Wednesday 30 September 2020

What I loved in September 2020!

It doesn't seem that long since I wrote what I loved in August. This year is flying over, it's less than 3 months until Christmas and I have started thinking about what to get the girls. Eek! It was so much cheaper years ago when they wanted toys, now it's all about electronics. Eek! 


Blogtober!
I am joining in with Blogtober throughout October, you can read all about it in the I am joining in with #Blogtober20 are you? blog post. I got a head start and have quite a few blog posts scheduled already. The prompts have really got me thinking and writing things I wouldn't normally write about.

Des!
Des was on ITV a few weeks ago based on the 1983 arrest of Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen after the discovery of human remains causing the blockage of a drain near his home. If you haven't seen it and like true crime watch it! I thought it was fantastic and David Tennant was so convincing as Des!



Getting cosy!
The weather has changed and it feels more like winter than summer. I do love this time of year. Oversized jumpers, shutting the curtains early, lighting candles, hot chocolate and cosy blankets! We've had the heating on a couple of times and it was lovely especially when I've been in the bath. There's nothing better than pj's heated on the radiator.

The kids behaving themselves!
Becky has had her girlfriend stay over the night and I am glad to say they behaved themselves. I said they weren't sleeping in the same bed but could sleep in the same room and they stuck to it, well as far as I know. I went to bed after them and they were asleep separately, I checked on them during the night and in the morning before they woke and they stuck to their own space. The good thing about Becky having a high bed is that they one of them can't quickly get out of it when they hear me coming. hehehe


Monopoly! 
Becky got a Stranger Things set of Monopoly for her birthday and since then her and Ellie have become obsessed with it. I used to refuse to play it with the kids because they would both cheat but with Becky's girlfriend being over and playing my girls were on their best behaviour and I have had a couple of games with them.


School and College!
The kids returned back to school and college and so far so good. They have settled in really well despite all the changes that have been made because of Coronavirus. Becky is only in college one day a week and learning at home for the rest and she is loving it but sometimes can be a bit lazy. Ellie is loving seeing her friends again. I am sure she's not social distancing as well as she could but I imagine at her age, among her friends it is easy to forget.

What did you love in September?

Tuesday 29 September 2020

We had rats under the floorboards upstairs!

Early on in the year we had issues with rats! We should have expected it, we're practically in the countryside. Our house and garden backs onto corn fields and farmland. I thought rats only came into filthy houses where food was left laying out but it turns out they come in looking for warmth too.


Just before Christmas last year my dad had a rat in his kitchen. I expect it not because his house is dirty but because he lives in such a rural, countryside area. His house is practically in the middle of field. It was once caught running from under his Christmas tree. I joked and said when you bring our presents to my house you better not bring it with you. It was just typical that when his partner brought the presents we heard scratching upstairs later that evening! (She never actually brought the rat, it was just a massive coincidence).

It was a Saturday evening and Stu and I had went to bed in the early hours of the morning and I was woken up by something scratching. I woke Stu up and he went to investigate and said I was hearing things and blamed the rain that was lashing on the windows. I put it down to that to until the next night when he went to bed early and he heard it for himself. I could hear it downstairs too! It sounded like someone walking about upstairs. You think of rats as little creatures but the only way I can describe the sound as if a big dog was scratching at a door to get out. Rat's gnawing and scratching make a lot of noise.

Over the next week we would hear it when it started getting dark, scurrying about upstairs, under the floorboards. We found it's poo in the build in cupboard in our bedroom. The little so and so had chewed a hole in the wall to get through. We put down traps. My dad had plenty to share because of his rat problem. People may disagree with us using traps but have a rat in your house for a couple of weeks and you will do anything to get it out. The traps were set under the floorboards and we covered them in peanut butter, they love that and for the first 2 days of the traps being down the sneaky so and so ate all of the peanut butter without getting caught. Then the trap started going off, the rat was getting too cocky. It must have scared it's self because it disappeared for a little while. 

