My Sunday Photo 05/06/2022

Half term holiday all hail the tree to give us much needed fun :)

         

Supermarkets and autism.

Hey readers,
 
When going to the supermarket I can only handle short periods of time being in the store due to getting sensory overload.

I am autistic and normal things like shopping overwhelm me for a number of reasons.
 
There was a time as an autistic adult when I would shop at 6-7am in the morning because I just couldn't handle it. 

 Often when my husband takes me to the supermarket can be busy and it can get overwhelming trying to navigate around people.
 
Obviously now I am married with kids and things are different for me.
 
However, that doesn't stop it from still being a struggle.
 
Over the years I have had professional help to help me get a bit better at the whole process of shopping.
 
At one point I never used to touch the shopkeeper's hands when exchanging money and simply place it on the counter.  Apparently, this is not the thing so I had to learn that you meant to place money into the assistant's hands. 

I have been able to do that, I still hate touching people I don't know but it is something I can do. Of course with modern technology you can use contactless however going to the corner shop is different.

 Plus I am not paying extra for the privilege of using my money card. I've learned to talk myself into placing money into my hands and focus on detail in the shop so I am not getting too anxious.
 
That is one difficulty I have had but still struggle with, it never probably will get easier but I can manage it.
 
Now my husband likes me to accompany him going to the supermarket. Of course, I do it because I want him to feel needed. I worry I get selfish and at times I have been. So this is a gesture to show I care that being said it is really difficult for me too.
 
I think because we go down each aisle and the more time I spend in the shop I get overloaded because I need to look at the detail of stuff regardless of whether I am buying it or not.
 
The noise of the shop is hard, especially near the buzzing of the refrigerators. Or when the fire alarm is set off as a part of the store testing out the fire alarm. Then there are the random loud announcements on the speakers that can be triggering because they are loud and stop your brain from thinking sending it into a panic.
 
Then there is me not very good at forwarding planning with moving about. At times I respond the way I should such as waiting for a person to come through in the isle and I go through. 

This tends to happen near the end as I am exhausted and just don't have the mental capacity to think about how to act. Bear in mind when I am being outside a lot of my behaviour is not natural, it is learned from experience and what has told me over the years on how to act.
 
My husband also likes to go out to a big store which I struggle with. The size of the store and high ceilings with lots of noise can trigger me.
 
I really hate touching people I don't know and accidentally touching people if they brush past me ups my anxiety.
 
I think another part of my problem with shopping with others is the fact o am not in control. When I shop alone I have a list and just go on, get what I need and get out. My husband likes to look around and just feels endless. 

We spend well over an hour in the store and the content concentration of trying to remember to do all the things correctly takes a lot of brainpower.
 
I am exhausted at the end. Sometimes I have a break as I just need quiet time o go to the toilet, close my ears, and just breathe. I feel really dizzy and disorientated by the end. Get home and I just need time to myself to rebalance my head and bring it back down to a calm.
 
Cheers for reading X
 

Why I love a no spend day.

Hey readers, 

I love a no-spend day and I try to fit one or two in twice a week to help save me some money. But if you may not have heard of this concept so let me explain what a no-spend day means down below. 

What is a no-spend day?

In simple terms, it is a day (24 hours) where literally spend no money whether it be physical in a shop or online to help stop you from buying unnecessary items. It gives you a pause button to stop and reflect on your spending and notice if there are some areas where you think you need to improve on and you can work out ways to make changes.

Having a no-spend day is an excellent way of breaking a cycle of spending if it becomes addictive and it is a way to move forward with positive spending habits. 

I have found them really beneficial to do and try to do one or two a week and really helps puts things into perspective. Definitely makes me think twice about what I am spending my money on. 

Although it is probably best not to do a no-spend day when bills go out so make sure you time it around a day when no money is going out of the bank so you have a 0 money bank transaction. 

Like all good no-spend days the key is planning and making sure that you have food that you need to eat, drinks, and anything that you need shower gel, etc. so you don't get tempted to go to the shop and may give you the urge to break the commitment of a no-spend day. 

Why I love a no-spend day. 

1. It is simple. 

It is a simple rule you don't have to spend any money on that one day, there are other rules and complications that you have to stick to. At first, it is a bit weird to get into it but once you do it just gets easier to do. There is also no tracking involved so I don't have to constantly think about what money I have spent. 

2. Get creative. 

With a no-spend day, that means you have to use whatever resources you have at home such as rustling a lunch up with the food you have in the fridge or snacks in the cupboard. Or finding entertainment that is free locally to you so you don't have to spend any money. It helps get you more organised and plan your days out with how they are going to be structured, which isn't always a bad thing and can be more productive than days that just go with the flow. 

3. Control. 

Doing the no spend challenge leaves you feeling more in control of your finances because you are taking positive action with the no spend days. You are watching your habits and working out if there are any flaws in your spending and how can you adapt to make improvements this all gives you the power of control.

