Morgan - thank you. I know some stuff is handed down to siblings etc from looking at the hard wear some of the stuff being worn in the playground has had, but the newsletter was very clear - uniform had to be bought from either the official supplier or supermarket school wear aisle (so I cheated on that by using the internet) and be new.
I am fairly confident that there is no strict policing of this, and I was thinking of some of the smaller boys in little bear's class, or a local charity shop that would be able to sell locally, or just trying to see if anything is going on in the office. I am hoping that the letter was badly worded or that I misunderstood (always a possibility) and that there will be a chance for a 'nearly new' swap of uniform at the end of the year.
And I suppose a head teacher will look at £7 for two pairs of trousers (value range) in M&S and think about how much spending she has and not think that it is a lot of money. In an absolute sense it is not a lot of money. However it is a lot to someone on benefits, someone on a reduced income, or someone not entitled to benefits due to higher rates of pay but being absolutely hammered by rising prices, large mortgages and the rising cost of the utilities. Being able to pick up a pair of trousers without much wear for half the price could make a big difference, like the cost of a loaf of bread. I wouldn't think of handing on items that were worn or stained, but while little bear's trousers have definitely lost their crease, they are still in reasonable condition, no holes or threads or stains. A lot of his sweaters, while not unworn, are in good condition. And I have polo shirts and long sleeved shirts that have hardly been worn.
And thank you for the hug about the organisation. All the clothes are either 5/6, 6 or for the vests, 6/7. Little bear will be six in December. The clothes should do until Christmas, I hope, and perhaps longer. I feel remarkably proud of myself.
(then I look round nervously to see if hubris is about to hit me)
Monday, 18 June 2012
It's a start
I have already bought little bear eight shirts for school next year (and actually, the end of this last bit of term as well, as he has trashed the old ones and is therefore now sort of sitting in the new shirts). I got them at M&S, 20% off (lasts until 10 July) and so I got eight shirts for £22.40.
Today I went online via quidco and ordered the uniform and ordered 10 vests, six pairs of trousers and five sweaters, which should see little bear at least until Christmas. So I started off with 3% cashback. Then I spent more than £25 so I had free delivery. Then I bought uniform so it was 20% off. And finally I paid for all but £4 of the total via a gift card which I had loaded as a member of my family club which got me £50 for £47.50. The total I spent on uniform was £54, so I think it works out at @ £20 I saved.
I am quite pleased with that, and happy to be on here gloating about it. Of course, I still haven't got on with all sorts of other stuff that I should have done, but that has really cheered me up. Of course, as I was buying for a six year old it wasn't too bad. When he is in a teenager, I think it will be a bit harder to shave off those pennies.
As for the uniform that we bought so hopefully last September? A lot of it still fits, he is still wearing the same trousers but they don't look quite as crisp. The polo shirts were rejected out of hand, as were the long sleeved shirts. The short sleeved shirts I bought in February look like the cuffs took part in extreme gardening and the collars are looking very shabby, but all the buttons have stayed on, which is something. There are a few that ended up stained with pen etc, that have not been salvageable. The sweatshirts are more or less, by and large, on the whole, still fitting him, and are looking relatively okay, but I wouldn't use them for 'smart'. So this year it could have been worse.
There are no uniform swaps at the school, and the headteacher is very keen that all uniform should be bought new. As they don't insist on logos and allow supermarket buys, I think it is actually okay, and some of the uniform that kids wear in to school look like nothing on earth anyway. I don't know anyone with younger ones to pass on little bear's old uniform (that is still in any way fit). I am sure I shall think of something. If all else fails, I shall ask in the office to see if they know a good place to donate them.
Today I went online via quidco and ordered the uniform and ordered 10 vests, six pairs of trousers and five sweaters, which should see little bear at least until Christmas. So I started off with 3% cashback. Then I spent more than £25 so I had free delivery. Then I bought uniform so it was 20% off. And finally I paid for all but £4 of the total via a gift card which I had loaded as a member of my family club which got me £50 for £47.50. The total I spent on uniform was £54, so I think it works out at @ £20 I saved.
I am quite pleased with that, and happy to be on here gloating about it. Of course, I still haven't got on with all sorts of other stuff that I should have done, but that has really cheered me up. Of course, as I was buying for a six year old it wasn't too bad. When he is in a teenager, I think it will be a bit harder to shave off those pennies.
