NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

dND

[QUOTE=JackieO;68601669
I too have a 'just in case' stock and my children always laughed at it but it has come in useful at times .I always have a couple of tins of sardines/pichards in store as they have often been used when times have got a bit lean.I even made a sardine and cheese Pizza once for my kids when they turned up with several pals in tow It went down a storm with the kids.
JackieO xxx[/QUOTE]

I'm with you there JackieO - I used to always think of sardines as 'grannie's food' but first discovered the joys of warmed pilchards on hot buttered toast . Now one of my favourite fast lunches is sardines in tomato sauce on tabbouleh and as for sardines pizza, it's scrummy :-)
Goes to show that granny knew best - omega 3 plus calcium all in a little (cheap) tin :rotfl:

suki1964

dND wrote: »

I'm with you there JackieO - I used to always think of sardines as 'grannie's food' but first discovered the joys of warmed pilchards on hot buttered toast . Now one of my favourite fast lunches is sardines in tomato sauce on tabbouleh and as for sardines pizza, it's scrummy :-)
Goes to show that granny knew best - omega 3 plus calcium all in a little (cheap) tin :rotfl:

Love sardines , pilchards and tinned kippers. Always have them at lunch. Just had kippers and a poached egg - late brunch

My mum is the hoarder in this house. She just has to keep buying rubbish. This week she walked in the door with those plastic drain covers that stop the leaves blocking them. She has forgotten that we had already tried those- and they blew away. I just last night threw away a pile of plastic tubs and lids. She's hoarded so many that they were all falling off the carousel, jamming at the back and stopping the cupboard door shutting :mad:

I won't bore you as to how many times of soup ( I make fresh) tins of beans ( maybe a tin a fortnight is used) and tubs of liqui tabs for the laundry she has stashed - at least four tubs moved in with her 9 years ago :eek:

Seriously drives me barmey

Backs are going to get up now I've decided the cupboard under the stairs needs a rake out lol

I keep on top of the kitchen cupboards. The only things I'd like shot off are some boxes of cake decorations but they are mums so can't a lot of stuff that we had doubles off ( butter dishes etc) are boxed up and stored in the attic. It's hard sharing a kitchen as mum has her ways and I have mine. Slowly though I'm taking over ALL the cooking and to be honest she just can't cope with anything more then a ready meal. She's fit and able, she runs her own florist, but the stoke she had has slowed her down in some ways


We are all set for the chickens. We sectioned off about 8 mtrs of lawn to make the run, the coop arrived, is built and just needs sterilising I'm looking for a breeder as I've decided what chickens I would like and will head to the farm suppliers Friday for bedding food and wormer and such. More expense but it's got to be done. Bad news is the woman in the lane behind us had a fox kill . 20 birds wiped out . We know the risk but are hopefully minimising it as much as we can. The chicken run backs onto next door neighbours dog runs so we are hoping either foxy will be deterred or we will get warning from the dogs. Have to say next door is on lower land. We are on raised land and he uses our retaining wall as the wall of his runs so they won't be able to worry the chooks

Well that's all the excitement in my life ATM lol. Working all weekend now so don't know when I'll get caught up on everything I just keep a loose plan of what needs doing and no set time to get things done. I get there in the end

117pauline

I am on day four of NBI as I have been feeling unwell and haven't been out of the house.

On the subject of hoarding, I will try to describe my present situation. My partner's ex wife has early onset dementia and is now in a home. We had to clear her house to cover her care costs but by the time it was sold, the government had to pay all her costs as she went down hill so quickly.

Our home is filled with guilt at the moment - her things all over the place and my OH not feeling up to sorting it out.

We have managed to donate a lot of things but there are so many bits and pieces that mean nothing to anyone else yet cost ££££s.

I feel very strongly that I want to "die tidy" so my son has little to sort out. As I have moved over twenty times since I left home, I have little attachment to places and things. In some ways I feel that this is very sad.

There have been a few things I have regretted decluttering but mostly I am grateful there isn't much to lose from my side.

So it is hard not to "sort" out this clutter when it isn't mine to do - I have to pray and hope that he will feel able to move on, to make things things better for all of us.

Lynplatinum

Hiya

Edwink - good to hear from you again -and what a good tip with the paint!
Jackie O - that sardines recipe is brilliant!! I love all the ingredients but had never thought of putting them together in that way! it goin in my recipe file!

pauline - I do hope your situation is sorted soon. Very difficult.
suki - do put a top on your chicken run - the foxes are capable of climbing over chicken wire - up to 6ft of it. Someone I knew lost 2 lots of chooks until they put a top on their run!!

Interesting that some of what we store is useful and other stuff just sits there forever and a day and does not get used. We should not keep on buying out of habit but assess if we really will use it?? Am trying to eat up cupboards stores to see if I need to keep so much stuff in??

What have you folks given up storing??
Nite all

[Deleted User]

Having taken on board the article on the BBC news about eating less meat as it was not only better for us but also this poor damaged planet I went to town yesterday and got 2 hot smoked salmon fillets in A*di for £2.99, 2 breaded cod steaks for £2.89, a big pack of quorn mince to make a bolognese sauce and a meatloaf this coming week and a big pack of spinach and ricotta tortelloni for £2 which is also much less for nice meals than I would have spent on meat to make them, win-win eh?

[Deleted User]

Nice day with an old friend today ,as usual I cooked too much for lunch, but it won't get wasted as I will have some tonight for supper and tomorrow nights dinner is sorted
Going to Bluewater tomorrow to meet up with my friend as we both have freebie John Lewis vouchers for coffee and cake and I want to price up a tablecloth in The White Company for a wedding present for someone.
I am hoping I won't spend very much if anything .The temptation will be all around me :):), especially in JL (my favourite shop ) I also want to check the bra's out for when I have a bit of a spend up next month
Onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xxx

edwink

Hope everyone is ok on board ship!!!

