Sat/Sun 18th/19th July - What small DFW things will you do this weekend?

determined_new_ms

maria3104 wrote: »

Hi All

Have just enjoyed reading the thread and catching up with everyone.

Blackcurrant jam is made. 15 jars. and 3 jars in odd shapes for eating now. Need to label and store. Am a bit cross with myself as morning started very overcast and now is a perfect drying day sunny and windy. Sigh with frustration at not getting it right again!

Kitchen looks like a bomb site, jam everywhere, think there may even be some on ceiling! :eek:

Am going to take book outside for a rest and ponder next thing to do whilst it is so lovely.

Enjoy your day everyone. Like the sound of the cinema, wish ours was nearer.

Maria.

how lovely making jam Maria :T has made me think I might do just the same when my blackberries are ready for picking. Not sure how everyone is picking them at the moment? The ones in my garden are little hard green buds at the moment!

foxgloves

Hello Weekend Frugalistas,
Lovely sunshiny day here in the north east midlands :-) Well, today I had planned my day out starting with us going shopping for the groceries, etc, then a useful day in the veggie garden, clearing, feeding & sowing more lettuces, rocket, radishes. But plans went astray....for a good reason. Here's what happened:
*Got up early, finished shopping list & double-checked available budget.
*Went to Aldi & got a big trolley load, including a few extras for £8 under budget. Have just tried their jalapeno coleslaw. Why have I never thought of putting jalapenos in coleslaw.....I even grow them! Anyway, it's yummy. Would go great with a BBQ. Oh & Aldi reduced fat mayo, which is my favourite brand has been reduced by 4p to 75p a jar. Such a contrast with well-known brands I could name.....
*Called at Waitrose because mr f was determined to treat himself to a breakfast (from his Personal Spends, I hasten to add, lol!). Free coffees with 'My Waitrose' cards.
Got home, had another coffee (for free) & was just heading down the garden with my seed box when the phone rang. It was a Labour Party comrade ringing to tell me that they have loads of surplus soft fruit from their allotment & would I like to come & fetch some in exchange for some of our apples & pears when they are ready. Well, I'm a very keen 'jammer' so off we went in the car again. I was expecting punnets, but oh my days.....such generosity. I came back with 3lbs of luscious ripe raspberries, 5lbs blackcurrants & 5.5lbs of redcurrants!! Out came the cauldron immediately!
mr f kindly volunteered to go back to Aldi to pick up some of their 49p sugar (10 bags later, we'd still not gone over this week's budget). So my gardening afternoon turned into a major jamming session......& my kitchen looked like Maria's. I made 5 jars of raspberry jam, 11 jars of blackcurrant jam & have got a double batch of redcurrant jelly mixture just straining through the jelly bag now. I've also frozen some redcurrants & blackcurrants to make Summer Currant Gin (or vodka....or both :-). The jams have come out lovely, so some of the jars will be done up like a tart's boudoir for festive gifts because I like getting creative with that. Then spent half an hour de-jamming the work surfaces, my hair, the cauldron, the floor in front of the cooker, the kettle, you name it, it had an airbrushing of warm jam.
So, in terms of gardening money-saving, I've done a big resounding now't, but I've made the most of that lovely gifted fruit & earmarked some of the jars plus some of the liqueurs I'll make with the frozen fruit for gifts.
When the blackberries are in season (end of August, thru September, usually), if anyone has spare, I can share a recipe for Blackberry & Apple Gin for anyone who is interested. I gave my sister a bottle as a little extra festive gift last year & asked her if she liked it. She said 'Yes' but there was something wrong with it. I take a real pride in my preserves, it's a real hobby, & one I've at times considered doing as a micro-business, so I said 'Oh no, what?' And she said 'The bottle wasn't big enough!' mr f has also been necking it as though it's a bit of a cure-all, so it does make a nice gift.
Anything else?
No....apart from one survey. mr f's cooking night so I'm sitting on my bum, still feeling ever so slightly jammy.
Nice to read what you've all been up to,
Love f xx

Bobarella

Well I am just back from the christening. My goodness what an amazing afternoon that was. The church bit was over quite quickly then we went back to our friends place for the afters. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting but not the bouncy castle, silver service style drinks station with serving staff, marquee or wonderful music! They truly spoiled their guests today. The food was utterly delicious and plentiful and we came away stuffed to the gills. Not sure I will need to eat again this weekend!

Foxgloves and Maria - your jamming sessions sound fantastic. Home made jam is so delicious.

Ally - very creative problem solving there. Good on you for not quitting and finding the best way.

Floella - hope you managed to take it easy in between jobs.

Hannah - my DS is up by 6 every day. He just can't seem to sleep longer. It used to be a pain but now he just gets himself up and goes downstairs to watch TV until his dad gets up and does breakfast around 6.30-7. We are so in for a rude awakening (literally) getting used to a dependant child again good on you doing circuits they are great for you. Hope Minions is fun if you do go.