As for the uniform that we bought so hopefully last September? A lot of it still fits, he is still wearing the same trousers but they don't look quite as crisp. The polo shirts were rejected out of hand, as were the long sleeved shirts. The short sleeved shirts I bought in February look like the cuffs took part in extreme gardening and the collars are looking very shabby, but all the buttons have stayed on, which is something. There are a few that ended up stained with pen etc, that have not been salvageable. The sweatshirts are more or less, by and large, on the whole, still fitting him, and are looking relatively okay, but I wouldn't use them for 'smart'. So this year it could have been worse.
There are no uniform swaps at the school, and the headteacher is very keen that all uniform should be bought new. As they don't insist on logos and allow supermarket buys, I think it is actually okay, and some of the uniform that kids wear in to school look like nothing on earth anyway. I don't know anyone with younger ones to pass on little bear's old uniform (that is still in any way fit). I am sure I shall think of something. If all else fails, I shall ask in the office to see if they know a good place to donate them.
Friday, 15 June 2012
Official Denial
There is a news story here about a rescue dog going absent without leave after being chased by a cat.
I would like to say, as her official spokesperson, that evil cat has an alibi for the time the incident took place. And honestly hasn't still got the ticket stubs to a local station. And besides, she can't be having with it at her time of life.
I would like to say, as her official spokesperson, that evil cat has an alibi for the time the incident took place. And honestly hasn't still got the ticket stubs to a local station. And besides, she can't be having with it at her time of life.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
The theory of getting rid
Witch Hazel - I absolutely agree with you. Sometimes you must just let go. Today OH ran me to the place where I can recycle the irons and so they were recycled. However, I think I need to just get rid. The pile of stuff that is, 'just in case' or 'ready to go to the charity shop' or 'for recycling' or 'I might as well put it on ebay' can be real blockers.
Holiday last week, OH at home this week, but next week must make clearing things a higher priority. I need to get the house working, as I need to get a job of some sort as I really need the money. And I really don't want to end up covered with STUFF like the poor people in the programmes about hoarders.
Feeling absolutely exhausted as I couldn't sleep last night, and a bit queasy. OH and little bear were chefs du jour, and the fish tonight that I had was a little undercooked. Though v v pleasant. They needed some wine for the sauce, so OH opened one of those tiny bottles of white you can get. There is a satisfactory amount left over for me tonight.
So tonight I am doing little, tomorrow I will probably do less. Next week, however, I am going to keep on keeping on. The house did not get like this overnight, so it won't be cleared overnight, but the sooner I start, the sooner I get there.
I'll update the clutterbust box - that is some satisfaction!
Holiday last week, OH at home this week, but next week must make clearing things a higher priority. I need to get the house working, as I need to get a job of some sort as I really need the money. And I really don't want to end up covered with STUFF like the poor people in the programmes about hoarders.
Feeling absolutely exhausted as I couldn't sleep last night, and a bit queasy. OH and little bear were chefs du jour, and the fish tonight that I had was a little undercooked. Though v v pleasant. They needed some wine for the sauce, so OH opened one of those tiny bottles of white you can get. There is a satisfactory amount left over for me tonight.
So tonight I am doing little, tomorrow I will probably do less. Next week, however, I am going to keep on keeping on. The house did not get like this overnight, so it won't be cleared overnight, but the sooner I start, the sooner I get there.
I'll update the clutterbust box - that is some satisfaction!
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
In and out
I had to get a new iron. The old one had been dropped, was dripping and leaking like a sieve and was not really getting hot. Even darling father's viscose shirts (from the days when they sold them!) were not melted by the highest temperature. In fact, when it was dropped on a plastic carrier bag it didn't do a very good job of melting that.
So I have had a brief road test of the iron - and after half an hour I still had a dry ironing board! And even though it was on a lower setting I was getting much better results. I feel so giddy over this iron. I must must must attack the ironing more, I am making dents in the backlog and getting v happy about it.
While there I also purchased a slow cooker. It is small enough to be practical but big enough to take a nice bit of brisket or shin beef. Tomorrow it is diced turkey stew, with dumplings.
The thought of having working small appliances really cheered me up, but I could also really have done without spending the money. I really felt that sinking feeling when I paid for the iron and slow cooker.
