Tight Belts and Half Term..Plus some Budget Friendly Ideas

Yep, another half term has slowly crept upon us. I do love spending the time with my children, love that they get a break from all that homework and that we can enjoy some lay ins and lazy days. I like to get out every day with my 2, even if it's just walking the dog like it was today but I do wish we could do so much more sometimes.

I've been reading through the booklets that have come home from school in the book bags and some blogs online about what to do this half term in your area and it's had a real effect on me. Money is super tight these days; like it is for a lot of us. I don't have enough to save for every half term as well as pay all my bills and get Christmas sorted (no matter how budget friendly I'm being this year!) It's just not there.

It isn't that all of these places are stupidly overpriced (some are though..) but even a reasonable cost soon turns far too much for us when you have to add up everyone else plus travel. So, I've decided to write this post for all those who are struggling with the pennies this half term and can only afford super cheap or free activities to do and places to go. These places are in Cornwall but if you have some free time to do some Google searching, I'm sure you will find something too.

Free Activities for Halloween:

Library time:

Head down to your local library and find some Halloween themed books. Find books on witches and wizards, children's books or slightly older books like famous Harry Potter and have a little read together in your own little circle. Some local libraries hold half term events or activities too.

Pumpkin Carving

With many supermarkets selling a pumpkin for £1, this is a fun and cheap activity for the family. Using a pen to draw a spooky face on your pumpkin then a kitchen knife for the carving and (if you're like me) your bare hands for the 'gutting' you'll have a spooky pumpkin for you all to enjoy. Why not light it up or place false tea lights from Poundland in it, switch off the lights and admire your veggie friend!?

Film Night

You could grab some popcorn from your local pound store or make your own with kernels from Tesco for £1.90 and sit together to watch a film. We've so far watched Minions and Rio this half term but to get into the Halloween spirit Hocus Pocus is on my watch list! You don't even need popcorn, just a duvet and someone to snuggle with.

Visit a Woods

Totally free of charge in most places unless you want to buy food from a woodland cafe or you're joining a specific event/activity there is no need to spend the pennies. Enjoy the leaves under foot, walk your dog, spot some wildlife and have fun!

Have a craft day making autumnal pictures, leaf rubbing, collecting fallen leaves and conkers. Play around with paints to make an autumn themed picture or make a collage out of the leaves you've collected.

Places to Go in Cornwall:

Paradise Park are holding a disco again this year in their Jungle Barn. As it has a separate entrance I'm sure you'd enter there and pay to attend the party at the reception of the play barn. For under 3's the party is free, over 3's are £5 and adults are £3.99 Enjoy a disco, fancy dress, prizes and pumpkin soup!

If you can get to Bodmin on the 29th and 30th October there is Bodmin and Wenford railway which has a half price event on; so adults will be £6.50, Seniors £6.00 and children FREE! I really love trains and have yet to experience this day out but I think if you can afford it, it would be fun! Trains are running from Bodmin General Station at 10.50, 12.10, 13.35, 14.45 and 15.50.

I've found a Godolphin Cross village trail to hunt for pumpkins. You hunt for pumpkins around the village on 29th October starting at the Chapel from 6pm. Pick up a map for £1 and enjoy the fun! There will be refreshments available all evening too!

If you're in Newquay on October 29th there's a family friendly event from 1.30pm! Children of Newquay are invited to join the free Zombie Crawl; a fun Halloween event dressing up all gory and walking the parade full of Halloween spirit!

Children aged 5 to 16 are encouraged to join in the spooky fun, which will start with Titan the Robot at 1.30pm on Newquay's Piazza opposite the Lighthouse Cinema. There will be face painting in Whiskers coffee bar and at 3pm the parade will begin, along Bank Street and East Street. The parade will finish at the Hotel Victoria for more ghastly goings-on; another visit from Titan the Robot at 4.45pm, more dance and live entertainers, plus you can have your photo taken in the creepy, but very cool campervan photo-booth. The Hotel Victoria will also be hosting a children's disco after the final Titan show. This sounds awesome and I'd totally be going if I lived in Newquay! 

Those are a few ideas I've managed to find. For some people (like myself) these ideas may not be manageable for various reasons but I still hope you can do the at-home and out and about activities that we will be doing. 

If you know of any free activities or places with free or cheap admission or want to add an at-home half term idea then please do leave me a comment below!

