The Friday Five – It’s Not Black Friday, is it?

Hello there! How are you?

It’s Friday! I am rather happy about that, aren’t you? It feels like it’s nearly the end of a term at the moment – you know when both parents and child are flagging a bit, and you have to drag yourself up and to school every weekday? Except in actual fact we haven’t been back long after a break, and still have quite a few weeks left before the children break up for Christmas. I’m flagging like the dying plant in the corner of this room.

It doesn’t help at all that it’s gone absolutely bloody freezing suddenly, so I just want to snuggle up in bed all day long and hibernate. Sometimes I wish I was a cat, because that’s what mine seems to be spending her days doing at the moment.

Here are my five things this Friday:

One. I’ve gone from having bought no Christmas presents to having pretty much all of A’s all of a sudden. I really wasn’t sure what to buy her this year, and it’s her birthday right after Christmas too so I have to get stuff for that as well. She’s got far too many damn toys and cuddly toys already (although she’s always after more), so I really couldn’t think what would be good.

Then I suddenly thought how much she would love her own Amazon Echo Dot for her bedroom. She’s always loved using the ones we already have (now an Echo and two dots!) – she loves asking Alexa questions and to play music and I also bought her a couple of cheap audiobooks for her to listen to via them too, which is nice for her to be able to do. I feel like its not too ‘tech-y’ for her to have at this age, and I think she’ll love having her own to request songs whenever (within reason!) she likes. The Echo Dots are a really great price at the moment too at only £25.99. Although I’m slightly annoyed that she is getting the newer version than I’ve got; seems a bit unfair!

Two. We’re going to a local Christmas light switch on tomorrow with some friends and finally seeing their new baby, and I’m so excited. Two of my closest friends have had babies recently and I’m gutted that I haven’t been able to see either of them yet as I’ve been ill since they were born! I just keep getting one sinus infection after another and have been getting loads of pain from them as well as migraines, which I think is all part of the pressure in my face. I’m sick of feeling so drained and horrible constantly. But yay for wonderful baby snuggles! 

Three. I’ve been doing a lot better with my drinking this week. Oh my goodness that sounds like I’ve got a problem! But I’ve just got into the habit of drinking most nights again, and wine goes down far too easily. I don’t drink loads every night but I still want to be giving my body much more of a break from it regularly. I just find it hard to not have a glass of wine (or four) when I’m feeling like absolute crap; I’m not ashamed to admit that it helps me to relax and can take the edge off the pain a bit! I had three days off in a row this week though, so that’s good! I’m proud of me even if you aren’t.

Four. We had a letter this week about our embryos that we have frozen, as it’s the time again to decide if we want to pay for them to be stored for longer (which we do). It’s so weird to think that those two little embryos have now been frozen for almost 8 years now – it’s just insane to think that they were made at the same time as Ava! I can’t wrap my head around the idea that if we’d implanted more than one, then one of the frozen ones could have been A’s twin, but now they could be her brother or sister but at least 7 years younger! What the actual fuck?! Isn’t it incredible what science can do for us now? If IVF wasn’t possible yet I wouldn’t have my wonderful daughter. That blows my mind and makes me feel quite panicky.

Five. The Black Friday emails get crazier every year don’t they!? My inbox is spilling over with crap I’m not interested in (and some that I am), but it’s a good opportunity to unsubscribe from lots of businesses emails! I’m a bit annoyed though because I need (want) to do a couple of online orders but I’ve got no money at all this week. I’m waiting for a couple of pretty big payments for sponsored work and I was really hoping they would come today so I can use the discount codes, but I am broke as broke can be, which I don’t think is very fair on Black Friday. They could have hurried up their finance departments so I that I can bag a bargain, couldn’t they. Have you got any bargains today?

I’m tempted by an Xbox One S! I’ve wanted one for ages – I use to love playing GTA Vice City on our PlayStation 2! And they’re such a good price at the moment on Amazon and loads of other places where they are £169.99 with one game, or at Tesco where they are £159 in store with two controllers which is really good.

I’d also really like this blouse from ASOS to wear over Christmas and this lovely leopard print skirt (which keeps selling out  😥 I want it so much!) whilst they have 20% off (use the code HELLO20). It can be so addictive looking at all the Black Friday offers, but I try to just use any codes that are available on things I already wanted, or pay attention to how much higher priced products that I’m interested in are. I’m trying to ignore everything else!

I hope you have a lovely weekend! Got anything nice planned?

Lou x