Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

misstara

bargainhunterss congratulations :beer:

Evening MMMers, sorry haven't been posting for a few days as I've had some tech free evenings which have been lovely. On Tuesday night, me and OH played a board game and yesterday I read a book while OH was out. Nice to relax and do something other than be on the internet or watching TV.

Been using up various leftovers - had cauliflower cheese as a main meal on Monday, sausages, wedges and the leftover cauliflower cheese on Tuesday, last night mushroom and ham pasta using up some cream. We tried a new recipe today and had a yummy curry, unfortunately no leftovers from that.

Mended a shelf that been annoying me for a while, so easily mended don't know why I didn't get round to it sooner. Still haven't quite got round to starting to minimise the DVDs but it's on the to do list

Loving reading about everyones MMMing efforts :T

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all
I like the sound of your butternut squash risotto irisviolet, will look for a recipie for that later, I have risotto rice and butternut squashes in.
in work all day so apart from knitting later I don't think I'll be doing much today, I do want to revisit my wardrobe over the weekend with a view to minimising some of it into a charity bag.

FairyPrincessk

Good morning,

It feels very chilly here today. I managed to get asparagus on the YS last night so went with that instead of broccoli--although I've sauteed it and served it on the side as it tends to overpower if cooked in with the cheese sauce.

Glad you're enjoying the tech free nights MissTara. Last night's screen free night was enjoyable again. I worked on knitting, made some notes for a project and read a bit. I didn't end up listening to a radio drama as I was enjoying the quiet. OH isn't a fan of silence so I figured I'd make the most of a screen free night without him!

Not much on the MMM front today, more preparation. OH and I will review the budget/bank accounts this weekend to make sure everything is on track for the month. I think I've also convinced him that we need to go elsewhere for our savings account as we're getting a terrible interest rate, even given the current climate! We'll research that as well. This afternoon I'll get things ready for Monday. I'm going to try to go to a midday yoga class on Mondays rather than Fridays as I can use the same bus pass, but I'll need to be organized with the change of clothes and efficient bag packing. This gets slightly more complicated when it is very cold outside as I suddenly need to pack more layers. The actual minimizing of bus fares won't happen until next week but as the old adage goes, if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

I'll go to my normal yoga class tonight which means OH is in charge of tea--he is doing jacket spuds and tuna. He'll be knackered tonight as he has had several long days running. He is scheduled to coach a football match tomorrow morning, and I think he is secretly keeping an eye on the weather. He isn't even halfway into term and already I think he is dreaming about half term!

FairyPrincessk

Just popping in quickly to say I've spotted these stargazing events online this morning, broken down by region. Some of them specify that they're free, might make nice outings for people:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5TdSYVZCzSp1JDVCXgfdpVq/partner-events-2016?intc_type=singletheme&intc_location=avs&intc_campaign=stargazinglive&intc_linkname=index_events_contentcard6

[Deleted User]

Good morning chums and Happy New Year to you all.Life has been a bit on the busy side just lately.So many things to do and just not enough time

I sound like the White Rabbit don't I :):)
But life is slowly getting back to relative normality, well as normal as my life is ever likely to be :):)
DGS are back at school and the biggest one is back at Uni.

I have been making do with what I have indoors, and only done two tiny shops this month, one was for fresh fruit and veg and a few bits I had run out of, and the second was by accident. I had a meeting in Sittingbourne that had over run, and its was around 5.45 pm when I finally got out,with all the roads jammed with traffic I thought I'll give it half an hour and popped into Morrisons for a wander .

There I found three decent sized chicken breasts reduced to £1.99, a cauliflower for 9p and several other bits of veg reduced to silly money.Came out having spent £2.90 !!! and had a bag full of goodies :):)Very pleased with my haul as I worked out I should get at least three meals, plus a decent vat of soup out of my finds

Huge bag of carrots at 24p will make me some carrot and coriander soup at the weekend for next weeks lunches.Big bag of watercress will get mixed into my salads all this week and it only cost 4 p. Not very often that I am out in the shops when the YS is around that cheap so I am a very happy bunny :)

Mending wise I stitched up a throw that my DD was lusting after that I had knitted about four years ago.Some of the seam had come apart through washing .When she came to visit on Sunday morning she said casually 'Don't you use that blankey much Mum ?' 'Not really I said 'Its just over the back of the sofa ,more as a decoration really, the seams need sewing'

She said it would look really nice in my conservatory during the winter and down at the caravan in the summer :):):)subtle is not her middle name :):) 'Oh go on then' I said, and I stitched the seams up and off she went chuffed to bits.

Its the size of a single blanket and all the squares are made in different patterns of knitting I bought a set of booklets several years ago called the Art of Knitting and the wool came each week with the magazines and it sat in the cupboard for about five years before I got around to doing it.Still its gone to a good home and I know she will keep it until it falls apart ,probably long after we both have shuffled off :):) some mended and minimised a bit there I think


As for make do well I am making do with as much as possible from my fridge/freezer and stocks and trying not to buy anything at all as I do have enough food in the cupboards to feed a small army I think.

I did an inventory last week and couldn't believe how much stuff needed using up.So my food purse is in lock-down now for awhile and if I have run short of anything I will adapt something else instead from the stocks to use things up.

DD gave me four yogurts that she wasn't keen on they are Muller lights, and when used, I will wash out and reuse the pots they came in I have some block Chivers jellies in the cupboard ,so I thought I will make some up and pour into the individual pots and stick in the fridge they will take up less space that a bowl of jelly

So that's about all of my MM,MD & Mending .Its nice to see some new chums on board.
Onwards and upwards
Cheers everyone JackieO xxx

dND

EmberJ wrote: »

Minimize : my yarn stash! Have crocheted a hat and mittens set in pink and purple to fit a six month-one year old, started a blanket though I'm looking for smaller projects too as I get bored of blankets otherwise.

Congratulations bargainhunterss :beer: and welcome back EmberJ :wave:

I was hoping to start a small business here selling crocheted items - mainly in luxury yarns; but the cost of postage from France to places like the UK and USA is now prohibitive. My crochet is also therapeutic so what I've decided to do is build up a stock of items for sale once I get back to the UK but along with that I'm building up a collection of charitable items. I've started making premmie/SCBU hats, angel blankets, chemo caps and hats and scarves for homeless - again for when I sell and get back to the UK

So my make do and minimise is always yarn related as I was given loads of odds and ends by people who obviously wanted to minimise projects they had started and never finished :rotfl:along with the yarn I have bought and mending is permanently covered by the work I need to do on the house and farm __________________

lollyfin

I rescued a pair of leather gloves. I got them in a Cs because they felt lovely but they had bows on them and every time I wore them the bow would catch on my jacket sleeves and really annoy me so they were stuffed in the back of the cupboard, so today I Unpicked the stitches holding the bows on and now have a lovely pair of plain black leather gloves...I think that covers making do and mending, minimising will be food from the freezer, I honestly think it breeds in there!

savingpennies

Good day to everyone.
Make do: Tonight we are having spag bol (at least that's what I think it is. It was in an unlabelled container in the freezer). So that's the make do.
Minimising: I finished off a pair of fingerless gloves/wrist warmers for DD1, who hates gloves but always has cold hands. I use up some green DK I had left over from something.
Nothing on the mending front at the moment but I am sure someone will find me something.

Minihauk

Hello everyone,

I can't believe it is Friday already. Lots of decluttering going on here, and making do with food already in the house.

Just waiting for the fridge engineer to come and condemn my ff so I can get a proper replacement. Fingers crossed he says it is not repairable........

Am off out to local country music club tonight, so nothing else will get done.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

117pauline

I am going through my emails and unsubscribing from many.

I have also put in a reservation at my local Library for the "Better Than Before" book by Gretchen Rubin. I like the idea of building helpful habits to reduce stress - well at least I haven't bought it although it did cost me a 25p reservation fee.

I have continued to minimise the freezer contents and even myself - 3lb down this week which I think is down to minimising my car usage along with the swimming.