Cupcake Mumma

Our Week That Was ~ Weeks 32, 33 & 34

Hey everybody! I've been a bit slack on the blogging front but it's okay. I have missed my weekly catch ups so here is 3 weeks worth of catching up in 1 post- yey! 

Week 32 started with me changing Midges room around. She wasn't sleeping well at all and it was becoming very stressful for all of us. I moved her room around and totally de-cluttered so now she has a more free flowing space and plenty more room. I can confirm that now she is sleeping tonnes better which is great. I have been to my Aunts a few times recently to help with her de-cluttering and moving. This week we were joined by a lovely little kitten who hindered more than helped the cleaning up process! I made a video of his antics here.

We also got all wrapped up for the school run this week because finally the weather took a turn and gave us some chills and a little drizzle too (it's now full on pelting it down!) I also baked a rather delicious vanilla cake which I shared with a friend who visited for coffee. We haven't seen each other in years, it was so, so lovely to catch up. I hope I can re create this cake for my birthday!

Room change// Cute kitten distracting us from working// Midge all wrapped up// Vanilla cake for pudding!

I ran a swap recently called A Taste of Home. I had a nice little number of people sign up and received my parcel this week from tattooed Mummy. I loved her gifts of recipe books, cider, sweets and plenty more as you can see. Little A was most impressed with the chocolate buttons. I finally got my prize from Goodfellas this week. Lots of vouchers for free pizza and a gift card which I promptly spent on 3 gifts for Christmas for my mini cupcakes.

Double rainbow// Happy with some chocolate buttons//Swap gift// I won a prize!// Yummy wraps for lunch

Week 33

When it wasn't raining we enjoyed some sunshine although it was still pretty cold. I took some lovely photos of the trees and green we pass everyday on the school run; I'm loving how quick the leaves are falling from the trees. We also had Little A's ENT appointment which went really well. He has a slight pressure build up which they'll check again next year, no blocking and he was ace at the hearing test which he passed with flying colours. Great news.

Our green// Happy babies on the wheels// Little A having his hearing test

I visited my Aunt again this week and we really got some stuff sorted. She moved in at the end of the week I'm told and is very happy to be home after staying with my Gran for so long after her operation. I took this lovely photo from the skylight in her bedroom, isn't it a great view to wake up to? I enjoyed a few hot chocolates, some at home and one or two in a local coffee chain *wink wink.* I went to a baby shower on Saturday which was a big deal for me! I didn't get all dressed up which felt so much better. The mum to be is due in a couple of weeks and has plenty of lovely things to pamper herself and the little one when he arrives. 

View in Penzance// Hot chocolate at home// Mummy and A// Baby shower gifts

Week 34

Autumn has really arrived! I loved pulling on my warm boots and crunching in the leaves with the children. We made the most of the leaf crunching as they get tidied up around here!? I spent Tuesday with my sister in law, I met her new kittens and we went shopping, saw my little niece and I had a nice day overall. I didn't have my phone with me so no cute kitten photos this week! It's been so, so dark at 7am which is the time we get up and get ready for school. To end the half term, Midge and Little A had a Halloween disco at school. Little A was a power ranger and Midge was a witch.

Warm boots// Witch for the disco// Dark at 7am// Mr Magpie on the wall// Broken post box!

I had super junk cravings this week! I made a great free from mug cake (thoroughly enjoyable and not for sharing) I had some pizza from Dominoes which definitely hit the spot! We enjoyed our last school run this week before halt term with crazy fast biking and scooting and more leaf jumping. I went to the GP and I'm now back on my original dose for my anxiety *boo* but it's all good. I'm also getting some more tests done to check on my lungs. 

On Thursday evening Little A and I went to The Works after hours. It was so good to see the reception children having so much fun. I got to browse with no one else there but a few fellow parents. I took advantage of our 20% discount for the evening and I even made a video of our trip which you can see here! the children had story time, made up hampers to win prizes, got to see some toys and even had a mini disco with food and drink while all the parents were in the shop mooching and catching up. It was a great evening!

Mug cake!// pizza// More pills and an x-ray due from doctors// Little A before our school trip//Midge and A on the school run// I got my Halloween decorations up!

Hope you're all having a good half term and if you're back to school already then I hope it was a good break for you all. Let me know what you've been up to or are planning in the comments below!

