make do and mend for tougher times

Byatt

I just ventured out into the garden and notice the rain has not deterred the slugs and snails. They have even eaten my mint!! eta, Fuddle, just read your post about the mint leaves, I've never known mint to be eaten before.

Shovelled a carrier bag of mud from the front door/drain area...

Smiley, I think you will be able to gauge from the interviewers how much you disclose, once you're there, but come up with a couple of plans. Keep it simple and mention it in part to a question if it arises...I think you should "wear" your hair with pride, as I'm sure you do anyway, but sometimes less explantion is better. mmmhh, I don't think I've helped. Loads of positive vibes btw. :T I am sure your winning personality and charm will win the day!

So glad you didn't chop your leg off. Take care! xxx

Possession

Smiley, since all interviews these days are based on 'experiences', they are bound to ask something along the lines of "where have you turned something bad to your advantage" - if there is any question at all where it would fit, I would use the reason for your cropped hair as the answer. Explains why it is so short and shows that you've been able to turn a situation around. Good luck! DH has two tomorrow but they are just recruitment agency interviews.

Evie74_2

Smiley - I think I'd be inclined to mention it if the moment arises - if you don't want to go into the medical reasons you could just explain that you had it cut to raise money for charity. They certainly couldn't take issue with that! Good luck - will keep everything crossed for you

Evie xx

SpikyHedgehog

fuddle wrote: »

Mine too. He pays to be a member of a club that doesn't let you keep your catch. When pops was talking about his trout yesterday I was thinking chance would be a fine thing.

I've been out for some mint for a mint tea. It's gone! :mad::eek: There's stalks but no leaves.

Also, the black currents are ripening slowly but some of them have split. Does anyone know why?

I think it's too much water... I'd use them anyway though.

& you've reminded me, I need to send DS1 up to my parents next week to check out [STRIKE]what we can have from their garden[/STRIKE] how he can help them with the garden ;-) Mum & dad like the idea of growing fruit & veg, but don't have the time or energy to maintain it well, & live too far away for us to easily pop round to help. We had currants the year before last, but last year the birds got them.

DS1's still in bed at the moment though he says he's 'up'. I said you need to be vertical not horizontal to be up. DS2 is with Errant Husband at a stock car racing weekend - I spoke to EH earlier & asked if they can keep his filthy clothes & put in their washing machine as mine isn't working & I really don't fancy scrubbing that lot by hand.

I've attempted organisation of the spare wardrobe in my room that holds the winter prep stuff. I get the big packs of toilet roll & used an empty bag to hold all the hats & gloves etc though I pulled the rain trousies out as I think we'll need them this week. I've taken the games & puzzles out to put on the new unit downstairs & taken the presents out to store elsewhere. I need to get some plastic boxes to sort the food stuffs out so I can find them more easily, but that's an ongoing thing. Did look at the ones in MrA last night, but they seemed very flimsy.

I want to go supermarket shopping as we're out of fruit, but I had loads of veg still in the fridge as I've not cooked properly this week, or I over estimated what we needed . So I've made a vegetable hash out of the onions, celery & carrots & fried that up to freeze. Thank you to whoever on Old Style had that suggestion! I know I saw it last year & remembered it but not who does it.

I've had lunch & will make a meal plan before checking the cupboards & then will decide whether to go now or tomorrow after work. After work is nearer, but I need to be back home before Errant Husband brings DS2 home from after school club as I don't want him in the house without me. And if I go from home today, I can take the trolley & get rid of the glass & tetra packs as well as take back some more stuff for refunds. But it's raining...

betony

Popperwell wrote: »

Take a look at the stockroom thread, lots going on there and if you ask quick enough Butterfly Brain is sending a PM to those who want it, with a kind of list of what should be in such a cupboard...

Would you please tell me which thread that is? I'm surreptitiously trying to build up a store cupboard myself; my OH being somewhat dismissive of such things. Me, I want to be ready for all eventualities!