A couple of weeks later it came back with more confidence then ever and during the day too. Good old Google told me that this meant that either their nest had been disturbed or they were desperate and hunting for food. I could hear it in under the floorboards on the landing. I spent the afternoon hitting the ceiling in the dining room with a sweeping brush trying to scare it away. 

We were and still are pretty confident that it was coming into our house via our loft somehow. It was only ever upstairs, under the floorboards. There was no sign of it at all downstairs where the food was which I thought was strange. It turns out roof rats are a thing. 

In Britain, there are two types of rat: the brown rat and the black rat. The black rat, also known as the roof rat, spends 90% of its life four feet or more off the ground and tends to live in walls, trees and loft spaces.

The rat wasn't nesting in our home, we checked the loft and it wasn't feeding here. I don't allow food upstairs and as far as we could tell it was never downstairs, it was just coming to visit and annoy us. People have dogs around here and feed them outside so it's an Al fresco buffet experience for a rat! There is also building work going on nearby, parts of houses being knocked down so it could have came from there. We know the rat was just trying it's luck, looking for somewhere which has both warmth and food. It didn't find it here and it thankfully moved on.

Soon after the rat disappeared we had loft insulation put in the loft and we asked the men putting it in if there was any sign of rats and they said definitely not so we are hoping it's gone for good and doesn't come back when the weather is colder. It has still puzzled us how it was getting in, where it came from and why it came here?

Aside from scratching, scurrying sounds in the ceiling and under floorboards, Rentokil pest controllers advise looking out for:

Droppings (dark in colour and the size and shape of grains of rice).
Footprints (to assess whether tracks are fresh, sprinkle the area with flour, if overnight the flour has been disturbed, it could very well be rats).
Rub marks (rats have poor eyesight, so bump up against walls and skirting boards for navigational purposes, you’ll be able to spot the grime they leave behind).
A strong smell of urine.
Nests in small, cosy cavities, check behind fridges and under floorboards for piles of soft shredded materials.

The only sign we had was the noise it made until we went looking for it and found droppings and footprints under the floorboards.

If you do have a rat problem in your home there are a number of simple steps that can be taken to minimise the risk of a full infestation.

Seal any gaps
Rats can get into your home through the smallest of gaps and holes, so seal them with wire wool, metal sheets or cement. They can also enter through damaged drains, so make sure that these are well maintained and checked regularly.

There are a whole host of DIY repellent ideas (including peppermint sprays, dryer sheet stuffings, cotton balls soaked in oil and cayenne pepper, etc), but there's little scientific evidence to back up the effectiveness of these solutions and if you're not blocking off the route that the rats are entering through it's not going to solve anything permanently.

Declutter and clean
Keep clutter to a minimum and move objects away from walls so you can check what’s hiding behind them.

Eliminate potential food sources
Store dry foods in tightly sealed containers and make sure food is not left sitting out on counters, and cleaning up any spillages.

Never use poisons!
It is a quick way to kill rats but if a rat is poisoned it may end up dying under a floorboard or in a wall. The rotting body may provide a food source for maggots and even other creatures.

For serious infestations, you should contact your local authority's environmental health officer  or a commercial pest control contractor.

Have you ever had a problem with rats or mice?

Monday 28 September 2020

Our weekly meal plan! 28th September - 4th October. #MealPlanningMonday


Last weeks meal plan went pretty well. We ate just about everything on the day it was planned. The weather has certainly turned and all I can think about is heart, filling, warming meals. I think I will be using the slow cooker a lot from now on.

I love getting my grocery order from Tesco but last week I finally cancelled my delivery pass it doesn't seem worth it when I can't get a delivery slot with them. The next slot available for me, as of writing this is 2 and a half weeks away. I have read about people panic buying and it seems like they are, well at least booking all the slots. Hmmf! I've been shopping with Sainsbury's off and on for a while and I managed to get a delivery from them over the weekend.

We rely on supermarket deliveries. The little Tesco near us is overpriced and doesn't have much of what we want in and the next nearest supermarket is a bus ride away and then we'd have to get a taxi back adding at least £30 onto the shopping bill.

