How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

Pitlanepiglet

Can someone explain turning a collar to me? Dad's got some really manky looking shirts that he insists on wearing....

Gintotmelinda

hi All!

Glad to be back-thanks Jackie and MSE Andrea.

OH has planted three blackcurrant bushes from the Range and and two two year old gooseberry bushes from Wells market. I am hoping for some lovely soft fruit in the future. :T Mum and Dad had a lovely big blackcurrent bush when I was a child and we did enjoy them with apples in pies and crumbles. We had an apple tree too. Not bad for a family in a council flat with a really handy sized garden!

We are shopping from the freezer this week as OH doesn't get paid till Friday.....So meatballs and spaghetti in a tomato sauce tonight, chicken tomorrow, fish and chips, beef in the slowcooker, bacon pasta bake are all on the cards this week. Trying not to put petrol in the car....mmmm.

Just another OS week but it's half term yaay!

Have a good evening

gintot

kezlou

D&DD wrote: »

Kezlou are you anywhere near me I have enough beans to feed the street! .

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

That's normally me!
We don't normally eat them, but the for some reason they've magically disappeared!

I'll have to have a look in Netto for the boiling fowl, never heard of that. Thanks youngoldlady

Well just been a making a list of shopping we need and em its a lot.
But i did find a bag of barley, which i didn't know we had. Gawd knows what i'm going to do with it like. My OH hates the stuff as well!

Been a lovely quiet day with the boys, we made two loafs of bread and buns, so were sorted for a couple of days. Haven't made any cakes, so we'll make them tomorrow. Going to have to buy some margerine, as we don't have any. Been using up the three out of date blocks of butter instead .

Were all gutted in the house, the boys were making plan's earlier. But now its turned to rain and its blooming freezing. Brrr, we've got cardi's dressing gowns and blankets on us at the mo. Coddy totally wiped the floor with me on the xbox, you can tell i hard;y play on consoles. Most embarrassing part it, it was only Curious George!! :rotfl::rotfl: telling ya the boys had it all planned out.

Charis

jackieglasgow wrote: »

I have made a white bread dough up and am off to make some doughnuts. In my tiny milk pan with a cup of precious oil in as I don't do deep frying, and don't want to waste it. I will reuse it tonight or tomorrow for pakora or bhajis

What a good idea. Now I'm cooking for one I need to start thinking small.

Jolaaled

budgetboo wrote: »

Kittie please can you post how you make elder flower cordial and champagne in 10 weeks time when the flowers come out? I'm going to put by a couple of bags of sugar ready for this as a glass of elderflower champagne fits my "elegant simplicity theme" for the year far better than "DS found enuf coppers dawn the high street that his mam could get a can of white lightning ":rotfl:

I'd also love a recipe for Elderflower cordial please, Kittie

ChocClare

Re the Nokia, have you not got a charger? Plug it in and if it's the battery that's dodgy it'll suddenly work. If it still doesn't work, then the wiping the sim card trick is also good. Batteries tend suddenly just to go on Nokia's in my (admittedly not very vast) experience. I bought replacements on ebay and they were literally a couple of quid including postage.

Re the children's party - please don't take this as a criticism, but does your DD actually HAVE to have 20 guests? It may be that she's been invited to all their parties in which case you don't have any choice, but if you can whittle it down, I would If you can't, then 20 5-year-olds is doable IF you are regimentally severe in your organisation so there is not a single moment when they aren't playing a game/making something/eating their tea etc. If you are not regimentally severe in your organisation, they will be destroying things in nanoseconds. I've run a Rainbow unit since 2001 so I know what I'm talking about here - and if you've got boys involved, you need double the amount of organisation :rotfl: a LIST of more games than it would be humanly possible to play in a fortnight (they will get through this in about fifteen minutes) will keep you sane. Make sure you have something ready prepared for your supper though 'cos you won't want to cook afterwards!!!

Re napkins - I inherited most of mine and the old ones are WONDERFUL, so it's worth checking out charity shops, particularly in areas where there are a lot of older people. If you don't mind mismatched white napkins (different damasks or sizes), then they are your best bet. However, a few years ago I decided I wanted a dozen THE SAME. My then house used to be a hotel, and we used to get loads of hotelly-type brochures through the door. From one of these people I bought a dozen cotton napkins - large - and although not as nice as my vintage linen ones, they do launder very well and go to the requisite cardboardy consistency if you bung 'em in a strong enough solution of starch, I find! HTH.

maryb

I've never known the thread so busy!!

Actually it's really striking how many people have come out of lurkdom to say how glad they are it is back. That's a real testimonial to how useful people are finding it even if they just take note rather than posting

NualaBuala

Did we break the forums?! I'd spent ages catching up and then the forums seemed to go down ... gave me the chance to be briefly productive!

