Government funded dressing table

Today my bank balance was uplifted by £190.  Why?  I hear you ask – well, just for being pregnant, that’s it, simple as! 

So today I received a cash payment from the government called the “Health in Pregnancy Grant”.  Is it just me or does anyone else find this grant a very odd thing to be doing?  I think it is odd full stop.  Even odder when combined with the timing, mid recession, following the almost complete financial infrastructure meltdown of modern times, I think it is absolutely bonkers!  Am I alone here? 

This grant is not means tested in anyway, its blanket paid by cash transfer to pretty much anyone and everyone who is 25+ weeks pregnant.  Don’t get me wrong having spent two evenings of my life declaring my life and soul across 24 pages of application form to be advised my family was not eligible for child tax credits, I appreciate the simplicity of its criteria!  However I’m not sure cash lump sums are the way forward.  Don’t get me wrong I’m delighted to have some of my hard earned taxes returned to cover my expenses rather than those of our esteemed government ministers and their second homes.  For once it makes a pleasant change!  But I still don’t “get it” cash doesn’t provide any direction for expenditure.  I’m neither rich nor poor, our family works hard to be able to enjoy a comfortable life and afford nice things, holidays etc. and are proud of our efforts and the rewards they afford us. 

A month ago we began the re-jig of our house, its contents and its residents, to make room for baby number two (who remains no closer to being named anything other than “baby number two” in case you were wondering!)  In doing so some things were sold or given away to charity and some new items were purchased.  These included a new dressing table for yours truly… moi… me… myself and only I!  I have always wanted one.  Never seen THE one.  Then I saw it… AND… it was in the sale … double bonus… it was meant to be!  So I bought it!  I bought it for … £190 … oops – did I just spend my “Health in Pregnancy Grant” on a fabulous mirrored dressing table?  I think I quite possibly did!

Is this fabulous mirrored dressing table what the government meant when they said “The money is to help you with your wider costs in the run up to your baby’s birth.”?  I suspect not!  But said dressing table remains longer awaited than this baby and will never keep me up in the night nor vomit on me, it will be pain free in its delivery which is conveniently scheduled for next Thursday between 2pm and 6pm with all the hard labour being undertaken by men while I provide appropriate encouragement from a chair on the other side of the room!  Sound familar ladies?!

But whilst I hold my hands up and add this spending failure to my already long and ever growing list, I ask the question is it just me or is it that the UK government hasn’t really thought this one through here?  So UK tax payers, pregnant friends, and followers I’ve got mine and spent mine (many times over if the truth be told) … have you got yours?  And … more importantly how will you spend yours?  What do you make of this new “Health in Pregnancy Grant”? 

Looking forward to your thoughts, my dressing table & a healthy pregnancy and baby of course!

Claire x

Wordless Wednesday – Hungry Wednesday!

Its been a while …

… since I wrote about what I’ve been up to and the trials of life sent our way.  I’m now 24 weeks pregnant with baby number two and having been terribly ill for the first 14 or so weeks have had a good couple of months sickness free and generally feeling quite well, if a little tired but that is life as a working mum with a two year old toddler! 

I have been working on some freelance marketing projects and met some really nice new people I haven’t worked with before which is great – a big shout out to the teams at YOYO Media and MadHouse HQ and fingers crossed for their imminent pitches!  Dandelion Lounge has displays, sample packs and competitions running at a number of Summer Fairs and Charity events.  If you aren’t at one and want a chance to win some of our fabulous cards, its easy, just register on www.dandelionlounge.co.uk before 30th September.

Currently and for the last three weeks (and counting!) my family and are living with my parents whilst we have a new kitchen and bathroom fitted – we are already a week over and the frustration around the whole project and unreliable tradesmen is too great to write anymore than that at this point – grrr – I’ll write more on this I am sure but when tempers and patience aren’t as tested and fraught! 

On a happier note I am counting down to a weeks holiday back down at our place in Cornwall at the begining of July.  The journey down there is a 5 hour one so we are treating ourselves and breaking the journey up with a hotel stop over either way and including a day trip to Thomas Land at Drayton Manor www.thomaslanduk.co.uk my little H is a big fan!  I will report back with a review of our experience in July.

Well I had better sign off, the weekend is here and although we are uprooted from our home on the plus side we do have extra grandparenting childcare!  Tomorrow is Fathers Day and we are headed for a day trip to Monkey Forest www.trentham-monkey-forest.com  so need to head out under grey June skies (I want a refund on Summer so far!) and buy food for our picnic.

Ciao for now!  Claire