really old style living?

anguk

ceridwen wrote: »

Me - I just want to buy my cosmetics readymade - as I want things as simple as possible - but I know the prices of the cheapest level I feel happy with - and they are :eek: level. Hence the decision to make my own instead - but they must be as simple as simple can be (both to get the ingredients and to make them subsequently) because of this being something I dont want to do particularly.

I love my BalmBalm, it's organic, natural, only has a few ingredients and isn't too expensive at £3.99. It's only a little handbag size tub but lasts for ages as little goes a long way or you can get the bigger tub for £5.99. The beauty of BalmBalm is you can use it anywhere - lips, face, body, hands etc. it truly is multi-purpose.
http://www.balmbalm.com/

Red_Doe

Charis wrote: »

From an interesting thread on Selfsufficientish.com

"Borates as a family (including sodium borate also known as Borax), have been proposed as Reprotoxins and I think this is the reason they have been removed from the consumer market. A reprotoxin is something that can have long term systemic effects on the reproductive systems in humans (Risk phrases will be R60 may impair fertility and R61 may cause harm to the unborn child)."

You can't kill ants with the substitute, apparently.

You can still buy `real` Borax on eBay, which I do as I use it for work where the substitute wouldn`t work. I do think the powers that be have too much of a nannyish attitude to health and safety when it comes to household chemicals that our mums and grans used perfectly well in the past.
I do believe that most folks will use good old common sense in handling and using them.
As for the Borax substitute, it isn`t a patch on the original thing imo.

ginnyknit

Just had to bring this thread back before it faded away:)

Have got the slowcooker bubbling away with Hm baked beans in as I want good food for Dgs and he loves mash and beans with whatever meat or fish is around. Am seriously making an attempt to remove all additives from our food. OH's health is getting worse and he has lost a lot of weight over Christmas since his accident so am building him up.

Have been buying a few inexpensive bits and bobs this week online. Just got a bag of Aida offcuts and various pieces of Aida for a pound or less but am struggling to find cheap thread - anchor or DMC. Its 99p a skein at hobbycraft and the amount I use thats just too dear. Also bought a pack of patchwork squares of Evilbay to make hima dog cushion for his birthday. After much searching I decided it was cheaper to buy a pack than try and buy fabric - its soooo expensive now. 100 squares were 1.99 plus 2.00 post. Am going to try and scrounge some clothes off friends to do some more patchwork.

As you can see I am trying valiantly to keep myself occupied as cheaply as poss before my brain explodes with all the stress we are all going through.

Mardatha can you actually knit by candle light? or are you one of those clever sausages who can knit without looking at your work much - remember reading it when you were talking about powercuts-?

annie123

GK, I'm sorry to hear your OH health is getting worse, that's the trouble with being ill, you don't feel like eating when you need vitamins/minerals/protein for repair.

I was just reading about 'our' Mar getting chickens. Not that I'm jealous.....goes off to sulk......

mardatha

I can knit straight rows without looking yes, but when turning a heel or following a pattern then I use a mirror - magnifying if you have one - behind a couple of candles or tealights.
I think our ways will make a huge comeback any time soon if the unions do start working to rule or striking. We'll all be sat in front of our wee fires, knitting socks and singing "We'll meet againnnn ...dont know where.. don't know whennnnn..." :rotfl:
All those who canny knit, start sewing a pinny !

mardatha

Anniemouse, I have longed for chickens since I was about 8 !! It was always my dream... ( that and seeing Shetland which will never happen now ).
I will need to have the coop delivered on a Tues because I have a really nosy neighbour and that's the day she goes out LOL. Less that old ba* knows the better ... They're all country folk here and if you mention somebody has hens they will shake heads slowly and say "Ahhhh, Chickens Cause RATS".. Nevermind the fact that everywhere's got bloody rats all the time anyway, is just that you never see them !
One thing is bothering me though. What's the point of having hens to get free range healthy eggs, if you are feeding them commercial layers mash ? Is that not just turning out the same eggs as Asda/Tesco really ? I wonder what you can feed them on that is really OS and homemade - and would they still lay?

Peartree

anguk wrote: »

Ikea have one for £13.27 (don't you just love the odd prices with this vat increase):
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/40176078

I fancy getting one for the kitchen but I'm not sure how they fix to the ceiling? I'm afraid it would fall down with a full load of washing on it.

That's a really good price. You can buy the components to make the more old fashioned one yourself if you go to an old fashioned hardware shop - I've just got them. The metal 'ends' that the laths go through are about £7. You then need a double pullley, a single pulley and the cord. You'd then have to go to a timber merchant to get the laths. I'm anticipating it will cost about £20 ish for the whole thing.

I found instructions to put one together here - it is for a kit but, as I say, you can buy all the bits and bobs yourself fairly easily. http://www.mygreenerhome.co.uk/docs/sheilamaidinstallation.pdf

The key thing will be to ensure the screws are in the ceiling joists (if you stick a long screw into the ceiling anywhere that ISN'T a joist will be hollow - you might need to do a bit of filling after you've worked that one out!) and that that the cleat you tie it up by is attached to something strong - I already had one in my kitchen attached to the pantry door frame.

annie123

mardatha wrote: »

I wonder what you can feed them on that is really OS and homemade - and would they still lay?

worms and slugs........if you're short of slugs I can send you some

I've always wanted my own too. My aunt had a massive garden and kept chickens and bees (my neighbours vetod bees but they maybe moving in the autumn:j)

She used to feed a small amount of pellets other than that they eat insects,worms and slugs from what I remember. Lots of tasty eggs always available.
I read my chicken keeping book so as soon as hubby decides where in the world we can live with more space I'm ready:)

ginnyknit

I fed mine pellets every morning then peelings, fish bits, leftovers and uncle tom cobbley and all in the afternoon. Cider vinegar in their water with a couple of cloves of garlic popped in the bottle and a spoonful of codliver oil in one of their meals. That way its cheaper and healthier. Baked and ground egg shells everyday made them lay wonderous eggs. I miss my girls but the landlord would have made me get rid so they now living in splendid counrty abode of my friends - with a cockerel!

Charis

mardatha wrote: »

One thing is bothering me though. What's the point of having hens to get free range healthy eggs, if you are feeding them commercial layers mash ? Is that not just turning out the same eggs as Asda/Tesco really ? I wonder what you can feed them on that is really OS and homemade - and would they still lay?

Mardatha, Rhonda Jean has a good post on feeding 'chooks' here. Feeding is a little way down the page. She's got a few more articles dotted about too, there's a search box at the top of her blog page on the left.