Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

vhalla1478

Morning All,

Sorry I didn't get back last night and post recipes; I was just too tired and didn't even read in bed. I'm out shopping this morning but will get back to normal, whatever that is, (!) this afternoon.

I do hope all your plumbing woes are speedily resolved, GreyQueen - what a worry; water can do so much damage.

Apropos 'Superwoman' by Shirley Conran, I was an avid fan and also I remember a paperback - I believe it was called '1001 ways to save money' and was possibly a Mirror publication which did exactly what it said on the tin. I'll investigate it further.

As far as our 'villain' is concerned, he could be a persuasive voice seductively murmuring in our ear, tempting us to overspend, waste, whatever. This is all your story so I'd love some input - think of the royalties!

Viv xx

vhalla1478

Have ordered paperback I mentioned so hopefully there will be some rich pickings; I seem to remember it covered household, finance, gardening, all aspects.

viv xx

[Deleted User]

My late Mum, whom I adored bar for one thing ,and that was putting my long hair in 'rags' to make ringlets !!! I am the most unlikely sort of ringletted type of person you could imagine.I HATED them.I nagged and nagged her to let me have my hair shorter as it was very long and when I was around 9 she finally relented and I was shorn :):) Unfortunately she forgot to tell my late Dad, who was horrified and insisted that I wear a hat to cover my short hair for ages .
I had to wear a velour hat for school in the winter and a straw hat in the summer at that time, but I balked at wearing one at weekends,but as one never argued with parents I just wore it when I was indoors or he was around until he got used to my short hair.:):):)

I remember when I left school at 14 coming out of school and buzzing my beret over someones garden wall, as I would never have to wear a hat again .I never have, as I hate hats in all shapes and sizes :):)I think most of the girls at my school did the same thing so god knows what the owner of the house thought with all these green berets at the bottom of their garden :):)
I refused to wear a hat at my DDs wedding as well as I am just not a hat person :):)

Went to the cinema yesterday and saw Suite Francaise and really enjoyed it. Met up with a friend and we split a ticket as I have a CEA card.One of the trailers was for Child 44 which I read last year so I'm looking forward to seeing it when it arrives locally.

Today I am off to my U3A luncheon club in a local pub and I think its two courses for £6.80 so that won't break the bank and will come from my 'Happy Cash Stash' which is my entertainment budget, then Quiz night tonigh I am quite a gadabout this week :):)

I was telling my friend yesterday about the bags made from the legs of old jeans to store Christmas wrap and she thought it was a brilliant idea so more upcycling will be going on in the Dartford area at her house no doubt:)
Right time I checked my emails and had a cuppa I think
have a great day chums whatever you are doing
JackieO xxx

maryb

I too am old enough to remember when no nice girl would be seen dead without a hat. Once you were beyond your mother's control, no-one made you but it took a lot of courage not to in my part of the world because you would have died rather than have people think you weren't a 'nice' girl. And, of course, being female, fashion came into it since you had to wear them anyway. But as soon as the momentum gathered such that you could stop wearing a hat without people thinking you weren't 'nice' you have never seen anything happen so fast - it's like the way the market for men's vests died practically overnight when Clark Gable was shown not wearing one in It Happened One Night .

So I'm always a bit wary about claims that women truly want to envelop themselves in 'modest' clothes or headscarves.

[Deleted User]

When we left school, we had to wear a french navy bowler hat as the uniform along with a concealed button french navy gabarding raincoat and carry a french navy umberella too!!! (summer uniform was a Blackwatch Tartan long sleeved suit!!!) we marched down the hill from Fort Pitt in Rochester and one by one flung them into the Medway where they bobbed up and down in a flotilla like obese blue ducks. Never was getting rid of hats greeted with such verve and enthusiasm!!! No more looking like a cold Mushroom ever again!!!!!

Jonesy88

Hello Ladies and Gents, any room for a little one?

I'm a long time lurker and get great enjoyment from this thread and the wealth of knowledge within it.

A bit about me - mid 20's, married and recently moved into our "forever" home. Unfortunately this home needs quite a lot of tlc and, well, I haven't a clue! Our previous house was a tiny new build and only 9 years old - nothing needed to be done maintenance wise and the garden was little more than a yard. Our house now is over 100 years old, the proportions are huge, as is the garden, but nothing is straight/new/in grade A condition. I don't expect it to be perfect, but a working boiler would be nice!

Anyway, to my point, do any of you lovely people have tips for house maintaince from an old-style make do and mend approach? (Not including the boiler - someone qualified is coming to fix that!)

Just harking back to a few pages ago (now i've plucked up the courage to post) when we moved in we found a patio table and 3 chairs hidden in the garden - OH has sanded and repaired them and we shall make-do and enjoy the sunshine in them. I'm torn between painting them or treating them. We also found an industrial floor buffer in our outhouse along with a lot of cleaning equipment - haven't decided what to do with that yet!

nursemaggie

Oh GQ what a nightmare I hope the flat above is sorted soon. You must be just waiting for it to burst.

ModestyB

GQ, hope your neighbour gets in touch quickly and they sort the leak out for you. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Prinzessilein

GQ: Hope you get everything sorted really soon!


And a big welcome to Jonesy!


I remember when I was young Mum wanted to put my hair in plaits....unfortunately I have very short hair ----but she persevered! ...I ended up with teensy little plaits that were about an inch long at most sticking out of my head at right angles!....Thankfully she gave up after about a week!...My little sister had longer hair and was much happier with plaits and ribbons and bobbles.


Our school uniform didn't include a hat (but I think I'd have happily worn one...) but one place did have regulation navy blue school knickers!....We moved around a lot (Mum moved 26 times in the first 20 years of her married life....and this meant new uniforms each time! I recall one place, Mum had to but me a bottle green and gold blazer, only for us to leave 2 months later! She was understandably miffed at the wasted expense - the new school demanded a navy blue blazer. Mum negotiated with the school and it was agrees that I could wear my old blazer for a few weeks, dying it was not permitted I had to have a 'proper' blazer but Mum was given a half term to ask around and get me a 2nd hand regulation blazer. I felt really miserable that first half term - it seemed EVERYONE was pointing at me in my bottle green blazer!....Happy Days!


(I also remember the girls at school being marched into the main hall and ordered to kneel down so the deputy head could check the length of our skirts)


Hope everyone is having pleasant and productive days!


PS:....I hate this new format!

cheerfulness4

Hiya Jonesy You sound like you've got your hands full with the new home. Very exciting for you.

Which type of finish do you prefer on your garden set, paint or stain? Sometimes its useful to have a wander around pinterest and get inspiration, if you've got an hour or three!
Once you've decided then you can start the fun part of working out what materials to use.

I'm chilly today. Its been so bright and sunny and suddenly its cloud although still bright. I'm anxious for the good weather to arrive. I've so much I want to squeeze into this spring and summer.

Taking an afternoon off my usual stuff for a surf on here and then I'm going to pop a movie on and do some much neglected knitting.

Spends going on early today as I won't be going out again today. Lazy afternoon for me!

TUE 24 MAR

DAY 24

Money Spent Today - £1.58 Vouchers Spent - £0
Money Spent in Total - £69.17 Vouchers Spent in Total - £6.80
Money left in purse - £2.83 Float left- £0/£15
Jan non-foods left- £2.90/£15

Just two spends for Aldis today. 1x milk @ 89p and 69p on personal hygiene.

Didn't want to spend much today as its market day tomorrow and I'm hoping to have a wander around and pick up some fruit and veg.