Update on the hens for you!!! Langley is still doing well and still mixing in with the others really well. She does stay around me when I am up the garden, constantly chirping and talking to me, which is nice!! Maybe saying thank you mummy or something, bless her.

Sad news is that one of out other hens is not well!! She is up and about and is eating ok!! She started to slow down about a month ago. She is 5 now so not old enough for old age yet. Noticed she was walking slightly awkward and a bit slow. Checked everything we could think of and all seemed ok so have kept an eye on her. Still her walking was awkward so we checked her over again the other day and found a huge lump underneath (won't go in to detail) honestly the size of a tennis ball!! Her appetite is very good and will take food from me no problem. The others are not bothering her so we have decided just to keep an eye on her. There does not seem to be any pain as her eyes are bright and she is fine in herself. She is just slow with her walking. Doesn't look good to be honest. But, there is always a time when you take them to the vets and a time you leave them be. This time we will leave her and see how she goes every day. Don't want to stress her out with a car journey. I am certain there is nothing the vet or ourselves can do for her. She isn't egg bound I have double checked that so it appears to be something nasty. She is not suffering from what we can tell!! Bless her heart!! She has a wonderful life here with us so we feel it is the best place for her to stay!! I get so emotional about everyone of them when they are poorly. Some we can help and some we can not though and that is the toughest part of keeping hens. Will makes sure she is ok though at all times!!!

Went over board on shopping this week £80 :eek: but we have been under by £10 or so the past 2 weeks. Think the cupboards were getting a bit low to be honest. Now stocked up again thankfully.

Nearly forgot to mention out little Bertie (cockerel) he has hurt his foot. How, we have no idea!!! Found blood down the path so followed the trail and saw him standing on one leg obviously hiding the hurt one and with blood on the other. My god what a man to catch. Managed it and brought him indoors. He was such a good boy. Nestled himself in my hubbies arms while I washed both of his legs. Found that he had broken a nail which was bleeding quite a lot. Managed to clean it all and stop the bleeding. He now has a little padding and a plaster on his middle toe. Put some Iodine on it which has made the plaster purple which will stop the others pecking at it. (they peck at anything that is red). Checked on him this morning and the plaster is still on securely. Will remove the plaster tomorrow and see how it is healing. Bless him he was so quite yesterday which is unlike him. This morning he was back to his normal self. YAY!!!!! So that is a good sign!!!!!

Have a good weekend all!!! And don't for the mindful spending!!

Will update on the wardrobe challenge and see how you are all doing with it when I have less to write about the hens!!!

Take care all!!

Edwink x

Primrose

Edwink. I am so touched at how tenderly look after your hens and your cockerel. We only buy free range eggs. I think of the sad lives lived by the chickens in those awful mass production factories and how fortunate your birds are to lead such hapoy lives. I know mass egg production seems to be a necessity now with such a large population to feed but I often reflect on how the supply/demand equation has got so far out of balance. Enjoy your birds. I'm not sure whether the greater pleasure is theirs or yours but I enjoy hearing about them.

edwink

Primrose wrote: »

Edwink. I am so touched at how tenderly look after your hens and your cockerel. We only buy free range eggs. I think of the sad lives lived by the chickens in those awful mass production factories and how fortunate your birds are to lead such hapoy lives. I know mass egg production seems to be a necessity now with such a large population to feed but I often reflect on how the supply/demand equation has got so far out of balance. Enjoy your birds. I'm not sure whether the greater pleasure is theirs or yours but I enjoy hearing about them.

Awwwww!!! Thank you Primrose for your kind comments. They are my life, they really are!!! When I collected my 1st 12 rescue hens I could not believe the poor state they were in. No feathers, long nails, blood spots where they had been pecking at each other. It has been since then that I vowed to do all I could for them. It is just remarkable how they bounce back once here for a few weeks.

We do have a big garden!! We have the first 50ft which we share with them all winter when they can not eat my flowers etc. Then they have most of the 100ft plus of garden Then there a is 50ft plus section which is fenced off to keep them away from any foxes!!! In their area they have their 20ft coop which has their hotel in and 2 outdoor rain shelters with perches. Plus their feeding troughs and some fruit trees. Further down the garden they have a dust bathing area about 15ft square. They have an orchard area for sheltering from the sun. We have 19 fruit trees and under those we have grass for them to peck on with chicken wire around it so they can not scratch too much at the grass, so it continues to grow. We have a large Acer tree that they sit under with the ducks in really hot weather. Best place to sit in really hot weather cos it is so cool under there. There are different paths for them to walk along to keep their nails filed down. A lovely stoned area under the trees where they can scratch for bits!! In the winter they scratch around the 30ft veg beds and keep it weeded for me also they dust bath in one of 2 green houses throughout the winter. It really is a win win situation for them plus a lovely retirement home. When we moved here I designed the garden to give them as much space as possible. All they knew was overcrowding and that I thought is not going to happen in my garden. They have loads of space!!! I must try and attach a few photos of them for you to see!!!

It is raining here but not heavily and they are all out playing. They just love their freedom!!!! And so do I!!!!!

Just thought the above would give you and the others on here an idea of what their freedom is like!!!

Thanks again Primrose!!


Edwink x

Primrose

Edwink. What a lovely environment for them. I can just imagine how scared they probably were when they first arrived in a poor state of health. And slowly how they must have realised things were changing for them, being able to see daylight, feel the sun on their backs and do what all hens do naturally, scratching around in the ground. They must have felt they'd arrived in heaven!