Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

misstara

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

These little notebook covers look sweet to make and useful.


http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/12/23/mini-oil-cloth-notebook-covers/




Maybe useful for gifts or list making. Don't think they'd take much of your cloth, GQ

Love these. I want to try and make a lot of gifts this year and these look great . Plan for over the weekend is to make cards - I need 4 birthday cards and a new baby one.

SmarterNotHarder

celtic_moon wrote: »

There does seem to be quite a Northern contingent here :j

I am feeling a little down in the dumps today - our lovely kitty cat has managed to become poorly and we have just had to pay a vet bill of £255 :eek:!

/delurks

Couldn't help but notice you're in Bolton, I know it's too late for this time but have you tried these people?

http://www.animaltrust.org.uk/

They are a not for profit veterinary organisation, on Lower Bridgeman St for the Bolton Branch.

maryb

GreyQueen wrote: »

:



I think that this vinyl cloth is too cute for the spanner roll. Also, imagine the potential embarrassment of having to lend them out to some bloke, he'd think I was a right one. I will use something else for that.

But you'd be doing him a favour by embarassing him into getting his own set of spanners like a proper grown up

celtic_moon

Thanks for the tips Lynplatinum and Smarternotharder. The PDSA will only deal with those receiving benefits and until we can actually get to speak to a human we are struggling to find out why we don't get any. I had forgotten about the Animal Trust, I will have to check them out and keep them on standby for future.

We did a freezer dive for tea and I had sausage and chips - dunno when the last time was I had that! Was delish!

Going to try and get the album done tomorrow cos I am overflowing with all of these sewing ideas!

silvasava

Loopy12 - I live in south east Hampshire :hello:

GQ - I have a 'lady' toolbox with all the bits that I need indoors, so why does DH with a shed & garage full of tools always seem to make a beeline for mine? I think your spanners deserve a girly case - after all they have a girly owner who uses them :-)

When I've managed to finish the boat covers I'll tackle a 'rice bag' think they'd make nice Christmas pressy's for a number of my friends & use up some of my fabric stash.

Anne_Marie_2

joedenise wrote: »

I "cook" in the flask for about 8 hours and then strain through muslin for about 2 hours which gives a fairly consistent "greek style" yoghurt. DH certainly doesn't complain about it being too watery. Very rarely needs to pour off any whey from it.

Denise

I do exactly the same, but don't strain the yoghourt, unless to make a soft cheese, and it comes out pretty thick enough for me. I use the Lidl Greek Yoghourt as a starter. Admittedly, I have to pour off some whey at times, but it's never been more than from the original Lidl's yoghourt.

You've got me wondering whether it all depends on what kind of food flask you use?

Mine is an old Igloo flask, which I've had for at least 18 years.

cheerfulness4

I have a chubby food flask. Could you make the yogurt in something like that? I'm clueless where to begin so I will have to research but it sounds like you girls do fine with your HM yogs.


No spends today again thank goodness.

DAY 23

Money Spent Today - £0 Vouchers Spent - £0
Money Spent in Total - £63.00 Vouchers Spent in Total - £5
Money left in purse - £6.00 - Float left- £0/£15
Jan non-foods left- £0/£15

sistercas

I too have a little tool kit, it's contained in a zip up case and has elastic bands to hold everything thing in its place. DH has a shed and cupboard under the stairs full of tools and always uses my little kit and I know he uses it because whenever I go in all the tools are just chucked in not restrained by the elastic bands :cool:

GreyQueen

maryb wrote: »

But you'd be doing him a favour by embarassing him into getting his own set of spanners like a proper grown up

I do like a man who's good with his hands.

silvasava wrote: »

GQ - I have a 'lady' toolbox with all the bits that I need indoors, so why does DH with a shed & garage full of tools always seem to make a beeline for mine? I think your spanners deserve a girly case - after all they have a girly owner who uses them :-)

LOL, grinning as I recall that in my parents' home, Mum is the adroit one who does DIY and Dad is the cack-handed one who uses tools for purposes for which they are not designed and cannot be trusted with the decent kit.

About 30 years ago, Mum wearied of rootling among the misc of random spanners in both metric and imperial sizes which the household had accumulated over the years, and splurged on a really decent set. For which she made a special tool roll and which she kept hidden and only used herself (I am trusted to use good tools). Dad has a cheap set of spanners which he's allowed to play with.

Coupla years ago, my folks were helping me on my allotment, something which happens 1-3 times a year, and I caught Dad using the side of the head of my mattock to hammer a nail on a fence post. The scars are still there. I went ballistic; I have a claw hammer and a lump hammer in my allotment shed, which he knows. Arrrgghhhhhhhh!!!

I think it might be catching as I saw a bloke on an allotment a few plots down using a spade like a log-splitter and hitting it with a piece of wood to drive the side of the spade to split another piece of wood. My reaction was a pained wince and a memo to self; Do NOT lend J any of your tools, even the ones which have been demoted to allotment duty.

And don't even get me started on Scissor Abuse.................!

joedenise

Anne_Marie wrote: »

I do exactly the same, but don't strain the yoghourt, unless to make a soft cheese, and it comes out pretty thick enough for me. I use the Lidl Greek Yoghourt as a starter. Admittedly, I have to pour off some whey at times, but it's never been more than from the original Lidl's yoghourt.

You've got me wondering whether it all depends on what kind of food flask you use?

Mine is an old Igloo flask, which I've had for at least 18 years.

I think it probably depends more on your starter yoghurt than the flask. I've tried several but the current one was the Rachel's bio natural greek style yoghurt. DH says it's the best so far so will probably stick with it. He absolutely hated the Yeo Valley one - said it had no taste to it.

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

I have a chubby food flask. Could you make the yogurt in something like that? I'm clueless where to begin so I will have to research but it sounds like you girls do fine with your HM yogs.

The chubby food flasks are fine - that's what my sister used to use when her kids were little (so she told me the other day when I said I'd started making yoghurt again!) - that was 30 odd years ago at least.

The batch I made yesterday will be for DH to take to work on Mon and Tues and I'll need to make another lot Tues for him to take to work Wed, Thurs & Fri and then make another lot.

I know it's only saving me a couple of pounds a month but at least I know what's in it.

Denise