Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Mrs_Smith_72

Lynplatinum & Misstra I am also working through my toiletries stash. I eked out my face wash/scrub for another 5 uses after cutting the top off the tube the other day �� I have no shower gel left so currently using mini hotel soaps....got a few to get through lol!

vulpix

Well Hello! We have internet.I didn't miss the telly or phone but I did miss the internet.

We moved,we like it,all's good.There are of course masses of jobs to do,not all by me though.A chap is coming on Wednesday to reinstall the woodburner.It had been bodged as have a lot of things but it will not take too long to get things straight.I thought we would get the sitting room done so we have a sanctuary from the boxes.

I am also having the kitchen rejigged and a door way bricked up,for starters!So I have only unpacked a few essentials as it will all have to be moved for the work.

It focuses the mind somewhat to see all your belongings in one place.The guy who moved us said we only had half of what he moved 3 years ago.Even so we have no loft or garage here so there are no hiding places for "stuff".As I am unpacking I am getting rid of more of mine and youngest daughters stuff.OH's declutter will be a gentler mission.Softly,softly catchee monkey.

Yesterday was my eldest daughters graduation ceremony,she had the afternoon off work to attend and then took us on a flying visit to her new flat then back to work as she is co hosting a residential thing this week.I did a nice meal on Sunday,we are still eating the leftovers!

I have a full day at home today,so more sorting stuff for me.

I have made a start in the front garden.Filled the green bin with a massive overgrown Laurel.Now it has been emptied the next to go is some ivy and a massive 6 foot high bush that I cannot identify.As the front is so overgrown I plan to clear it and start again,with a cottage garden.The back garden is BIG work,I will have to pay for help there.Concrete that needs smashing and a lot of digging out to do.I envisage many skips for that one.Some of my plants that i dug up from the old place didn't survive the heatwave,my Mum watered them bless her.She is much better and nearly back to her usual self now.

I hope you are all well,will have a read back tonight.Vx

vhalla1478

Hi there,

Am still around but have spent the last few days having a mini 'springclean' and yesterday I did the job that I've been putting off for months, which was sorting my mammoth stashes of books out. Most of them are in a wall to wall bookcase in my little entrance hall. By the time I'd moved them, cleaned them, dragged out the bookcase and washed the floor behind them (whilst surreptitiously reading bits of my favourites as I went along), then moving the plate rack which has a few eighteenth century bits of pottery and porcelain on it, all which needed carefully washing AND the console table below it which houses a lamp, a decoy duck, an indoor copper watering can and then there was the top of the bookcase to sort out which hosts various plants! You may smile, but honestly I cannot believe I have so much stuff - it doesn't look cluttered and I haven't even mentioned the paintings, embroideries and mirror in there. Did I manage to minimise - well, a few unwanted books are in the charity shop stash - but that's it. I've still three more bookcases to go - wish me luck!

Welcome, newbies and lurkers, will have a read of everyones' posts tonight. Have a good day, Folks.

Viv xx

ivyleaf

Wishing you much happiness in your new home vulpix

Been reading along for some time but i'm not sure if i've ever "officially joined" the thread

mcculloch29

Hello all. My DS31, who is known to the OS 5 Pleasures a Day posters as 'Dr C' due to his being a dead ringer for Dr Christian Jessen, has FINALLY signed for his own place. Woo-hoo! So lots of decluttering coming up.

I have told him that nothing of his is to remain here, if he doesn't want to take it with him, it MUST go to the CS or tip. He has thrown out so much of my stuff over the years as he felt the need to declutter that I feel justified! Hundreds of pounds of Galt toys from when I used to childmind, the Viners cutlery set that was a wedding present from our best man, the super-duper lead crystal glasses that were marked as an heirloom.. all the kitchen equipment he decided that I never used. Though I did manage to rescue my 35 y.o. Krups hand mixer, thankfully.

I got sent a whole load of rather retro hand powered kitchen equipment to use and review for Amazon . A slicer and dicer (brilliant), a hand powered 'food processor' (very good), a drum grater (v. good), a push-down chopper (utter carp, broken) and a rotary mini chopper that works by pulling a string (amazing). I'll pop links up to the best things.

I passed on a hiking pole to a friend with arthritis, I use sticks to walk, but in my early arthritis days I used this, I hope it helps him.

TC all.

mumofthetwins

Hi Guys ..
Cant remember if I have officially signed up but I think this is such a great idea and just what I need at the minute
bit about me ..
Its me and my two 12 year old boys .. after my divorce I have really tried to save the pennies and teach the boys the value of hard work and money and Im doing ok but I figure if I can join along with a few friendly threads and challenges it would help .. im trying to slash the debt I left the marriage with and this seems to be working ok but I know I will be so much better off when I have done this ..
oh and I have a little doggie too ..

