make do and mend for tougher times

fuddle

It's easy sunshine, seriously, If I can do it anyone can. Even by hand it wouldn't take too long and so effective (i'm sat with mine on my feet just now)

Pops bubble wrap on the windows, as pah said, is so good. I put it on the shower room window and toilet window in the winter as they are unheated. You cannot feel any cold coming from the window pane and it does make a difference. I just wish I was brave enough to put it on the windows that aren't opaque.

I too have thought about tin foil behind the raditors on the outside walls. Apparently if you put bubble wrap on cardboard and then put the tin foil over that it works better. Alternatively there's http://www.amazon.co.uk/Radflek-Radiator-Reflector-Panel-Sheets/dp/B003E18ZMM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341674002&sr=8-1 panels which I might just be tempted to buy

fuddle

I've got smartprice basic rice in mine pops The girls have basmati in theirs. Both work well. We've just used some cotton but I guess any material where the rice can't escape from would work. I put ours in the microwave for 30 second bursts. The smaller ones only need 30 seconds, my larger one need 3 x 30 seconds and put that little cup of water in to prevent fires. So pleased you told me that. :eek:

fuddle

Just found this film for clear windows too http://www.amazon.co.uk/Insulating-Windows-Transparent-Metre-Maximum/dp/B0038JE7X6/ref=pd_sim_diy_2 ok, I'm taking over the thread. I'm shushed for a while

Sunshine4

Thanks for that Fuddle, was just going to ask what rice you used and I have some SP rice.:T

kitschy

fuddle wrote: »

egg and soldiers 5 mins in boiling water then a quick dunk in cold to stop them cooking any more in their hot little selves, so my grandma told me anyway. Some mam's recoil in horror that I give my children runny egg yolks.. but, but they're so nice and it never did me any harm.

DD aged 7 has had her first sewing machine lesson. She's done a little rice bag too I was a bit scared letting her do it as I was worried she was too young but she was really good. I said "wow, that looks great, well done" and she said it was because she had a good teacher. I was very proud. That was a teary mammy moment.

Only thing is DD aged 3 wants a turn. Don't know what to do other than do it with her on my knee and let her have her hands on mine.

Aw pah don't worry. I like the new shorter title.

I decided to get a little toy sewing machine to sew on the cards I make, and literally saw three at the first car boot I went to. The one I got was battery powered but much slower than a proper one, and has a little cage thing to prevent tiny fingers being sewn through. Think I paid £2 for it, so it might be worth looking if your tiddlypom wants to learn!

Byatt

Just watched the local news, who gave all of 2 mins to the weather, it appears we had a month of rain, overnight. :eek:

The A35 Devon/Dorset border has had a landslide so problems there.

Hope all those in Dorset are ok as I hear it's moved your way...:(

People are saying they've never seen the rivers this high. There are 2 rivers just down the road from me. All the fields are under water.

However the huge puddle outside my door has gone down. Although the water is still flowing.

Pink.

prepareathome wrote: »

Oh gosh Pink I wasn't complaining about the name honestly am sorry if came across as I did, am very, happy with the name, sorry really am I seemed to be criticize. What I meant when I said almost was I could not take full credit for the name as fuddle had contributed part of it.

Hugs, Love and healing to all xxxx

I know that you weren't complaining and you didn't come across as though you were.....anyhow it's changed now, and I think it's a title that most people will like.

I've spent the afternoon in the garden potting up my veg...lots of sunshine popping out from behind the clouds, but the ground is very squelshy, which would be fine if you aren't someone like me who enjoys being barefoot outside. Squelshy, muddy toes aren't a good look. I think I need a bath.

Pink

[Deleted User]

I`ve had my break and I`m coming out of the woodwork :j ooh the thread already reads like a good book.

