Memorygirls - Make Do and Mend

Memory_Girl

Hello everyone

I'm still around and about - spent the last week or so with a pal from down south creating all the "Web-stuff" to market a series of seminars that I am doing to raise money for our wee school. I now have a much healthier respect for the attention to detail web-designers and marketing peeps do on a daily basis.

I'ev got all my receipts here - and despite some storecupboard bits - corned beef (on offer) tinned tomatoes (dented) bread flour (offer) 3 flavours of squash (well looks like the summers gone if the rain today is anything to go by) - last weeks spends came to a total of £23.26

That leaves me only £35.29 left on the challenge - which made me go :eek: - and then I thought, actually thats a third of my budget still left to go. Today is day 23, so an average spend of £2.81 per day for me and two DS. - actually for the last week that has been me. 2 DS and 2 house guests. My reckonning is that the budget could be stretched out to last another 12 days which takes us to Friday the 4th of June easily - or if I really get working on it........... well my birthday is exactly a week later than that. I wonder if it's possible to make it stretch that far???:cool:

Wouldn't it be cool to set myself another £100 challenge from my birthday and see how far that could take me? Gulp!!! Just looked at the calendar and that takes me into the summer holidays:D

But look on the bright side - I have £80.61 in my savings tin for holiday treats - and not having to run the car on the school run for 8 weeks will really ease the budget. Will also give us time to really make a difference in our garden.

Had a real find this week.

:j:j Got an ice-cream maker from the local charity furniture place - doens't churn so got a refund..............but, the refridgeration unit works a storm so I figure that its a blown motor. They said I could take it away and try to get it fixed. Now Ij ust need to find someone in Fife who can fit a new motor (you know one of those "old-fashioned" electrical repairmen who believes in "Make do and Mend" rather than "get a new one luv!!!".

It's a proper gelato maker - makes icecream in 40 minutes!!! We made frozen strawberry yogurt to test Mmmmmm it and its sooooooo much better than the cheap stuff I can budget for. It makes pukka "premium stuff" not the water/air/veg oil icecream. I'm sure if I can get it to churn I will be the bestest mummy on the planet And I will be making some real bargain basement budget "luxury" ice cream too.

All the gadgets a girl could ask for, a garden beginning to sprout, furniture projects to "shabby Chic", knitting wool galore in stock and a fabric stash fro the girlies that is making my fingers itch to get going and making stuff for Christmas.

Oh!!! and a seminar, an e-book and a 52 week on-line course, written,,editted, formatted and automated on the web to raise school funds.

Whew!!! What a week.

.................and theres money slowly growing in the bank:j:j

Looking forward to the challenges of this year with some nice shiny optomism now.

Off to update my signature

Memorygirl

PS Just had a though - maybe I could find a bod atthe local RAF station that can do my motor - off to text my Girlie pals.

ClootiesMum

Good to hear from you again - and glad everything is going well.

The rain is supposed to clear up today - at about 7 o'clock...... but in all honesty, I'm glad of a day of rest from the garden as I was moving sandbags yesterday and now fel that my arms have been run over by a steamroller.

Have a good day

Firewalker

Memory Girl, have been reading your diary for sometime and really enjoy it. Wish I could get my self to do some of the things you can - mostly the making stuff part and the experimental cooking. Two months ago I would have said 'but I can't'. Today I say 'not yet but who knows'.

Glad you are back with all the work done last week.

Firewalker

knitwit67

Good to have you back memory girl, we missed you:j. I have been checking out the shabby chic link to fill the void. They have some great idea's there to. I am spoilt for choice now, not that I will choose, I will keep upto date with you both. Glad you had a productive week, well done. Sorry it's raining there guy's it's too hot down here, I came indoors to cool off. Maybe the sun is on it's way back upto you.:cool:

Buffythedebtslayer

*needs a link to the Shabby chic thread*

Hey Memory Girl xx glad you are back - I also lurk

xxx

Memory_Girl

Hello Lurkers :rotfl:

Well you are not really lurkers if you pop in chat - but a Good Morning and a Happy Monday to you all - You!!! You've guessed it, the sun is out shining here today:j

Had a frugal freecycle find yesterday afternoon - a very kind gentleman about three minutes drive from me had a rocking chair he was offering. I'm thinking how much would I love a little rocking reading corner so I requested it - and he asked ME to collect:j:j

Turns out to be a set of beech rocking (gliding chair) with a matching gliding stool. Now the stool needs recoverring and the chair needs a seat pad - but they are small, beautifully shaped and sooooo comfortable that everyone had a shot last night. I am so Lucky:D

Pictures of the "After" will be forthcoming I promise.