Today ...
im planning on repairing a superdry jacket I picked up at the car boot for 50p for one of my boys
im going to make do with the curry out of the freezer for dinner tonight as im determined to have a NSD
but no minimising today as I really haven't got time by the time I finish work then weight watchers .. I did do some decluttering and ebaying at the weekend though

Lisa x

[Deleted User]

I picked another 2 lbs of beans from the polytunnel today.......will this never end??? still they're in the freezer along with yesterdays batch and fill a 4.5 litre bag, then there were more courgettes to cut and loganberries to pick and I noticed some embryonic beanlets set on the outdoor runners in the garden and tomorrow I'm going to have a pick of the redcurrants, some of which are beautifully ripe and glowing like jewels in the bushes. We had a walk round the allotment after our walk last night and we have 6 rows of parsnips set and growing on nicely, 4 rows of nice healthy looking leeks, onions, garlic, 5 courgettes which have started producing well, 3 pumpkins set on the plants and lots of female flowers waiting to open, only thing that hasn't flowered yet are the butternut squashes but they look OK and are growing on so we'll see. Best bit of last nights visit? the first half dozen beautifully ripe raspberries off the canes, delicious!

Here in the garden I've picked and have drying for the winter 2 very large allium heads and lots of those beautiful balloon like nigella seed heads which dry off very well and have them hanging up in the summerhouse as it's lovely and warm but they are out of the direct light. I'll spray them gold/silver, whichever spray paint I have left upstairs in the craft chest, when they're fully dry and they last well in a vase and cheer up a winter room. Very MMM eh?

Athome1

Thanks LP for the recipe, it looks very tasty, I can't wait to try it!

I have had a no spend day but the thorough cleaning I intended to do, didn't get done as I had a load of forms come through the post (am recently widowed and the official stuff seems never ending) that had to be attended to - I hate form filling but it is now done:j. As a reward I had a glass of the gorgeous Non-Alcoholic Pimms (thanks again Cheerfullness 4) but I added a splash of vodka left over from xmas. I suppose that rather defeats the object but what the heck!:p

silvasava

Just read back a few pages. Welcome to the 'Newbies' don't think anyone has to join 'officially' we're all in it together so the more the merrier - just tag on!
Fuddle - glad the raspberries are producing - made me think of my DGD when she was about 3, sitting in the border stuffing raspberries with a look of bliss on her face and a very red sticky mouth!
Just in case you ar'n't aware Fuddle - get the girls to nip off the 'core' of the raspberries when they pick them, otherwise the plant will continue trying to nourish it taking goodness from the other fruits.
Been picking mini cucumbers and had my first cherry tomato - yum! Last of the strawberries picked & the blackcurrant still has loads on it. Raspberries beginning to colour & Loganberries being picked. Waiting to see how my Morrysons blackberry tastes. Its got lots of fruit but they're still red. Runner & Climbing Beans flowering but no sign of any beans yet. Just as well as I'm having trouble keeping up with the other stuff!
Have a good evening all x

vulpix

Ooooh it's so nice to be back,caught up now,hello to newcomers and welcome.

The fire people turned up at the door unexpectedly at 9am as they had been cancelled elsewhere so we now have a fully functioning wood stove.
Need to get the TV people back next as we have had the Tv put on the wall and they need to plaster the channel the wires are in.

I am at the consent clinic on Thursday for my back op so will go and buy paint whilst I am in the "smoke".Need to get the sitting room painted before the op and then get a carpet down.

I will look for special primer for upvc as I find the oak coloured plastic window frames too dark.I would like to put period wood windows back in but that is an unnecessary expense.

The plan is to bring the house back to it's former glory with the least money spent and then move on...again.I do like it here though,people going past all the time and they say hello!

Cut half a bush down today,cover for lots of slugs.I know I should have killed them but after an incident with a slug as a teenager I can't touch them.I was walking barefoot being all bohemian after a summer rain storm one night and stood on a slug,I screamed the place down,I bet I woke the neighbourhood.
GQ my onions in washing up bowls are about to flower,do I let them or cut them off?

Tomorow I clean.The dust from putting the fire in is everywhere.

I put some large things on freecycle and someone wants them,I am so glad they are of use and not going to landfill.

Off to do more thinking about the order of jobs that need doing.I love a list,and crossing things off.Vx