The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

maryb

Fuddle, if you like Frugal Queen you'll love our very own Memory Girl's blog

http://mortgagefreeinthree.com/

And another one who is in tune with those is Sue from Our New Life in the Country

http://ournewlifeinthecountry.blogspot.co.uk/

Not forgetting, of course, Rhonda from Down to Earth

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.co.uk/

Now I've just added at least half an hour to your daily blog checking routine!

ginnyknit

Fuddle though your quilt will be a labour of love its well worth it. As someone suggested if you do blocks that are manageable then sew them together at the end its totally transportable. Frugal queen is a quilter and shows how she does it on her blog. I made DGs a machined quilt for Christmas and he loves it but I am collecting fabric to do 2 hand stitched ones for possible additions to my grandma role in the near future (DS and wifey are in the planning stage :j)

Am sat looking out at the sunshine and surrounding myself with tissues as my flu type bug seems to be on its way to someone else. My head is too full of yuck to concentrate but have a couple of Wips to finish off.

Thinking of Cc and family and have a candle lit sending love and light. xx

PRINCESSX87

Wow, I for one am glad that weekend is over.

Family issues spread like wild fire at the weekend. Luckily after reaching breaking point, OH decided to ignore everything and have an evening of planning. So I have managed “finally” to convinced OH that he should build a raised bed for us to grow some veggies, After he see how much things like potatoes have rocketed in the stores.
I have managed to source enough wood for the grand total of £0! OH has all the other materials needed thanks to being a magpie at work so other than the compost & seeds, It should cost us approx £15.

I even get annoyed that we have to buy the compost, Ours is no where enough for the size we’re doing, But unless it’s a deal or we can use a coupon, Its not getting brought!

So, my next question, Do any of you grow potatoes? Are they easy? Best seeds to get for maximum results.?

Also, I remember reading somewhere on here about someone going to environment health over the property conditions they was in? Was there ever an outcome?

I have reported more than once to our estate agents about mould and spoors growing all over the house. Further more, Over the weekend, I entered my wardrobe to discover about £50 worth of clothing completely ruined. Me believing there might be a leak from somewhere (Water marks running down the walls appearing everywhere) meant that OH was in the attic. For him to tell me that our family photos & ordainments are completely soaked and much destroyed.

I have contacted the EA only to be told that its our fault and therefore we need to pay for the repairs. But no one has even come to check what’s actually going wrong other than the property inspectors which only check we haven’t changed the property.

Confused? Us too!

Floss

PRINCESSX87 wrote: »

...Do any of you grow potatoes? Are they easy? Best seeds to get for maximum results.?

Yes, they are easy - but use seed potatoes (99p or so a pack in £stretcher, Home Bargains, B&M etc) and they grow best in tallish pots or bags. Supermarket bags for life are ideal as they are sturdy and only 10/15p. Look on the Greenfingers board for more frugal ideas.

PRINCESSX87 wrote: »

...Also, I remember reading somewhere on here about someone going to environment health over the property conditions they was in? Was there ever an outcome?

I have reported more than once to our estate agents about mould and spoors growing all over the house. Further more, Over the weekend, I entered my wardrobe to discover about £50 worth of clothing completely ruined. Me believing there might be a leak from somewhere (Water marks running down the walls appearing everywhere) meant that OH was in the attic. For him to tell me that our family photos & ordainments are completely soaked and much destroyed.

I have contacted the EA only to be told that its our fault and therefore we need to pay for the repairs. But no one has even come to check what’s actually going wrong other than the property inspectors which only check we haven’t changed the property...

Look at the following pages, and read right through to the bit about statutory nuisance - then contact your estate agent aganin, ask for a full property inspection and if you don't get anywhere then contact your local council. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/housing_e/housing_repairs_in_rented_housing_e.htm

savingqueen

Nice to hear about happy weekends fuddle, PIC and stiltwalker. Happy belated 5th birthday to little miss stilty!

I got a year's NT membership when we were on hols last summer on a feel good whim. It seemed a decent deal and we used it as couple of times on holiday and once when meeting at a half way point between ours and friends in Sussex. However, I didn't think to ask or check about NT places near to us and there are none nearby. We have just about or nearly broken even with the membership but I won't be renewing it. There are a couple of places that are driveable thatI will take the kids to to try and make the subscription stretch a bit but need to balance that with cost of petrol.

Mcculoch thanks for sharing the link from CC - the lyrics make you really think. If you are contact with her, please pass on my love to her and her DH. When people posted messages for her last time I collated them all into one PM to save her time looking for posts and hope I don't sound bossy but am suggesting you could do the same?

A very dear friend of mine is currently at the hospital as her mother is very ill and may not pull through. Can I ask toughies to send positive thoughts for her please. I am also thinking of another good friend facing her first mother's day without her mum and trying to be supportive to her too whilst feeling tearful about my own mum who is very much alive but as far as closeness goes we may as well be on oppposite ends of the earth.

Onto happier news, we have booked another cottage on the same farm we did last year. This time it is for a week rather than a fortnight and we are taking the cheapest cottage, need to take our own bed linen etc. This way we can afford it and still get away. The holiday we had last year meant such an awful lot to our boys, well all of us and memories as the most important thing for children so we will be back to one of most favourite and special places in the world - northumbria. We have even checked that the farm's horses that DS7 fell in love with are still there.

Have no energy today so doing chores interspersed with sitting down stuff like sewing and um sitting with my laptop

SQ

candlelight_2013

Just want to send love, hugs and light to CC and her DH, I am thinking of you both.

Candlelightx

paidinchickens

SQ The cottage sounds lovely, I think I can remember you talking of the farm last year but I've been to sleep since then

Talking of last year I'm glad to see there is no arguing on here now, I don't know what was going on but every time I popped on it was a little heated and my nerves couldn't take it so I did a runner instead.

Does anyone sell books on Amaz0n or has it died a death now? I have a stack of books to sort and wondered what the best place to sell them was. I've never sold anything on there before, is it as easy as Eb@y?

PiC x

fuddle

I had damp issues with the front of the house we rented privately Princess. It was to do with water seeping in at the front of the house but no where else. That told us there was a problem with the fabrication of the set up and not to do with how we were living in it. I was advised to got to environmental health with it but also advised that in doing that I could also jeopardise our tenancy (aggrieved LL etc) it's a horrible situation that saw us move on.

The house I rent here has (had) a horribleould problem in all rooms. This is down to closed windows, tumble drying indoors without ventilation, high temps of heating, lack of decent bathroom extraction, insulation right up to the fabric of the loft space which seeps into ceilings below.

We have addressed many of these issues as has the LA/LL and knowing about mould and how it isn't helped by the way we live in a space we make sure we don't expel any more moisture into the house than is absolutely nessessary.

Both situations differ, if you have the first kind of scenario then I really do feel sorry for you because the feelings and frustrations are awful. If it is the second maybe look at how you live in the spaces as well as basic amenities for extraction and put a plan of action together for the agents? I.e. instead of saying you have mould and their response being no action maybe say 'look x,y,z needs attention because...'?

fuddle

maryb wrote: »

Fuddle, if you like Frugal Queen you'll love our very own Memory Girl's blog

http://mortgagefreeinthree.com/

And another one who is in tune with those is Sue from Our New Life in the Country

http://ournewlifeinthecountry.blogspot.co.uk/

Not forgetting, of course, Rhonda from Down to Earth

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.co.uk/

Now I've just added at least half an hour to your daily blog checking routine!

About to be added to my reading app thank you

fuddle

When you fry eggy bread do you add cheese the mix?