I made it back to Brighton.  Even thought there were 'severe weather' disruptions and absolute chaos at London Bridge station.  I got myself another £150 tonight for going to talk about printer apps.  Slightly odd to be honest.  Not sure that they are barking up the right tree but hey ho.  I am just glad to be paid and to be back home.  There still isn't hardly any snow here by the sea.  So I am not entirely sure why there is so much chaos on the rails. 

Team Next Level / Step It Up  is going OK.  I have garnered Thursday as my day of work.  Tomorrow is playgroup and Bub's French class. I have ordered some overalls online and I hope to be borrowing some tomorrow (in case the online purchase take 2 weeks to get here (adverse weather conditions dontcha know)  And I have changed the bank account.  Which should actually save us about £20 a month.  Bit of a shocker that really.  We were paying £17 a month and it seemed to have obvious benefits at first (eg RAC cover and holiday insurance etc etc) but presently we only need phone insurance.  And the £17 went up to £25 because we ended up having a 'premier life' account (which was offered to us for the same price as something else) but they have since changed the eligibility for.  I don't know why we even had it.  But there you go.  And me sposedly being a frugal and all.

Sadly the no sugar and 5 mins yoga / meditation mallarky is just a total FAIL.  I think I may rebrand that as having done at least 5 mins in the whole week.  Bums. 

And its the end of no spend November.  It didn't turn out like that either.  I was definately under until the last week when I went crazy for thermal base layer clothing for the family and other cold snap stuff like snow boots for Bub.  I also bought overalls, and a new toilet seat as our (actually pretty new) one's hinges just rusted to shreds in our  damp house.  I am sure I bought other stuff too, but all I know is that I didn't spend more than I had earnt on ebay in the month and it all seemed worthwhile and bargainous.   I think I stuck to about £260 all month.  Food was definately down (though there was untracked spending while I was away last week) and we are definately under £50 a week for the whole month.  And I earnt a massive £1356.  Which is the most I have earnt in a month since forever.  Its so sadly not really really masses.  But still.  Not bad considering the general enjoyable and part timeness of it all.  Bring on December and lets see how much bacon I can bring home!

moving it on....forward planning

I have been thinking about what the next steps are.  I have been thinking about my dreams and plans being as how I have been doing Amelia's Journal Your Dreams ecourse.  I am half way through producing some art work journal pages for it.  And its nice to be honing the Dream thing again further on from Mondo Beyondo.  I know I am not the only one who believes that by actively visualising and documenting dreams that you get closer to achieving them.  Hub and I had a 'Next Level' meeting.  Hub likes to name all our plans (e.g. Project Downstairs, ParticiPants, Team Go et al!!) It was majorly good to sit down and to discuss objectives with him.  We have a list of things to do by next Sunday.  Mine are:
1. I have done at least one drawing of H and O (a commission)
2. I have business cards done for my portraiture work (and facepainting)
3. I have bought some painters overalls and painted the wall in the sitting room
4. I have started on the xmas present list (and we have decided on the exact contents of the xmas hampers we are creating)

Me personally.  Because I love a list and there is a LOT of the week to go.
1. I have changed the bank account to lower the monthly fees appropriately
2. I have got the paperwork in order to swap the ISA to a better rate of interest.
3. I have done 5 mins of Yoga each day
4. I have done more work on my Journal my Dreams pages
5. kept a track of spending on food and personally
6. making space for MAGIC to HAPPEN by not eating sugar and spending 5 minutes a day on my own to 'meditate'.  And getting rid of some clutter.  At least one bit. 

This whole process has started me thinking of long term dreams again.  Like I have been thinking a lot about what gifts I want to give my son.  Not as in Christmas presents.  But things like, The Ability to Cook well.  Speaking a foreign language.  That sort of thing.  There are so many things you have to teach your children  -just so that they can survive well in the world.  How do you teach creative thinking, for example. How? exactly? I would love to give him that gift.  And to be able to budget and manage his own accounts.  And confidence.  I want him to have confidence, internal self confidence.... And to see MAGIC in the world.  To see its beauty. 

