Weddings Under £10K – Spend or Save?

You may think that a wedding costing £10K is an expensive one, but the truth is it is pretty cheap these days. Indeed, you certainly can have a great celebration for 10K and under but you will need to decide where to spend and where to save to meet your budget. Luckily, you can get some guidance on this very subject in the post below. 

Wedding dress 

 

Some folks are happy with getting a cut-price dress from a sale, or even a preloved gown. After all, it has only been worn once! However as a rule I wouldn’t recommend scrimping on your wedding dress as it’s a very important party of the day for the bride. 

Not only will you want to look your best for the day and the photos that you will review and probably display in your home for the rest of your life, but your wedding dress is symbolic of the change and commitment you are about to make. With that in mind, finding a dress that makes your heart soar is almost like a good omen for the marriage and life to come, and that is why, in my opinion, this is definitely a spending item and not a saved one. That said, if you find a dress that you love I think it would be madness not to shop around. 

 

Rings 

 

Rings, including engagement and wedding rings, are also very symbolic. The circular nature of the ring and the inclusion of diamonds represent the eternity that you promise to be with your partner. Although many people do worry about the cost of such items. 

 

Of course, the answer here is to do your research before you buy and check out posts like this 3 Carat Diamond Ring Price Revealed article for the in-depth information you need. Then you will be able to see whether it’s worth spending on diamond rings, or whether it’s better to save and go for something more simple that will keep you on budget. 

 

Cake 

 

Opinions really vary on whether you should spend a fortune on your wedding cake, or whether it’s a great place to save. Personally, I think it’s up to you, but the cake and the cutting of the cake tend to be one of the central points of the day, which means you’ll want to make sure it looks its best. It’s also something that you won’t want to have to worry about making yourself or going wrong so investing in a professional baker, and some professionally made toppers makes sense to me. 

Venue 

Believe it or not, you can actually save on your wedding venue if you are willing to go for a less-than-traditional option. For many people that means the back garden of their parents or a relative that is big enough to put up a marquee. MrG and I got married in a victorian water tower!

A favourite restaurant or even a private room in a pub can also be a great option for a venue that won’t break the bank. Just make sure you can get in to decorate them beforehand, and that you assign some of your wedding party to clear up duty when the celebration is over.

How to Get Your Toddler to Eat

As your baby reaches their toddler years, you’ll find there are great changes in your child’s eating habits. They’ll start to become fussier about food – both the kind of food they’re eating, how much of it they’re eating, and when they’re eating it.

 

It’s a stressful thing for all parents to go through, and you should know you aren’t alone when no amount of bargaining and pleading will work. Many parents, just like you, find it hard to feed their toddlers. Toddlers are known for being selective when it comes to food. Still, it’s essential to get some food in their system: here are some tips on how you can encourage better food and dining habits in your little ones.

 

Use a Toddler Dining Seat

You can make meals enjoyable with toddler dining chairs. It’s an excellent way for your child to eat meals with family, and your little one can feel like a grown-up with their high toddler chair. A seat that’s made for toddlers during mealtime can also save you the trouble of chasing them around the house with a spoon.

 

If this has been your practice at home, stop it immediately and educate them on why they should eat their meals on the table. It would make things easier for you, and the toddler can experience quality family time.

 

Overall, a dining chair can help engage your little one in family time and the food they eat and increase their willingness to try new foods.

 

Be Patient With Them

Remember that your child is a toddler: they would probably much rather be playing games. Remind yourself that your child is just being a toddler and satisfying their need to play and observe their surroundings.

 

It doesn’t mean that you should give up on encouraging a more consistent food routine. Keeping this thought in mind allows you to become more patient with your toddler despite their tantrums and reluctance to eat. Being a parent requires a lot of patience. Sometimes you could try to feed your child 10 to 15 times before they decide to eat especially when you’re letting them try new food.

 

Serve the Right Amount

Avoid giving too much or too little food to your toddler. Serve different kinds of food and textures to keep them interested in their food. Your child would still feel like they’re still discovering new things while sitting for minutes.

 

Consult with your healthcare provider how much is the right amount. However, a good rule of thumb is one tablespoon of each food for each year of age. So, if they’re two years old, you would serve two tablespoons of each food you made. When their plate has small portions, they can ask for more and try to finish their food.

make meals enjoyable with toddler dining chairs

Try To Make Things Fun

As you may have observed, your child is more interested in playing games or watching television than sitting down and eating. If so, ask yourself if you’ve made an effort to make eating fun for your little ones.

