anyone else os but not good at it...

Sweetpeanut

i can sew, crotchet and cook, but im not fantastic at it, my food is edible (no-ones got ill yet:D) i can only make blankets (can't make hats or anything too useful:D) and i sew on a machine my hand-sewing looks like a 3yr-old's done it:rotfl:. i can only sew on a machine because i worked in a sewing factory for 12 yrs. i love reading the books, tightwad gazette, miserly moms & all the others but can't manage to get my order in under £70, as much as ive tried:o. i waste food, water & most other things but i do try, ive started saving £2 a day, and figure if i can change 1 thing a week, i might get there eventually;).

xx_Jo_xx

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

I think we're all on a journey. Some people are way up there and the rest of us are following hopefully

Amen!! I coulnt agree more.

My mum was very crafty and artistic, always cooks from scratch, she was a single parent with three kids and was very good at making ends meet! (Not that I appreciated that at the time!)

I, on the other hand, wouldnt know one end of the knitting needle from the other and would LOVE to learn but I wouldnt even know where to start!! Same as a sewing machine. Until recently, I have 'convenience cooked' - i.e. used jars, packets, ready meals etc. I buy all my cleaning products!!! I am utterly hopeless.

However I am now tightening my belt and am making an effort not to be so wasteful!! I am a single parent to a 7 year old and trying to fit everything into a day is bad enough, never mind being out on pocket on top of all of that!!

I am learning.....slowly but surely. Im cooking from scrath far more often than I did, utilising my freezer more than ever before and cutting down on waste, food bills & energy bills in the process!

Its a learning curve but Im on the right path Im sure! xx

purpleivy

skintmumof3 wrote: »

just been reading some of the confessions thread..dead funny.especially this one.......
Last time I used my Dyson (I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE it.. but I LOVE Henry) I vacuumed DS1's room (16) .. while slurping up sweet wrappers from behind the monitor this 'thing' slurps its way up... It was a condom used while 'burping his worm' so he didn't make his sheets sticky... I had to empty and wash said Dyson bucket (did I mention I hate that machine) because I could see it going round.. and round.. and round.. and round.. in the cyclone!!!
really made me laugh....

Perhaps he might have been more careful if he'd known you were going to tell however many million people there are now on MSE! LOL! Mybe at the age of 16 and to avoid further humiliation he should start to vac his own room!

Justamum

*moggins* wrote: »

I loathe ironing and only ever iron school uniforms (I have even been known just to fold school sweatshirts and put them under something heavy so I don't have to iron them).

I don't actually mind ironing, but do very little of it - and the only bit of school uniform I occasionally iron is the collars on my DSs polo shirts (but usually he wears them a bit scrunched up:rotfl:). I must admit to using my TD and fold clothes as soon as they come out. I do hang stuff out in the summer, but in the winter it's pointless, and I don't want too much wet stuff hanging around the house. My SIL does that, and when they were stripping off the wallpaper to redecorate it was full of black mould :eek: (no wonder my nephew developed asthma :rolleyes:).

I try to do the 'little and often' approach to housework. I was on the flylady thread until a couple of weeks ago, and I feel I've got the hang of it now and the house is actually ok - many thanks to flylady for keeping me on the straight and narrow :rotfl:. I might have to venture back there if it all slips.

I enjoy sewing, but don't get the chance to do much (I'm trying to lose weight before I waste my time making clothes)

I cook from scratch, enjoy baking but don't do enough of it. There's no right or wrong way with OS, I think everybody finds their own way which suits them. We're not trying to be Stepford Wives or anything :eek::rotfl:

janb5

Mellika wrote: »

My mum never did any sewing or knitting either. Or crafting. I think that's what's made me love crafts so much, but still useless at them...

Anyway following the thread... I HATE housework. I guess I was a lazy kid and moved here when still a teen just out of high school. So went from being a schoolgirl straight to being a wife. I think it's psychological, I just refuse to grow up

Wait, I don't know why I'm smiling. It's really bad...........

