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Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016
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No silvasava It's a Housing Association. They have thousands of flats with storage radiators. As they are none profit making where would they get the money.
We were re housed by the council. We are considered to be adequately housed. And storage radiators are considered to be good heating. We have bought an oil filled radiator which others here use but they are at work all day they are young and probably only heat the one room.
I have always been a cold body. Perhaps I will adapt. It's only 64 in the living room so I have put it on as an extra not to substitute.
I was trying to help Lyn decide what she could do. It would be cheaper to move again, I don't have the money to change anything.
P. S. changing the enormous water tank would save us a lot of money but they would say no because when we leave they may put a family in here. We have three empty flats in our part of the flats. The building has three entrances with six flats off the staircases so they must be losing money on them. I think we would be better off with some sort of instant hot water.0 -
Afternoon everyone
Hugs and good wishes to all who need them.
Made a couple of hair bands and knitted a couple,of mini stockings over the weekend
Minimised a load of magazines out of the attic they will all go in the rcycling this week.
Put ours and mild garden to bed for the winter so both our garden bins are now filled up and waiting to be emptied next week.
Wrote two classes worth of Christmas cards out one set are being passed on to a work colleague so she can sign them as well as we work together with the same class.
Going to make do with something from the fridge and freezer for tea toninght and watch something off Netflix's while I knit.SPC~12 ot 124
In a world that has decided that it's going to lose its mind, be more kind my friend, try to Be More Kind0 -
I have mended nine pieces of dds' clothes, mainly leggings and tights.
Eating down the freezer, bringing last year's hm courgette and carrot soup to work for lunch.
Minimising by going through dds' books; I put a bagful in the attic, but unluckily my eldest followed me up there tonight and found the bag - luckily, she 'rescued' only oneAre you wombling, too, in '22? € 58,96 = £ 52.09Wombling in Restrictive Times (2021) € 2.138,82 = £ 1,813.15Wombabeluba 2020! € 453,22 = £ 403.842019's wi-wa-wombles € 2.244,20 = £ 1,909.46Wombling to wealth 2018 € 972,97 = £ 879.54Still a womble 2017 #25 € 7.116,68 = £ 6,309.50Wombling Free 2016 #2 € 3.484,31 = £ 3,104.590 -
Nursemaggie - I've never had storage radiators so it's an u known area for me. I did Google them & as you say they are virtually uncontrollable - one person did mention economy 10 tariff but I expect you are already on the lowest tariff available. Sorry I hav'n't been able to come up with a viable suggestionSmall victories - sometimes they are all you can hope for but sometimes they are all you need - be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle0
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Morning all,
I've not much to report but I brought in HM carrot & courgette soup for lunch today too (someone further up is doing the same). We grew courgettes this year and it is a lovely way to use them up. This is the last tub from the freezer. We have been having a freezer use-up as well. There isn't much in there now, so I'm ready for a big shop. I'm quite please at how well we have been doing using up all of our food stocks. Even DH has been getting on board.
He is making a set of shelves for one of our rooms. A few years ago we converted our integral garage into a room an opened it up from the hallway. I was an office for a while whilst we were both doing post-grad study. It's now a gym and bike store room. We need some shelves to keep all of the clutter that comes with bikes on - helmets, cycling shoes, overshoes, various bits of spares, etc. Anyway, he drew out his design, ordered the wood and it's now half-build and looking great. It will be a sturdy piece of furniture when it's finished. It will have cost about £70 but it will last for years.
I went charity shopping at the weekend. I got a lovely crinkle scarf for £2, a beautiful Coast skirt for a do I am going to for £7 and a wide-neck silky jumper for £4. It goes perfectly with the skirt and I will look so fancy in my £11 outfit! I also bought a jumper for work for £5. I wore it yesterday but it has a hole under one arm that I didn't know about so it is on the mending pile to be repaired. Well worth doing, its a lovely quality top.
I will be minimising my dead hanging baskets this weekend and re-potting with pansies for a bit of winter colour. I need to find a good online deal for the plants.
Re the storage heaters, I used to have them in my first flat. In theory they are a good idea, heat up at night and give off the heat in the day, but in reality they don't work. I used to have an oil-filled radiator too to keep me warm.
Hope everyone is having a good day.Sealed Pot Challenge #8 £341.90
Sealed Pot Challenge #9 £162.98
Sealed Pot Challenge #10 £33.10
Sealed Pot Challenge #11 Member #360 -
We have a big red candle with three wicks which has been brought out every Advent since the year dot to form the centerpiece of our Advent wreath with four white candle round the outside. The reason it has lasted so long is that it is only lit on Christmas Day.
