Life today seems incredibly complicated. I regularly find myself reading, researching and talking to my partner about the ways we can enjoy our life more (especially with our daughter) whilst working around our family’s limiatations.
Although it’s mostly me that makes things challenging here, we also have to take into account the needs and development of our daughter and the happiness and free time of my partner, whenever we plan activities. For those reasons alone, at times it feels impossible for us to find ‘fun’ we can all engage with and enjoy. Something as simple as watching a family movie is made more difficult by my partners tiredness, our daughters understanding of english and my pain levels over prolonged periods…I’m a fidgeter and often need breaks because of last years bed sores.
But we had some eureka moments recently and it felt so unbelievable that I thought I’d share some.
Simple things.
I know how obvious this statement seems, how twee it must sound to be promoting something so basic, but I have a few examples of changes we’ve made, teeny, pointless, little things, that suddenly made life easier (and usually cheaper too).
Dinner
There are only 3 of us, but dinner time has become the most complicated section of our day. Our daughter is 6 and suddenly very picky about food. Pizza, burgers, spaghetti, vegetable curry, nuggets, and anything else she used to devour was suddenly being rejected.
My partner likes to keep fit, so he chooses high protein meals with lots of veg. He’ll happily stand in the kitchen and eat half a cooked chicken or snack on peanut butter on a bagel.
My appetite changed at christmas last year when someone managed to bring covid home. I didn’t eat for 3 weeks, including on Christmas Day, with all the wonderful, colourful, flavourful foods of the season (that I used to gorge on) making my stomach turn. Yes, even brussel sprouts. My appetite hasn’t been the same since. There are food items I love one day and can’t bear the smell of the next. Melted cheese is a good example. I used to adore it – who doesn’t? Now it makes me salivate and heave, yet I still crave the yummy feeling it created.
All of this combined meant our small family were often spending meal times separately because everyone was eating something different, and thanks to our daughters fickle pickiness and my ever-changing appetite, nothing felt predictable.
Out of nowhere our girl mentioned pasta. We’d previously given up on it, but decided that with a few tweaks we might be able to pique her interest in it once more. My partner got some tortellini with mascarpone sauce and stirred in some extra vegetables to make it colourful. Topped off with her own sprinkling of cheese we knew she’d eat it…and we were right.
What we didn’t expect was how excited we were about it too, and for the first time a meal was dished up for all of us, and we got the pleasure of sitting together to enjoy it.
So obvious, cheap and easy to alter based on each of our preferences, but we’d never considered there’d be a way for us to dine as one.
Simple.
Warmth
I know this is something we’re all worried about. FInancially it’s going to be impossible to heat our home this winter and I’ve made my peace with that. Problem is, somehow we still have to keep warm for our health at least.
We managed to root out some nice blankets and forgotten hot water bottles in the cupboard. We also found some warmies – specially made plush animals that you pop in the microwave to warm up. They have beads inside that retain the heat and keep your hands, feet, belly or even your bum toasty in a moment. Christmas and birthday presents that were forgotten, now incredibly handy.
This is the stuff my mum used to use when she couldn’t afford the gas to heat our home when I was a kid. Simple things like a hot water bottle waiting for you in bed are one of lifes true joys, but I’d misplaced that memory from my own childhood. When we saw how happy our daughter was with a snuggly envelope of sheets waiting for her, it was priceless.
I wish I’d remembered these simple comforts sooner.
Hot chocolate is another simple childhood memory we’re now repeating.
Fun time for celebrations
One of the most expensive things you’ll ever do is have a child. We were naive before we had our little one, so we learned the hard way. However, toys and playtime have been impacted heavily by the cost of living crisis. I hate it, but it’s unavoidable.
So, just like dinner time and keeping warm, when things like halloween and christmas come along, I have to be inventive about the ways we build anticipation. I’m the creative one, so craft time is on me. What could I do?
Well, halloween has been different this year for 2 reasons. 1 – our daughter is aware about it and excited for the first time. 2 – we both want her to enjoy it but we don’t have spare cash to do it the usual way. The easy way.
We have a huge craft box here. It’s filled with card, play-doh, stickers, crayons, pom poms, pencils, ribbon…everything I’ve gathered over the last couple of years for our daughter to be creative on her own terms.
For the first time we’re using this box to make decorations instead of buying something. Cutting out pumpkin shapes, ghosts, bats and witches is easy for me, and once the cutting is done (on the right coloured card, of course) our girl can decorate them however she wants. We’re using them around the house to add a spooky feel and the christmas twinkly lights came down early to add to the atmostphere.
My partner is carving real pumpkins, and we’re using the insides for soup. Waste not want not, and all that. The pumpkins will have my rechargble tea lights inside them – another small saving that should add up. And, when positioned correctly, we get a spooky pumpkin face shadow that our daughter will be obsessed with.
Also, for bonfore night, halloween and christmas, there’s alot to be said for leaving the lights OFF, maybe a candle or two instead (if it’s safe) and getting a festive feel while saving money. Fireworks displays will help light your home (and be more enjoyable indoors) with the lights off. Easy, cheap and effective.
Simple.
Everyday fun
This is one of the best ‘treats’ i’ve found, because it’s simple and cheap to do, and keeps everyone involved entertained.
Treasure hunting.
If you imagined a hunt that’s designed for children to root out expensive toys then you have the same mind as me. The first time I did this was for a birthday, and at the end of the clues was a gift.
However, I’ve found that these pirate-style adventures can be just as effective with other things, things that don’t cost money, along the way.
For example, for halloween I’m planning a hunt around our home that will take our daughter on a spooky journey in the dark. I’ve included clues that can only be found after a specific time (forcing her to concentrate and understand the clock a little better and prolonging the fun too) along with clues that require her to make things from her craft box (good for using as decorations later). The ultimate prize is a dessert she gets to bake herself – on this occasion it’ll be a box mix of cupcakes, but it could be sweets, a surprise favourite dinner or a spooky movie with popcorn.
Bringing my own creativity to the table has proven to be the most important element of keeping a kid happy at halloween whilst only parting with minimal cash. It’ll be the same for all future celebrations.
Gratitude
Finally, I want to mention something I’m trying to teach our daughter, which this year feels more important than ever.
Despite my troubles, I am constantly thankful for what we have including our health, home and each other. While our family is only small, there is a lot of love here, along with a lot of laughter and happiness – something I know others are finding harder this year.
At a stressful time for everyone, I’m still acutely aware that other people are finding the struggle even harder than us, with cash and good company in short supply.
We have each other, food on the table and a roof over our heads. These are all things I am teaching our daughter to be grateful for, as well as being thankful for her extended family, warm bed and wonderful school friends.
These everyday things are now becoming luxuries that I feel lucky to still have. I don’t know what the future holds but for now at least, I’m glad we are where we are.
Simple.
In conclusion
I apologise if this post seems patronising. It’s genuinely not meant to be.
I feel ashamed to say that the easy, stress-reducing, low cost ways of living had esacped my mind while I busy thinking about other (possibly less-important) things. I should have always been thinking this way.
I know lots of you will already be using ideas like this, possibly for the same reasons as us. But I hope there might be some plans outlined here that help someone out as we approach a tight-belted couple of years.
The picture
For the next week or so I’ll be posting with pictures that are all about halloween.
This picture was created when I was thinking about being a housekeeping witch myself, and the ways I could translate that as a kawaii-style picture.
I guess this lady is a witch/zombie hybrid, with some spider, ghost and pumpkin friends to keep her company in a house I imagine is shaped like a shoe. I have no idea why.
Thanks for reading 💜
Creative Steph 