Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

WeeMidgie

I had a notion for a green smoothie this morning for breakfast, so in it went the last of a bag of mixed leaves, a small banana going ripe, and two satsumas which my aunt had given me as she had bought too much fruit at Christmas. And two stalks of celery went in, which was reduced in Morrie's before New Year. Whizzed it all up and it has made so much that I've declared today a detox day!

For anyone who's looking to review the past year and have a framework for the year ahead, there's a fantastic free printable booklet at yearcompass.com, or you can keep it online if you prefer. I had some friends round on Hogmanay, and we spent a delightful time using yearcompass to reminisce about the year past and writing down what we want 2016 to be about.

Today is about maintenance: I'll be writing to 6 friends and family, some to say thank you for Christmas gifts, and others just to keep the links of love and friendship alive. Some will be email and some will be snail mail. I still get a wee jolt of pleasure when I see something on the doormat which isn't a brown envelope! Something handwritten and personal can be such a pleasure to receive. I bought loads of stamps several years ago before they jumped up in price, and it will be quite a while before I get through them all.

When my kids were wee, I used to give them new socks for easter, and their granny gave them chocolate. The new socks this year will be handknitted by me - using yarn which self patterns into a Fair Isle effect. They are both adults and live Down Under, and our Spring is their Autumn, so the socks will keep their tootsies warm as the temperatures drop. So my first goal of the year is to make time to knit, and to get the socks done in plenty time for Easter!

Caterina

Blended yesterday's potato peelings to use as thick stock base for bean and vegetable soup for tonight's dinner. Will do some minimising in next few days by donating clothes and books to jumble sale coming up this weekend. Also sending a fellow OSer some kefir grains, thus minimising my stock. No mending that I can think of, but planning a bit ok knitting.

[Deleted User]

Hugh FWs Potato Peeling Soup recipe is featured in the January edition of 'HOME FARMER' magazine if you don't want to buy the latest HFW book.

savingpennies

Today's job is to do an inventory of my wool stash and my seed packets. I can then see what seeds I might need to buy. Later this week I need to check my seed trays and pots to see if any need replacing. I'm sure I had some potato sacks from a few year's back so will seek them out as I noticed last week that Wilko had seed potatoes in.
Hope everyone has a good day.

celtic_moon

Hi Again All and a warm welcome to the newbies and delurkers

Happy New Year to everyone! Glad to see the shiny new thread but it's been a bit of a do saving the info I wanted off the first page of last year's thread! Glad I waited until I had poota access today Still, I have a lovely folder on said poota labelled MMMing with lots of lovely info I can go through at my leisure

We got some lovely meat bargains on the local market on Christmas Eve - 4kg duck and 6kg goose for under £20 for both and we have TONS left in the freezer Our local @ld1's sale on Christmas Eve was a bit of a damp squib. BUT we did get a couple of half price joints which are in the freezer ready for trading season which begins end of Feb! :eek:

Since then, we have only bought fresh milk and a couple of YS things on NYE from @sd@ when we popped in for said milk! We have eaten like kings and I have been minimising last year's christmas puddings, mincemeat and lots of alcohol I have not eaten too much wheat though so there has been some good It's time to be 'good' again though!

We had a load of fruit from making our fruit mead so I did a number of bottles of fruit vodka for pressies which was very well received! I then put the fruit into pastry and made boozy fruit pies - we have frozen some of the fruit (there was 20Kg in total!) for future use too

I sorted all of the wrapping paper I have into 2 trouser legs! (I am NOT a Victoria's secret model!!!) This does not include all the tags, ribbons, bags, boxes etc which is another 4 carrier bags!!!!! I went a little mad when Woolies closed and it was 10p a roll etc - this was 2008 cos my DH checked on g00gle :eek: Won't need any more for at least the next 10 years!!!!!

Won't be around for a week or so (not that you'd notice anyway :rotfl: ) - will tell all upon my return.

Keep posting so I can feed my addiction please :A

Look after yourselves xxx

FunBrum

What a lovely read I've just had with all your posts!:)

I'm minimising on my furniture and have taken photo's of a sofa and pouffee to sell on Gumtree. Also a glass and metal three tier shelving unit. They are too big for the room and I'm replacing the sofa....I have two but I'm keeping one....with an arm chair, when I can get one for free!
I'm also minimising on my spending, and haven't spent a bean this year!:j

As usual I'm making do with food from the freezer, HM soup, Brown bread rolls and Garlic Sausage, that my sister is throwing out! She must think I'm a human dustbin!:rotfl:

I'm mending my jeans later so that they are more functional and was thinking of adding an embellishment to jazz them up. I have too may pairs that all look the same.
I have done Project 333 and feel tons better of it!:D

iamsalt

Hello everyone.
A quick post before a screen free evening. But a day of minimising and making do.
I made carrot, cumin and chilli soup with a 29p bag of carrots and chilli from the greenhouse. Cumin from spice cupboard and the last of the Christmas creme fraiche. That was lunch and now a turkey and ham pie is in the oven for tea (yet more leftovers from Christmas!)
I think I will take a leaf out of saving pennies book and sort my 3 boxes of seeds out. I think it will be nice to sow some at lunchtime when I am working from home later in the week.
I will also be swapping the sofas around. The seat where OH sits had a twang moment at the weekend so I will swap them over to prevent further damage before I get a chance to look at it properly at the weekend. They are multi York and 7 years old so must be fixable in some way.
Right off to do supper and seed sorting.
Have a lovely Monday evening
S x

candygirl

HESTER please don't even consider doing lighter life.One of my friends was a LL consultant, n along with her clients, lost a ton of weight on it, but then piled it all on n more after

patentgirl

Can I please join in too need to carry on minimising and making do concentrating on kitchen cupboards and fridge/freezer first pleased no spends so far this year.

FairyPrincessk

Evening all,

Quick post--back to work today for both of us. I minimized the leftovers from last night for lunch today and we're still making inroads into the big salad--white wine vinegar, olive oil and sesame seeds as a dressing tonight paired with baked sweet potatoes, hummus and a few crumbles of feta, so very easy and economical. I'm still sort of fighting off this cold so had a couple of hot water bottles this afternoon as I was feeling chilled. I've just ordered this month's food for Maggie the Cat. The little minx must have known something was up as she came and sat next to me and gave me the slow blinks. Must have worked as I've gotten the pricier tinned stuff for her as it was on sale. A few normal boxes as well so we'll just alternate it in so she feels she is getting a treat now and then.

Fuddle I do not envy you the tights mending, it always seems to need doing again so quickly!

I've heard good things about the Change for Life materials--and they're all online for free--not sure why anyone respectable in the medical profession would recommend paying for a fad diet!