Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

Hard_Up_Hester

Yesterday I minimised a kitchen cupboard, I am now looking for new homes for some recipe books, a dozen wine glasses, 2 Lakeland poach pods and a biscuit maker. The books are on my blog, I'm happy to post them if anyone is interested.
I'll take them to the CS in no one wants them. I've also got rid of my old cheap plastic kitchen scales as I got a new (to me) set last week.
I will tidy the rest of my kitchen cupboards this week but there isn't much else I can get rid off.
I will be minimising my sewing and yarn stash as I have a few projects on the go at the moment.

misstara

Morning MMMers and welcome shortypie

I made birthday cards for OH and SIL last night, I'll post SIL's when I go out later. It's OH's birthday today and when I went to wrap his presents last night I discovered that I had used up the last of the 'male' wrapping paper and forgotten to buy more so have made do with some 'female' paper and the end of a christmas one - he won't mind (hopefully). I bought some duck breasts when I was at the supermarket over the weekend so I'll make him a nice tea later.

We had steak pie for tea last night, some leftovers which OH will have tomorrow night while I'm at work and I'm going to use the leftover pastry to make cheese and onion pasties for lunch today. While the oven is on, I think I'll make some more bread and some flapjack.

HOWMUCH

Good afternoon MMMer's and welcome shortypie, you seem to know where you are going wrong with over spending and lack of organisation. If you're not a morning person and know you are going out, make sarnies the night before and keep in the fridge and do bottled juice for the kids. We keep a bag packed with wet wipes, kitchen which doubles up as napkins a couple of plastic tumblers, plastics knives and folks and plastic plates. It's always in the car so if we are out longer than expected we will share a portion of fish and chips or something. It's much cheaper than McD's are more filling, or we'll pop into a supermarket and buy something. Have a think or do some googling what is in your area that's free or cheap to do with the kids. We've got some free or small charge country parks around here and free museums. DGS loves going for walks and jumping in puddles, it's then back home or back to the car for either a car picnic or snack.
You'll find out what suits your gang

[Deleted User]

Minimised some cardboard boxes ,was going to take them to the tip,but DGS Mikey said could he have them, and he is now happily making a robot out of them,Free fun and keeping him happy and off the computer game console for a bit :):)

nursemaggie

Pity none of you with kids lives near me we still have tons of boxes from the move.

I think I will get SD to put some out now they come for the recycle bins tomorrow.

tboo

DawnW wrote: »

used some of the drained sloes to make HM liquer chocolates to share with OH, my sole concession to Valentines day :rotfl: I simply stoned and cut up a few of the sloes, put them in my heart shaped silicone mould / ice cube tray and poured melted Lidls plain chocolate over them. Then left them to set They are very nice, though rich, so you only want to eat a couple (and they are small) at a time!

Well a missed opportunity there, I threw mine away - couldn't think what to use them for even though I have a recipe saved - doh
Will know for this years batch

iamsalt

Phew, long day today, but managed to not spend while I was at work or on the way hom as the train was on time.

I had texted oh and asked him to prep the bits for supper before I got home, I was then able to cook a spaghetti carbonara, using store and fridge ingredients but replacing the cream with yogurt cos that's what I had.
Minimising some of my fabric bits to make oh a neck warmer thingamy (technical term) ready for his walking trip to snowdonia this weekend. The fleece itself was a large scrap from costumes I had made in the past, the elastic was from my sewing box.

Welcome to shortypie, as others say, just take a step at a time. Don't compare yourself to others we all have different skills and styles of doing things, and it's important to try to see what works for you. When I think I have a busy week ahead, I write a what I am doing, when and where list, and add to it what I need to remember to do or get ready. It then becomes my help for the week, so I don't have to worry or think everyday. Meal planning works for lots of people, but I struggle with it, and tend to have my quick stand by meals for those crazy days - omlettes, cheese on toast etc

S x

Lynplatinum

Evening all

Welcome Shortypie - I well remember the days of working full time and having to get back out of the door on time - with kids! nightmare! If you dont have much food storage then I would suggest that you look at Jamie O!iver for inspiration with his 15 min meals. Yes, they are ingredient overload and not the cheapest but if you replace stuff with what you have got in they work well - pasta dishes and frittatas are v quick and can be cooked from fresh. Thats what I used to do. Also if going out - slow cookers and jacket potatoes are your best friends - if you dont have a slow cooker most stew type things will cook in 3 hours at GM 3 rather than 1 hour at GM6.


Well folks I survived the baby shower and managed to be polite and not shout out 'Why are you all giving in to this commercially pressurised Americanism? And furthermore why is everything flippin pink????????????? Gender stereo typing or what?????? Vie la revolut!on! Woman died to give you these freedoms!!!' :eek: :mad: I was v polite! Gave a 'best dress' of velvet (ish) turquoise - feminine but not Pink!!. Turns out that it was not DILs idea but that she had been pressurised into it my an unmarried/partnered friend who has no kids!! As she whispered to me - she does not need anymore baby clothes - especially pink but did need a couple of the more sensible presents - such as reusable nappies and liners etc. So it was of some use + I met her mum who seems quite nice. So thats good And it was not as bad as I had thought it would be - her closer friends and my sons were good fun as usual :rotfl:
Today Monday: Filling in horrid conveyancing forms
Make do: Eating from stores + HM crumble from other day
Mend: does putting in a light bulb (finally - its fiddly one where you need to stand on the arm of the sofa and use a screwdriver!!) count???
Minimise: Food stash + paperwork pile + washing pile as it was a wonderful sunny - if cold day here.
Ta for all candle tips am gonna try that overnight tonight!
Nite all

nursemaggie

No Lynplatinum standing on the arm of the sofa does not count you might of been mending something else in hospital and certainly not moving house. :eek:

You only need to mend things when they are broken not break something else while you do it. Get a step ladder next time or get someone else to do it. :rotfl:

My ex was studying one night. I was out at a committee meeting, used to bee on a lot of charity committees when I was younger (I could have been at the pub by the time he did this.)

He had all his books spread out on the table with the leaf pulled out. The light bulb went. He got a new one out, stood on his chair then stood on the leaf of the table, and was immediately stood on the leaf on the floor. He hurt one leg but he got no sympathy from me for doing anything so stupid as to not know a 14 stone man cant stand on a little bit of wood. I'd have loved to have been there and seen it. :rotfl::rotfl:

[Deleted User]

nusemaggie :):):) young Mikey tried to put his 7st.8lbs on the lid of a left over roses tin this afternoon and discovered that it won't take any weight at all so that had to go into the recycling bag.But we fashioned a pretty good robot from the big brown cardboard box and cut a smaller one in half and will be making a square space helmet with it tomorrow (ran out of sticky tape .The whole afternoon he wasn't bothered about his games console once ,far too busy creating something out of old cardboard and felt tips :):)

Lynplatinum I know you are a real ale lady and looking on the website for the cottage I shall be in for my spring break in April its bang next door to a r/ale pub so I suppose as the landlord is also the owner of the cottage it behoves my friend and I to try some be rude not to really :):)Apparently just a short walk from Leek town centre its called the Abbey Arms Looks pretty good on the website as well so fingers crossed for some warmer weather.I shall take my comfy trainers with me so we can try some of the walks around there.:)