50p a day til Christmas - healthily?! Weezl's next challenge...

cw18

Re: Tables and chairs....

My dining suite used to belong to my maternal grand-parents -- it was a wedding present in 1940(ish) -- which I inherited in 1991. We had it stripped, stained, varnished (or whatever was needed!) in 2002, and the chairs recovered at the same time. The fabric I opted for wasn't really up the job though, and a couple need doing again already A couple also need joints looking at, but the chap who did it for us is sadly no longer with us - so I've no idea where to take them now. (He loved working on them, and was stunned I didn't know they were solid walnut.) It's now on it's 4th generation of children (my Mum and her brothers, me and my brother plus cousins, my three children, and now my grand-daughters), and still looking like with a bit of TLC it will give good service for many years to come. I drove hubby mad when we were looking for a house in 2001, as I wrote a lot off just 'cos they didn't have space for the dining suite

And when my daughter got her place in 2005 she bought a (granted fairly cheap) table and chairs from Argos. 18 mnths/2 years down the line they were falling to pieces!!! So when I spotted a solid oak set in a second-hand shop I got in touch with her post-haste and she said she'd trust my judgment as to suitability. I think she paid around £50 for a circular table and 4 chairs - and the table extends to an oval that sits 6. The top piece is soooo heavy there's no way I can move the table single-handed, and there's no way at all my grand-daughters are going to tip it!! She loves that table, and is now convinced that second hand can mean better quality that will last for longer

(A lot of the stuff in her house is second hand anyway - wardrobes, cot bed, drawers, fridge/freezer, washing machine, computer desk - as this was the only way she could afford to "furnish" the place when she got it. And I have my work colleagues to thank for most of the stuff, and for them only charging her "peanuts" for most of it )

Plum_Pie

Weezl, I'm a bit limited at the moment re PC facilites for photos! I'll see what I can manage! I've heard '9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off'. My mum was (is!) a slim, active lady and she said it came off naturally, although she is v pro-breastfeeding.

I will admit that my taste is somewhat old fashioned but when I see rooms decorated entirely in metal, vinyl, glass etc (all fine in moderation), they just look so... uncomfortable! (The only thing I splashed out on for my house was a big red sofa!)

I love both the environmental and emotional element of using furniture with some history. If it's in good enough nick to be sold second hand, it was probably built to last! Any piece of second hand furniture, you can think 'How many meals have been served round this? How many family arguments have taken place? How many babies conceived on it (!) ? How many kids have served their parents their first efforts from the kitchen?'.

Cheryl, how lovely to have some from your family! Have you considered asking on Freecycle for a recommendation for a furniture restorer (it's allowed on my local board)? Or, I googled 'trusted tradesmen' and got atleast 4 sites for the public to recommend tradesmen that they have used.

shaz_mum_of__2

Morning all

Not been about much due to going away party and actually taking DS away to the army college the journey was only 1 and 1/2 hrs so might visit some weekends there are a few campsites nearby and best of all ...........RHS Harlow Carr is on the doorstep (a membership might be in order)

I managed not to cry until i got home ,promptly followed by a migraine and a night of sickness(stress me thinks) ,was due to have root canal work today which i have had to cancel(saving £90 so a plus )

Feeling a bit better now and ready for some comfort food!!!

I want to ask al the welsh readers if any of them watched the series Coal House where 3 families went to live in turn of the century mining cottages??? Just watched the DVD's it was fab and eye-opening



Shaz

redsquirrel80

Hi all, I've not been able to keep up with the thread for a while- was away on holiday then really busy time at work.. so just popped in to see what was going on and wow - a baby Weezl on the way! Massive congratulations to you both!

Just plodding along here, have benefited a lot from free food from my and other people's gardens. Looking quite tight to stay under £150 by Christmas, though it would be great if I can do it as things are not too good money-wise at the moment Found my local Aldi yesterday and it's close to the biggest Tesco in town so thinking I can combine the two (although limited by how much I can carry - and it's a five mile round trip, walking, but hey, it's free exercise!)

Definitely spending less than I was - hoping to hit the end of September with a rough £30/ month average.. definitely need some creative thinking for the next few months though!

boredofbeingathome

Hi all ..another advocate of decent second hand furniture here as well! And real nappies are definately the way to go, easier all round, less environmental impact and i find potty training easier as well. I used disposables for travel and if boil washed skin on botties remain lovely..
And back to topic..budget slightly tight this month as have had extra expenditure for things so am being very wary of it..so far have sorted out to vary between £4-£5 per day which is not too bad! Less on plenty of other days, so hoping for much reduced expenditure this month..hae also noticed lots of sneaky price increases in Aldi..basic wholewheat brown up to 65p instead of 55p. Potatoes on the increase as well. So lots more homemade bread, problem is it is so delicious i always want more!
Hope you are all well. BOB X

