Make Do, Mend & Minimise in 2025 (and 2024)

mrs_motivated

Well I’ve had a lovely chilled and relaxed weekend and feel so much better for it, hope you are all having a good weekend to.

make do
made some banana and caramel muffins with some very overripe bananas.  Mr M loves them ….im beginning to suspect he deliberately leaves a couple in the fruit bowl for this very purpose.

Mend
Nothing today.

Minimise
dd a spot os tidying the garden, took a fair few weeds from the borders and trimmed back a shrub, would have done the roses too but our garden waste collection doesn’t start until mid Feb, so there wasn’t room in the bin.

YorksLass

@plumduff55 and @Wraithlady - You're welcome.  I don't know why it took me so long to think of doing it this way!  It doesn't take any longer either but does minimise the frustration.  

Not much happening today but I have made a batch of chilli - usual issue of removing one block of frozen minced beef that doesn't take up a lot of room and replacing it with three boxes of cooked food that take up far more space.  Ah well, it's more h/m ready meals.  Have also defrosted a yogurt cake that will do for puddings with custard.

I deliberately didn't over-buy on food this Xmas and don't have a lot left now; 6 h/m mince pies, 3 h/m sausage rolls and 5 blobs of double cream (all frozen) plus a couple of small pieces of cheese in the fridge and 4 packets of crisps in the cupboard, all of which will be used up in due course.  I was hoping to buy a couple of jars of ys mincemeat but haven't seen any - pity, I haven't any left.

suzeesu2000

Make do - freezer meal of Spanish chicken with plain white rice.

Mend - currently making a “project bag” so I can stow whatever craft I am working on. Once it’s made I will be making pillow shams to match a patchwork comforter I’ve just finished.

Minimise - Using fabric from my stash. 

Have a great new week everyone.

plumduff55

My  three for yesterday

Make do - I made jelly with a packet that was 1 year out of date. It was fine and set well. Grandkids loved it - I did test it before they arrived  😋. 

Mend - well, I tried a mend but it did not work 😡. The roller catch on the door between the sitting room and kitchen had loosened and I kept catching my jumpers on it. I tightened the screws and hammered it a bit and it's perfectly flat BUT  the door won't close 😱. Now I'll have to buy a new fitting. 

Minimise - I used 2 tins of tomato soup from my preps cupboard for grandkids lunch. 

Teadrinker_4

No mending going on at the moment as I’m knitting sat by the wood burner instead of sitting at my sewing machine in a colder room.
Make do -  I boiled a gammon yesterday for sandwiches but had a few slices tonight with mashed potato, egg and a few veggies.
Minimise - decluttering my DD bedroom (moved out 5 years and still looks like she lives here). So 3 massive, and heavy, bags to the charity. Also sorted a bag of old towels for our local animal rescue. I have some from my late mother’s house (14 years ago)

-taff

gemmajenkins0208 said: There is actually a pouch of salsa in there too but I'm not as keen on that as I am the Soured cream stuff, so trying to find a use for it before admitting defeat and binning it.

Put it in the fajita wraps, you won't taste it so much and it's extra veg. I like my fajitas a bit sloppier so I put  a spoon of greek yoghurt on the base and spread it out, then the chicken or whatever with the tomatoes and onons.and cheese, then I'd just stick the salsa on top of all that and roll. I admit I lick the juice that comes out off the plate and I can because I'm an adult and it's my plate.

oops, I meant peppers and onions....

plumduff55

My three for yesterday 

Make do - I had leftovers from Sunday's lunch for my lunch yesterday. Two tiny mini sausage rolls and a spoon of beans not devoured by the grandkids. 

Mend - I had a massage yesterday and my neck and shoulders were mended 🤪. Does this count? I must say it was great knitting last night with no tightness.

Minimise - I decluttered my bags yesterday and 2 handbags are going. I bought them from Macy's New York nearly 20 years ago. They are lovely but I never use them especially since I retired. Life changes 

Moorviews

Make do - still on the freezer, store cupboard and fridge. It’s great seeing space appearing. Layering up my clothes and socks rather than buying heavier jumpers or thicker boots. We hardly have sufficient really cold weather here to warrant the spending. My thin thermal tops have been going for 10 years. 

Mend - Shampooed the sitting room carpet which has removed some small marks and freshened the whole thing up. Had the chimney swept, which is important maintenance. 

Minimise - some extremely out of date foodstuffs from the kitchen cupboard. I thought that I would use them up but didn’t get around to it. 

Working_Mum

Hello everyone,
I have lurked on this thread for years and tend to MMM each day but don't post. 

I am continuing to make my life simpler and removing unnecessary "stuff" from my life and surroundings. My children are no longer at home so I am having to undo a few hard wired habits around food hoarding and over catering!! I have also been clearing and sorting my kitchen since the start of the new year. I have been removing everything from each drawer (I don't have cupboards), cleaning the drawer and then only replacing what I actually need and use back into it

Make Do = I have been running down my freezer and fridge - I get palpitation's when I can see shelf space in my fridge so this is a big move for me. I've cleaned the fridge shelves as they've become clear! It means I've eaten out of my freezer for over a week. That's a win in my book!! I also found 2 boxes of very out of date (07/2021!!) D0rest gluten free muesli - I have made oat cookies with the contents - replacing "oats" in the recipe with the equivalent volume of the muesli - they've been quite delicious.

Mend = I've sewn the pockets back onto my dressing gown - they've never been fully attached for the 3 years I've had it so now I can pop my mobile phone in the pockets without it falling out :-)

Minimise = . I have Freecycled 3 blankets I no longer use. I have also sent to the charity shop an unused frying pan and saucepan. I have also used up various end of packets of ingredients into a hearty soup.

I've been re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear to keep me on track.

I have to say I love this thread and I am really grateful for all the comments - I take something positive from it almost every day.

((WM))

mandy47

Make do.
Made a 2 day stew. All ingredients from fridge, freezer and cupboard. Also counts as minimising. 

Minimised 
Cleaned half my kitchen cupboards out and binned 3 out of date items. Definitely not usable. 

Mended.
Temporary mend. Tied washing line to fence post. Retractable line has broken and can't fit new one until the weekend.  Weather permitting.