Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

HighlandLass

*de-lurks*

Can anyone recommend any way I can get the sweat and deodorant stains from OH's work shirts? He is complaining that he needs to get new ones and I am loathed to throw out perfectly good clothes if I can help it?

Thanks in advance

*re-lurks*

candlelight_2013

Hi Highland lass,

Have you tried bicarb. Make a paste of bicarb and water and spread it on the stains under the arms. Leave for at least an hour and then wash as usual. This has worked for me, but it does depend how bad the stains are.

Hope it helps

Candlelightx

nursemaggie

Rainy-Days I would keep some of your lids the glass ones shatter if you drop them and you can't replace them. I dropped 3 in one day had to use lids from other pans for years. I was having a bad day with my arthritis. My kitchen has ceramic tiles on a concrete floor.

JanB I can identify with spending all day in the garden. When we had one I would go out in the morning and think I had only been out an hour when I had been there all day. It's nice to keep plants that came from other peoples gardens, especially when they have passed away.

Those of us who did not get to your meet would love to see some pictures of your garden.

janb5

Hi- I read the instructions on how to load pictures but it seems I need to use Photobucket so this seems to take longer than I thought. Very tedious but hopefully I will do it soon.

fuddle

I have planted my shop bought basil into my herb garden (that only consists of a curry plant at present) I'm hoping that it will grow, grow, grow as my rabbit can't get enough of basil!

I'm about to spring into action to make some bean enchiladas for tea with two left over for DH's lunch tomorrow.

I do have my youngest's book bag to stitch in two places. I explained to her that I didn't have any green thread. She said "it's alright mam, just do it in grey, we're allowed grey skirts so it will be ok" can't argue with that can I?

Some raspberries on the plot are turning to colour! I can't keep up with watering such dry ground so I have had to let some of weaker seedlings go and concentrate on the corn and the peas that are doing very well. I am worried about my spring onions but it's not over for them yet. With allotment gardening, although expensive, is it better to make raised beds and fill with compost? My raspb's in my garden are in a raised bed made by DH and although still dry, the compost doesn't look arid. Oh for a roof, guttering, down pipe, water butt and a collection of water.

[Deleted User]

Had a great day with my pal who visited me from Dartford, and as we both have freebie coffee and cake vouchers for John Lewis we are meeting up in Bluewater tomorrow morning as she had her twin grandchildren for the morning and I can get a bus from where I live up to there easily.
Spent most of the day nattering and knitting and she brought me some left over wool for my charity blankets that I knit.She crochets and any left over bits of balls I get to knit stripey blamkets with so nothing is wasted
I mended a saucepan lid that had lost the wooden knob, as I found another one in the 'junk' drawer in the kitchen.
Have enough left over chicken to have some for supper tonight with some watercress and salady bits.
I am hoping tomorrow I will hang on to my cash at bluewater and just window shop.I want to look at the bra's there as hopefully I shall be able to buy some new ones next month :):) I also want to have a look in The White Shop and price up a tablecloth for a wedding present for someone
Onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xxx

vhalla1478

Hello Folks,

The internet connection has been playing up for the last 24 hours so I hope I can type this quickly before it disappears again.

I, like many of you have been gardening the last couple of days and had a lovely surprise as a friend that I invited for lunch turned up with some beautiful excess plants from her garden and insisted on planting them whilst I cooked lunch for her and her daughter. She then took me to the garden centre where I had a small(ish) splurge - but no guilt there as my garden is giving me so much pleasure - it's not 'finished' - are gardens ever? but it is blooming in spite of the mixed weather we've been having in this part of the world.

I'll post a recipe later this evening as long as the internet doesn't let me down, but I just wanted to ask how many of you could make sometime in July for a Northern Meet at my house in Lincolnshire? My DB goes back to work off shore on the 2nd so was thinking maybe sometime that week - I have commitments later in the month. Anyway, let me know , maybe Friday, July 10th.

Viv xx

silvasava

Fuddle- Basil drinks loads of water - I always keep mine on the window ledge by the sink 'cos it hates to dry out. I know that the 'lotty' seems expensive at the moment when you are starting but it will soon start to pay for itself and the taste and satisfaction from growing your own can't be beaten.
Nursemaggie -spent what I thought was an hour or so in the garden today and it was 4 hours!!!! Some of my plants have real sentimental attachments. My Mum had a beautiful Sarah Bernhardt paeony & after she died & her house was sold I got DH to dig it up. I hoped it would be OK and its just beginning to break open this week for the first time. I'm so pleased - its very special to me.
I think it's a lovely way to remember friends and family who loved their gardens.

Rainy-Days

Nursemaggie - oh hell thanks for giving me the heads up on that one. I am a toad for dropping the lids - don''t know why. I can get replacements but I bet it will come at a cost they usually flipping well do! :eek:

nursemaggie

silvasava so do I lost all of mine when we moved into a flat no where to keep them. I don't know why they say you can't move a paeony. I have moved a few. You have to be careful when you move them and if you are planning on moving one at the wrong time of year and can do put it in a large pot for a while. Of course you can't move one in the middle of winter as you're likely to damage it if you go digging for it.

Fuddle the other thing about basil is it can get black fly. Another reason to grow it on the windowsill. The one herb you should never grow outside is coriander the birds will strip it of leaves in minutes. I changed my washing up bowl yesterday so I am thinking I may fill it with growing herbs this weekend.

I want to go to Mr S this weekend. I have £40 worth of vouchers from surveys and I need some ink for my printer. I resent the price of the ink but it does not hurt so much with vouchers. I go to Malta two weeks on Monday to visit my daughter and family so I need to print my ticket.

vhalla1478 I shall be in Malta on 10th July. I was thinking it may be a good idea for those of us in the north to meet in Manchester it is easy to get to both by road and rail. There are quite a few of us in the North West.