And this week I shall be paying out even more on little bear's school uniform. He will have grown (of course) by the time September comes, but I think I may be safe getting him age six clothes from M&S - they are 20% off until July and that is a saving. Little bear isn't six until December, so it should be safe - I hope! I am using a gift card that I got as part of signing up and paying for a 'goody' pack from My Family Club which gives 5% off - if I load up with £10 of value I only pay £9.50. I sort of took a bet - £9.99 for their welcome pack (and they were very patient with me when I had to phone) and I was betting that I would get more than that back. It is looking promising.
As for in and out - the housekeeping experts say that if you buy something new then the old one should go out. Actually I could do with getting rid of three almost working irons and will do so as I have identified a useful recycling point I hope to do that this week. The slow cooker that I already have is more problematical, as I have been using its rice cooker function without problem, although the slow cooker part is frazzled, so I want to keep it. However I think I will go back to cooking rice badly in a pan, because it will free up a considerable amount of worktop space. There is also a non working radio. The house is getting lighter - all I need to do is actually make the trip with the stuff.
So I have had a brief road test of the iron - and after half an hour I still had a dry ironing board! And even though it was on a lower setting I was getting much better results. I feel so giddy over this iron. I must must must attack the ironing more, I am making dents in the backlog and getting v happy about it.
While there I also purchased a slow cooker. It is small enough to be practical but big enough to take a nice bit of brisket or shin beef. Tomorrow it is diced turkey stew, with dumplings.
The thought of having working small appliances really cheered me up, but I could also really have done without spending the money. I really felt that sinking feeling when I paid for the iron and slow cooker.
And this week I shall be paying out even more on little bear's school uniform. He will have grown (of course) by the time September comes, but I think I may be safe getting him age six clothes from M&S - they are 20% off until July and that is a saving. Little bear isn't six until December, so it should be safe - I hope! I am using a gift card that I got as part of signing up and paying for a 'goody' pack from My Family Club which gives 5% off - if I load up with £10 of value I only pay £9.50. I sort of took a bet - £9.99 for their welcome pack (and they were very patient with me when I had to phone) and I was betting that I would get more than that back. It is looking promising.
As for in and out - the housekeeping experts say that if you buy something new then the old one should go out. Actually I could do with getting rid of three almost working irons and will do so as I have identified a useful recycling point I hope to do that this week. The slow cooker that I already have is more problematical, as I have been using its rice cooker function without problem, although the slow cooker part is frazzled, so I want to keep it. However I think I will go back to cooking rice badly in a pan, because it will free up a considerable amount of worktop space. There is also a non working radio. The house is getting lighter - all I need to do is actually make the trip with the stuff.
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Whitby Museum is Amazing
Whitby Museum is absolutely fantastic, and I really recommend anyone going there to peek in. It has a vast quantity of fossils - tucked up in a corner. It has model ships made out of things like bone and matchsticks - maori art, stones from the beach Captain Cook first stepped on in Australia, amazing, wonderful jet jewellery, eighteenth century china, some amazing samplers and a serious collection of stuffed birds.
The labelling is a bit hit and miss, it is a private museum run by volunteers and there is a Victorian tang to the displays, some of which probably haven't been changed much in the last 100 years. There is a complete, non-cast, genuine, vast fossil of an ichthyosaur. And it is just in a corner with displays of fossil ferns and the imprints of Jurassic clams!
It is about one tenth the size of Leeds City Museum and has at least ten times the exhibits. It even has a hand of glory. For those that don't know, a hand of glory is a dead man's hand, taken from a body on the gallows and used to carry a candle made from the dead man (or possibly a general dead person, not sure). This candle would put all the inhabitants into a deep sleep, and they would be unable to wake and so was invaluable for burglars.
When I next get a chance to write that is so going into a story.
There should be more museums like that.
The labelling is a bit hit and miss, it is a private museum run by volunteers and there is a Victorian tang to the displays, some of which probably haven't been changed much in the last 100 years. There is a complete, non-cast, genuine, vast fossil of an ichthyosaur. And it is just in a corner with displays of fossil ferns and the imprints of Jurassic clams!
It is about one tenth the size of Leeds City Museum and has at least ten times the exhibits. It even has a hand of glory. For those that don't know, a hand of glory is a dead man's hand, taken from a body on the gallows and used to carry a candle made from the dead man (or possibly a general dead person, not sure). This candle would put all the inhabitants into a deep sleep, and they would be unable to wake and so was invaluable for burglars.
When I next get a chance to write that is so going into a story.
There should be more museums like that.
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