Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

Shortypie

Made do today with some of the dregs of freezer food for kids tea (nuggets, fish fingers and chips) which made room for the shop I did this evening. I had bran flakes for dinner

No mending or minimising (other than all the last bits of stuff that needed clearing out of the fridge and gave it a bit of a clean.) Popped into work for hour and a half to make up some lost time, then met a friend for lunch, and had a good old chat. Going to BIL this Sunday, they are doing a birthday lunch for MIL so no cooking/using up food for me (well, apart from snacks for the kids as they don't like their fancy food :rotfl: )

I have half a bag of carrots from my last shop, but have bought more tonight. Also have 3/4 tin coconut milk that I used to eke out a shop bought curry sauce last night. Have found a recipe for carrot, coconut and ginger soup (have some frozen ginger) so making that for lunch tomorrow, instead of throwing out the older carrots and the coconut milk, as I would usually do. Only problem being lack of freezer space to stash it

nicki_2

Lynplatinum wrote: »

nicki - I would defo get rid of the ghost of your ex - you need to move on. most of my lampshades come from CS - I have 'customised' them using beads and bits of material and curtains too - which I have dyed and customised! Its v creative and more interesting than buying off the shelf

Its more than just the ghost of ex as he visits nearly every weekend to see DD :rotfl: She's nearly 15 now so not long until other things become more important than spending a few hours with her dad on a Saturday although parents evenings at school will still be a joint affair until she's 18. The majority of stuff in our house is hand-me-downs or are "make do for now" stuff bought when we moved in except for 2 pairs of curtains, my bed, DD's desk (which used to have a matching wardrobe but that got wrecked and chucked), the desk with 6 matching bookcases in the livingroom which I bought 2 summers ago and large appliances. Ex didn't care what the place looked like decor wise except knowing what he didn't like so I'd have a vision but would then have to compromise on it as ex didn't like something about it. Now when I look around its all mismatched, cluttered and very tired looking whereas in this season of my life I like co-ordinated, clear spaces (but not sterile!) which look like they're cared for. So I've been naughty when I bought the furniture and got an Ar90s store card. However I always spend over £100 (and I have a wish list so I can add items when I need something to bump the total up) so I can spread the cost over 6 months and then clear it before I buy anything else. I've not had to use my credit card to purchase anything since doing this so that's good. I'm happy to compromise on the decor with things that can only be bought there and then discount stores as it'll still be my choice, my taste and I know that I can afford to do it this way for the time being.


Today my plans are to minimise the visible clutter by putting everything away where it should be. I'm feeling smothered stuff everywhere constantly and there's a pile of ironing on the side which has been there for 2 weeks! Make do will be me having ready meals for lunch and tea today. When DD is away I tend to forget to eat proper meals and end up living on toast or cheese or crisps so I've started buying readymeals instead so at least I'm eating something slightly better. Mending will be my sanity! I'm off out with a friend this afternoon to the cinema for some much needed adult-who-isn't-a-customer-or-shop-assistant company :rotfl:Busy opposite schedules mean we haven't seen each other since December! Then I plan on coming home sitting down with a mug or 5 of hot chocolate and reading my Konmarie books or decluttering more films on the dvr.

iamsalt

Morning.
Hello, hugs and congratulations as appropriate.

Everything has been busy here, but we are off on holiday next week so this is a weekend of making do by using up things in the freezer and fridge. In getting my clothes out for packing, I noticed that I have just 1 pretty "going out top" so I will try to minimise some of my fabric stash to make something suitable. Mending will be me getting rid of the cold that oh has kindly shared with me - I was poorly last time we went away and I would rather not be again, and also fixing the greenhouse door. The door was caught in the wind earlier this year, so a new to me pane of glass from my mums greenhouse (it's being relocated and dismantled so I can take the glass temporarily) in order to get my seedlings and plants protected rather than going to town to get a new pane.

Also minimising the mortgage, I have managed to save up enough to make the first over payment on the mortgage. Why do they insist on a minimum amount of £500? It seems like a big amount to get to when it's odd bits and pieces I have managed to put to one side. On the plus side I did get 16p interest from saving up the £500!