Cupcake Mumma

October Bucket List

It's time for me to write up my October bucket list and to see if I managed my September list! I know a few things need to be carried over and I know that because i've made a real dent in the Christmas gift list the whole no spend September wasn't a success but here goes. Septembers list:

ME

-Write to my pen pals. I have written but have not managed to post all my letters as a few need to go abroad and I didn't have the extra pennies for them after shopping!.

-Celebrate national chocolate day on September 13th (by eating some tasty chocolate of course!)

can you believe I forgot! But I did eat some tasty chocolate the next day to make up for it!

-Clear out the cupboard to locate our Halloween stuff- This is done!

-Take part in no spend September- I have taken part in the respect of not wasting my money and going here there and everywhere. I can't call it a no spend month though because I bought a lot of gifts ready for Christmas!

-Continue to take part in The Great Bloggers Bake Off- I haven't done every bake, it's just been too pricey for me. I did make a chicken pie for pie week which was lovely.

-Start writing up gift lists for Christmas- All done and a lot bought too.

-Work out 3 times a week...Yeah this was a non starter! I worked out once the whole month!

-Celebrate my 4th blogging birthday- Done and celebrated with cake!

FAMILY

-Take first day back to school photos in our traditional way (this will mean getting up a bit earlier!)

Done!

-Go on a walk together- The children and I had a nice walk together and have been enjoying the school walks too

-Have date night with Mr B- Hmm well we didn't have any time in the evening to do anything, or the children didn't allow it but we did go for breakfast together once this month. I'm going to carry this over.

-Watch Mr B play football- Didn't get round to this one.

-Sort a day for Midge to have her friend over- Midge had a party to go to instead this month so that kept her happy. A planned play date fell through but we did try.

-Book myself and Midges tickets for Hogwarts in the Snow- All done and super excited to say we're going next month!

For October:

ME

Have a go at baking the chocolate tart I've wanted to bake for ages.

Get some exercise in at least 3 times a week no matter what it is

Check off 2 tasks from my Project Kindness and 3/4 from project zero

Catch up on all my happy mail

FAMILY

Do some Autumn crafts with the children

Have a date night/day with Mr B

Have a great family holiday in half term and a good birthday

Do something for Halloween with the children

Have a meal with my parents

Do you have any plans or lists (other than the boring 'to do in the house' lists? Let me know!

Cupcake Mumma

Goodbye October

My favourite month of the year has passed. I was born in October and grew up having the most wonderful fancy dress parties at my home so October holds real, wonderful childhood memories for me. Then there's Halloween which for me is harmless fun. We lit our Jack O Lantern and let people know we were Trick or Treater friendly! Everyone was polite. We even took Midge and A out with our niece who was doing a sleepover and they all loved it. I was so proud of their manners and they had so much fun!

I had a lovely day on my birthday with surprise flowers and thoughtful gifts from family, friends and even pen pals. Before the day arrived I was lucky enough to see the Harry Potter Studio Tour with Midge and my Mum. This was an early birthday gift and I loved it. It definitely makes October a memorable month now!

Of course I've loved, as I do every year, the joy of Autumn. The last colourful flowers, the gorgeous leaves, the nights in with a mug of soup and a duvet.

I will miss October but look forward to the next as always. In the mean time there are birthdays and Christmas to look forward to. Hope you had a happy October everyone!

Cupcake Mumma

Autumn Gold

I love Autumn, it's my favourite season by far so when I checked in with The CSI Project this week and saw our crafting challenge was 'Gold,' I thought I should make something I could wear over this lovely season. I had a look around and found this lovely necklace so thought i'd have a go at making something similar.

I bought some 24 gauge gold wire from Ebay, an old gold necklace for £1 from my local charity store as I didn't have any gold chain, and finally I raided my draws for some beads that would match the wire. In the end I opted for some small purple ones after being unsuccessful finding my larger purple bead stash!

This was a fiddly project for someone who hasn't made anything like this before so it does require patience! It's also not a project I could photo step by step, maybe next time! For now, here is my Autumn Gold Nest Necklace:

First of all I threaded the 4 beads onto the wire then started wrapping the wire around until I was happy with the size of my 'nest' and the beads felt secure. I made a loop before cutting the wire to allow me to place a jump ring for attaching to the chain.

After taking apart the old necklace from the charity store I was left with a very long piece of chain- ideal! I cut the length I needed using my pliers and reattached jump rings as well as a new clasp. Now my necklace is all ready for stepping out into the Autumn wind (and rain!)

What do you think?

CupcakeMumma