Determined - I'm glad you are feeling ok today. You must be on overload with all the emotions whizzing around no wonder you feel so all over the place. Keep taking it one day at a time I guess. And try not to pressure yourself too much about work. As you said you can manage for several months which gives you vital breathing space. Thanks for the good wishes about the business too.

Jono - nice to read your post. Welcome back aboard.

Bob

1HANNAH

Bobarella wrote: »

Well I am just back from the christening. My goodness what an amazing afternoon that was. The church bit was over quite quickly then we went back to our friends place for the afters. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting but not the bouncy castle, silver service style drinks station with serving staff, marquee or wonderful music! They truly spoiled their guests today. The food was utterly delicious and plentiful and we came away stuffed to the gills. Not sure I will need to eat again this weekend!



Hannah - my DS is up by 6 every day. He just can't seem to sleep longer. It used to be a pain but now he just gets himself up and goes downstairs to watch TV until his dad gets up and does breakfast around 6.30-7. We are so in for a rude awakening (literally) getting used to a dependant child again good on you doing circuits they are great for you. Hope Minions is fun if you do go.



Bob

Sounds like a lovely afternoon Bob
I wouldn't have minded the 6am really it was just that I aren't used to burning the candle at both ends these days! normally happily tucked up in bed falling asleep to the tv by 9.30! but as was out with friends I didn't get to bed til 12.30. We did go see the Minions using nectar points, kids (& dh!) loved it (I fell asleep!)


After the cinema DH decided to treat us all to lunch out. It was nice for a change, we used to eat out at least once every weekend but this year we've done it very rarely I wouldn't be in a rush to do it again though mind.


As we were in town dh wanted to pop to Debenhams to buy a belt to go with his work suits as his is hanging together just.. he found some but they were £27 for 1 belt! I suggested popping into primark and he got one for £3 also picked up a couple of bits for ds1 as he's had a growth spurt.


All in all a spendy day but it was nice for a change
Back to frugal ways tomorrow

pepper33

this is my first month of trying to live without my credit card, and I have run out of money. I am going to try and not worry too much, as I have sat all day thinking of a way to get some money to buy essentials until payday. Worry worry worry

1HANNAH

pepper33 wrote: »

this is my first month of trying to live without my credit card, and I have run out of money. I am going to try and not worry too much, as I have sat all day thinking of a way to get some money to buy essentials until payday. Worry worry worry

Sorry to hear you are worried, is there anything you can sell maybe on gumtree or facebook?

Bobarella

pepper33 wrote: »

this is my first month of trying to live without my credit card, and I have run out of money. I am going to try and not worry too much, as I have sat all day thinking of a way to get some money to buy essentials until payday. Worry worry worry

how long do you have left to go before payday? Are you short for food/fuel or do you still have essentials to go out like rent, heat, water?
Do you have any food? One of the things the old schoolers recommend is listing every item of food in your house and then others can recommend meals you may not have thought of yet. Sorry it's all so stressful.

Bobarella

1HANNAH wrote: »

Sounds like a lovely afternoon Bob
I wouldn't have minded the 6am really it was just that I aren't used to burning the candle at both ends these days! normally happily tucked up in bed falling asleep to the tv by 9.30! but as was out with friends I didn't get to bed til 12.30. We did go see the Minions using nectar points, kids (& dh!) loved it (I fell asleep!)


After the cinema DH decided to treat us all to lunch out. It was nice for a change, we used to eat out at least once every weekend but this year we've done it very rarely I wouldn't be in a rush to do it again though mind.


As we were in town dh wanted to pop to Debenhams to buy a belt to go with his work suits as his is hanging together just.. he found some but they were £27 for 1 belt! I suggested popping into primark and he got one for £3 also picked up a couple of bits for ds1 as he's had a growth spurt.


All in all a spendy day but it was nice for a change
Back to frugal ways tomorrow

hope you get some kip tonight Today was a big day for us too. I can't remember the last time we hired a car and all the socialising has drained me a little. Gosh I sound ancient glad the film was good even if you did press snooze.

pepper33

I have a list of things to sell, and I am getting very creative with what's in the freezer. I think its just the feeling of not being able to fall back on the credit card, but I know there are people worse off than me, as I have a job, and will get through this. Thank you again

Bobarella

pepper33 wrote: »

I have a list of things to sell, and I am getting very creative with what's in the freezer. I think its just the feeling of not being able to fall back on the credit card, but I know there are people worse off than me, as I have a job, and will get through this. Thank you again

Yes there probably are worse off than you, but that doesn't stop it being a scary feeling for you. You are allowed to feel the worry. How many days do you need to try and get through?