[Deleted User]

Make do I am making a large pot of carrot and coriander soup for the coming week as I have a glut of carrots in the fridge
Mend I have a bit of hand sewing repairs to do on some of my DGS clothes (DD just hates sewing even more than I do ):):):)
Minimise: Still trying to minimise my freezer so I can defrost and put the new drawers in that I bought last month !!!
Have a very small shop to do shortly as I have to get back as eldest Dd is coming for a bit of TLC as she's not feeling very well :):) lots of coffee and there there's :):)

JackieO xx

angela110660

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Evening

Are all hospitals the same? DS1 + GF + baby were told that they were getting out of hospital at 6pm. The final obs were done on babe promptly at 7.40 pm (irony here) - then the pediatrician came round at 9pm (OK perhaps he was dealing with other more urgent patients) So then they txt me - I drive over. Get there at 10pm. And wait - and wait - Son asks why - waiting for paperwork! at 11pm told that they were waiting for meds - son went to office to find out why - nurses were chatting about EastEnders and had not yet taken script down to be filled - although it had been signed by doc at 9pm! Son insisted that he accompany one of the nurses down to the dispensary - now! As his lift (ie me) had been waiting for an hour. 11.38 pm they finally get out!! It seems that they were just hanging around and did not care about the patient's welfare (in that they wanted to get out and in so doing would free a bed space).

Now, I am v grateful for NHS. Think nurses on the whole are some of the most fabulously dedicated and hard working people in the world. I believe that a socially supportive workplace makes for better co - ordination and team work within the workplace. (Ergo some chat time non work related is good) But this seems a real silly series of delays. Anyone else have the same experience? Or can explain it to me?

Yes Lyn. Mum (in her early 80s) recently had hospital admission for tests and was in for a week. Was told she could go home at lunchtime but as my sister and I were both at work she said would they phone one of us and let us know. No phone calls and we arrive at visiting time 4ish to find mum sat on the bed, dressed to shoes and bag packed! Time waned on and evening meals were brought round. Mum had luckily eaten at lunchtime so was just expecting a sandwich so she had that. 6pm, came and went. Then the doctor came to say she could go only she couldn't as her meds had not been dispensed yet. I spoke to the staff and they said they would chase it again but the dispensary was busy - mum had to be given a couple of anti biotics to finsih her course taken in hospital and some ant acids. The nurse then said that if mum was getting too tired to wait she could stay another night! Imagine if I had gone and told her that - I didn't.
Meds arrived at 7.30 so then we asked if we could have a wheelchair for her to get to the entrance as we then had to walk to the car park. Answer - if we didnt mind waiting for a porter which might take up to another half hour! We supported mum out via the lifts ourselves and got her slowly back to thecar.
What is most annoying is that they could have let her stay the extra night and we could have picked her up in daylight the next day when she was brighter and more energetic. Such a shame as we could not fault her care otherwise. Seems to be too many people not communicating though so the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
Congrats on the new grandchild. My first one soon on the horizon and we are getting very excited!

savingpennies

Good morning everyone. Two gardening catalogues had just come through the door and my crocuses are flowering, so I am taking that as definite evidence that spring has sprung:T
MrsMoneypenny - what a beautiful quilt.
Shortypie - I find this thread very motivating. I feel like I have to check in and report, and it helps discipline me to get on with stuff.
Make do: Tonight it's veg curry to use up all the odd bits of veg in the fridge. I'll need to go out and get some naan breads but don't need anything else.
Minimise: a) I've been swimming twice this week so hopefully burned some calories and minimised some of my waistline. I weighed myself whilst there and I'm too ashamed to tell you the results:eek: 6 years ago I lost three and a half stone and now find I've put a lot of it back on. So some serious minimising needed again.
b) I'm going through all our toiletries. I seem to have stacks of some stuff. I'm putting it all in separate boxes so that I can see what we have and do not need to buy and what we are short of.
No mending to do.

Nonnadiluca

Lyn, I had a similar situation with my mum last year. After two weeks in hospital a bed was available in the local hospice but it was a Friday afternoon and she had to be there by 4.30 or wait until Monday. Transport was arranged but her meds weren't ready. I couldn't bear the thought of her staying in hospital longer than she needed to, so, in order to get her moved, I said I would go back to the hospital later to fetch the meds which involved 100 miles extra driving. It was well worth it though as it meant that her last ten days were peaceful, pain free and she had wonderful care.

When my youngest DGS was born, he arrived at 6.30pm, he and DD were home by 9pm, and it was a half hour drive! It was her third though and she's not a person who will be stopped when she's made her mind up!!
Enjoy your lovely granddaughter.

