From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Cheery_Daff

Oh greying, that's annoying! Can you give it a wipe down with vinegar? I do that with some stuff in our house and it seems to keep the damp at bay, certainly for a while. Leather shoes are a particular issue here!

Greying_Pilgrim

I've used some mould/mildew bleach stuff, and taken advantage of the sunshine - first to dry off the tube (it honestly didn't feel damp), and then to treat/dry it.  I've just had a thought though, whether the dress making paper would fit into the 'wrapping paper' box that I have (ironically in the same cupboard), if the box is long enough, I may well ditch the cardboard tube and put the paper in the storage box.  I need to check if the mildew has ingressed first.  With you on the leather shoes - lost our fair share of them over the years ☹️

Naturally, what this is all pointing to is us having too much stuff.  Still.  🙄  I am beginning to wonder whether it is worth having hobbies/interests - call them what you will.  It's certainly causing me problems.  We live in a small house, and we have just moved in the contents that we had in 2 previous homes which - although very different, were bigger BUT were no better organised.  We're no better organised here, and are trying to make things fit or just putting stuff in piles, until we get a wardrobe/cupboard/wall bracket/shelves.  Sigh.  I can absolutely see why people - particularly downsizers - just buy completely new furniture that is right for their new home.  It makes perfect sense.  

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Urgh, I sympathise Greying. I remember reading once about how it was impossible it was to be both minimalist and 'productive', in terms of 'producing things' eg sewing, mending, baking, preserving, DIY etc - all those things require STUFF which requires SPACE 😬

(And I confess I have what would be described as plenty of space, and still have stuff all over the place and things falling out cupboards so I have no idea what the answer is 😬)

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Cheery - that perhaps is my biggest fear.  If I'm getting thwarted with (eg) crafting because I feel i don't have the time/space, and then stocks get mouldy, or cause issues with storage and I send a load of mouldy (eg) fabric to the tip, what then?  Do I spend the rest of my days sitting on the couch watching soap operas?  I'm in danger of doing nothing creative, and although my efforts aren't always useable/identifiable, I think there is something to having creativity in your life - whatever you try at; pottery, painting, knitting, crochet, quilting etc etc.  We're getting to the same stage with LG's toys/possessions, they are beginning to take over every space (and LG really doesn't have 'all' the things ☹️).  I haven't a minimalist bone in my body, but I could do better at streamlining and organising.  I always have big plans and buy the resources (even if it's fabric from charity shops, picked up for little), but seem to fail in executing these plans and making 'all the things'.  Time for a reality check and a bit more swedish death cleaning, for sure.

Dreich weather with us, and I am currently the only one up and about.  

There weren't any great plans for 'out and aboutness' today anyway, which is just as well.  Yesterday's washing did well.  The towels dried and have been put away.  The work clothes were put on the airer overnight, and now need folding and putting away.  

Tea last night was successful and clean plates were sent back into the kitchen 😁 I have got a bit better at using the SC, and it's the 3rd or 4th time I've attempted this qu0rn fricasse type meal.  I've got better at the liquid content (less than I originally started out with), and better at adding things at the right time so that they are cooked etc.  I cooked the pasta separately (haven't mastered adding pasta at the right time yet!), and combined.  I steamed some green beans in the microwave to accompany.  I had a fakey cornettoey for pud, everyone else had yoghurt, on account of ice-creams had been purchased from the Mr Wh1ppy van earlier in the day.  £4 per pop 😱  BUT we know that ice-creams are outrageous prices now, and money had been provided to cover the cost of a treat.  I always remember a childhood incident where a sibling was going to an event for the first time, and they were given money to cover costs, with a list of 'conditions' and dire warnings to bring home change, etc etc.  Not much money was brought home, and it was as if the world had ended ☹️ totally sucked the joy out of that experience, and no future expeditions were attempted ☹️  For sure there is much we can't actually afford to do, somethings haven't changed from my parent's time in raising us; but I refuse to count every penny, all the time, at the expense of doing things/experiencing stuff - I just prefer to try to plan, so that you might take a picnic lunch, but can afford an ice-cream.  Park out of area, but buy a cuppa and a slice of cake at the venue etc.  

