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

London_1

Made do :   found some black electrical tape to use on my laptop charger the wire was starting to look a bit worn in places

Mend: See above, wire looked a bit frayed so sealed it with the tape , saves me buying a new charger for awhile

Minimised.: Lunch was a small bowl of left over chicken curry from last night I toasted the end slice of the farmhouse loaf, spread the curry mix on top and stuck it under the grill with a little bit of grated cheese on top and one very tasty lunch. Minimised it into my tummy no wastage in this house   

JackieO xx

suzeesu2000

Make do - fridge dinners today

mend - nothing

minimise - got 3 units, 2 chairs, two big bags of wicker baskets and a load of kilner jars being collected tomorrow. So looking forward to it all being gone.

Moorviews

Make do - a sausage, lentil and vegetable casserole from what was lingering in the fridge and cupboard. I found some meringue nests that were a year over the BB date. They were lovely with some homemade strawberry 🍓 ripple ice cream. The ripple was strawberry conserve from a jar that needed using up. 

Mend - brought a dead laptop back to life with a new battery. I have retrieved everything from it onto a memory stick. Old pyjama bottoms being turned into dusters and replaced with new ones that I am making from some long stashed fabric. I am having to be creative regarding the top due to not having enough fabric. I am going to use a free vest pattern from an old weekly subscription sewing magazine and some jersey fabric pieces. 

Minimise - the spice drawers. Ancient herbs and spices into the compost and duplicates combined into single jars. I am gradually getting rid of the fancy shaped jars in favour of the kind with the name on the top of the lid which are more practical for me. 

YorksLass

I keep my jars of herbs and spices in a very narrow drawer at the side of the cooker.  As @Moorviews says, much more practical when the name labels are on the top of the jar and no rack cluttering up the work surface either.

Make Do: Half a bag of frozen mixed veg used up for minestrone-type soup, had the last of the veg pasta salad today with some pork pie, beef balti and naans defrosting for tonight's tea as well as lamb hotpot for tomorrow's dinner.  I made some lemon cream cups yesterday (it's just lemon meringue pie filling gently heated with single cream/water, an egg yolk and cooled until set) but used half a tin of evaporated milk instead of cream that I didn't have.  I'll use the other half for a SC rice pudding.

Minimise: Two nightdresses (still good but I've had them so long I'm sick of the sight of them) and a ladies' jacket to the CS bag that I'll take on Wednesday when I have my optician appointment next door.  There's another jacket that could go in the bag too since it very rarely gets worn.  Although it might, if I can whip up the enthusiasm to alter it!  No rush though, it's a summer jacket.      
  

mandy47

Make do
Meals this week from freezer and pantry. Stock take on toiletries means nothing to buy for the rest of the year. 

Mend
Replaced hinge on wooden ottoman. Much easier than I thought it would be.
Glued the short vertical piece at the back of my work surface. Don't know the proper name for it .
Held it in place with DHs kettle weight until it stuck properly. 
Repainted my wood burner. Looks like new again.
One of those jobs I've been putting off but glad I've done it. 

Minimised 
I had to empty the ottoman and turn it on it's side to mend it so had a sort out. Bag ready for charity shop. Various bits for recycling. Couple of items binned. 

Sarahspangles

mandy47 said:

Replaced hinge on wooden ottoman. Much easier than I thought it would be.

It's an upstand - one of those words that seems unlikely when you think about it!

Cherryfudge

Sarahspangles said:
It's an upstand - one of those words that seems unlikely when you think about it!

Logical! Though if I'd heard it elsewhere, I'd have put it in the same category as sky hooks and tartan paint.  

YorksLass

Collected DH's meds from the pharmacy this morning and remembered to take with me the ones he no longer needs plus an empty inhaler for them to dispose of, so that's a bag of "stuff" gone from the top of the microwave.

This afternoon I've cleaned the wall tiles and grouting behind the cooker.  I've been putting this off but needed to get on with it since the rest were done a while back.  All sparkling again - for now!

Tonight's tea is bacon, h/m potato cakes and beans/tomatoes with lemon creams for afters.  There'll be some bacon left for BLTs tomorrow lunchtime that will also take care of the last two soft pittas.  Pork steaks in BBQ sauce defrosting for tomorrow's tea with oven chips and peas.

Cherryfudge

Make do - my current knitting project is mostly stash-busting. We've also been using up roast chicken in a pie but there's plenty left for other things. DH is still working his way through donated apples instead of buying tinned at £1.10 a go.

Mend: I know I fixed something last week as I got glue in my hair, but I can't think what! ETA: it was sticking a tiny rubber 'foot' back on a sewing machine treadle and I think I've already mentioned it.

Minimise: five old sunscreens and a dried up mascara into the makeup recycling box.

suzeesu2000

Just a minimise for me but a lot of it. Having got rid of units last week I no longer have anywhere for the decorative things to go so they are going to the charity shop. Big drinks dispenser, huge glass goblet, China cups and saucers, glass bowls, big bag of pine cones, candle holders, plus a whole load of brand new toiletries in sets for raffles and tombolas, plus five pairs of shorts and another bag full of filling paraphernalia, torch, photo albums. 

Haven’t finished. As they are collecting I have a bedroom with items I was collecting for crafting so going through those tomorrow too. Got to make it worth their journey.