Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

pinkypig

Hi everyone.
Minimise - used up various bits of baking ingredients to make different types of cake for desserts when family come tomorrow. I was going to to do some 'proper ' puddings but I didn't have half the ingredients so instead its chocolate cake, carrot cake or Victoria sponge. I've used up and cleared a bit of space and didn't have to go shopping:)
Make do - the last of yesterday's soup for lunch and a freezer dive tea. I had pasta bake and the kids had curry.
Mending - none.
PP x

Siebrie

I just realised that I am making do with the soap. A few years ago I was given two moving boxes full of hotel amenities after a trial session at work: bath slippers, shampoos, shower gels, shower caps, sewing kits, soap, etc. The shower caps have all been used, as have the cotton buds and cotton pads, the emery boards were sent to dh's family in Africa, the shower gels are finished, the shampoos almost. The shampoos are used alternately with a proper brand, because I found that they often leave my hair either greasy or too dry. DH has been persuaded to use up the body lotions. I am now using the masculine smelling soaps for my feet, because I wash my feet every day after I come in from work. The nicer smelling soap I use for a full wash in the morning.

CathA

Afternoon all. We went to a family barbecue yesterday, everyone bought something so I got loads of stuff from the freezer out and took that. It was stuff we had had in there from the last bbq, so good bit of making do.

Minimising- spectacularly well on that front! The majority of the lounge decorating is done, so managed to get rid of shed-loads of old bits of wood, plasterboard, bags of rubbish, everything! I hoovered what's left of the carpet and found the floor! Just waiting for the new carpet (this weekend) and the new furniture (next week) and we can start putting the room together.
I found someone on Freecycle who wanted a few bricks for a barbecue, they were chuffed as monkeys when I rang them and offered them 40 odd bricks. They collected them yesterday, and my friend (who I got them from in the first place) still had a few more so we popped round and grabbed them as well. A nice little job for them to do over the bank holiday weekend.

Mending- again another pretty good result. Another one of my fold up bags had a hole in it (ripped it on a door handle!) so I've done that. My handbag strap was starting to break (probably due to me cramming every possible thing I own/might need/just in case stuff in there) I could probably chop down trees and act as a first aid station with the amount of 'stuff' in that bag! Anyway, my hubby has a hand held riveter thingy, so he has riveted the handle back on. (Don't panic, it's not Hermes or a Birkin bag, just a £9.99 leather one from e bay, but it's got plenty of life left in it yet!)

pinkypig

Hi everyone.
Minimise - a load of freezer food to feed the extended family yesterday and a book I finished passed on to my sister.
Make do - rather than thinking of what I'd like to make for our family get together I looked at what id got and planned around that. We had seafood paella, quiche, different kinds of hummus and pittas and falafels, pasta salad and cous cous salad ( a sort of buffet plus a hot option) Dessert was three different sorts of cake and a fruit salad. Everyone enjoyed it and I only had to buy eggs and creme fraiche rather than doing a huge, unnecessary shop:). We also had the left overs for lunch and tea and the rest has been portioned up, labelled (:otrying to do better) and put in the freezer
Mend - I've done some:T:T. Filled in two screw holes where old thermostat was, sanded down and touched up the paint. Used a pipe clip I found to fix the broken, saggy rotating clothes line that has been driving me nuts for months. I'm rubbish at DIY so this feels like a major achievement!

nursemaggie

Absolutely knackered just spent last ten hours on the phone secret shopping for house insurance. All of the companies want to way over insure us so did not buy any of the 8 I talked to.

Followed MSE for insurance very satisfactory much cheaper than last years insurers quote for this year. Aleksandra Meerkat on his way to me in the next two months. As his red dressing gown matches my curtains, cushions, throw and rug he can sit on the sofa. I expect he will be claimed by DGS when he comes so he will be on his way back to Malta with them.

secret shopping pay and two daily surveys from a series will pay for insurance and a bit in the bank for my trip to Malta in September. I am thinking I will go the week before he starts school (nursery class the same as here) but a bit younger he is 3 in a couple of weeks.

Glad those who have posted have had a good weekend.

Will be off to bed in a while when my pain killers work. I hope I am not sickening for something ache all over splitting headache and sore throat also swollen glands in neck and under arms. I am hoping it is just over tired as I have a lot of errands to do tomorrow.

If you have any problems with British Gas don't be afraid to complain officially. I had a lovely young man sort everything out for me and a few days ago I got a cheque for £50 compensation. I did not ask for it they wrote off my bill and compensated me for their computer and iSupply's computer sending me back a forward between the two.

silvasava

Wow Nursemaggie - no wonder you have a sore throat after all that telephoning. Hope whatever it is settles down after a night's sleep. Well done you on your insurance and your refund with BG. It certainly pays to complain and not be fobbed off.
Well done Pinky - I think most of us have a siege mentality when it comes to food stocks! I need to make some more raspberry jam from last year's stocks!
Not sure what I'll be tackling today but the RoD desperately needs attention so I'll have a go in there first until I get fed up!

nursemaggie

It was just tired I feel fine now. I slept too long 12 hours but I had been up since 5am yesterday and it was nearly 1 am when I got to bed.

Will have to go in to town soon to deal with all the errands. It must be 40 years since half day closing disappeared around the country but it's still very quiet on a Wednesday afternoon in my town. Hopefully we will have everything to do with the move will finally be sorted today.

mrs-moneypenny

Hope everyone is as well as can be.
had a guy round to price replacing 3 drain covers that are beyond repair, hopefully we can get them replaced this week while I'm off work.
Finished the 10 hedgehogs I've been knitting, they are all sewn up and have features now so can hopefully go to their fundraiser soon.
Making do with omelette for lunch with eggs we have in.
Will plant some flowers out in the garden this afternoon as the rained has stopped. Followed by clearing the ironing basket.
I do have a pair of Dh work trousers that need mending to pull in at some point.

pinkypig

Hi everyone.

Another lovely sunny day here and more forecast for later in the week
Minimise - the end of a tin of paint, just enough to do the utility room and touch up a couple of grubby patches in the hall. Empty tin in the bin leaving me with a lovely fresh utility room and a bit of shelf space in the garage.
Make do - spicy bean soup for lunch made from stocks and there was enough for three portions for the freezer which will do for lunches next week. Curry for tea using chicken from the freezer.

Mend- unblocked the shower which was draining very slowly. Removed something that resembled a small mammal :eek: runs like a dream now

misstara

Morning MMMers

I have finally taken the bags of clothes to the charity shop, plan to do a bit of a flat clear out as we will hopefully be moving soon and I don't want to move any !!!! that we aren't going to use again so should have a lot more to go.

I mended my sandal, a dap of superglue has worked fine. They're the sandals that I'm wearing to my sister's wedding so glad I didn't have to fork out for another pair.

I'm currently at my parents, came down yesterday to spend some time with my family before the wedding and it is just beautiful sitting out in the sun with a coffee at the moment. Hope you all have good weather.