By dmg on 7/8/2008 7:27 AM

Save money and swop your unwanted stuff for free

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By dmg on 5/24/2008 2:21 PM

There is no doubt about it we are all beginning to feel the pinch with the price of petrol and diesel rising at a phenomenal rate which of course is going to have the knock on effect of making everything else more expensive.   Here are a few tips which I have heard over the past few weeks from a combination of subscribers to Help for Busy Mums and that I have picked up from the likes of  the Money Saving Expert.

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By dmg on 5/11/2008 5:40 PM

Work, winter and cars have a lot to answer for

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By dmg on 3/10/2008 10:54 PM

I have just been watching Delia Smiths new cookery programme.   I am a great fan of Delia Smith – my children particularly the older ones are less enthusiastic.  This has probably something to do with my olive and sun dried tomato phase of cooking.

My kids did not approve of and still talk about olives and sun dried tomatoes with great distain.  That is the most annoying thing about kids, unless you push their boundaries most of them are quite content to stick with “nursery food” like shepherds pie, macaroni cheese and the like.

The reason I mention this programme is that it has been quite controversial in “cookery terms” Because good old Delia is telling us how to cheat.   Similar to the Nigella Express programme but somehow different. 

I am all for saving time in the kitchen which is why I was keen to watch ... Read More »

By dmg on 3/3/2008 11:02 PM

Today I am going to have a bit of rant.  Why - well I had the most frustrating experience  - along with with hundres of other people today.  The thing which made it even more frustrating was that it was avoidable..

So what is it.  Well this morning I set off very early (about 6:20 am), to take my step children to school.  The journey takes a good two hours in the rush hour .

Today the weather was good and we felt quite pleased that we had made good time. I dropped my stepson off promptly at 8:30am and turned back out onto the road to conintue the journey to my step daughters school which should take another ten to twleve minutes.  Today as we turned back on to the road we were  met with stationary traffic which we sat in while the minutes ticked away.

It was obvious after about twenty minutes when we had not gone very far that my stepdaughter was going to be very late for school. ... Read More »

By dmg on 2/29/2008 12:49 PM

Well done to the British Media for managing to keep the lid on Prince Harry’s deployment to Afghanistan.

It’s such a shame that the foreign media could not manage to keep their mouths shut too. Strange really, when it isn’t even their royal family. You wouldn’t think that the Prince Harry in Afghanistan wouldn’t be that newsworthy , but as he is a celebrity even him going to a nightclub has made news before.

Now of course Harry may have to come home which I am sure is going to a huge disappointment to him. I wonder how the foreign media feel about that. Remorseful? I should think not.

In many ways I am surprised it stayed under raps for so long. (I should think this was especially true with a film crew following him around). I also really admire the Queen who has clearly given her blessing to her grandson being deployed.

Let’s face it she probably could have ... Read More »

By dmg on 2/27/2008 5:11 PM

Last night I watched a really interesting programme on traffic.  It was about organising a traffic free day in Marlow.  Although the programme showed the uphill struggle it was to get people out of their cars - it also showed what can be done when we all put our minds to it. 

Now  although I do my bit for recycling and try to consider the environment - I can not say I am born again about it.  

Like most people I get frustrated about the amount of traffic on the road - but to be honest I don't generally do anything on a day to day basis to change my ingrained habits.

But this programme really made me think.  It took 9 minutes for someone to drive and park in the centre of Marlow - few seconds more to walk the same distance - and just four minutes to bike it. 

The lady whose task it was to empower the town of Marlow to take action was a source of inspir ... Read More »

By dmg on 2/25/2008 9:21 PM

As I sit here in the cold....I have no heating now. The British Gas saga may turn into a dedicated blog all of its own at this rate.  I will probably have a moan about that tomorrow - if as I suspect the heating has now broken down......

I  wonder where the last week has gone. My plan with this blog is to try and write three times a week. Not a great committment. Well I missed that target badly last week.

The thing is I would't mind if I had been   somewhere or done something special - but really the honest truth is that it simply came down to bad time management and lack of discipline.  Not lack of discipline -sitting around watching TV (I wish), or out having lunch with friends - or out walking with hubbie and family. Which I guess I did a little of..

No it was lack of discipline of being unable to tear my self from one task to move into a different frame of mind to do another. 

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By dmg on 2/18/2008 9:43 PM

I have just finished watching BBC’s Panorama television programme on the subject of bottled water. 

Everything the programme said was true.  In the seventies no one bought or even had really cottoned on to the idea of buying bottled water.  Now it is flown in from all over the world.  Extracted from volcanic rock, clouds, streams not just in the Alps but as far away as Fiji and New Zealand and  flown all the way here. 

Three quarters of the plastic bottles never end up being recycled and end up in landfill sites.  Some of the plastic bottles are burned to create energy which could power thousands of cars of the road.  (I can not remember the numbers exactly I was not paying close enough attention.)

Anyway, I am sure you get the picture.   Yet I can remember not so many months ago hearing that the advice a friend was bein ... Read More »

By dmg on 2/14/2008 1:10 PM

Yesterday was one of those days.  It did not start out like that. It was beautiful sunny February day and I was happily opening my mail, with not a care in the world. 

 
Amongst the mail was a gas utility bill.  Nothing much to worry about there, so I thought. We pay by direct debit. 

How wrong could I be. 

 I opened it and quickly scanned the standard letter.  My eyes honed in on the revised standing order payment.Read More »