 

Doing so is relatively easy. You can try cutting food into shapes using cookie cutters and display the food in a fun and creative way. Stimulate your child’s imagination by painting a picture on their plate. This way, they can come up with special names for their favourite foods and engage them to eat more.

 

Avoid forcing them to eat and punishing them if they won’t eat. If you do this, there’s a possibility that they will find eating a chore and have more reasons not to eat. Remember to be patient and encourage them to eat when hungry. Don’t tell them off if they ate after lunch hours. They may find it difficult to tell you next time if they’re hungry and just go to sleep hungry.

 

Be a Good Example

As a parent, try to set a good example for your children. You’re the authority, the adult, the parent in the house. As such, they look at you as their example, which psychologists call social learning. It’s where toddlers learn from social contexts how to behave.

 

Eating various healthy foods in front of your child would pique their interest in eating the same food. It’s also essential if you’re trying to feed your toddler new food that they haven’t tried before. Show how yummy it is and encourage them to try it.

 

Final Thoughts

Remember that your toddler is naturally interested in their environment, and as a new life in this world, they have so many things to see and explore in the world around them. Thanks to this curiosity, it may be difficult for your child to sit patiently for a traditional meal. These tiny beings have much to see, especially once they’ve learned to crawl or walk.

 

Whenever you’re having a hard time, just take note of the things mentioned above. Just remember that your toddlers are also humans, which means that if the got hungry, they would naturally feel their hunger and find food. It’s like how infants cry if they’re hungry. Just be patient with your child and avoid making mealtimes an unpleasant experience for them.

Meal Plan – is it everybody’s birthday this month or does it just feel like it edition

August is the absolute worst but not for food. Not only do I have to work while M is off school for the entire month but it’s both his birthday and MrG’s birthday as well as my nephew’s. All of this equates to it being a tight month moneywise.

One of the things I do when we need to watch the pennies when it comes to food, is to eat from the freezer. I am notoriously bad at buying exactly what we need so when the freezer is pretty full we have a week or so of eating that food to save 1 or maybe 2 shopping trips. It really does help!

homemade pizza on a grey worktop

This week in food:

Monday: ‘Boba – Fett- Uccini’. It’s MrG’s birthday and Bess has a day of Star Wars inspired food including this pasta dish. Not sure exactly how it will turn out taste wise but she has salmon, pasta, bacon, prawns, asparagus and cream on the ingredients list so I reckon it will be pretty good!

Tuesday: Sausage and mash

Wednesday: Chicken wraps and nachos

Thursday: Gammon, egg and chips

Friday: Meatballs and spaghetti – Going to get M to make the meatballs.

Saturday: ‘Homemade’ pizza. Not entirely homemade – I picked up a pack of 5 giant flatbreads for £1.25 and we will just top those!

Sunday: Fish pie

Whatever you have planned for the week, I hope you enjoy it. I would love to hear what your go to meals are? Easier to prepare the better! Feel free to comment below.

Teenagers bedroom revamp – the bed

Bess has had the same bedroom since she was 6. We have of course tried to update it in small ways as she has aged but fundamentally it has been pretty much the same.

Her bed is a high sleeper style storage bed we bought from Mrs Flatpack who are based a few miles down the road in Rutland. The bed was chosen because at the time she had a lot of toys and was desperate for storage. I really liked the bed we opted for because it has a built in wardrobe and desk – both things she needed.

A couple of years ago, MrG got stuck into converting the alcove in Bess’s room into a wardrobe which provided a fantastic space for her clothes and has definitely made a world of difference to how she uses her room.

Bess has an issue with her tendons. In simple terms, her tendons haven’t quite kept up with how quickly she has grown and need to be stretched or lengthened possibly with surgery when she (finally) stops growing taller. This makes certain movements like riding a bicycle pretty much impossible and others such as getting up and down a ladder a bit trickier for her than it would be for others.

The high sleeper bed has been brilliant but it has got to the stage where getting in and out of it is borderline painful. So it’s time for it to go!

Picking a bed

So which bed. Bess is definitely not a child anymore. She isn’t an adult either though. Choosing a new bed is not going to easy. I want to give Bess the ultimate choice on what she has. It is her room after all and I would like it stay that way for as long as possible.

We need to take into account though that it won’t be long before Bess is off to university and the room may double as a space for guests while she is away from home. With that in mind, storage and practicality will be key.

Bess and I have picked out a few of our favourites that we have spotted online. I think we have managed to narrow it down to our top 3!

The Amazon find

We both loved the look of this bed. The drawer at the end of the bed would be really handy and we both liked the white wood finish. Early one we agreed that a small double or double would be the best size for the room.

