Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

Kitcaboodle

Glad to hear it's looking better Sammy & congrats on the job Greengoblin!

-

I am not impressed this morning. DH is super protective over DS and keeps saying his socks are too tight if they leave any mark at all on his ankles (er... like socks do on your ankles). Well, when putting on DS's night nappy he decided that that also should be looser...

Cue DS waking up four hours earlier than he should have done because his babygrow and sleeping bag were wet. Gah!

I wouldn't mind so much only the sleeping bag is wool (one of the reasons I money save in some areas is so I can pay for quality stuff that will improve DS's quality of life in others, like the sleeping bag and a good quality mattress for his cot). I now have to deliberate between:

(a) Not washing it - it didn't soak through too much to the cotton outer layer and, according to the web, you don't need to wash woolen nappy covers after every wash so a wee soaked wool sleeping bag should be OK with an airing.

(b) Trying to find the time to hand wash it and wait forever for it to dry.

(c) Risking trying to wash it in the machine, which will need the further purchasing of a suitable detergent as you shouldn't use handwashing detergent in a machine and we don't have any machine suitable wool detergent.

So yes, anyway, I now have a very awake baby, a not very awake me & a rather sheepish DH!

LovelyLollipop

I'd be tempted to just dry it...it won't be directly against his skin so any residual ammonia won't harm him. Leave it bide awhile, it'll do another day - that's my motto

Hippeechiq

bluebag wrote: »

My loins are girded by the fellowship of the MSE OS crusaders and I fear not the utility companies. I walk proud in the faith of frugality and have sanity all my debt free days. For mine are the savings, the bargains, and the watching of the purse, forever and ever.
Amen.

Love it! :T

Congratulations on the job greengoblin :j

Thanks for info for composting my empty pond ChocClare as long as it wont smell without being able to add any kind of manure or grass cuttings, I may just make a start on it then

Really sorry to hear about your friend Pitlanepiglet, how very sad. :grouphug: No news will be good news, but I sincerely wish him the best outcome that can be had under the circumstances

greent

Kitcaboodle - I'd go for the airing option (perhaps spray first with a little water with a couple of drops of lavender/ mandarin essential oil in if you have any - so a sort of febreze effect) Maybe air it for a few days on the trot if you'd prefer - weather permitting - some fresh air should sort it out no problem

Re: machine washing wool stuff - I don't buy machine wool detergent. I make laundry gloop - but in the absence of you doing that, all you need to do is wash it without detergent (or dampen it and rub a bar of mild soap on it if you really feel the need) Or if you have any - a spoonful of washing soda crystals would work in the machine no problem with wool.


Hippeechiq - try www.recyclenow.com for ideas for compostable things. As long as you don't have too much green stuff (eg peelings) which will slime and smell you'll be fine. You could finely cut with secateurs any buddleia clippings that you do have - they'll add woodiness - and any clippings from your other shrubs. Also scrunched up newspaper, kitchen towel, egg boxes, toilet rolls - all count as 'browns' Ooh - also you can add hair from brushes/ combs and I also put in cotton rags - chopped into small pieces with scissors and not too much at any one go. Don't add masses of fallen leaves - they're better left in a black bag (with air holes) for a year to make leaf mould. A few would be ok though, if you've only got bushes that shed as opposed to trees.

Be prepared for unexpected tomato plants to appear if you ever throw a tomato in there! I have lots come up every year - super free tomatoes! And when buying seeds, I tried some B&Q value ones this year - they were fine. I also had some Alan Titchmarsh organic ones, and Eden Project heritage ones - and they weren't as good

kezlou

Hippeechiq wrote: »

but I've been given some great ideas for my containers, and how to "earth-up" potatoes, which will be a problem with no earth,

Em just up compost mixed up with newspaper, As long the potatoes are dark its not a problem.They 'll just grow anyway.

the width of my yard , where my washing line is literally about 2 foot wide. The space right at the very back of my yard is about 3ft wide.
Now i'm not saying this will work for you. But for me, my washing line is a life saver. Not only does hang washing, it holds up tomato plants, peas, courgettes and clothes all at the same time. It loves me. no really it does. The amount of abuse it takes is unreal in the summer.