This week on the menu we have:

Monday - Chicken curry, egg fried rice and naan bread.
Tuesday - Sausages, potato wedges and peas.
Wednesday - Slow cooker beef and ale casserole with cheesy dumplings and mash.
Thursday - Fish fingers, chips and baked beans.
Friday - Pizza.
Saturday - Burgers or hot dogs in buns..
Sunday - A roast dinner of some sort.

What are you eating this week?


Sunday 27 September 2020

Leftover pastry always means jam tarts. #MySundayPhoto

The kids always get excited when they find out I am making a pie of some sort because they know I can never make the right amount of pastry. I always make too much and always use the leftover pastry to make jam tarts! They're one of our favourite treats which we only ever seem to get when I make a pie.




Saturday 26 September 2020

Week 39 of #Project366 - A photo every day for a year!

We have had a quiet week with not a lot going on. It's been nice to have some calm after a busy few weeks although yesterday I had big plans to get things done and actually got very little done because I was helping my dad out with some admin. My stuff can wait, his couldn't.

I am looking forward to another nice relaxed weekend. It's supposed to be chilly and if it was anything like yesterday I can see the heating going on. 

Now for a photo every day!


263/366 - 19th September
I received a couple of prints to feature on my blog and will be soon. They were going to go in one of the kids rooms, then I decided on the dining room and now they're up on the wall in the living room. They're something a bit different. 

264/366 - 20th September
Roast parsnips! My favourite part of a Sunday lunch!

265/366 - 21st September
The plumber arrived on Monday to fix our leaky, wobbly loo. The bolts holding it down were snapped which were making it wobbly and one of the water pipes was loose because of it moving. He removed the whole toilet did some fiddling and put it all back together. It doesn't wobble anymore but was still leaking until Stu put some sealant on.

266/366 - 22nd September
I have a red tomato! Hooray! 

267/366 - 23rd September
Chips and mayo for lunch! I am blaming Becky. She keeps making chips for lunch, something I wouldn't normally eat but they always smell so good! 

268/366 - 24th September
Ellie borrowed Becky's jacket from school and Becky couldn't argue because she was still in bed. hehehe

269/366 - 25th September
Becky got her certificates from college with her results from the last academic year. They've been added to the folder with all of her other results she's got over the years.

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Friday 25 September 2020

This week my Word of the Week is: Not a lot! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:


I have racked my brain trying to think what we've done this past week and it's not a lot. After having a busy couple of weeks with Becky's birthday and the hospital appointment for Ellie last week this week has been a lot calmer and relaxed.

We seem to have found some sort of routine but Becky being in college only one day a week and learning at home for the rest of the days is taking some getting used to. It seems selfish saying it but it feels like I am not getting a lot of time to myself. It's nice having the company but I did enjoy time alone.

Our toilet had been leaking for a few weeks and felt quite wobbly when we sat on it, we told the landlord and a plumber was sent out on Monday. The bolts holding the loo down had rusted and a couple had snapped. He took the whole loo off and did whatever he did and for a few hours it seemed like it was fixed but whatever he did has not made a lot of difference. It doesn't wobble anymore but it's still leaking. He's coming back to have another look at it soon.

I finally have a red tomato! lol I planted some seeds at the start of the year, they didn't grow so I planted more and they have taken their time, I have lots of green tomatoes but noticed one red one early this week! I was very happy! I've left it to ripen a little more and I hope the rest follow suit. 


I am sure we have all heard about the new restrictions and rules around staying safe from Coronavirus and at the moment not a lot has changed for us as a family. I have started to worry more about Becky's part time job though. She works as a waitress and will now be taking drinks to the tables as well as food and of course has to wear a mask, there isn't a lot more she can do to keep herself safe apart from giving up her job which she doesn't want to do. With there being more and more cases reported I really don't want her to put herself at risk of catching Coronavirus and it's starting to worry me. We're going to see how things go over the next couple of weeks. The way things are going at the moment I can see us being on a full lockdown before long.