Bubblesmum

angela110660 wrote: »

[

Yes Lyn. Mum (in her early 80s) recently had hospital admission for tests and was in for a week. Was told she could go home at lunchtime but as my sister and I were both at work she said would they phone one of us and let us know. No phone calls and we arrive at visiting time 4ish to find mum sat on the bed, dressed to shoes and bag packed! Time waned on and evening meals were brought round. Mum had luckily eaten at lunchtime so was just expecting a sandwich so she had that. 6pm, came and went. Then the doctor came to say she could go only she couldn't as her meds had not been dispensed yet. I spoke to the staff and they said they would chase it again but the dispensary was busy - mum had to be given a couple of anti biotics to finsih her course taken in hospital and some ant acids. The nurse then said that if mum was getting too tired to wait she could stay another night! Imagine if I had gone and told her that - I didn't.
Meds arrived at 7.30 so then we asked if we could have a wheelchair for her to get to the entrance as we then had to walk to the car park. Answer - if we didnt mind waiting for a porter which might take up to another half hour! We supported mum out via the lifts ourselves and got her slowly back to thecar.
What is most annoying is that they could have let her stay the extra night and we could have picked her up in daylight the next day when she was brighter and more energetic. Such a shame as we could not fault her care otherwise. Seems to be too many people not communicating though so the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
Congrats on the new grandchild. My first one soon on the horizon and we are getting very excited!

I was very interested in reading this, as I had just read an article, in my professional magazine ( occupational therapy) about a co- ordinated discharge approach, to prevent elderly re - admittance from falls within 24hrs of discharge. The key element was discharge before 2pm, so the person has both energy and the ability to find their bearings in the light. They paid for a dedicated discharge nurse, which ofcourse saved money overall as re admittance dramatically fell. Sounds as if the ward you are in needs a dedicated discharge coordinator, who keeps the process flowing. Personally it makes me :mad: that someone somewhere is not doing this, we all know wards are short staffed and decisions are made with competing priorities (often the loudest voice but not often the most in need), and tiredness which makes us forget what we had planned to do 10 mins earlier - it just needs that dedicated lead...

mrs-moneypenny

Afternoon all, hope everyone is well

Your boys sound lovely shortypie

Lynne the memory quilt sounds a brilliant idea.

Welcomes, well dones, hugs and congratulations where required, I've read back but can't remember who said did or produced what.

Finally put a new zip in dads jeans and I've made two small Dorothy bags as props for the school play.

Read a bit more book last night I'm enjoying it but it's quite an upsetting subject - 9yo Will's dad has just been killed he was a soldier in Afghanistan, paternal grandparents have treated boy and his mum to a trip to Indonesia for Christmas to give them some time away together. Boxing Day and Will is having a ride on an elephant while his mum goes swimming in the sea, suddenly elephant takes fright and bolts off the beach and runs inland, the tsunami has struck. I'm about a third of the way in and Will fearing his mum lost and he's been wandering for days still on the elephant trusting that eventually he will find people to help him search for his mum if she is still ok. It's a Michael morpurgo called running wild.
Might not get much mmming done this weekend unless it involves minimising the pages of this book that need reading.
I'm slowly working through all the Michael morpurgo books from the children's shelves now they are grown and passing them on to the local school for their library.

Have a lovely weekend all

Bubblesmum

savingpennies wrote: »

Make do: Tonight it's veg curry to use up all the odd bits of veg in the fridge. I'll need to go out and get some naan breads but don't need anything else.

thought you might like this receipe for Naan - they are fab

250g self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 rounded tablespoons plain live yoghurt
115ml lukewarm water

To finish
40g unsalted butter
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the yoghurt and lukewarm water, a little at a time, working the ingredients together with your fingers. Bring the flakes of dough together, adding just enough water to make a soft, slightly sticky and rough, shaggy looking dough. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm spot for an hour to ferment (ss it's a yeast free dough it won't rise)

When ready to cook, throughly heat the grill and wire grill rack, using the highest setting. Flour your fingers and a work surface, then divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shake each into a neat ball, then flatten and stretch out each one to make an oval roughly 20 cm long. Cook the naans under a heated grill until they puff up and are speckled with brown spots about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes each side. Meanwhile gently melt the butter with the garlic and stir in the chopped coriander. As soon as the naans are cooked, remove them from the grill with kitchen tongs quickly brush with warmed butter mixture and serve immediately.