make do and mend for tougher times

lisakay_2

SQ, our windows are the same in winter. i tend to leave all windows open just a crack the whole year through. i still end up mopping up every morning though. thick lined curtains keep any draughts out.
it doesn't seem to have started yet this year, it hasn't been cold enough for puddles on the window sills, just a bit of misting over the windows.

well, after a very poor year for crops on my little lotty it's really going to have to earn it's keep next year. i've got to pay my rent tomorrow and it's almost doubled...it's still pretty good value though. £64 for the year, and i've probably picked that much in soft fruit alone.
me and the girls have been on for a few hours today and started building raised beds with the pallets that homerdog helped me to 'rescue'
I've made 4 so far and enough wood to make 2 more, then i'll go begging for some more pallets.
it will make the lotty much more managable and productive, hopefully.
next weekend the girls will be knocking on our neighbours doors (supervised!) and offering to sweep leaves from their gardens for pocket money. we know most of our neighbours really well so they should earn themselves a few pennies, while i'll get some lovely big sacks of manky leaves to use on the lotty and the neighbours will have lovely clear gardens and driveways.
looks like a win/win/win to me
most of the seeds i use are saved from previous years (lots of heritage seeds used on our site), swapped with other plot holders or bought for me as christmas/birthday presents.
I should have very little outlay except for the rent. I'm not even going to figure in the cost of my time as it's not work, it's a hobby, it's therapy, it's quality time with the kids, it's exercise, it's educational and i love it

off to bed shortly as i have another busy week planned. got the dentist after the school run tomorrow, then work then the school run again then back to the lotty to pick some salad for tea, then committee meeting then it'll almost be time for tuesday to start
night peeps x

mcculloch29

Pops, I don't do the lottery very often but I don't feel guilty if I do. It's a little dream we can all share in.
I do lucky dips though, as 5 of my regular numbers came up on a midweek lottery, 16 years ago, and I didn't do midweeks...

I actually felt a bit guilty when all the Olympians and Paralympians were thanking people who bought tickets regularly, as lottery funding played a huge part in sporting success.

Spent a hour or so this afternoon mending a very thin, lightweight waterproof jacket that I use for cycling.
I've had it a few years now and love it. It's a really vivid green for good visibility and whilst it's not very aerodynamic, it's good to cycle in as it's free moving. The toggle-adjustable draw cords at the bottom thread through very small eyelets and one had come out of the eyelet at the end of a section.

I was quite chuffed with my solution - I got the smallest safety pin I could find, pinned it to the draw cord, threaded it through the eyelet and sewed it in position so it wouldn't escape again.

I also used an unwanted bike tyre puncture repair patch (stitched in place) to cover a hole made by my keys in a pocket as I had no fabric scraps suitable. Coat all washed (with Gloop) and ready to put away for next year.

This year I'd planned to replace the kitchen flooring as a hole has appeared in the vinyl where it gets most wear, in a doorway. That won't happen, but I found that black duct tape (the floor is black and white) has patched it up nicely.

Fuddle, my daughter told me that Aldi are very good about replacing faulty goods.
She completely refuted the suggestion that OOD meat is relabelled. It always gets marked down at 30% off (and it always sells, she also told me). Somewhere along the line the cold storage system has broken down for that meat and the managers would want to know about it.

Popperwell

mcculloch29,
Congratuations on your repairs amazing what you can do...

Tesco have some high visablity vests in at present reduced to approx £3.50(I think)but you get two adult and two children's in the box. I think a pound shop in Darlington were doing an adult vest for £1.

I'll try and keep the lottery going for a little while longer. I stopped for years but when I started again I decided it would have to be lucky dips for the reason you suggest, the one time you miss or cannot afford to they will be drawn so once the draw has finished I get rid of the ticket. So if it ever comes out again at least I'll never know.

Also well done for finding another use for duct tape...

I will try and get along to that Tuesday meeting sometime soon...

I've looked at the new bus timetables and mostly I am still ok even though some buses have had the times ammended but one route if I stay too long I would have to take two buses and change en route and another place I go they have brought the last bus forward by twenty minutes so if one of the few shows I go to overun I may have difficulty getting home...just when I have tried to get out a little more...

Oh well...could have been worse.

Soon be time for Aldi's to open:)

D&DD

Morning toughies
Book list as follows..