After years of Ellie not having a lot of homework from school it turns out year 9 is a bit different. She is getting a couple of pieces each evening to complete for different subjects. We've had science, art, French, art and maths this week. She has been great at just getting on with it and thankfully needed little help from me when it came to the maths. Algebra and graphs are not my strong point.

I hope you have all had a good week.


Thursday 24 September 2020

I am joining in with #Blogtober20 are you?

It seems crazy that it is October next month. Where has the year gone. I do love this time of year, we're just about back into the school and college routine, the cosy evenings are here and I get to take part in Blogtober which is a very fun challenge set by Mandi at Big Family Organised Chaos!

I have taken part in Blogtober for the last 4 years. Last year I just did my own thing and didn't follow the prompts but you can see my posts from Blogtober 2016, Blogtober 2017 and Blogtober 2018.

Blogtober20 banner

If you don't know what Blogtober is I will explain. The host is Mandi from Big Family Organised Chaos and she has made a list of prompts, one for each day in October. You write a blog post inspired by that day's prompt and link it up to the linky. You can even link up an old blog post if it fits in with that days prompt. You can read her introduction to blogtober too.

Mandi took a break from Blogtober last year but this year is back with a bang and has came up with a great list. All the prompts are pop songs and can be interpreted as you wish!

Blogtober20 prompts

I have found Blogtober to be a great way of meeting new bloggers and reconnecting with one's I've lost touch with. It is a lot of fun too. I post a new blog post every day anyway but the prompts sometimes give me chance to write about some things I wouldn't usually.

If you would like to take part in the challenge, there is a Blogtober20 Facebook Group you can join.

Will you be joining in with Blogtober20?

Wednesday 23 September 2020

An idea for the kids breakfast! Breakfast Cookies from Fruit Bowl!

My girls will happily eat breakfast every morning during the summer holidays but on a school/college morning I struggle to get half a slice of toast into them. I didn't used to worry too much because they would usually get a snack at break time at school or college but with the new rules, especially at Ellie's school no snacks will be served at morning break time because of Coronavirus.

I have been on the look out and found something which sounds right up my girls street, breakfast cookies! They can take them to school/college or even eat them on the way and hopefully they will fill them up a little until lunchtime.


Fruit Bowl’s recipe for Breakfast Cookies, made with crushed Wheat Biscuits (or a similar alternative cereal) mixed with Fruit Bowl Fruit Flakes makes a hearty cookie with a scrumptious texture with chewy fruit pieces and crunch of the Wheat Biscuits.

Fruit Flake Breakfast Cookies
Makes 8 cookies

Ingredients:

50g of light brown sugar.
50g of granulated sugar.
(Combine sugars to make 100g either light brown sugar, granulated sugar, caster sugar, use a combination of what is available)
A pinch of salt.
50g of sunflower oil (or other light coloured oil).
30g of cold water.
100g of plain flour.
¼ tsp of bicarbonate of soda.
3 individual packets Fruit Bowl Fruit Flakes.
2 x crushed Fruit Bowl Wheat Biscuits or alternative

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan) and line one large or two smaller baking trays with parchment.
In a bowl, mix together the sugars, salt, oil and water with a wooden spoon.
Add in the plain flour, bicarbonate, Fruit Flakes and crushed cereal.
Mix together with a wooden spoon until a dough is formed.
Weigh the dough into 45g balls and place on the lined baking tray/s, leaving enough space for them to spread.
Put in the oven for 10 minutes, then rotate the tray/s and bake for a further 8 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving.

Have your children's school changed what food they will be serving at break or lunch time?

Tuesday 22 September 2020

A hearing test and a different doctor.

Ellie was diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy when she was about 4 years old and we go to the hospital every year or so to have a hearing test to keep a check on her good ear. Ellie was born nearly deaf in one ear and lost all the hearing in her right ear by the time she was about 7 years old. We were due to go at the beginning of this year but the appointment was cancelled, understandably because of Coronavirus.

