make do and mend for tougher times

prepareathome

fuddle wrote: »

Me too pah I'm hoping for pics of grand doggie.

Can I ask for help with what whisk to buy in my shopping. Has to be Asda as that's who will be delivery it. One is £2 the other £1.99.





Electric whisk on it's last legs. I thought the bottom one as more unlikely to break but maybe the top one would be easier?

I also would go with bottom one..........I have both plus the electric stick one I have had donkeys years and a simple hand held electric mixer which rarely gets used.......my balloon one has another smaller balloon inside and inside that is a round metal ball with a glass marble inside and it beats everything so quickly.

The turn the handle on I have also is old but old enough that it was well made so still works and never gone rusty.

Well done to Mr F

fuddle

Just sat for 60 minutes watching halogen oven demonstrations from a shopping channel on youtube. I am very, very excited!

Has anyone made bread in it?

Edit: that will be a yes https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1796167

jpscloud

fuddle wrote: »

EDIT: DH has won £25 fishing :j It won't be enough to cover the whole cost of the halogen oven but I've been given permission from the boss to take the rest from the emergency fund on the understanding that I sell some of my clothes on ebay - deal! Off to buy my Andrew James 12 litre :j

Hooray! Well done MrFuds! Hope you enjoy your halogen oven as much as I do mine, fuddle. There are ups and downs getting used to any new appliance, but I think that's all part of the fun.

GreyQueen

Afternoon. Anyone else dodging torrential (and I mean street-drains-can't-cope-roads-awash-torrential) rain showers? The parentals had to take a detour returning to their town and the road was flooded. I have been rinsed several times in fresh natural rainwater and am all soft and fluffy.

Kidkat re your council tax bill bombardment, what I think is happening is this; ATLAS is feeding tax credit changes into your LA's benefit system. They recalc your award every time and this causes the council tax to change and you keep getting new notices. The most recent bill will be the right one, until there's another, whereupon that will be right(er). You've got the right attitude to it.

This is how the world will end, disappearing under a paperslide.

katieowl, what a gawdawful experience for your young people and :T for wading in with builder friend etc and sorting it.

One of my pals ended up having to rent from one of the scuzzy student landlords here (the market was sewn up by him and some equally-lovely treasures) when she was a student. She'd been forwarned that he was notorious for witholding damage deposits on the most ridiculous of grounds, such as the whole deposit because someone'd put a drawing pin into a wall, so she was pre-prepared.

The deposit was the same as the last month's rent so she made sure that she didn't pay that, had her phone switched off and didn't answer his increasingly-hysterical notes. I helped her with the clear out and move and that flatlet was left SPOTLESS but she didn't have anything to do with him. She was emigrating so it was a case of find me if you can.

Ooof, goiong to get some food in a minute. Have harvested 1.35 kg peas (shelled weight) and although there may be a few more, that it the most of it. Those stupid snails have recolonised the pea patch and the blackcurrant bush but I wasn't in the mood for murder today so they'll live to fight another day...........but not for long, mwha ha ha.

Quick Gardening Q:

I have a blackcurrant bush which has been in situ for about 3 years but has only really taken off this year. Have just noticed that there a couple of baby-blackcurrants, about 10 inches tall growing about 2 feet from it. Does this kind of fruitbush sucker or have they grown from dropped fruits?

Until I've eaten.............a curry with fresh garden peas.

jpscloud

I'm not really sure about blackcurrants GQ, I have just had my first year's crop from a bush planted last year - good crop too! My mum's the expert, I'll ask her about suckers.

kidcat

GQ - thats pretty much what I thought, my only real issue is that the payment varies by £30 per month so its difficult to budget, am assuming TC will settle a figure shortly and I can then see. Its all just so wasteful of resources.

My dad has finally managed to make DS8 his hideaway for under his bed, its to replace the cardboard box as his zone to retreat when things are too much for him. I am now left with the task of whether to paint it or not. AM erring on the side of black paint to make it dark for him and will then need to make him a little curtain for the front. Off to Ikea for some cheapo cushions and a few fleeces to make it a comfortable place.

I also have a dilemma which I do not wish to speak about in RL, a job has been advertised locally for 20 hours to be an advocate and carers adviser for ASD, the pay is a better hourly rate than OH. I have read the job description and it exactly describes the support group I am currently setting up. It also describes the role I am currently doing within the group - heavy on advocacy and education.
My dilemma is this, financially I would not be any better off by the time travel costs, carers allowance etc are taken away but the role seems to be exactly what I am doing and would allow me a "proper" title and maybe open doors to help people that previously would have remained closed to a volunteer.
The hours are flexible so I am thinking that it can fit in around the kids and even if I home school I could set work and ask my mum to sit for a morning or so.

But its a huge commitment, and with everything the kids are currently going through I just dont know what to do. (need confused smiley)

jpscloud

Kidkat, during some training I had (I work in learning support and often have autistic teenagers) they mentioned a pop up tent as a retreat in times of crisis, and wondered if that might suit your DS as well? I know your dad has probably worked hard on that hideaway, so maybe my thoughts come too late, but worth keeping on the back burner, maybe?

Evie74_2

Thank you everyone for the advice. I would normally prefer to buy/make a wedding gift but this has been specifically refused :eek: in the invitation.

When DH and I got married we did have a particular set of crockery which were collecting and relatives who wanted to buy a piece got in touch with my mum for details. But some of the loveliest presents which I treasure most were the surprises and things that people had spent time making for us. One friend painted a picture of the church where we were married, and another sewed a cross-stitch picture commemorating our wedding date - these both have pride of place in my home. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea but I love them because they remind me how special my friends are to take the time and trouble to make gifts for us.

Fuddle - your wedding sounds very romantic Mine was a very traditional village-church-followed-by-reception-in-local-hotel effort. It was quite simple by today's standards - most of the weddings I've been to in recent years seem to have been very extravagant and showy.

SDG - awful news about your friend's DH, my thoughts are with him and his family. This is definitely one of those situations where you hope for a miracle.

Kidcat - the job sounds ideal, but you have so much on your plate already. I don't have the answers but hope that you reach the decision that is right for you and your family.

Fuddle - Yay for DH's winnings! I am going to have to look into halogen ovens now as I'm intrigued...!

My plans for the evening involve flaking out on the sofa in front of Midsummer Murders (:o), and maybe digging out my unfinished embroidery sampler if I CBA.

Have a good evening all

Evie xx

Pooky

If anyone needs a paper brick maker then the one at arg0s is reduced from £25 - £4.99!! (sorry can't link from my iPad). I'm going to pick one up tomorrow.

[Deleted User]

KIDCAT - You are the only one who can judge wether you will manage a job as well as everything else you have to cope with. I just must ask the question of you - what do you get as time off from the trials and tribulations that come with being Mum? could you do all you need to and still do the job or would the job give you time out and a bit of a breather? It's a weighing up of both sides to make the decision as to wether you could or couldn't fit it all in. Hope this helps, Love Lyn xx.