I had to cross a river once at college and we were all roped together because fast shallow water can push you over, I think it was just up to the calves. I absolutely cannot cross running water, just too scary, not even a fast running stream in the elan valley. My heart goes into my mouth

I don`t want to worry you but we haven`t yet seen the half of it. There will be a bit of respite in most areas 8-12th and then it`s very downhill with just a couple of days nice. Going to be much worse than we have had and I refer to the forecast I get from piers corbyn. The whole of july is very very bad

So how to cope: well think of farmers and crops, the wheat near me is going yellow and I don`t mean ripening. I have had 5 blight warnings so blight is a certainty. I was going to run down my store cupboard but I have built it up to full. Think of grains and alternatives to potatoes. I am digging mine up next week and will be dehydrating them in slices and also dehydrating the onions as there isn`t a cat in hells chance that they will store

Another different source says that winter will be hard and early and I don`t know how right this will be but I have been making preparations. Told one dd so far and got flue swept and fuel ordered and stored. Look I cant say everything all at once or my post will be too long but most stuff is in the T thread

Re uk stock market, strangely it is up and doing ok so not as gloomy as we are getting on the media but I do see one hell of a divide with the old boys club :rotfl: leading :rotfl: us and that is in all parties.

Oh heck, I am back with a bang and I meant to slip in quietly but no point in puttyfooting . I missed you all and am so happy that the thread calmed down

Popperwell

Its not much but the Post Office owed me some money(benefits)£26 so that paid for my egg cups(I had to buy 4)£1, bought some disposable plates and bowls for the stock cupboard £2.50, a timer(they only had one shaped like a lemon)£2.50, some batteries for the radio or if not used...the stock cupboard £2.50, being lazy I bought an egg slicer 85p, some clips for closing bags as used in the freezer 85p, some contaiers for storing food in the fridge(six for £1)a mousemat 85p, pens for writing on CD's and DVD's £2.15. I got some milk too...

So not a bad little shop. Perhaps that egg slicer will cut tomatoes:pWon't know until I try...with what's left I may buy some more gas canisters for the stove...then I'm all set.

Going to have some fruit, milk and cereal now...and my main meal later...

smileyt_2

Ooh new thread!
I've had a lovely day. I met my parents and sister and had a pot of tea in a cafe with them. Then I went to a lesbian tea-party in a local tea room and shared a pot of tea with someone (worked out at £2.50 each for 3 cups of strong tea) and really enjoyed meeting new people, which is something I usually struggle with. Looks like it might become a regular thing so I might make some new friends.

On the OS-front I bought a little hexamine stove and some spare fuel tablets from Wilko's in case of power cuts, and some lovely felt pink and purple butterfly and flower shapes from poundland. A friend of mine has just had a baby girl so I will use some on a card for her. Poundland were selling Disney 'burp cloths' and scratch mitts so I got some of those as a gift. I wouldn't usually buy Disney stuff as I'm not into multi-national corporations but they were only £1 and looked decent quality and will be more use than another teddy bear! I love Poundland!

Whispers .... it hasn't rained here yet today ...... I can't believe the difference after yesterday's torrential rain. Our weather truly is crazy. I was reading reports on exactaweather.com yesterday and this weather is set to continue all summer with a cold winter and early snow to follow :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(.

Re winter-proofing the house - I have a cheap quilt hanging down my chimney breast. It really made a difference to the temperature of the room last winter. I hung it using a bamboo pole on two hooks screwed into the wall, or you could tie the pole to a couple of nails, so it's not technical to do. I also covered the airbricks with thin material. This takes the edge of the draughts but still allows them to do their job and allow the wall to breathe. Popperwell, I have foil-covered cardboard behind my radiators. The easiest way to do it is to cut slits in the cardboard so it slots over the metal bits that fasten the radiator to the wall. These work well with a bit of a 'bend' over the top of the radiator to push the heat out into the room.

I can't believe we're discussing winter in July!

ETA Waves at Kittie! I am waiting for my final wage to come in and will spend some of that on bulking up store cupboard, I think.