Boredom vs Budget: Week 2

Another week gone by and my Weekly holiday update has stalled once again. This time, though, I have a good reason, as B and I have been off on our little holiday this past week with friends to York. More of that next post!

So ever-so-slightly delayed, here's Week 2:

This week was going to be a quiet one, as I hadn't any specific plans in place to entertain the boy. And it was raining again. Limited options.

Monday, and given the continuing rain, it was a quiet, and luckily cheap-ish day. Pottering about the house, out for lunch and a wander at the local garden centre. And a 'game' of tennis in the garden in the afternoon in a break in the rainclouds. 

Money spent: spot of lunch out, no more. 

Energy used: Not too bad, at least we got out for a bit of fresh air in the afternoon.

Tuesday - Another rainy day and I needed to go shopping to get a pair of wellies for both me and B. B is not the keenest shopper, so I had to bribe him with a promise of a visit to the newly opened Smyths toystore next door to the wellies. Wow, he was literally giddy with excitement as we went in! His little face was darting from one shelf to the next, he couldn't take it all in quick enough! With his birthday in a month's time, this was a reccy for his birthday list. By the time we left, the list was pretty lengthy to say the least! And despite all the temptation, I somehow only had to pay out a couple of quid for a Spiderman comic. Bonus!

Money spent: a fair bit, including B's holiday haircut in the afternoon, but mostly necessary.

Boredom Level reached: dangerously close to whining but the toystore brought it back from the brink.

Thor's Hammer.

Wednesday. Another flooding 'Armadeddon' forecast, so it was going to be an indoors day. But not in the house, a trip to the flicks to see Ice Age 4. As we drove there, the rain was falling hard, and I wondered if the underground carpark at the cinema would be flooded by the time we came out... as it was, there was no flood. In fact, there wasn't even any rain! Not that I'm complaining, but we'd all been worked up into a flood frenzy, it was almost disappointing! In the afternoon, I'd promised B we'd make a Thor's hammer. Yes, you heard. He hasn't seen the film (Avengers Assemble) but he is obsessed with all things superhero just now. And I needed a bit of creativity! So, a Thor's hammer we did make! 

Money spent: cinema, never cheap. But free creativity in the afternoon!

Energy spent: enough.

On Thursday the rain was having a well-deserved respite for a few hours so we hopped on the bus down to the Meadows for a runaround and a play in the playpark. It was so good to be outside for a while. The sun didn't actually come out, but with such previously terrible weather, your expectations diminish a little. After lunch, we headed into town to meet B's dad as he was taking him for an extra night.

Money spent: very little, hurrah!

Energy used up: finally a whole load for both of us. Felt much better!

Friday - a day to myself... so went to work. *snore*

Week 2 Roundup:

Money spent: again, wasn't too bad, but  but bracing myself for holiday next week

Energy used up: a fair bit

Boredom Level: higher than last week, but still no "I'm bored"'s. I'm on a roll.

Top Tip: a cardboard box, sellotape and some kitchen foil!

Next Week: Our Trip to York

#R2BC Week 10 - creativity, cake and confidence

I'm actually feeling a little more cheerful this week than i have for a while now, here's a few reasons why:

• I got confirmation today of a getting a few extra hours at work. It's not going to solve all my money worries, but will certainly help a bit. And I can 'backdate' it til the start of March so i'll get a full month's worth of increased pay at the end of the month, wooppee!

• Went round to a new mummy friend's house the other day, for a playdate for B - but really more a cuppa/cake-date for us mummies, the first time we've managed to get a date when we're both free after school. 

• Felt very chuffed with my jewellery creations from last weekend's course in silver jewellery-making. Now just need to find the time and money to do some more of it!

• The author who takes the creative writing course I'm currently doing said this week she really liked my writing, which has given me a real confidence boost to keep going.

• B told me I was a 'special Mummy' this morning (don't think he was after anything...) - can't beat that for a start to the day!

Hop on over to see other Reasons to be Cheerful!

Time to get creative

For a long time now, years really, I've been feeling like my creativity, such that it is, has not been given a chance to show itself. In my previous job there were limited opportunities, similar at home, but I've always felt a desire to get my teeth stuck into something properly artistic. I'm not saying I'd be any good, but I need to give it a go.

I've also been having to think outside the proverbial box when it comes to earning some more money recently. The type of 'regular' part-time work I've been looking for is either non-existent or if I do find something, the part-time hours are fixed more or less and rule me out due to childcare commitments with B. Not having another parent in the house to take up the childcare slack, as I've blogged before, is a major stumbling block in the search for work.

So while I have a little bit of redundancy money left over to top up the meagre income I am earning, I have been starting to wonder if I could perhaps try to combine the yearning for a bit of artistic creativity with earning a bit more money. I realise this idea is a medium/long-term one, it's not going to make me money overnight, but if I could make some money from doing something I enjoy and actually may be good at, we all dream of turning a hobby into a job, don't we?

So I've been thinking of crafty ideas or projects I could try, get a feel of, dip my toe in the water, as it were. And I found a two-day course in silver jewellery making on in town last weekend, and signed up for the last place.

I had no expectations really, how I was going to get on, if I was going to like it, or be any good at it. But I really enjoyed it. There was a lot to take in, all the different tools, types of silver, soldering, pickling, mandrels (sic) etc etc. And it surprisingly required as much logical thinking as it did artistic ability, to make sure the soldering didn't burn the silver, to strengthen the silver once soldered, etc.

But with a little bit of help from our fantastic teacher, we all managed to make a bracelet and a funky ring at the end of the course. Not perfect, but given it was the first time I'd tried anything like this, I am well-chuffed with the results.

It has definitely given me a hunger to try some more of the same or something similar. It has confirmed what I knew that it is a commitment, an investment of both time and money, and so I need to be sure I can commit and will be good enough to maybe make a little bit of money out of it in the future.

But I've definitely unleashed the creative bug and so will need to quench its thirst again soon!