Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

vulpix

FP thanks for the info,perhaps my eldest could help me,she has a flat not too faraway and my car to.Perfect day to do or even go to a carboot today,my car is having a weekend in Chester I believe.Anyhow,got people coming later so need to do some cooking.Going to make cheese scones and chilli jam mmmmmmm.

If I watch telly it is an Agatha Christie,Morse,Poirot type thing.I like the houses and the manners!

Front garden looking good,if I wasn't having visitors today it could be finished.

After all my cleaning a couple of plumbers turned up to do the pipework for the downstairs loo,just a bit of dust.Compensated by them looking like they are in a boyband,one 24 one 26.I must be getting old I thought they were about 18.

I seem to have lost a couple of pounds this week which is a step in the right direction,the trick for me is to stay off the carbs.

Right need to get on with it,people coming for lunch and dinner.Vx

fuddle

Oh vulpix chilli jam? I haven't made it but quite fancy trying it. It's a staple here for our cheese toasties.

I have finally got round to renovating my chest of drawers and have made myself a shelf out of left over pallet wood (from the garden furniture) Completely made by me I am very proud of it. It's next to my bed as my bedside table (you may remember my bed is wedged to the wall) I stained it with walnut husks bought from ebay (I think they were walnut, don't quote me on that) I watered them down (oodles left for other projects) and wiped on with a cloth. They produced a lovely antique pine effect, almost oak like in my mind.

My crochet cardi needs 4 more balls of wool before completion so would like to get that finished for the autumn. I am also making a huge granny square blanket for my bed.

DH finished the kiddie bench for the garden so need paint to stain the table and bench the same as the arbor. I now have an evergreen climber up there.

No news on the new allotment plot yet as planning permission still has't been granted. My allotment neighbours are worry about it being ready to transplant their fruit trees/rhubarb etc. It's a sad state of affairs that no side seems to be bothered about other than the allotment association secretary. On a smaller scale I plan to pot up some strawberry runners in the coming days and harvest raspberry leaves for my rabbit.

GreyQueen

Ooh, fuddle, that sounds brilliant, I hope you'll be able to show us pictures of your woodworking projects, I was very impressed with the earlier ones.

I feel for your frustrations with the allotment situation. Things are very much season-dependant with moving some plants and trees and not knowing what/ when you'll be doing it must be disheartening, to put it mildly.

Today, I am eating spelt bread rolls for the first time ever. Mum bought some spelt flour from the farmer's market, tried it and didn't like it and gave it to me. I used it for the first time to make bread rolls. They didn't rise as much as my regular wholemeal bread rolls and have a rather craggy surface. When they hit the plate there was a distinct clinking noise, so I bit into the first one very gingerly (have temp crown atm), expecting it to be like bullet, and it was surprisingly soft. Tastes different to regular stoneground wholemeal which I get from the same place.

Don't think I'll be seeking it out, esp at £2.50/ kilo, but it's an extra experience and was a freebie.

I've also made blackberry and apple pie from the first berries of the season and used up the leftover scraps of pastry to make a turnover type thingy with some sultanas, a trick from Mum. Tied in baking the rolls with the pie so as to not waste the oven.

Today's plans are to go for a wander in the charity shops which open on a Sunday and do a bit of gardening and make stuff using courgettes. Haven't spent anything other than grocery money for more than a week.

crunch_time

Hi there!

I've been following this thread for a while! Just wanted to praise you all on your make do and minimalize attitudes!! I have 'bay e'ed the heck out of our house' to get rid of clutter and anything we don't need is gotten rid of as quickly as possible. I am finding myself in more debt than I would like after being diagnosed with PND and am currently tackling my credit card bill of £2180 - half of which is clothes, outings and petrol for trips hoping they would make me happy. I didn't realise I was doing this at the time because of the PND and had an 'ill pay for it later' attitude. They haven't made me happy. Being debt free will make me happy. I've woken up and smelt the coffee. I'm starting my new DF journey by making 5 tops out of old clothes/fabric I already own and mending a couple of pieces that can last a few more months. My plan is to complete these by the end of September and my reward is I can then buy some new fabric to make some more. I'm hoping the notion of updating you guys will keep me motivated!

I'm also trying to reduce our whopping £400 a month food bill (for a family of 4 with a baby on formula and includes cleaning bits too) so hoping to pick up tips from you guys too. We have a good herb garden now and are planning a vegetable garden so hopefully will be able to have our own produce soon.

Anyway, just wanted to say keep up the good work - its inspiring!

Crunchy

elona

DDs took me away for a couple of days for my birthday - The British Museum, then the Tower of London in the afternoon and the next day we went to Windsor Castle. I loved seeing the paintings I had only seen in books or history programmes and the wonderful statues and tapestries.

