Do you have a secret trick?

CarolWHerts

This year I've had a clear out of all the bottles and tubes of sun lotion that I've accumulated in various handy locations as I'm sure many of them have been open far longer than the 12 or 18 month recommendation on the container. 

I've restocked using various special offers and written the purchase date on each one with a sharpie type pen. I'm not averse to a bit of stretching of manufacturers' 'best before' recommendations but also don't want to repeat my 60's childhood when a single bottle  was eked out over at least 5 years between us. It probably didn't work anyway, but luckily for our skin we were at Butlins, rather than Benidorm. 

London_1

Green_hopeful said:

Just been cleaning my paint brushes. I cut a fizzy drink bottle in half to use the bottom half to clean the brushes. The dimples in the bottom of the bottle seem to agitate the bristles and clean them much easier and you can rinse and recycle the bottle afterwards. 

If you wrap the clean bristles of the brush in cling film it keeps them soft and supple until the next time you need to use it. I have a bit of a thing about cleaning paint brushes I wonder how many get binned and new ones bought when a bit of white spirit and patience can renew your paint brushes (especially if white paint has been used )to last a long time I have brushes that I have had for at least 10 years if not longer.These things are too expensive just to bin, plus not good for breaking down in landfill. The bottom of a fizzy drinks bottle sounds brilliant well done.I've normally used an old clean jam jar. I have had my pasting brush since before my husband passed away and thats 20 years ago. Perhaps its because I was born in the 1940s and grew up having to make do and mend, and very little was thrown away back then  The availability wasn't as it is today so I tend to recycle almost everything if I can. My DGS reused some of an old shed thats been demolished at the bottom of my gardens shuttering for the vegetable patch.The planks were just the right size and he asked if I had a saw to trim them up and I said of course your granddad one is in the cubed under the stairs .When he got it out is was as almost new as when malate husband last used it in 2002 when he put it away he rubbed some oil onto the blade and returned it to its cover and hung it up.It had not been touched since then I'm past the age for sawing things But my OH ,like myself was brought up to take care of what you had as it was unlikely you could get another one. Definitely a different mindset back then 

JackieO xx

Valli

Caroby said:

Hanging washing out I don't use a peg bag. I peg a row of pegs onto my top across the middle and it leaves my hands free to handle the clothes, sheets and towels.

I make my own peg bags and sew a long strap on, they hang diagonally across my body so my hands are free.  

Valli

Wednesday2000 said:

CarolWHerts said:

I now use a strip of masking tape and a sharpie type pen to label and date all those bags and boxes of leftovers or surplus on their way into the freezer. Just pulls off afterwards. Admittedly you lose some element of surprise in your cooking (soup or stewed rhubarb?).

I was thinking other other day about whether you can buy labels for frozen food, but that is a good idea. I have tape and pens downstairs. I opened up something in foil from the freezer the other day and I genuinely couldn't think what it was!

i just write on the container with a sharpie.  Almost everytime the writing washes off.  Almost.

I also have a mini freezer in my shed so i write on the side of the container so i can see at a glance what’s in the stack.  And i keep a notebook of the shed freezer contents too.  Saves going out there in the cold/dark to check what i have.

Valli

note to self p 28

late to the party as per but…

if you’re putting 2p coins in flowers bear in mind that a while back the coins started to be made from steel not copper (might have been 1993) and it would be the copper coppers that you would need.

I trim bought cut herb stems and stick them in water to root before planting.  currently have a pot each of rosemary and basil growing from rooted cuttings.  

If i buy chillis or ginger for a recipe i prep the whole lot and freeze the leftovers.

i recently gathered together broken gold earrings and unworn jewellery - not a lot - and was very pleasantly surprised by what i was paid.  Not even an egg cup full!

I buy packet sugar-free jelly crystals and make my own jelly pots for lunches.

comeandgo

Now that the better weather is here I reduce the spin speed on my washing machine, clothes can go out on the line a bit wetter but they dry quickly and need no ironing.

Siebrie

CarolWHerts said:

This year I've had a clear out of all the bottles and tubes of sun lotion that I've accumulated in various handy locations as I'm sure many of them have been open far longer than the 12 or 18 month recommendation on the container. 

I've restocked using various special offers and written the purchase date on each one with a sharpie type pen. I'm not averse to a bit of stretching of manufacturers' 'best before' recommendations but also don't want to repeat my 60's childhood when a single bottle  was eked out over at least 5 years between us. It probably didn't work anyway, but luckily for our skin we were at Butlins, rather than Benidorm. 

The recommended amount of suncream is much more than you'd think; a quick g00gle will help. Going to the beach with 4 adults for a day should finish a new bottle of suncream.

Brie

@Green_hopeful
@London_1
what type of paint brushes are we talking about??  The only ones I normally use are water colour but I think you might be talking about house paint or oils or something.

@comeandgo
ironing??  what ironing??????

YoungBlueEyes

Yep people don’t put enough sun lotion on at a time, or frequently enough.

Katiehound

Valli said:

 

I buy packet sugar-free jelly crystals and make my own jelly pots for lunches.

Can't believe the price of those pre-made jelly pots. Crazy  (and oh so difficult to make!!! - clearly more money than sense used there)