Today I am working with my writing partner - going to try and get the email out to all the parents about the training for the school out and circulating.

After that - well after the rain of yesterday I can't put off hte heavy work in the garden any more - I simply must get out there and get the beds filled and the seeds planted in my "Square Foot Garden"

I never realised that I could fill my life with things that make my heart sing - it will almost be a shame to go back to work when the littlie gets his funded nursery place in January. WE actually talked about creating a timetable of my week to make sure I have time to get to everything I would like to do - that could be a project for the next rainy day.

Child Benefit day - so fingers crossed for a NSD and the buffer zone is slowly building again.

Looked on Ebay yesterday, set up a new account, set up a new Paypal Account too. I have decided that I am gong to learn how to Ebay my bits n bobs so that I can raise money to buy a family tent to take the boys on a summer holiday - about £150 should cover it.

Off "to see what I can see"

Memorygirl

ClootiesMum

Well MG - all I can say is that you must have stolen the sun. It's not raining here but sunny it is not......

Cool find on the rocking chair - if tou want a nice clasic coffee table as well, I have one and I have some lovely patchwork style cushions that need a home (all my Mum's stuff but they are good taste & good quality & really need a good home)

I never realised that I could fill my life with things that make my heart sing

I love this - and I know what you mean.

Also, just a wee aside - I have an appt in a wee cooper's place on Wed at 2 - if you need some more eggs from the ladies, I can drop them off to you somewhere convenient (I can even put said table & cushions in the car so you can see them if you want).

Take care & have a good day gardening & working

Memory_Girl

Ooh Patchworky cushions - sounds fabulous.

I will PM you my address ClootiesMum - I would love some more eggs if the ladies are laying. I can lay on a cup of tea and something sweet if you've got time??

The suns gone in here too - but I will get busy in the garden regardless - especially if there is to be a OS inspection on Wednesday - LOL

Money is flowing towards me today - £30 from MoneySupermarket for changing my utility supplier and £3.50 of Mr T vouchers that I can use. Do I have to count them against my £100 challenge or are they an extra????

Memorygirl

ClootiesMum

The ladies lay 3 a day between them - they're hard working wee souls. Although they can be naughtyish. They were out the other day & I took water out for the dogs - hens got there first. Then took food out for dogs (tinned & dried) - hens again got there first. But worst of all - I found one drinking my wine out the glass......... chicken with white wine sauce anyone?

Well done on the extra dosh

Memory_Girl

:j:j:j WOOOOOHHHOOOOO!!!!:j:j:j

Bargain find of an ice-cream maker (That doesn't churn) is now working.

The electrican from across the road opened it up, tested the circuit, saw the sensors were missing and plugged the power straight into the motor.

Now the lovely thing churns - albeit you have to throw the switch to make it churn and then stop it again - so it doesn't do the whole thing automatically.

The cost - very MSE - could he have some of the strawberry forzen yogurt we were raving about???????? Yipee!!! Tomorrow at tea-time him and his kids shall have a box of frozen yogurt with my love:D

I love it when a plan comes together:beer:

Now to finish making risotto for tea(pea and parmesan), bath for the kids and a bucket of soapy water to clean the rocking chair before doing the ironing. OH!!! How I know how to live.:rotfl:

Taking pal to the airport tomorrow, so hopefully will be another NSD - although I am on the search for cushions for the rocking chair so fingers crossed - although I'm thinking some cosy crochet ones would be perfect.

In my head I have this perfect vision of how my home should be - in reality its still more shabby and less chic - but I will get there - one cushion cover at a time - LOL

Memorygirl