Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

dND

wildthing01 wrote: »

Mend: kids school shoes - no matter how much/little I spend, or how good or poor quality I buy, they are always wrecked within weeks. Latest pair for DS were sold as 'scuff-proof', although they were aldi and super-cheap. Fake leather fabric covering already worn off in places to the fabric underneath, but armed with pot of black nail varnish found languishing unused in the drawer (free with mag I think) and black shoe polish, I have repaired the scuffs and they are now hardly visible at least when standing up (although they don't bear up to close inspection!)

Hi wildthing, Reading about you kids' shoes reminds me about me. I would always completely wear down the inside edges of the heels, sometimes within a couple of weeks :eek: Many, many years later, I realised it was because my spine was twisted (due to wrenching my hip as a youngster but thinking at the time I had only twisted my ankle).

Not wanting to scaremonger but if they have any other balance problems - I used to twist my ankles all the time and used to 'joke' that I could twist my ankle standing still - I would get their spines checked.
It took about 10 years of chiropractic treatment to sort out my back and now heels last for ever but the hip will I fear never be right as it had 40 years of being wrong!

If it's just the top surfaces then I think you must have wonderfully active kids who have a lot of fun :T

wildthing01

Thanks for the advice dND - DS is not very balanced and often falls over thin air, so I might need to keep an eye on him, but think that is probably mild dyspraxia, since he is also very hypersensitive and struggles with speed, noise, darkness and heights (as well as most foods). Think with the shoes, it's more a case of using them as brakes when scooting, instead of using the proper brake!!!!! School trousers are also very frequently torn - he put a hole in a pair just the other day, I'd reinforced them with extra fabric (from old trousers) bonded to the inside of the knees, and he managed to tear them just below the reinforced area!!!

They do have lots of fun, and I'd rather a few dirty and torn clothes, and know they're moving around and being active than have them sat at home bored with pristine clothes!

charlies-aunt

iamsalt wrote: »

Morning all.
We aren't responsible for this boundary, the neighbours aren't interested in fixing it so we need to rethink my fight against ivy. Hmmmm one to consider.
Hope people in the southern counties are safe, and take care
S x

We are fighting the fight again ivy too but its our own that insists on doing the great escape! We keep ours neat and under control by giving a good (severe) haircut to get rid of the long trailing fronds with the hedge trimmers a couple of times a year. It doesn't hurt it, but it will encourage the main stems (hopefully on their side to thicken up and become quite hedge-like Leave it bushy in winter for wild birds to overwinter in as the evergreen leaves give good protection

iamsalt

charlies-aunt wrote: »

We are fighting the fight again ivy too but its our own that insists on doing the great escape! We keep ours neat and under control by giving a good (severe) haircut to get rid of the long trailing fronds with the hedge trimmers a couple of times a year. It doesn't hurt it, but it will encourage the main stems (hopefully on their side to thicken up and become quite hedge-like Leave it bushy in winter for wild birds to overwinter in as the evergreen leaves give good protection

Hi, thanks for the tips, it might well keep the fence up for a few more years. OH had never dealt with it before I moved in with him, and I have grand plans for the garden, but this year will be the year to tame it. I have loads of annual flower seeds so they will be broadcast liberally so at least there will be some colour this year.

monnagran

Wildthing: I had a similar problem as a child only I wore down the outside of the heels. In desperation my mother had a metal rim fixed to them. At school they reckoned that they could hear me coming along the corridor a good 5 minutes before I arrived.

Hester: Loved the story about the mouse costume. Of course I'm going to top that. My DS1, aged 6, was being collected by a friend who was doing the school run.. He walked out of the door, popped his head back in to say, "Mum, I need a donkey costume for a play today." Turned out that the play was to take place in assembly about 10 minutes after he arrived at school and they were already late. I think that the audience had to have good imaginations to translate this child crawling along clad in his mother's camel coat with the hearth brush tied to his behind for a tail into an approximation of a donkey.
Don't panic. He is 46 now so he survived. Just.

x

silvasava

Oh Monna you do make me laugh - I think your son should be very grateful to his mum for such ' character building' lol

elona

I remember one of my dds needing an angel costume for school. We were skint so I found an old white cotton sheet, pinned it to her, cut a slash for the neck and pinned up sleeves while she sobbed about how horrible it would be!!!

I bleached it and then washed it a few times using conditioner so it smelled nice, then sewed it up, ironed it with starch, added a sequin belt, lace trimmings to sleeves and neck and a cheap pearl trim as well from the market.

By the time came she agreed to wear it and one of the teachers asked her where I had bought it!!!

I have not been so chuffed since one of dds was upset her hand bag lining was torn and the bag would need to be thrown out and I hand stitched it so she could not see the mend!

HOWMUCH

Hello MMMer's

Make do - I'm in the middle of cleaning up a excellent condition 2nd hand Pram/pushchair. All the fabrics have been scrubbed and washed, I've just got the fixed fabrics on the seating unit and carrycot. The newborn car seat is fully washed and reassembled she got a bargain for £10. The Pram/pushchair was too with all the accessories they sell she got it for £375 she priced it up to £1300 new price and it's only been used for 8 months. So she's all set up for the new baby.
I've also been batch cooking today making do with what we have in freezer or fridge. A mince/veg chilli, mince/veg lasagna, cottage pie bulked out again with grated carrot. I'd got 2 peppers and a aubergine YS dated 10th Feb and a box of S6 mushrooms dated 15th March. And whilst doing the mash for cottage pie I also steamed a Savoy cabbage, half has been mixed together for bubble and squeek. So I've got the meals all done for the next 4 days and 10 portions of food in the freezer. x

Lynplatinum

Evening all

iamsalt - I have had a neighbour who keeps on insisting that 'we' must do something about the fence which is his!!! LH side of house + have checked deeds!! For about 11 years I have been giving it a very severe hair cut in October then another one in December (useful for Christmas decoration and then another one in early summer when I am sure any young birds are flown - folks tell me how nice it looks!

Am still not feeling to bright - felt distinctly dizzy when I came in from walkies today to the point where I put diced sweet potato in oven to bake and had a lie down for an hour while it baked. Then had pasta mixed with sweet potato; yesterday's brocoli (dunked in the pasta water to warm); roasted garlic; the last of the ham diced with some LF cream cheese mixed in. Um num nom nom nom!! So that was a make do which was very yummy

After that I felt a little better!

Mend - nowt!
Minimise - gave my walkies friend a lift with a bootload of stuff to the tip!! So although it wasnt my minimising does it still count????

BTW near where I park my car some one has dumped a fridge; a hoover; a chest of drawers and a load of clothing etc! If they have a car (which it look as if this lot was tipped out of) then the local tip is only 10 mins away :mad:
So thoughtless!

Good free thing today was walking beside one of the lovely lakes in MK in brilliant but cold sunshine chatting to my friend. Lovely - am so lucky I have car and a friend and live somewhere where folks designed such marvelous spaces!
Nite all

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all
Sorry not been in for a while as busy with family stuff over Easter.
I minimised quite a few bags to the CS on good Friday, lots of food got used up as we had the family round for two days.
Ironing all got finished off so basket empty while we caught up with first two series of line of duty on catch up.
I'm still knitting a sock so that's hopefully minimising stashed wool I pie had for a while.
Mil gave me some fabric she wil never use I think I can either make mors bags or bags of courage for the children's oncology ward with it will hopefully make those up over the break.