Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

And in this new Post-Fluff Era, here is today's post. A nice hour yakking to my sister on Skype, baked a seedy loaf, then a pastry case for tonight's butterbean quiche. Mr F still on annual leave & as he was cracking on with finishing the inside of the new pantry.... eggshell paint & shelf-waxing today, I decided to get some garden jobs done. Planted up the two big tubs by the front door with narcissi bulbs, winter pansies & recycled ivy. Then did two smaller ones to go near our coffee bench on the back courtyard & a little one for outside the greenhouse. Also sowed sweetpeas, mizuna, perpetual spinach & parsley. Did a little bit more to my recipe project but stopped when electrician's quote arrived in my inbox as I needed to get in touch about a couple of jobs which had been ommitted.
Oh.... & I am trying a re-purposed shelf unit thingy in the bedroom. Hope I will like it & it will work as a little bit of a new look. It's was actually built as the top bit of a very small dresser so I've stood it on top of my boring dressing table to see if I can get inspired. I've put some of my Grandma's 1930s green glass dressing table set on it, but I think it could really do with some fairy lights. I'll see. 
Anyway. Enough of this yakking on. 
I shall turn into a yak. 
Peace, 
F x

Paspatur

Hi Foxgloves just delurking to say I am so glad you found the source of the black fluff. I have had the same problem for the last week or so but only on my sheets and pillow cases and duvet cover. Examined all pyjamas to no avail. Stripped bed and same problem. Seems to be my Frosty the Snowman hot water bottle cover shedding his black hat! Had it for years but will now swap it for another hot water bottle. I know it is only early October but despite hating being hot in bed and sleeping with the window open in cold NE Scotland I sometimes need the hot water bottle to warm my shoulders due to nerve damage. So glad you found the source and hopefully so have I

Baileys_Babe

Now you have found the source of the EBS I would wash the dress in an old pillowcase to catch the shedding fibres.

foxgloves

Paspatur - Always nice to see people de-lurking. Do feel welcome to de-lurk some more. It sounds like you've solved your annoying fluff mystery too. Defo time for a new hot water bottle cover! I looked at online reviews for my purple dress last night & several people had experienced the black fluff problem. It's a shame as they are fab dresses..... in fact I am intending to buy another one in a different colour, but I now know to launder them separately from the rest of our stuff.
F x

foxgloves

Thanks for that idea, BaileysBabe. I could certainly do that if washing it with other garments. 
F x

Baileys_Babe

foxgloves said:

Thanks for that idea, BaileysBabe. I could certainly do that if washing it with other garments. 
F x

It would save you doing a separate load for one item saving detergent/water/fuel/money.

maryb

Another one here who kept checking back for the denouement to the Mystery of the Evil Black Fluff (sounds like the title to a Penny Dreadful, doesn't it?!!)

Speaking of washing in a bag to catch the fluff - I bought a Guppyfriend bag to catch plastic microfibres.  I'm better at not spending that I used to be but environmental guilt still prises open the purse.  I've used it consistently and have yet to see any lint at all.  Maybe I wear my clothes for so long they no longer shed - or maybe the problem isn't quite as bad as they suggested.  Unless it's wool and alpaca of course!

foxgloves

maryb - That's interesting about not being able to see any microfibres on your new fibre catching gizmo. As various forms of plastic are in so many artificial fibres, it is surprising not to find any.....or is it? I wonder if most of these loose fibres shed off in their first few 'goes' through the laundry process - I don't know. I have spent a fair amount on 'green' products in the past, but have come around to thinking that the greenest option is often just to consume less generally. It can be tempting though, when you really would like to be making whatever small positive actions possible for the sake of the state of the planet.
F

foxgloves

Evening Friends,
Oh I am so tired, I've actually just been wondering if I am starting to go down with a little bit of a cold, but I've come to the conclusion I'm just knackered & have also unhelpfully rubbed mascara into my eyes. A productive day today. First, there was movement on the Home Improvements front, as the electrician is booked in for Monday & we also received a quote from our builders for the additional remedial work required on our damp wall, which we've accepted. I did 3 loads of laundry, all pegged out in the blowy autumn sunshine & doubtless they would all have got a whole deal drier had I not forgotten to take the first load out of the washer & get the next load on in good time. I blame the apples. 
"Oh, if she's not rambling incoherently about black fluff, she's blaming things on fruit....." 
Let me explain. I'd gone down to the greenhouse to harvest the rest of the peppers (10 shiny red lovelies) & the last teeny tiny scallop squash & to compost the old courgette plants, when Mr F appeared, togged up for action, started ferreting around in the shed for the apple picking pole & asked me if I fancied getting the apple harvest in. As I am very much the short *rse in the relationship, I wasn't going to turn down that offer. So with him up the ladder with the apple picker & me on the ground emptying it out at regular intervals, pretty soon we'd filled a whole garden trug (one of those big plastic bucket-types) & I had to run back indoors for 2 colanders & a basket, which we also filled. We've already had quite a lot of windfalls off the tree, so have been blessed with a very generous crop. So after lunch, it was apple sorting time. As always, I have individually wrapped the best ones for storage - one crate & one basket. I stewed up the most damaged ones which didn't look as thought they'd keep - this has made a big bowl of apple compote for the fridge which we can eat this week, as well as 3 containers for the freezer. The medium quality apples (a colander & a basket) are all waiting for use over the next 2 or 3 weeks. Finally, I decided to start a new seasonal tradition - to bake an apple cake every year on apple-picking day to celebrate our harvest, so I baked Norwegian apple cake  - a very simple cake I've been making since my teens - & it did feel like a bit of a seasonal occasion, which was nice. And the carb boost meant I found a last bit of energy to sort out next week's meal plans.
Tomorrow I MUST try to start getting the kitchen back to normal so that will be my key task. I must also remind Mr F to clean the rhubarb off the ceiling before the electrician arrives next week.
Knitting time now if I can summon the energy.
Take care all,
F x

Blackcats

Phew, evil black fluff mystery is solved!  I absolutely recognised the flawed financial reasoning you used in your pre LBM days (described in your story of the 3 tops to buy with your 1 voucher! )  I was equally able to reason with myself along those lines - I've got a voucher for £10 and this item I want to buy is now reduced to £30 so I've actually saved £20 in the sale and with my £10 voucher that means it's really cost me nothing at all, so I've still got £30 to spend 🥴.  Also I bought things that I didn't even like much, particularly from the N*xt Directory.  I loved that catalogue - I came up with my version of a budget strategy - spend £100 each month, pay off approx £100 (in other words usually less than £100) and then spend £100 again - whether I needed anything or not.  I ordered clothes that when they were delivered I wasn't keen on but was too lazy to send them back (shocking!).  At one point I had a £800 balance  but that  still didn't stop me from spending because lucky me, I had a £2000 credit limit to aim for 🤣.  I treated credit cards in the same way - my credit limit was a target to reach rather than a limit to keep a long way below.  

I'm still a work in progress but improving and always inspired by your diary.