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

Charis

ChocClare wrote: »

I think the hardest is "learn a new skill" - I feel I'm a bit busy to be learning a new skill every WEEK, but I have learnt a lot of new things since I've taken this up.

Thanks for the list. I like to have goals to aim at, it gives me a sense of achievement when I can tick them off. Some things take much longer than a week to learn, maybe we could set aside a regular time each week to improve a skill we are learning or have already learned and could improve. One thing I could usefully do is read one instruction booklet a week until I know how to get the best out of each piece of electrical equipment in the house. I never did work out how to use all the functions on our previous television's remote control, didn't need to when there were teenagers in the house .

ChocClare

ceridwen wrote: »

The site is The Chatelaine's Keys. I recognise her phraseology (she often does a summary of what she's managed to achieve under the various headings - ie sow something, harvest something, etc). Its:

http://sharonastyk.com/

EDIT: another one you might like is:

http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/

a site which often sends me green with envy - as its only a standard-size garden. Like a lot of people - I'm stuck with a garden that is far beneath standard-size...darn it..

I don't think it is, ceridwen, as I've since realised it came from one of my Peak Oil books, but thank you very much for the links, they look interesting and I will certainly have a peek!

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Large plastic milk bottles with a handle on the side - make good mini shovels/sccops if you cut the top off at an angle:)

Also by cutting out the flat sides so you have four sheets - you can make brilliantly durable stencils for walls or craft by drawing a design on with marker pen and then cutting out with a stanley knife

In the recent bad weather, I used to fill a large milk carton with hot water and put it in the footwell of my iced up car about an hour before setting off for work - it helped soften the ice on the inside and by the time I was ready to set off, it was tepid and came in handy to swilll the windscreen with en route (washer bottle was frozen solid for weeks) Small ones were filled with hot-ish water immediately before setting off and tuckd under my coat to keep off the chill! Not a look that's likely to get me on the cover of Vogue but effective at helping me stay warm!

We store left over emulsion in ours too - you can see the colour easily and it seems to keep better than in the bottom of the original tin

We still buy our milk in glass bottles from the milkman so we always hang onto any plastic milk bottles that come our way :rotfl:too precious to chuck in the recycling bin! :rotfl::rotfl:

These are all brilliant :T I always recycle milk cartons, but what with these suggestions and the suggestion yesterday (perhaps on the spring thread???) about growing salads in them, I shall never recycle another one (well, not to the New Forest district council, anyway!!)

bellaquidsin wrote: »

Awsome list this and proves what I've always thought, the only thing OSers don't have a lot of is time.

Bella.

Amen to that! I think you already do everything on the list - visiting an old people's home certainly counts! And, tbh, I was thinking after I posted yesterday, we all nourish the online community on here on the OS board - just think how supportive everyone is of each other.

ChocClare

Charis wrote: »

One thing I could usefully do is read one instruction booklet a week until I know how to get the best out of each piece of electrical equipment in the house. I never did work out how to use all the functions on our previous television's remote control, didn't need to when there were teenagers in the house .

Charis, that is by far the best idea I have ever heard. My FIL died 6 years ago and we had his very expensive convection microwave and his very expensive pressure cooker. The "convection" bits of the microwave are all in the shed as I only ever use the microwave for poaching eggs and heating up food; the pressure cooker is still in the cupboard.

I shall search out the instructions (actually don't need to, they are in the instruction booklet box) and READ!!!! :T:T:T

Aril

My new year's resolution last year was to have a bash at trying new things even if I was rubbish at them and make more things. By and large I've managed this although not as often as once a week as my weeks and evenings are full with the demands of a fulltime job, helping my OH with his business, being a Mum and running a home. I experienced varying degrees of success eg I made some jewellery and relearnt how to make pompoms so I could make bits for my home at little cost both of which went well whereas others perhaps not but it was fun to try:D There is always a sense of achievement though and one thing I've found has really encouraged me is to have a making session with different friends in the evening. It makes it a lot of fun and the old adage two heads are better than one really is true. It also means that I've had a go at things that I might not have ever thought of thereby improving some of my basic skills.
Aril
So far this year I've made Brigid Crosses with one friend and am making felt slippers with another one this coming week

Charis

Hello Aril. Long time no see (was on the Simplifying Life thread with you) glad you're still around. Love your sig, very very true.

seasalt_2

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Also by cutting out the flat sides so you have four sheets - you can make brilliantly durable stencils for walls or craft by drawing a design on with marker pen and then cutting out with a stanley knife

We store left over emulsion in ours too - you can see the colour easily and it seems to keep better than in the bottom of the original tin

Had not thought of either of these uses for plastic milk bottles and will use both I think. Thanks. Also make good seed labels if cut into strips - although these days I use that plastic packaging tape - lots of it washes up on the beach as it's even less work!

