Memorygirls - Make Do and Mend

Moobear

Just eaten some raw carrots but just not cutting it with all this talk of pies.:o( Have a real urge to nibble and not stop - feel like a binge but nothing to binge on. Screeeeaaammmmm

I had a lovely suprise today as my sister is buying me a bread maker for my birthday its not for a few more months yet but l was telling her all about MG and her cost cutting ideas and she said right l will get you one because l know where a special offer is on and you can have it early ) Bless my sweete sis ) Will have to go back through and find the recipe for the Italian bread.

I am now trying to find a bargain of a small chest freezer too as l have told DH that when things are cheap we need to stock up on them.

I have ordered my swing - glider for the GC and its coming on Thursday so now DH has to make sure the area is all nice to put it up at the bottom of the garden. My aim is to find a big trampolene (preferably big enough for adults to go on to) at a very knocked down low price, a wendy or cubby house and a little slide and then my playground will be complete. I will keep a good look out when the summer is over as that is when they drop the prices down and of course will check out the second hand sites that are local to us.

My 100 day challenge is going well, mainly doing a lot of pottering around the place type jobs ready for my Saturday clean through. Tomorrow plan to tackle the drawers and cupboards in the sitting room eeek! Thats my usual stash it out of sight room.

Good luck all xxx Mooooooooooooooo

PS Love your new house name Memory Manor - very nice - I should call mine Moobear Cave byeeee

whatatwit

I can see that we all seem to have huge "to do" lists....me included.
A friend has lent me a book, Ask and it is Given, there is a section about this and feeling as though you have too much to do.

Take a large piece of paper and draw a line down the middle, as a heading on the left side, write: "Things I Will Do Today" As a heading on the right side, write: "Things I Would Like The Universe To Do."
Now, looking over your long Things To Do list, select only those things that you absolutely intend to do this day. Things you feel you must do, things you really want to do. Select only those things that, no matter what,you intend to do today and enter them on the left side of your paper, beneath the heading; Things I Will Do Today. And now, enter all the other tasks on the Universe's side of the paper.

The chapter goes on to explain how this process helps and works, but my take on it, is that by making the list manageable and achievable, it helps you feel better and more able to achieve rather than fail. Also, you are asking the Universe directly to help and jobs should also start to go from the Universe's side.

I've only just started delving into the book, but thought it was relevant to the discussions on the thread.

Moobear

Hi Whatawit - can l exclude cleaning the oven:rotfl:

DawnW

whatatwit wrote: »

Take a large piece of paper and draw a line down the middle, as a heading on the left side, write: "Things I Will Do Today" As a heading on the right side, write: "Things I Would Like The Universe To Do."

I love this thread, I wish I was as motivated as you, Memorygirl :j

It would be great if 'the universe' (or anybody else) would clean MY oven though :j - sadly, so far they haven't unfortunately

whatatwit

DawnW wrote: »

I love this thread, I wish I was as motivated as you, Memorygirl :j

It would be great if 'the universe' (or anybody else) would clean MY oven though :j - sadly, so far they haven't unfortunately

Moobear wrote: »

Hi Whatawit - can l exclude cleaning the oven:rotfl:

But, have you included it on your list and then put it on the side of the Universe?
My thinking is that the Universe will be unable to do the task until I have asked and even then, it can't be hurried......so oven cleaning in my case could be on the list for a while.
But.....I could win oven cleaning by entering a comp or a leaflet offering a free oven clean if I let them photograph the before _pale_ and after...in which case the universe would have delivered.

*scurries off to comps board and searches oven cleaning*

Moobear

aah l see- will join you in the comps :Tboard

dfw844

Moobear wrote: »

Hi girls

MG you are anaughty girl - all l a can think about is pies - drool. I think we should go to yours for lunch - well in our dreams. How many hours till breakfast ?:rotfl:

I remember the first thing l was taught to cook at school was a pastry cobbler (platt type thingy) but the filling was divine - baked beans, chunks of corned beef and chopped onions. Mix together and stuck in the cobbler. You could do a real cheap pie with those.;)

844 - You must have died of shame when your MiL turned up - totally embarrassing.:eek: I hate unexpected guests - when family come over l go in to overdrive a few days before - mind you stick stuff in draws out of site only to be caught out by DH saying in front of everyone whats this doing here !!!:o I swear he does it on purpose :mad:
Today is my first time of hanging up my washing on the clothes horse in the spare room. Its all dry now and another load of washing in the machine with the timer set to go on during the night. I did put my towels inthe tumble dryer yesterday as l do love them soft but l cut up one of the fresh sheets in half to save a bit of money.

