Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

VJsmum

meritaten wrote: »

Well, I was going to make sticky toffee cake as dessert (along with Christmas pud) for Christmas dinner dessert, but changed my mind now! its going to be gingerbread and custard! Thank you so much! my oven isn't very reliable so I have to be careful not to make 'temperamental cakes'! this sounds ideal to make now!

Just made Mrs LWs gingerbread, it's lish

I also make sticky toffee for Xmas day - I am the only one who likes Christmas pud, and I prefer it cold like cake....

DDs comment on the gingerbread "mm, it's nice. It's like cakey"

That will be because it is cake :rotfl:

Siebrie

This evening I have mended, remended, and reremended three pairs of girl's tights. On closer inspection the thread that was used to knit the tights seems uneven, and would explain the tiny holes forming at weird places (middle of calf, etc). I have assigned one of dh's sweaters to the ragbag, mended dd1's new-to-her frock with some silver thread, and removed a belt and its loopholes from one of my cardis. I thought the belt gave me a waist, but it only made me look bulky; now the cardi is more like a bolero. None of the mending thread was purchased, it all comes from my mum or inheritances.

meritaten

Siebrie wrote: »

This evening I have mended, remended, and reremended three pairs of girl's tights. On closer inspection the thread that was used to knit the tights seems uneven, and would explain the tiny holes forming at weird places (middle of calf, etc). I have assigned one of dh's sweaters to the ragbag, mended dd1's new-to-her frock with some silver thread, and removed a belt and its loopholes from one of my cardis. I thought the belt gave me a waist, but it only made me look bulky; now the cardi is more like a bolero. None of the mending thread was purchased, it all comes from my mum or inheritances.

The BEST kind! I love buying buttons - but not new ones if I can help it! I look for 'button boxes' in charity shops (and have been known to ask if none are in the shop itself) oh lord, I have hundreds of buttons! but, guess what? I never have enough of the same buttons for the project I want to use them for! arrrrgh! so the 'odds and sods' will get randomly stuck on my craft projects! waste not want not! and I am sure the 'previous owners' would approve!

lollyfin

Thanks for the lovely welcome
You are all such a good influence on me

nursemaggie

silvasava some of us are MM&Ming our new flat. We can't get the glue off the wall that was papered. Does that mean the emulsion will not stick and we have to paper it again? I hope not we, have over spent on decorating materials already and we would need a paste board and brushes, just for one wall. Neither of us has done paper hanging before. We have no where to keep a paste board.

Apart from the two papered walls and the deep purple and navy blue walls I don't think this flat has been decorated for at least 40 years.

I am getting a very high amount of surveys at the moment. They inundate you with them the three weeks before Christmas and then shut down for about a month.

Actually, I agree most people are probably rushing to finish homemade presents. I did all the ones I have sent early in the year. It is not just this thread that is quiet.

Welcome and lollyfin and great news Jackie

misstara enjoy your visit with family.

Lynplatinum

Hiya All

Have been living, as the Chinese curse says 'in interesting times' for the past few days! (more later)

Siebrie - what is a parental leave day please?

Silva - hope you are better now - you will see where I ve been below!

Nurse Maggie - as of this moment am living without heating while plaster dries over a radiator and have a large double bedroom; hall and stairs and the front room to sand down plaster; paint; gloss sand down; gloss paint! Energy not there at mo (see below)BTW - try wiping walls down with those scrubbies you get for washing dishes or a rough car sponge and white spirit (open windows and use no bare flames for a day or so.

New folk welcome - this thread plus NBI has been a lifesaver for me this year!

So, are we sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin!