PS Can't believe how fast this thread is going already! You are all sooo inspirational :T

Byatt

Betony, I believe it's this one, the list is in a post now.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4031559

Rosetta92

fuddle Thanks for starting the new thread. Really useful to see the links to previous threads - didn't know there were so many :T

Hello to everyone and welcome to the newbies :wave:

I'll try to post when I can, but usually read a daily email of the thread on my way to work - so many good ideas its hard to keep up and by the time I finish reading its my stop so I don't post. (Must try harder:o )

Thanks for all the great ideas, and good luck dodging the weather for another week.

R

Popperwell

That's the one:)

Thanks Byatt...

Spiky...

You can get 30L Capacity Crates in clear plastic and stackable at Tesco's on offer at present(half price)so £3 each but buy two and they take another £1 off.

prepareathome

Afternoon all, well dry here for the moment don't want to say it to loudly in case it reminds the rain gods that they should be busy here....

Granddaughter gone home now and is not amused her mum will not take her to town for clothes shopping as its to late, daughter has always been one to be up at first light and in bed asleep usually by 10pm even now in mid 30's and so 1pm is middle of day for her. I never saw her as not got downstairs yet, but could hear her and granddaughter came up to give me a bye bye hug and told me how she was so unhappy and how next weekend if she is allowed to stay I must get her up for around 7am .....

I have just realised I have a whole lot of vegetable plants that arrived Tuesday that are out of their box and laid out on trays in greenhouse that need to be planted out ( its my plants from rocketgardens the constant garden) and past two days I forgot about them. I really need another bed dug but no chance of that today so going to put plastic down on top of grass - hopefully strim the area - then put one of the pallets I have got ready to make raised beds with and put it on top of the plastic and fill it with soil and compost and plant them. Most I think are ones that grow above ground so it should be deep enough for roots.

Might just might be able to use hubbys guilt to my advantage today as he knows what about how I felt and was up Friday night thinking about but of course not had a chance to speak properly with granddaughter being here. So he today keeps coming upstairs to ask if I want him to make me breakfast, did I want more tea, to just call him if I want anything and not to go downstairs unless I feel up to it - this will not last, and wouldn't expect or want it to, I don't want a slave but I will make use of him in garden - he can carry the pallets to where I want them and move the bags of compost, just must time it well as he has chosen to watch the tennis......

So just waiting for second lot of pain meds hopefully to work, its so annoying some days its second or even third lot before am able to get moving..........

Thanks for the links for dehydrators, for the amount I will have I cannot justify spending hundreds on one, but might do as you have done grandma buy two of those cheaper ones and use all the trays in one. I am also wondering if a halogen oven would be a good buy - I do have two slow cookers and use them a lot, I have a microwave but apart from pasta I never cook anything in it just use it to warm up beans, milk etc. Its just deciding what is way forward to cut bills with income going to go down in the next year ( as I know DLA will vanish and although got into ESA support group this time, its only for 2 years and who knows how the rules might have changed by then even though my health is very, very unlikely to improve - but I never give up hope for a miracle - they could change the goal posts, then hubbys firm already had one round of redundancies and rumours abound for more or paper closing down completely - he delivers local newspapers and they are selling less and less of them, so rounds are being cut almost weekly, they have lost 3 drivers due to a sacking and two with bad health and not replaced them yet still not much in way of extra overtime) so it whether to buy things in now that might save me money in the future or wait and see -

The halogen ovens are not to expensive but are they really cheap to run as they say as I try to fill the oven when I use it but sometimes its just enough for me to make whatever it is I mainly want oven for so its not filled up and that is such a waste - years ago I always would have on a full oven but then with 5 to feed it was easy to keep on baking etc as would be eaten quickly - hubby would eat any baking daily if I let him but his Cholesterol would not thank me at all.

I am going to have a go making a hay box as one thing i have is quite a lot of straw as all my plants come packed in it and so far have managed to keep it dry- even when old greenhouse collapsed. So one day soon I will try it with some rice - safest before I try it with meat I think. If it works might use it a bit more often instead of slow cookers.

Right will just go and add a bit to my diary today then hopefully move..............

Hugs. Love and Healing to all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

short_bird

I think I read that the additional Vit D for children is 'cos they don't get time in the sun without factor 50 sunblock these days so may not be synthesizing their own...