I really like the shelves at the head of the bed but Bess isn’t sure about having that over her head while she sleeps. I suppose that’s fair

The teenagers choice

It has a built in tv. It’s not a hard sell is it. I have to admit that when we went into Dreams and tested this bed I was pretty impressed. Its a good size without feeling imposing and along with having a very swish built in telly, it also has an ottoman feature so is great for storage. As well as this it has ambient lighting and a little slot at the side to pop things like a games console or biscuits. On the side of the headboard there is a hook for headphones.

This bed comes in black leather or grey fabric. We both agreed immediately that the grey was far far nicer. It is pricey but you get what you pay for.

drift bed

The day bed

I really like the idea of a day bed. Lots of cushions to give the sofa look during the day and then easily transform into a comfy bed at night. I remember really wanting one as a teenager and I think Bess quite likes the idea too!

This bed is available in a few different colours but I like this combination.

I think we would buy or make a drawer to push underneath which would offer the storage she needs.

day bed

 

What To Eat When You Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

If you are preparing to or have had your wisdom tooth removed, this post is for you. I recently had to go through the pain of wisdom tooth removal and it was no picnic. Literally. Even a week on, picnics would be a nightmare.

I did not research what I needed before I saw my dentist (because of course I didn’t) so I was wholly unprepared. Make sure you stock up and get some help if you have little ones – you are going to need rest for at least a day.

What to eat after wisdom tooth removal

Salt Water

More important than anything else you will be putting into your mouth. You need to be (softly) slamming a salt water chaser after every meal or snack or even drink if it isn’t water.

Keeping your extraction site clean will hopefully help you to avoid infection or dry socket.

I did a warm water and salt rinse roughly 5 times a day for the first couple of days and then decreased over the course of a week or so.

Soup

It didn’t take long for me to get sick of soup. I wasn’t a massive fan before my tooth extraction so having it everyday for a week got very old, very quickly.

As much as I would love to tell you that I lovingly made some hearty and warming concoctions. I didn’t. I went to Aldi and bought a variety of tins. It was cheap and it was easy. Just like me. Fnar.

For the first day or 2 I didn’t even heat them. I didn’t want to risk burning my mouth and doing more damage. I was so hungry that I honestly didn’t care.

Do not buy Oxtail or Vegetable or if you do, make sure you blend it when you heat it – lot’s of little bits that could get stuck in your extraction hole!

Yoghurt

By far the easiest thing to eat. I got 2 small buckets of the 10% fat stuff from Aldi and just added to it as it time went on. No chewing whatsoever and lovely and cool in my mouth.

Pudding

Aldi (and many other shops) sell an assortment of high protein puddings and smoothies. Buy them. Especially the caramel pudding. Really easy to eat and quite filling. Not too pricey either so make sure you buy quite a few.

Puree

Hear me out. If it’s good enough for baby humans then it is good enough for you! You can just puree the hell out of whatever meal you cook for the family. My sister, who also had to endure soft foods for some time following her jaw surgery, told me the key to this is to not mix the foods before you puree. That way they retain their own taste and don’t just taste.. Grey.

Special mention to Aldi Just Apple pouches. They are lovely mixed with yoghurt or on their own – just make sure you don’t try to suck them. Ouch.

Ice cream

Well duh! If not then when?! I stuck to vanilla but just avoid the flavours with bits or chunks.

Weaning with wisdom

After a few days I felt like I was able to eat something a bit more substantial. I felt like it was important not to push my luck so I took it slow, and I’m glad I did.

My jaw refused to open so I could barely fit a teaspoon into my mouth for the first few days. As soon as the gap widened enough for me to be able to use a fork though, I took that as a good sign to try to get a bit more in terms of nutrition into my body.

Do not attempt to eat anything chewy, crunchy or hard. It really isn’t worth it. If it hurts to chew then listen to your body and wait another day.

Some of the foods I enjoyed during the first week after my wisdom tooth extraction were:

  • Scrambled eggs
  • egg mayo
  • overboiled pasta (to make it softer)
  • cottage cheese with pineapple in
  • soft/cream cheese either on its own or made into pate with salmon or tuna
  • ramen, or as we call them, super noodles
  • mashed potato – a lot of mashed potato.
  • mashed banana
  • avocado. I bought the smashed avocado from Aldi and mixed it with scrambled egg or just ate it on it’s own from the pot with a spoon.
  • cottage pie
  • macaroni cheese
  • hummus
  • peanut butter (smooth of course)

Hopefully, your extraction goes smoothly and recovery is fast and as comfortable as possible. Remember to follow your Dentist’s guidance and use ice packs!