DH did do a bit of shopping down but kept it low as get paid on Friday this month. Plan on going to Aldi for a check of their prices, Lidle is too far away from me though. I have talked my sister who has a Costco card into taking me along with her when she does her next big shop to see if l can buy in bulk on things. I am so on a mission with decluttering and also economising.

844 can you give the odd tip every now and then for us who haven't got the book? It would be a great help to all us with CHAOS:T
Bye for now xxx Mooooooooooo

Yep, even just thinking about MIL on that day makes my face go bright red! We get on very well though.

The main tip is to clear your proper storage areas of stuff you don't use first. Eg, I had clothes on the floor, hanging on the back of chairs etc. These were the clothes I used. I didn't put them away because there was no room. I thought it was because I didn't have enough space, but I did, it was just full of stuff I didn't use. So I went through every drawer, and all my hanging space, and got rid of things. The best lesson was 'forgive yourself'. So you bought something (probably expensive?) and it looks awful on. But you can't throw it away, because it was expensive! Well, just admit you made a mistake, get rid of it, and move in. Once a week, you stumble in the street, right? You don't beat yourself up about it, you just carry on. Every so often, you burn your dinner. You don't dwell on it for months and leave it in the kitchen starting at you. But every time you open the wardrobe and see that item you feel bad. So get rid of it! Some I have sold on ebay, most I took to the charity shop - and it will look nice on someone, so I'm doing something good. Once the drawers were cleared out I had enough room to put everything away. And I thought about how I actually -live-. When I get in from work I put an old t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms on (soooo attractive). An assortment of these lived on the floor, because, well I'll put some on again tomorrow, so there's no use putting them away, right? Wrong. I cleared out one drawer where I just dump them all. I don't fold them, but they're still better than being on the floor. And I'm so much more likely to put them away when I don't have to jam everything in - a bit of excess capacity is what you need in drawers. Previously every time I opened a drawer it was so full it dragged a higher or a lower one with it. And then wouldn't shut! So you need to get the proper storage areas sorted, only then can you put the stuff you use all the time away.

The other idea is to put stuff where you use it. So don't keep things 'together' just because they are the same. eg. I have candles on my mantlepiece, which I like to light. I used to keep the lighter in the kitchen drawer. I would get it out, light the candles, then leave it on the coffee table. Then move it to the kitchen counter on my way past, then it would get covered in post, then next time I wanted it it wasn't in the drawer... it wasn't on the table... where was it? I don't smoke, so I only use it to light candles. So, I designated one decorative candle holder that is opaque and empty to stash it in. It's on my mantlepiece, right where I use it, so putting it away is automatic. I always know where it is, and because it is in a decorative jar thing, it doesn't spoil the decor. Perfect.

Wow, what an essay! I sound like such an evangelical, but seriously, I am a convert! This morning I didn't have time to make the bed, and it's bugging me that it is at home unmade. Now even a month ago, I'd have said, 'well, why make it? You're only going to get in it again in a few hours!'.

dfw844

And just to add -

Memorygirl, your son is amazing! You are raising a very kind and considerate lad, and MSE to boot! Also, swapping decluttering for homemade pies (and ice-cream?!) sound pretty good to me. If only we were closer!

Moobear - I didn't do this all at once, by the way. I've been really hard at the decluttering since Christmas. Just everyday getting rid of one or two things I don't need or use. Forgiving myself for buying things was a big one for me (because I hate waste - both monetary and stuff going to landfill). So I donated whatever I could. But somethings - like old nail varnishes which were dried up and 10 years old, I just had to admit needed to go in the bin. I'm trying to take it as a lesson to buy less in the future, and use things up before I replace them. It's actually really liberating.

knitwit67

Hi, reporting in on my first 7 days of 100. 2 clients this week not great but already got 2 booked for next week (target 15 week:eek:). Going to do more leaflets today. DH working tomorrow so I thought I would do some decluttering and then ebaying, free listings this weekend, bring out your junk to clutter someone elses house:rotfl:

miggy

Where've you gone, MG? Two days ago you had just made pies... now you're very quiet!
Hope all's well?