Last week, on Monday I was all set to take Ellie to the hospital to have her hearing test but hospital rang mid morning to say the appointment was cancelled because the doctor had phoned in sick, they said they would phone with a new appointment but I didn't expect it to happen so soon. They rang that afternoon with an appointment for Tuesday with a stand in doctor.


Tuesday came and Ellie got to finish school a little earlier than usual so we had chance to get to the appointment at the local hospital. 

Ellie had her usual hearing test which went well but the nurse doing the test was a little confused half way through when it seemed Ellie could hear through her right ear, the bad one. She did the test again playing noise into her good ear and it became clear she had no hearing at all in her bad ear, Ellie just has amazing hearing in her good ear. 

We then went into see the doctor and within 2 minutes of us being in his room he had rubbed me up the wrong way. He asked why we were there, I explained to have Ellie's good ear checked and then said why did we not go to the hospital in Newcastle, err because it's nearly 150 miles away from where we now live. The nurse in the room had to explain we moved here from Northumberland last year and were transferred. He then went on to say measles or a viral infection must have caused Ellie's hearing loss. Again myself and the nurse explained that she was born with a little hearing and then lost it. He then said where is her hearing aid, she doesn't have one. The doctors in Newcastle said one out of the ear would have no effect and a cochlear implant had little chance of working. 

Someone hadn't read Ellie's notes. lol I know her folder is probably the size of a 80 year old's with all the medical issues she's had over the years but come on the least he could have done was skim through it.

The doctor then went on to suggest a MRI scan and I said no and asked what it would achieve? I already knew the answer, he wanted to do some research on her which would make no difference to Ellie and her hearing. He then back tracked and said we won't do a MRI as it probably won't give us any information to help Ellie. It's not my first rodeo, the doctors at Newcastle wanted to do the same, just to aid their research. 


He then started pushing the hearing aid again. Ellie has already said she doesn't want one. She copes well without one and has for her whole life. I think giving her a hearing aid wouldn't benefit her, she has adapted to her hearing loss and it's all she's ever known. If her hearing loss affected her day to day life I would be all for a hearing aid it but it doesn't. The doctor then went on to do further tests and said that she does have amazing hearing in her good ear which makes up for the hearing loss. He said considering she is deaf in one ear you would never guess. Exactly!!

He then went on to say we must do all we can to protect the good ear, Ellie was told that she shouldn't go to nightclubs or pubs where there is loud music or be in noisy environments like factories. Ellie is a girl of few words when she is with people she doesn't know and usually doesn't answer back but this time she looked him dead in the eye and said "I'm 13, I won't be going to nightclubs anytime soon and I am careful about listening to music". He then asked her to take her mask off so he could see her face and he looked a little confused, I am sure he thought she was older than she was! Oops.

Then he went back on about the hearing aid. Grr! I think the nurse saw that I was getting a tad annoyed and said we'll just have them back in a year, OK and that was that.

I don't feel like the doctor really cared or had Ellie's best interests at heart. I trusted the hospital in Newcastle 100% and I felt like we were on the same page. Here I don't feel like that at the moment. We are back in another year and won't be seeing the fill in doctor, hopefully! I am not his biggest fan!

Monday 21 September 2020

Our weekly meal plan! 21st - 27th September. #MealPlanningMonday


Last weeks meal plan went terribly. We ate just one of the meals I had planned. lol After being to the hospital on Tuesday and getting back late we had a ready meal, I felt like a big warming meal on Wednesday and filled the slow cooker with corned beef, potatoes, onions, beef stock and baked beans. We has sausage sandwiches on Thursday, fajitas on Friday, Pizza on Saturday and a roast dinner yesterday. I am determined for this weeks meal plan to go to plan. Last week made me realise how much I love meal planning and how unorganised life is without one.

This week on the menu we have:

Monday - Leftover roast dinner pie and mash.
Wednesday - Soup and sandwiches to dip in.
Thursday - Sloppy joes.
Friday - Fish, chips and mushy peas. (Out of the freezer).
Saturday - Pizza.
Sunday - Another roast dinner of some sort.