All the gallivanting meant I had very little food in the house but managed to give middle DD a home cooked frozen meal for last night as she flies off to America early this morning. We went to D**e*m Mill yesterday and got "fat quarters" at about half the price I had seen them at a local market :j We also got paint for a small chest she wants to decorate for a friend and foam and material to pad the bottom of it. Goty a lovely duvet cover for half price.

She wants to learn to make bunting so we started to cut out a couple of shapes last night and hand sew them. I somewhat rashly said if their was material left over I would hand sew her a small patchwork cushion.

I went to Mand S and got a meal deal that gave her and her friend a treat last night as well as the basis for a Sunday lunch today and some YS green veg that will bulk out the YS meat or fish I have in the freezer. I even managed to cobble together a quorn pieces and veg with noodles dish last night and had enough to feed us both with a couple of portions to put in the freezer. I now try to freeze any leftovers so if I am busy or tired there is something healthy and homemade. So far most of the meals have gone to middle DD who has her own house now but works very long hours.

Can hear youngest moving around so going to make a late breakfast and then the bunting awaits. Think that if we hand sew the sides of the triangle first, then turn inside out, iron and fold in the top we might be able to sew it straight onto the ribbon which would save some work.

candlelight_2013

It sounds as though you have had a lovely time Elona.

We went to Dun*lm yesterday. DD1 wanted a new duvet cover, we found what she wanted with 50% off but they hadn't got kingsize. It was a Dorma discontinued line, and I have been on line but they only have a single. She isn't worried she says. Me, on the other hand, found a beautiful natural coloured cover and bought 2 housewife pillowcases to match at a very reasonable cost. I have seen some nice curtains on Ama*on so will be sending for those at a fraction of the cost. I can't remember when our bedroom last had a makeover, probably about 4 years ago, so looking forward to it. I will use one of the bedroom curtains for the front door, we have one up at the moment but it isn't very thick.

We are off out to lunch today to celebrate DD2 16th birthday which will be good so no cooking for me. Everyone will come back here for chocolate traybake and a good old gossip.

Have a good day all

Candlelightx

117pauline

So it's true what my mum told me when I was young - time goes faster when you get older !!

My partner has been home most of this holiday so things I usually do simply haven't been done. He is a lecturer and really needed the break. I haven't been feeling particularly well either so my get-up-and-go has got up and gone.

I have been gradually reducing how much shampoo and conditioner I use and have been surprised at just how little is needed. I have already reduced all the products I use in the kitchen so overall I am quite pleased at my economies but that means my stash is not going down at all.

I hope Jackie is enjoying the Isle of Wight. I picture all the different regulars and really like to hear about everyone's activities. When I read through, there is always something that interests/reminds me so it is a real treat.

Have a lovely Sunday
Pauline

GreyQueen

Had a phone call from a pal within the last hour asking what I had planned today - to which the answer was nothing in particular, or nothing which can't be done on another day/ at another time.

Upshot is we're going Out into the Countryside this afternoon to look around a garden and visit their teashop.

I've nipped out to the chazzers nearby which open on a Sunday (a few, not all of them) and have bought one of those cake tins with the clasp on the side (dunno what they're called, the side and base come apart?) for 59p. It's one of those shallow ones and I think it might be suitable for a few things I've got planned. Don't like to have too many single-purpose items in a small home, so think that this will do for quiches and cakes and a few things of that nature. If it doesn't work out, no biggie, can go back where it came from. I nearly bought a flan tin for £3.99 at Liddly yesterday, it was decent but these things turn up regularly 2nd hand and I figured I could beat the £4.

Also offloaded a donation bag whilst I was out and about, so that's a bit less in the home.

Righty, quick snack and think about what I'm going to wear for garden-viewing.........hmm.

FairyPrincessk

GQ what finds! Just a warning about those tins, if you put something that is quite liquid-y in them they often leak. Fine if you're doing pastry, otherwise put a baking tray underneath to save cleaning the oven (I seem to remember cleaning the oven is one of your favourite chores, no? ).

GreyQueen

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

GQ what finds! Just a warning about those tins, if you put something that is quite liquid-y in them they often leak. Fine if you're doing pastry, otherwise put a baking tray underneath to save cleaning the oven (I seem to remember cleaning the oven is one of your favourite chores, no? ).

:T Good thinking that woman, I'd've probably found that out the hard way. I put a baking sheet under a pie automatically but wouldn't necessarily have thought of doing that with a cake tin. Never had one of this ilk before but have been seeing them around and thinking they were pretty clever. We shall see how we get along with each other, and part company if necessary.

Have turfed out over a week's worth of non-recyclables today, which was by volume the size of a bag of sugar but weighed considerably less. Can't for the life of me remember if it's refuse or recycling being taken this week, but doesn't really make any difference to me as they're communal bins not personal ones.