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

mandy47

First minimise of the year.
Curtain on Olio. Someone collecting later today.
Finally talked DH into one in one out. Jumper going to charity. Washed it this morning so it will go into chazza bag once it's dry. Also waiting in the bag are this years weird but not so wonderful unwanted Christmas gifts.
I do wonder what goes through the mind of the sender. There's a stunned silence on opening. I know I sound ungrateful but you would need to see them to understand fully. 
Make do
No shopping since bread rolls on Xmas eve. Still working through the freezer.
Nothing mended.......yet. garage roof raining in yet again. It's just too cold to work on. 

Green_hopeful

We had a lot of old camera equipment. I tried a couple of resale places but they were not keen. My son took a Polaroid camera which still works!

We have a chap we met on freecycle who is trying to make a bit of money upcycling. We have given him quite a few things. So took two boxes of cameras round to him. I guess even if he could get a couple of pounds per camera he might add them to a car boot sale. 

We have loads of books from various relatives. We normally take them to Cambridge Oxfam bookshop but there is no way of getting there by car. I took 11 bags of books to Oxfam Huntingdon bookshop last year. I think it was too much but they took them anyway. I noticed Spalding Sue Ryder has a bookshop. I have just called and made an appointment to drop off a car load tomorrow. Probably another 10 bags to go but it’s all progress. 

Katiehound

^^^ Old camera equipment... wonder if you have any camera clubs locally? They would know what was worth having.

Wraithlady

Make Do: like the rest of the country, working through the Christmas leftovers. Beef stew (from 23rd) tonight, followed by  the last of the Mincemeat and Apple tart.

Minimise: We are offloading a couple of items of furniture to charity, luckily they say they will also pick up the 3 bags of miscellaneous donations ( not much by way of clothing, just stuff we're getting rid of in the slowest house move in history!) so that will save us a job. Given the only CS with reliable parking is Oxfam, who have a habit of sneering at the donations if they don't think they're good enough - and 'can't stand books', OH is not that enamoured of giving them donations.

On a separate note, working to finish the 2 hats I started before Xmas, so a little bit of my wool stash is reduced.

Mend: I have a pile to get started on - think the long velvet dress (from a theatrical costumier about 20 years ago) has had it, so will have to take it apart for pattern pieces and re-jig them so the dress actually fits.

Cherryfudge

Cameras: I know an art student who's just bought a 'traditional' camera. Film photography can be part of art or art-related courses, so it could be worth checking with your nearest college.
I really thought Oxfam was supposed to be THE go-to place for second hand books, so I live and learn!

Katiehound

We no longer have an Oxfam shop but they certainly were the place to take books, sheet music etc.

basketcase

I'm still something of a beginner here and easing myself in post-Christmas.  But every little helps, I suppose.  And there's that mony a mickle maks a muckle thing... 🙃

Make do: As with many people, I've been eating up Xmas food, and made store cupboard kedgeree for tea. I repurposed an old dishwand to use cleaning the bathroom.

Mend: Said dishwand had a really awkward refill cap which I struggled to replace, so I'd bought a new one and was going to throw this one away.  Seemed a waste, though, so I used brute force and managed!

Minimise: A bit of recycling, but mostly virtual decluttering - old/duplicate folders & contents deleted from my desktop & bin emptied

Green_hopeful

I like the Cambridge Oxfam bookshop but the only way I have found to get there is to park at John Lewis, pay a king’s ransom in parking and lug the books across Cambridge town centre. I can do it but I have had the books for six months and not got the enthusiasm to do it. We are careful to take stuff to the right charity shops. No good taking stuff they can’t sell. Although my husband can be hard of listening when I tell him which shop so I write it on the bags and boxes. 

shandyclover

Make Do:- I've been saving the big Nescafe coffee jars from work, bringing them home and using them for my pulses rather than buying glass storage jars.
Mend:- Daughter bought an expensive pair of Levi's from V*nted and spilt hair oil on them. We used cornflour rubbed in to get most of the stain out. Then I tried some laundry power mixed into a paste as this had gotten bike grease out of my husbands bike gear before but I forgot how jeans fade. They ended up with a pale patch, very noticeable - oh dear! Bought some black dylon and grey jeans became black jeans but patch was still visible que some improvising - bought more dylon, mixed a 1/2 cup amount and painted on the faded area with an old toothbrush, left for an hour, then washed - twice, by now getting more hurried as daughter was due to leave for Australia in 8 hours! Thankfully this seemed to work and the jeans were saved - whew!
Minimise:- A pancake maker we bought from Lidl that was just taking up room - advertised on Ol*o and went to a uni student. Hat, glove and scarf set which was unwanted Christmas present went to hubby's work colleague who is from sunnier climes and didn't have the right gear for this weather. Daughter1 left a big bag of clothes and shoes, I've already sold a pair of jeans and a pair of duck boots on V*nted, proceeds being saved for charity.

Duchess2

We have made do with lots of leftovers this week for lunches.

I have mended the dog’s coat so it fits a little better.

Made a start on minimising by sorting a box of stuff to go to CS. Just got to get it out of the house, but this weekend’s severe weather will put paid to that.☃️☔️💨

Have a good weekend and stay safe and warm.