Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2019

Artytarty

Hi, if you are sweeping your trousers by hand use a back stitch for extra Trent this.
It's basically just overlapping running stitches.
Machine sewn seam, even better!

[Deleted User]

Definitely MMM this month as I am still eating down the freezer to make some room for post Christmas supermarket bargains (hopefully ) used up 500 gms of beef mince today and made a couple of lasagnes also made two small bowls of trifle one for tonight and one for my eldest DD to take home with her as she is coming to dinner later(the extra lasagne is also for her to take home) I found a jar of green tomato chutney in the cupboard that my sis -in-law gave me before Christmas last year and its gorgeous She had a glut of green tomatoes so rather than waste she made a big pot I always get one as I save empty jam jars for her. I think its matured beautifully, it certainly tastes lovely. Welcome to all the newbies hope you enjoy the friendly chats on the forum

Cheers JackieO x

misstara

Hello to any new folk that have joined the thread :hello:

Sorry I haven't posted for ages and ages. Unfortunately I was really unwell and ended up having to get an operation about 7 weeks ago. I've been at my parents ever since recuperating and now feel much better although it will probably be a month or so more before I go back to work.

I head home on Friday and one of the things I need to do when I get back is do an audit of the fridge, freezer and cupboards. OH has been fending for himself since the start of August so who knows what I will find :rotfl: Once I've done that, we can make up a meal plan and shopping list.

My sister has given me a winter jacket that no longer fits her. The seam has come away slightly where the arm meets the body of the jacket so tonight's task is to mend that.

twopenny

Love this thread, think I'm a queen of make do and mend having grown up with grandparents who went through 2 wars. Should have called myself Secondhandrose.
Recently moved and the kitchen is 1980's grey, brown, pink & blue. Tried to brighten it by getting a cream worktop as the rest is in good nick but aparantly you can't as 'everyone has cream cupboards'.

Had a cream bin & cream walls, painted the wooden bread bin cream, painted the edge of the pinboard cream, the wooden thing that holds loose notebooks and it's taken on a whole new look.
Dug out some horrible old shelves and painted cream to hold some pretty hand painted blue and white storage jars and blue and white tile.
Had to buy new blinds but now have one in store for future use and dug out pretty colourful kitchen bits and pieces so it's not like being in the middle of a ice cream.
Now the grey/blue/pink are hardly noticeable. Cream looks good with the light oak and brass handles.

Bright, clean, warm and sunny, even up to date, for under £12.
Feeling chuffed right now...........not even going to think about when I have to paint the artex ceiling!

Don't think I need to

dND

Hi all.:hello:

I've been AWOL for far too long but life has been difficult this year for many reasons. However, I'm picking myself up and with luck, I should have time to contribute when the days shorten and the winter sets in.


House sales and prices have plummeted in France so I'm still stuck here waiting for my elusive buyer No income means that MMM is the only way to go but it's also part of my core belief so all's good there. :D

One of the things that I spotted during the year was a graphic for the 8 R's;

Refuse, Don't consume what you don't need to.

Reduce, Reduce consumption of energy and materials.

Re-use, Share with others, find new uses for old objects.

Repair, Fix or upgrade your objects rather than throwing them away.

Re-gift, Share and be part of the gift environment.

Recover, Energy and materials recovery, and upcycle.

Recycle, Close the loop and remake - the graphic is in the form of a circle.

and Rethink. Be mindful of your consumption, your relationship with 'things' and your relationship with the Earth.

I'd been using the 3 R's, Repair, Recycle, Re-use mantra for a while but I did like this spelling it out a bit more.

It's harvest time in France so I've been eating, then storing whatever has grown in the veg patch this year - mainly grapes and tomatoes although there was a good strawberry crop earlier on in the year.


My prep for when that long-awaited buyer turns up means that cupboards are still being gone through, as is the garage and barn and I have piles of things waiting to go to the charity shop or the tip, or have been sold or gifted. I still have far too much stuff but it's going out faster than it's coming in, so I call that a great success.:rotfl:

Make do: Meals are being based on the food from the garden and from the store cupboards.
Mend: Fixed the endplate back on the zinc guttering using araldite and the metal filler paste for cars (holding so far )
Minimize: I'm working in the garage so things like the many car sun shields that I swear have been breeding in the garage are finally on the charity pile.

So, I'm slowly getting back on track and will be starting on the winter prepping next week. The chimney sweep is booked for the beginning of November but I think that the wood burner will be lit before then so I need to do a bit of pre-cleaning there.

Sorry for the long rambling post but it's nice to feel like talking to people again.



Hi JackieO, did you have a good time on the Isle of Wight, it was nice to see your name come up on the thread this morning?


I hope you're fighting fit again soon Misstara.


I hope all's well with everyone and happy MMM-ing.:heartsmil

misstara

dND - love the 8 R's sorry to hear you've not had a buyer yet.

Didn't quite get round to mending the jacket last night but did it this afternoon.

Today's meals have been about using up bits and bobs that I don't want to take with me when I go home so crackers, cheese and tomatoes for lunch and omelette for tea to use up the rest of the cheese.

Must make a start on packing - stuff is scattered in various rooms and seems to have multiplied since I got here :rotfl:

silvasava

Afternoon All.

I finally tackled the mending pile. One nice Monsoon top and a nice dress bought in a CS altered to fit and DS2's jeans repaired
A console table bought on G*tree sanded and repainted by DH (He's made a lovely job) new knobs arrived today so that will be put in place over the weekend.
Minimised - rotten wood! A structure in the garden had rotted and fallen down with the high winds & now all sawn up and on the woodpile for winter.
Stocks of soft fruit from last year made into 10lbs of jam

Still need to sort out the RoD though:(

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Make Do: Lots of bits & pieces from fridge & freezer used to make a delicious soup - very tomatoey
Mend: Makeshift fix on fallen trellis - can now see the clematis flowers :T

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

So lovely that you are back dND :T. Sorry that life has been mistreating you but really happy that you are now back & ready to talk.

Appears my DSis got out just in time - she has been with us now for just over 16 months & no sign of ever moving out I haven’t killed her .......................... yet :rotfl:
Any particular reason prices have plummeted ? Or is it just one of those unexplained phenomena?

The 8 R’s looks really good - a lot to remember though Think I will stick with Repair, Recycle, Re-use + Re-gift.

A bit envious of the strawberries & grapes - they taste so much sweeter when they are home grown & so much cheaper :money: We grew tomatoes for the first time this year - so much tastier than anything from the sm. But as the weather has turned & the sun has vanished I will be picking all my green tomatoes & will attempt to make a chutney. Please wish me luck
I do miss the figs from the fig tree in France though
I am so pleased you are back and doing well on your decluttering :T More out than in, is a success in anyone’s book :T so I am awarding you a Gold Star ⭐️ (they are few & far between - see the Decluttering thread )

Keep on MMMing :T

dND

Thanks Mrs SD. The housing market, or lack of, has been hit by that dreaded B word. So no UK buyers and lots of people leaving because nobody knows what our status will be and even with the holiday homes, no-one wants to have to apply for a visa to visit their own home. Add to that the uncertainty of pension income........



It's a very depressed market flooded by people off-loading houses so depressing the prices further and some estate agents are cashing in by underpricing properties to take a quick sale and as you know, house prices in the UK are much higher than France so those of us who only have our French homes to sell to fund buying in the UK are up that proverbial creek :eek:


Not sure on the MMM-ing today. I'm looking around and there is just so much to do I can't decide where to start :rotfl:
But, start I will. I've learnt that even picking up and dealing with one thing helps me to get on with others :j
Deborah x