What are you eating this week?

Sunday 20 September 2020

A trip to the hospital. #MySundayPhoto

On Tuesday Ellie had a hearing test at our local hospital. It all went fine, she's still deaf in one ear but the other one is perfect. I was so worried about going to the hospital with Coronavirus being about but I felt safe. Everyone had masks, they were limiting people in the waiting rooms and everyone kept their distance. 

It was strange not being able to sit and wait with Ellie in the seat next to her as they taped a lot of them off to maintain social distancing. 



Saturday 19 September 2020

Week 38 of #Project366 - A photo every day for a year!

What a week. It has been exhausting! I am ready for the weekend again. I just can't seem to get used to getting up early on a morning even with going to bed much earlier than I have in months. I am sure I'll get the hang of it again soon. Ellie on the other hand is getting up every morning brilliantly, she did used to struggle but so far so good. I think she's just so happy to be going to school again and seeing her friends.

Now for a photo every day!

Party food and a packed lunch for my youngest
My eldest on her laptop and my youngest stood waiting for the bus
Corned beef hash.
A box of coffee and my eldest walking down the stairs.

256/366 - 12th September
We had a picky party tea for no reason. It was a good way to clear the freezer out a bit and the kids loved it.

257/366 - 13th September
Ellie's packed lunch. She is so happy having a packed lunch. She did have school dinners for the first couple of days back at school but she didn't like not being able to sit with her friends in the dining hall as it's only one to a table. Outside they can sit together (socially distanced of course).

258/366 - 14th September
Becky's first day of doing college work at home. She has worked hard this past week but she has been annoying me a little asking me a ton of questions when she could just Google it. She wouldn't have me to ask if she was at college and I sometimes feel like I'm the one doing the work.

259/366 - 15th September
Ellie got an early finish from school to go to the hospital for a hearing check. I have a blog post all about it next week. She is still deaf in one ear but has super hearing in her good ear.

260/366 - 16th September
I whacked corned beef, potatoes, onions tomato puree, beef stock and baked beans into the slow cooker. It made a lovely meal and there's a couple of portions in the freezer for another day.

261/366 - 17th September
I have been off coffee for a few weeks. I was starting to feel anxious after I drank it and sick so decided to go onto decaffeinated. I bought what I thought was decaffeinated but it turns out it wasn't. It can't be as strong as the Nescafe as I was drinking as I am feeling OK drinking it. I am sticking to just one a day.

262/366 - 18th September
Becky was up bright and early tidying her room, putting her clean washing away and even hoovering up for me, all because her girlfriend was coming for a visit.

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Friday 18 September 2020

This week my Word of the Week is: Exhausted! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:


This time last week I felt exhausted, we all did here. The first week of school and having Becky's 18th birthday really took it out of us. Getting up early was a total shock to the system and I thought this week would be easier but I still feel tired, there's nothing wrong with me, I'm fit and healthy, we've just had a bit of an off week.

On Monday I was all set to take Ellie to the hospital to have her hearing test. Ellie was diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy when she was about 4 years old and we go every year or so to have a hearing test to keep a check on her good ear. 

The hospital rang on Monday morning to say the doctor had phoned in sick and they would ring next week to rearrange. I was stressing about going to the hospital in the first place and had spent the weekend worrying but building myself up for Monday all for the appointment not to go ahead. I went to bed that night feeling exhausted!

I was shocked as later on Monday afternoon they did actually ring to say we could be seen on Tuesday with a different doctor. The long and short of it is that Ellie's hearing is no different from the last time it was tested, she is still deaf in her bad ear and has amazing hearing in her good ear. I didn't get on well with the doctor who obviously hadn't read any of Ellie's notes and was rather pushy. I stood my ground, I might have left the room shaking in anger but it's all good. We're back in a year and we'll hopefully get to see the original doctor who I've spoken to on the phone in the past and not the stand in.

