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

kidcat

Mrsspendalot - I had SPd with my last pregnancy and I know how awful it is, I still have residual issues as a result so can honestly say be very careful now, follow all medical advice to the letter and make sure your MW knows when you deliver - dont assume the info has been passed on - tell her and maybe even have an advice for birth sheet with you to explain it too. Good luck and welcome to our merry band,

mardatha

ChocClare - I wonder what your MIL would've said about me - if she could stop laughing long enough to speak at all ) ! I found fabulous warm comfy tights in Sainsbugs & I bought half a pallet of them.
But they're purple... Teamed with my (one) pair of shoes which are pale grey leather hiking boots.... One is dead elegant ! :rotfl:

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

ChocClare - I wonder what your MIL would've said about me - if she could stop laughing long enough to speak at all ) ! I found fabulous warm comfy tights in Sainsbugs & I bought half a pallet of them.
But they're purple... Teamed with my (one) pair of shoes which are pale grey leather hiking boots.... One is dead elegant ! :rotfl:

Purple - pale grey. Well - in my book - thats matching colours Mardatha. Just tell me you aint wearing a fluorescent top with them though or summat - just a "shades of nature" mix (yep..purple qualifies as "nature" - I'm thinking heather here):)

Now - have you had that posh tea of yours yet this morning lass?

lostinrates

I have purple and grey shoes and boots, I wear either purple or grey tights with them. I tend to wear grey sheer tights with black shoes....(if its good enough for audrey hepburn)..it looks less harsh imo, but still has the tonal depth to not jar with shoes....


The students are gone. Whohoo. I actually liked having them here its just the whole mess of the situation that freaked me. The money didn't cover the costs as I thought, but not too badly. Budget busting was the buying of stuff I'd never normally buy...crisps and chocolate and rolls for packed lunches....and that these things are bought in multipacks and ...no one else will eat them here, so they have the rest of the packs and the rest of the cakes baked for them to share with their friends on the coach on the way home (if you had kids/ate packed lunches that wouldn't be an issue and also, had I been better prepared I might not have relied on them)

I'm delighted they said they loved the food here, and had been warned that sometimes English food can be a little ''rushed'' but they want to make a shepard's pie at home, and the tart they had last night and one of the cakes.

But it is nice to have the house back and I'm not rushing to strip beds etc. I better check the weather for drying days.

silvermaid

Congrats Kidkat, what lovely news
Welcome espresso21
Thanks for the sticky chicken recipe ChocClare x
I played very happily with the big yellow ball yesterday. I’m hoping I can play the same game today J

Oh:( It was glorious blue sky earlier - now it's clouded over and gone all grey
Oh well will have to rethink my day.
Cheers peeps, Silver

bertiebots

EstherH wrote: »

The charity shops near me aren't very good as we live in quite a poor area. I always go looking when we go on holiday. If we have a wander around a town my husbnd always asks do I want to go in the charity shops when we come to them.

The trick I have found is to occaisionally pop onto the next town from mine as its a bit posher..there the "ladys wot lunch" tend to shop at m&s/debenhams etc and throw out unworn per una etc:D
I did have a lovely cashmere mix Coast jumper from one of them that I wore to death and only cost me £2!

Btw I must have used up all my luck with the easter fair raffle as I didnt get a single number on the lotto...ah well back to work it is.....

Larumbelle

Welcome new people :grouphug:

Mrsspendalot that sounds painful. I am virtually housebound right now, and I know how you feel, it is driving me up the wall! You could take advantage of being in the house to take control of the food budget, because you're right, I think once you have that under control everything else gets easier. Take care of yourself xx

ChocClare wrote: »

Presumably you already have stuff in your wardrobe. Can you make any of it over? Change the buttons, for example? Dress it up with different jewellery, or a scarf? My late MIL was INCREDIBLY elegant - she had been a model in the early fifties and was used as a double for Ingrid Bergman - and she had loads of little tips to make cheap clothes look expensive. One that I particularly remember was to buy a cheap shirt, which invariably has tight cuffs, and to remove the cheapo plastic button. In its stead put a decorative button, and sew an indentical button to the INSIDE of the cuff. You then do the cuff up with the button that is on the inside, which makes it look like you are wearing cufflinks. I know that probably sounds masculine, but it isn't at all - and it's amazing how it makes a cheapo shirt look much more expensive! Her two other tips were that you can have the cheapest clothes in the world, as long as you have decent accessories. Your shoes and your handbag should always be the best you can afford, and be kept clean and polished. AND her other thing was that you should always try to have your tights the same colour as your shoes (though not if you're wearing red shoes, presumably), as black tights and black shoes, or dark brown tights with brown shoes will make your legs look longer and give you a much better "line".

