A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

katieowl_2

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Katieowl - good luck to your DD re the accountancy thing. It's hard work but definitely worth it in the end and you're absolutely right about it being good re part-time/contract/temp working opportunities.

That should be to Anguk not me, but I totally agree with you too, people always seem to have little jobs who can do bookeeping!

Kate

SDG31000

Hello Everyone

Well I survived the visit with DH's family almost intact (I got a migraine at Hampton Court which knocked me for 6 for 2 days ), and DS1 and the house survived being left alone overnight for the first time. I keep telling myself that it's another step along the road to freedom. Only two years to go until he goes to Uni and 5 before his brother follows him. I wonder if I can persuade them to take DH with them.
It was great spending time with everyone and seeing how much the NZ kids had grown and changed. I was glad to get home to my own bed and kitchen though. My MIL is a wonderful woman, but her kitchen lacks what I consider basics as she is very much a roast dinner cook and doesn't do spice/heat at all. I did come home with a pan/casserole that DFIL brought as he liked the look of it but it had never been used and was living in the garage. It can replace the terracotta one that I spend £40 but never got on with.
Today has been spent fighting with my DH about bank and isa accounts. The isa accounts are saving accounts for DS1 and DS2 to use for Uni. Goodness knows if they are going to make any difference or if they are just going to be a drop in the ocean when the time comes. The amount of debt they will accure scares the life out of me I must admit as there is no way we can pay for everything short of a lottery win. Oh well, there is no point worrying about it yet. Goodness knows I have enough grey hairs and worry lines already. I wonder if when they are totting up the cost of raising children now they add in the cost of botox.
I suppose I had better go and sort out dinner. I'm making jerk/chilli chicken in the hope that DS1 might eat it, but I'm not holding my breath as he will probably turn his nose up at it.

Take care everyone xxxx

GreyQueen

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

GQ - I'm in Suffolk and it has blown over - think you are east-ish too?

It looked like it'd blown over about 1.30 pm. I went out. It's a 15 minute bike ride to the lottie and had started raining again before I'd got there. I planted peas in tubes for 40 minutes. It rained again. It cleared again. I got rained upon again on my way back home. When the sun does comes out it's got some real power to it but the wind is bitter.

Don't so much think it's blown over as blown around in circles and keeps dumping rain on my puir wee heid. Wet, dry, wet, dry, wet, dry.................and apparently more of the same but worser for the remainder of the week.:mad:

I tell myself its good for the crops, the critters, the rivers, the reservoirs etc etc etc but I still feeling like a disappointed kiddie. Bet it'll be nice when I'm back at work next week, just you wait and see. I've said it before but I'll say it again; I could book a holiday in the Sahara and end a fifty year drought! :rotfl:Hell, if I packed a tent, it'd rain anywhere.

I mean, the past 2 nights I've felt a bit poorly and washed out and gone to bed with a hot bottle and this is allegedly Spring. Think my elderly down & feather duvet is losing it's mojo.

It's a washable one, apparently. Do any of you expert housekeepers know if it'd fluff up when washed and get warm again or has it reached the end of its lifespan? It had a 10 year guarantee and it's older than that. Don't think I could handle this kingsize quilt in the bath and nowhere to dry it and thus would have to pay to have it cleaned and don't want to throw good money after bad if it's down had lost it's bounce for good.

Anyroad, there's an intermittant sunbeam outside, I feel I should go forth and worship it. O burger, it's gone again.:( What a week................

Have a good evening, everybody.

greenbee

GQ - I got my feather and down duvet from TKMaxx for a LOT less than it would have cost. If you have a laundrette, wash (hot wash to kill dustmites) and dry it there. Make sure you spin it at a really high speed so you don't have to spend too much on the dryer, and then dry it on the hottest setting with a couple of tennis balls/dryer balls (maybe more than a couple if you can round them up). If you do that, chuck in feather pillows and cushions too if you have space.

If you don't, it'll cost approx £20/25 I think to have it washed at the cleaners (I had two done for just over £40 but due to the volume of work dry cleaning I have, I get a discount).

maryb

If it's feather, then based on what I found with my old feather duvet, the feathers are disintegrating inside and they won't hold any air. Washing it would make it worse - they'd break up more. Sorry

maryb

meant to say, I'm not sure it's a good idea to have duvets cleaned as opposed to washed - you can't get the chemicals out and they're not good to breathe in. Not every dry cleaner has a washing machine for bedding so be careful

greenbee

maryb wrote: »

meant to say, I'm not sure it's a good idea to have duvets cleaned as opposed to washed - you can't get the chemicals out and they're not good to breathe in. Not every dry cleaner has a washing machine for bedding so be careful

Mine send them to the laundry to be washed Sadly they are washed in ariel instead of nice eco-friendly stuff like I use, so they spend a day or two on the line when they get home to get rid of the smell!

gardenia101

Slowly catching up...

grandma247 wrote: »

Ginnyknit dried onions are wonderful. I gave my Sil some and he puts them in everything, he says they are the best thing since sliced bread I buy the onions by the sack at about£2.99 for 10kg sometimes 15kg for that price. I dice and dry them a full load at a time till the sack is done.

How many dried onions would you use instead of a fresh onion? As some of you may remember I have had problems with chopping fresh onions (even though I have tried many of your excellent suggestions/tricks :rotfl:). I did get a friend to "batch chop" & then I froze them, but my freezer still reeks of onion :mad: even though the frozen food thankfully doesn't seem to be tainted. A dehydrator may be the way to go, depending on price...

smileyt wrote: »

And then I have plans to go and kidnap the whole Government and make them live on benefits for a year in a damp, cold, vermin-infested flat on a pre-payment meter for gas and electricity.

This all sounds horribly frightening & I'm scared for the future of many people. I'm also worried about the potential unrest when it does get worse - I happened to be in Lewisham a few hours before the summer riots kicked off & I was horrified watching it all (on TV, not actually there then thankfully). Home many of us Brummies remember the Lozells/Handsworth riots from the 80s? I'd just left then, but friends at my old school told me of the odd petrol bomb/Molotov cocktail thrown into the school yard :eek:. Made a change from the odd pervy flashers I suppose (all girls school with a bit of woodland next to one side of fencing - perfect for flashers!).

Smileyt - brilliant idea. Don't forget to make in a long way from an Aldi etc. nearest shop has to be extortionate for "real food" but cheaper for alcohol & rubbish, & the only ATM within a 2 mile radius has to charge you for taking out your own money. All helps them see what life is like for far too many....

GreyQueen

Thank you for the advice, ladies. I suspect the duvet may be disintegrating inside. It's 85% duck down and 15% duck feather and was my pride and joy when it was new as was sooooo light and warm but it isn't cutting the mustard even at springtime temperatures in a very warm flat.

I may do a little sleuthing with a quick-unpick and see what is going on inside (I'm insatiable nosy ) but it may have to accept that it has had its day.

Great tip about TK Maxx; I somehow can't hold it in my brain that they do homewares, too, and don't think to check them out.............

Oh, and it's raining AGAIN...................:p

greenbee

GreyQueen wrote: »

Thank you for the advice, ladies. I suspect the duvet may be disintegrating inside. It's 85% duck down and 15% duck feather and was my pride and joy when it was new as was sooooo light and warm but it isn't cutting the mustard even at springtime temperatures in a very warm flat.

I may do a little sleuthing with a quick-unpick and see what is going on inside (I'm insatiable nosy ) but it may have to accept that it has had its day.

Great tip about TK Maxx; I somehow can't hold it in my brain that they do homewares, too, and don't think to check them out.............

Oh, and it's raining AGAIN...................:p

We have HAIL :eek: