Preparedness - the continuation thread

FairyPrincessk

GQ has some brilliant posts where she talks about storage solutions in her flat in the old thread, but I can't for the life of me find them. I know underbed was one of her main options which won't suit, but she also had several others, including covering water storage and using it as a table. You might also consider under the sofa, on top of wardrobes etc.

That said, you may not need as much space as you think. I manage to store all of mine in the kitchen, albeit with an extra shelf and baskets to keep things tidy and help with stock rotation. Before I met my OH and I lived on my own in a flat I actually just stored all flour in my freezer. It wouldn't work for most and isn't the most efficient use of freezer space if you want to use it to store things that actually need to be preserved, but I had more than I needed so it suited me fine.

Ivyleaf: As for defrosted butter, I think you (or someone else) has mentioned this before. The only butter I buy is the block kind and I don't have problems spreading it after it has defrosted at all. In fact, I find the defrosted kind so indistinguishable that the only way I can tell which has been frozen and which has been opened straight from the shop is looking at the date. However, we don't use it fast enough or regularly enough to keep it out in a dish at room temperature all the time and my OH gets fed up with spreading it straight out of the fridge. He has developed a technique where he just microwaves a bit when he is using it on toast, perhaps this would help?

ivyleaf

Now that's an idea FPk! Thank you

Doveling

[QUOTE=maryb;70954710.__They_used_to_say_during_the_Blitz,_apparently,_that_the_best_thing_for_those_bombed_out_(or_even_dug_out)__was_"tea_and_telling_about_it".__[/QUOTE]

"Kitchen sink counselling".

The thing GQ did about water is in the lists right at the beginning of this thread HTH x

FairyPrincessk

:rotfl: I didn't even check the lists, I just spent ages searching for things like 'bed' and 'water' and 'storage' on the old thread. Forest, trees and all that!

Ivyleaf, OH will be so pleased someone likes his solution. I'm far too stubborn to adopt it.:D

maryb

How long do you microwave for? I always end up melting it or making b'all difference

mrs-moneypenny

Doveling I'm applying for a classroom assistant course. I've world for years as a lunchtime supervisor and done various stuff in school. Recently I've been covering someone's maternity leave for a year as one to one support for a special educational needs child. Sadly the maternity leave is coming to an end and the child is now moving to another school anyway so that's come to an end. I have the experience and can do the job on a casual basis but the school have suggested I get a qualification as they can't offer me a permanent job with a contract without the bit of paper.
I was surprised how expensive it is especially as I'll have to spend 12/15 hours a week working voluntarily in the school as part of the course. My exam results I got are all ok but just old so they've suggeste I take maths and English at GCSEs as well. The guy laughed and said I visibly paled when he said that. Need to want for the next interview now to confirm I have a place.

GreyQueen

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

Oh, now I like the sound of calendula. Something I could easily grow in a pot. I seem to remember we discussed this once before and calendula and french marigolds are often mistaken for each other. I think it is french marigolds that are good for garden pests, I believe GQ knows.

Someone mention my name?

Hi there. All marigolds are good for attracting beneficial insects to feed and the roots also exude compounds which are unpopular with soil-dwelling pests. I have calendula aka the English marigold (the ones with the daisy-type flowers) on my allotment. They've self-seeded all over the place and I just remove the inconvenient ones. I like them for the splash of vibrant colour and bee fodder. Mum's had a pressie of French marigold plants which was her choice but I'm hoping to cadge some seeds later in the season.

All the marigolds are ridiculously easy to grow, too.

Re water, I have it stashed in multiple places, mostly in 2 litre bottles, and 2 x 25 litre and 1 x 10 litre camping containers. I also have a newspaper delivery type trolley (£5 at bootsale) which has a plyboard footplate wired on it. I keep the spud sack on it, in the season, but it could be used if I had to toddle off to a stand-tap with a water carrier.

We have a burst water main outside the flats about every 18-24 months and there are several occasions each month where somethng ruptures and parts of this city go off-supply without warning. It will mostly be several hours before the water company gets the supply back on again.

So, I try to make sure I leave water in the teakettle overnight and have caught up with the dishwashing before bed-time. If I'd wake and find the supply off, I'd be able to get my cuppa, have a lick and a promise wash and get out the door in good order.

I keep water up a dead-end corner by the washing machine, behind a cupboard and have a row of water bottles standing in a line by the skirting board behind the sofa. Two litre water bottles are pretty easy to tweak into small spaces and there are also the demi-john type water bottles in the supermarkets, the ones with their own carry-handles, which are very handy indeed. HTH.

boultdj

A heads up to those wanting to grow garlic, you get better crop planting in autum, something to do making the bulb split to give you indvdual cloves.hth

milasavesmoney

Thanks, I did not know what my garlic was not making cloves.

Doveling

Mrs MP - [QUOTE classroom assistant course[/QUOTE]

I did SLT Level3 Diploma when I was 52.:) Is that the one?

Don't worry if it is, it's all mainly common sense and buzz words.
Schools in our area are not allowed to employ anyone with less than a Level 3

I left when my one to one child left for secondary school. I was so proud of him.
The right time for my corrective surgery.

If I was doing it again I would probably do the course which also encompasses other things. I think it's called "Children & Young people's Workforce Diploma" Leaves more options open.

I was lucky, I did mine when college courses were still subsidised. The year after it was over £2000.00 :eek:

Previous to that I was an RMN- not a lot of difference :rotfl:

Now I'm working for a charity which is involved with the under fives - I fit in well :rotfl:

Wishing you luck getting a place x (Though sure you don't need it!)

Gaining qualifications and acquiring transferable skills is a good way of prepping for fluctuating job markets no matter what your age.