Anyway, this edition of the Clothes Show is now off to bed. Best of luck and HTH!

I LOVE charity shops! I am lucky as one near me gets some great stuff in. There are a few I always check in the city centre when I go as well. I second the good shoes and handbags advice, I have loads of both, all beautiful, all second hand. I have a ton of leather Next shoes that I bought for £2 per pair, none of which had ever been worn, the price stickers on the soles were all very much intact! My top whack for a handbag is £5 but I have to love it to pay that much. Nearly all of my handbags are designer leather ones. I like leather as it is easy to polish up and actually looks better 'used' than 'new' for a long while if you treat it right. I don't really 'do' blouses but those are fab tips ChocClare!

purpleheather2810 wrote: »

Thanks ChocClare. I definitely need to take heed of this advice. I too struggle to find clothes on a budget (I think I've said before but I'm a size 22) - charity shops are VERY limited in large sizes. I should focus more on accessories and try to customise plain clothes more! Must do better!!

Well, as above I for my work clothes I get my handbags and shoes cheap from charity shops but I usually team them with plain black trousers (mine were all charity shop, but I have seen these as cheap as £5 in Sainsbury / Tesco up to size 24), plain white shirt, and a scarf, brooch, or necklace. All of them came from charity shops except one beautiful cashmere scarf OH bought me from M&S, hopefully in the sale as I know how much they were full price :rotfl: Plain black, plain white, and accessorise like mad.

You have to 'mine' the charity shops. Keep a regular eye for something you like. When there is something in your size or to your taste, chances are loads was donated in one go and there is lots more to come. So either up your visits or (better) go up to the nicest looking volunteer and ask if there is any more like this out the back. They are usually happy to look and I've often been invited out the back to look for myself. So you get to 'mine' the charity shop for good stuff. It doesn't just apply to clothes, could be books or ornaments or antything!
OR have you tried Ebay? Lots of clothes go very cheap, often you can get top designers for the price of new high street or less, and you can sometimes get job lots that people have slimmed out of. Again, save the sellers for items you like, even if you don't win that particular item, often there is plenty more good stuff to come. Time and patience are the key.

A quick wash and they're as good as new. One tip I would ALWAYS recommend is that a little starch and a good iron can make second hand clothes look fresh.

mummysaver

Morning all!

Kidcat - many many congratulations, bet you're bursting with excitement! My drink recommendation is Lidl's prosecco - Italian sparkling wine. I don't really like champagne that much, unless it's mixed with Pimms or orange juice lol!

Mrsspendalot - congrats on the imminent arrival! And good luck with your food spending.

I bought some value pasta yesterday in Tesco, now 9p a bag and great for pasta bakes as it keeps its shape and retains some bite. Also spend a bit of time diluting the washing liquid, as the kids tend to just slosh it in, this way I know that they will still be using the correct amount lol! Sorted out some paperwork yesterday, and discovered I'm currently not getting CB for ds, so they are now investigating and reinstating payment as I should be receiving it, also discovered by looking online that I have £90 of unused clubcard vouchers, which is fab cos I can only find £30 of real paper ones here! So all in all a profitable session with my hated paperwork and filing!

Hope you all have lovely days x

bertiebots

Ooh mummy saver that reminds me..do we still get issued with annual cb letters or is it just when its changed. I need one for my financial disclosure and cant find last years (think ex threw loads of paperwork away ggrrrr) . As its April can I expect a new one?

oooh eck..should be going to work! Bfn peeps x

mummysaver

Think CB letters are sent out each April, detailing amounts for each child, you could always give them a call 0845 302 1444, just have your NI no to hand. As it's a fixed amount for the first and then each subsequent child I would have thought that you could prob get away with just listing the amounts if you don't have the letter to hand, I don't remember giving my sol a copy of the letter when I did my disclosure?