Surviving half term Part 1

I realise that February 14th is only half way through the month, but our bank account is usually empty by the 5th of the month so regardless of the comparative brevity of the month, this half term has to be a cheap one.

Usually I would manage a couple of days on our own, but grandparents are poorly so all the not entertaining is down to me.

Saturday

The majority of this day is taken up with the ordinary ballet lessons and craft at the local library which seems to surpass expectations.  When I attended a meeting there I found out that the library cannot charge for the children's activities, they need to make the money from activities they provide for adults. They have to meet their monthly targets, which are then reassessed based on what they earned the previous month.  Seems a bit unfair to me, but gives me the motivation to support the activities they do provide for adults.  We finished off by trying to teach Pip, my precociously intelligent Princess; to ride her new big girl's bike.   I foolishly decided that without warm up and only exercise bike practice for the last 4 months, I could set off round the block with a small boy on the back.  Apparently he has put on more weight than even I have this winter and I didn't really feel I could do any more after that.

Sunday

Cinemas not only have their "Kids AM" (Vue) or "Movies for Juniors" (Cineworld) at the first showing of the weekends, but also on holiday mornings.  Since we never see anything when it first comes out, the children are always up to date but 3 months behind.  Determined to make the showing of Penguins of Madagascar, I bought the tickets today.  I couldn't buy them online as I wanted to use my Nectar points, so I spent £5 in Nectar points and bought the 4 tickets for £2.

In the afternoon we made dinner together and shortbread.

The recipe is my version from one from "Baking |Magic" by Kate Shirazi.  (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baking-Magic-Series/dp/186205889X)

250g butter (Tesco value 98p)
50g sugar (Tesco £3.85 for 5kg so 39p
250g plain flour (Tesco 45p for 1.5 kg so 8p)
125g cornflour (Tesco £1.19 for 500g so 30p) Although I usually use semolina.
50g plain chocolate (Tesco 30p for 100g so 15p)

Basically butter and sugar creamed, then flour and chocolate added.  I rolled it into a sausage shape then sliced nice rounds of biscuits, which didn't quite survive the children's manipulations.
Total cost £1.90 for about 40 biscuits.  I had icing sugar, some food colour and decorations although they tasted great without.

Now we're having a late night watching Harry Potter while I do the ironing.
I did a £20 shop earlier and put £30 of fuel in the car.  But otherwise that's my first £4 day....