MRSMCAWBER

Afternoon all

No blackberries for me ..there are loads on -just not had enough warmth to ripen -yet ..but I live in hope
Im glad I didn't need much in the food line today as the NAAFI was sadly lacking in the "whoopsy department" :rolleyes: .... Although I did grasp 3x3litre bottles of whole milk for €1 each :j which was one of the few things i needed :T -they are now wedged in the freezer -took some doing but i managed by removing a few bits for tomorrows dinner

We nipped out to the shop that was advertising the 10kilo boxes of washpowder for €6.99 -about £5.60 and they had it in :T (they are devils for not stocking what is advertised).. now a box will last me over 1 year -we have been here since July last year and im still on my 1st box :rotfl: -but I grabbed 2 boxes -so I can start collecting some to bring back to the UK with us
I also picked up some bits for the store in the basement...the shelves are getting full:j

• 3 huge tins of fruit in juice-1 pear, 1 apricot and 1 peach for 80c/64p each
• 2 bags of soaking peas -but not marrowfats like we get 500g for 69c/56p each
• and some cartons of veg for super emergancies.. 1 peas n sweetcorn in a light cheese sauce, a carrots and peas in a cream sauce and one lentils in a creamy sauce (will report back when i have tried them ) they were 49c/40p each -so not super cheap but hopefully a great standby for winter.. when I have tried them I may get some more in ready
• Oh and a 5kilo net of onions for €1.79 / £1.40 -we use loads

On the 2nd hand furniture... I have to confess to buying all of ours The 1st time we were in germany -to be honest it wasn't much more than buying 2nd hand and its raw wood so I can bring it back to life when it gets too battered
But upstairs I have a bookcase that was my grandads and a captains table that was my grandmas.. a chest of walnut drawers that were my dads and back at mums I have my mamas table..its a drop leaf table with a shine like glass and not a mark on it.. she always kept it covered :rotfl: ... but its stunning -so living with mum until I get back -not having that knocked about by removals men :eek:

Right I had better nip out and fetch off any more tomatoes that are ready for the window bottom -the rain is threatening again..shock horror then im back to my sewing/knitting
have a great day everyone:D

munchki

Just a quick question....

Sooooooo much rain and sooooooooooo little sun. Have stacks of green toms, some are lighter than others but nothing is turning red or even hinting and I am afraid that the lack of sun and huge amounts of rain will just kill them off instead. I am thinking of just picking them all and ripening indoors instead. What do you all think?

Mrs M - thank you for the xmas cake recipe, going to make one for the first time this year and that sounds yummy!

In_Search_Of_Me

afternoon weezilites...weezl I think if youre hungry alot its your bodies way of telling you to eat more. Its not like youre a foodie addict like me (ie I can eat from emotional hunger - happy, sad, rain, shine...days ending in day..!!) so I recon eat a wee bit more and see if that helps..maybe have some fresh fruit, more sultanas to museli etc? We dont want you getting all wobbly and shaky for being hungry...plus having the gorgeous figure that you do I'm sure you'll be back to skinny minny in no time...feed the fergus I say...but ya know me...never do owt by half! Mind you me n Ms C are very wise arent we C?!!
Ta for the recipe for choc will give that a go and let you know the verdict! My methd of bribing with food generally works!! Not sure I'll be that sucessful as its a fairly major task I'm askin but worth a try...must also go pop the ice cream machine in teh freezer or I wont be able to use that in me cunning plan! What goes well with choc brownies? I did wonder at plain vanilla but thought that a bit dull?
Re second hand furniture...I love a good find...I got a gorgeous bench where I store my jam jars etc when weezl and I went to car booty and was v.chuffed with it...nothing like lovely large old furniture but alas me wee flat doesent have room...I also love the thought if its history....the bench was owned by a young family and didnt look at me like I was loony when I said dont worry it will be loved and looked after!
Am investigating nappies...mum will have a look and see if she has any old towels and I'll see if I can locate a pattern...cant be harder than a patchwork play mat thats for sure!!

MRSMCAWBER

Munchki

Thats what im doing...lots of them ripened well on the plants especially the smaller ones.. now as soon as the show signs of going lighter I fetch them in and stick them on the windowsill with a ripe one....a day later they are usually ready :T
I have just been out and fetched over another 2lb in and taken about the same out of the window bottom -ready for roasting .... The weather is so wet right now i figure its best to take some off and give the plants less to do
They are ripening out there mind, as yesterday i fetched loads in....and yet today there were quite a few fully ripe :T

munchki

Thanks for that Mrs M - thats it, the whole bloody lot is coming off and going in the window! Have been looking at the green toms for weeks now and have given up waiting for nature to do it so will give it a tiny helping hand

Kath