Can anyone tell me how to clean a microwave properly?

Hi Melika,

I have found that the easiest way to clean a microwave is to turn it upside down otherwise it is really hard to do the top. Take out the turntableand clean that as well and use windowcleaner on the door. HTH

Justamum

skintmumof3 wrote: »

in my bedroom its the spider sanctuary...well, there could be some eight legged endangered species dwelling there and i wouldn`t want to wipe it totally off the planet

:eek::eek::eek: I don't think I could sleep very well if I knew there were loads of spiders in my room. Apparently the average person eats 8 (I think it was) spiders in their lifetime in their sleep :eek::eek::eek::eek: (Factoids on Steve Wright )

xx_Jo_xx

janb5 wrote: »

Hi Melika,

I have found that the easiest way to clean a microwave is to turn it upside down otherwise it is really hard to do the top. Take out the turntableand clean that as well and use windowcleaner on the door. HTH

The easiest way to clean it is to put a bowl of water in the microwave and let it 'cook' for about 2 mins or so - the water will start to boil and the microwave will get full of steam.

It will soften all the gunk on the microwave and it will wipe off easy peasy!!! Even whats stuck to the roof!

:T :T

Justamum

dutchy wrote: »

My Mum always taught me 'never go up or down stairs empty handed', and I live by this. This, to me, is tidying up. Mostly I loathe housework, but if in the right mood can do a very good job of it. (By the way, couldn't agree more about the Dyson/Henry thing! I hated my Dyson with a passion!).

If we had 'stuff' to take upstairs my mum put it in piles for us to take up when we went. I've been trying to do this with my children, but so far I'm failing miserably. My DD1 sleeps in the attic so has her own stairs. I've tried putting her stuff right in the middle so she has no choice but to pick it up, but she just steps over it

dutchy wrote: »

I am, however, very good in the kitchen, and am blessed with the ability to make a meal out of virtually nothing. Food is something that simply does not get thrown away in this house (comes from having a Mum that survived the war years and rationing). Only this evening I cooked a HUGE biriyani (enough for tomorrow too) and two loaves of bread.

I can make a meal out of virtually nothing, but that's thanks to various people on this forum who post some amazing recipes. My mum came through the war and vividly remembers rationing and having to make ends meet, but she's quite wasteful with food now :eek: I found myself picking perfectly fine spuds out of her bin last time I was there :rotfl:

dutchy wrote: »

I believe the best way of OS-ing is to cherry pick what suits you, and not get too hung-up about what you don't do.

Dutchy

Well said. We mustn't compare ourselves with anyone else. I've picked up loads of tips from these forums, but other things I've decided are not for me.

Justamum

skintmumof3 wrote: »

just been reading some of the confessions thread..dead funny.especially this one.......
Last time I used my Dyson (I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE it.. but I LOVE Henry) I vacuumed DS1's room (16) .. while slurping up sweet wrappers from behind the monitor this 'thing' slurps its way up... It was a condom used while 'burping his worm' so he didn't make his sheets sticky... I had to empty and wash said Dyson bucket (did I mention I hate that machine) because I could see it going round.. and round.. and round.. and round.. in the cyclone!!!
really made me laugh....

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:I've never heard that expression before. I hope he doesn't find out you've told countless numbers of people about it. The poor lad will be mortified :rotfl:

OrkneyStar

I consider these my OS plus points :T:- I cook from scratch (mostly), I knit, I buy second hand and recycle stuff, I sweep instead of hoover (mostly), I can bake bread, cakes etc and do a lot of the time, I make cloths from old clothes, I walk when I can instead of driving, I am an avid crafter.
These are my minuses :- I buy too many crisps and choccie (and eat them ), I love my nice smelling washing liquid and fabric conditioner, I (sometimes) use leccie blanket for heat/to help sore back, I buy shop bought loaves and potato scones!, I don't grow stuff.
I am sure there are more of both though!
I agree we cannot expect ourselves to be OS martyrs, life is for living as well as being OS!
Take care everyone.