Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2017

maryb

My wooden spoons also need replacing as they have split along the stirring edge so like you Mrs L they are in the kindling basket. Although it's so mild today we haven't lit the fire nor have we put the heating on for more than the odd hour here or there. I'm sure that's the latest we've ever been able to hold off.

We are going to use the stove as much as possible rather than the heating because we have at least two years' worth of logs in the log store because the bad storm 18 months ago brought down one of our neighbours' big beech trees. It was so big they had to get a crane in to remove the trunk!!

It was quite expensive for them (it's a big old house split into flats) so they asked us if we would mind(!!) taking all the side branches as that would make the tree surgeon's bill a bit cheaper. They were delivered cut into lengths but they needed splitting - just as our hydraulic log splitter gave up the ghost. DH got plenty of exercise last year using the log grenade and a sledge hammer.

But now it looks as if Saddiq Khan is going to bring in restrictions on the use of woodburners in London. Ours is actually a multifuel stove - it's a Clearview - and it is supposed to be one of the most efficient you can get. But we still think it would be sensible to get through all our logs just in case we are restricted to using smokeless fuel in a couple of years.

Also our elderly next door neighbour died a few months ago and his bungalow has been sold for development. We can just see problems with a big house being built very close to the boundary and complaints about the woodsmoke - you can smell it when the fire is burning.

Hey Ho. It always made me feel comfortable knowing that if there were power cuts or Putin shut off the gas to Western Europe we would still be warm. Frankly if that happened I wouldn't worry too much about any restrictions but it would be a real shame if we can't use it on a regular basis without buying expensive smokeless fuel

maryb

Oops, I thought I was posting in the preparedness thread. Sorry if this seemed wildly off topic

RainbowHippie

Crazytree many thanks for the tip about the tomatoes - i'll give it a go!

Mrs. LW your chair renovations sound lovely! If it's not too much trouble i'd love to see a pic of them when finished

Maryb i found your post v interesting, now off to do some lurking on the preparedness thread! :rotfl:

xx

house_elf

Hi,

Mend : have mixed up a paste of flour, vinegar and salt to clean tarnish from the brass fender. Left it overnight to work.

Make do : only 3 of us for tea, so made do with pie from the freezer.

Minimise : used up peaches on the turn, to make compote, with cheap plumbs from Waitrose.

Too tired to tackle my list today. ☹️

misstara

Morning all, loving reading what everyone has been up to

Minimise - used up the last of the beef from the weekend's roast in stirfry last night. OH had used part of an egg for something he'd made so put the rest of it through the noodles. There's some yoghurt in the fridge that needs used up so I plan to make scones tonight.

OH tidied all the leaves from the garden ready for collection today. The recycling also gets collected today so I went round the flat last night gathering papers and envelopes to put in.

Mend - me hopefully! I've had toothache for a few weeks now and have root canal treatment booked for Friday :eek:

Best get myself organised for work, hope everyone has a good Wednesday.

maryb

Thanks RainbowHippie and do say hello on the prepping thread:wave:

I felt very embarrassed but I suppose in a way, it was about making do without turning on the heating and minimising our logs

carlislelass

RainbowHippie wrote: »

Welcome to all the new 'faces', lovely to see more people joining the thread and finding it useful! I love reading all about everyone's achievements and tips on here.

I've been catching up and realised i haven't posted for over a month, oops! Have been doing quite well on the MMM front, just been super busy and time really does fly at the moment!

We have two house guests at the moment, one long-term ish, and one probably for the next month or so. It's lovely having friends around and being able to help out, but also means a bit of adjustment in terms of how we live! Our most recent addition has meant i am 'making do' with working in the conservatory rather than my usual office (which also doubles as a spare bedroom). We've also moved around a lot of furniture and got rid of a large desk (keeping the smaller and nicer one i actually use) and shifted a hand-me-down futon to make space for a table in the conservatory. Futon will shortly be handed on down once again to some local friends. The drop-leaf table i'm currently working at is a lovely dark wooden one i got for £40 from a charity shop when OH and i first moved in together about 5 years ago, and since then it has been a dining table, workbench, sewing table and now desk in various different houses so we have definitely had our money's worth!

Someone mentioned hanging on to old hiking boots - i have to add that i have had the same pair of walking boots since i was in my early teens (am now 32) when they were passed on to me by a family friend whose teenage son had outgrown them. They are faded and in no way fashionable after all these years, but are the comfiest shoes i've owned, still waterproof and still very supportive. I actually bought a new pair a couple of years ago, as my old ones are really not the most attractive, but the new ones were so uncomfortable i ended up selling them on and sticking to my ugly comfy boots!

Mending - a bikini top whose thin straps have never felt entirely adequate by adding thick halter straps made of fabric from the too-tight sleeves of a too-short dress i had in similar fabric. I liked the fit of the dress once the sleeves were gone, so turned under the arm holes and added some extra fabric (left over from a previous project) to the bottom for extra length. Very happy with the results and wore it out over the weekend. Have also mended a few holes that had appeared along seams of various items of clothing. I have noticed this happening much more frequently recently - i think all our clothes are reaching 'that age'! I am still stubbornly buying no clothes this year and honestly can't remember the last time i was tempted. I am having fun re-making various items and getting my new-clothes fix that way without spending a penny.

Does anyone else have tomatoes that have fruited but are still green? Mine seem to have produced a fair few fruit but none have changed colour. They are outside so i thought they were just taking their time, but now a bit worried that the season is coming to an end and perhaps i should just pick them and do something with them green in case they go over. It's the first time i've grown tomatoes and i know there are many experienced growers on here so any advice much appreciated!!

Hope you all have a great week xx

I put our green tomatoes in a drawer, ended up with lovely red ones

Slowdown

Hi
Been awol for a few days to our caravan on the south Devon coast. Absolutely smashing though I have come back a good few pounds heavier!
Walked 45 miles while I was there but the beer, crisps and massive Sunday pub lunch more than countered any beneficial effects. ( and I'm keeping quiet about the clotted cream and fudge. Sshhh!)

So back to mmm-ing tomorrow though while I was away I did sell an item on eBay. All be it a small one. So a bit of a minimise.

RainbowHippie I never bother with waiting for the green tomatoes to turn. I just love green tomato chutney too much.
:)

house_elf

Morning!

Make do:Had a bit of a crafting day yesterday.....trying to find ideas for my DT class which won't cost too much, as we don't have resources! Tried out an idea to make poppies, but probably too messy/ difficult for the group I have in mind. Also, tried out decorating wooden coasters using Xmas napkins. Looked good.

Mend: polished up the brass fender. Salt and vinegar paste has worked really well. Still a bit of tarnish, but not too noticeable. Now just need to find a solution for the cat!:mad:

Minimise : a few more bits into the CS bag.

Happy Thursday!:)

Slowdown

Hi,

Had a busy day. Baked a cake for BiL's birthday, HM pizzas for tea planned a weeks meals, hovered and cleaned. Thought I might have to mend the Hoover but it turned out to be the fuse.

Make do - with a tiny drizzle of honey on my porridge as I'd run out.

Mend - nowt today

Minimise - put on another eBay item which I hope will sell and sent another item to a happy customer.

See you soon.