The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

ivyleaf

Thank you hollynan Very glad you're still here, and I hope you will be here for a long time to come.

fuddle I'm certain I've seen chopping boards which can be used over the sink, thereby making their own worktop, if you see what I mean.

ETA Just googled "chopping board to fit over sink" and there are loads of them! So that would help

VJsmum

ivyleaf wrote: »

fuddle I'm certain I've seen chopping boards which can be used over the sink, thereby making their own worktop, if you see what I mean.

ETA Just googled "chopping board to fit over sink" and there are loads of them! So that would help

It's the kind of thing we have in our caravan, where space is (obviously) at a premium.

The MiL has gone home. She wasn't as bad as she can be, though was a "Debbie downer" this morning.... i am ignoring that it is a bank holiday and have gone back to work (i mostly work from home so not really an issue).

Floss

cbrown372 wrote: »

I recently fitted an area next to my kitchen and used matching wall units on the floor with the work top over them, narrower than the floor units but gives much need storage space, maybe an idea for you to use? Hope all goes smoothly.

We have a galley kitchen with a door at one end and a door & window at the other. One side is fitted with base & wall-hung wall units, the other is wall units on the wall and floor. It creates more storage, space for kettle etc and leave normal worktop for prep space.

It may be an idea to book an appointment with kitchen firms like Howdens & Magnet, as well as Ikea (if possible) to get their suggestions for design & best use of space - they are all free

FairyPrincessk

Fuddle, my mum has something which I think is called a 'shelf insert' on the ikea website and is very useful. They're £2-3 and mean she can stack different sized plates/bowls etc. all in one cupboard freeing up the others for storage. She also has what I can only describe as a giant letter or toast rack to hold baking trays vertical and be able to slide them out. I think she got it at a German shop but they have similar at Lakeland. I don't think it would have been costly, but it means all the trays can be stored with the saucepans. They're ideas I'm filing away for my own kitchen eventually.

Another idea if you want to find room for a store cupboard is to use a shed space to store dry goods on shelves. Airtight glass and metal will keep most pests at bay. My neighbors now use their shed this way, and it seems to work well for them.

I lived with a half-postage stamp kitchen (really, two people could not stand in it at once) for several years and made it work--although I kept flour in the freezer as it was mostly just me (I had started cooking for OH but had not yet been given a permanent post ) and that was what worked best. I had hooks under wall units for mugs and on doors for pinnys and tea towels, the top of the fridge was organized with light baskets I could take down to rifle through and I kept the surfaces as bare as possible to keep the cutting board sized work space maximized for rolling out/kneading.

I've also used open shelves in lounge/dining areas (and have one of those set up now) with glass jars of dry goods. I think they look homey and I really like being able to see homemade jam lined up (although I've taken to hiding it from OH as the first year I made it I didn't get to open a single one of my jars! He has to come to me and ask for it now which I don't think is the least bit unreasonable or ridiculous at all :rotfl::rotfl:)

The thing I found most difficult was not being able to see/talk to people while I cooked--one of those 50s style 'hatches' would have sorted it right out--but I made-do with a radio and that helped. I'd probably think of storing dishes close to where you eat so the girls can get that sorted without being too underfoot. It makes putting the washing up away a chore but does make prep a bit less stressful.

Torties2

Hello everyone, I have been a bit of a lurker for a while and wondered if I might join in on the garden fence chats from time to time? ☺ you all seem so nice ☺

DH and I have had to face debts as of about 6 months ago (our LBM). We have a plan and a budget but its not something our family and friends know about. Our friends can be a little 'keeping up with Jones' and don't seem to bother much when you can't join in on the spending-so we know they wouldn't understand! We are trying to do a wreck of a house up too so sometimes it can be a bit tense and it'd be nice to be able to get away from it for a little chinwag!

Anyway, I am Torties2 (we keep telling ourselves we are the Tortoises-who may be slow with life goals but win the 'race' in the end!) I like to knit/crochet, sew, cook and DIY (somewhat reluctant in that dept these days!)

