Memorygirls Make Do and Mend for 2008 Thread

tracyburt

Looking forward to hearing from Memorygirl again too. I have loved reading this thread and I haven't smiled so much as a thread in ages. I absolutely love old style and get a great satisfaction from it. I have to admit that as hubby is an accountant we don't need to do it from a financial point of view, although we have taken on renovating a rundown victorian house so every penny needs to go there at the moment (and I mean renovating ... it needed a new roof immediately as it wasn't even watertight or repairable, had no central heating and when we bought it there was so much damp the wallpaper was litterally hanging off the ceilings and walls). The recent posts about making do and how it makes us as human beings is one of my strong beliefs. Our tea tonight was a superb pasta meal made largely with leeks from our garden with a pastryless egg custard (from our chickens) and raspberry coulis made from frozen raspberries. It was served after we went to our local market town to do our shopping, where we treated the kids to a new book each (10p each from a charity shop) and they got to choose sweets from the old fashioned sweet shop (both went for a really long strawberry bootlace, again 10p each). They loved it and thought it was a treat ... our friends took their kids to see the live High School Musical show .... I know both sets of kids would have had equally as much fun. Ours also love walks on the beach, often collecting bits to make a collage another day, and walks in the woods where we also collect logs for our logburner. Life can be so simple yet so pleasurable.

fletch3163

Quote Ballaquidsin -Well, it seems that memorygirl's thread has turned us all into memory girls.

What a fabulous thing to say :T . I pop in now and again to hear how memory girl is getting on and I've found myself being as interested in all your reminiscing.

taylorround

I'm so pleased i found this thread again, i read it one night when i was quite tired and haven’t been able to find it for a week now as i couldn’t remember MG user name!
I have saved it into my faves so i cant loose it again.
Finding it really inspirational hearing what MG is getting up to and all the other stories on here.
I live in hope that one day i might save up enough to move out of home with mum and dad, I’m 25 and feel like i should be moving on but everything is so expensive in London I’m not sure when that will be. :rolleyes:
Taking all your tips and passing them on to the parents, determined to make them MSE!!

Laura

Topher

Guess what my nephew and nieces remember most from christmas this year? Going to choose the Christmas tree, taking it home at dusk, decorating it, and making ceremony out of switching its lights on. An activity that took up the better part of a whole day of their holiday. This triggered a conversation with my two adult children who recalled each and every time we went to choose our trees. (a Mixture of last minute dashes around markets and garden centres, or organised trips taking up a leisurely day like the sister's family occasion) In spite of the tree costs, I'd still call that a simple pleasure, and I was amazed at what the tradition had meant to my children.
T

mary43

Where is Memory Girl ? Anyone know ?

tracyburt

mary43 wrote: »

Where is Memory Girl ? Anyone know ?

Still no news? I was loving this thread and hearing of memorygirls bloglike posting.

spookycat_2

She should have received the nappies I sent ages ago, I haven't heard anything either though.

Pink.

Hi,

I don't think there's any need to worry about memorygirl as she's been online and posting on other threads so I imagine she's just busy at the moment.

Pink

csarina

This thread has reminded me of life when my 4 were small, My OH worked away during the week, just coming home at weekends..........all cooking was done from scratch and I made all mine and the childrens clothes....often nipped into the local rummage sales for dresses etc that I could convert into clothes for my two girls. I used to cut the good bits out of LH's trousers and make shorts for the boys. Neither had bought trousers until they went to school.

Nappies...........I used mens paper handkies as liners, sluiced off in the toilet, I did loose one nappy, pulled the chain and let go for some daft reason, and then put in a bucket by the loo, washed each day and hung out to dry......

Each baby had a home made layette, the only things I bought were vests, none of mine could wear wool, they had to have cotton vests. Nappies lasted for 3 babaies and then I had to buy new ones for the last one, I used them up as face flannels and floor cloths..............

Fleece type fabric came in when my youngest two were small, I was given some so made them both sleeping suits with feet in and even put a plastic type fabric on the bottom. A friend saw one and asked me to make her one for her little one, it blossomed into quite a little business.........it paid for new shoes for them............

How different to when my grand daughter was born, she had everything new............and used disposible nappies, life was not easy when my children were young, but I enjoyed looking after them and making a penny do the work of two...........

Keep posting MG we need to hear how you are doing with your challenge.............and I hope all goes well when you have the baby.

memorygirl

WHEW!!!!! Finally back on a Broadband network as opposed to sneaking on work computers for minutes at a time when the boss isn’t breathing down my neck - LOL

Got so much to share with you guys - but just finished editing the highlights because I am sure you don't want to be ploughing through the pages of ramblings I have been keeping in my diary.

Please feel free to give up and skip to the end when you get bored. I will hopefully get back on this evening to be able to answer the questions that some of you have raised.

JAN 8

Found the cutest 3-ply crochet cardigan pattern online. Think I have enough pale blue to make it – and there is a great movie on tonight. I know I shouldn’t start one project until I have finished the first – but in my defence I am onto the navy blue bit of the baby blanket and it is a nightmare to do under artificial light.

JAN 9

Tidying through all the odds and sods of office stuff and came across a diary sized cashbook – BRILLIANT. Now wrapped a plastic band around it and tucked a pen under and thrown it into my handbag. Now I have my official 2008-spending diary where I can track every penny (and every penny will be needed with a new house and bump on the way). I figure that if I get into the habit of noting it all down then I can’t have any of those “I can’t understand where it all went moments”

JAN 10

Gave the kitchen a Spring Clean – AND found over £60 of Mr T vouchers that need using up. Now I know what I should do is use them online for Club card deals but one of my plans is to get everything possible bought for the months around the bumps arrival ASAP. Made a list and bought – Deodorant, couple of packs of disposables to use in the hospital or for out and about, Shampoo for me and DS (enough to last the year) and some baby bits to use up to the nearest voucher. I still have vouchers left but am gong to save them to get some sleep suits at the big Mr T when I go for antenatal appointment.

Feel like I have had a huge splurge today – but actually was a NSD ‘cos I didn’t spend one penny of cash.

JAN 11

Mum brought me back some plastic interlocking storage boxes with lids. They are small enough to slip under our beds / cot in bumps case. Spent an hour sorting through what bits n bobs we have already collected, updating our inventory lists and throwing baby bits into boxes now marked 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 months. Also got one marked up for “presents”, “toiletries” and “nappies”. Instead of everything being stored in carrier bags they are all nicely organised in stackable boxes –I FEEL SO IN CONTROL.:beer:

JAN 12

Found bag of knitting pins in the attic. Got a great first size cardigan pattern in fluffy cream wool that I have a couple of balls of. Planning an evening in front of NCIS, CIS and Law and Order tonight. Lets see how much I can whip up in one spurt. I love the idea of multi-tasking – esp when watching telly. Also keeps me from falling asleep in the middle of a crime show and never managing to work out who dunnit – :rotfl: .