DS2 was still plastering on Sunday but the wall we had dreaded was not as much of an issue as we had thought so, thank goodness he could sort it and I did not need to get a builder in! Phew! However, this meant that I needed to drive him to Suffolk by 11 am Monday! therefore set alarm for 6.30 am :eek: (sorry all you terribly hard working folk who get up early each day but I am by nature an owl!) Google maps and then the Sat Nav on my son's phone sent us the longest way round possible but we arrived at 10.46 - but the other person who was going to work with him had not arrived when I left to go back at 12.30! Took a wrong turn and ended up going down M11 almost to Stanstead! 7 hours driving!
Tuesday was even more interesting - DIL (but they are not married) had an eptopic pregnancy in October and was given a tablet to sort it out. But her tummy was still swollen and I looked at her last week and thought - 'you look pregnant!' For 2 weeks she had been trying to get a doctor's appointment to follow up ectopic but was told BY THE RECEPTIONIST that she was not an emergency and could get a scheduled appointment after Christmas :eek:
I spoke to a midwife friend of mine to check but what I thought was the case ie - each ovary produces an egg - one can be lost but the other can take in the womb. So I took DIL to A&E in Northampton and they were very good. She was, indeed, still pregnant - luckily within the womb! Poor girl was so upset. My son had to work and does not drive so I took her. Then went to get son so he could see the scan. It would seem baby is ok Phew :j but we get blood results on Sat when I take her back for midwife appointment. They are worried about money but happy now they know she is OK and baby too. It cost me £9 to park for the day and £12 for a sandwich lunch for me and DIL.
We will be investigating legal angles - as she is 29 - 30 weeks and at one stage in her life told she could never have children. Poor little lass - such a shock but hopefully all will end well.
Sorry for such a long post but cant shorten this story!
Nite all

Floss

Lyn such fab news! I would start with a formal complaint to the GP practice, copied to the Local Medical Council and CCG - pm me if you wish.

Floss xx

silvasava

I forgive you Lyn
You've had a really hectic time but glad everyone is OK. Why are some receptionists so obstructive? Remember with DS2 I was being sick all day - the snotty receptionist told me it was perfectly common until I threw up - this at 6 in the evening!! You're incident s far more serious though & Floss has given good advice.
Nursemaggie - don't envy you. Could you just do the rooms you actually need? DH & I slept in the sitting room of this house for a couple of weeks until we could get our room done
Bright morning here so going to hit the shops to stock up & get the last bits & hopefully miss the rush
Have a good day all x

nursemaggie

silvasava there are only three rooms and all very small. There is no where to put the furniture while we decorate. We are going to have to sidle round between the few bits we will be able to keep.

Even if we both slept on one single mattress we would have to put it on top of the dresser. There would then be no room between it and the ceiling for us to get on it.

I can't see us ever decorating it again there will just not be room to move furniture around to do it.

Lyn that is both dreadful and wonderful at the same time. I hope your DIL gets better treatment now. You certainly should put in a formal complaint. It should go to the Medical Commissioning Council. They deal with GPs.

I had that sort of bother two days before my mother died. The GP continually refused to come so I had to call an ambulance in the end. She died the next day. When I complained they did not even say sorry, or sympathise I was dismissed as a naughty child. I put in a formal complained and three weeks later it was splashed across the local paper about all the things that had gone wrong. The practice was closed within days hundreds of people had complained.

A couple of months later a new practice opened and I heard it was a very good practice. Of course if fewer people went to the doctor with minor self limiting conditions like colds the GP service would not be in the mess it is in.

Siebrie

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Siebrie - what is a parental leave day please?

Hi Lyn,

I live in Belgium, where they are very strong on protecting family life. For every child born, the mother gets 16 weeks of maternity leave, a € 1,000 'birth bonus' , and both parents get four months of paid parental leave until the child is 12.

You can take this leave in 1-month instalments, either as one month full time, 2 months half-time, or 5 months 1-day-a-week. You lose the company income for that period, but your job is guaranteed for you to come back to, and the government pays you pocket money. Social security and pension plan continue as before. I receive € 111 per month for my 1-day-a-week parental leave.

I'm now on my second period of 1-day-a-week leave, and these two periods cover a school year nicely. I have also had the whole month of August off work in 2013. DH has taken his 1-day-a-week September 2013 to January 2014. He still has 7 months left; I have 5 months left. We take Wednesdays, because that's when our two girls have their half-day at school. Our youngest is only four, and it's sometimes better for her to have a quiet day, and with this system, we can keep her at home.:T

I'm minimising work time, and maximising family time!