Am laughing at Mar's swooning mobile phone!

Hippeechiq wrote: »

I've just been reading the other thread in the Arms. Funny how we all feel we "fit-in" on some threads more than others.

I feel like that about this one - but as it's new and sparkly, I thought I'd give it another go



If we're talking about renewing an electrical appliance - I'd buy now before prices go even higher. If it was non essentials like a new bed, or replacing a seen-better-days 3 piece suite - I would, and am, making do.

If we're talking food - personally, I scrimp and scrape (and walk miles) so that when there is an offer on something we eat/use, I buy as much as I can spare from that months budget.

OH loves Kenc0 coffee and I love mature cheddar - I've not paid full price for either for over a year. I try - although don't always succeed - to do the same with meat I buy. I'd say 70% of the meat I buy is on Special Offer. By doing this, we are able to eat a lot better than we would otherwise be able to.

If I can just offer a glimmer of hope to all those trying to renew their DLA entitlement. My daughter has just had her entitlement renewed until May 2014, so they're not turning everyone down. We now have the battle to renew her ESA entitlement as well - the process is draining, isn't it?

Nuala - how did you get on with your appeal?

Lovely to see you again Hippeechiq, and great advice! I'm really enjoying all the posts on the best ways to cope.
I'm still waiting on the result of my appeal - I only managed to get a supporting letter from my consultant recently so with the delays in the system I'm not holding my breath. He did a great letter for me, really strongly worded so that will help. But I'm still not very confident from what the ME charity have told me and with cutbacks it is getting harder to get benefits all the time. How are you and your daughter doing? Fingers crossed for both of you, I know you have it tough. So glad they renewed her DLA. Hope you have time to catch your breath renewing the next thing. x

D&DD wrote: »

I think sometimes you have to 'spend to save'

I heard people on the Frugal thread calling this "spaving"!

Charis wrote: »

What a good idea. Now I'm cooking for one I need to start thinking small.

Me too Charis! Especially when it comes to fattening treats, I need to find ways to make single portions easily. So thank you to Jackie for the idea!

Thanks to everyone who's posted, I've really enjoyed reading them! :T

kidcat

Chococlare - in reality she may need more than 20 guests as that doesnt include any family or outside school friends!! Got to sit down and work list properly tomorrow. Having been a childrens worker I have loads of games etc at my command and an old team member happy to help supervise (handy as we are used to working together) my issue is the house really - how big is big enough? And although its a largeish house I think it may well be just not large enough So off to find a hall!

I would also be interested in the elderflower recipes - if we are going to buy a house then I am going to throw a huge house warming party:)

ETA - most of the 20 are boys so OH is insisting we add some girls in too - doesnt want her too interested in boys he says!!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Too late says I - she has had an eye for the boys since the day she was born (weed on the MWs but smiled at the paediatrician!!)

gailey_2

kidcat wrote: »

Wow I go out for the day and you lot go wild and post loads!!! Have been looking at some houses online today and have spotted another potential if the first one doesnt work out. Been doing some forward planning etc but am exhausted as I am not sleeping properly.

Oh is glaring at me cos he has realised that all my stores will have to be moved - but on the plus side we wont need to buy food during the move/doing work on house period which will ease both the burden on time and money

Have decided against doing another approved food order yet.

Got to meal plan this week as my meals are all over the place - thinking of joining Nelskis challenge of a new recipe per week - especially as my copy of Jamies 30 min meals arrived yesterday.

Need a little advice - DD4 is having a birthday in a few weeks and we have found a magician who will do some of the entertainment - she wants 20 guests and I am thinking its better to have them here and save the money on hiring a hall but OH is going white at the idea - how bad can 20 4/5 yr olds be??

My eldest is 5 tommorow and we went down hall route as she wanted to invite everyone in her class plus few extra so 35 but most likly to be 30.

Rental prices of halls varied immensly.
we opted for more expensive hall as needed roomfor bouncy castle.
was 51quid with winter discount.Looked at entertainers and magicians but they were 100-150.

So its bouncy castle
we doing our own music.
self catered.
facepaints,baloons animals and games.

I cheated and brought shop cake not very os but am 8half months pregnant.

One thing surprised me is how costs crept up have shopped around at cheapy shopfor party supplies and brought allfood/drinks from farmfoods and offer in tesco.

Got party boxes like happy meals.
includes mini chedders,animals, mini,milkyway,orange carton,blowout ,toy,sandwich and napkin came in at around 1.10 per box but thourght less waste and mess than doing huge buffet as they all prepared.

Right best go bed am shattered.