4. The buzz. 

The buzz of completing a no-spend day is good as it makes you feel like you can work on improving your finances and that you are in control of money. It allows you to reflect on your habits and gives you the time to see what your relationship is like with money. 

Have you tried no spend days? Do they work for you? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday Photo 29/05/2022

My boys sang in the school choir with loads of other school choirs for especially singing event at the Royal Alber Hall this week, they absolutely loved it. It was easy to spot one of my sons as he had a red cast on lol. 

         

How to have a smooth school morning run.

Hey readers,

Now we are back at school some of us *ahem* struggle with the morning run. It seems chaotic and rushed so here are some ways that have helped me to have a smooth school morning run without the stress.

Preparation do in the evening. 

So. where shall we start? well, I think the first important thing to incorporate into your school routine is preparing the night before to reduce the stress. 

This will help give you the confidence that everything is under control. Making sure that the schoolbags have been emptied of the millions of letters, getting the bag ready, and having all the school uniforms gathered and placed neatly for the morning. 

Therefore once it is morning all you have to worry about is getting your darlings motivated to get dressed.

Lunch.

If you have a child who takes lunch to school preparing it the night before can help save some time in the morning. As parents, we need to do the minimum as it is important to make sure we have a HOT tea, crucial!

Reward Chart. 

If you are struggling to get your child motivated one way to help in the short term is a reward chart. Plan out each section - get up, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth etc and give a star when that routine is done, once the child collects x amount of stickers.

They will be rewarded for their good behaviour. This can help ease your child into a productive routine and hopefully with time they know what to expect and it is a much calmer affair.

10 minutes early.

If you have children like that are what you would call speedy when they walk to school (ironic as any other time you would think they were Bolt).

Then leaving 10 minutes early to get trot school can be a solution to getting in on time. It also means you don't have to stress and can take your time without rushing and shouting, "hurry up"!

Being aware of what is happening. 

A thing that I have in the past struggled with is forgetting to check if there is something important happening at the school. Make sure you have a diary to put important information such as needing to bring in money or food for a special occasion.

 Therefore you can feel in control and know what is happening beforehand. Make sure that you read the newsletters or any letter from the school bag the night before.

Breakfast.

I make sure that the cereal boxes are out, bowls and spoons the night before can really save some time in the morning. 

Doing the baths again the night before is another you can do to reduce the amount you have to prepare in the morning.

Anxiety. 

My eldest suffers quite a from anxiety because of having autism. What can help settle him and reduce any conflict is talking to him the night before about anything that is bothering him and if you can try to come up with a solution.

Hope this helps and is there anything that helps you reduce the stress of the morning routine? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

5 ways to make money.

Hey readers,

Needing some extra money well there are so many good ways to do this online and offline. I am going to discuss five ways to make some money, levels vary in difficulty but it is always good to gain more knowledge in this area. 

5 ways to make money. 

1. Rent your space.

If you have a free parking space that you aren't using you could rent it out., this is a particular handy id if you live in a busy area. Websites like Parklet or Just Park are brilliant for advertising your parking space. It is a great passive income and you could earn up to £200 literally doing nothing.  

2. Sell sperm or eggs. 

For this next one, I would suggest really thinking about what you are doing as you are giving your egg or sperm to create another human being. Of course, this is fantastic for people who have genuine issues surrounding naturally conceiving. 

However, one issue that you need to bear in mind is anonymity now from 2005 the law changed regarding this issue and when the child reaches 16 they can access information about you. Yes, it is easy money on the one hand but it is a big thing to do and the costs very. So before jumping headfirst speak to someone to make sure you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. 

3. Tutoring.

Online tutoring has become really popular over the last few years as you can do it anywhere online. There are many sites to help set you up as a tutor such as my tutor, fleet tutors, and super prof for example. there are many topics you could tutor such as maths and science and even learning a musical instrument. 

4. Participate in medical research. 

This is an interesting one and it really does vary from the research as to how much you get paid. For instance, some might shop gift cards for £50 while other studies offer £100 all the way up to  £1000s. The thing that you need to ask though is why is the money so high what does the research involved and how will it impact my own body.

 Remember some of this research is new and testing drugs on you and they don't know the impact hence the money thing. It is tempting but if that scares you go for the low-end research things like looking at sleep research that isn't so scary but is interesting and you earn some pounds, win-win. 

5. House sitting. 

Moving on to a move safer option is house sitting, this is a great way to earn money. Some people are away for a period of time and want someone to keep an eye on their home, pick up their posts water their plants, and make sure the place is tidy and clean for them. 

Depending on what they want from you and your location you may pop around each day or you may just stay at length in their home while they away. The lengths can really vary from a week to a few months but you could save money as they pay for the bills such as heating etc so great little earner. 

What do you think of my ideas for making money? have you tried them? have you any other good ideas to make money? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading x 

My Sunday Photo 21/05/2022

 

My yougest is so proud of his drawing of a dalek he did, he absolutely loves Dr Who!