The tomato plants grew to about 6ft high,in pots, all you could see was tomatoes hanging in between t-shirts and trousers.Peas in between the sock and pants. Now we all know i'm not exactly normal but like i say it work for me.

As for the pond, you could put a few pebbles in the bottom for drainage, go a farm or just look out for signs saying "free maure or topsoil", guaranteed someone will be giving it away. Dump it in and then 25litres of compost form B & Q costs about £9.50 and bung it all on top. Come this time in January it should be fine to grow stuff in.
You don't have to fill it all up at once. My raised bed are only 1/4 full now, i can't afford anymore compost. I'm just going to keep topping up year after year. When i used to have an allotment, people off freecycle where delivering to me as they wanted rid of it. So you know, there's no harm in asking.

LovelyLollipop Thanks for the recipe!
congrats on the job Greengoblin!:T:T
Pitlanepiglet sorry to hear about your friend, hope the biopsy goes well xxx

Well i'm off out tonight, i'm quite nervous and scared as i haven't seen her in over 10 years :eek:. Were going to out for a meal, so not very MSE at all. But if were short, we now have loads of food in the house!

lovelife_3

AnnieG wrote: »

http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/02/apple-cake.html

Nualabuala, here's the recipe if you want to have a go. I used quite a lot more flour as the dough was really sticky, and ate it with a big dollop of creme fraiche. Enjoy!!

OOh ca't wait to make this souds lovely, thak you:)

LovelyLollipop wrote: »

Hi again, thanks for the welcomes

:)Another welcome from me Lollipop and thanks for the dumpling recipe, great to get one that doesn't need suet.

.

Hippeechiq wrote: »

.
OH laughed when I said a bit of urine was good for the compost. I gave up smoking 4 years ago, but he still smokes, but goes outside to do so. I just told him that now when he's having his ciggie outside, he can have a pee at the same time - I think he was quite impressed :rotfl:

LOL you are funny Hippeechiq, your posts make me smile:rotfl:


Well done Green goblin on getting that job, sounds good, especially with the free accomodation. I just started my first day doing voluntary work yesterday, i did a four hour shift in the call centre for Parentline, a bit nervous to begin with, but soon settled in and we received excellent training. Six months probation and then i can apply for any paid jobs that come up, so that is my goal.

Mum coming for tea tonight so going to make shepherds pie, haven't seen her for a month as she has been in Mallorca, so looking forward to seeing her.

Bought all the ingredients yesterday for the Hunters Stew, the Sauerkraut recipe, can't remember who posted it, but it sounds really yummy, so thanks again.

I love cooking these days, now i have more time, one of the silver linings to being unemployed and skint lol. I find it so therapeutic and satisfying, and the family are so appreciative. I made a blackberry and apple crumble last week, that my daughter said was magazine worthy!!! it had a flapjack style topping and was totally lush, i felt soo chuffed.

I build most meals around cheap seasonal stuff, things on offer or whoopsies. Very, very occasionally maybe every couple of months we treat ourseves to a Chinese or Indian takeaway,and really look forward to it. When i had my business we had both every week and totally took them for granted, other meals were often convenience or ready meals!!

We eat soo much healthier these days for much less money, i am really proud of this, frugality has actually made me a much happier person in some ways, I feel much more creative and living life in a much gentler more natural fashion. I lost my external wealth, but have found internal wealth and no-one can take that away from me:) Hope everyone has a positive day xx

greent

lovelife wrote: »

We eat soo much healthier these days for much less money, i am really proud of this, frugality has actually made me a much happier person in some ways, I feel much more creative and living life in a much gentler more natural fashion. I lost my external wealth, but have found internal wealth and no-one can take that away from me Hope everyone has a positive day xx

What a lovely thing to say

sammy_kaye18

ceridwen wrote: »

Hi Sammy

My feeling is that the two of you DO love each other:D - but you've both got your own individual problems going on at present (him and his eyes and job problem) and you totally shattered from very little sleep. Add the money problems into that mix and it would be very surprising indeed if you werent both feeling the strain.

