Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

p00

silvasava wrote: »

Morning All!
Lyn Haha - I have a list (its my mantra!) I laminated a 'to do' list so I can wipe off the jobs & chores - it gives me a sense of satisfaction

Have a good day all x

I have an A4 White Board - cost a couple of quid - on the fridge freezer door. The sponge and wipe off pen I glued a small magnet to so they stick on the fridge door.

Actually Ive got 2 on there. One for a shopping list and one for a to do list. Makes listing things so easy;)

xxp00

[Deleted User]

I've got a big old fashioned blackboard in a beautiful carved cream frame hung on the kitchen wall, it was a Christmas present from the girls a few years ago along with a supply of chalks. It's mega useful for lists, menu planning, notes to self, notes to He Who Knows and lots of jottings. I'm still using the pack of chalks that came with it, they last forever, it's a green alternative I think to post it notes.

nursemaggie

I have a cork notice board and had a beautiful blackboard which i gave to my DiL as I have no space on the wall in my kitchen. I write stuff on the back of envelopes and the backs of letters. I have plenty of fridge magnates to fix them to the fridge.

EmberJ

been to the library today, and took out a few books that I thought could help me, the one I've felt will help me most is called grandmas ways, though the other two, forgotten ways for modern days and from mother to daughter do look good too, but are more about home remedies and cleaning stuff. I also got a book with some crochet patterns in, and gave an english pronunciation lesson to a turkish man, enjoyed my trip out very much. no more planned for the wedding yet, but i made some more lamb stock, and have dough proving for a loaf of bread at the moment. my OH is working a late shift tonight, so I have the evening stretching out in front of me (: looking forward to watching more famous five episodes, and crocheting. i found both the 90's episodes and the 70's episodes. enjoying both, though currently rewatching the 70's ones.
Em xx

pinkparrott

Lynplatinum - sounds like your having a good time and its nice to hear that people understand the importance of looking after themselves, I've learnt thechardcway in the last 28 months that if you don't look after yourself your not well enough to look after the rest of your family well !

dND - thanks for the recepie sounds great , I'll give it a go on Sunday when I've time to pick courgettes ( or maybe marrows by them ! )

You've all given me another idea to minimise today too- I've a least 25-30 cookbooks which take up too muchtoom room , and I only ever use 1\2 a dozen or so. Quite often these days I have a main ingredient to use up and just look up a recepie on the internet that uses that thing. As others have said I usually stick to some good old ones - my favourite baking one is my little Bero book.
Will be glad its Friday tom. Were going to take the kids out to an aquarium on Saturday for a treat but I' m going to make sure we take a picnic lunch

Vala-Mal-Doran

Hello all :hello:

Long time lurker, first time poster (on this thread anyways!)

I have been slowly catching up over the last few months and have been so inspired by you all and you have all unknowingly kept me out of many a shop on my lunchtime walk, thinking, 'do I really need anything from here or am I just buying for the sake of it?'

I have also ended up making do with foodstuff in the house, resulting in some odd but not unpleasant dinners.

What coaxed me out of lurkdom was something I received through the post today and I actually kept to share with you all. Now I chuckle to myself when I near of people paying people to do their ironing as I find it bizarre, however this leaflet was advertising people to come and clean out your kitchen items, and apparently £45 to clean out your oven for you is a bargain :eek: as is £15 to clean out your microwave. ?.. :rotfl: I wonder how much business they are getting?!

GreyQueen

Ahh, the Dairy Cook Book, I remember that. Mum still has it somewhere, plus its sister volume, the Dairy Book of Home Management, which I used to pore over as a kid.

Couple of years back, I was chatting with a pal. He is a very very good cook and has lots of cookbooks. He was complaining about having rellies visit overseas, rave about something he'd cooked, ask if they could have the cookbook it'd come from, which he'd refused to give up. Funnily enough, it disappeared from his home at the same time they went back home.:mad:

I was agog to know what title this was, that relatives would fight over it. He's a sophisticated individual as well as a great cook, so I was expecting some exotica and nearly pmsl when it turned out to be the Dairy Cook Book.

Rellies in the US, if you're reading, he was really cross and had to buy another one online, it is such a crucial volume.:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

I know that cooker cleaning is a chore, and as someone who doesn't bend in the middle easily its one that I happily pay someone else to do.The lady who comes around once a year to do mine is brilliant.
She became a single Mum when her OH decided that at 28 he wanted a younger model !!! and she was left with her small DD and a large mortgage to pay in London.She downsized to Kent and couldn't think what to do to make a living that fitted around her DD .Her Dad had been doing industrial cleaning for many years, and she chatted to him and asked if he thought she could make a living from doing it on a smaller scale. He said why not, so she bought a small van and set up in business.
10 years on, she is still making a living and totally self-sufficient.She works mostly by regular customers and people reccommend her.

My oven now gets used mainly for baking as I have a Remoska so don't roast very often as I live alone , but she does make a great job of it, and she is such a hard working lady I am quite happy to have her in to clean my oven for me (by the way she uses Astonish and a good deal of elbow grease).

The racks she puts into a bag in the garden with stuff in to clean and the oven always looks amazing once done Last time she came she even fitted a new bulb inside as the other one had blown, and at no extra charge. the microwave I do every time after I have used it it gets a wipe with a microfibre cloth and a squirt of vinegar.
Today I am de-toxing one of my DGS's bedrooms wish me luck as its a jungle in there :):)
Probably have to get all of the boy's school trousers together and check for dropped seams in the legs as they seem to be stitched with a red-hot needle and a burning thread as my late Mum would say.
Onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xxx

vulpix

Just a flying visit as I am off to Oxford when Mr V finishes work at 10am.

We have borrowed a big van and are moving ds1 to Yorkshire ,stopping overnight here and continuing to his gf's parent in the morning.

When I had people over last week I couldnt use my Dairy cook book as its in a box.I got a meringue recipe off tinternet and it just wasnt as good.My copy is falling to bits and I must admit I have only ever used the cake and puddings sections.Would'nt be without it.

Will be in touch about craft club.Gotta dash Vx

janb5

JackieO wrote: »

Old school books that's no longer needed etc :)plus a collection of smelly trainers that need binning :):) But the boys will help and we will soon get it shipshape.I am in a decluttering mode today :):)

Hi Jackie- may be too late but trainers come up well in the WM on a delicates cycle. Can always put them in pillow case first. HTH