ChocClare wrote: »

Thanks, seasalt.

For the multiquote, you click on the bubbles for each person you want to quote, and when you get to the last on your list, click on the ordinary quote button. It then retrieves all of them. Took me ages to work that one out!

Yeh! It worked. Thanks.

Charis wrote: »

Thanks for the list. I like to have goals to aim at, it gives me a sense of achievement when I can tick them off. Some things take much longer than a week to learn, maybe we could set aside a regular time each week to improve a skill we are learning or have already learned and could improve. One thing I could usefully do is read one instruction booklet a week until I know how to get the best out of each piece of electrical equipment in the house. I never did work out how to use all the functions on our previous television's remote control, didn't need to when there were teenagers in the house .

Me too. Cannot use the TV (freesat) or DVD etc by myself! And I like the idea of a spending some time each week learning/improving a skill. Feltmaking is going to be mine I think.

Aris, that sounds such a good idea and such fun and ceridwen, you are a fount of information as always. Will look at those links later. Kittie, I am so impressed at your 22yr old self. I have had two DIY weddings! It scares me that weddings are now expected to cost £1000s. Have told our children that we will either pay them to elope :rotfl:or it will be a ceremony on the beach, potluck supper and dance in the big shed! Round and round the tractor anyone?

Giffas

Aril wrote: »

So far this year I've made Brigid Crosses with one friend and am making felt slippers with another one this coming week

you making making the crosses for gifts or for sale, any pics ?

NualaBuala

seasalt wrote: »

Please can someone remind me how to do the multiple quote thing. I clicked the bubbles but can't "retrieve" them. Thanks.

Kezlou, I'm sorry to hear about OH's job. Was it fleece jumpers you were making? Is there enough material to turn them into bodywarmers instead - it's amazing the difference they make even without sleeves.
Kidcat, I am going to borrow your idea and put a bit of cardboard behind my compost container (lidded casserole dish that's too tall to be useful in the oven) until I get round to tiling the wall!
Justamum, I am off the west coast of scotland.
Chocclare, I really like that list - and have shifted our cookie cutters into a biscuit tin too. Thanks. Just have to find a place to keep the tin now as it won't fit in the drawer with the baking tins. Up until now, every time I made a cake I had to tip all the cookie cutters into the next cake tin down! We have got fewer than we used to have though as made tree decorations/small presents out of some this year - added a loop of ribbon to hang them by - and had considered storing the rest by hanging them all together from a cup hook on a length of string (tied into a loop before threading and then threaded through double with both ends of the loop over the hook - unhook one end to remove cutters - bit like a curtain tie-back) but still haven't done it and much less palaver just to bung them all in a tin. Plastic ones have been saved for playdough.
Nuala, it probably doesn't sound it from all of the above but I AM gradually decluttering. I don't save everything but I do have a box under the bed with a few useful tins, boxes etc that I think will come in handy and then when I need something to keep something in and give it a proper home, I can look there.
Just thought of something else, kitty. Those presentation cylindrical boxes that malt whiskies come in make good knitting needle holders - I save them for friends who knit.

ETA It's OH who gets given the whisky!

Not sure if you've already had an answer but you do multiquotes by clicking the button to the right of the Quote button at the end of each post. It has orange and purply-pink balloons on it. A little tick will appear to show it's been selected. You can only click 3, if you click a 4th, it will overwrite the first one you clicked and so on. So once those are all clicked, you just click "Post Reply" down at the bottom of the page and it will show your 3 posts.
You are doing better than I am on the decluttering. I seem to have a conflict between hating waste and wanting to reuse stuff or save them for if/when they'll be needed - but also want to do a mega-declutter as the house I'm in is being sold and I will end up in a much smaller place. My main goal is not to bring anything else into the house!


I've a feeling I wanted to reply to someone else and I can't remember now!

EstherH

I never knew how to do the multi quotes either so thanks for that.

honeybun16

me either so thanks from me too, and thanks for the tips on here they are great