By the time we got out of the hospital it was gone half five and we walked back to the bus stop. We had thought about stopping at the bus stop at the end of the high street but that area isn't a nice place when the shops are all shut so we walked into the bus station and I'm glad we did. Just as we got to the bus stop a bus driver came over and announced there had been a bad crash on the Humber Bridge and traffic was at a standstill. Our bus goes from Scunthorpe all the way to Hull and has to go over the bridge, there is no other way across the river unless you travel all of the way around. Three of our buses didn't arrive but we finally got the bus just after 7pm and got home coming on for 8pm. When we got on the bus the driver was telling people he would take them as far as he could but they may have had to walk across the bridge which is about a mile and a half long. Eek! I was so glad our stop was before the bridge.

We made it home and it was ready meals for tea, I hate eating late but it couldn't be helped. I went to bed feeling exhausted again but relived that the appointment was done with.

I woke up on Wednesday feeling achy, I thought just typical one trip to the hospital and I've got Coronavirus. Stu said it probably wasn't, I had done a lot of walking and standing on Tuesday plus the two days of stress are bound to make me ache. So I had an easy day. It was a grey and miserable day so I was in no rush to go out. By lunchtime I felt much better. Phew!

Yesterday morning as soon as Ellie had gone to school I went back to bed and had a few hours of sleep. I felt much better for it. This week our weekly meal plan has not gone to plan. I am hoping to sort ourselves out for the last few days of it but Becky has her girlfriend coming to visit today and I don't think she'll eat fish and chips so fajitas it is. lol. They've not seen each other all week with them being in college on different days so they have some catching up to do.

I feel like this week has been a total write off but it hasn't been a bad one, just a tiring one. We're ready for the weekend and hopefully we'll get a couple of relaxed days and maybe a lie in too.


Thursday 17 September 2020

Teach Children to save: 5 Apps to Help Children Manage Money.

As a child I will admit I wasn't a saver. If I had a pound I would spend it. Usually on rubbish. My dad always told me to save and I thought he was a bore. It took me until I had kids to realise I had to save and now I taught my girls that saving is important. My teen Becky is not natural saver, she would spend every penny she had but is getting better now that she she has a part time job but my youngest Ellie will save. Sometimes she has more money in her bank account than I do. lol


I was recently sent some some information about the best kids apps to teach them about saving and I thought I would share with you!

(I have not been asked to write or share this, I just thought it would be useful)

1. gohenry
If you want your child to start learning about saving and spending (but with parental control) The gohenry app is for you! With this app you get a parent account which allows you to top up your child’s allowance and apply rules on how they can spend that money. Plus they will be able to use their card in shops, online and to withdraw cash. But don’t worry you will get an instant notification whenever they use the card and can set weekly spending limits!

Rooster Money will let you keep track of the total owed for things like pocket money or completed chores. One nice feature of this app is the ability to add pictures of items that kids are saving up for and set a savings target which is great for helping your child to visualise the end goal. Children will also be able to see how much money they have saved and how they’ve spent it in an easy to read statement.

The makers of iAllowance claim it’s had a role in getting over 20 million chores completed. This useful app will allow you to track the amount of allowance you owe to each child and virtually “prompt” them to finish tasks and chores linked to their pocket money earning potential! The information syncs across devices, and you can even email or print reports on how your child is doing.

4. Gimi.
Gimi is designed to help you and your child keep track of their allowance and chores, but also to provide financial education along the way. A virtual piggy bank fills with the weekly allowance you set and you can define rewards for specific tasks. But what’s most special about this app is there are three sets of lessons to learn, which you and your child can work through together. The lessons are currently themed around Earning, Saving and Spending and help to identify financial topics to discuss, and are accompanied by bright animated videos.

5. Otly.
Otly! has two parts, the Otly! app for parents and an optional companion app that you can install on your child’s device, Otly! Jr. The main app for parents will allow you to set up a digital record of your child’s allowance and track how much they’ve earned and spent. In the junior app, children can separate their money into different savings pots, see graphs of how their savings will grow and get a countdown to the next allowance! A bright and friendly app!

Are your children good at saving? Do you encourage it?