☺��

burtha

Hi all,
Welcome to new and original posters:hello:

Well, so far 2017 has been mixed , dgd and eldest dd not well, appointments needed at out of hours , but dgd improved now ( had her this afternoon so dd could go to hospital ) ,dd hopefully will be sorted out tomorrow with dentist , but don't think it will be straight forward , but fingers crossed .
but other good news from dd but I carnt tell you all yet ....

Absolutely shattered today, didn't wake up till 11 30 :eek:,
Yesterday the club was bouncing .. good fun , nice , hard work , wasn't like a out take of shameless ..managed to get everyone out by 12 15 , then spent a hour glass washing and moving stuff , home about 1 45 ....
Wide awake till 3 , then bed but silly old dog was up moving around the room all night , normally sleeps in his bed snoring away , last night he couldn't get settled , so we were up every hour on the hour , he is fine today
So quick shop for food and school shoes ( ds will stop growing soon ??) Then dgd , then club to sort out papers/money , back at 7 for supper for all . Now chilled out ,my uniform ready for tomorrow .
Youngest kids back at school Wednesday , dd is better than she was but I always fear the worst on return to sch , expecially after Christmas ,although mine now are shocked at the kids who seam to have had £1000 spent on then ( yes 1000 per child) ...
Latest tv,new mobile phone,games consoles..it goes on and on ..
Thankfully mine are realistic and don't expect or get everything...
Right will stop witering on, sure you don't want me to go on ....lol

Fuddle , the kitchen will be fine, as will the house , this place had the smallest kitchen in when we moved in and we managed for 8 years 2 adults 2 teanage 2 under 3 year old, then what ever emergency foster child we had ...are you moving anywhere nearby to me ?
Monna,
Pup sounds great fun ,as does getting an older dog when you manage to get your bungalow , we had an old retired labrador that we retired out to a lovely fit 78 year old guy , who had not long lost his wife ..If anything happens to him the dog comes back to us , but for now both of them benefit ,fresh air ,daily walks on the beach,company , both very happy ...
There was 3 of our dogs (springers) that went down to your part of the world, think they will be about 10 now ...

Right ... think I will do a 20min workout as wide awake ...
Ttfn

milasavesmoney

Managed to finally wash my hair today. Migraines are the worst! Clean hair made me feel better. DH was a doll and went to the store with a long list. We had not shopped since we got home from our two weeks away. It was getting dire in the fresh veggie, dairy department. So happy to have milk for my tea! I had been using a tiny bit of heavy cream.

Tomorrow we go to the court house to look up our inherited mineral rights. We were offered $875,000.00 for 93 acres by an oil company who wants to drill. I'm sure we don't have 93 acres. DH was given little bits and pieces not one big area. But it never hurts to make sure. DH's dad did a lot of wheeling and dealing so who knows for sure? Not getting our hopes up by any means though.

Welcome to all new posters! And welcome back to the old.

moneyistooshorttomention

Mila - I presume you mean fracking (ie when you say that you've been offered money to drill by an oil company).

Just offering a thought on that - there is (at least one) a short video out there on the Net somewhere (I've watched it - in fascinated horror) of a farmer that had an oil company after his land for fracking. They promised him faithfully he'd barely notice they were there in effect and it would only be a little bit of their land affected/they wouldnt do any damage/etc/etc. The film is of the farmer telling us all exactly what they promised him - and then going on to show what really happened and his land is ruined and they took a lot more of it than they had said they would for this, etc, etc and he wishes he'd never clapped eyes on them.

It came up on my Facebook feed. Can't recall who did it exactly - might have been Greenpeace? might have been one of the anti-fracking groups? I imagine it's somewhere there on YouTube.

Check it out before you think of going any further on that.

EDIT; I've just had a very quick google. The farmer I am talking about is an elderly male one. Not found him yet. But I have found another farmer:

https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/video-fracking-changed-one-womans-life/

ivyleaf

Welcome Torties2 :hello: Lovely to have you along!

mila Glad you're feeling a bit better. As you say, a hair-wash makes a huge difference!

burtha glad all went well at the club.

We have one DGC going back today and the other tomorrow.

Floss

MITSTM Mila lives in the US...