However last year, someone - who shall remain nameless but he knows who he is (BTW I only have two daughters!) left the match he used to light it in the middle of the candle. So it caught light and burned a channel in the wax all the way to the outer edge, resulting in a waterfall of melted wax down the side and an even bigger hole.
So today as I was digging out the Advent stuff, I decided to have a go at fixing it. I could buy another (although they are expensive) but this one has so many memories attached to it. But having looked on the Hobbycraft website, by the time I had bought all the gubbins needed it would have cost as much as a new one.
So I carved off the top of the candle until it was level, got some clear plastic and made a collar for it which I held on with rubber bands, and melted the cut off bits in an old tin can stood in a pan of boiling water. Carefully poured over the hole in the side to level it then poured the rest in an even layer. It worked even better than I had hoped.
Made do - used the off cuts of wax from leveling the candle plus some clear plastic from some old packaging. Tin can retrieved from the recycling.
Mended - speaks for itself
Minimised - spends and additional "stuff" from Hobbycraft
I find that if I successfully mend something I become very attached to that item, even more than when it was new. Does anyone else find this? This was a sentimental item anyway as I can remember my DDs' faces every year when Advent Sunday came around. So glad it will be with us for a while longerIt doesn't matter if you are a glass half full or half empty sort of person. Keep it topped up! Cheers!0 -
Hi, out of interest does it take long to melt the candle off-cuts in a tin can in boiling water ?
I ask as I seem to have a multitude of half burned down candles that I'd like to recycle into new ones My DD has been buying those nice yogurts from Aldis that when you have eaten them you are left with a small shot glass that would make some really nice small candles I had a packet of wicks given to me ages ago that I stuck in a drawer which I could use.
I have several large half burned down candles that seem to have huge wells in the middle, and thought perhaps if I carefully sliced through and melted the wax I could make some little ones, even if it was just to use the candles up as at the moment they are stashed in the cupboards.has anyone else tried to do this I'd love to know how you got on
JackieO xx0 -
Jackie it took hardly any time at all to melt even quite big chunks of wax. It couldn't have been easier. What I would say is that wax is very difficult to clean off anything it touches, hence using an old tin can which went straight back in the recycling afterwards
Grey Queen over on the prepping thread talks about how she makes a hobby of melting down old stubs of candles and making stripey new ones in old Pringle tubes, she'd be a very good source of information. You do find that the wax shrinks a bit round the wicks so it helps to keep some wax in reserve and remelt it to top up the dips afterwardsIt doesn't matter if you are a glass half full or half empty sort of person. Keep it topped up! Cheers!0 -
Thanks for that maryb I shall have a go next week I think when I have a little more time .Spent the whole evening wrapping presents and apart from one I have yet to by this weekend all of them are wrapped ,labelled and put away
:):) No going to bed as I have a slight back ache tonight I did find it a bit easier to have my large ironing table up in the sitting room and used that instead of the table in the kitchen as there is a bit more room to pile individual lots.
I made the mistake of buying a box of cards from a shop today and discovered when I opened them that the message was Happy Christmas from us both. As there hasn't been a 'both' since 2003 I shall probably give them to eldest DD as she sends quite a lot of cards
Youngest DD buys four every year, one for me, one for her sister's family, then one each for her OHs family. She isn't a grump, but would rather donate to the Macmillan charity as they were so good to me when I was ill.
I sadly have less to send this year as I have had two losses in my family, and it will seem strange not to be sending to my brother in France and an in -law in Eire.
right as Zebberdee would say
'Time for bed '
Good night God Bless all here
JackieO xx0 -
Hi, out of interest does it take long to melt the candle off-cuts in a tin can in boiling water ?
JackieO xx
I did a quick search and found that most candle wax should melt at a temperature of less than 75C. Stand alone candles generally having a higher melting point than those in containers.
If I was back in the UK the more careful bit of me would pre-heat the tin and wax overnight on a radiator :rotfl:
However here I have a woodburning cooker so can just put it on the top and waitI'm sure it was on this thread that someone came up with the following that I've started doing. I fix a standard white candle in a jar and pour the melted wax - usually from the room scenting candles - around it thus removing the necessity of buying wicks and most importantly you get to use all the expensive perfumed wax you've previously bought.
We probably should put the health and safety warning on that paraffin wax catches fire easily so be careful around naked flamesAiming for a Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget
FASHION ON THE RATION - 2024 62/66 coupons : 2025 36/66 coupons0
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