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

seasalt_2

Thanks nuala - I think it was you who told me how before and then I forgot. Obviously more than one way then as chocclare's way is different - but they both work!

NualaBuala

seasalt wrote: »

Thanks nuala - I think it was you who told me how before and then I forgot. Obviously more than one way then as chocclare's way is different - but they both work!

Ooops, sorry didn't see an answer had already been posted. That's what I get for skim-reading!

Aril

No I'm not inflicting anything I make onto people:D They're just for me- if you are trying to improve your skills I've found youtube is a great resource for me as I need to be able to actually see something being done and the replay facility is invaluable:rotfl:
This was the link we used http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGHetszK4Jo
Aril

GreyQueen

kezlou wrote: »

Good old "council pop", thanks weezl for answering:).

Well its tougher times for us in the madhouse, OH lost his job today:(.

Unfortunately we had to go shopping. But happy to say, sainsbugs price of 500g basic pasta shapes has dropped to 29p:D. So got four bag happily stashed in the cupboard.

I know useless information but thought it might help people out.
Tinned tomatoes are still the same price, chopped 33p , whole 31p. But i heard the shop assistant saying to his mates that packaged bread will be going up from £1.59 to £2.10:eek::eek::eek::eek:

So another notch will be tightened here. Attempting to make coddy and snips a jumper but failed miserably. I em realised i didn't have enough fabric:o. Ah well at least i had a go!

Kezlou, don't know if you have a FarmFoods round your way but they've got tomatoes at 25p a can and milk and 2 x 4 pints milk at £1.50. They have a smallish selection of canned and packet goods but the prices are keen round my way, compared to Sains, Mr T and Lidl. Loads of freezer stuff, which is their main offering. Best of luck to the OH that he'll get more work soon.

GreyQueen

ChocClare wrote: »

You can keep flour in the freezer - also keeps weevils at bay!

That's good to know but I'll have to wait for a life in a bigger Shoebox. My freezer is only a titchy counter-top model and I've already taken squatter's rights in Mum's freezer for some of my h.g. stuff off the lottie.

ceridwen

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 .

Think the equivalent of your "one instruction booklet" a week for me must be that I'm trying to figure out THE quickest/easiest/cheapest way of doing everything as regards cooking basic ingredients/making cosmetics/making cleaning materials. Latest experiment on that is I've got some yogurt hopefully "coming together" as we speak - my first time of trying it with a crockpot. If this works okay - that will mean I've got a suitable yogurt recipe to add to my collection. Next up - to see if I can get the knack of making popcorn successfully - I know...I know...but I burnt it last time I tried..:o

bellaquidsin

I'm feeling less Old Style today and just plain old. My foot is still hurting a lot which means a lot of sitting which is making me feel downright lethargic. I long to get on my feet, get a swing on and DO something.

We did have an OS lunch with a chicken sandwich (4th meal for us from a 4.5 kg no no no a1.4kg chicken) with alfalfa sprouts in homemade wholemeal bread, accompanied by a hm root vegetable soup so fairly OS there. I have the chicken stock made from the bones ready to do a Butternut Squash (cheap in Aldi) soup, with friends, the friends being whatever I find in the way off peelings and offcuts when I do it while I cook the tea and prep. tomorrows veg.

Tea tonight is oven fish and oven chips a total departure from OS but a concession to my poorly foot and a sort of Saturday night out, in IYSWIM.

I am trying to find meaningful and productive ways of using my 'sitting' time but have not managed it today and will hate myself for it later - such a waste of time.

Yesterday I did visit my pending mending/to do basket and found there wasn't as much mending lurking as I'd feared. I did unearth a couple of DH's vests which I think were put in there when he was refusing to wear a vest, waiting to be turned into dish cloths. Now I think I have the heating turned low enough for him to see my point,so he now has two 'new' vests. I did come across a couple of skirt lengths which I will get made up while I'm off my feet and several assorted bits of cloth waiting to be hemmed to make dusters. I didn't want to attack them before the weekend because DH has vacced for me and it will make a mess.

I read on a blog somewhere of a lady who had taken geranium cuttings at the beginning of the month and is rooting them in water. I have never done this at this time of year before but as I had some rather straggly plants in the front porch I thought I'd give it a go. I've nothing to loose as I still have the parent plants which will benefit from a haircut and if it works I'll have a dozen or more geraniums to grace my garden and all for free.

Off now to do an hours footwork, make the soup and cook the tea.

Bella.

mary-op

Been reading through this thread and found it so fascinating and uplifting with all the things you're all doing.
I need that particularly now as I'm currently not able to walk without walking frame just a few steps at a time round the house.......very scary experience waking up one morning not able to walk and was rushed off to hospital. Seems I've got thinning bones and two discs degenerated at the base of my spine:eek: OH fractured his pelvis slipping on the ice before christmas but thankfully he is able to get about and help me. Now I'm waiting for DLA to be sorted out and Occ.therapy to see what mobility aids they can give me (stair rails etc.)
It's a very trying time and not being very mobile I'm trying to be positive and keep up with the little 'crafty' bits I enjoy doing..........cheaper the better.
Latest bits and bobs are little fabric hearts from free fabric samples...........they might please someone for a birthday and will have cost me nothing but my time. Also dragged the water colours out after a long period of being shut in a drawer...........so I'm getting there but all this means that life will never be the same again and there's all the more reason to watch the pennies. OH's very good at the domestic/cooking side and budgets well for food. My one payout is for a cleaner..........OH just can't manage it all what with all he does for me as well and she's a lovely girl -a great help plus she's always so chirpy and it lifts me up when she's around.
Sorry for the long post but it sort of explains my situation more or less and yes it''s tough but we are coping. I'm always open for new ideas of how to feel more positive about something that sometimes feels so negative.
Good luck to you all.:)

Good to see you Aril, Charis and Ceridwen:)

zarazara

I find this thread very inspiring. Thankyou peeps.

ceridwen

mary-op wrote: »

Good to see you Aril, Charis and Ceridwen:)

:wave:
Hiya Mary. Good to see you again too.

Sorry to hear about your health problems though - and guess you arent doing fostering anymore then....:(