Thinking in pictures temple grandin

George and sam charlotte moore

the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime mark hadden

unraveling the mystery of autism and pervasive developmental disorder karyn seroussi

daniel isnt talking marti leimbach

born on a blue day daniel tammet

voices from the spectrum various authors

multicoloured mayhem jacqui jackson

the boy who loved windows patricia stacey

surviving the special educational needs system sandy row

a friend like henry nuala gardner

[STRIKE]ten things every child with autism wishes you knew ellen notbohm [/STRIKE] taken thanks

Can post to work address or p.o box if necessary and please do pass on afterwards XX

Back on later busy day..again!

Aria`s_Tail

Morning everyone,
Not caught up from the weekend totally yet. I got asked to work in the local pub on Sat (Something I do now and then, extra cash is always usefull. I also had a phonecall giving me work this week. (I do live in, 24H care). Off 70 Miles up the road in a couple of hours till next Monday. I don't have internet there except from my phone so will be reading but not posting much if at all.

Our last house (I moved in with OH when we got together) was another one with a private LL. No smoke alarms, heating (1 gas fire in the living room), damp on the outside walls and both bedroom ceilings. Oh, no gas safety cert either, seriously illegal in several ways. It was cheap though and OH wouldn't say anything to the LL as we were saving to move and needed a reference. Lots of them about i'm afraid.
Our LL now either fixes stuff quite quickly of asks us to do it and just take it off the rent.
That dog shaming gave me a giggle.

Have a good week everyone. X

fuddle

We put £1 on every Saturday and ignore other draws. The girls chose our numbers. It is go good to dream and by putting that £1 on I can dream of having my house one day. It keeps hope alive when the reality is different. That, I think is good for moral.

Everything is just lull here. Even my dog walk didn't cheer me up. It's been a while since I baked so think i'll make ginger pud and custard for after tea. Cheese brocolli pasta bake for tea.

I'm hopeless at complaining, I get all embarrassed and stuttery. I had never thought about it in a way that they actually want to know in store. I guess that's where the smaller stores come into their own.

To be honest I feel all broody but know financially we can't afford to have another little one. Sometimes it's just not bloooody fair.

Did anyone see Kevin McCloud's hand made home last night. Amazing piece on making own fuel from dog poo. I've never seen DH so irate. He thinks we all should know about these kind of self sufficient resources we simply chuck away.... He's got a point and finally completely in tune with what I've been preaching.

VJsmum

Morning all - couldn't post too much over weekend, was mega busy with work, house, MIL staying and DD performing in wizard of Oz.

Now I have the painters in again so can't do housework though the kitchen needs cleaning and tidying so will set to with that in a mo.

THis week I have meal planned from freezer stocks. Yesterday we had Lasagne with mince from freezer (though 2 portions gone back in), today is fish pie from YS fish in freezer, then we have chicken curry, beef in ale and pizza - all using freezer bits. Maybe at that point I might be able to see what is in there. I really need steve the beko defrosted. I think next week can be all freezer too (I know there is the makings of several roast dinners, chicken kiev, sausages, some pasta sauces as well as made up and then frozen meals / leftovers. I still managed to sepnd £70 at Aldi though.:o

I am thinking I might grow some soft fruit on my little garden veg patches - though my gooseberry bush hasn't yet produced anything after 2 years. I need to investigate where I am going wrong.

Have a good day all - I may spend an hour with !!!!!! whilst knitting later.

danetastic

Well was at dog show yesterday and on way home popped into lid£s and got us meat . Going to divide it into portions and freeze it ( is this ok? ) got enough for 3 weeks and there was plenty left too as only took what I knew I would use . I got a chicken ( for rubber chicken lol and that should do me at least 6 meals ) chicken thighs belly pork ( after reading that you guys cooked it and it sounded yum and I LOVE pork) so was a happy bunny.
When I got in I was shattered so decided to have baked beans on toast with some grated cheese - haven't had it for ages and really enjoyed it . I bought vintage cheddar the other day and only need a small amount for the taste .
Going to put chicken in slow cooker today and portion it up . Plans to make soup with carcas when it's eaten . Reminds me of how mum fed 6 of us on posties wage when I was small. Now I see how hard she worked and am so proud of her

danetastic

Oh and what does !!!!!! mean I just CAN'T work it out and it's bugging the hell out of me lol

Sunshine4

danetastic wrote: »

Oh and what does !!!!!! mean I just CAN'T work it out and it's bugging the hell out of me lol

The Wartime Farm