Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

vhalla1478

Morning Everyone,

I hope you're all coping with this cooler weather ok. I haven't yet turned my heating on (trying to leave it until 1st November, same as last year, although I'm away for a few days in London with Dil on 2nd, so may not do the deed until I return :beer:) but, have used the electric fire in the afternoons and evenings.

Just a 'quickie' this morning as I have an interesting day ahead; I'm going to a school reunion which should be fun as I haven't seen some of my fellow schoolmates for 50+ years; we're having identifying badges so there will be no embarrassing faux pas, although, looking at the list, there are a few names I don't even recognise, so hope it's that they were in a different class to me and not that my memory is going! One of the friends who I have stayed in touch with can't remember them either so I don't think they were in our class at all.

I went into Louth yesterday to have a bit of a glam up as today is a special day, and of course neither myself, DS or Ddil could keep out of the charity shops and antique centre. I was good and didn't buy anything but Deryn, my Ddil, bought a pair of painted wooden stools for £3 each, which we are going to do a makeover on. We'll strip them back to the bare wood, stain them and polish them to match existing furniture and give them over the top, luxury padding and covers, hopefully turning them from Cinderellas into something worthy of going in the revamped living room. I'll report on progress.

So much for a short post!

Have a nice day, Folks.

Viv xx

zaxdog

Flipping freezing here but I'm off to work at noon and have made Mr Zaxdog some nice pieces and will be dispatching him off to pan for gold (one of his hobbies) since he is off today.

Had some leftover beef & carrot casserole yesterday so thickened with a few oats and made him a couple of wee pies to take (had to make two as he'll share with the mad dog).

The MOD is in town at the moment so will head out for a swift half after work (which will be funded by the reimbursement the company gives us as a uniform allowance once a year).

Still working on the odds n' ends shawl....................

silvasava

Loads to catch up with but wishing Vulpix a speedy recovery and do hope Nursemaggie finds somewhere suitable very soon - so thoughtless to give notice at this time of year.
I've got back from my lovely holiday in Turkey - great fun and I did lots! Sailing, capsizing! Kayaking and tried Stand up Paddle boarding. I did manage to stand up and pics taken to prove to DH lol. Fell off a few times too but water was warm.
DH had put the fire for me when I got home cos the temperature had dropped so much - bless!
Loads to do in the garden before the weather closes in and need to clear out the greenhouse. I've also just signed up to volunteer at our local Age Concern to help people with their computer skills - just basic stuff. BiL just rang to invite us to a Bonfire Night so calendar filling up pretty quickly!
Have a good day all x

nursemaggie

Had a good look at the housing association flats and houses to let last night. You have to bid on them not wait until you get to the top of the list these days. I got nearly to the end of them and thought "looks like it is all 1 bedroom flats again," as I neared the end of the list. I was grumbling to my self about them putting the wrong addresses on property because I can never find out where places are when I spotted a flat only three streets away. I have fancied one of those since we moved here so wish us luck I put a bid on it last night. Not told DS yet.

Your braver than me silvasava do all that. Like the idea of helping people with their computer skills. Is it one to one in their homes? I could do that as long as I don't have to stand up in front of a class. Will have a look at it after we move.

candlelight_2013

Nursemaggie, keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Good luck

Candlelightx

GreyQueen

candlelight_2013 wrote: »

Nursemaggie, keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Good luck

Candlelightx

And from me, too.

Do your council know you've been given notice? It should up your banding, have they been informed/ shown the notice?

nursemaggie

GQ I was told when we signed up to be on the list we were not allowed to contact the council. Not only do the council have an arms length housing company but that company also has an arms length letting agent. Both refer you to the other one if you contact them so I have not been able to find out how this bidding works.

GreyQueen

nursemaggie wrote: »

GQ I was told when we signed up to be on the list we were not allowed to contact the council. Not only do the council have an arms length housing company but that company also has an arms length letting agent. Both refer you to the other one if you contact them so I have not been able to find out how this bidding works.

Oh, that sounds very odd. Here the council assess housing need for both their stock and the housing associations who are partners and the council runs the bidding system, decides bandings, and you are expected to advise changes of circumstance to them.

I would strongly urge you to contact Shelter about this one. Something like a notice to quit, in a circumstance of a household which would struggle to find affordable private sector accomodation, would trigger an increase in banding here. HTH.

Floss

Fingers crossed Nursemaggie, and I would second GQ's advice to contact Shelter.

GreyQueen

One small step for womankind.......... I thought it should work and I was right.

I am very low on shampoo but have the best part of a big bottle of cheapo bath foam, which wasn't wildly satisfactory as a bath product because the foaminess vanished in minutes.

I have long suspected that most of these type of products are pretty much of a muchness and sat down and read the labels, finding them virtually identical. So I washed my hair with 'bath foam' and it's come up lovely.

I shall continue until I have used it up before I buy more shampoo, and will keep an eye out to see if there is bath foam more cheaply than an identical quantity of shampoo, and buy that in future if there's a substantial cash saving to me made.

It creases me up when I get complimented on my hair, which is at least once a week; Mum runs the clippers up the back, I cut the bits I can see and reach with thinning scissors, I'm letting the silver come through naturally, I just wash, mop the worst of the water off with a towel, comb and allow to air dry. No fanciness, no fuss, no conditioner, and zero styling and it looks great.