And then for my own dreams
A Studio. 
Go to ARt SChool
teach art (outside of the box)

Duck Pond Party Pictures

Here are some pictures of the really sweet and lovely party we went to yesterday.  Very Steiner influenced it was.  The children made hedgehogs out of pine cones and then made pizzas which they ate for their lunch.  While the pizzas cooked we all went out to feed the ducks.  Although the pond was frozen and the ducks weren't that interested.  We threw corn at the ice and broke off bits of ice to skate across the pond.  The sound of that was one of those really amazing sounds you don't hear often. 

saturday nite

I worked really hard for 3 days..... I went to London really early, worked a 10 hour day,  came back to Brighton, got up and went to London and worked a 10 hour day and then went to stay with my brother in London Fields, then got up went to work a 4 hour day and came back home.  To a call from mummy friend M to say where was I, because Bub was having a meltdown /  won't stop crying / is seriously upset.  I ran round to find him sobbing and sobbing.  He had gotten cold and was evidently tired and just beside his poor little self.  I was so glad I was back early and the gallery hadn't wanted me in on Friday afternoon.  We realised that we didn't really have enough winter clothing for him and that he is one of those people that really feels the cold badly.  I have spent rather a lot of money since yesterday on thermal long johns, thermal socks, thermal vests and a thermal hat.  I am about to buy some snow boot type boots too.  Or maybe some Uggs.  Either way all a stonkingly worthwhile way of spending the PayPal money I earnt selling clutter on ebay. 

I enjoyed the work I did in London, but I have to say I ate absolute crap for 3 days.  They provide croissants and sweets and coffees and while I did have a bit of fruit, I just wolfed loads of high fat, high sugar, high caffeine and  at the end of these long days, alcohol was available and I drank that too. I have a spot!  Not something that has troubled me for a long time!

Its nice to be back.  We all went to an utterly charming birthday party at Falmer Village this morning.  The children made their own pizzas for lunch and also hedgehogs out of pine cones.  It was lovely.  Tomorrow we have another birthday party which, handily, is just around the corner,

Bub fell asleep this afternoon when we went into town to buy thermal stuff - hence he is still awake.... and downstairs - again....

working working working

Am off tomorrow for 2 days of SOLID work.  These are going to be long ole days.  With commuting.  I a grateful for Hub and my friend S and mummy friend M who will be looking after Bub while I am gone.  I am very happy for all of them know him so very well.  I am relaxed that he will be well cared for.  I am grateful to the Universe for providing me with this opportunity to make some money for our household.  And that it can be in such a fun way too.  The weekend bodes two third birthday parties for 2 of Bub's good friends too.  Whew! Busy Busy. 

monday

I have got the Mrlster today.  All day minding.  Its OK. It is raining though which makes it all a tad awkward.  Two toddlers and a rainy day.   We will be making scones soon.  I have discovered that they are delightfully easy to make.  We may even make Easy Peasy Pizza too.  Which is like a scone based pizza and - um, its easy peasy.  


Nothing has really moved forward or backward or anywhere today.  Its just Monday and its raining and I have 2 toddlers to entertain.  They are currently watching Balamory on catch up as it happens so I can have a wee catch up of stuff like this.

WE have still been doing 'No Spend November' but as with any of our missions, it tends to drift off tack a little as it goes on.  But never the less its not been too bad.  We did buy Bub a pair of Padraig slippers. Which were a stonking £25.  It seems an awful lot doesn't it.  Considering how little we have been spending on anything.  But he had a pair last year and they are a bit stretchy so will last the whole winter and he loves them.  They stay on his feet and he is very happy to actually wear them about the house.  Unlike socks which just get taken off.  It is an indulgence I am happy with. 

Apart from that I did also spend £10 on my Saturday night out, and £1.70 on my Friday night out.  And I did go to a cafe and spank £3.50 on Thursday for no reason at all.  Hence you see how it has slipped.    But seriously even with  the slippers.... we are both definately keeping under the £50 a week mark by a long shot.  Plus I have been earning some quite good money.  Plus plus the food and household shopping is way down.  I have a budget of £100 a week (not that this counts really any more as we have no regular income) and we are definately down at the £50 a week mark.  Below it even.  Though we are starting to run out of store cupboard stuff (tinned tomatoes, oregano, Worcester sauce,  rice, pasta....)  and I can feel the need for a 'BIG SHOP' soon. 

an exciting few days

Its been all go in my life.  And not on purpose.  On Friday my friend B  - a brilliant musician - called me to say she would be playing with her new band, Zora and the Tatsmiths, in a pub just down the road and would I like to come out and see her play.  I finished my sewing and dashed off down the road.   They were really good and B was amazing.  I haven't seen her play before and it was wickedly excellent.   Then on Saturday I went for a training day at the Blue Dog Gallery in preparation for my first day on my own (today).  In the evening a friend was having birthday drinks  - and even though she lives miles away - the drinks were also - just around the corner to me.  I got there, and it wasn't just drinks.  It was a whole night, "SOmething Else presents CAfe Bohemia" and so I saw more brilliant live music, performances of poetry and drama as well as having a couple of bevvys and wishing my friend a happy birthday.  I also had a pretty good dance.  Always good.  I love it.  Socialising with friends, live music and a job (that fits around me and looking after Bub). xxx love M