It isn`t tough for us. We are OS and we COPE

EstherH

Hi, I used to post for a bit in the summer on the 'it's tough' thread but then went on holiday, came back to loads of pages and a new thread and just lurked from there on. Have loved reading it all though. So disappointed it has now been split with one half in the arms. Put something in there before but feel torn in two somehow.

Anyway, that's waffle. What I wanted to say was that I think the treasure hunt idea sounds great. Have done lots of these type things with children when mine were little. It can be things to collect or questions to find answers to and kids love it. Great as long as its dry.

Also, having an old fashioned party at home which is such a novelty and the key is in having someone who is good at organising the games (if that is not your area) and someone to sort the food. This way you aren't running round like a lunatic trying to do everything at the same time.

Charis

zarazara wrote: »

tray cloths are beautiful and protect the nice wood from heat and spills. not needed on melamine trays............................

Do you know, several decades ago, the morning after I was married I made a pot of tea and carried it on a nice old, varnished tray that had been left in the house we had managed to buy. I went to pour the tea into the cups, playing the housewife, but couldn't work out why the teapot couldn't be lifted from the tray. I've only just realised what I should have done I have no excuse, I learned how to starch a traycloth, just didn't know that a tray could melt. Perhaps the OS lesson here is to choose the varnish carefully for its heat resistant properties when converting a nice old bit of wood into a tea tray.

Or make your tea in a mug like most people do :rotfl:

bellaquidsin

mardatha wrote: »

I got told I was the only pupil in the history of the school whose sewing was so bad that my work had to be thrown in the bin. :rotfl:

Good job we didn't go to the same school then as we would have had to share that honour. However, I did progress to making all the clothes for me and the children and even made DH some trousers once.

I hope I'm not boring you all to death with tales of my money saving ways. Much of what I do will be nothing new to many of you, but I hope it may give some inspiration and direction to those starting out on the OS journey.

I'm hoping too that I'm not off topic by mentioning my knitting, crochet and card making. I know there are separate threads for these subjects but I am not here discussing how I do it, just that I do it to save money. It is the way I COPE which is after all the focus of this thread.

Bella.

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

Funnily enough I just got a book from Amazon today and its titled "Blitz!" ...they are digging veg gardens too - at least our war is only against the supermarkets and food prices. Tesco hasn't yet resorted to bombing the non-compliant customers
I desperately wanted to take Latin at school but my bl**dy mother made me take Domestic Science. Maybe that's why I've been married for 45 years and still hate cooking with a passion. All I can remember is the starching a traycloth as well. Still dono what a bloody traycloth is :rotfl:

...and actually what (very tiny!) bit of Latin I remember is rather more useful to me than the tiny bit of Domestic Science I remember....

...so I agree with you Mardatha..

mardatha

Bet the Romans didnt waste their time with tray cloths...

Dippypud

If you like Latin, try this:

http://latin-phrases.co.uk/quotes/family/

Is fhearr fheuchainn na bhith san duil -- It's better to try than to hope.


Pud, :cool:

Seakay

My Dad trained us to do breakfast in bed for Mum - started with Mothering Sunday, birthdays etc and in the end all Sundays when she wasn't going to early communion. Always involved a tray cloth and a bud vase with a little flower or something in it. Definitely made it look more special and helped to stop things sliding about.

THIRZAH

My mother was always top of her year at sewing. A couple of old girls from her school have told me how they were shown examples of her hemming as it was so good.

I hated school needlework-especialy the gingham tray cloth- but the teacher who had been at school with Mum always assumed that I could sew too and never inspected my work-I only did needlework for a year fortunately.

ginnyknit

I remember Dd making me breakfast in bed for mothers day when she was little. She wasn't allowed to touch the kettle so I got a tray with a lovely flower in a vase and a cup of tea and a pot noodle all made with cold water. :rotfl: Luckily she didnt expect me to eat and drink them!

Still living off the contents of the freezer here apart from a little shopping and doing ok. Which is handy as we only have 12 pounds to live on this week :eek:

Had a lovely peaceful day, made a few cards, did a bit of knitting and nipped to the chemist via my cousins charity shop - she works there its not in aid of her - and finally got a pinboard for 50p. Im going to cover it with fabric to hang my jewellry on.

charlies-aunt

Just to be contraversial - I like tray and table cloths - our scran is cheap and basic but I try to serve it nicely .

Very OS style as most of our glasses, crockery, dining chairs, table linen etc are hand-me-downs from family, nothing much matches but every piece has a memory of the person that it used to belong to .

It may only be baked beans but served on a nice plate to a table with a tablecoth on with a glass of council pop on the side - it tastes better somehow

I vaguely remember a biblical quote along the lines of 'better a dinner of herbs served with love than a fatted calf with hate'