"Do you care for tea?"

Alice: Why, yes. I'm very fond of tea.

March Hare: If you don't care for tea, you could at least make polite conversation!

Oh tea, how I do love thee.

Yes, I bite my nails.  Shameful I know.

But I'm a Brit, it comes with the job description, right?

You may have noticed, I've been struggling to get on and update for a while.  I could give you a list of excuses but instead I have decided to go with my good friend the March Hare.

Maybe this will help me!  

What's crazy is that I'm a perfectionist.  I want to blog about my road to Disney but I can't think of the *right* thing to say, so I say nothing.  The moment I decide to just write about something else I find that I've turned it in to Disney!

So yeah - uhm, tea.

I have a baby recently recovered from Measles, children on summer holidays from school and a serious addiction to the Dis boards.  I am TIRED.  Like Sleepy, I may well just fall asleep on the job today.  Maybe I should get off the Dis before 2am tonight...

So - tea is good!  I'm so not a coffee drinker, which means my caffeine fix is limited to Coke and tea.  Now Coke is good, but you cant dunk these bad boys in a glass of fizz!

Om nom nom.  Full of Disney goodness.

Well actually, I can't dip them in my tea either.  Or rather wont.  I need to shift the baby flubber, and I need to save my pennies towards our big trip!  Fortunately the two work quite well together as I save money when I don't buy fatty treats.  This one is going in my Christmas treat pile - cos it's gonna be a frugal Christmas too!

On that note, I need to talk to you about saving money.  Now, being a stay at home mum to five (plus cat and dog), my time for earning is somewhat limited.  I manage to do some voluntary work, but really only because I can bring the Starbaby with me.

I wracked my brains for ages, trying to think of how I could contribute more to the Disney Pot and this is what I came up with:

1)  CUT BACK.  On everything.  It's a real wake-up call when you realise that you could probably survive on half of what you once used to spend.  I have no magazines, I cut my own hair (using this tutorial on youtube), I don't even shop for chocolate half as much as I used to - hey, it's good for the hips too!

Note I said 'survive' - the dilemma I've had is providing my children with more than survival; they have no idea that this trip is planned for any time soon so don't have the same thing to look forward to that I have when I force myself to miss out on things.  So there's finding a balance.

2)  We walk almost everywhere, London transport isn't terribly priced, but you can save an amazing amount by not using it.  A bus pass for 7 days is almost £30!

3)  Meal Planning.  So so important.  No more wondering around Tesco, not sure what to get so falling for their shelf 'offers' which make me spend even more money.  And there are so many resources online to help cut your meal spends.  Recently I've been amazed at this blog of 'Below the Line' budget recepies: http://agirlcalledjack.com/category/below-the-line-budget-recipes/

4)  Don't shop at Tesco.  Asda is my place now - they not only price match, but guarantee 10% less.  And I have been vigilant about saving those receipts for vouchers!

5)  Competitions.  Wow there are LOADS online!  I'm still hoping for the *Big Win* on one of those TV comps that pay out in the thousands, but for now I'm being helped out by smaller prizes, mostly from facebook competitions.  I started out thinking that if I could manage to win a few things that I could put aside for Christmas or birthday presents, then it would save a few pounds.  There's even been a couple of bits that I've sold for a low cost to people on a local 'for sale' page on facebook.
What has been lovely though, is one competition recently where I won a £250 giftcard to spend at Boux Avenue!  They are a company that sells women's nightwear, lingerie and swimwear, plus a few gift bits and some gorgeous bridal bits too.  I've been able to treat myself for a change, both in things desperately needed, and some swimwear and dresses that I CAN WEAR TO DISNEY!  Oh yeah.  Happy dance indeed, no more fear of my tatty old clothes on vacation, I'm gonna look hawt.

With my soon to be red hair and previous wardrobe, this could be me.
Who am I kidding, Ariel still wins.  She has a rope.

And all of these competitions can be done from my arm chair while snuggling my baby and watching Big Brother with a cuppa.  Which suits me to a T.

Teeeeaa?  Just half a cup, if you don't mind.

Coming up, some big news...  BIG.