Right, I'm away to find a second cup of coffee and see if the troops are going to shift themselves and see what they might want to do today.

Ta for popping by.  Greying X

Cheery_Daff

I've been trying to tackle my stash over the last year or so. I've carried some bits of fabric round for 15 years, hoping to do something useful with them, but in reality at this point they're just stifling my creativity and stopping me from buying anything new. I've started being a bit more ruthless now, not keeping everything, using some bits of ripped old sheet for eg painting cloths rather than hanging onto them.  And I'm getting rid of some of my stash by actually MAKING things 😂😂 It's surprising how many half finished projects were littering the house, so I am counting crafting time as decluttering 😂😂 

But yes, it's a bit of a tricky balance sometimes!

greenbee

I’ve got a big house GP, and there are still storage issues due to poor design/flow of the house and in particular the kitchen/utility where there is masses of SPACE and no logical storage. Which results in me not putting stuff away and things getting cluttered. So improving storage is all part of the renovation plan (mostly I’ve ripped out ugly over-large fitted wardrobes and reorganised shed/garage/workshop storage so far. I realise I have the luxury of space and those outbuildings, but honestly, unless they have a purpose and are properly thought out they cause more problems than they solve!

Greying_Pilgrim

greenbee - I agree.  I don't want a bigger house really - well, not massively bigger.  Primarily for the reason I loathe housework.  But yes, better design, better storage, and better fitting furniture would all go to make this house a better space for us.  And we've made the mistake of trying to fit all that we had in slightly larger/differently configured space, in here ☹️Even if we had a "spare" bedroom, I know it would just be full of clutter.  It wouldn't be a designated craft room/office/homework space, or even guest bedroom.  It would be a dumping ground.  

I need to give myself a kick up the bum and stop holding onto things because I have spent cash buying them in the past.  I managed it with a large part of my yarn stash at the start of the year, which went off to charity, and is now, hopefully being used.

Greying X

beanielou

My smallest bedroom is a laundry room/ dumping ground. 

badmemory

Are you implying that the box room should be a room without a bed that you can actually walk to the window WITHOUT moving anything out of the way.  Major fail here.  Thankfully my loft is totally dry too so the enough wool to stock a shop is not going to get mouldy.  Along with at least 50 jigsaws & every Agatha Christie ever written.  Plus other "stuff" that has been up there for over 30 years since we moved in (from a house almost twice the size thankfully with fitted bedrooms.  I suspect what I really need is a skip.  I did start clearing about 3 years ago then the hip op got in the way & I have now completely stalled.  It is a good job I can laugh at myself!

Greying_Pilgrim

Yes, of course you should be able to walk into - and freely around - any bedroom badmemory 😉🤣  Major fail here too, in that we can't do that in the 2 bedrooms we do have 🫤never mind any 'spare 'ooms'.

I've tried to be good and we don't put anything in the loft.  For no other reason than our original house had a difficult to access loft = less likely to remove stuff, and more likely to leave it up there and forget about it.  I try (but regularly fail), to not have stuff that we rarely or never use.  I wish I was perfect about that - but clearly I am not.  We have a super family tent that has not been used since we bought it.  I'm not telling you how long ago.....

Anyway, I am trying to move forward - actually inch forward is probably a more apt description.  I have picked up the baby blanket i was knitting for charity and done 1 set of pattern repeat (8 rows).  I'm not far off finishing it - probably 1 or 2 more pattern repeats and the border.  I could finish it today (without blocking and sewing in ends), if I focus.  I want to move to start another more interesting project, but must complete this one first.  I want to get the remaining blankets (that I have made, and the one left to make), finished off, packaged up and sent to the charity.  It's a blockage that I can actually do something about, but is actually contributing to the overall 'blockage' of stuff dotted about too.  🤞chipping away at the small projects can help with the bigger picture.

Egg and cress sarnies and a bag of crisps munched for lunch.  

No idea what to do for tea, but the weather has changed (for the better), so I'm not too sure what to make now.

Greying X