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

Cherryfudge

Some progress made today. 

Make do: Various food items have come out of the emergency storage cupboard in the interests of stock turnover. I found three lots of Christmassy food that never got used at Christmas so we've started a stollen rather than buy pastries this week.

Mend: a pair of socks.

Minimise: went on the rummage for something I failed to find but turned out an ancient carrier bag and got rid of a horrible sticky mess of sweets dated 2013! I found some bits from my Mum that I must have stashed for safekeeping when she was in the nursing home: earrings and a brooch are set aside for my sister (I don't wear earrings), a watch and hair slide are going into the box of jewellery that my sister and I will hopefully eventually share out when she's back in this country. 14 pieces of paper, sticky with ancient sweets (yuck) went in the bin. I also found two well-out-of-date gift cards which have sadly been binned and which were probably mine, and a couple of magazines to donate, but those haven't gone yet.

Floss

@Cherryfudge it might be worth checking if the gift cards can be replaced.

Cherryfudge

Floss said:

@Cherryfudge it might be worth checking if the gift cards can be replaced.

That's a good idea thanks. I'll see what I can find out.

Bozwood

I did some mending today on dd jumper it took only a few minutes to do and she can wear it again 

Cherryfudge

Make do: We are going away for a few days so I'm investigating some snacks to save on buying lunches. So far I've found hot chocolate sachets in the cupboard which needed to be used up anyway and will be good for before bed.

Mend: I'm not sure these are strictly mending but they are both making something better so I'll count them here. I've trimmed my hair (saving a haircut and making it easier to care for) and washed some bugs off a houseplant.

Minimise: we returned a mirror and a bag of clothes that our youngest left in his room when he moved out five years ago! Also given a birthday gift to a family member.

2Scratters

Morning Peeps,

I have managed to minimise & and make do a handbag from home storage    it is being cleaned by my DH in readiness for me to use. My old one will receive some treatment and will be moved on either by a small sale or the CS.

I am struggling with moving stuff on/out at the moment as  I seem to have lost my mojo. There are plenty of these actions needed but as a procrastinator it just takes even longer. DH evens questions or makes suggestion are you sure? can't you do whatever? Arggh stop delaying me once decision is made! I have said this to him several times but have also thanked him too, he is obviously making sure of my decision is the right one yet this does not help. Clearly he knows me, I don't often regret when a decision is made it's the justins that are the problem and usually raises it's head just after having been moved on   

Don't get me wrong I am winning at this it's just taking too damn long.  

DH mended the washing machine as it had developed a leak at the water intake. Fortunately I don't wash every day, as it took him 3 days to sort it. He is not a well chap and has many "fog days" and he cannot operate under pressure nor if anything does not go to plan it tires him out mentally then falls asleep for 3 hours. It is what it is and he finished the job is all that matters. 

2 Scratters xx

YorksLass

Tonight's dinner is a Make Do - leftover beef and gravy from Sunday in a pan, add in leftover swede/carrot and serve with dumplings.   There's a bit of mash left too but I think there's enough stodge with the dumplings so I'll make a couple of small potato cakes with that instead.

Today I've been through my jewellery (I haven't got loads of it by the way ) and have Minimised some for the CS.  Nothing of value, either monetary or sentimental, but I'm not wearing it so it can go.  I've also let go of a jewellery box - I don't need more than one.

I've done a Mend on a necklace that just needed a ring tightening up - all of a 10 second job   - and have a bracelet that needs a couple of stones sticking back in but that will have to wait until I get some suitable glue.  I did have a tube but it's dried up, so another Minimise.

2Scratters

DH had asked for a storage tub of his from the loft as he was after something in it. There turned out to be some pump dispensers that go onto the 5ltr bottles of liquid types. I removed one and cleaned it to ease the use of the white vinegar. I also got what I went up for was a pair of knitting needles to make hopefully 2 baby blankets with some chunky soft wool I have hanging about down stairs.  I will put those items to Make do.
Minimise 8 items from the house into the appropriate bins and finally dropped off a TV monitor to the tip along with a bag of batteries that had been hanging about in my car for some time.
I had been having brain block/fog going on and today I finally twigged I have 2 large tins of buttons and have been meaning to buy some new buttons that are needed for  cardigan to be more me. This I will consider to be a Mend. 


2 Scratters xx

Sarahspangles

Make do - my daughter was eyeing a vintage cardigan yesterday. Very like one I’d just hand laundered and debobbled for donation. As it’s not yet made it to the car, it’s earmarked for her.

Mend - I dropped permanent ink on some almost new jeans. I treated the ink with isopropyl alcohol (which OH had in the garage) and then vinegar as it wasn’t coming off. It looked like it was fixed, but one of those must have worked as they came out of the wash as good as new.

Minimise - I saved some smoked haddock from a bag of fish pie mix (I don’t like smoked haddock) and a couple of cooked potatoes. OH just had fresh haddock with smoked haddock fish cakes for his tea and I made a sauce with the poaching milk. I love it when he thinks he’s being treated and doesn’t realise it’s leftovers!

I’ve also bought an inexpensive ice cream maker in the sales. We quite often have cream, yoghurt or fruit left over, and when my children are home for a few days I end up throwing away their plant versions of diary. I generally halve the sugar content in things I make and the first batch of redcurrant ice cream is lovely and tart.

Cherryfudge

2Scratters, my sympathy on the slow decluttering. I'm a fellow-sufferer though I get occasional moments of clarity when I see clearly what can go and just make the most of those. I must admit I sense that I'm hovering around the stash exceeding life expectancy not - and worried that decreasing energy will weigh in on the side of the stash.

How very useful to have a DH who can fix a washing machine! Ours is wearing out and will just have to be replaced as we don't feel we can do the necessary replacement of bearings and our local shop won't do it due to the age of the machine. I suppose they are right and once one thing goes, it could be the first of a number of things.

My latest MMMs:

Make do: I tried a pumpkin recipe using butternut squash that needed to be finished and I was very happy with the results. It also incorporated the squash seeds which to my surprise turned out to be perfectly edible when roasted in oil, complete with husk, so there's a waste-not for the future.

Mend: Fixed a pulled thread on my DiL's new jumper.

Minimise: I'm out for a meal with course colleagues tonight and remembered a yellow-stickered curry in the freezer for DH's tea - and I've finished up the pumpkin/squash recipe which also used up the end of a block of cheese.