I think you are in it together "for the long run" from where I'm standing - I think it will "come good" personally - with a lot of communication on both your parts...

Take care

Yeah I think we are pretty much stuck with each other - :rotfl: he cant be without me and I cant be without him. I think we are having an 8 year blip rather than a 7 year itch but we are getting there. He took boy to school this morning for me.

Also for those who were wondering a few pages back - This is what I look like and I am 26.
[URL="[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/welshbird/Photo0011.jpg[/IMG]"][/URL]


Anyway, Ive managed to whip round quickly, got beds made, toys away, shoes tidy, dishes done, washing on, babe fed and dressed and bathroom/toilet tidied up. Just got a few loads of washing to put out but its blaaaaddy freezing so no idea if it will dry or not today! Owen has gone out to take his mum to pick her car up. he's such a mummy's boy at 31! its ridiculous. bless him.

Been planning my food shop for the month - seem to still have quite a fair bit left in the freezer so will go through that later on and make another food plan to see what else I really need to go in there. I think it is more store cupboard stuff at the minute but will get a few bits for the freezer but hoping this fortnight my food shop will come in under budget - I plan £80 -- that's using £30 for holly ( 2x milk, 2 packs 60 nappies comes to £24.46) although I still have one pack full pack of nappies left and about 20 in her changing box from the last shop so may not need to get any more this shop - will see what offers are on and may stock up if there's a good deal. Her milk for 2 tubs is £14.46 though. Scary though as I've had to start weaning her slightly early - she is 13 weeks today and has only been having a few spoonfuls of creamed porridge in the morning because she's having a 9 ounce bottle over the space of an hour, will nap for a bit and then an hour later she's hungry again! :eek::eek::eek: and she's already on the hungrier baby milk.

Really need to get meal planning sorted though as this cold weather is going to be coming in even quicker now I expect and its freezing. Its a whopping 10 degrees today for us. Starting to think I will adjust the budget so Ben gets dinners in school a few days a week like on a Monday when he has football practice - at least I know he has had a good hot lunch because he has a snack after school but doesn't get dinner until 6.30 on Monday night after his training is done.

Think its also time to get the fleeces on the sofa/beds etc too. Seeing as Ive done most my cleaning for the morning I think winter preparations should be done today including meal plans.

hope everyone is ok, hugs to those who need them. x x x x

lovelife_3

"Yeah I think we are pretty much stuck with each other - :rotfl: he cant be without me and I cant be without him."

Know exactly how you feel Sammy Kaye, it's a good start to making things work out, and what a beautiful girl you are too x

lambanana

This morning DH decided we need to start putting our heating on it was chilly but not unbearably so but he said he felt really cold and our washing has been taking days on end to dry so I suppose he's right. We'll only have it on for an hour in the morning and two in the evening I think so not exactly always on. Allegedly we have a thermostat which should just click the heating on but it doesn't work very well at registering the temperature because it's such an old and rubbish system.

I've ordered a smaller veg box for next week and will see how we get on with that, realistically it should be enough and it will save us about £3 per week.

Our biggest problem at the moment is keeping up with housework. The colder weather and darker mornings just make me want to curl up and sleep, I can hardly face the housework and I hate washing clothes and trying to dry them when the house is so cold. Everything has just got a bit behind and things are looking somewhat shambolic now, I don't know how people do it and the worst thing is I end up comparing myself to my mother in law who is an absolute neat freak and obsessively cleans all the time and obviously I fall short in this comparison.

Just adding Sammy, we're the same age and I'm absolutely in awe of how you manage with everything!