Memorygirls - Make Do and Mend

Memory_Girl

Firewalker wrote: »

Totally barking mad - but it helps if you would like to keep the friends from this thread. One small comment though.

The doing house up project sounds to me as a really big job that could fill much of the hundred days on its own. If I were you, I'll concentrate on building respectable income streams first - you might be able to comfortably live on royalties and training programmes soon, the Universe willing. When this happens you could either do all this work yourself (if it is your heart's desire) or have someone do it. Ingenuity is highly comendable but we need focus as well.

BTW, all my PhD students find loads of decorating/childcare/anythings else to do when the time to write their theses comes. It is a well know displacement technique.

You are spot on as usual Firewalker:D I work at my very best early in the morning and my Mentor (A*** kicker) has asked me to dedicate 5 productive hours per day to writing and launching my new programme - so I aim to be finished that by 12 noon every day.

The rest of the time he wants me to be "productively busy" and finishing all the jobs in the house will pay benefits for me in that

1. SHORT TERM :A better, cleaner and less cluttered environment to work from.

2. MEDIUM TERM: I can rent out two rooms to students when the moment comes to step off benefits - this will enable me to keep my income the same as it is now - cushionning the transition into Self Employment.

3. LONGER TERM: The finished house can then be valued and marketed ( at the moment the consensus is that I could make £70K profit still) as house was bought as a derelict repo without kitchen, bathroom, central heating etc. £70K "could" buy me a three bedroom ex-council house in a town about 10 miles from here - meaning I would be mortgage free whilst building my business.

So my challenge is to "work" in the mornings (very effectively) then use my time "after work" to finish the property.

Does that make sense?? BTW his thought of adding it to my 100 day challenge is to get me off my bahookie and taking massive action.

The ciabatta was great - loads of points with nine year son, twenty seven year step son and OH. If I only remembered to oil the bowl it we probably would not have had to peal the paper off it - or even eat it with the paper. Next time I'll remember. Thanks for this MG.

My absolutley favourite recipe (so far). Makes owning a breadmaker sooo worthwhile - if only to get the rest of the family on-board about eating nicer stuff on less money.

Firewalker

You can nag me all you like about getting the writing done Firewalker - it is THE most important thing I need to do every day - in fact I am going to try not even logging onto MSE until I have done my 5 hours every day.

Still working on the recipe costings - but nearly halfway now cos the baby had a nap earlier and because I knew what needed doing it was easy to pick up and keep going.

Memorygirl

Memory_Girl

Helen105 wrote: »

When I was doing up my living room last autumn, I split the work that needed doing into individual tasks and put a time next to them so I could schedule some jobs for the evening (paint skirting board 1 hour) and leave some jobs for the weekend (wallpaper back wall 4 hours). Doing this also meant I could tell if I actually had enough time to finish it by November or whenever I wanted it for.

That sounds like a great plan - then I can just check off the jobs as I go.

Most of the rooms just need a sort through and a freshen up - so creating an accurate time plan would be ideal.

Ta for this.

Memorygirl

Memory_Girl

Helen105 wrote: »

To report back on my first week of the challenge, it has gone pretty well.
I have lost three pounds (weight) and emptied several boxes and rehoused the contents either where they should be or in the bin.
I was rewarded this morning by finding the telephone. A while back we bought a new house phone with two handsets so we didn't need to keep running up & down the stairs & then promptly lost one but virtue was rewarded this morning when I found it behind a chest of drawers.
I was rewarded again today when a neighbour came round and offered me her granddaughter's second stage car seat for my GS saving me God knows how much on a new one.

Thats brilliant news - both on the phone but especially the Second Stage Carseat. They cost a fortune, and it's not really something you can do without.

Lovely neighbours are worth their weight in gold - I keep mine well bribed with cake, bread and tablet depending on what we are cooking:D

I'm loving all these great stories - cos I sneak into read when I'm in the kitchen cooking. If you look at my postings they do seem to revolve around "food" times.

Dinner tonight - for me and the littlie. Roast chicken leg, roast new potatoes, green beans, corn and savoy cabbage. Yummy!!!

Memorygirl

Memory_Girl

Nitha wrote: »

Agh my BM has broken just as I was trying to make some of the Sultana bread!!! Having a go with the dough hooks on my electric whisk now!!!

Aw! Nitha - hope you managed OK.

Get yourself onto Freecycle and ask for another - surely the Universe wouldn't keep you short of bread now would it?

Memorygirl

Memory_Girl

Spent £10 today on ..................

A writing bureau and a nest of three pine tables.

Both need to be shabby chic'd but I really like the proportions of them both - and a bargain for £10 for the two.

Another job to add to the list though.

Dinner done - so off to have 4 X 15 minute blasts to clear away the last of Sundays To-D0 list.

See you later

Memorygirl

Nitha

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Aw! Nitha - hope you managed OK.

Get yourself onto Freecycle and ask for another - surely the Universe wouldn't keep you short of bread now would it?

Memorygirl

I'm hoping it's still under warranty got to find the receipt!

Memory_Girl

JUst popping in for a quick update - as I'm munching lunch (HM wraps with guacamole and chopped onion with the very last of the "rubber cauliflower")

Spent the morning organising recipes for the book - so am now absolutely starving becaue I have been thinking about food all morning - LOL.

Got both parents in for dinner tonight after they drop DS1 off fromthe train and his adventures in Legoland. I'm soaking a bag of cannellini beans and must go and pop a loaf of Olive bread on, then I can make tono al faglioli (is that the right spelling??) Basically white beans, tuna, choped red onion and chives in an olive oil and lemon dressing. I've got enough green stuff to make salad, so with a loaf of fresh bread we should be OK for a lateish supper.

And all from Stock cupboard - so a NSD day so far.

Looking at my numbers - if I am very careful this week (and I mean very careful) I should be able to salt away another £125 tomorrow and might just stretch to another one on Friday. That would take me to 1.2% of my mortgage.

THis might be dependant on hitting Mr T late Thursday for their mega reductions on Fruit n veg however - don't think the kids will be up for a rubber savoy cabbage after last week's rubber cauli.

Off for a cup of coffee and a shuffle around of the furniture in my living-room. I wan to check the proportions of the bargains are right before I commit to buying paint etc. Might just give it a run over with emulsion whilst I'm into all the corners and freshen it up.

Want to spend another hour on the book - so hopefully DS2 will decide on a nap this afternoon too.

Later dudettes

Memorygirl

Firewalker

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Want to spend another hour on the book - so hopefully DS2 will decide on a nap this afternoon too.

Later dudettes

Memorygirl

Go MG, go, Very proud of you. I'll have to do my fun writing tonight - now engaged in a different kind of fun writing.

Firewalker

Memory_Girl

Hot n sweaty here at Memorygirl Manor - having a shuffle around of furniture and a first pass at finding enough stuff to ebay to pay for my new Broadband Connection.

So far I have filled four shelves of books and videos to get rid of - although I think the vids may have to go to the Charity Shop instead, and the books are pretty much all heavy cookery books so not sure how cost-effective to send they will be. But I'm actually being OK at letting go of them which is a big improvement.

Target for today is to get the livingroom back into a reasonable state by 7pm, have dinner made by then and my office clear again for an early start.

Time to reach for the kitchen timer again - LOL

Memorygirl

SmlSave

I'm very impressed that you're able to let cookery books go MG! All mine are in the study as I can't bear to be parted from them even though I know deep down...very very deep down... that I can get any recipe I want from the net.

3 hrs to get the living room sorted! tick tock tick tock...... *ducks to avoid getting by one of the cook books*