feeling poorly, every parent needs a few tricks up their sleeve to entertain, distract and make them feel better, especially during the back-to-school season when they need to be back up and on their feet again quickly! 

I remember when I was younger listening to cassette story tapes when I was in bed , I was the sort of child that seemed to get flu often. I also was given lots of fluids to take on board and told to stay away from my sleep spectrum 48 k , one thing that made me feel better as a child was my love for my cat Boots.

It's important to keep them drinking so they don't get dehydrated , so popping their drink in a fun bottle will help with this. It's important to rest and make sure they put their feet up and take off any extra clothing , taking the extra clothing off will help endure they don't overheat .

We always have classic product in practically every parent’s bag of tricks: Vicks VapoRub*, the ointment that helps relieve congestion, sore throat and coughs due to colds.Even now we use this with our son who is a teenager as he studying for his A levels and can't afford to let a cold take him down. He drinks tea to help him feel better and in conjunction with the Vicks it seems to do the trick.

 

And you're never to old to have fun with puppets to help you feel better !!

 

Also laughter is good for the soul in helping him feel better and we've made him laugh with the cat before .

 

You might find that giving your child a lukewarm  shower or bath makes them feel better when they have a fever or themselves if they're a teenager . Do not try to take a shower if you are dizzy or unsteady on your feet. Increase the water temperature if you start to shiver. Shivering is a sign that your body is trying to raise its temperature. Do not use cold water to cool the body .

Vicks believe that traditional love, fun & laughter are key to comfort your children when they aren’t feeling themselves. That’s why Vicks have developed a series of sharable #VicksTricks magic videos that are simple, easy and great fun to replicate! Here are the key findings of Vicks consumer research:

• Over half (52%) of parents said that rest was the most important thing for making children feel better

• This was followed by ‘medicine’, which 40% of parents rely on

• More than a third of parents (36%) believe in the power of TLC

And when it comes to keeping children entertained: 

• Three out of four (75%) British parents put on the TV or a DVD

• Over a quarter (27%) read to their children

• 1 in 10 parents get really creative; either telling jokes (8%) or even do magic tricks (2%)

Family Psychologist Corinne Sweet highlights that “one of the most powerful antidotes to sickness developing further, is parental care and concern.” 

Corinne advises that “listening to a story or watching a film is a good idea, as it is soothing and promotes laughter (an immune booster). But don’t let them play video games, watch scary films or spend hours on screens. This will keep their minds over-stimulated, when their immune systems need gentler stimulation and rest.”

And when Mr T broke out with the sniffles I instantly gave him Vicks first defence to use to help stop his cold becoming full blown as the last thing I needed was 2 patients.

 

  

First Defence isn't suitable for children under 12.

“This post is an entry 

for the #VicksTricks campaign.”

One Of My Greatest Loves Is Reading

It has seemed odd not reading for so very long , I did indeed had a stab at reading for the want of a better phrase at reading "The Girl on the Train " and it was quite a good read I found it easy . You see when I do read and I can read like a demon vivacious you'd say . My mind is taken over and I am away and the book if it grips me and it should as I will only go for a book that grabs me and then I am galloping way like a Arabian horse.

I do love a bookshop it's a if the souls reach from the pages longing you to read them so that they can released .

 

Isn't 84 Charing Cross road beautifully human ?

 

And although my depression and anxiety has robbed me of many years of reading I can put this as a marker although I'm not reading yet as I did which was speed reading , it's a start .already I have read 30 pages of this , yes my mind did go " I demand you stop and worry about something completely irrelevant !" I kept on reading and it's a marvellous achievement . 

What's not to love about paper books , they're like a welcoming friend that grips you by what they say though died depending on the book it could all get a bit hairraising !

 

Books love them.

Reading quenches curiosities but also promotes curiosities , reading I think really us the never ending gifted , you're never too old to start reading , the younger the better they say to help you as a person as you make your way in this somewhat complicated world at times.

Spicing Things Up In The Bedroom

For Mr T and I things have got pretty boring in the bedroom of late and quite frankly I'm looking for a bit of change and excitement in my life , spicing things up doesn't necessarily mean several shades of a grey . Yes spicing up things in the bedroom can actually mean making your bedroom space more exciting and appealing , after all it's a place where we need to feel relaxed . When we wake up in our bedrooms we want to feel refreshed and ready for  the day ahead , my bedroom is lacking I have to admit we've not decorated since we moved in 8?years ago! 

I know it's Valentines Day it's all meant to be cards, wines and chocolates but Mr T and myself are practical souls even though we've married nearly 20 years. 

 

For that amount of years it's definitely understandering and compromise , for instance Mr T doesn't know he wants to purchase something until it's purchased half of the time . Mr T has always wanted a dog but I'm allergic to dogs and even the quiets ones bark at me , pssst I'm allergic to cats to but less so as I grew up with them .

 

See I did get him a card and it wasn't even in the sale , though I 'll back sure I pick one up for next year , not white this doesn't sound terribly romantic , I feel that saving money allows us to have many a fantastic holiday .

 

 

 

Mr T wants a piece of art to hang over the bed , is it a picture of me I hear you ask ? no we've not decided on what it is yet I've vetteod all Mr T's suggestions , I want something that's unique and not available from every flatpack Scandinavian store so as yet the wall is blank. We will get something eventually I'll probably end up getting it and Mr T will agree , it is a combination of ideas that makes for a successful relationship.

I must admit I do things on a whim it's not unheard for me to come back with hoards of vintage items and Mr T has given up keeping up with my eclectic tastes . Last year I did pick our bed up in one of those Black Friday so then Mr T had to take down and get rid of our old bed , marriage I think is the ultimate game show at times but one where you've already won the prize.

At some point I'll change the mattress as you normally do every 8-10 years and I will certainly look at Bed Guru where they do all sorts of mattresses including ones that cater for different sleeping needs if you and you're partner are of different builds.

This is a collaboration post.